Researchers play critical role in developing new atlas of brain cells

by University of Maryland School of Medicine

edited by Swati Mestri, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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Capturing a complete picture of what causes brain diseases from schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease to addiction has long been a challenge for scientists. But a growing body of evidence indicates that all seem related to the basal ganglia—a group of structures found in the center of the brain that control the body's movements, decision-making processes and habit formation.

Today, a large group of scientists from more than 50 institutions released the first comprehensive, multispecies atlas of basal ganglia cell types from humans, macaques, marmosets and mice. The atlas could help elucidate the key roles different cells play in determining the pathways that give rise to various brain diseases.

The journal Cell and other Cell Press journals published a package of 28 papers.

By building the research tool known as the NeMO Archive (Neuroscience Multi-Omic Archive), IGS researchers made it easy for scientists around the world to discover, analyze and integrate data across multiple studies and technologies. Including this new research, NeMO Archive houses genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic and spatial transcriptomic data from more than 50 million brain cells.

"I've spent much of my career working to make scientific data openly accessible, because the real value of these large research efforts comes when scientists everywhere can build upon them," said contributing principal investigator Owen White, associate director of research collaboration and development at IGS and professor of epidemiology and public health at UMSOM.

"NeMO brings together an extraordinary diversity of brain data and makes it possible for researchers to explore and connect findings across studies, technologies and institutions. That's the promise of building a truly open scientific data ecosystem."

Key findings from the group of studies include the discovery by University of California, San Francisco, researchers of key genetic changes in specific cell types of the basal ganglia that might play a role in autism and ultimately could lead to new treatments. Researchers from the Allen Institute discovered a new type of brain cell linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

"These studies highlight how advances in single-cell molecular analysis—supported by a growing ecosystem of openly accessible research data in our NeMO Archive—are enabling scientists to make discoveries that extend well beyond the scope of individual studies," White said.

Publication details

Towards an Integrated Framework for a Human and Mammalian Brain Cell Atlas, Cell (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.10.031.
www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(26)01281-X

Journal information: Cell

Key medical concepts

Basal GangliaSchizophreniaAutistic DisorderBipolar Disorder

Clinical categories

NeurologyPsychiatry Provided by University of Maryland School of Medicine Who's behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

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