Scientists found that reduced ATP signaling in the hippocampus can trigger both depression and anxiety in mice.
Lower ATP levels and a drop in connexin 43 expression appeared to make stressed animals more vulnerable. Manipulating this protein alone was enough to produce mood-related symptoms, while restoring it reversed them.
ATP Signaling and Mood Disorders.
Scientists use supercomputer that can process quadrillions of calculations per second to simulate mouse cortex for “virtual experiments”
Clinicians typically classify meningiomas — the most common type of brain tumor — into three grades, ranging from slow-growing to aggressive.
But a new multi-institutional study suggests that appearances may be deceiving. If a tumor shows activity in a gene called telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), it tends to recur more quickly, even if it looks low-grade under the microscope.
Researchers discover that when meningiomas, a type of brain tumor, shows activity in the TERT gene, it tends to recur more quickly.
In a groundbreaking study poised to reshape our understanding of brain development, researchers have unveiled the existence of preconfigured neuronal firing sequences within human brain organoids. These firing patterns, traditionally thought to arise from sensory experience and environmental stimuli, appear to be innately programmed during neurodevelopment, challenging long-held assumptions about the brain’s early information processing architecture. This revelation not only deepens our grasp of neuronal circuit formation but also elevates the value of brain organoids as faithful models for investigating the complexities of human neurobiology.
Neuronal firing sequences—the precise order and timing of action potentials within neural circuits—form the fundamental building blocks by which the brain encodes, processes, and transmits information. Until now, the developmental timeline and origins of these sequences remained largely unknown, with the prevailing hypothesis attributing their emergence to experience-dependent plasticity, shaped dynamically by sensory inputs during early life. However, the new findings presented by van der Molen et al. point to an alternative mechanism rooted in intrinsic developmental programs.
Human brain organoids, three-dimensional cellular models derived from pluripotent stem cells, have surged in popularity as cutting-edge platforms for modeling human brain development in vitro. By replicating key aspects of brain tissue organization and cellular diversity, these organoids serve as invaluable proxies for investigating neuronal circuit assembly under controlled conditions. Importantly, this study compared both unguided human brain organoids and those directed toward forebrain identity, alongside ex vivo slices from neonatal mouse somatosensory cortex, offering a robust cross-species and methodological validation of their observations.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have identified a natural process in the brain that can remove existing amyloid plaques in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease while also helping preserve memory and thinking ability. This process relies on astrocytes, star shaped support cells, which can be guided to clear out the toxic plaque buildup commonly seen in Alzheimer’s. When the team increased the amount of Sox9, a protein that influences many astrocyte functions during aging, the cells became more effective at removing amyloid deposits. The findings, reported in Nature Neuroscience, suggest that strengthening astrocyte activity could one day help slow cognitive decline linked to neurodegenerative disorders.
“Astrocytes perform diverse tasks that are essential for normal brain function, including facilitating brain communications and memory storage. As the brain ages, astrocytes show profound functional alterations; however, the role these alterations play in aging and neurodegeneration is not yet understood,” said first author Dr. Dong-Joo Choi, who conducted this work while at the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy and the Department of Neurosurgery at Baylor. Choi is now an assistant professor at the Center for Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology, Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.