哥伦比亚大学扎克曼研究所的研究团队发现，人类小胶质细胞（脑部免疫细胞）的成熟周期远长于其他哺乳动物，这一特征与人脑的卓越认知能力密切相关。1研究显示，人类小胶质细胞需要4至8年才能完全成熟，相比之下小鼠小胶质细胞仅需约3周。1这一差异与人类特异性基因SRGAP2的作用机制息息相关。1
SRGAP2基因通过调控神经元和小胶质细胞的发育速度，在人脑发育中起到关键作用。1研究发现，该基因在小胶质细胞中的含量几乎是在神经元中含量的10倍，这种高浓度表达可能解释了人类小胶质细胞缓慢成熟的生物学基础。1考虑到小胶质细胞占脑细胞总数的5至10%，这种延长的发育过程对整体脑部功能的影响不容忽视。1这项研究由卡洛斯·迪亚兹-萨拉扎尔博士领导，在弗兰克·波柳博士的指导下完成，并已发表在2026年7月出版的《神经元》期刊第114卷第15期。1
Researchers at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute have identified a genetic mechanism that may contribute to human cognitive abilities. The team found that human microglia—immune cells in the brain—require four to eight years to mature, substantially longer than the approximately three weeks needed for mouse microglia to fully develop 1. This extended developmental timeline is controlled by SRGAP2, a gene unique to humans, which regulates the maturation speed of both neurons and microglia 1.
The research reveals that SRGAP2 is present in microglia at nearly ten times the concentration found in neurons, suggesting its particularly critical role in immune cell development 1. Since microglia constitute between five and ten percent of all brain cells, their prolonged maturation could have significant implications for human brain complexity and cognitive function 1. The study proposes that this slower developmental process may help explain the exceptional complexity of the human brain.
The findings were published in July 2026 in Neuron, volume 114, issue 15, and were led by Dr. Carlos Díaz-Salasar under the guidance of Dr. Frank Polleux 1.
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