Cellular Phenotypes in Human iPSC-Derived Neurons from a Genetic Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

For: All,

Researchers used stem cell technology to grow brain cells from people with 16p11.2 deletions and duplications, discovering that deletion neurons are larger with longer branches while duplication neurons are smaller—mirroring the head size differences seen in children—and that both types surprisingly show fewer connections between brain cells, which may help explain the developmental challenges families observe.