Brain Stem Cells: Life Under Interferon Control

© DMZ – MEDIZIN ¦ Markus Golla ¦ Interferons represent the first line of defense against viral infections and are at the same time an important cause for the age-related functional loss of brain stem cells. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the University of Heidelberg showed in mice that interferon regulates the activity and self-renewal of brain stem cells throughout the life span: In young brains, however, in the le…