Overview
- Peer‑reviewed results in the Journal of Neuroscience were reported September 22, 2025 by a team led by Ismael Galve‑Roperh at Complutense University of Madrid.
- Researchers transiently reduced CB1 receptor expression using in‑utero siRNA electroporation at embryonic day 14.5 to target developing prefrontal cortex neurons.
- The prenatal manipulation arrested neuronal migration and created ectopic deep‑layer neurons, disrupting normal cortical lamination.
- Recordings showed the ectopic neurons were less excitable, and gene‑expression profiling highlighted alterations in development, migration, neurotransmission and cytoskeletal pathways with overlap to risk genes including ZBTB20.
- Adult offspring exhibited persistent social interaction impairments and motor deficits, indicating long‑term behavioral consequences of prenatal CB1 signaling disruption in mice.