Scientists from Duke-NUS Medical School and the National University of Singapore (NUS) have discovered a new way to wake up dormant neural stem cells in the brain. This type of therapy could form the basis of new treatments for dementia, autism and cerebral palsy. Research results It was published In the journal Science Advances.
The researchers explained that most neural stem cells (capable of developing into a variety of brain cells) in the adult mammalian brain remain dormant until they receive specific signals that activate them. When they wake up, they begin producing new neurons that support brain development.
Defects in neural stem cell activation are associated with age-related cognitive decline and neurodevelopmental disorders that lead to impairments in cognition, adaptive behavior, and psychomotor skills, as well as problems in communication.
To study how dormant stem cells are activated, scientists conducted a series of experiments on fruit flies. It turned out that another type of auxiliary brain cell, astrocytes, are important in waking up nerve cells. The researchers noticed that astrocytes secrete a type of signaling protein called folded gastrulation, or Fog.
Fog triggers a chain reaction involving formin and GPCR proteins, which are needed to control the movement of specialized actin filaments emerging from dormant stem cells. The effect of formin on the filaments awakens target cells from their dormant state and prompts them to create new neurons using the GPCR protein. This chain of processes precedes the development of cognitive abilities, social skills, and normalization of behavioral responses.
The researchers now plan to investigate whether similar mechanisms play a role in human brain development. In the future, the technique of influencing dormant brain stem cells could form the basis for creating new methods of treating autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury and senile dementia, the scientists say.
Previously was named a plastic substance that impairs brain functions.
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Source: Gazeta
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