#  Abnormal Neurons Are Surprisingly Common in the Developing Brain, Study Finds 

 





Discovery of quality control mechanism could provide insight into autism, other disorders



 

November 03, 2026

 

 

During fetal development, the human brain generates an excess of neurons, most of which are eliminated shortly before and after birth. New research from Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital suggests that this is a critical quality control mechanism.

A study [published Oct. 28 in *Nature*](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-11190-3) and supported in part by federal funding shows that neurons with multiple copy number variants — abnormal duplications or deletions of segments of DNA — are surprisingly widespread in the developing brain. Copy number variants can impact brain function and may contribute to neuropsychiatric conditions, including autism, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and intellectual disability.

But the research also shows that the vast majority of these flawed neurons are selectively eliminated, likely because the genomic alterations disrupt their ability to form synapses.

“Between 13 and 46 percent of neurons in the developing brain are riddled with copy number variants, but there seems to be a mechanism by which these abnormal neurons are eliminated around the time of birth,” said co-senior author [Peter Park](https://compbio.hms.harvard.edu/), professor of biomedical informatics in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS.

[Read full article.](https://hms.harvard.edu/news/abnormal-neurons-are-surprisingly-common-developing-brain-study-finds?utm_source=OCERMarketingCloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=11.03.2026-HMNews&utm_content=Abnormal+Neurons+Are+Surprisingly+Common+in+the+Developing+Brain%2c+Study+Finds)





 

 

 



 

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