Chinese scientists have drawn a map of the brain's "switches" to search for potential treatment targets for brain diseases.

Every cell in our body carries almost identical genomes, but different cells exhibit vastly different forms and functions in different environments. This is because a special type of protein called "transcription factor" controls gene expression and silence. Understanding how these transcription factors influence cell behavior and fate could potentially allow for intervention to control disease development. On April 24th, a groundbreaking study from China was published online in the top international academic journal Science. The research team led by Zhou Haibo from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology successfully developed a new technology for large-scale screening of gene function in living animals and utilized this technology to systematically map the transcription factor functions of a key type of cells in the brain - astrocytes, identifying and validating new potential therapeutic targets that could improve symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.