Slow stem cell division may cause small brains

Credit: Louis-Jan Pilaz, Duke University

Researchers have figured out how a developmental disease called microcephaly produces a much smaller brain than normal: Some brain stem cells are simply too slow as they proceed through the neuron production process. The findings provide not only a new mechanistic explanation for microcephaly, but could also enhance understanding of autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders thought to arise from disruptions in the proper balance of neurons in the brain.