Summary: New research highlights neuroglia (or glia cells) as critical players in mental health, potentially influencing conditions like depression and schizophrenia. Glia cells, long considered “support cells” in the brain,…
Tag: astrocytes
Astrocytes Play Role in Deciding the Fate of Memories
Summary: Researchers have uncovered a surprising role for astrocytes—cells surrounding neurons—in deciding which memories are kept or forgotten. By manipulating astrocytes in mice using optogenetics, scientists found that acidifying these…
Astrocytes Remember: A New Layer of Immune Memory Uncovered
Summary: Astrocytes, traditionally non-immune cells within the central nervous system, possess the ability to develop an immune memory, responding more vigorously to subsequent immune challenges. This groundbreaking study reveals that…
Linking Childhood Trauma to Mental Illness: Astrocytes Key to the Puzzle
Summary: The removal of excitatory synapses by astrocytes, triggered by stress hormones, can lead to mental illnesses induced by childhood neglect or abuse. The study reveals that synthetic glucocorticoids, or…
The Brain’s Support Cells May Play a Key Role in OCD
Summary: A newly discovered cellular mechanism that involves astrocytes, as well as neurons, appears to be involved in repetitive behaviors and OCD. Source: UCLA A type of cell usually characterized…
