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Forever Young? A Barrier against Brain Stem Cell Aging

The stem cells asymmetrically segregate damaged proteins (red) between the mother and the daughter cells (on the left: DNA grey). Responsible for this is a diffusion barrier. The strength of the barrier weakens with advancing age. This leads to reduced asymmetry of damaged protein segregation (on the right). Credit: UZH

The stem cells asymmetrically segregate damaged proteins (red) between the mother and the daughter cells (on the left: DNA grey). Responsible for this is a diffusion barrier. The strength of the barrier weakens with advancing age. This leads to reduced asymmetry of damaged protein segregation (on the right). Credit: UZH

Neural stem cells generate new neurons throughout life in the mammalian brain. However, with advancing age the potential for regeneration in the brain dramatically declines. Scientists of the University of Zurich now identified a novel mechanism of how neural stem cells stay relatively free of aging-induced damage. A diffusion barrier regulates the sorting of damaged proteins during cell division.

Barriere

Dividing neural stem cells (outlined with a white line) establish a diffusion...

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