Cajal-Retzius细胞（CRs）是发育的大脑皮层中瞬时的神经元类型。多年来，它们已被证明或被认为在新皮层和海马形态发生、电路形成、大脑进化和人类病理学中发挥重要作用。由于它们的寿命短暂，CRs被描绘为纯粹的发育细胞类型，其产生和积极消除对于正确的脑发育都是必需的。在这篇综述中，我们呈现了一些发现，让我们更好地理解这种非常特殊的细胞类型的身份和多样性，并提出了一个统一的定义，特别是在非哺乳动物物种或器官样体中工作时应该被视为Cajal-Retzius细胞。此外，我们强调了最近的一系列研究，指出CRs在功能和功能失调的皮质网络的组装中的重要性。版权所有 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd.。保留所有权利。

Cajal-Retzius cells (CRs) are a transient neuronal type of the developing cerebral cortex. Over the years, they have been shown or proposed to play important functions in neocortical and hippocampal morphogenesis, circuit formation, brain evolution and human pathology. Because of their short lifespan, CRs have been pictured as a purely developmental cell type, whose production and active elimination are both required for correct brain development. In this review, we present some of the findings that allow us to better appreciate the identity and diversity of this very special cell type, and propose a unified definition of what should be considered a Cajal-Retzius cell, especially when working with non-mammalian species or organoids. In addition, we highlight a flurry of recent studies pointing to the importance of CRs in the assembly of functional and dysfunctional cortical networks.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.