Overview

• Published July 3 in Science, the study applied single-nucleus RNA sequencing, flow cytometry, machine learning and spatial transcriptomics to hippocampal tissue from donors aged 0 to 78 years.
• Researchers localized dividing neural progenitor cells to the dentate gyrus, confirming ongoing neuron formation well into late adulthood.
• The team documented substantial interindividual variability, with some adults showing abundant progenitor cells and others minimal presence.
• Comparative transcriptomic profiling revealed that human progenitor cells activate different gene programs than those in mice, pigs and monkeys.
• By validating active neurogenesis in adult brains, the findings pave the way for regenerative therapies targeting cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.