Cortical organoids model early brain development disrupted by 16p11.2 copy number variants in autism.

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Researchers used lab-grown mini-brains (cortical organoids) made from skin cells of people with 16p11.2 deletions and duplications to show how these genetic changes disrupt early brain development, affecting brain size, neuron growth, and cell signaling—and found that blocking a protein called RhoA may help correct some of these problems, offering potential future treatment targets for families.