Astrocyte News and Research

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Astrocytes Play Key Role in Memory Storage and Recall, Study Shows

A study published in Nature by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine changes the way we understand memory.

7 Nov 2024

Innovative Stem Cell Research Unveils Glial Cell Dynamics in Multiple Sclerosis

Researchers from The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute and Case Western Reserve University have discovered novel ways in which glia, by using the largest known collection of stem cell models from MS patients, essential brain support cells contribute to the disease.

27 Aug 2024

Astrocytes Emerge as Key Players in Brain Health and Development

Researchers at the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Duke-NUS Medical School have uncovered a novel mechanism for reawakening dormant neural stem cells, which may lead to the development of new treatments for neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, cerebral palsy, and learning disabilities.

14 Aug 2024

Single-Cell Analysis Uncovers Impact of TREM2 Mutation on Beta-Amyloid Plaques

Researchers led by the University of California, Irvine have discovered how the TREM2 R47H genetic mutation causes certain brain areas to develop abnormal protein clumps, called beta-amyloid plaques, associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease.

8 Aug 2024

UCL Study Uncovers Astrocytes' Role in Brain Energy Boosting Mechanism

A key mechanism which detects when the brain needs an additional energy boost to support its activity has been identified in a study in mice and cells led by UCL scientists.

4 Jul 2024

Tabulae Paralytica: Mapping Cellular Dynamics in Spinal Cord Injuries

Scientists at EPFL have achieved a significant research milestone in the field of spinal cord injuries-;mapping out the cellular and molecular dynamics of paralysis in unprecedented detail with their open-source project 'Tabulae Paralytica'.

20 Jun 2024

Astrocyte Receptor Effects Differ Dramatically Between Sexes

Weill Cornell Medicine scientists have uncovered the first evidence that astrocyte receptors can trigger opposite effects on cognitive function in male and female preclinical models.

31 May 2024

Researchers Highlight Crucial Contributions of Astrocytes to Mental Health

The health and function of the brain depend on astrocytes, which are essential cells in the central nervous system. According to recent research, they affect behaviors and higher cognitive functions by controlling local neuronal activity.

22 Apr 2024

Astrocytes Identified as Key Trigger for Epileptic Seizures

Epilepsy, where patients suffer from unexpected seizures, affects roughly 1% of the population.

22 Apr 2024

Non-Immune Cells Form Memory, Boosts Inflammatory Response

An essential component of adaptive immunity is immunological memory, which is the capacity to react to a foreign material or antigen more quickly and intensely when exposed again.

21 Mar 2024

Astrocyte-Rich Brain Organoid Model Unveils Insights into Neuroinflammation

The brain is typically depicted as a complex web of neurons sending and receiving messages. But neurons only make up half of the human brain.

1 Mar 2024

Uncovering How to Protect Nerves in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Researchers at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have led a team that has discovered a novel therapeutic strategy for treating neurodegenerative illnesses, raising the prospect of better care for conditions like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Vanishing White Matter disease.

21 Feb 2024

APOE4's Influence on Lipid Droplets in Brain Cells

The largest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease is apolipoprotein E (APOE), and researchers Sarah Cohen, PhD, and Ian Windham, a former PhD student from the Cohen group, have made a novel discovery about this protein.

12 Feb 2024

Brain Cell Genetics Drive Alzheimer's Progression

Developing treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is difficult because complex underlying mechanisms drive different types of cells that may contribute to the disorder.

6 Dec 2023

The Secret to Staying Awake May Lie in Astrocytes

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 fatigue and impaired physical health.

18 Aug 2023

New Mechanism to Maintain Astrocyte-Neuron Communication

Neurons and astrocytes are the two types of cells required by the brain to enjoy the scent of morning coffee and freshly baked cookies or to discern the warning smell of something burning.

16 Jun 2023

Game-Changing Research Shows Astrocytes as Key Regulators of Alzheimer's Disease Progression

Why do some people develop Alzheimer's disease while others don't? And, even more puzzlingly, why do many individuals whose brains are chock-full of toxic amyloid aggregates-;a telltale sign of Alzheimer's brain pathology-;never go on to develop Alzheimer's-associated dementias?

30 May 2023