Wednesday, November 25, 2009

New Source Discovered for the Generation of Nerve Cells in the Brain

Source: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health
Date: November 25, 2009

Summary:

The research group of Professor Magdalena Götz of Helmholtz Zentrum München and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich has made a significant advance in understanding regeneration processes in the brain. The researchers discovered progenitor cells which can form new glutamatergic neurons following injury to the cerebral cortex. Particularly in Alzheimer's disease, nerve cell degeneration plays a crucial role. In the future, new therapeutic options may possibly be derived from steering the generation and/or migration mechanism. These findings have been published in the current issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience.