Know how head injuries lead to serious brain diseases

In a recent study, biologists discovered how head injuries adversely affect individual cells and genes that can lead to serious brain disorders.

The researchers at the University of California studied more than 6,000 cells in 15 hippocampal cell types -- the first study of individual cell types subject to brain trauma. Each cell has the same DNA, but which genes are activated varies among different cell types. Among the 15 cell types are two that were previously unknown, each with a unique set of active genes.

The life scientists provide the first cell 'atlas' of the hippocampus -- the part of the brain that helps regulate learning and memory -- when it is affected by traumatic brain injury. The team also proposed gene candidates for treating brain diseases associated with traumatic brain injuries, such as Alzheimer's disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Every cell type is different," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, co-senior author of the study, which was published in the journal Nature Communications. Read Complete Article

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