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- News from the Institutes
Protective Brain Immune Cell State Discovered
Discovery points to a potential new therapeutic pathway for Alzheimer’s disease
05.11.2025
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- Glossary
Gliotransmitter
Chemical messengers released by astrocytes and other glial cells. They enable glial cells to communicate with other cells in the nervous system, for example when forming a synapse. The most common types of gliotransmitters are the amino acids glutamate and D-serine, as well as adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
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- News from the Institutes
The Immune System in the Brain: A Study from Magdeburg Supports the Concept of Precision Psychiatry
Biological differences in mental illnesses could be more important than diagnoses alone in the future.
13.05.2026
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- Glossary
Oligodendrocytes
Cells of the central nervous system that form the myelin sheath around nerve cells, thereby increasing their conduction velocity. They belong to the glial cells.
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- Topic
Energy!
Neural compartments in the interplay between disease and health.
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- Glossary
Myelin
Myelin is a fatty substance produced by glial cells. It envelops the axons (long, fiber-like extensions) of nerve cells and insulates them, preventing messages from passing uncontrollably to neighboring nerve cells. This also greatly accelerates conduction velocity.
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- Basics
- The Glymphatic System
Maiken Nedergaard – The Glymphatic System
Everything about the glymphatic system from its discoverer, Maiken Nedergaard.
28.11.2024
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- Basics
- Anatomy
The Epithalamus
Probably not the seat of the soul after all: the pineal gland in the epithalamus.
09.10.2025
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- Topic
Basics
Basics – we understand this in two ways: On the one hand, you will find here anatomy and physiology – communication in the brain – all the structures and processes on which perception, thinking, and action are based. This also includes the “other” brain cells, the glial cells, which have been criminally neglected for decades. And, of course, the networks, because they are currently the best model we have for understanding the organization of the brain. As an appendage to this spectrum, so to speak, we also describe the scientific methods, the toolbox of neuroscientists. Obviously, the better the methods, the more we can find out. Perhaps even more fundamental for us as individuals is the development of the brain: childhood as the basis – including an instruction manual for babies – for our entire lives. Puberty as the basis for at least our taste in music, and not least with the reminder that it too will pass. And, of course, old age. Read for yourself. But please note: Not all our topics are translated in English yet – there are over 80. Please allow a little time ...
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- Glossary
Astrocyte
Astrocytes are among the largest glial cells. Their tasks include maintaining the blood-brain barrier and reabsorbing released neurotransmitters (messenger substances in the brain).
