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Category: biotech/medical

Epstein-Barr Virus Alters B Cells, Possibly Driving Lupus

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infected and reprogrammed autoreactive B cells in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) to become activated antigen-presenting cells. EBV-infected B cells in patients with SLE showed increased antigen-presenting capabilities, unlike those in healthy control individuals, and may serve as drivers of systemic autoimmune responses.

Epstein-Barr virus reprograms autoreactive B cells, possibly contributing to systemic lupus erythematosus, with infected B cells in patients showing high antigen-presenting capabilities.

New roles found for STIP1 and Maspin proteins in cell renewal and structure

Two recently published studies led by Brazilian scientists reveal the key roles of multifunctional proteins, STIP1 and Maspin, in vital cellular processes.

The results demonstrate new functions that help clarify how cells maintain their shape, communicate, and renew themselves. These findings contribute to new studies on cancer, embryogenesis, and potential applications in .

According to one of the studies, STIP1 plays a central role in and maintaining pluripotency, or the ability of cells to multiply and give rise to other .

Children With Autism, ADHD, And Anorexia Share a Common Microbe Imbalance

The ratio of two dominant groups of microbes in the human gut was higher across all three disorder groups than was typically seen in the control group.

A new, small study suggests children with autism, ADHD, and anorexia share similarly disrupted gut microbiomes, which, by some measures, have more in common with each other than with their healthy, neurotypical peers.

Led by researchers from Comenius University in Slovakia, the study used stool samples to assess the gut microbiomes of 117 children.

The exploratory study included 30 boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 21 girls with anorexia nervosa, and 14 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The remaining samples were from age-and sex-matched healthy and neurotypical children, providing a control group.

The Role of Tregs in the Tumor Microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a unique ecosystem that surrounds tumor tissues. The TME is composed of extracellular matrix, immune cells, blood vessels, stromal cells, and fibroblasts. These environments enhance cancer development, progression, and metastasis. Recent success in immune checkpoint blockade also supports the importance of the TME and immune cells residing in the tumor niche. Although the TME can be identified in almost all cancer types, the role of the TME may not be similar among different cancer types. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a pivotal role in immune homeostasis and are frequently found in the TME. Owing to their suppressive function, Tregs are often considered unfavorable factors that allow the immune escape of cancer cells.

Microrobots overcome navigational limitations with the help of ‘artificial spacetimes’

Microrobots—tiny robots less than a millimeter in size—are useful in a variety of applications that require tasks to be completed at scales far too small for other tools, such as targeted drug-delivery or micro-manufacturing. However, the researchers and engineers designing these robots have run into some limitations when it comes to navigation. A new study, published in Nature, details a novel solution to these limitations—and the results are promising.

The biggest problem when dealing with microrobots is the lack of space. Their tiny size limits the use of components needed for onboard computation, sensing and actuation, making traditional control methods hard to implement. As a result, microrobots can’t be as “smart” as their larger cousins.

Researchers have tried to cover this limitation already. In particular, two methods have been studied. One method of control uses external feedback from an auxiliary system, usually with something like optical tweezers or . This has yielded precise and adaptable control of small numbers of microrobots, beneficial for complex, multi-step tasks or those requiring high accuracy, but scaling the method for controlling large numbers of independent microrobots has been less successful.

New type of DNA damage discovered in our cells’ mitochondria

A previously unknown type of DNA damage in the mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside our cells, could shed light on how our bodies sense and respond to stress. The findings of the UC Riverside-led study are published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and have potential implications for a range of mitochondrial dysfunction-associated diseases, including cancer and diabetes.

Mitochondria have their own genetic material, known as mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is essential for producing the energy that powers our bodies and sending signals within and outside cells. While it has long been known that mtDNA is prone to damage, scientists didn’t fully understand the biological processes. The new research identifies a culprit: glutathionylated DNA (GSH-DNA) adducts.

An adduct is a bulky chemical tag formed when a chemical, such as a carcinogen, attaches directly to DNA. If the damage isn’t repaired, it can lead to DNA mutations and increase the risk of disease.

New therapeutic brain implants could defy the need for surgery

Microscopic bioelectronic devices could one day travel through the body’s circulatory system and autonomously self-implant in a target region of the brain. These “circulatronics” can be wirelessly powered to provide focused electrical stimulation to a precise region of the brain, which could be used to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and cancer.

The Brain’s Hourglass: The motor cortex and striatum work together like an hourglass to measure time for precise and coordinated movement

Pause and Rewind: Temporarily silencing the neural activity in the motor cortex paused the brain’s timer, whereas silencing the striatum rewound the timer.

Broader Impacts: These findings reveal how the brain keeps time to coordinate movement, which one day may be harnessed to restore movement in disorders like Parkinson’s and Huntington’s.

Whether speaking or swinging a bat, precise and adaptable timing of movement is essential for everyday behavior. Although we do not have sensory organs like eyes or a nose to sense time, we can keep time and control the timing of our actions. Such timing accuracy depends on a timer in the brain, but how the brain implements this timer was previously unknown. In research published this week in Nature, MPFI scientists Zidan Yang, Hidehiko Inagaki, and colleagues reveal how this timer works through the interaction of two brain regions—the motor cortex and the striatum. Together, these areas track the passage of time much like an hourglass.

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MPFI Scientists have discovered how two brain areas work together like an hourglass to flexibly control movement timing.

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