An international team of neuroscientists led by the Center for Regenerative Therapy at the Dresden University of Technology has discovered a new factor that contributes to the development of the neocortex, the most developed part of the human brain. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine EMBO.
The neocortex is the characteristic folded outer layer of the brain. It is responsible for higher cognitive functions and is considered the youngest brain region.
The molecular mechanisms governing the evolution of the neocortex are still largely unknown.
The team compared the brains of mice, gorillas, and humans using organoids (living organ models grown from stem cells in the laboratory) to find factors that influence brain expansion. Researchers discovered the protein epiregulin, a neocortex expansion factor.
Epiregulin is present in many mammals, including primates and mice. However, the gene that produces this protein in rodents has been turned off and is not used.
Comparing the effect of epiregulin on human and gorilla brain organelles, scientists found that gorilla brain organelles begin to develop under the influence of this element. At the same time, the human neocortex responds much weaker to epiregulin.
Scientists explained that this may be because our neocortex is already quite developed.
Previous scientists I learnedThe volume of the human brain has increased by 7% in the last 90 years.