Researcher have uncovered a new cell type in the human brain that fires electrical impulses. The cells are hybrids, part neuron and part glia, and are present in both glioma, a type of brain tumor, and in normal brain. The newly discovered hybrid cells support the groundbreaking idea that neurons are not the only cells that can generate electric signals in the brain. In glioma, the higher the firing activity of the hybrid cells, the better the patient's outcome, suggesting a prognostic value.
