UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators in Colombia, Brazil and Germany are progressing toward an understanding of mechanisms that underlie Alzheimer’s disease, in particular an early-onset, genetic form that has afflicted generations of an extended family in Colombia.
Tag: Astrocytes
Acid glia in REM sleep: Stronger acid response in epileptic mice
Researchers at Tohoku University have shown that astrocytes – star-shaped glial cells that control the local ionic and metabotropic environment of the brain – exhibit an acid response with REM sleep in mice.
Brain Cell Activity Plays Critical Role in CNS Disorder Outcomes
Investigators at Cedars-Sinai have comprehensively mapped molecular activity in the brain and spinal cord that is responsible for regulating the body’s response to central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s disease and spinal cord injuries.
A Key Player in Brain Development, Cell Communication Uncovered
For the first, time UNC School of Medicine scientist Katie Baldwin, PhD, and colleagues revealed a central role of the glial protein hepaCAM in building the brain and affecting brain function early in life.
Virginia Tech scientists advance understanding of blood-brain barrier health
in a study with potential impacts on a variety of neurological diseases, Virginia Tech researchers have provided the first experimental evidence from a living organism to show that an abundant, star-shaped brain cell known as an astrocyte is essential for blood-brain barrier health.
Review Explores Physiology of Astroglial Cells
Astrocytes—star-shaped non-neuronal cells in the brain and spinal cord—are the primary regulating cells of the central nervous system. They also contain receptors for neurotransmitters and hormones produced by the nervous system and facilitate water transport and circulation throughout the body.…
Exposure to Environmental PCBs Impairs Brain Function In Mice
Human-made toxic chemicals that linger indefinitely in the environment disrupt the performance of critical helper cells in the mouse brain, leading to impaired function over long-term exposures.