In about one out of every 1,000 pregnancies, the neural tube, a key nervous system structure, fails to close properly.

How does the neural tube close? A new study uses physics-based modeling to reveal the actin "purse-string" mechanism and cellular coordination that prevents spina bifida.

In the human embryo, the neural tube forms between the 22nd and 26th day of pregnancy. Later, the brain and spinal cord will develop from this tube. The neural tube forms when an elongated flat tissue ...

Anencephaly is a type of neural tube defect. During pregnancy, your baby's brain and spine start to form as a flat disk of cells. This flat disk rolls into a tube-like structure called the neural tube ...