Broccoli for Brains

Brain cells can sometimes resemble vegetables thanks to contemporary research methodologies. Pictured is a broccoli-shaped brain cell grown in the lab. Known as astrocytes because they also resemble stars, these are the most common cell type in the central nervous system. In addition to providing nutrients for other brain cells, they also play a role in repair. Scientists found that after injury, radial glial cells (RGLs), a type of stem cell found in the brain and spinal cord, could mature into one of three different cell types, including astrocytes Each RGL can also self-renew, or copy itself and so replenish damaged tissue. Knowing how brain stem cells mature will hopefully prompt the development of new ways to treat diseases of the central nervous system.

Written by Gwen Wathne

Gwen Wathne

Writer

As a PhD student at Edinburgh University’s Roslin Institute, Gwen is investigating the role of the immune system in a disease called scrapie. She has previously written for the Edinburgh University science magazine, EUSci.

• Hongjun Song
• Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA
• Copyright Elsevier 2011
• Published in Cell 145 (7), 1142–1155