Understanding how neural plasticity and pruning work together in brain development may help us address the problem of autism—and at the same time understand the very processes that work to create the absolute uniqueness of every human being.

Can mice be effective models for autism? Maybe in some unexpected ways. As much as that sounds like a riddle, mice and humans are actually far more alike than you might think. In fact, many of the genes found in humans have functional counterparts in mice. For medical research, this similarity is very useful: scientists can use specific genetic variants of mice, known as models, to better understand human diseases and conditions.