Global Study Maps Basal Ganglia Cells Across Species
A coalition of 56 institutions in nine countries published 26 articles on brain cell types and gene activity.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Autism
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A coalition of 56 institutions across nine countries published a package of 26 research articles in a special issue of the journal Cell on the basal ganglia, a region making up about 2% of the brain. The work draws on humans, macaques, marmosets and mice, and includes a shared naming system for basal ganglia cells across species.
Why it matters
The basal ganglia is involved in movement and a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions, so a common map of its cell types gives researchers a shared reference for comparing findings across species. The researchers say the results could help guide future treatments.
The study combines RNA sequencing of single cells at precise locations with epigenomic studies showing where genes are switched on or off, drawing on 25.5 million brain cells including 21 million human cells. Standardized primate atlas work is expected to take another two or three years, and the links between identified cell changes and autism remain to be confirmed.
The players
Allen Institute
A research organization based in Seattle that leads large-scale brain mapping and cell atlas projects.
BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN)
A coalition project under the U.S. BRAIN Initiative that builds standardized cell atlases of the brain across species.
The details
The researchers used RNA sequencing to identify gene activity from individual cells in precise locations and epigenomic methods to map where genes are switched on or off. The project identified a new brain cell type linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and genetic changes in a specific basal ganglia cell type that may play a role in autism.
Timeline
Research package published on November 12, 2026.
The brain-mapping effort began in 2014 as its first phase.
Standardized primate brain atlas work is expected to take another two or three years.
Big Picture
This package extends the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network's effort, which began in 2014, by applying its cell-mapping approach to the basal ganglia and producing a publicly available atlas. The shared naming system it creates across humans, macaques, marmosets and mice aims to make cross-species brain research directly comparable.
The research may eventually inform how treatments for movement disorders and some psychiatric conditions are designed, but no new therapy is available from these findings yet. For now, the work mainly gives scientists a common reference for comparing brain cell types across species.
The takeaway
The basal ganglia study shows how shared cell maps can connect findings across humans and lab animals. Readers interested in brain health should watch for follow-up work that tests whether the identified cell changes lead to practical treatments.
What happens next
Standardized primate brain atlas work is expected to take another two or three years, with no firm date set for its completion.
Further reading
For related context, see our coverage of Autism.
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