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astrocytes

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 15, 2020·4 min read

Key Role of Immune Cells in Brain Infection Identified

Study identifies a specific type of immune cell that induces inflammation in herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 2, 2020·5 min read

Circadian Rhythms Help Guide Waste From Brain

During wakeful periods, the glymphatic system diverts cerebrospinal fluid to lymph nodes in the neck. The CSF may act as a "fluid clock" that helps initiate the body's infection-fighting capabilities during the day. Astrocytes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus may serve to control CSF through the central nervous system. Communication between astrocytes in different brain regions may optimize the glymphatic system's function as we sleep.

This shows neurons and astrocytes in the hippocampus

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience

·August 31, 2020·5 min read

Brain Protein Linked to Seizures and Abnormal Social Behaviors

Alterations in the excitation and inhibition balance is regulated in the developing brain by astrocytes via the ephrin-B1 protein. The loss of astrocytic ephrin-B1 alters the E/I balance by reducing inhibition, resulting in hyperactivity of neural circuits. The hyperactivity results in reduced sociability in mice.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 15, 2020·4 min read

Astrocytes Help to Maintain Slow Wave Sleep

Astrocytes are important for uninterrupted slow wave sleep and brain rhythms that are essential for learning and memory, through mechanisms involving intracellular calcium signals.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 8, 2020·4 min read

Astrocytes Shed Light on the Link Between Cannabis Use and Sociability

Exposing mice to THC, researchers noted persistent activation of mitochondrial cannabinoid receptors located within astrocytes resulted in a cascade of molecular processing that led to dysfunctional glucose metabolism. The ability of astrocytes to transform glucose into "food" for neurons was reduced. The reduction resulted in a compromise in neural function, with a harmful impact on behavior. Specifically, social interactions were reduced for 24 hours post cannabis exposure.

Featured Genetics Neurology Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 24, 2020·3 min read

Genetic malfunction of brain astrocytes triggers migraine

Familial hemiplegic migraine type 2 (FHM2) causes a malfunction of astrocytes in the cingulate cortex. Manipulating astrocytes in the cingulate cortex reversed the disfunction, preventing an increase in migraine-like symptoms in mice carrying the FHM2 defect.

Featured Genetics Neurology

·June 24, 2020·6 min read

One-time treatment generates new neurons and eliminates Parkinson’s disease

Researchers administered PTB antisense oligonucleotide treatment directly to the midbrain of mice. In the mouse models exposed to the treatment, a small subset of astrocytes converted to neurons, increasing the number of neurons by 30%. Three months after treatment, mice were completely free of Parkinson's disease symptoms and remained in remission for the rest of their lives.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·June 18, 2020·3 min read

Clear signs of brain injury with severe COVID-19

Some coronavirus patients exhibit clinical and neurochemical signs of brain injury associated with the viral infection. COVID-19 patients who required ventilation had increased plasma NfL levels. The higher NfL concentration levels were linked to the severity of infection.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 13, 2020·4 min read

Brain cells can harbor and spread HIV virus to the body

Astrocytes harbor HIV and spread the virus to CD4+ T cells that traffic the virus out of the brain and into other organs. HIV moves via this route, even when the virus is suppressed with cART.