Astrocyte - An astrocyte cell grown from a rat brain, stained to reveal the structure. Source: GerryShaw on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Astrocyte - An astrocyte cell grown from a rat brain, stained to reveal the structure. Source: GerryShaw on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3. Harmful changes in supporting cells, called astrocytes, have been identified in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) by UCL and Francis Crick Institute researchers. The two new publications, in Brain and Genome Research , suggests that the star-shaped astrocytes may be a key target for new ALS treatments. ALS, also known as motor neuron disease, is a rapidly progressing degenerative disease of the nervous system, meaning patients suffer loss of strength, speech and eventually the ability to breathe. There are currently no effective treatments and tragically most people die within three to five years. When healthy, astrocytes help protect and nurture surrounding motor neurons.
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