Scientists at Kyushu University report that turning brain immune cells into neurons restores brain function after stroke-like injury in mice. Their findings suggest that replenishing neurons from immune cells could be a potential avenue for treating stroke in humans.
The findings are published in PNAS in an article titled, “Direct neuronal conversion of microglia/macrophages reinstates neurological function after stroke.”
“Although generating new neurons in the ischemic injured brain would be an ideal approach to replenish the lost neurons for repairing the damage, the adult mammalian brain retains only limited neurogenic capability,” wrote the scientists. “Here, we show that direct conversion of microglia/macrophages into neurons in the brain has great potential as a therapeutic strategy for ischemic brain injury.”
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