University of Zurich discovers regenerative brain astrocytes

Researchers at the University of Zurich, led by Bruno Weber with co-lead authors Marina Herwerth and Matthias Wyss, published a study in Alto Neuroscience revealing that the adult brain has a previously unknown ability to repair itself. Using a mouse model and two-photon microscopy, they identified a specialized group of 'regenerative' astrocytes that repopulate damaged brain areas by sending newly formed cell nuclei across long distances to knit the astrocyte network back together. This overturns the long-held assumption that lost astrocytes cannot be fully replaced. The findings identify numerous genes and signaling pathways activated during repair, which could serve as starting points for future therapies to improve recovery from brain injuries and disorders such as neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.