Brain bank yields new clues to brain development
Thursday, September 29, 2011 - 06:20
in Biology & Nature
(Medical Xpress) -- The creation of brain cells doesnt end at birth, but it has been hard to pin down how long the brain continues to create new, specialized cells. Now a study led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator David H. Rowitch and colleague Arturo Alvarez-Buylla concludes that in one region of the human brain, new cells are generated only until 18 months of age. The work relied on a new collection of specially prepared brain samples that Rowitch established with HHMI support. The new brain bank has also provided clues to why the brain cant reverse the cellular damage that results from certain diseases.