Neural stem cells residing within a few regions of the mammalian brain divide to generate new daughter neurons throughout adult life, the process of neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is particularly associated with functions such as memory, which requires changes in brain state driven by the creation of new neurons and neural connections. Additionally, however, researchers have identified a population of dormant progenitor cells that can mature into neurons, more broadly distributed throughout the brain. This population can be diminished and eventually exhausted by that activity, but researchers hypothesize that it could nonetheless be a source of regenerative capacity for the aging brain if the remaining pool o…
Dormant Neural Precursor Cells May Awaken Over Adult Life to Maintain the Brain
Neural stem cells residing within a few regions of the mammalian brain divide to generate new daughter neurons throughout adult life, the process of neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is particularly associated with functions such as memory, which requires changes in brain state driven by the creation of new neurons and neural connections. Additionally, however, researchers have identified a population of dormant progenitor cells that can mature into neurons, more broadly distributed throughout the brain. This population can be diminished and eventually exhausted by that activity, but researchers hypothesize that it could nonetheless be a source of regenerative capacity for the aging brain if the remaining pool o…