If the theory can be proven in humans, it could suggest two new strategies for treating depression, Jacobs said. Doctors may one day be able to harvest immature cells, called stem cells, from the brain, grow them into adult neurons in the lab and then return them to the hippocampus. Or, a less invasive strategy would be to develop a drug that works specifically to induce the production of new neurons in the appropriate brain region. Jacobs is eager to pin down the next experiments that will add further support to the theory. Calendar of events The Bulletin is published weekly during the academic year, except during University breaks and exam weeks, by the Office of Communications, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
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