January 28, 2013

Glial cells assist in the repair of injured nerves




When a nerve is damaged, glial cells produce the protein neuregulin1 and thereby promote the regeneration of nerve tissue

Unlike the brain and spinal cord, the peripheral nervous system has an astonishing capacity for regeneration following injury. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine in Göttingen have discovered that, following nerve damage, peripheral glial cells produce the growth factor neuregulin1, which makes an important contribution to the regeneration of damaged nerves.