Chinese researchers have discovered a new type of biological cell that accumulates in the spinal
cord of humans and other primates and drives the aging process of the spinal cord, according to
the Institute of Zoology under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
“The spinal cord is an important part of the central nervous system, and is important for various life
activities in humans and primates, but little is known about the mechanisms of spinal cord aging,”
said one of the researchers, Liu Guanghui.
The newly discovered cells, belonging to a category known as “microglia”, accumulate in the spinal
cords of old monkeys and humans, and drive the aging process of motor neurons.
“These findings will help to better understand spinal cord aging and chronic diseases in the elderly
population, providing new ideas for delaying human spinal cord aging and preventing and
controlling degenerative diseases,” said Zhang Weiqi, one of the researchers, from the Beijing
Institute of Genomics under CAS.
The study was recently published online in the journal Nature.
Source : Antara
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