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 ...

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” - Albert Einstein As we live in a dynamically changing environment, it is important for our brain to not only learn new things but also to modify ...

Decades before Alzheimer’s disease symptoms appear, neurons become hyperactive, and the reason could be that astrocytes fail to keep them in check. In a bioRxiv preprint uploaded on April 26, ...

Astrocytes, small star-shaped cells, play an important role in signal transmission in the brain. Since the protein Ezrin is found abundantly in astrocyte tendrils, it is presumed to play a role in ...

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 ...

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 ...

Neuroscientists from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) report in Science Advances that star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes can "turn off" neurons involved in relapse to heroin.

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, ...

Star cells in the brain render memory flexible. Hippocampal astrocytes co-release D-serine and glutamate for the regulation of synaptic plasticity and cognitive flexibility. "The measure of ...