Scientists have found a new type of cell that could help heal brain damage, at least in mice. This cell is a special kind of astrocyte, a star-shaped cell that supports communication between brain cells called neurons. Astrocytes play a crucial role in keeping neurons healthy by maintaining the brain’s protective barrier and regulating electrical signals within the brain.
Astrocytes can be found in two main areas of the brain: gray matter, which contains most of the brain’s neurons, and white matter, which consists of the connections that help those neurons communicate. While researchers have extensively studied astrocytes in gray matter, the role of those in white matter has remained less understood.
In a recent study published in Nature Neuroscience, scientists explored white-matter astrocytes using tissue samples from mice. They analyzed the genes these cells expressed, helping them understand their function better.
The researchers identified two distinct types of white-matter astrocytes. The first type acts like a “housekeeper,” supporting nerve fibers and helping neurons communicate with each other. The second type has a remarkable ability to multiply, creating new astrocytes, something previously unknown in white matter.
Study co-author Judith Fischer-Sternjak from Helmholtz Munich noted how significant this finding is. They found that some of these new astrocytes could migrate from white matter to gray matter. This suggests they may serve as a source for new astrocytes where needed.
If similar astrocytes are found in humans, this research could open doors to new therapies for brain injuries or diseases like multiple sclerosis. Scientists might learn to encourage these astrocytes to proliferate and replace damaged or lost cells.
In the study, researchers also examined human brain tissue from 13 organ donors. They did find white-matter astrocytes, but these only showed housekeeping functions and did not exhibit the ability to proliferate. The lack of proliferative astrocytes in older patients might be due to age-related decline, as seen in the mouse studies.
The researchers believe that with samples from a more varied age group, especially younger individuals, they might yet discover these unique proliferating astrocytes in humans.
Moving forward, the aim is to learn more about the role of white-matter astrocytes in maintaining brain health in humans. Understanding how these cells respond to injury and change with age or disease will be key to developing new treatments in the future.
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