MIT researchers map striatum neurons to aid disease treatment

Researchers at MIT have developed a new single-cell atlas of the striatum, a brain region critical for movement, decision-making, habit formation, and reward processing. By utilizing single-nucleus RNA sequencing on human and mouse samples, the team identified 31 distinct subgroups of neurons based on gene expression.

The study, published in the journal Cell, provides a roadmap for understanding how specific neuronal populations are affected by neurological and psychiatric disorders. The researchers identified two specific outlier populations: D1 outliers, which show high expression of genes related to substance use disorder and opioid response, and D2 outliers, which show high expression of genes that respond to antidepressants.

This mapping also offers insights into why certain neurons are more vulnerable to Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia, and depression. Scientists believe this atlas will serve as a foundation for developing more targeted drug treatments for these complex conditions.