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2025
In this cell culture captured by Elisa Popa, oligodendrocytes (in green) and astrocytes (in red) form a vibrant mesh, a network of support, regulation and permanent dialogue. Long considered mere accessory cells, these glial cells are now at the heart of our understanding of the brain.
When inflammation occurs, whether as a result of infection, metabolic stress or environmental aggression, their behavior changes.
By studying these interactions in vitro, researchers can detect the first signs of imbalance, even before any visible after-effects appear.
This image then becomes a living laboratory: a place where the fine line between adaptation and chronic inflammation can be observed at the cellular level.
