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Category: biotech/medical – Page 447

Visualizing neural connections in 3D with a new microscopy technique

Leiden researchers can now visualize the connections between brain cells. Their microscopy technique could significantly advance the human quest to understand brain functions. The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

How does information flow through the brain? To understand this, researchers map the brain at every scale, from small networks of cells to the entire nervous system. This provides insight into how our brains work and how connections between cells may become disrupted in disease.

The research group led by Professor Sense Jan van der Molen uses a microscope that reveals how a brain structure is built. It can do so down to the level of a synapse, the tiny junction through which one neuron communicates with another cell.

Autistic children born preterm often show more complex needs—but share similar genetic background

A new study shows that children born preterm who are later diagnosed with autism often present with more extensive support needs and a higher number of co-occurring conditions than autistic children born at full term. Surprisingly, however, the researchers found no differences in genetic variants across the genome, nor in specific genes already linked to autism, between the groups—a result that contradicted their initial hypothesis.

The study was conducted at KIND (Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet) and published in October 2025 in the journal Genome Medicine.

“We did not observe any genetic differences between preterm and full-term autistic children, which was unexpected. We initially thought that preterm children might show fewer of the genetic factors associated with autism, as their early birth can be viewed as an environmental factor,” says Yali Zhang, doctoral student at Tammimies research group at KIND and first author of the study.

Human hair grows through ‘pulling’ not pushing, study shows

Scientists have found that human hair growth does not grow by being pushed out of the root; it’s actually pulled upward by a force associated with a hidden network of moving cells. The findings challenge decades of textbook biology and could reshape how researchers think about hair loss and regeneration.

The team, from L’Oréal Research & Innovation and Queen Mary University of London, used advanced 3D live imaging to track individual cells within living human hair follicles kept alive in culture. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that cells in the outer root sheath—a layer encasing the hair shaft—move in a spiral downward path within the same region from where the upward pulling force originates.

Dr. Inês Sequeira, Reader in Oral and Skin Biology at Queen Mary and one of the lead authors, said, “Our results reveal a fascinating choreography inside the hair follicle. For decades, it was assumed that hair was pushed out by the dividing cells in the hair bulb. We found that instead that it’s actively being pulled upwards by surrounding tissue acting almost like a tiny motor.”

Catalyst insight may unlock safer, on-demand ozone water disinfection

University of Pittsburgh researchers have made an important step toward providing hospitals and water treatment facilities with a safer, greener alternative to chlorine-based disinfection.

The team, which includes scientists from Drexel University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, uncovered key design principles for catalysts that can generate ozone, a disinfecting agent, on demand. The research is published in the journal ACS Catalysis.

This breakthrough addresses a critical challenge in water sanitation. Chlorine, commonly used to kill bacteria on surfaces and in water—including most municipal drinking water—is hazardous to transport and store, and its byproducts can be carcinogenic. These risks limit its use and motivate the search for safer disinfectants.

Tiny Earthquakes Spark a Microbial Awakening Beneath Yellowstone

Researchers studying Yellowstone’s depths discovered that small earthquakes can recharge underground microbial life.

The quakes exposed new rock and fluids, creating bursts of chemical energy that microbes can use. Both the water chemistry and the microbial communities shifted dramatically in response. This dynamic may help explain how life survives in deep, dark environments.

A large portion of earth’s life lives underground.

A phenotypic brain organoid atlas and biobank for neurodevelopmental disorders

Wang and colleagues present a phenotypic brain organoid atlas for neurodevelopmental disorders, revealing disease-specific cellular and molecular alterations that illuminate NDD pathogenesis. Integrating patient brain organoids, imaging, and exome sequencing, this resource provides a powerful platform to advance research and therapeutic discovery.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Chronic Cough

Use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA) in adults with type 2 diabetes was associated with an increased risk of new chronic cough compared with other second-line diabetes medications.

Question Is the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) associated with increased risk of chronic cough?

Findings In this cohort study of 427 555 individuals who were prescribed a GLP-1RA and 1 614 495 matched individuals who were prescribed a different second-line diabetes medication, GLP-1RA treatment was associated with a higher adjusted hazard ratio of new chronic cough. This association was independent of gastroesophageal reflux disease diagnosis.

Meaning The study findings suggest that patients who use GLP-1RAs have an increased risk of chronic cough, suggesting further exploration of the strength of this association and pharmacologic mechanisms.

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