The Iowa Stater
September 1996
Brain 'glue' could unlock neurological mysteries
lial cells, once thought to be nothing more than the "glue" that
holds the brain's neurons in place, may help unlock mysteries of
neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's and Lou Gehrig's disease.
Iowa State researchers Phil Haydon, zoology and genetics, and Srdija
Jeftinija (pictured), veterinary anatomy, learned that glial cells release glutamate, a
chemical important for normal function of the brain and central nervous
system. Their theory is that glutamate allows glial cells to signal
neurons.
Too much glutamate can lead to epilepsy or stroke, and chronic excess could lead to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease or AIDS-related dementia.
"By figuring out the role of glia in the increased release of glutamate, we hope to also have a new target for drugs to control the level of free glutamate," Jeftinija explained.
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