(Bioengineer) – Astrocytes, the star-shaped cells that support and nourish neurons, may possess a far greater capacity for self-repair than scientists once believed.
In a study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers at the University of Zurich have identified a specialized population of “regenerative” astrocytes that helps repopulate damaged regions of the adult mouse brain.
Their most unexpected discovery is that these cells do not initially rebuild injured tissue by moving as complete cells. Instead, they send newly formed cell nuclei through long cellular extensions toward the lesion, where the nuclei contribute to the reconstruction of the astrocyte network. CONTINUE