Chinese scientists have analyzed the developmental landscape of the human prefrontal cortex (PFC), considered the CPU of the human brain, to get a better understanding of the organ.

中国科学家分析了人脑前额皮质（被认为是人脑的中央处理器）的发展格局，以更好了解这一器官。

Scientists from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Peking University as well as Capital University of Medical Sciences applied single-cell transcriptional profiling to identify cell types in the developing human PFC and their developmental features. Their research was published online in the journal Nature on March 14.

The PFC is one of the most important brain regions. It contains billions of cells and serves as the center of advanced intellectual activity, such as memory, cognitive ability, decision making and social behavior.

According to Professor Wang Xiaoqun from CAS, there is a need for detailed knowledge of the development of the PFC, since disturbances or failures of PFC development may contribute to several cognitive deficits seen in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia.

"Although we have known that the brain has a variety of functions, we have little knowledge about the different cell types and the cell composition, which makes it hard for us to understand how the brain develops advanced cognitive function," Wang said.

In order to systematically analyze the cellular basis and molecular regulation of the PFC, scientists traced the molecular features of cells in the PFC during human brain development at gestational weeks 8 to 26.

They analyzed more than 2,300 single cells and identified 35 subtypes of cells in six main classes. They also traced their development process.

The research will provide a powerful tool for investigating the mechanisms behind neurological diseases related to abnormal structure or dysfunction of the PFC and for exploring potential therapies.