Allen Institute releases new data and tools for exploring genes at work in human brain

Human glioblastoma and brain development atlases join the Allen Human Brain Atlas to provide researchers with a trio of public online resources for exploring genes at work in the human brain

The Allen Institute for Brain Science (www.alleninstitute.org) announced today its twentieth public data release, which includes new data and tools for exploring genes at work in the human brain. In addition to expanding and enhancing the Allen Human Brain Atlas, the Allen Institute launched two new human brain resources: the Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project and the NIMH Transcriptional Atlas of Human Brain Development.

"Few researchers have the opportunity to study the human brain itself," said Allan Jones, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the Allen Institute for Brain Science. "We are delighted that our online resources make data from the human brain readily available to the global research community."

ALLEN Human Brain Atlas

The Allen Human Brain Atlas is a unique multi-modal, three-dimensional map of the human brain that integrates anatomical and gene expression data. The latest release expands the scope and usability of this public resource and includes:

• Gene expression data from two donor brains each for the "all genes, all structures" microarray survey (approximately 1,000 discrete anatomic samples from one brain and an initial 450 samples from a second brain) and for the more focused in situ hybridization study of subcortical brain regions; and
• New features for browsing and searching the gene expression data, including an interactive heat map viewer for exploring the extensive microarray data, NeuroBlast search to identify genes with similar expression throughout the brain, and tools for comparing gene expression between brain regions or donors.

Additional data and more sophisticated visualization, navigation and mining tools will be available in subsequent releases. The next update is planned for March 2011.

Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project

The Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project is a collaborative partnership between the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation, the Allen Institute for Brain Science and the Ben and Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment at the Swedish Neuroscience Institute. The goal of the project is to map the cellular and genetic makeup of the most aggressive type of brain tumor-glioblastoma-and make the data publicly available online for the global scientific and medical community. Funded by the Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation, this resource has the potential to help match patients to the best therapies and accelerate discovery of new brain cancer treatments.

This initial public data release by the Allen Institute includes cellular resolution image data mapping gene expression using in situ hybridization in human glioblastoma from eight patients, associated histological data for neuropathological examination, and basic data search and viewing tools.

NIMH Transcriptional Atlas of Human Brain Development

The NIMH Transcriptional Atlas of Human Brain Development is a unique online public resource for studying human brain development. The atlas is being developed by a consortium consisting of the Allen Institute for Brain Science; Yale University; the University of Southern California; Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging; and the University of California, Los Angeles, with strong collaborative support from the Genes, Cognition and Psychosis Program, which is part of the Intramural Research Program of NIMH, NIH.

This initial public release includes cellular resolution in situ hybridization image data detailing gene expression in the postnatal developing and adult human brain. These data focus on brain regions, developmental periods and genes that are important for a variety of human neurodevelopmental disorders. Upon completion in 2011, the atlas will provide a broad and detailed anatomical analysis of gene expression across human brain development, comprising in situ hybridization, RNA-sequencing and microarray approaches, along with supporting neuroanatomical reference content.

This project was supported by Award Numbers RC2MH089921, RC2MH090047 and RC2MH089929 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health.