{
  "id": 7631142,
  "title": "Neuron cell bodies switch gene programs to steer growing axons, study finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/neuron-cell-bodies-switch-gene-programs-to-steer-growing-axons-study",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-15T20:40:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Medical Xpress",
    "slug": "medical-xpress",
    "url": "https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-neuron-cell-bodies-gene-axons.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Neuroscientists at Brown University's Carney Institute have uncovered a groundbreaking mechanism by which neurons guide their axons during development. Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study reveals that axons switch on and off entire groups of genes within the cell body, orchestrating the complex process of axon pathfinding. Until now, it was believed that axon tips alone controlled their direction, but the researchers discovered that the genetic switch occurs in the neuron's cell body. This discovery, published in a paper titled \"Gene expression programs underlying spinal commissural neuron differentiation and axon growth across the midline,\" provides a genetic atlas of neuronal development and could aid in understanding axon repair in conditions like stroke and spinal cord injuries.",
  "summary": "A new discovery by neuroscientists at Brown University's Carney Institute for Brain Science challenges long-held beliefs in neurobiology about how neurons extend axons to reach their targets.",
  "key_points": [
    "Neuron cell bodies switch entire gene programs to guide axons during development.",
    "Axon pathfinding previously thought to be controlled solely by axon tips.",
    "Discovery provides genetic atlas of neuronal development, aiding axon repair research."
  ],
  "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."
}