Scientists have created cells in lab that help the brain stay balanced

A laboratory study could offer future hope in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders: a group of scientists led by the University of Lund (Sweden) has succeeded in 'reprogramming' supportive brain cells, called glial cells, into other cells, called parvalbumin-positive, which are crucial for maintaining calmness and balancing brain activity.

What are parvalbumin-positive cells and why are they important?

Parvalbumin-positive cells act as a kind of rapid braking system of the brain and are significantly involved in schizophrenia, epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

Indeed, these structures play a central role in keeping brain activity in balance: they control the signal transmission of nerve cells, dampen overactivity and ensure that the brain functions in the right rhythm. Researchers sometimes describe them as the cells that "make the brain sound right."

When they don't function properly or decrease in number, the brain's balance becomes disrupted. Previous studies suggest that damaged parvalbumin-positive cells may contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders. To cite just one example, a study published in European Neuropsychopharmacology in May 2024 showed that a deficiency of these cells is observed in many cases of schizophrenia.

What exactly did the researchers do

The scientists have now actually succeeded in changing the identity of certain cells by converting them into others. Specifically, they developed a method to directly reprogram glial cells, the brain's supporting cells, into parvalbumin-positive cells, without first requiring an intermediate step via stem cells.

The work is particularly innovative because parvalbumin cells only form at a late stage of fetal brain development. This has so far made it very complicated to produce them in the laboratory, starting from stem cells, for example.

"In our study, for the first time, we succeeded in reprogramming human glial cells into parvalbumin neurons that closely resemble the neurons that occur naturally in the brain," explained Daniella Rylander Ottosson, who led the research. "Moreover, we managed to identify several key genes that seem to play a crucial role in this transformation."

So in this study, the scientists bypassed stem cells: they developed a 'direct' method.

"The breakthrough lies in directing glial cells so that they develop into neurons in a much faster process," the researcher continued. "By activating the right genes, we force glial cells to turn into parvalbumin cells without having to use stem cells. We hope we can further improve the method using the new genes we have identified."

The potential applications of the new research

In the short term, this offers researchers a new way to produce these cells (from patients) in the laboratory to better study the disease mechanisms behind schizophrenia and epilepsy. This represents a first, very important step toward long-term goals.

Indeed, the results could contribute to the development of therapies that could replace lost or damaged brain cells directly in the brain.

The research was published in Science Advances.

(MP/©University of Lund/Science Advances via GreenMe.It/translation and adaptation: The Global Nature/Illustration: Unsplash)