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Related Concept Videos

The Synapse02:47

The Synapse

99.6K
Neurons communicate with one another by passing on their electrical signals to other neurons. A synapse is the location where two neurons meet to exchange signals. At the synapse, the neuron that sends the signal is called the presynaptic cell, while the neuron that receives the message is called the postsynaptic cell. Note that most neurons can be both presynaptic and postsynaptic, as they both transmit and receive information.
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Chemical Synapses01:26

Chemical Synapses

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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...
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Overview of Synapses01:25

Overview of Synapses

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A synapse is a specialized structure where two neurons connect, allowing them to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron. It is the point of communication between neurons. The term "synapse" is derived from the Greek word "synapsis," which means "conjunction." The entire process of neural communication revolves around the synapse. When activated, a neuron releases chemicals known as neurotransmitters into the synapse. These neurotransmitters cross the synapse and bind to...
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Chemical Synapses01:26

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Chemical synapses are specialized sites between two neurons or between a neuron and a non-neuronal cell like a muscle, glandular or sensory cell.
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Neuronal Communication01:28

Neuronal Communication

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Neurons, the fundamental units of the brain and nervous system, communicate through complex electrochemical signals that underpin all cognitive and bodily functions. This communication is primarily facilitated by a process involving the generation and propagation of an action potential along the axon of the neuron. When the internal electrical charge of a neuron surpasses a certain threshold, an action potential is triggered. This rapid change in voltage travels swiftly along the axon to the...
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Updated: Apr 24, 2026

Intravital Imaging of Axonal Interactions with Microglia and Macrophages in a Mouse Dorsal Column Crush Injury
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Intravital Imaging of Axonal Interactions with Microglia and Macrophages in a Mouse Dorsal Column Crush Injury

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Chimeric brain models to study human glial-neuronal and macroglial-microglial interactions.

Mengmeng Jin1, Ziyuan Ma1, Haiwei Zhang1

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.

Cell Reports
|January 7, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human brain organoids created using stem cells allow scientists to study glial-neuronal interactions. Researchers observed human microglia pruning synapses and identified key signaling pathways in these chimeric brain models.

Keywords:
CP: Neuroscienceastrogliachimeric brain modelsglia-glia interactionshuman pluripotent stem cellsmicroglianeuron-glia interactionsoligodendroglia

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Author Spotlight: In Vitro Co-Culture Model for Studying Microglia-Neuronal Interactions in Disease Conditions
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Author Spotlight: In Vitro Co-Culture Model for Studying Microglia-Neuronal Interactions in Disease Conditions

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Stem Cell Biology
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are crucial for generating neural cells for in vivo studies.
  • Understanding glial-neuronal and glial-glial interactions is vital for neuroscience research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To create chimeric brains containing human microglia, macroglia, and neurons by co-engrafting hPSC-derived progenitors.
  • To investigate glial-neuronal and glial-glial interactions in a humanized model.

Main Methods:

  • Co-transplantation of hPSC-derived primitive neural progenitor cells and primitive macrophage progenitors into neonatal mouse brains.
  • Super-resolution imaging, 3D reconstruction, and single-cell RNA sequencing.
  • Cell-cell communication analysis.

Main Results:

  • Successful generation of chimeric brains with human microglia, macroglia, and neurons.
  • Observation of human microglia pruning synapses and engulfing neurons.
  • Identification of dynamic astroglial development stages and key cell-cell communication pathways (e.g., NRXN-NLGN3, SPP1, PTN-MK).

Conclusions:

  • The co-transplantation model effectively enables the study of human glial-neuronal interactions in vivo.
  • This model offers insights into neurological disease mechanisms involving glial cells.
  • Reveals dynamic glial progenitor populations and developmental trajectories in the human brain.