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Researchers have discovered mechanisms that enable the zebrafish brain to regenerate after it has been traumatized. Unlike mammals, these small squids that grow in fresh water are accompanied by new neurons due to inflammation caused by brain damage.
Today, Nikos Kyritsis and colleagues show that in the injury response, inflammation of the zebrafish brain activates specific signaling molecules and glial cells, which promote the growth of replacement neurons. The researchers used drugs to trigger inflammation in the brain of zebrafish without causing damage and found that specific cells called radial glial cells can still be induced to produce new cells. However, they say that zebrafish with suppressed inflammatory signals are unable to produce new neurons or fin cells. Kyritsis and other researchers have found that expression of a protein called cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 or Cystlr1 is critical for the zebrafish regeneration process.
When they injected a ligand for this protein called LTC4 in the brain of zebrafish, the researchers observed that new neurons were produced without any inflammation. Therefore, in view of these results, they suggest that in radial glial cells, inflammation must be coupled to the LTC4 signaling cascade to re-grow damaged neurons in zebrafish.
They say their findings may eventually find therapeutic applications in the treatment of traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases.