A Snapshot seminar hosted by the School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience
Can nerve cells be repaired? The human brain contains billions of nerve cells forming complex networks of communication. Developing treatments to replace injured nerve cells, while also rebuilding these intricate networks, presents significant technical and theoretical challenges.
Cell fusion in the brain is a naturally occurring process in which bone marrow-derived immune cells travel into the nervous system and merge with damaged nerve cells, transferring healthy genetic material to restore their function. This process occurs in various brain regions and increases with age and injury, suggesting a maintenance role in health and disease. However, surprisingly little is known about the mechanisms of cell fusion in the nervous system. Such information will be essential if we wish to manipulate cell fusion to combat neurodegenerative conditions. This seminar will therefore explore recent discoveries in cell fusion, the biological mechanisms behind it, and the potential for harnessing this process to treat brain injuries and neurodegenerative disease.