https://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Young minds are easily molded. Each new experience rewires a child's brain circuitry, adding and removing synaptic connections between neurons. These wiring patterns become more stable with age, but biology has left some wiggle room to ensure that adult brains can still adapt and refine their circuitry as needed. This flexibility is called "neuroplasticity" and the ability to learn, make new memories, and recover from injury all depend on it. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-brains-stay-stable-dose-flexibility.html Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:00:18 EST news685101181 Cedars-Sinai investigators have discovered a healing mechanism that could one day be harnessed to help treat patients with spinal cord injuries, stroke, and neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Their study, published in Nature, describes a previously unknown function of astrocytes, a type of cell in the central nervous system. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-astrocytes-aid-spinal-cord-immune.html Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:00:16 EST news685101061 When it comes to brain function, neurons get a lot of the glory. But healthy brains depend on the cooperation of many kinds of cells. The most abundant of the brain's non-neuronal cells are astrocytes, star-shaped cells with a lot of responsibilities. Astrocytes help shape neural circuits, participate in information processing, and provide nutrient and metabolic support to neurons. Individual cells can take on new roles throughout their lifetimes, and at any given time, the astrocytes in one part of the brain will look and behave differently than the astrocytes somewhere else. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-astrocyte-diversity-space-atlas.html Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:58:45 EST news684435481 Some brain disorders are straightforward, such as the direct frontal lobe assault of a concussion or traumatic brain injury. Others, like Alexander disease, are akin to guerrilla warfare. Patients suffering from this genetic disorder experience erosion in the function of astrocytes, cells that support neurons in a variety of ways. Like a city under siege, the brain and its neurons eventually deteriorate along with their astrocyte infrastructure. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-12-mutant-gfap-disrupts-mitochondrial-fission.html Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:08:31 EST news683827681 Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a natural mechanism that clears existing amyloid plaques in the brains of mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and preserves cognitive function. The mechanism involves recruiting brain cells known as astrocytes, star-shaped cells in the brain, to remove the toxic amyloid plaques that build up in many Alzheimer's disease brains. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-astrocytes-amyloid-plaques-cognitive-function.html Fri, 21 Nov 2025 05:00:01 EST news682793041 Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a highly debilitating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive loss of memory and decline of mental functions. Earlier research has uncovered some of the neural and biological underpinnings of AD, but many of the processes involved in its emergence remain poorly understood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-microglia-modulate-reactivity-astrocytes-alzheimer.html Wed, 19 Nov 2025 07:00:01 EST news682681184 Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, are chronic and autoimmune conditions characterized by the inflammation of the intestinal tract. This inflammation can cause nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, fatigue, fever, and various other debilitating symptoms. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-astrocyte-derived-vesicles-link-stress.html Fri, 24 Oct 2025 11:00:05 EDT news680521008 Why are we able to recall only some of our past experiences? A new study led by Jun Nagai at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan has an answer. Surprisingly, it turns out that the brain cells responsible for stabilizing memories aren't neurons. Rather, they are astrocytes, a type of glial cell that is usually thought of as a role player in the game of learning and memory. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-astrocytes-superstars-game-term-memory.html Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:00:01 EDT news679735921 A team of researchers at the University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging now have a better understanding of how the brain's support cells communicate with blood vessels—a process that goes awry in Alzheimer's disease. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-uncover-key-brain-cell-communication.html Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:48:03 EDT news679240081 Why do some people remain healthy through childhood yet become more vulnerable to brain disorders such as dementia later in life? A KAIST-led team has uncovered a key part of the answer: a developmental "switch" in astrocytes—the brain's most abundant support cells that shapes how strongly the brain's immune system reacts in adulthood. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-links-early-life-epigenetic-memory.html Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:35:03 EDT news678018901 A collaborative French–Swiss study reveals a previously unknown role for astrocytes in the brain's information processing. Published in the journal Cell, the research shows that these glial cells are capable of integrating signals from several neurons at once—a conceptual shift in our understanding of the brain. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-astrocytes-emerge-unexpected-conductors-brain.html Wed, 24 Sep 2025 15:12:36 EDT news677945545 Bipolar disorder, also known as "manic-depressive illness," a brain disorder known to have afflicted the famous painter Vincent van Gogh, is characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-star-brain-cells-personalized-bipolar.html Wed, 10 Sep 2025 11:15:42 EDT news676721739 Astrocytes in the lateral hypothalamus region of the brain, an area involved in the regulation of sleep and wakefulness, play a key role in neuron activity in mice and affect their behavior, Canadian researchers have found. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-09-early-life-stress-astrocytes-affect.html Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:19:03 EDT news676217941 Long overlooked and underestimated, glial cells—non-neuronal cells that support, protect and communicate with neurons—are finally stepping into the neuroscience spotlight. A new Florida Atlantic University study highlights the surprising influence of a particular glial cell, revealing that it plays a much more active and dynamic role in brain function than previously thought. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-ai-reveals-astrocytes-play-starring.html Tue, 08 Jul 2025 11:48:05 EDT news671194082 Fatty diets and obesity affect the structure and function of astrocytes, the star-shaped brain cells located in the striatum, a brain region involved in the perception of pleasure generated by food consumption. What is even more surprising is that by manipulating these astrocytes in vivo in mice, it can influence metabolism and correct certain cognitive changes associated with obesity (ability to relearn a task, for example). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-fatty-diets-linked-brain-cell.html Mon, 07 Jul 2025 16:34:15 EDT news671124848 The human brain contains about 86 billion neurons. These cells fire electrical signals that help the brain store memories and send information and commands throughout the brain and the nervous system. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-overlooked-contributions-astrocytes-human-brain.html Tue, 27 May 2025 11:10:04 EDT news667562697 A study appearing in Nature investigated the role of astrocytes, an abundant cell type in the brain, in regulating an immune response against glioblastoma (GBM)—a highly aggressive brain cancer. Researchers found a subset of astrocytes that limits the immune response and can be targeted with therapeutics. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-therapeutic-approach-glioblastoma-hijacking-immune.html Mon, 26 May 2025 09:50:01 EDT news667471287 Once thought to play a supporting function in the brain, new research published in Science shows non-neuronal astroglial cells perform a leading role in regulating the activity of neurons and their connections. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-sidelines-astrocytes-players-neuromodulation.html Sun, 18 May 2025 11:30:01 EDT news666624387 Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have upended the decades-old dogma of how connections between brain cells are rearranged during states of heightened vigilance or attention. The team found that a brain chemical associated with alertness, attention and learning alters brain connectivity and function not by acting directly on neurons, the cells known for their quick transmission of information, but through the work of astrocytes, another, slower-acting type of brain cell that is often overlooked in the field of neuroscience. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-overlooked-cell-orchestrates-brain-rewiring.html Thu, 15 May 2025 17:15:03 EDT news666548101 An often-ignored type of cell in the brain plays a dynamic and surprisingly complex role in our ability to process information, according to new research from Oregon Health & Science University. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-reveals-impact-oft-overlooked-cell.html Thu, 15 May 2025 14:00:08 EDT news666520297 Scientists at McMaster University have uncovered new insights into the complex interactions between different kinds of brain cells and their responses to social and stress stimuli. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-05-uncover-brain-cells-react-threats.html Thu, 15 May 2025 13:29:24 EDT news666534559 Object recognition software is used by law enforcement to help identify suspects, by self-driving cars to navigate roadways and by many consumers to unlock their cell phones or pay for their morning coffee. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-machine-insights-astrocytes-role-heroin.html Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:00:12 EDT news665135341 A research team at the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) has identified a previously unknown enzyme, SIRT2, that plays a key role in memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study, led by Director C Justin Lee, of the IBS Center for Cognition and Sociality, provides critical insights into how astrocytes contribute to cognitive decline by producing excessive amounts of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-scientists-key-enzyme-alzheimer-disease.html Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:32:04 EDT news663859922 Cell survival depends on the energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—it's like the fuel that keeps our brain running. Intracellular ATP levels are thought to remain constant, given its importance. To maintain this stability, the brain strikes a delicate balance between metabolic energy supply and how much energy our brain is using (neuronal activity). https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-03-revealing-brain-energy-dynamics-decoding.html Mon, 24 Mar 2025 15:31:03 EDT news662049061 When faced with chronic stress, why do some people develop anxiety and depressive symptoms while others show resilience? A protein that acts as a cannabinoid receptor and is present in the structure controlling exchanges between the bloodstream and the brain could be part of the answer, according to a study published in Nature Neuroscience. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-scientists-key-protein-resilience-stress.html Thu, 27 Feb 2025 05:00:10 EST news659785206 A research team has identified different subtypes of white matter (WM) astrocytes, including a unique type with the ability to multiply and potentially aid in brain repair. Using single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, the scientists mapped astrocyte diversity across different brain regions and species, providing the first detailed molecular profile of WM astrocytes. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-unique-white-astrocytes-regenerative-potential.html Mon, 24 Feb 2025 12:58:04 EST news659624282 Most neuroscience research carried out up to date has primarily focused on neurons, the most renowned type of cell in the human brain. As a result, the unique functions of other brain cell types are less understood and have often been entirely overlooked. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-02-overlooked-astrocyte-star-brain-cells.html Fri, 14 Feb 2025 07:00:01 EST news658684417 Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains one of the most devastating medical conditions, severely impacting quality of life and often leading to permanent disability. The central nervous system (CNS) has a limited capacity for regeneration, which poses a significant challenge in treating SCI, since recovery becomes increasingly difficult once the spinal cord is damaged. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-01-astrocytes-hidden-potential-species-reveals.html Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:21:03 EST news655467661 Astrocytes are star-shaped glial cells in the central nervous system that support neuronal function, maintain the blood-brain barrier, and contribute to brain repair and homeostasis. The evolution of these cells throughout the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still poorly understood, particularly when compared to that of neurons and other cell types. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-astrocytes-alzheimer-disease.html Tue, 10 Dec 2024 07:30:01 EST news652964209 Researchers have discovered that astrocytes play an important role in regulating stress responses in the lateral septum in the brain. It is expected to provide new clues for mental health treatments. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-12-astrocytes-stress-response-brain.html Fri, 06 Dec 2024 12:54:58 EST news652712085