斯坦福大学医学院研究团队发现，人脑可能由两个独立的细胞系统构成，而非单一起源1。该研究于2026年9月18日发表在《Nature Neuroscience》期刊上，揭示了前脑和中脑由表达Otx2基因的祖细胞分化而来，而后脑则由表达Gbx2基因的祖细胞分化而来1。这两个神经祖细胞群体从早期胚胎发育阶段就保持分离且不重叠，在超过550万年的进化过程中逐渐融合1。这一发育分化模式在鸡、斑马鱼和海洋橡子虫等物种中也存在1。
研究团队首次成功在实验室培养出人类后脑神经元，这一突破为研究肌萎缩侧索硬化症（ALS）和脊髓肌肉萎缩症（SMA）等脑干疾病开辟了新途径1。后脑负责控制呼吸、心跳调节和吞咽等基本生存功能1。其中，SMA是1岁以下儿童死亡的主要遗传原因，而ALS通常在40-70岁间被诊断1。
Neuroscientists at Stanford University have identified evidence suggesting the human brain originated from two distinct cell lineages rather than a single developmental origin, with these systems gradually merging over more than 550 million years of evolution 1. The forebrain and midbrain develop from progenitor cells expressing the Otx2 gene, while the hindbrain arises from progenitor cells expressing the Gbx2 gene 1. These two neural progenitor populations remain separated and non-overlapping from the earliest stages of embryonic development 1. This developmental differentiation pattern has been observed across multiple species including chickens, zebrafish, and acorn worms, spanning over 550 million years of evolutionary history 1.
The discovery, published on September 18, 2026, in Nature Neuroscience, represents a significant breakthrough in neurodevelopmental research 1. The research team successfully cultured human hindbrain neurons in the laboratory for the first time, opening new pathways for studying brainstem diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) 1. The hindbrain controls essential survival functions including respiration, heart rate regulation, and swallowing 1. This achievement is particularly consequential given that SMA is the leading genetic cause of death in children under one year of age, while ALS is typically diagnosed between ages 40 and 70 1.
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