Human Brain Purges Genetically Flawed Neurons During Birth
A study in Nature reveals that the human brain eliminates a significant portion of neurons with widespread genetic abnormalities around the time of birth. Researchers found that approximately 26% of prenatal cortical neurons had highly aberrant genomes, a figure that dropped by roughly 4.5-fold after birth. This natural quality-control process, timed with programmed cell death, helps ensure that surviving neurons lack critical genetic errors, potentially explaining how the brain selects healthy cells and offering insights into neurodevelopmental conditions.