Publication highlights

Researchers at the Crick have identified the transcription factors that wake up neural stem cells in the mouse hippocampus from deep and shallow states of quiescence, where they are no longer actively dividing or growing. They found that a gene called Ascl1 is responsible for waking up cells in a deep quiescent state, and that a gene called Mycn is responsible for waking up cells in a shallow quiescent state. They found that these genes were switched on sequentially and were responsible for switching on pathways related to cell adhesion and metabolism (Ascl1) and gene transcription and translation (Mycn), ensuring that cells can be reactivated to repair damaged tissues.

Researchers in the Reis e Sousa lab have identified a group of latent stem cells that respond to injury in the central nervous system of mice. If a similar type of cell exists in humans, they could offer a new therapeutic approach to treat brain and spinal cord injuries. They found that these ependymal cells divided continuously over a long period of time, and were also able to differentiate into all three main cell types of the central nervous system - neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.