Research by BRIC-RGCB Scientists Sheds New Light on Brain Development, Neural Stem Cell Maintenance

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
A recent research, published by scientists of BRIC-Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB), has shed a new light on the complex processes governing brain development and the long-term maintenance of neural stem cells, opening new avenues for therapeutic interventions in neurological conditions.

The seminal work, conducted at BRIC-RGCB here, also underscores India’s growing contribution to cutting-edge global scientific research and its commitment to unravelling the mysteries of the human brain.

The findings of the groundbreaking study have been published in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), one of the world’s most cited and comprehensive multidisciplinary scientific journals.

The study, led by principal investigator Dr. Jackson James, identifies and characterizes a previously unknown type of neural stem cell that plays a vital role in brain development and its lifelong maintenance.

The research introduces Notch independent Hes-1 expressing neural stem cells (NIHes1 NSCs) as a distinct and functionally significant population of neural stem cells that operate independently of traditional Notch signalling. This challenges previous understandings of neural stem cell homogeneity.

“Our findings significantly advance our understanding of how the brain develops and maintains its regenerative capacity,” says Dr. James. “The discovery of Notch-independent Hes1-expressing neural stem cells and their critical roles in both embryonic and adult neurogenesis opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions in neurological conditions.”

The study leveraged advanced techniques including single-cell transcriptomics and conditional knockout mouse models to meticulously characterize these NSC populations.