Researchers have found a pathway for neuron repair that indicate repairing brain connections
Repairing brain connections requires an in-depth knowledge of the nervous system and a systematic approach to activating multiple sensory systems together to remap communicating connections between neurons throughout the brain.
The means by which the brain connections repair is likely do to a discovery made by Melissa Rolls, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Penn State. A team of researchers discovered a brand-new pathway for repairing nerve cells that could have implications for faster and improved healing. These findings demonstrate the component of nerve cells that receive information from the brain, known as dendrites, have the capacity to regrow after an injury.
Since neurons have capacity regenerate axons, Rolls and her colleagues wondered whether dendrites could also regenerate after injury. A couple of previous limited-scale studies yielded mixed results, so the researchers set out to find conclusive evidence.
Using the fruit fly as a model system, the researchers took cut off all of the dendrites in neuron cells.
“By cutting off all the dendrites, the cells would no longer be able to receive information, and we expected they might die. We were amazed to find that the cells don’t die. Instead, they regrow the dendrites completely and much more quickly than they regrow axons. Within a few hours they’ll start regrowing dendrites, and after a couple of days, they have almost their entire arbor. It’s very exciting — these cells are extremely robust.”
Furthermore, it looks as though dendrite regeneration happens independently of axon regeneration. Rolls and her colleagues blocked the key signaling molecules that are required for axon regeneration in all animals. The results they found were that dendrites were unaffected and continued to regrow. “This means that, not only do these neurons have an incredible ability to generate, they have two different regeneration pathways: one for axons and one for dendrites. Because it has not even been clear that dendrites can regenerate, it’s a complete open question about what might be involved in that process.”
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This information was sourced from Penn State University.