Free radicals from astrocyte mitochondria appear to trigger brain inflammation linked to dementia. A new class of molecules that blocks these radicals at their source could open a path to more effective neurodegenerative treatments. Credit: Shutterstock Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine have identified a surprising culprit that may contribute to dementia: free radicals generated in a particular region of brain support cells known as astrocytes. The study, published Nov. 4 in Nature