{
  "id": 4880647,
  "title": "Atlas of the brain’s striatum could guide researchers to new drug treatments",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/atlas-of-the-brains-striatum-could-guide-researchers-to-new-drug",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-01T15:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MIT News Research",
    "slug": "mit-news-research",
    "url": "https://news.mit.edu/2026/brains-striatum-atlas-could-guide-researchers-new-drug-treatments-0901"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The striatum, a critical region of the brain responsible for cognitive and motor functions, decision-making, habit formation, reward processing, addiction, and affected by disorders such as Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia, and others, has been mapped by MIT researchers. By employing single-cell RNA sequencing and other techniques, the team identified 31 distinct subgroups of neurons based on their gene expression. These subgroups encompass neurons involved in addiction, depression, and schizophrenia. One noteworthy discovery is the existence of two \"outlier\" populations within the medium spiny neurons that play crucial roles in schizophrenia, substance use disorder, and depression. The D1 outliers exhibit high expression of genes associated with addiction and substance use disorder, particularly those related to opioid response. Conversely, the D2 outliers are rich in genes that respond to antidepressants. Both populations demonstrate strong reactions to clozapine, an antipsychotic drug often used to treat schizophrenia, although its use is limited due to a potential fatal blood disorder in some patients. These findings provide a roadmap for future investigations into Huntington’s disease and opioid use disorder. Furthermore, the study sheds light on why the dorsal part of the striatum is more susceptible to Huntington’s disease. This region exhibits higher levels of MSH2 and MSH3 genes, which contribute to the accumulation of CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene—the genetic cause of Huntington’s disease. Moreover, a rare population of medium spiny neurons, found in the ventral striatum and organized as island-like structures, demonstrates resistance to CAG repeat accumulation. Understanding the gene expression patterns of these resilient neurons may provide insights into strategies for enhancing the resilience of other medium spiny neurons to Huntington’s disease. The researchers also compared their human tissue samples to those from mice, noting differences in the expression of genes related to drug response and substance use disorders. One such gene, encoding the mu opioid receptor (OPRM1), exhibited variations between the two species. The MIT study, led by Myriam Heiman, Manolis Kellis, and Dana Gabuzda, offers a valuable foundation for developing novel treatments for various neurological conditions.",
  "summary": "A new study reveals insights into populations of neurons affected by Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia, addiction, and other disorders.",
  "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."
}