DNA damage can be very dangerous to neurons, which aren’t readily replaced, so it seems likely that the cells must be getting something “worthwhile” from the breaks, said Herrup ... and parcel” of ...

By synchronising these micro-breaks, our brain maximises its resources to better manage the influx of information it encounters.

they strive to identify those that convert brain cells into neural progenitor cells that generate multiple cell types. To identify such multipotent reprogramming factors, Zhang turned to a genetic ...