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Repairing Nerves Requires Prods of Protein
It turns out the bad guys of the brain aren t so bad after all
The arrows show where oligodendrocyte precursor cells (blue – all OPCs, pink- dividing OPCs) and their growth factor receptors are in contact with microglia (green) and their signaling proteins (red). (Courtesy of Akiko Nishiyama) Copy Link
When there’s damage in the body, our cells call for help. UConn brain researchers just found a new way cells do this like in the old AT&T ad campaign, they reach out and touch someone.
Or some cell, rather.
UConn neuroscientist Akiko Nishiyama and graduate student Amin Sherafat report in the April 15 issue of Nature Communications that when the insulation around our nerves gets damaged, cells called microglia make a special protein they use to prod oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). The OPCs respond by making more insulation.