Brain Junctions Unlocked

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Ask your doctor point blank. 'Does stroke cause demylination?' If it does then what is your doctor doing to get research going on this?

Brain Junctions Unlocked

Summary: New research unveils the function of a previously little-understood brain junction involving oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). These cells, integral in forming the protective myelin sheath around nerve cells, have been found to form unique synapses with neurons, influencing myelin production.

This discovery, made possible by advanced imaging techniques in zebrafish, could have significant implications for treating a range of conditions from multiple sclerosis to Alzheimer’s disease and even glioma. The study suggests that manipulating these neuron-OPC synapses could offer new methods for disease intervention, particularly in demyelinating disorders.

Key Facts:

1. The neuron-OPC synapse plays a crucial role in the formation of the myelin sheath, a protective layer around nerve cells.
2. This discovery could impact the treatment of neurological conditions like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and glioma by targeting these synapses for therapeutic intervention.
3. OPCs, making up about 5% of brain cells, have functions beyond forming oligodendrocytes, possibly playing a broader role in brain health and disease.

Source: Oregon Health and Science University

New research from Oregon Health & Science University for the first time reveals the function of a little-understood junction between cells in the brain that could have important treatment implications for conditions ranging from multiple sclerosis to Alzheimer’s disease, to a type of brain cancer known as glioma.

The study published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Neuroscientists focused on the junction, or synapse, connecting neurons to a non-neuronal cell, known as oligodendrocyte precursor cells, or OPCs. OPCs can differentiate into oligodendrocytes, which produce a sheath around nerves known as myelin. Myelin is the protective sheath covering each nerve cell’s axon — the threadlike portion of a cell that transmits electrical signals between cells.