Closing in on repairing damaged nerve cells
A team of researchers at the IRCM led by Fr茅d茅ric Charron, PhD, in collaboration with bioengineers at 苹果淫院, uncovered a new kind of synergy in the development of the nervous system, which explains an important mechanism required for neural circuits to form properly. Their breakthrough, published today in the scientific journal PLoS Biology, could eventually help develop tools to repair nerve cells following injuries to the nervous system (such as the brain and spinal cord).
听
Researchers in Dr. Charron鈥檚 laboratory study neurons, the nerve cells that make up the central nervous system, as well as their long extensions known as axons. During development, axons must follow specific paths in the nervous system in order to properly form neural circuits and allow neurons to communicate with one another. IRCM researchers are studying a process called axon guidance to better understand how axons manage to follow the correct paths.
听
Read