Researchers report newborn granule cells in the dentate gyrus become less excitable after three weeks. The loss of excitability is crucial for the functioning of mature neurons.
Neuroscience researchers show how astrocytes control the generation of new neurons in the brain. “In the brain, astrocytes control how many new neurons are formed from neural stem cells and survive to integrate into the existing neuronal networks. Astrocytes do this by secreting specific molecules but also by much less understood direct cell-cell interactions with stem cells”, says Prof. Milos Pekny.
A new study reports a protein made by astrocytes plays a critical role in brain plasticity by assisting with neural maturation and flexibility.
Researchers report they have identified potential treatments that could restore brain function in people on the autism spectrum who lack a gene critical for neural connections.
Axolotls have the ability to regenerate brain areas following an injury. Researchers have mapped cell types and genes associated with neurodegeneration in the axolotl brain, discovering some similarities in the human brain. The findings could pave the way for new neurodegenerative therapies.
Transplanting gut microbiota from older mice to younger germ-free mice increased hippocampal neurogenesis and intestinal growth.
A new drug could partially relieve paralyzing spinal cord injuries, researchers report.
Mitochondria regulate how neural stem cells become neurons during brain development. The findings may help explain how humans developed larger brains during evolution and how mitochondrial defects lead to some neurodevelopmental disorders.
A newly developed biodegradable microcapsule that delivers nerve growth factor guides the development of hippocampal neurons in in-vitro experiments.
Researchers have succeeded in inducing one species of flatworm to grow heads and brains characteristic of another species of flatworm without altering genomic sequence.
Although observed in other species, researchers report hippocampal neurogenesis does not persist through adult life in humans. Researchers say human hippocampal neurogenesis is not detectable in the adult brain.
Blocking VCAM1 increased neurogenesis, and reduced microglia reactivity in the hippocampus of older mice.
