Rejuvenating the Brain Neurons transplanted from fetal animals
make older brains act young Source: “Cortical plasticity induced
by inhibitory neuron transplantation” Arturo Alvarez-Buylla,
Michael P. Stryker, Sunil P. Gandhi, et al. Science 327:
1145-1148. Results: By transplanting fetal neurons into young
mice, researchers induced the animals to rewire neural circuits
in their visual system. Why it matters: Rodents and other
animals, including humans, experience a period of neural
plasticity before the brain circuitry becomes fixed. Researchers
hope to enhance this innate capacity in order to improve healing
after brain injury and other neurological problems in adulthood.
This study was the first to show that animals can be induced to
undergo a second round of flexibility. Pinpointing the specific
molecules that made it possible could inspire new treatments.
Methods: The researchers took neurons of a specific type, called
inhibitory neurons, from the brains of fetal mice and grafted
them into newborn or youn