Press release by the Nagoya City University
For presentation of research results on the mechanism of regeneration of nerve cells in the brain
Graduate student from the same research group and Masato Sawada (regenerative medicine) was to elucidate the mechanism of nerve cell regeneration in the brain are interchanged Professor Sawamoto sum total of the University Graduate School of Medicine. This achievement, (August 10, U.S. Eastern time) will be published in the Journal of Neuroscience scientific journal of the United States.
In recent years, stem cells also exist in the adult brain, new nerve cells are made that has been found. However, it has been replaced by the new nerve cells and how the nerve cells by the disease dies out of date or was unknown. In the present study, by using a special microscope, continue to observe a long period of time the nerve cells in the brain of live animals, and that there is a mechanism where new nerve cells is applied to the nerve cell dies, this mechanism that is regulated by the activity of the brain has been elucidated for the first time.
This mechanism may help in the development of regenerative medicine by a method of treating brain diseases, for example.
This study was carried out as joint research, etc. (Division of Biological constant functional development mechanism) participated in the University and National Institute for Physiological Sciences.
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Background
Studies in recent years that, in the presence of stem cells to adult brain, are playing a nerve cell had become apparent. Previous studies in a way, because it was to analyze the postmortem brain, nerve cell turnover in the brain how, or from being played was unknown. In addition, the relationship between brain activity and nerve cell regeneration, it was not poorly understood. We are using the technology for a long period of time to observe nerve cells in live animals, was studied in detail the relationship between brain activity and the mechanism of this nerve cell regeneration.
Research methods
At a site called the olfactory bulb of odor-related information processing in the brain, nerve cells to play actively are known to have. We use a special microscope by Prof. Junichi Nabekura collaboration with the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, can be observed in the brain nerve cells alive called "two-photon microscopy", this time two nerve cells of the olfactory bulb observed repeatedly over the months went on. As a result, we succeeded in capturing the state dies, the old nerve cells, nerve cells involved in the neuronal circuits or new. Also, kill the nerve cells targeted with a laser, we found that new nerve cells will be played in the same location. In addition, shut down the odor information to insert the plug into the nose of the mouse, and extinguish the stimulus to the brain, was found to be of nerve cell regeneration will not occur in the same place.
Conclusion
Mechanism is applied to the location of new nerve cells nerve cells in the brain is dead exists and how it works is that it is regulated by the activity of the brain has been elucidated for the first time.
Potential for medical applications
By previous studies, our new nerve cells are produced from stem cells in the brain, when you kill nerve cells in many diseases such as cerebral infarction, moved to the area, to play the part of the nerve cell It has been found. However, because of its regeneration efficiency is low, the function of the brain is not fully recovered. If you can increase the regeneration efficiency of nerve cells was lost by applying the mechanism was revealed this time, it may be helpful in the treatment of brain disease. In addition, to elucidate the mechanism by the addition of new nerve cells in brain activity, there is improvement of the Rehabilitation Act and after the injury, could contribute to cell and regenerative medicine using iPS.
<Details of the paper will be published>
Posted: Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 31 page ,11587 -11596
Sensory input regulates spatial and subtype-specific patterns of neuronal turnover in the adult olfactory bulb: title
Author: (Nagoya City) Masato Sawada (National Institute for Physiological Sciences), Akira 氣弘 sum (Nagoya City) Naoko Kaneko, Hiroyuki Inada (National Institute for Physiological Sciences), (Nagoya City) Yasuko Kato, husband right one thousand Yanagawa (Gunma Univ.) (College of Medicine, Fukushima), Kazuto Kobayashi (Hokkaido University) Tomomi Nemoto, Junichi Nabekura (National Institute for Physiological Sciences), the sum total Sawamoto (Nagoya City)
