Half of the cells in the brain are neurons, the other half are glial cells. When scientists first discovered glia over a century ago, they thought that they simply held the neurons together. Their ...

The human brain consists of about 85 to 100 billion neurons. It also has roughly the same amount of brain cells that support neuron function with, for example, nutrition, oxygen and healing. These ...

The functions of glial cells include helping to support and nourish nerve cells, or neurons. Several types of glial cells exist. Glial cells are the “glue” of the nervous system, engaging in ...

Historically, attention paid to neurons has left glia overshadowed and overlooked — to our detriment. “In the last few years there has been growing appreciation that glial cells may contribute to many ...

Researchers have uncovered how non-neuronal cells in the brain – glial cells – play an active role in regulating sleep and ...

Glial cells have been found to protect neurons by detecting and responding to damage in dendritic cilia. This mechanism involves two proteins, DGS-1 and FIG-1, which help glial cells monitor cilia ...

but neurons do not work alone – glial cells, neurotransmitters, receptors, and other molecules form a vast communication web that governs everything from thought to behavior. Inside each neuron ...

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences have now shown that, in addition to neurons, special glial cells in the brain also produce amyloid beta. This finding ...

a downstream target of glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), proteins that were also elevated. Verifying improved graft integration was the ...

Diminishing energy production in aging neurons triggers senescence in nearby glial cells, which ordinarily support and protect neurons. With age, some cells in the brain enter a state of senescence: ...

However, it has so far not been known how local changes in ion concentration affect individual neurons and glial cells. Previous attempts to change the extracellular milieu have primarily involved ...