{
  "id": 9776772,
  "title": "A single-nuclei multiomics resource across four brain regions prioritises human neural cell types influencing brain-related traits",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/a-single-nuclei-multiomics-resource-across-four-brain-regions",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.754059v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Recent genetic research has uncovered thousands of genetic variants linked to various brain-related traits. Nevertheless, the majority of these markers reside in non-coding regions, leaving their functional implications and effects open to interpretation. To address this gap, researchers conducted an extensive analysis of gene expression and chromatin accessibility in approximately 140,000 individual nuclei extracted from 40 post-mortem adult human brain samples. The study focused on four distinct brain regions: the amygdala, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and prefrontal cortex. By combining these data with information from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), the researchers were able to identify and prioritize specific neural cell populations that play a crucial role in complex traits.\n\nThe findings align with existing epidemiological research, indicating that the prioritized neuronal cell populations are also associated with variations in body mass index (BMI), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and age at menarche. Furthermore, the integrated multiomic data supports the existence of putative enhancer-gene relationships, which could potentially contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. The authors believe that this comprehensive dataset will serve as an invaluable resource for researchers seeking to interpret genetic variations linked to brain-related phenotypes, and to identify the underlying effector transcripts and cellular pathways involved in these complex disorders.",
  "summary": "Genetic studies have identified thousands of variants associated with brain-related traits. However, the majority of these map to non-coding regions and their causal roles and functional consequences are unclear. In this study, we profiled gene expression and chromatin accessibility in ~140,000 individual nuclei from 40 post-mortem adult human brain samples from 11 donors spanning four brain…",
  "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."
}