A study conducted in Tel Aviv University found that glia cells are more important to brain networking than previously thought.

The cellular anatomy of the brain contains two main components: neurons and glia cells. Neurons, considered to be the most important cells in the brain, are responsible for reacting to external stimuli by triggering the appropriate internal reaction. As implied by the Greek meaning of its name, “glue,” glia cells are the connective material for different brain segments. Not only do glia cells outnumber neurons 2-to-1, they provide structure, insulation and a nutrient source for the neurons. Beyond these known facts, however, further in-depth information had not yet been discovered about glia cells.

Researchers have had hunches about more complex functions behind the glia cell; for instance, they have pointed at a separate communications system within the cells, but little evidence has been found to prove such theories. Now, researchers at the Tel Aviv University have found a way to confirm speculation about these hidden complexities. According to Maurizio De Pittà, a Ph.D. student of Tel Aviv University’s Schools of Physics and Astronomy and Electrical Engineering, glia cells are much more than a way to fill up the empty space between neurons.

Scientists have often concluded that because neurons in the brain were the most likely cell to adapt to different stimuli, they dictate the learning and memory. This new study, however, found that glia cells are far more involved in the way the brain learns, adapts and stores information. They act as moderators to the communication functions of the brain as a whole.

"Glia cells are like the brain's supervisors. By regulating the synapses, they control the transfer of information between neurons, affecting how the brain processes information and learns," said Maurizio De Pittà.

According to Professor Eshel Ben-Jacob, the supervising professor for the study, when the neurons are transmitting a stimulus along their synapses, the glia cells moderate information, whether restricting information when the neurons are overactive or promoting information to maximize brain function. This evidence suggests that the glia cells are heavily involved in the process of learning and remembering.

This new finding can have a substantial influence over a number of nerurodegenerative disease studies such as those focused on epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease. It could pave the way for an entirely innovative approach in the development of drugs and medical techniques for treatment of brain-related diseases. For example, when people suffer epileptic seizures, the cause is usually, but not limited to, abnormal activity in the brain's neurons. Now, this new research points to a malfunction the the glia cell as the primary cause of miscommunication; the abnormal neuron activity is a result of the glia cells’ failure to regulate.

Two studies have already been conducted to support this glia cell model. "A growing number of scientists are starting to recognize the fact that you need the glia to perform tasks that neurons alone can't accomplish in an efficient way," says De Pittà.

This new perspective on the true function of the brain may lead to more realistic brain inspired algorithms and microchips, which are designed to emulate the brain's sophisticated neural networks and communications system.