Astrocytes (IMAGE) UT Southwestern Medical Center Caption Reactive astrocytes surround the lesion site in the injured spinal cord. A new mouse study shows that triggering a gene inside astrocytes activates the star-shaped cells and may improve the brain's ability to heal from a range of debilitating conditions, from strokes to concussions and spine injuries. Credit: Meifan Amy Chen, Ph.D. Credit UT Southwestern Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.