Medical research

Microglia: the movers and shakers of the brain

(Medical Xpress)—Once the brain has fully developed, its neurons and astrocytes remain relatively fixed. There are a few select migratory streams that replenish vulnerable populations with dedicated stem cell recruits, ...

Medical research

Study identifies unexpected clue to peripheral neuropathies

New research shows that disrupting the molecular function of a tumor suppressor causes improper formation of a protective insulating sheath on peripheral nerves – leading to neuropathy and muscle wasting in mice similar ...

Neuroscience

First step to induce self-repair in the central nervous system

Damaged peripheral nerves can regenerate after an injury, for example, following a forearm fracture. Axons, the long projections of neurons that transmit stimuli or signals to other cells, are affected in the case of injury ...

Medical research

Scientists find RNA with special role in nerve healing process

Scientists may have identified a new opening to intervene in the process of healing peripheral nerve damage with the discovery that an "anti-sense" RNA (AS-RNA) is expressed when nerves are injured. Their experiments in mice ...

Neuroscience

Schwann cells 'dine in' to clear myelin from injured nerves

Researchers reveal how cells in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) degrade myelin after nerve injury, a process that fails to occur in the central nervous system (CNS). The study appears in The Journal of Cell Biology.

Medical research

New tissue engineering breakthrough encourages nerve repair

A new combination of tissue engineering techniques could reduce the need for nerve grafts, according to new research by The Open University. Regeneration of nerves is challenging when the damaged area is extensive, and surgeons ...

Neuroscience

Enzyme ensures thick insulation

ETH researchers have revealed that Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system largely produce their own fatty acids in order to create electrical insulation for nerve fibres. This process relies on an enzyme whose absence ...

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