Big brain gene could inform treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders

Kathy Mahdoubi | | Health Imaging | Molecular Imaging

One gene in particular could be the key master for proper brain development, researchers from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore announced Dec. 19.

Scientists, including Bruno Reversade, PhD, from at the Agency’s Institutes of Medical Biology and Cellular Biology, and others from Harvard University have discovered a genetic pathway that correlates with brain size in humans.

The gene is called KATNB1 and it was found by sequencing the genome of people with average height but relatively small-sized heads. Having a smaller head circumference, or microcephaly, is linked to a range of neurodevelopmental diseases. These people often have impaired brain function and shorter life expectancy.

The researchers studied embryonic mouse models without KATNB1 and found that the gene was, in fact, essential in order for brains to develop to its optimal size.

“We will continue to search for other genes important for brain development as they may unlock some of the secrets explaining how we, humans, have evolved such cognitive abilities," said Riversade in an official statement.

Kathy Mahdoubi

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