Beta-Catenin Signaling Increases in Proliferating NG2+ Progenitors and Astrocytes During Post-Traumatic Gliogenesis in the Adult Brain

The 2009 study explored the role of β-catenin signaling in the adult brain's response to traumatic brain injury (TBI), focusing on NG2+ progenitor cells and astrocytes. Using BATGAL reporter mice, the researchers found that β-catenin signaling increased in these cells, with a shift from NG2+ progenitors to GFAP+ astrocytes over time. The signaling was sustained in newly born cells and required cell division in the cortex. The study concluded that β-catenin signaling is involved in post-traumatic gliogenesis and could be a target for therapeutic intervention. The number of mice used in the TBI studies was 43, and for the spinal cord injury experiments, 9 mice were used, with statistical significance set at a p-value of 0.05.