The Forgotten Cells That Could Heal the Diseased Brain todayheadline

A radical shift in neuroscience places neuroglia, not neurons, at the heart of brain health. In a sweeping open access interview in Brain Medicine, Professor Alexei Verkhratsky of the University of Manchester argues that restoring neuroglial function may be the key to treating disorders from Alzheimer’s to chronic pain. His decades-long journey, from Soviet-era Kiev to European academies and international collaborations, reveals how these overlooked support cells actively shape brain function and, when they falter, drive disease. By reframing glia as active players rather than passive scaffolding, Verkhratsky proposes an entirely new therapeutic frontier.

Rethinking the Brain’s Architecture

For generations, neuroscience textbooks cast glial cells as passive assistants to neurons. Verkhratsky upended this orthodoxy by demonstrating that glia possess their own excitability, distinct from neuronal firing. His pioneering work in intracellular calcium and sodium signaling showed that astrocytes and oligodendrocytes translate neuronal activity into complex homeostatic responses. Far from inert, glia are conductors in the symphony of brain signaling.

From Toxicity to Atrophy

Conventional wisdom once blamed brain pathology on reactive gliosis, casting glial cells as destructive. Verkhratsky instead discovered a subtler truth: in aging and disease, glia wither. Their loss of homeostatic capacity leaves neurons vulnerable. This atrophy model recasts neurodegeneration as a crisis of lost protection rather than active attack, with profound implications for conditions as diverse as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and small vessel stroke.

“Contrary to the dominating idea, loss of neuroglial homeostatic support and neuroprotection are the main factors triggering and propagating nervous tissue damage.” — Alexei Verkhratsky, Brain Medicine

A Global and Cross-Cultural Research Path

Verkhratsky’s career highlights the value of scientific exchange. Collaborations with Japanese and Canadian colleagues deepened his knowledge of microglia, while partnerships with Chinese scientists revealed the interplay between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. He even explores how traditional Chinese medicine compounds might enhance glial resilience, a bridge between ancient pharmacology and modern neuroscience.

Legacy of Documentation and Outreach

Beyond laboratory work, Verkhratsky co-authored a monumental 730-page reference book on neuroglia in 2023, as well as the first comprehensive textbook on glia in Chinese. His election to the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and Academia Europaea reflects his transformative impact. With more than 600 publications, he continues to insist that practical cures are a matter of technical refinement once pathophysiology is understood.

Key Findings

• Researcher: Alexei Verkhratsky, University of Manchester, UK
• Publication: Brain Medicine, Genomic Press, 26 August 2025
• Discovery: Neuroglia possess intracellular excitability distinct from neurons
• Implication: Neuroglial atrophy, not toxic gliosis, drives progression of brain diseases
• Applications: Stroke, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, small vessel disease, chronic pain
• Methodology: Electrophysiology, ion signaling, cross-cultural pharmacology
• Collaborations: Japan, Canada, China
• Outputs: 730-page neuroglia reference book (2023), Chinese-language glia textbook

Takeaway

Professor Alexei Verkhratsky’s research shows that brain disorders often stem from failing neuroglia rather than neurons alone. By targeting glial signaling and homeostasis, medicine may unlock new treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric conditions.

Journal: Brain Medicine
DOI: 10.61373/bm025k.0101