Scientists Discover “Gorditas” and Other Novel Brain Cell Types

A pool of neural stem cells that ordinarily lies dormant in the brains of adult mice spawns two types of never-before-documented glial cells when artificially reactivated, potentially pointing to a novel mechanism of brain plasticity.

Written byAmanda Heidt

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Two oligodendrocyte progenitor cells are being generated from adult stem cells nestled on the surface of brain ventricle

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ABOVE: Newly identified oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (green) in a mouse brain arise from adult stem cells (blue). Here, one sits on the surface of the ventricle wall, nestled among cilia (red).
ANA DELGADO AND FIONA DOETSCH, BIOZENTRUM, UNIVERSITY OF BASEL

Scientists have discovered two types of glial cells in the brains of adult mice—an astrocyte and an oligodendrocyte progenitor cell—after nudging neural stem cells to rise from dormancy, according to a study published June 10 in Science. The results suggest new roles for glial cells, best known for providing support to neurons, and could prompt a better understanding of how brains remain plastic into adulthood, when the vast majority of neurons no longer undergo cell division.

This study is “a very important addition to the whole story about these fascinating [stem] cells that exist in the adult brain of rodents that have the capacity to generate new cells,” says Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, ...

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Meet the Author

Amanda Heidt
Amanda first began dabbling in scicom as a master’s student studying marine science at Moss Landing Marine Labs, where she edited the student blog and interned at a local NPR station. She enjoyed that process of demystifying science so much that after receiving her degree in 2019, she went straight into a second master’s program in science communication at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Formerly an intern at The Scientist, Amanda joined the team as a staff reporter and editor in 2021 and oversaw the publication’s internship program, assigned and edited the Foundations, Scientist to Watch, and Short Lit columns, and contributed original reporting across the publication. Amanda’s stories often focus on issues of equity and representation in academia, and she brings this same commitment to DEI to the Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains and to the board of the National Association of Science Writers, which she has served on since 2022. She is currently based in the outdoor playground that is Moab, Utah. Read more of her work at www.amandaheidt.com.
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