14 DAY TRIAL // Scientists writing in the June 1 issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience argue that, according to evidence at hand, it might be possible for the brain to repair itself from within.
If this is indeed the case, several medical conditions resulting from brain injuries or brain abnormalities could more easily be dealt with and treated, specialists say.
The claim that the brain may be able to repair itself is based on the discovery on a new type of neuron that is present in the adult brain and that evidence indicates has the ability to control the behavior of stem cells.
More precisely, this newly discovered type of neuron appears to be able to instruct stem cells to get to work making more neurons, the scientists behind this research project explain.
“We have been working to determine how neurogenesis is sustained in the adult brain,” says researcher Chay Kuo, M.D. Ph.D., and assistant professor of cell biology, neurobiology and pediatrics.
Furthermore, “It is very unexpected and exciting to uncover this hidden gateway, a neural circuit that can directly instruct the stem cells to make more immature neurons.”
The presence of this type of neuron in the adult brain has until now been documented in laboratory mice, Medical Express explains. However, the neurons are likely to be present in the adult brain of adult animals as well.
For the time being, scientists are unable to say how it is that these neurons tell stem cells to make more neurons. However, they wish to carry on with their work and hope to soon gain a better understanding of the processes at play.