Brain Regulators Mapped -- New Era for Hope!

"In nothing do men approach so nearly to the Gods, as in giving health to men."
-- Cicero

US scientists have mapped a key network of gene "switches" in the brain which could aid neurological research. The "atlas", created by researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and used mouse brains to pinpoint the genes. But the map applies to human brains too, and is hoped it will help research into conditions, such as brain tumors, linked to mutations in these genes. Mice and human brains share many of the same regulators, which is why the researchers believe their work could help in the understanding of human diseases. Tumors, and other neurological diseases occur because of mutations in these key genes, called transcription factors (TF). This chain reaction cause abnormalities in the development or function of nerves. Dr Quifu Ma of Dana-Farber's Cancer Biology Department, who led the research, said his team found over 1,000 (TFs) gene regulators and mapped 349 of them to create the brain atlas.

"This is the first systematic mapping of all of the major brain areas that shows what regulatory genes are expressed in those specific locations," Dr. Quifu Ma stated.
This important breakthrough holds promise for find the causes and cures for such brain-related diseases as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson's, strokes, and other brain disorders. (Photo source: Brain, Wellcome Trust)

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