Source: Science and Technology Daily
Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, July 7th (Reporter Zhang Jiaxin) A study published in the latest issue of the journal "Science" provides strong evidence that the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for memory, continues to generate new neurons even in adulthood and old age. This research was led by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, answering a long-standing debate about whether the adult brain still has plasticity.
The hippocampus is an important area of the brain responsible for learning and memory, and it is also closely related to emotional regulation. As early as 2013, Professor Jonas Frisén's team at the Karolinska Institute found through a high-impact study that the hippocampus in adults can still generate new neurons. They inferred the time of cell formation by measuring the carbon-14 content in brain tissue.
However, due to a lack of direct evidence showing that adult brains truly have "neural progenitor cells," which are the source cells for generating new neurons, there were still many debates within the scientific community.
In this new study, the team analyzed brain tissues from people aged 0 to 78 in multiple international biobanks. They used a method called "single-nucleus RNA sequencing" to analyze gene activity in individual cell nuclei, and combined it with flow cytometry to study cell characteristics. By introducing machine learning algorithms, they tracked the development process of neurons from stem cells to immature stages, and identified multiple cell subpopulations still in a state of division.
To locate these cells, the team used two spatial transcriptomics techniques, RNAscope and Xenium, to show where specific genes were active in the tissue. The results showed that these newly generated cells were concentrated in the "dentate gyrus" region of the hippocampus, a key structure in the brain responsible for memory formation, learning, and cognitive flexibility.
The study shows that human adult neural progenitor cells are similar to those in mammals such as mice, pigs, and monkeys in many aspects, but there are certain differences in gene activity. In addition, there is significant variation between individuals; some adult samples had sufficient numbers of neural progenitor cells, while others were nearly zero.
Frisén pointed out that this study provides a key piece for understanding how the human brain changes and adapts throughout life. This achievement also offers new ideas for regenerative therapies for neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, such as repairing brain function by activating mechanisms of neurogenesis.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7524521519553282594/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your opinion by clicking on the [Up/Down] buttons below.