Tag Archives: astrocytes
Extracellular cytochrome c: a novel damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) of the brain
Cytochrome c (CytC) is a protein that is normally located inside mitochondria where it participates in the energy-generating processes of cells. Since mitochondria are essential for life, these CytC-containing organelles are found in most animal cells. The
Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis: an eye on retinal inflammation
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders. Alzheimer’s disease cases are constantly increasing worldwide due to population aging. Typical symptoms of the disease include memory loss, cognitive deficits, personality and behavior modifications. At the
Astrocytes modulate spinal pain processing by way of cannabinoid induced endocannabinoid release
Astrocytes were long thought to play only a supporting role in the central nervous system. However, the discovery that Ca2+ transients in astrocytes are coupled to the enhancement or depression of neuronal activity has led to the
The voltage-gated potassium channel, Kv1.3, at the crossroads of glial functions in glioma
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most lethal cancers in adult humans, with a frequency of 6:100.000 people. Despite the current three-modality therapy, which includes surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, the clinical outcome of GBM patients remains
Can EBI2 receptor protect brain cells (oligodendrocytes) from dying during disease?
The four major brain-specific cell types in the brain are: (i) neurons, which transmit and process information via electrical signals, (ii) oligodendrocytes, which insulate neuronal axons with fatty sheets called myelin to ensure fast and complete electrical
Astrocytic modulation of brain waves
The human brain contains two major cell populations: neurons and glia. While neurons can propagate electrical signals, known as action potentials, glial cells remain electrically unexcitable. For this reason, for many years, they were thought to merely
How fractalkine is regulated in human astrocytic brain cells
The brain is made up of four major types of brain cells. Neurons, oligodendrocytes, microglia and astrocytes. Neurons (nerve cells) are specialised cells that process and carry ‘messages’ through electrical signals. Oligodendrocytes are cells which are wrapped
Astrocytes, friend or foe in the brain
Glia, the “support” cells of the nervous system, are vital to the production, maintenance, and repair of one of the greatest triumphs of vertebrate evolution: the myelin sheath. For nerves to receive and conduct signals, as wells
