Researchers identify the function of a gene involved in the formation of oedemas in the brain
The accumulation of fluids in the brain, what is known as an oedema, is a common phenomenon that may be produced as a result of a knock, a heart attack or by developing a cerebral cancer. Moreover, those persons affected by a rare illness called megalencephalicleucoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) may also suffer from oedemas. In these cases, the liquid accumulation in the brain is caused by a dysfunction of genetic origin related with the glial cells, which are responsible for maintaining the equilibrium of fluids in the brain because of the production of ion fluxes. Dr. Xavier Gasull, from the University of Barcelona Faculty of Medicine and the IDIBAPS team Neurophysiology and functional studies of the nervous system, is among the authors of the article appeared in Neuron.
