Lung cancer cells that metastasize to the brain survive by convincing brain cells called astrocytes that they are baby neurons in need of protection, according to a study by researchers at Stanford Medicine.
Oct 24, 2023
0
125
The scientific literature is clear: chronic stress experienced in childhood increases the risk of illness in adulthood—everything from obesity and cancer to dependence and depression.
Oct 10, 2023
0
1
A new study led by UCLA neurologist Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl sheds light on the underlying mechanisms linking menopause to cognitive deficits and brain atrophy, revealing a crucial role for estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in astrocytes. ...
Sep 28, 2023
0
62
Northwestern Medicine investigators have identified how a calcium channel in the nervous system contributes to brain inflammation, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
Sep 15, 2023
0
148
A new study shows that the activation of the brain's immune defense cells—astrocytes—in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease could be tracked early with a brain PET scanner and is linked to changes that can be detected ...
Sep 12, 2023
0
16
A research team from University of Lausanne (UNIL) and the Wyss Center, has discovered a new type of cell essential for brain function. Hybrid in composition and function, in between the two types of brain cells known so ...
Sep 6, 2023
0
559
Sleep is known to support the proper functioning of body, including the brain, allowing it to rest, recover, and recharge. While countless neuroscientists and medical researchers have been trying to better understand this ...
The social behavior of animals has been the key focus of extensive neuroscience and biomedical studies, as it is often aligned with behaviors observed in humans. Better understanding these behaviors and the neural processes ...
New animal research suggests that little-studied brain cells known as astrocytes are major players in controlling sleep need and may someday help humans go without sleep for longer without negative consequences such as mental ...
Aug 17, 2023
0
107
Childhood neglect and/or abuse can induce extreme stress that significantly changes neural networks and functions during growth. This can lead to mental illnesses, including depression and schizophrenia, but the exact mechanism ...
Aug 4, 2023
0
119
Astrocytes (etymology: astron gk. star, cyte gk. cell), also known collectively as astroglia, are characteristic star-shaped glial cells in the brain and spinal cord. They perform many functions, including biochemical support of endothelial cells that form the blood–brain barrier, provision of nutrients to the nervous tissue, maintenance of extracellular ion balance, and a role in the repair and scarring process of the brain and spinal cord following traumatic injuries.
Research since the mid-1990s has shown that astrocytes propagate intercellular Ca2+ waves over long distances in response to stimulation, and, similar to neurons, release transmitters (called gliotransmitters) in a Ca2+-dependent manner. Data suggest that astrocytes also signal to neurons through Ca2+-dependent release of glutamate. Such discoveries have made astrocytes an important area of research within the field of neuroscience.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
