Overview

• Scientists identified a new type of brain cell that fires electrical impulses, combining characteristics of neurons and glia.
• These hybrid cells were found in both glioma tumors and non-tumor human brains.
• The presence of more spiking hybrid cells in gliomas is linked to better patient survival outcomes.
• Advanced single-cell analysis techniques, including Patch-seq, were crucial to this discovery.
• The findings call for further study on the role of these cells in brain tumor progression and normal brain function.