![]() The reason for these characteristics has been unclear, however. Although it is known that Down’s syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, the exact genetic details largely remain a mystery.Īmong the established anomalies found in the brains of Down’s syndrome patients are a greater than normal number of glial cells and perhaps fewer nerve cells. Cognitive deficits, as well as changes in the basic composition of the brain, are observed soon after birth, reflecting problems in brain development. With the relevance of glia to human central nervous system function and pathology already widely accepted, Salk professor David Schubert, who heads the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, observes: “The discovery of this molecular signaling pathway promises to completely change the way we think about central nervous system maladies, allowing the development of drugs that inhibit glial proliferation and improve the prognosis of patients with a host of devastating conditions.”ĭown’s syndrome is the most frequent cause of mental retardation, with an incidence of 1 of every 800 births. ![]() ![]() Federico Herrera, Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Bottom: Neural precursor cells making more synaptojanin-1 protein produce more glial cells. Top: Neural precursor cells generate glial cells (shown in green) after being stimulated with retinoic acid or cytokines.
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