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Category: biotech/medical – Page 199

For the first time, scientists map the half-billion connections that allow mice to see

After nine years of painstaking work, an international team of researchers on Wednesday published a precise map of the vision centers of a mouse brain, revealing the exquisite structures and functional systems of mammalian perception.

To date, it is the largest and most detailed such rendering of neural circuits in a .

The map promises to accelerate the study of normal brain function: seeing, storing and processing memories, navigating complex environments. As importantly, it will deepen the study of brain diseases in anatomical and physiological terms—that is, in terms of the wiring and the relationships between circuits and signals. That’s especially promising for diseases that may arise from atypical wiring, such as autism and schizophrenia.

Titanium microparticles prevalent in oral tissue around dental implants, study shows

Titanium micro-particles in the oral mucosa around dental implants are common. This is shown in a new study from the University of Gothenburg and Uppsala University, which also identified 14 genes that may be affected by these particles.

Registry data indicate that about 5% of all adults in Sweden have —and potentially also titanium particles in the tissue surrounding the implants. According to the researchers, there is no reason for concern, but more knowledge is needed.

“Titanium is a well-studied material that has been used for decades. It is biocompatible and safe, but our findings show that we need to better understand what happens to the micro-particles over time. Do they remain in the tissue or spread elsewhere in the body?” says Tord Berglundh, senior professor of periodontology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

Magnetic microrobot swarm enables 3D imaging of vascular networks

Angiography is a widely used medical imaging technique that allows medical researchers and doctors to capture the vascular network (i.e., blood vessels) using contrast agents, substances that enhance the visibility of specific structures inside the body when exposed to X-rays or other imaging approaches. Conventional angiography techniques rely on contrast agents that are distributed through blood vessels, leveraging the natural flow of blood in the body.

Despite their widespread use, these approaches have significant limitations. For instance, they struggle to visualize upstream regions (i.e., regions in that are against the direction of the blood flow) or areas that are blocked by materials (e.g., blood clots). This inability to visualize some regions limits the use of angiography for diagnosing and planning the treatment of some vascular conditions, including narrowed vessels, blood clots and abnormal connections between vessels.

Researchers at the Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society and the Chinese University of Hong Kong recently introduced a new method for exploring and reconstructing vascular networks utilizing swarms of magnetic microrobots. Their proposed approach, outlined in a paper published in Nature Machine Intelligence, enables the 3D imaging of vascular networks, including upstream regions and blocked areas.

Amplifier with 10-fold bandwidth opens up for super lasers

Rapidly increasing data traffic is placing ever greater demands on the capacity of communication systems. In an article titled “Ultra-broadband optical amplification using nonlinear integrated waveguides” published in Nature, a research team from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, introduce a new amplifier that enables the transmission of 10 times more data per second than those of current fiber-optic systems.

This amplifier, which fits on a small chip, holds significant potential for various critical laser systems, including those used in medical diagnostics and treatment.

The advancement of AI technology, the growing popularity of streaming services, and the proliferation of new smart devices are among the factors driving the expected doubling of data traffic by 2030. This surge is heightening the demand for communication systems capable of managing vast amounts of information.

Protein editing using a coordinated transposition reaction

Protein engineering through the ligation of polypeptide fragments has proven enormously powerful for studying biochemical processes. In general, this strategy necessitates a final protein-folding step, constraining the types of systems amenable to the approach. Here, we report a method that allows internal regions of target proteins to be replaced in a single operation. Conceptually, our system is analogous to a DNA transposition reaction but uses orthogonal pairs of engineered split inteins to mediate the editing process. This “protein transposition” reaction is applied to several systems, including folded protein complexes, allowing the efficient introduction of a variety of noncoded elements. By carrying out a molecular “cut and paste” under native protein-folding conditions, our approach substantially expands the scope of protein semisynthesis.

Smart delivery tech boosts CRISPR efficiency, restores vision in mice

A research team from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich has developed an advanced delivery system that transports gene-editing tools based on the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system into living cells with significantly greater efficiency than before. Their technology, ENVLPE, uses engineered non-infectious virus-like particles to precisely correct defective genes—demonstrated successfully in living mouse models that are blind due to a mutation.

This system also holds promise for advancing by enabling precise genetic manipulation of engineered , making them more universally compatible and thus more accessible for a larger group of cancer patients.

The work is published in the journal Cell.

AI could revolutionize early skin cancer detection, treatment

Health care providers can use small devices to hover over moles or lesions and immediately check for common skin cancers, such as melanoma and basal cell carcinoma.

The most significant benefit is that health care professionals who do not specialize in dermatology could perform these checks during a routine visit, making early detection easier and quicker.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with one in five Americans expected to be affected in their lifetime, according to the City of Hope Cancer Center.

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