Microglia may be a key mediator between maternal immune activation and a pup’s memory of contextual fear conditioning in early infancy, a new mouse study reports. The findings sharpen the picture of memory formation in early life, but the study’s approach to microglia has raised questions. That scrutiny comes as scientists reevaluate concepts such as […]
Microglia safeguard the proliferation and survival of young GABAergic interneurons by secreting insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), according to a new study of human brain tissue and organoids. The finding points to the potential origin of the brain signaling imbalance implicated in autism and other conditions. Microglia contribute to brain development, past findings show, but […]
research roundup Deletion of the autism-linked gene CHD8 in progenitor cells destined to be excitatory neurons in the cerebellum causes motor problems and behavioral changes in mice. Journal of Genetics and Genomics Childhood infections may contribute to diagnoses of autism or intellectual disability, according to a study of a Swedish register-based cohort of about half […]
