Advanced imaging reveals mired neuronal migration in lab model of Rett . syndrome
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Using innovative microscopy methods, scientists at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT observed how nascent neurons struggle to reach their rightful places in a sophisticated human brain network model of Rett syndrome, yielding new insights into how developmental deficits are observed in humans. patient’s brain. with devastating interference may arise. Rett syndrome, which is characterized by symptoms including severe intellectual disability and impaired social behavior, is caused by a mutation in the MECP2 gene. To gain new insight into how mutations affect the early stages of human brain development, researchers in the lab of Mriganka Sur, Newton Professor of Neuroscience in MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, grew 3D cell cultures called cerebral organoids, or miniature brains, using cells from humans. -people with the MECP2 mutati