{
  "id": 10664934,
  "title": "The brain is built from two separate sources, not one, new research suggests",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/the-brain-is-built-from-two-separate-sources-not-one-new-research",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-29T10:00:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PsyPost",
    "slug": "psypost",
    "url": "https://www.psypost.org/the-brain-is-built-from-two-separate-sources-not-one-new-research-suggests/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New research challenges the conventional understanding of brain development, which previously suggested that the brain formed from a single pool of cells. Recent evidence from a study published in Nature Neuroscience indicates that the brain instead arises from two separate, parallel sets of early cells. One set is responsible for building the forebrain and midbrain, while the other forms the hindbrain. These cells are restricted to constructing specific regions from very early in development.\n\nScientists often study pluripotent stem cells, unique cells capable of developing into numerous tissues in the body. During gastrulation, an early phase of embryonic development, stem cells begin to form the basic body plan. Some cells become the neural ectoderm, which eventually forms the brain, while other structures like the spinal cord arise from different early tissues.\n\nOne of the key findings of this study is that specific cell populations are already restricted in their potential to become certain types of brain cells. In mouse embryos, researchers applied a fluorescent tag to a specific group of early neural cells right as gastrulation was ending. The tagged cells were almost exclusively found in the developing hindbrain, not the forebrain or midbrain. This suggests that these cells are committed to forming the hindbrain, while other cell types are destined to become the forebrain and midbrain.\n\nThe study also explored whether these cells could be persuaded to change their developmental path. In human pluripotent stem cells, researchers exposed the cells to different chemical signals to guide them into becoming either anterior (forebrain and midbrain) or posterior (hindbrain) neural ectoderm. Despite attempts to redirect them, the cells largely resisted these new instructions, reinforcing the concept that the cells' developmental identities are robust and resistant to change.\n\nUnderstanding these distinct origins of brain development is crucial for fields like regenerative medicine, where generating specific types of brain cells in the lab holds significant promise. The discovery that the brain is built from two separate sources highlights the complexity of this process and underscores the need for a more nuanced roadmap of brain development. Researchers involved in the study express excitement about exploring this finding further and hope that it will lead to new insights and advancements in the field.",
  "summary": "New research suggests the brain develops from two separate groups of early cells, one forming the forebrain and midbrain and the other the hindbrain, challenging a model of brain development that dates back to 1952.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}