The brain can regenerate and repair damaged cells through neurogenesis, the ability of brain cells to regenerate. New cells are formed from existing brain cells through mitosis and differentiate into neuronal cells. Neurogenesis is influenced by physical activity, stress levels, and hormones. Stem cell research brings promising results to medical applications for degenerative brain diseases.
The brain is a sensitive organ. Unlike other organs, any damage to brain cells is considered permanent and irreversible, or so it was thought. Recent research has indicated that the brain may have some ability to regenerate and repair damaged cells. With the possibilities that stem cell research may one day offer, hope may be on the horizon for people suffering from crippling diseases such as Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. The ability of brain cells to regenerate is known as neurogenesis.
Through the process of mitosis, new cells are formed from existing brain cells. These new stem cells are born without a function. Stimulation from their physical environment causes these new cells to differentiate, or specialize, into neuronal cells. Differentiated cells migrate to different locations in the brain by means of a chemical signal. Once they move away from their origin, these cells either adapt and develop into mature neuronal cells, or they fail to adapt and die. The ability of these cells to adapt to their new environment is known as plasticity.
At their end sites of migration, neuronal cells mature in the presence of chemical hormones known as neurotrophic growth factors and acquire their functions throughout life. New neurons are integrated into existing synaptic circuits. This “regenerative” development from stem cell to mature neuronal cell underlies neurogenesis.
The concept of brain cell repair and regeneration in adult humans is not a new phenomenon, and certainly not unique to humans. First discovered in the 1960s by researchers Altman and later by Kaplan and Hinds, brain cells have been observed to regenerate as axons in the brain and spinal cord. This revolutionary concept was later found to occur only in particular regions of the brain. In 1998, Eriksson demonstrated the ability to repair brain cells in the hippocampus of humans, where learning and memory are affected.
Current research has found that neuronal stem cells proliferate and migrate to their final destinations in the subventricular zone (SVZ), which is located in the lateral ventricles of the brain, and the dentate gyrus (DG) in the hippocampal formation. Here, they develop into cells that will aid in the brain’s reception and processing of olfactory information. Regenerative abilities have been observed in mice and other vertebrates and invertebrates.
Many external and environmental factors influence the ability of neuronal cells to be born. Neurogenesis is influenced by physical activity. Increased physical activity increases the neuron’s ability to repair itself and thus improves mental acuity. Increased stress levels cause the body to secrete corticosteroid hormones which work to inhibit neurogenesis by reducing the production of growth factor, which is vital for the growth of new cells. Increased levels of testosterone, serotonin and glutamate, on the other hand, are known to lead to increased proliferation of neuronal cells.
Neurogenesis introduces a number of possibilities for people suffering from degenerative brain diseases. In recent years there has been much debate about the use of embryonic stem cells in the creation of new therapies for those suffering from currently incurable genetic diseases. However, as neurogenesis has shown, stem cell research brings promising results to medical applications. A brain injury today means destruction and despair; in the future, it can mean regeneration and repair.
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