If we can figure out micro-glias role in clearing away stroke damage maybe we can have it leave behind still repairable neurons.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/259636.php
Researcher Johan Jakobsson and his colleagues have now published their results in Nature Communications.
"At present, researchers know very little about exactly how microglia
work. At the same time, there is a lot of curiosity and high hopes among
brain researchers that greater understanding of microglia could lead to
entirely new drug development strategies for various brain diseases",
says Johan Jakobsson, research group leader at the Division of Molecular
Neurogenetics at Lund University.
What the researchers have now succeeded in identifying is a deviation in
the structure of the microglia cells, which makes it possible to
visualise them and study their behaviour. By inserting a luminescent
protein controlled by a microscopic molecule, microRNA-9, the
researchers can now distinguish the microglia and monitor their function
over time in the brains of rats and mice.
It has long been known that microglia form the first line of defence of
the immune system in diseases of the brain. They move quickly to the
affected area and release an arsenal of molecules that protect the nerve
cells and clear away damaged tissue. New research also suggests that
microglia not only guard the nerve cells but also play an important role
in their basic function.
"This represents a real step forward in technological development. Now
we can view microglia in a way that has not been possible before. We and
our colleagues now hope to be able to use this technique to study the
role of the cells in different disease models, for example Parkinson's disease and stroke, in which microglia are believed to play an important role", explains Johan Jakobsson.
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