The human brain has an estimated 86 billion neurons, and an even greater number of support cells, called glia, long thought to provide mainly structural support and nourishment while neurons do the real cognitive work.

A KAUST-led study now reveals that this division of labor is not so clean.

As Pierre Magistretti and his colleagues demonstrate, one type of glial support cells in particular — astrocytes, star-shaped glial cells — do more than keep neurons fed. They actively shuttle a molecule called lactate into neurons, where it triggers a chain of events that strengthens synaptic connections involved in core brain functions.

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