Brain Has Dual Origins, New Study Reveals

Stanford researchers argue the brain arose from two parallel neural systems with separate progenitor cells—the forebrain/midbrain and the hindbrain—joining over hundreds of millions of years. In mouse embryos they identified two non-overlapping progenitor populations marked by Otx2 and Gbx2 with distinct chromatin states, and they successfully derive hindbrain motor neurons from human pluripotent stem cells in vitro. The same dual-origin pattern appears in chickens, zebrafish and acorn worms, suggesting an ancient bifurcated brain. The work could improve lab growth of hindbrain neurons and inform therapies for brainstem diseases like SMA and ALS.