Neuroscientists at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine were able to determine that a group of cells found in the adult brain remain highly active by transforming into insulating nerve fibers. These nerve fibers then formed scars that contributed to tissue repair when they were artificially inserted into a group of mice.
Their work brings to light how these multifunctional cells communicate with one another in the central nervous system (CNS), also known as the brain and spinal cord. The removal of one of these special cells, known as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), causes a neighboring cell to rapidly divide in order to restore the lost cell and maintain a proper balance of cells within the brain.
OPCs eventually can mature to become support cells known as …show more content…
In a span of 24 hours after the initial injury, the cells detect it, and move to the site. Graph b shows the accumulation of the cell within the injury site over a 24-hour time span. Grid c demonstrates the consecutive movement of an OPC to the laser injury in a time of 10 hours. Graph d shows the expansion and backtracking of leading and lagging processes of the cells proportionate to the injury site. Grid e uses different colors to show a collection of three images of one OPC as it moved towards the wound (yellow) in a span of 21 days. The vector plots in f demonstrate how OPC redirect themselves relative to the injury site 3 weeks after induction. The vector sum is the sum of all displacements. Grid g is the signal strength projection of OPC cells above and below the laser injury (yellow) 2 days after induction. The green arrows point out the OPCs (orange) that are sitting adjacent to the injury. Graph h is a combined plot showing the number of OPCs multiplying (yellow) and dying (red) over 2 weeks while total OPC density within the wound is measured by the blue line (injury introduced after week
Their work brings to light how these multifunctional cells communicate with one another in the central nervous system (CNS), also known as the brain and spinal cord. The removal of one of these special cells, known as oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), causes a neighboring cell to rapidly divide in order to restore the lost cell and maintain a proper balance of cells within the brain.
OPCs eventually can mature to become support cells known as …show more content…
In a span of 24 hours after the initial injury, the cells detect it, and move to the site. Graph b shows the accumulation of the cell within the injury site over a 24-hour time span. Grid c demonstrates the consecutive movement of an OPC to the laser injury in a time of 10 hours. Graph d shows the expansion and backtracking of leading and lagging processes of the cells proportionate to the injury site. Grid e uses different colors to show a collection of three images of one OPC as it moved towards the wound (yellow) in a span of 21 days. The vector plots in f demonstrate how OPC redirect themselves relative to the injury site 3 weeks after induction. The vector sum is the sum of all displacements. Grid g is the signal strength projection of OPC cells above and below the laser injury (yellow) 2 days after induction. The green arrows point out the OPCs (orange) that are sitting adjacent to the injury. Graph h is a combined plot showing the number of OPCs multiplying (yellow) and dying (red) over 2 weeks while total OPC density within the wound is measured by the blue line (injury introduced after week