The need for research on human brain development

Abstract

Progress in understanding development of the brain has already started to explain the patterns of neurogenesis, progenitor subtypes, combinatorial transcription codes both for cell types and regional specification of the cerebral cortex, migratory routes taken by cells and axons and establishment of neural connectivity. This progress has mostly been experimental and based on murine studies. Although the mouse is a superb model for exploiting the modern tools of molecular genetics, allowing us to monitor and modulate selected groups of neurons, it has several limitations. The human brain has unique qualities; and there are strong clinical reasons for wanting to improve understanding of its developmental properties. Some developmental steps are considered exclusively in human; other features are not necessarily unique but certainly much more apparent in human than in other species (Clowry et al., 2010). Indeed, some fundamental recent discoveries were made in humans.