Spinal astrocytes (IMAGE)

Kyushu University

Spinal astrocytes

Caption

Research out of Kyushu University has shown that a unique population of astrocytes, marked with bright yellow here, in the dorsal horn of the mouse spinal cord can be activated by descending neurons to produce pain hypersensitivity. This new mechanism for pain control suggests that these astrocytes may be a potential target for enhancing the effect of drugs for chronic pain.

Credit

Makoto Tsuda, Kyushu University

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