New finding has implications for autism and schizophrenia

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that a well-known protein has a new function: It acts in a biological circuit to determine whether an immature neural cell remains in a stem-like state or proceeds to become a functional neuron.The findings, published in the online issue of Cell Reports, more fully illuminate a fundamental but still poorly understood cellular act - and may have significant implications for future development of new therapies for specific neurological disorders, including autism and schizophrenia.