Why humans are more sensitive than other species to a brain developmental disease

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Researchers at VIB and KU Leuven found that mutations in the ASPM gene disrupt neural stem cell development, explaining how the mutations can cause microcephaly and related intellectual disability. The findings also suggest that human brain development may make people more susceptible to certain genetic conditions than other mammals.

Researchers at VIB and KU Leuven have uncovered how mutations in the ASPM gene disrupt the development of neural stem cells that help the human brain grow. This disruption explains how these mutations cause microcephaly, a condition characterized by an abnormally small brain and head, often accompanied by intellectual disability. The discovery, published in Developmental Cell, also sheds light on how differences in brain development can make humans more susceptible to certain genetic conditions than other mammals.