I came across this tweet, leading to this news report:
Early Clues to Autism and Schizophrenia Risk Found in DNA
By analyzing DNA methylation in nearly 1,000 donated human brains, researchers have uncovered how epigenetic changes shape the cortex across the lifespan.
These chemical shifts, which regulate whether genes are active or silent, were especially dynamic before birth.
Crucially, genes linked to autism and schizophrenia showed the most striking early-life changes, suggesting their developmental roots may lie very early in brain formation.
The findings show how epigenetics helps create diverse brain cell types and sheds light on mechanisms behind neurodevelopmental conditions.
Original Research: Open access.
“Cell-type-specific DNA methylation dynamics in the prenatal and postnatal human cortex” by Alice Franklin et al. Cell Genomics