TMEM14B is a primate-specific transmembrane protein essential for neocortical development and expansion. Its primary function involves promoting neural progenitor cell proliferation and cortical folding during brain development 1. Mechanistically, TMEM14B drives proliferation by increasing phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of IQGAP1, which subsequently promotes G1/S cell cycle transitions in neural progenitors 1. Expression of TMEM14B in embryonic neural progenitors induces cortical thickening, gyrification, outer subventricular zone expansion, and the appearance of outer radial glia-like cells in postnatal mice, with proportional increases across all cortical layers 1. Beyond developmental roles, TMEM14B has emerging disease relevance. It was identified as a novel poor prognostic marker in hepatocellular carcinoma, with TMEM14B knockdown inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and migration 2. Additionally, TMEM14B has been identified as a potential blood biomarker gene in schizophrenia diagnosis 3, and novel coding variants in TMEM14B were detected in high-risk neuroblastoma patients 4. TMEM14B represents an alternatively spliced primate-specific gene regulated by the transposon-derived protein SETMAR, suggesting its role in primate-specific neural development 5.