Overview

• A multi-institutional Science study identified proliferating neural progenitor cells and immature neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of individuals aged 0 to 78.
• Researchers combined single-nucleus RNA sequencing with flow cytometry enrichment and machine learning to isolate rare dividing cells from postmortem brain tissue.
• Spatial transcriptomics techniques confirmed that new neurons emerge specifically in the dentate gyrus, the hippocampal region critical for memory formation.
• The research documented marked interindividual variability in adult neurogenesis, with some donors showing abundant progenitors and others minimal cell division.
• These findings provide a unifying framework for investigating regenerative treatments that stimulate neurogenesis in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.