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IMAGE: A new study using mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders identifies alterations in energy metabolism that are sex-specific and distinct between models. These findings point to novel peripheral anomalies and force. view more
Credit: Illustration by Baptiste Lacoste. Created with BioRender.com
Mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders possess unique, sex-specific metabolic dysfunctions, according to a new study in
eNeuro. Understanding the unique metabolic effects of each disorder in both animal models and humans may lead to more personalized treatments and diagnostic methods.
Any disorder affecting the brain also impacts the body. People with neurodevelopmental disorders including Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorders are at increased risk for developing diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. Yet the impact of these three disorders on metabolism has not been studied.
Credit: University of Missouri
In the fight against cancers, activating mutations in the RAS family of genes stand in the way of finding viable treatment options. Now, scientists at the University of Missouri and Yale University have discovered that one of these mutations oncogenic RAS or RASV12 is also responsible for the regrowth of cancer cells following genotoxic therapy treatment, or drugs that cause damage to a cancer cell s DNA in order to eliminate it from the body. Most of our knowledge of how cells respond to DNA damage is mainly derived from studies looking at the single cell level, said Yves Chabu, an assistant professor in the MU College of Arts and Science. Therefore, we don t know much about how tumor cells respond to DNA damage in the broader context of the tissue level, and what possible implications these responses might have on a tumor s relapse following genotoxic therapies. To address this, we looked at how tissues containing patches of cells carryin
Scientists use a novel two-step method to track receptor proteins
The neurons in our nervous system talk to each other by sending and receiving chemical messages called neurotransmitters. This communication is facilitated by cell membrane proteins called receptors, which pick up neurotransmitters and relay them across cells. In a recent study published in
Nature Communications, scientists from Japan report their findings on the dynamics of receptors, which can enable understanding of the processes of memory formation and learning.
The regulation of receptor movement and localization within the neuron is important for synaptic plasticity, an important process in the central nervous system. A specific type of glutamate receptor, known as AMPA-type glutamate receptor (AMPAR), undergoes a constant cycle of trafficking , being cycled in and out of the neuronal membrane. A precise regulation of this trafficking process is associated with learning, memory formation, and developmen
First-of-its-kind study identifies 13 new Alzheimer’s disease genes
In the first study to use whole genome sequencing (WGS) to discover rare genomic variants associated with Alzheimer s disease (AD), researchers have identified 13 such variants (or mutations). In another novel finding, this study establishes new genetic links between AD and the function of synapses, which are the junctions that transmit information between neurons, and neuroplasticity, or the ability of neurons to reorganize the brain s neural network. These discoveries could help guide development of new therapies for this devastating neurological condition.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center report these findings in