Cholesterol, a fat-like substance in the body best known for its role in cardiovascular health, also plays a key role in how neurons - foundational cells for the brain's ability to process and integrate information - communicate with one another. Now, research led by Vitaly A. Klyachko, a professor in the WashU Medicine Department of Cell Biology & Physiology, has shown that brain cells called astrocytes regulate cholesterol supply to modulate neuronal communications.
The study was published Aug. 4 in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Neurons produce some cholesterol on their own, but not enough to meet their own needs. Astrocytes - non-neuronal brain cells that support neuron development and help maintain the connections between neurons, called synapses - also produce and release cholesterol.
