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new discovery on brain structure opens up avenues for treatment

THE ESSENTIAL

  • The role played by the glial cells of the brain has been clarified, showing a more complex architecture
  • This work paves the way for new treatments in neurodegenerative diseases

New brain research has revealed more details about key brain cells, including that a structure in the brain is organized differently from what the scientific community believed. This discovery may have implications for the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers published their results in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Glial cells

The researchers were particularly interested in glial cells which were thought to function like putty or glue for the most important neuronal cells. A growing body of research shows that glial cells do much more than contribute to the structure and protection of neuronal cells. They can play an important role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. In this study, the authors focused on a particular type of glial cell: astrocytes, which are star-shaped. The way these cells are structured has never been studied.

The authors studied brain cells in mice and humans, developing a new methodology to allow them to see glial cells in more detail. To do this, they combined nucleic acid imaging of human brain cells and mice with single-cell genomic data. By combining these sources of information, the authors were able to produce a detailed 3D image of the astrocytes in the cerebral cortex of the brain.

Good news for treating neurodegenerative diseases

This method allowed researchers to discover that rather than being uniform, the molecular shapes of astrocytes vary according to their position in the brain. In addition, they are separated into separate layers which are linked but different from the layers of neural cells which are already well understood. “The discovery that astrocytes are organized into layers that are similar but not identical to neural layers redefines our view of the structure of the mammalian brainrecognizes Omer Bayraktar, who participated in the study. The structure of the cerebral cortex can no longer simply be considered as the structure of neurons. If you want to understand how our brain works, you need to consider how astrocytes are organized and what role they play. ”

Regarding Alzheimer’s disease, which previous research has linked to glial cells such as astrocytes, this discovery allows us to imagine developing new therapeutic interventions. “This study shows that cortical architecture is more complex than previously thought, admits David Rowitch, lead author of the study. It provides a basis to begin to understand the precise roles played by astrocytes and how they are involved in human neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.. ”

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