Researchers Seek Ways to Help Damaged Brains Heal
<p><span word="Using">Using</span> <span word="powerful">powerful</span> <span word="microscopes">microscopes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="imaging">imaging</span> <span word="devices">devices</span>, <span word="Rice">Rice</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="researcher">researcher</span> <span word="Amina">Amina</span> <span word="Qutub">Qutub</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="observe">observe</span> <span word="brain">brain</span> <span word="cells">cells</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="glass">glass</span> <span word="container">container</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="connections">connections</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span>.</p><p><span word="Normal">Normal</span> <span word="brain">brain</span> <span word="activity">activity</span> <span word="results">results</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="cells">cells</span> — <span word="called">called</span> <span word="neurons">neurons</span> — <span word="linking">linking</span> <span word="together">together</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="complex">complex</span> <span word="networks">networks</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="seeking">seeking</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="happens">happens</span>.</p><p>"<span word="We">We</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="neural">neural</span> <span word="progenitors">progenitors</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="cells">cells</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="regenerate">regenerate</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="brain">brain</span>, <span word="form">form</span> <span word="active">active</span> <span word="neural">neural</span> <span word="networks">networks</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Brain">Brain</span> <span word="cells">cells</span> <span word="connect">connect</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="each">each</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="chemical">chemical</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="electrical">electrical</span> <span word="signals">signals</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="utilize">utilize</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="variety">variety</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="proteins">proteins</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="stimulate">stimulate</span> <span word="growth">growth</span>.</p><p><span word="Qutub">Qutub</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="team">team</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Rice">Rice</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="scientists">scientists</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="technicians">technicians</span> <span word="combine">combine</span> <span word="such">such</span> <span word="fields">fields</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="biology">biology</span>, <span word="electrical">electrical</span> <span word="engineering">engineering</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="nanotechnology">nanotechnology</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="unravel">unravel</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mysteries">mysteries</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="works">works</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Any">Any</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="cell">cell</span> <span word="here">here</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="influenced">influenced</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="neighbors">neighbors</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="environment">environment</span>," <span word="Qutub">Qutub</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="So">So</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="teasing">teasing</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="cell">cell</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="becomes">becomes</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="electrically">electrically</span> <span word="active">active</span> <span word="neuron">neuron</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="affected">affected</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="community">community</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cells">cells</span>."</p><p>'<span word="Elaborate">Elaborate</span>, <span word="beautiful">beautiful</span> <span word="structures">structures</span>'</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="laboratory">laboratory</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="abstract">abstract</span> <span word="art">art</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="composed">composed</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="images">images</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="neuron">neuron</span> <span word="networks">networks</span>, <span word="showing">showing</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="vast">vast</span> <span word="complexity">complexity</span>.</p><p>"<span word="They">They</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="elaborate">elaborate</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="beautiful">beautiful</span> <span word="structures">structures</span>," <span word="Qutub">Qutub</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="neurons">neurons</span>, "<span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="network">network</span> <span word="structures">structures</span> <span word="relate">relate</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="do">do</span>, <span word="their">their</span> <span word="function">function</span>. <span word="What">What</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="trying">trying</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="figure">figure</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="chemical">chemical</span> <span word="signals">signals</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="lead">lead</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="structure">structure</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="turn">turn</span>, <span word="how">how</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="chemical">chemical</span> <span word="structure">structure</span> <span word="lead">lead</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="electrical">electrical</span> <span word="signals">signals</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="active">active</span> <span word="neurons">neurons</span>."</p>
页:
[1]