The adult brain may have a greater ability to repair itself after injury or certain autoimmune diseases than scientists previously believed. In experiments with mice, researchers at the University of Zurich found that specialized support cells can repopulate damaged parts of the brain in an unusual way. Rather than moving entire new cells into the affected area at first, they send newly formed cell nuclei there.
Glial cells play essential supporting and nourishing roles in the brain. One type, known as astrocytes because of their star-shaped appearance, is especially important for healthy neuron function. Astrocytes provide nerve cells with nutrients, help control blood flow, and support the overall health of brain tissue.
Scientists had long thought that once astrocytes were destroyed, the adult brain could not fully replace them. This loss can occur after brain injuries and in autoimmune diseases such as the rare neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, in which the body's own antibodies attack and destroy astrocytes. Specialized Astrocytes Rebuild Damaged Brain Tissue A study led by co-lead authors Marina Herwerth and Matthias Wyss of the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Zurich (UZH) challenges that long-standing view.
The research team, headed by Bruno Weber, identified a specialized population of "regenerative" astrocytes in the brains of living mice. These cells gather around the edges of damaged brain regions and help rebuild the lost astrocyte network. "The findings of our study reveal a previously unknown ability of the adult brain to repair itself.
They point toward new ways of supporting recovery from ailments involving the loss of astrocytes," Weber says. New Cell Nuclei Travel Into Damaged Areas To follow the repair process, the researchers used two-photon microscopy to observe the brains of living mice in real time for several weeks. They also tracked which genes became active in different regions of the brain.
Together, these methods allowed the team to identify the astrocytes responsible for restoring injured tissue. The regenerative cells do more than simply divide. They also carry out an unusual process in which newly created nuclei from daughter cells travel considerable distances through the astrocytes toward the damaged region.
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