Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has an important role in supporting neuronal survival, which has encouraged studies of its therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative disorders such as ...

Previous studies have found similarities in gene expression between resting brain stem cells and normal astrocytes even though they have very different functions. New research into epigenetic ...

“Zone 2 exercise has been shown to boost [brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels (BDNF)] in the brain, which is a protein that can help neurons grow,” McDonald said. Discovered in the ...

Astrocytes are brain cells that interact intimately with neurons and their circuits to maintain proper conditions for nervous system function. Neurons release a protein called Sonic hedgehog (Shh ...

Dopaminergic progenitor survival and maturation are also dependent on trophic factors secreted locally by cells in the striatum and substantia nigra, including GDNF and BDNF. One approach to improving ...

Neuronal plasticity is a fundamental process in neuronal development and recovery from brain disorders. The Trophin lab focuses on the role of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and its receptor ...

Resting brain stem cells hardly differ from normal astrocytes, which support the nerve cells in the brain. How can almost identical cells perform such different functions? The key lies in the ...

Methylation is the key To solve this puzzle, the teams led by Martin-Villalba and Simon Anders (University of Heidelberg) isolated both ordinary astrocytes and brain stem cells from one of the ...

The parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which has infected an estimated one in four Americans and even larger numbers worldwide, forms astrocyte in the brain. The parasite can alter important functions ...

Resting brain stem cells hardly differ from normal astrocytes, which support the nerve cells in the brain. How can almost identical cells perform such different functions? The key lies in the ...

Haruhisa Inoue (Professor, Department of Cell Growth and Differentiation, CiRA) improved upon a differentiation protocol to ...