Newly uncovered astrocyte pathway could have key role in neurological disorders

A ‘hidden’ pathway at work within the nuclei of astrocyte cells has recently been uncovered by an international team of researchers. This nuclear process is involved in the regulation of TGF-beta signaling and suggests that these glial cells could be involved in many neurological disorders. The results appeared this week in Nature Neuroscience. “Unexpectedly we may have discovered a hidden pathway to understanding how astrocytes respond to injury and control brain processes. The pathway may be common to many brain diseases and we’re just starting to follow it,” commented senior author of the study Katerina Akassoglou (Gladstone Institute for Neurological...