Gene Map of Human Brains May Lead to New Drugs, Scientists Say

Scientists have created a $55 million interactive map that shows where genes are activated in the human brain, an aid to researchers developing treatments for disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and autism.

The Allen Institute for Brain Science, based in Seattle, mapped two brains to create the system, said Allan Jones, the chief executive officer, in a telephone interview. About 82 percent of human genes are expressed in the organ, according to the institute. The map, free to researchers, identifies about 100 million data points and 1,000 anatomical sites in the organ.