State of the Art in Sub-Phenotyping Midbrain Dopamine Neurons.

ABSTRACT: Dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) comprise around 75% of all dopaminergic neurons in the human brain. While both groups of dopaminergic neurons are in close proximity in the midbrain and partially overlap, development, function, and impairments in these two classes of neurons are highly diverse. The molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these differences are not yet fully understood, but research over the past decade has highlighted the need to differentiate between these two classes of dopaminergic neurons during their development and in the mature brain. This differentiation is crucial not only for understanding fundamental circuitry formation in the brain but also for developing therapies targeted to specific do

SUBMITTER: Basso V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11428604 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature