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▎The content team editor of WuXi AppTec.
Among the various cells that make up the brain, neurons have always been the radiant "protagonists".
Although astrocytes are numerous, they have only acted as "supporting actors" for a long time.
To support the role of neurons
.
Until recent years, research on astrocytes has continued to develop, and people have gradually understood that these cells are very important in brain function
.
▲Primary cultured astrocytes (picture source: References[2]; Credit: Inserm/Ruiz, Anne-Laure) Recently, the top academic journal "Science" published a research paper to make astrocytes The cell stood in the spotlight
.
Scientists have discovered that one of the most remarkable characteristics of the mammalian nervous system, plasticity, is not primarily controlled by neurons as previously thought
.
In fact, in the critical period of plasticity, immature astrocytes can determine when the critical period ends, thereby affecting the development of brain sensory and cognitive abilities
.
In the long run, this new discovery will give people the opportunity to find new strategies to improve the plasticity of the already developed brain and help people with brain damage or neurodevelopmental disorders to promote recovery
.
During a short period of time after birth, our brain continuously receives various signals from the external environment, and therefore flexibly adjusts the wiring between neurons to adapt to sensory input
.
This period of time is called the critical period of brain plasticity.
Once it is over, or "closed", it indicates that the neural circuit has stabilized
.
With age, the brain still has plasticity, but the degree of flexibility is much lower than that of the critical period
.
The critical period of brain plasticity is closely related to the efficient processing of information and the normal development of cognition
.
Many of the changes that occurred during this period are no longer reversible
.
For example, strabismus (two eyes cannot look at the same direction at the same time) occurs in the early childhood.
If it is not treated in time, as the neuron wiring in the corresponding visual cortex is permanently changed, the impact on visual function will accompany lifelong
.
In order to remedy problems like this, some scientists have envisioned how to restore the ability of the brain to rewire after the critical period is closed, and once again improve plasticity
.
To achieve this goal, we also need to understand the mechanism behind the closure of the critical period
.
Image source: 123RF In this study, a research team from France, through experiments on the visual cortex of mice, revealed the cell process that shuts down during the critical period
.
They found that the presence of immature astrocytes is the key to brain plasticity
.
These cells are involved in the development of interneurons during the critical period, which eventually leads to the closure of the critical period
.
The study of molecular mechanism also shows that connexin 30, which is abundantly expressed by astrocytes, is an important signal to promote the maturation of interneurons
.
The researchers thus validated a strategy to "turn on" brain plasticity in adult mice
.
They removed immature astrocytes from the visual cortex of young mice for culture, and then transplanted these cells into the primary visual cortex of adult mice
.
After a period of transplantation, evaluate the neural activity of the mouse visual cortex
.
The results showed that the mice transplanted with immature astrocytes showed a high degree of plasticity compared with the control group without transplantation
.
"This study reminds us that we can't just stare at neurons
.
The
glial cells that astrocytes belong to play a regulatory role in most of the brain functions
.
" Dr.
Nathalie Rouach, the corresponding author of the paper, concluded : "We recognize that these glial cells play an important role
.
" References [1] Jérôme Ribot et al.
, (2021) Astrocytes close the mouse critical period for visual plasticity.
Science DOI:10.
1126/science.
abf5273[2 ] The Key Role of Astrocytes in CognitiveDevelopmen.
Retrieved July 5, 2021 from https://presse.
inserm.
fr/en/le-role-cle-des-astrocytes-pour-le-developpement-cognitif/43313/
Among the various cells that make up the brain, neurons have always been the radiant "protagonists".
Although astrocytes are numerous, they have only acted as "supporting actors" for a long time.
To support the role of neurons
.
Until recent years, research on astrocytes has continued to develop, and people have gradually understood that these cells are very important in brain function
.
▲Primary cultured astrocytes (picture source: References[2]; Credit: Inserm/Ruiz, Anne-Laure) Recently, the top academic journal "Science" published a research paper to make astrocytes The cell stood in the spotlight
.
Scientists have discovered that one of the most remarkable characteristics of the mammalian nervous system, plasticity, is not primarily controlled by neurons as previously thought
.
In fact, in the critical period of plasticity, immature astrocytes can determine when the critical period ends, thereby affecting the development of brain sensory and cognitive abilities
.
In the long run, this new discovery will give people the opportunity to find new strategies to improve the plasticity of the already developed brain and help people with brain damage or neurodevelopmental disorders to promote recovery
.
During a short period of time after birth, our brain continuously receives various signals from the external environment, and therefore flexibly adjusts the wiring between neurons to adapt to sensory input
.
This period of time is called the critical period of brain plasticity.
Once it is over, or "closed", it indicates that the neural circuit has stabilized
.
With age, the brain still has plasticity, but the degree of flexibility is much lower than that of the critical period
.
The critical period of brain plasticity is closely related to the efficient processing of information and the normal development of cognition
.
Many of the changes that occurred during this period are no longer reversible
.
For example, strabismus (two eyes cannot look at the same direction at the same time) occurs in the early childhood.
If it is not treated in time, as the neuron wiring in the corresponding visual cortex is permanently changed, the impact on visual function will accompany lifelong
.
In order to remedy problems like this, some scientists have envisioned how to restore the ability of the brain to rewire after the critical period is closed, and once again improve plasticity
.
To achieve this goal, we also need to understand the mechanism behind the closure of the critical period
.
Image source: 123RF In this study, a research team from France, through experiments on the visual cortex of mice, revealed the cell process that shuts down during the critical period
.
They found that the presence of immature astrocytes is the key to brain plasticity
.
These cells are involved in the development of interneurons during the critical period, which eventually leads to the closure of the critical period
.
The study of molecular mechanism also shows that connexin 30, which is abundantly expressed by astrocytes, is an important signal to promote the maturation of interneurons
.
The researchers thus validated a strategy to "turn on" brain plasticity in adult mice
.
They removed immature astrocytes from the visual cortex of young mice for culture, and then transplanted these cells into the primary visual cortex of adult mice
.
After a period of transplantation, evaluate the neural activity of the mouse visual cortex
.
The results showed that the mice transplanted with immature astrocytes showed a high degree of plasticity compared with the control group without transplantation
.
"This study reminds us that we can't just stare at neurons
.
The
glial cells that astrocytes belong to play a regulatory role in most of the brain functions
.
" Dr.
Nathalie Rouach, the corresponding author of the paper, concluded : "We recognize that these glial cells play an important role
.
" References [1] Jérôme Ribot et al.
, (2021) Astrocytes close the mouse critical period for visual plasticity.
Science DOI:10.
1126/science.
abf5273[2 ] The Key Role of Astrocytes in CognitiveDevelopmen.
Retrieved July 5, 2021 from https://presse.
inserm.
fr/en/le-role-cle-des-astrocytes-pour-le-developpement-cognitif/43313/
