Neurons communicate via dendritic nanotube network
Johns Hopkins neuroscientists led by Hyungbae Kwon report in Science that they identified a network of short, thin 'dendritic nanotubes' (DNTs) linking neurons in mouse and human cortex. Using electron microscopy, super-resolution imaging and machine‑learning analysis, the team measured tubes roughly 3 µm long and a few hundred nm wide that can transmit charged particles (calcium) and shuttle proteins — including molecules associated with Alzheimer’s disease — between neurons; formation and function were tested in cultured mouse neurons and partly blocked with cytochalasin D. The discovery suggests a synapse‑bypassing route for neuronal communication and potential new mechanisms for disease spread in the brain.
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🔍 Key Facts
- Researchers (Hyungbae Kwon et al., Johns Hopkins) published the discovery in Science and examined published EM images plus new mouse and human cortex samples
- Physical properties: dendritic nanotubes ≈3 micrometers long and a few hundred nanometers thick
- Functional evidence: timed calcium increases in neighboring neurons consistent with ion transfer; passage of proteins linked to Alzheimer’s; partial inhibition of signal transfer with cytochalasin D