Experts discover how the hippocampus might grow new cells throughout life, even in old age. In a Nutshell A new study finds rare neural stem cells in the adult human hippocampus, suggesting some brains can generate new neurons into old age.

In the hippocampus, a critical brain region for learning and memory, new cells emerge in some people into late adulthood, according to a study published July 3 in the journal Science. The findings tip the scales in a still-active debate over how our brains continue to develop throughout life.

In the new study, the team analyzed post-mortem brain tissue from individuals ranging in age from infancy to 78 years to discover that neural progenitor cells—precursors to fully developed neurons—not only exist in the adult brain but are also actively dividing.