Malacia

Mouse hippocampus

WHAT IS IT? The hippocampus is found deep in the brains of many mammals, including humans. It’s named for its seahorse shape (in Greek, hippokampos literally means “horse sea monster”).

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? It helps us form memories and navigate space. It contains special cells called “place cells” that create a mental map of our environment. The hippocampus is also one of the first structures to suffer in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, which is characterized by memory loss. The number of patients with Alzheimer’s is predicted to triple by 2050.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? Scientists at Harvard Medical School were recently able to re-create Alzheimer’s disease from human cells in a culture dish. This will “revolutionize drug discovery in terms of speed, costs and [disease relevance],” according to a senior co-author on the study.