Neuroscience research reveals new insights into axon structure and development

Neuroscientists have made significant discoveries regarding the structure and development of axons, the long extensions of neurons responsible for transmitting electrical signals.

Researchers at Brown University’s Carney Institute for Brain Science found that axon growth is controlled by a genetic switch in the neuron's cell body rather than solely by the axon tip. This discovery, published in PNAS, provides a “genetic atlas” of neuronal development that may assist in repairing neural connections damaged by stroke or spinal cord injury.

Separately, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have challenged long-standing anatomical models. A study published in Nature Neuroscience suggests that instead of being smooth tubes, some axons resemble strings of pearls. This beaded architecture has been observed in mouse neurons and documented in human brain tissue, suggesting the physical shape of these cables may play a role in regulating brain cell signaling.