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Originally published by Nik Papageorgiou, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne , on May 29, 2024  Credit: Cell Reports (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114256 A new study by EPFL scientists shows that age-related decline in motor ability can be countered in fruit flies by enhancing the expression of the protein Trio , suggesting potential treatments for age-related movement decline. As we age , we suffer a noticeable decline in motor ability , which affects our quality of life and independence. This can be traced t o changes occurring at neuromuscular junctions , the critical points where nerve cells communicate with muscles .   The deterioration of motor ability is closely linked to the degeneration of motor synaptic terminals , where signals pass from nerves in the spine to muscles. As we age, the terminals u ndergo structural fragmentation , reducing the release of neurotransmitters , which is crucial for initiating muscle movements. In the end, this translates into decr

Originally published by Dionne Seah, Duke-NUS Medical School, on August 8, 2023   An image of neural stem cells (NSCs) from Drosophila (fruit fly) larval brains six hours after larval hatching. NSCs are labeled by a membrane marker (green) and a nuclear marker (magenta). Scale bar: 10µm. Credit: Mahekta Rajeshkumar Gujar Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School have discovered the regenerative capabilities of injured cellular protrusions from dormant neural stem cells ( NSCs ) in fruit flies . Published in Developmental Cell , the findings establish fruit fly NSCs as a powerful new model to unlock the secrets of neuronal regeneration that could one day lead to new therapies for repairing damage in aging human brains . The study is the first to demonstrate that severed protrusions from fruit fly NSCs can regenerate . However, this capacity declines with age, mirroring the limited ability of mammalian neurons to regrow damaged connections as they grow older. The resea