Scientists have learned that the adult brain may possess self-healing powers that are far greater than previously assumed, according to a new study.
The research, carried out by researchers at the University of Zurich, reveals that the adult brain can display surprising abilities to repair itself following injuries or damage from some autoimmune diseases.
In studies involving mice, a network of support cells was identified that helps to recover damaged regions of the brain in a way that scientists hadn’t anticipated: by relocating newly formed cell nuclei into an area where damage has occurred.
The research was detailed in a new study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The Brain’s Secret Self-Healing Stars
Within the adult brain, certain kinds of cells—known as glial cells—perform important roles when it comes to maintenance and upkeep occurring in the organ that serves as the primary coordination center in our bodies.
Specifically, a type of star-shaped glial cell called astrocytes plays a key role in the proper function of neurons, since they help to bring nutrients to various regions of the brain, in addition to performing a range of other tasks that help to ensure overall wellness.
Without these astrocytes, the adult brain would be in trouble, since it was long believed that they could not be replaced following damage sustained from injury, or through certain autoimmune diseases, which cause them to be attacked and destroyed by the body’s own antibody defense systems.
However, according to the new study by co-authors Matthias Wyss and Marina Herwerth with the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Zurich, and in research led by Bruno Weber, those past presumptions are now being upended.
Regeneration Unleashed within the Brain
For the research, Weber conducted lab studies with living mice that observed their brain activities, revealing the presence of certain previously unknown varieties of astrocytes in their brains that displayed regenerative capabilities.
Forming at the edges of areas in the brain that have sustained damage, these unique glial cells appeared to facilitate the reconstruction of astrocytes that were lost within the mice’s brains.
“The findings of our study reveal a previously unknown ability of the adult brain to repair itself,” Weber explained in a statement, adding that they “point toward new ways of supporting recovery from ailments involving the loss of astrocytes.”
This unique regenerative process was discovered using what is known as two-photon microscopy, which allowed the researchers to observe the brains of living mice in real time over studies that spanned many weeks. Throughout this process, the team also monitored the genes that were activated in various regions of the brain, providing Weber and her colleagues with a unique means to spot the astrocytes that were instrumental in regenerating damaged brain tissue.
Cellular Division and Unexpected Abilities
Additionally, the team says they identified atypical processes, where, rather than the relocation of entire cells, new cellular nuclei were crafted from certain cells, which were carried across the astrocytes and placed into the damaged region.
Describing this process, Weber says the cells appear to “send the newly formed nuclei of their daughter cells gliding across long distances to repopulate the damaged area of the brain and knit the astrocyte network back together.”
The implications are remarkable in that Weber and her team found that these nuclei can move through long regions of adult astrocytes and thereafter be deposited within the injured tissue in ways previously unknown to scientists. The findings offer a unique advancement in our understanding of the regenerative and self-organizing capabilities of the adult brain in mice, and likely also in humans and other mammals.
Additionally, Weber says that she and her team were able to “identify numerous genes and signaling pathways that are temporarily activated during repair.” This is important, she says, since these processes “could serve as starting points in the future for influencing post-disease and injury regeneration processes.”
In future studies, additional observations may help researchers hone a better understanding of these previously unknown processes, which may help reveal new ways scientists can promote the restoration of damaged brain tissue by helping to reassemble astrocyte networks, and thereby improve recovery times following brain injuries or disorders.
The team’s work was detailed in the study, “Focal astrocyte loss reveals nuclear translocation during lesion repopulation,” which appeared in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.