Ever wondered how the brain builds itself from the very start? 🧠🔬 A team of researchers from the Chinese mainland's Tsinghua University just dropped a game-changing technique to watch embryonic mouse brains develop in real time.
Published recently in Cell, the study introduces an in vivo intrauterine imaging method based on two-photon microscopy. By using a custom support device to gently immobilize the embryo, scientists can now perform long-term, wide-field, deep-tissue observations without missing a beat.
"This approach overcomes the usual hurdles of stability, duration, field of view, and operability," explains Mi Da, the paper’s corresponding author. "We can track cerebral blood flow and cell activity live, unlocking a front-row seat to brain formation."
Taking it further, the team labeled excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the cerebral cortex, mapping individual and group migration patterns. They also captured how embryonic immune cells react to stresses in their environment.
Crucially, this work offers the first in vivo evidence of abnormal neuron migration in mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders. It’s a major step toward understanding conditions like autism and epilepsy at their roots.
Academician Shi Songhai from the Chinese Academy of Sciences highlights that the study’s technological framework and analytical tools will be essential for future brain development research, offering broad application prospects for tackling developmental disorders.
With this breakthrough, scientists are now equipped to explore the brain’s earliest chapters live, paving the way for new insights into health and disease. 🌟🐭
Reference(s):
Chinese researchers reveal new embryonic mouse brain development
cgtn.com
