Resting brain stem cells hardly differ from normal astrocytes, which support the nerve cells in the brain. How can almost identical cells perform such different functions? The key lies in the ...

The human brain can do many amazing things, but self-repair is not one of its repertoire of abilities. Once neurons die—from trauma, stroke, or disease—they rarely grow back. Scientists have been ...

Some parts of our bodies bounce back from injury in fairly short order. The outer protective layer of the eye—called the cornea—can heal from minor scratches within a single day. The brain is not one ...

The brain stem is a portion of the brain made of four distinct sections: the diencephalon, mesencephalon, pons, and medulla oblongata. Each of these sections has associated functions which are vital ...

When someone has a stroke—a leading worldwide cause of death and disability—time is of the essence. Almost nine out of 10 cases are ischemic strokes, caused by restricted blood flow in the brain, and ...

Like the seeds of a forest, a few cells in embryos eventually sprout into an ecosystem of brain cells. Neurons get the most recognition for their computing power. But a host of other cells provides ...

In a landmark discovery, researchers from QIMR Berghofer in collaboration with the Francis Crick Institute, have unlocked the secrets of how brain stem cells enter and exit a resting state called ...

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. For survivors of the most common type of stroke, called an ischemic stroke, only about 5 percent fully recover. Most others suffer from ...

Some parts of the body can recover from injury fairly rapidly. The cornea, for example, can heal from minor scratches within a single day. The human brain, however, is not one of these fast-healing ...

Illustration showing a transplanted nerve cell (gold) using its internal compass (code) to find its partner nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord (green). Some parts of our bodies bounce back from ...