Keeping astrocytes' phagocytic process from slowing has implications for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease

Stanford University School of Medicine neuroscientists have discovered a new role played by a common but mysterious class of brain cells.Their findings, published online in Nature, show that these cells, called astrocytes because of their star-like shape, actively refine nerve-cell circuits by selectively eliminating synapses - contact points through which nerve cells, or neurons, convey impulses to one another - much as a sculptor chisels away excess bits of rock to create an artwork. via Health News from Medical News Today Read More Here..