Reprogramming The Cerebral Cortex

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Reprogramming the Cerebral Cortex

The brain has a remarkable ability to adapt in the event of damage - in many cases shifting responsibility for specific cognitive functions to other non-damaged brain regions. This 'plasticity' can be crucial in aiding recovery from stroke, trauma, and peripheral damage such as eye or ear damage. Over the past thirty years our view of cortical plasticity has evolved greatly. Early studies suggested that changes to cortical function due to peripheral lesions could only occur during development and that these plastic changes were specific to a particular temporal window or "critical period". Over time, it has been demonstrated that cortical modifications as a consequence of either peripheral or central lesions can induce adaptive, or beneficial, changes in cortical function in an effort to preserve or enhance function. More recently, studies have identified that many of these adaptive changes, once thought only possible in the developing brain, are also possible in the mature or developed brain. At present, many laboratories are defining the beneficial capabilities of cerebral cortex plasticity, upon which many proactive and therapeutic strategies may be developed in order to maximiSe the "reprogramming" capabilities of the cerebrum. 'Reprogramming the Cerebral Cortex' describes these exciting studies and examines adaptive cortical plasticity in a variety of systems (visual, auditory, somatomotor, cross-modal, language and cognition). The book leads the reader through the complexities and promise of neuroplasticity, and presents insights into current and future research and clinical practice. It is unique in looking at the beneficial capabilities of cerebral cortex plasticity, upon which many proactive and therapeutic strategies may be developed. The book will be a valuable resource for behavioural, systems, computational and cognitive neuroscientists, as well as clinicians and neuropsychologists.
In vivo Cell Biology of Cerebral Cortical Development and Its Related Neurological Disorders: Cellular Insights into Neurogenesis and Neuronal Migration

Author: Takeshi Kawauchi
language: en
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Release Date: 2016-09-21
The brain consists of a complex but precisely organized neural network, which provides the structural basis of higher order functions. Such a complex structure originates from a simple pseudostratified neuroepithelium. During the developing mammalian cerebral cortex, a cohort of neural progenitors, located near the ventricle, differentiates into neurons and exhibits multi-step modes of migration toward the pial surface. Tight regulation of neurogenesis and neuronal migration is essential for the determination of the neuron number in adult brains and the proper positioning of excitatory and inhibitory neurons in a specific layer, respectively. In addition, defects in neurogenesis and neuronal migration can cause several neurological disorders, such as microcephaly, periventricular heterotopia and lissencephaly. Recent advances in genetic approaches to study the developing cerebral cortex, as well as the use of a number of novel techniques, particularly in vivo electroporation and time-lapse analyses using explant slice cultures, have significantly increased our understanding of cortical development. These novel techniques have allowed for cell biological analyses of cerebral cortical development in vivo or ex vivo, showing that many cellular events, including endocytosis, cell adhesion, microtubule and actin cytoskeletal regulation, neurotransmitter release, stress response, the consequence of cellular crowding (physical force), dynamics of transcription factors, midbody release and polarity transition are required for neurogenesis and/or neuronal migration. The aim of this research topic is to highlight molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cerebral cortical development and its related neurological disorders from the cell biological point of views, such as cell division, cell-cycle regulation, cytoskeletal organization, cell adhesion and membrane trafficking. The topic has been organized into three chapters: 1) neurogenesis and cell fate determination, 2) neuronal migration and 3) cortical development-related neurological disorders. We hope that the results and discussions contributed by all authors in this research topic will be broadly useful for further advances in basic research, as well as improvements in the etiology and care of patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric disorders.
In Vivo Reprogramming in Regenerative Medicine

This new volume reviews current progress on different approaches of in vivo reprogramming technology. Leaders in the field discuss how in vivo cell lineage reprogramming can be used for tissue repair and regeneration in different organs, including brain, spinal cord, pancreas, liver and heart. Recent studies on in vivo cell reprogramming towards pluripotency are reviewed; examples are given to show its potential in regenerative medicine. In each chapter, the regenerative potential of different in vivo reprogramming approaches is discussed in detail. More specifically, how different tissue failures or damages can be treated with this technology is explained. Examples from various animal models are given and the regenerative potential of in vivo reprogramming is compared to that of cell transplantation studies. The last chapter discusses current challenges of these preclinical studies and gives suggestions in order to improve the current strategies. Future directions are indicated for the transition of in vivo reprogramming technology to clinical settings. This is among the first books in the literature which specifically focuses on the in vivo reprogramming technology in regenerative medicine and these chapters collectively cover one of the most important and exciting topics of regenerative medicine.