A study published in Cell by David H. Brann and colleagues has mapped how olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) connect to olfactory receptors (ORs) in the nasal epithelium and how this pattern is replicated in the brain, at least in mice. The research reveals that the mapping is not random but follows an intricate, structured pattern maintained by basal stem cells — similar to how frequency detection in the inner ear maps to the brain. The findings could inform treatments for smell disorders, including those caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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