Nerve fibers need specific growth factor chemical to form connections within the brain

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Omschrijving
A discovery on how neural circuitry develops to aid proper cerebral cortex activity may help explain the memory and cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer’s disease patients – a discovery that could point toward potential treatments, according to UC Irvine scientists.

The study uncovers how cholinergic neuronal circuits, which help the cerebral cortex process information more efficiently, rely on neurotrophin-3, a chemical that stimulates nerve growth. The scientists have determined the circuits need this chemical in order to recognize and reach their target nerve cells in the brain.

Richard Robertson, professor of anatomy and neurobiology, and other researchers from UCI’s School of Medicine found that cholinergic nerve fibers grow toward sources of neurotrophin-3 during early development. In experiments with mice, without neurotrophin-3 to direct growth, the developing cholinergic nerve fibers appeared to not recognize their normal target cells in the brain. Because of this, the axon nerve fibers aided by these circuits grew irregularly and missed their specific target neural cells.

 

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