Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons. As they learn through research like this how the brain develops its complex wiring, the scientists hope they can clarify what goes wrong in disorders like autism.
