The discovery of a clear, synaptic-like microvesicle in the adult hippocampal astrocyte, by Andrea Volterra's group at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, provided the framework for understanding ...

We will begin by highlighting a subset of the many cellular functions of astrocytes, focusing specifically on those functions that have the most relevance to neurodegeneration (Figure 1). Other ...

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have unraveled the processes that give astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell in the brain, their special bushy shape, which is fundamental for brain ...

When astrocyte function is disrupted, neurons in the brain's motor cortex struggle to execute and refine motion, a new study in mice shows. From steering a car to swinging a tennis racket, we learn to ...

The field of science is littered with epic debates. But every so often, those dogmatic clashes yield fruitful new discoveries. Case in point: Some scientists believe they’ve discovered a new brain ...

The latticework of extracellular protein that surrounds brain cells forms a particularly dense mesh around fast-spiking interneurons. Why do these cells need such thick coats? In the July 17 Nature ...

A brimming inbox on Monday morning sets your head spinning. You take a moment to breathe and your mind clears enough to survey the emails one by one. This calming effect occurs thanks to a newly ...

From steering a car to swinging a tennis racket, we learn to execute all kinds of skilled movements during our lives. You might think this learning is only implemented by neurons, but a new study by ...

The potential effects of astrocyte dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases are summarized in Figure 2. AD is characterized clinically by cognitive loss in two or more domains, including memory, ...