Some cells in the retina pass off worn out parts to
supporting cells for disposal
Biologists have long considered cells to function like
self-cleaning ovens, chewing up and recycling their own worn out parts as
needed. But a new study challenges that basic principle, showing that some
nerve cells found in the eye pass off their old energy-producing factories to
neighboring support cells to be “eaten.” The find, which may bear on the roots of
glaucoma, also has implications for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other diseases that involve a buildup of “garbage”
in brain cells.