Weekly Updates | March 18 | #4
Update #1 - The engineered immune cells are now being deployed against brain cancer
Two preliminary studies demonstrate the potential efficacy of next-generation engineered immune cells, specifically chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells, against glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. These studies published in Nature Medicine and The New England Journal of Medicine describe the development and application of CAR T cells targeting proteins expressed by glioblastoma cells. CAR T cells, traditionally used for blood cancers, show promising results in targeting glioblastoma, suggesting a potential breakthrough in treating this lethal cancer. Although challenges remain, including tumour recurrence, these findings provide hope for improved therapies against glioblastoma.
Facts
🧠 Glioblastoma poses a significant challenge due to its aggressive nature and tendency to integrate with healthy brain cells, making surgical removal difficult.
🩸 In CAR-T therapy, a patient's T cells are engineered outside the body to target specific proteins expressed by cancer cells before being reintroduced into the patient.
🎯 Two studies developed CAR T cells targeting two proteins, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2, expressed by glioblastoma cells.
💉 One study administered CAR T cells targeting mutated EGFR, resulting in tumour shrinkage in three patients, with one showing a response lasting over six months.
📉 Another study targeted both EGFR and interleukin-13 receptor alpha 2, leading to tumour shrinkage in all six treated patients, with one showing no tumour progression for seven months.
🧪 Despite promising results, challenges such as tumour recurrence post-treatment remain, emphasizing the need for further research to achieve longer-lasting responses.
🧬 Constructing CAR T cells with multiple targets may enhance therapy effectiveness by reducing cancer cells' ability to develop resistance, offering hope for improved treatments against glioblastoma.
Reference: Nature
Update #2 - Gene Drives - A new tool - can help circumvent superweeds
Scientists have successfully tested a groundbreaking genetic technology in plants for the first time, paving the way for potential solutions to combat pests like superweeds or enhance species' resilience to diseases and climate change. This technology, known as a gene drive, operates by manipulating the inheritance of specific DNA sequences, allowing them to spread rapidly through populations. By harnessing gene drives, researchers aim to address agricultural challenges such as herbicide-resistant weeds while minimizing harm to other species and reducing reliance on chemical herbicides.
Facts
🌱 A gene drive, a genetic mechanism capable of spreading even harmful DNA sequences, has been tested in plants, offering promising solutions to agricultural and environmental challenges.
🧬 Gene drives alter the inheritance probabilities of specific genes, potentially increasing their transmission rates from 50% to significantly higher percentages, facilitating their spread within populations.
🌿 Natural gene drives exist across various organisms, but scientists have also developed artificial gene drives using techniques like CRISPR gene editing, first utilized in 2013.
🔬 The tested gene drive in plants operates as a homing gene drive, replicating itself from one chromosome to another and ensuring its inheritance by all offspring, targeting specific genetic sites.
🌾 One application of gene drives in plants could be combating invasive species and herbicide-resistant weeds, offering an alternative to chemical herbicides and potentially reducing environmental damage.
🌍 Additionally, gene drives hold promise for enhancing species’ resilience to diseases and climate change by spreading genes that confer resistance or adaptation traits.
This genetic technology opens avenues for targeted ecological interventions, potentially revolutionizing pest control strategies in agriculture while offering new tools for conservation efforts. By harnessing the power of gene drives responsibly, researchers aim to mitigate environmental damage while addressing pressing challenges in food security and biodiversity conservation.
Reference: New Scientist
Update #3 - This AI can read the brain of a mouse to determine its location
An artificial intelligence system has been developed that can interpret the brain activity of mice to determine their location and the direction they are facing. This breakthrough could have significant implications for understanding mammalian brain navigation and potentially aid in the development of autonomous navigation systems for robots. By analyzing the firing patterns of neurons associated with spatial awareness, researchers have created an algorithm that can pinpoint the mouse's whereabouts and orientation by decoding its brain signals.
Facts
🧠 Scientists can now determine a mouse's location and direction by analyzing its brain activity.
🐭 Mammalian brains utilize "head direction cells" and "grid cells" to navigate, providing insight into their spatial awareness.
🔍 Vasileios Maroulas and colleagues at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, along with the US Army Research Laboratory, developed an AI algorithm by analyzing data from probes inserted into mice's brains.
🔄 The algorithm correlates neural firing patterns with video footage to accurately determine the mouse's location and orientation.
🤖 This technology could potentially be applied to autonomous navigation systems in robots, enhancing their spatial awareness capabilities.
🗺️ Similar to a GPS system, the AI interprets brain signals instead of satellite data to track the subject's movements.
Reference: New Scientist
Update #4 - Memory loss or forgetfulness may be caused by damaged blood vessels in the brain.
Long COVID brain fog, a common symptom, has been linked to damaged blood vessels in the brain, shedding light on its biological basis. Researchers discovered that leakiness in the blood-brain barrier could explain the memory and concentration issues associated with long COVID. MRI scans of patients with brain fog revealed dye leakage into brain regions crucial for language, memory, mood, and vision. This study marks the first evidence of a compromised blood-brain barrier in long COVID patients, emphasizing the biological underpinnings of brain fog and potentially validating patients' experiences.
Brain fog, a hallmark of long COVID, presents as cognitive sluggishness and difficulty with short-term memory recall, impacting daily functioning and inducing panic in affected individuals. The study underscores parallels between traumatic brain injuries and long COVID brain fog, suggesting a common disruption of the blood-brain barrier. Previous research has hinted at SARS-CoV-2's ability to compromise the blood-brain barrier, and autopsies of COVID-19 victims have revealed similar breakdowns, indicating the virus's potential long-term neurological effects.
MRI scans of 32 individuals, including recovered COVID-19 patients and those with long COVID, provided insights into blood-brain barrier integrity. While recovered patients exhibited minimal dye leakage, long COVID patients without brain fog showed confined dye within blood vessels. In contrast, participants experiencing brain fog displayed significant dye leakage into brain tissue, confirming the tangible nature of their reported symptoms. These findings not only validate patients' experiences but also open avenues for potential therapeutic interventions to mitigate blood-brain barrier breakdown in long COVID patients.
Facts
🧠 Brain fog, a debilitating symptom in long COVID patients, is linked to damaged blood vessels in the brain.
🩸 Leakage in the blood-brain barrier may explain memory and concentration problems associated with long COVID.
📊 MRI scans revealed dye leakage into brain regions crucial for language, memory, mood, and vision in patients with brain fog.
🧪 The study marks the first evidence of a compromised blood-brain barrier in long COVID patients.
⚠️ Brain fog can manifest as cognitive slowdown and short-term memory difficulties, impacting daily life and inducing panic.
🧬 Research suggests parallels between traumatic brain injuries and long COVID brain fog, hinting at a common disruption of the blood-brain barrier.
🦠 Previous studies indicate SARS-CoV-2's potential to compromise the blood-brain barrier, with autopsies revealing similar breakdowns in COVID-19 victims.
Reference: Science News