VOA常速英语--脑细胞再生助疾病治疗（在线收听）

脑细胞再生助疾病治疗

Using powerful microscopes and imaging devices, Amina Qutub can observe brain cells in a glass container and the connections they make with each other.

通过超强显微镜和影像设备，阿米娜·库特博能够在玻璃瓶中观察脑细胞，研究细胞联系。

We are looking at how neural progenitors, which are cells that can regenerate in the brain, form active neural networks.

神经先祖细胞组成了活跃的神经网络，而我们要对先祖细胞的再造进行研究。

Brain cells connect with each other through both chemical and electrical signals, and they utilize a variety of proteins to stimulate growth.

脑细胞是通过化学和电信号进行连通，并通过蛋白质促进生长。

Qutub's team of Rice University scientists and technicians combine such fields as biology, electrical engineering and nanotechnology to unravel the mysteries of how this works.

在莱斯大学，库特博研究小组的科学家和技师将生物学、电气工程以及纳米技术相结合，对脑细胞进行探秘。

Any one cell here is influenced by all of its neighbors in the environment. So, we are teasing out how that one cell, as it becomes an electrically active neuron, is affected by the community of cells.

任何单一脑细胞都会受到周边细胞影响。而我们要对影响神经细胞的电活动进行研究。

In the laboratory there is a piece of abstract art that is composed of images of neuron networks, showing their vast complexity.

这是实验室里的一幅“抽象画”，包含了错综复杂的神经网。

They form very elaborate and beautiful structures and the different network structures relate to what they do, their function. What we are trying to figure out is what are the chemical signals that lead to a particular structure and, in turn, how does that chemical structure lead to the electrical signals that you get when you have active neurons.

神经网纷繁复杂，但精巧细致，各个神经网各司其职。哪些化学信号引发了结构变化，反之，化学结构又是如何引发电信号，获得活跃神经细胞的，我们要对此进行研究。

The Rice research is supported in part by President Barack Obama's $300 million BRAIN Initiative, which is modeled after the Human Genome Project.

在仿照“人类基因组计划”下，奥巴马总统发起了3亿美元的“脑计划”工程，而莱斯大学的此项研究就得益于此。

The Initiative allows us type of in some way exploration research. Its basic science but opens up a huge door to better understanding the brain.

这项“计划”开启了我们的探索性研究。虽然是基础科学，但这让我们对大脑的深入性了解成为了可能。

Like many other people around the world, Qutub has seen how a stroke or a disease such as Alzheimer's can disrupt brain function, and she hopes this research will one day provide better treatment.

与其他人一样，库特博对如中风，帕金森等疾病影响大脑运行有着充分的了解，她希望未来这项研究能够帮助治疗。

We are understanding the mechanism of how these cells can grow back, and with it we can identify better drugs and better targets from the basic science work.

我们正在对脑细胞的再生机制进行研究，从基础科学方面，我们可以研发特效药物，对症下药。

For now, the research team is focused on developing a dynamic computer model that can help analyze interactions in the world's most complex mechanism.

目前，研究小组正在研发计算机模型，希望它能够对研究神经网机制有所帮助。