Neurogenesis

The dogma for most of the last century was that the neurons we are born with need to last us a lifetime as all of the evidence suggested that we cannot make new neurons in the adult brain. There has now been a dramatic scientific U-turn, and not only do we continue to make new neurons in the brain, but this turns out to be important for some aspects of learning and memory and possibly brain disease. In the adult brain, neural stem cells make neuroblasts that populate the hippocampus or olfactory bulb with new neurons. Importantly, neuroblasts can also be attracted to injured areas in the brain where they might limit damage and/or restore function. In-depth knowledge of the factors that regulate the generation of neuroblasts as well as their migration is therefore essential to facilitate translational research in this area. A number of groups in the CARD, including the Director's group, are actively studying many aspects of neurogenesis