Kyle Loh

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Study finds human brain grows from two separate cell lineages

As of September 2026: Leading follow-up studies on spinal cord origin

Scientists grew functional human hindbrain motor neurons in a lab dish after discovering the brain develops from two separate groups of progenitor cells, not one. The Stanford Medicine-led team reported the finding Sept. 18 in Nature Neuroscience.

Updated Sep 23

Notable Quotes

We've shown for the first time that the front of the brain arises from a totally different progenitor cell than the back of the brain.

from Study finds human brain grows from two separate cell lineages · Updated Sep 23

"Our research suggests that evolution took two existing neural systems and pushed them together spatially. Having the brain as one organ would probably be more efficient, but we rely on this primordial way to make the brain as two separate pieces."

from Study finds human brain grows from two separate cell lineages · Updated Sep 23

The brain is one organ. But it's built in two different parts that connect and work together.

from Stanford study finds the brain forms from two separate cell lineages · Updated Sep 20

You get more efficient communication when things are closer together.

from Stanford study finds the brain forms from two separate cell lineages · Updated Sep 20