Abstract:

Brain development is one of the most fascinating subjects in the field of biological sciences. Nonetheless, our scientific community still faces challenges in trying to understand the concepts that define the underlying mechanisms of neural tissue development. After all, it is a very complex subject to grasp and many of the processes that take place during central nervous system maturation are yet to be ascertained. Dr. Amir Paydar from New York University in USA considered that despite this challenge, we have come to recognize that understanding the natural course of normal brain tissue development on both microscopic and macroscopic scales is the key to deciphering the mechanisms through which these neural networks also heal and regenerate. Realizing this concept, they implemented a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) diffusion technique called Diffusional Kurtosis Imaging (DKI) to investigate the microstructural changes that occur in both the white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) in the developing brain. But what is the relevance of this discovery for neural regeneration research? The answer to this question is clear. The diffusion barriers which may form due to the progressive increase in macromolecular reorganization during neural maturation are probably similar to ones that take shape during the course of neural regeneration. These barriers may partly result from many cytoarchitectural changes that take place at the microstructural level during both neural development and regeneration. For example, these changes may include the overall increase in the complexity of intrinsic cellular processes (e.g., proliferation of cell membranes, organelles, and extracellular matrix), axonal pruning and cell packing, myelination and functional reorganization of myelin, as well as addition of basal dendrites and transition of radial glial cells to astrocytic neuropil.