Flexible brain cells, groundbreaking research at MUHC

Groundbreaking research at MUHC sheds new light on ‘flexible’ brain cells

The discovery, which shows that the brain has a far greater ability to adapt and respond to changes than previously believed, could have significant implications for epilepsy, movement disorders and psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.
Published in the current issue of the journal Science, the study shows that astrocytes, which play fundamental roles in nearly all aspects of brain function, can be adjusted by neurons in response to injury and disease.
Having identified this novel mechanism, Murai the senior author on the study, said the goal now is to see how it is affected in different brain diseases and determine if it can be harnessed to protect neurons and, ultimately, preserve brain function.
Read the full feature at the Montreal Gazette