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A basic role for glia in sleep homeostasis

Nature Neuroscience volume 28, pages 1118–1120 (2025)Cite this article

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Sleep has restorative properties, but the mechanisms remain largely unknown. A study in Drosophila melanogaster reveals that glia dynamically monitor metabolic changes in the brain that accumulate from effortful behavior, triggering the need for rest and sleep.

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Fig. 1: Glial dynamics promote cellular homeostasis during rest and sleep.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan

    Leonie Kirszenblat

  2. Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia

    Bruno van Swinderen

Authors
  1. Leonie Kirszenblat
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  2. Bruno van Swinderen
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Correspondence to Leonie Kirszenblat or Bruno van Swinderen.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Kirszenblat, L., van Swinderen, B. A basic role for glia in sleep homeostasis. Nat Neurosci 28, 1118–1120 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-025-01963-w

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