Researchers discovered a mechanism the brain uses to repair itself after suffering a stroke.
A research team induced strokes in mice, and found the brain used support cells called astrocytes to move nerve cells in the damaged part of the brain, Lund University reported. Using a genetic cell mapping method, the team demonstrated astrocytes work to form immature nerve cells that eventually reach maturity.
"This is the first time that astrocytes have been shown to have the capacity to start a process that leads to the generation of new nerve cells after a stroke," said Zaal Kokaia, Professor of Experimental Medical Research at Lund University.
The researchers also pinpointed the signaling mechanism that regulates the conversion of astrocytes to nerve cells, a reaction that is inhibited in healthy brains. Following a stroke this signaling mechanism is no longer inhibited, allowing astrocytes to start processing new cells. Even when this mechanism was blocked in mice not subjected a stroke, the astrocytes formed new nerve cells.
"This indicates that it is not only a stroke that can activate the latent process in astrocytes. Therefore, the mechanism is a potentially useful target for the production of new nerve cells, when replacing dead cells following other brain diseases or damage," said Kokaia.
In the future the researchers hope to discover whether or not astrocytes are converted into neurons following other types of damage of disease.
"The new data raise the possibility that some of these nerve cells derive from local astrocytes. If the new mechanism also operates in the human brain and can be potentiated, this could become of clinical importance not only for stroke patients, but also for replacing neurons which have died, thus restoring function in patients with other disorders such as Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease," said Olle Lindvall, Senior Professor of Neurology.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the journal Science.
