Mice grow bigger brains when given this stretch of human DNA
a year ago
- #genetics
- #neuroscience
- #evolution
- A snippet of human genetic code inserted into mice leads to larger brains by increasing neuron-producing cells.
- The study focuses on HARE5, a human accelerated region (HAR), which boosts brain size by enhancing neural stem cell division.
- Mice with human HARE5 showed a 6.5% increase in brain size, though cognitive effects remain unknown.
- The research provides deeper insights into human brain evolution compared to primates, highlighting the role of HARs in brain development.