title: Neuronal polarization: old cells can learn new tricks.
abstract: Regeneration was once thought to be exclusive to young neurons. Now, a new study shows that functional and interconnected hippocampal neurons have the potential to quickly recover from losing an axon. They do so by signaling a dendrite to change its specification and replace the missing axon by rearranging the microtubule cytoskeleton.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8082, USA.
authors.forename: Eric S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Sweet
authors.forename: Bonnie L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Firestein
mesh_terms: D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016764:Cell Polarity; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D003712:Dendrites / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D008870:Microtubules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009416:Nerve Regeneration; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction