When the makers of electronic implants abandon their projects, people who rely on the devices have everything to lose.
Category: neuroscience – Page 743
CRISPR technology improves Huntingtonโs disease symptoms in models
Huntingtonโs disease (HD) is a neurological disorder that causes progressive loss of movement, coordination and cognitive function. It is caused by a mutation in a single gene called huntingtin (HTT). More than 200,000 people worldwide live with the genetic condition, approximately 30,000 in the United States. More than a quarter of a million Americans are at risk of inheriting HD from an affected parent. There is no cure.
But in a new study, published December 12, 2022 in Nature Neuroscience, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues elsewhere, describe using RNA-targeting CRISPR/Cas13D technology to develop a new therapeutic strategy that specifically eliminates toxic RNA that causes HD.
CRISPR is known as a genome-editing tool that allows scientists to add, remove or alter genetic material at specific locations in the genome. It is based on a naturally occurring immune defense system used by bacteria. However, current strategies run the risk of off-target edits at unintended sites that may cause permanent and inheritable chromosomal insertions or genome alterations. Because of this, significant efforts have focused on identifying CRISPR systems that target RNA directly without altering the genome.
CAR-T-cell shows promise in patients with lymphoma of the brain and spinal cord in early trial
๐๐๐-๐-๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ
๐ผ ๐พ๐ผ๐-๐-๐๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ ๐๐จ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ค๐ก๐๐ช๐๐๐ก (๐๐ญ๐-๐๐๐ก) ๐๐จ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฎ ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐ค๐ก๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐/๐ค๐ง ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐ค๐ง๐, ๐ฟ๐๐ฃ๐-๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ง ๐พ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ซ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง๐จ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ 64๐ฉ๐ ๐ผ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ก๐ค๐๐ฎ (๐ผ๐๐) ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ช๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐.
A CAR-T-cell therapy known as axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) is safe and shows encouraging signs of efficacy in a small pilot trial involving patients with lymphoma of the brain and/or spinal cord, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators report at the 64th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
The research features an in-depth, molecular study of individual CAR-T cells isolated from patientsโ blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This unprecedented analysis, conducted in collaboration with the Cellular Therapeutics and Systems Immunology Lab (CTSI), directed by Leslie Kean, MD, PhD, at Dana-Farber and Boston Childrenโs Hospital, reveals a surprising difference between the two CAR-T-cell populations: the cells in the CSF display a molecular signature that indicates activation of the interferon pathway, an important step in rallying the immune system. These studies are reported in two oral abstracts at ASH. โFor many patients with lymphoma of the central nervous system, there arenโt great treatment options,โ said Dana-Farberโs Caron Jacobson, MD, MMSc, who led the trial and will present the findings at ASH. โOur early results suggest that expanding the applicability of CAR-T cells to this indication could improve patient outcomes.โ
Lymphomas can begin within the brain or spinal cord, or the tumors can spread to those sites (known collectively as the central nervous system or CNS) after they originate in other parts of the body. While the underlying biology of these primary and secondary CNS lymphomas can be quite different, these cancers are often difficult to treat, especially once the tumors evade standard treatments. In that case, patients typically do not live more than 2 years.
Bees may feel pain
We swat bees to avoid painful stings, but do they feel the pain we inflict? A new study suggests they do, a possible clue that they and other insects have sentienceโthe ability to be aware of their feelings.
โItโs an impressive piece of workโ with important implications, says Jonathan Birch, a philosopher and expert on animal sentience at the London School of Economics who was not involved with the paper. If the study holds up, he says, โthe world contains far more sentient beings than we ever realized.โ
Previous research has shown honey bees and bumble bees are intelligent, innovative, creatures. They understand the concept of zero, can do simple math, and distinguish among human faces (and probably bee faces, too). Theyโre usually optimistic when successfully foraging, but can become depressed if momentarily trapped by a predatory spider. Even when a bee escapes a spider, โher demeanor changes; for days after, sheโs scared of every flower,โ says Lars Chittka, a cognitive scientist at Queen Mary University of London whose lab carried out that study as well as the new research. โThey were experiencing an emotional state.โ
New Research Reveals How Fear Get Stuck in Brains
A biological mechanism has been identified by researchers at Linkรถping University in Sweden that increases the strength with which fear memories are stored in the brain The research, conducted in rats, was published in the scientific journal Molecular Psychiatry. It provides new insights into the processes behind anxiety-related disorders and identified shared mechanisms of anxiety and alcohol dependence.
The ability to feel fear is critical for escaping life-threatening circumstances and learning how to avoid them in the future. However, in certain conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that develops in some people who have experienced or witnessed a shocking, scary, or dangerous event.
Pilot trial sees tumors shrink or disappear in 78% of patients
The study brings much hope to patients with brain and spinal cord cancers.
A small pilot trial involving patients with lymphoma of the brain and/or spinal cord has shown that CAR-T-cell therapy known as axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) can be a viable treatment option for patients who often have little hope, according to a press release by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators published on Sunday. โFor many patients with lymphoma of the central nervous system, there arenโt great treatment options,โ said Dana-Farberโs Caron Jacobson, MD, MMSc, who led the trial.
Our early results suggest that expanding the applicability of CAR-T cells to this indication could improve patient outcomes.
Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen/iStock.
Lymphomas typically feature aggressive tumors that can spread to the brain and spinal cord after they originate in other parts of the body. These cancers are often difficult to treat and patients do not survive more than two years.
Gene expression data point to exercise as the most effective treatment for Alzheimerโs disease
An analysis of 22 large-scale gene expression datasets pointed to exercise and activity in general as the most effective theoretical treatment for reversing gene expressions typical of Alzheimerโs disease. Fluoxetine, a well-known antidepressant, also showed effect, particularly when combined with exercise. Curcumin showed positive effects as well. The study was published in Scientific Reports.
Alzheimerโs disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that affects multiple brain regions. It is the most common disease that causes dementia and is very difficult to treat. In the course of the disease, abnormal collections of proteins called tau accumulate inside neurons.
Another type of protein clumps together to form so-called amyloid plaques that collect between neurons and disrupt cell functions. These and other changes harm the functioning of the brain across different regions and lead to dysfunction and death of brain cells.
The Boltzmann Brain Paradox: An Animated Thought Experiment About the Hallucination of Reality
A pleasingly disorienting foray into the fundamental perplexity of life.