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Brain Delivery of Antibody-Derived Biologicals for Alzheimer’s Disease: An Updated Narrative Review

Antibodies directed against β-amyloid (Aβ) have been developed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the in vivo central efficacy is reduced by the poor penetration of antibodies across the blood–brain barrier (BBB). In addition, these antibodies have been associated with adverse effects like amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. Thus, the development of new antibody-based therapies for AD with improved transport across the BBB may improve efficacy and reduce adverse effects. Antibodies targeting the BBB transferrin receptor (TfR) are able to cross the BBB through receptor-mediated transcytosis, producing a global distribution throughout the brain.

New ‘3D’ Computer Chips Could Extend Moore’s Law, Study Shows

In recent years, computer chip performance has bumped up against the physical limitations of the space available on integrated circuits.

Now researchers think they’ve found a solution: Start building upwards.

The innovation could help extend or even exceed the Moore’s Law hypothesis established in the 1960s by Intel chairman Gordon Moore.

Machine learning uncovers 1,750 quakes tracing 250-kilometer edge of Alaska microplate

Thousands of small earthquakes, detected for the first time by a machine-learning process, reveal the distinct, razor-sharp edge of the Yakutat microplate as it subducts beneath the North American plate.

The Yakutat oceanic plateau is caught in the middle of a tectonic traffic jam with the Pacific plate as it subducts beneath the North American plate. The position and structure of the plates in this congested zone play a significant role in the earthquake and volcanic landscape of south-central Alaska.

The research published by Meghan Miller of Australian National University and her colleagues in The Seismic Record now shows the edge and extent of the Yakutat plate in astonishing detail.

Why sophrosyne, an ancient Greek virtue, matters more than ever in the age of AI

As a philosopher and philosophical counselor, I research the connection between virtue and happiness. In particular, I’ve noticed a connection between sophrosyne and eudaimonia, the Greek philosophical concept for happiness, or living well.

Harmony of the soul

For the Greeks, sophrosyne represented excellence of character, moderation and self-control. It was connected to phronesis, or practical wisdom, and stood in marked contrast with hubris: excessive pride, dangerous overconfidence and lack of self-insight. Heraclitus, a philosopher who lived around 500 B.C.E., taught that sophrosyne was the most important virtue of all.

Physics-trained digital ‘super-brain’ speeds nanophotonic design

Studying physics can be very useful—even when it comes to machine learning. A digital “super-brain” with built-in knowledge of the fundamental laws of nature can speed up the development of optical components for everything from quantum computers to eyeglasses or camera lenses, according to a new study from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

“When we fed the super-brain information about the laws of physics, it immediately got much smarter. Our calculations now take one tenth of the time previously required,” says Philippe Tassin, professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Chalmers University of Technology.

The research team led by Tassin designs optical components in a field called nanophotonics. On a small scale—less than one wavelength—light can be controlled and manipulated in a completely different way than on larger scales. But there are also limitations on how light can be controlled in advanced ways in natural optical materials.

Astrocytes can gain neural stem cell properties after brain injury

New research shows that specific types of brain cells become active after brain injuries and exhibit properties similar to those of neural stem cells. Astrocyte plasticity might correlate with the upregulation of the Galectin 3 protein, which may significantly contribute to discovery of additional biomarkers. The study discovered that a specific protein regulates these cells and could be a target for therapy and contribute to development of better treatments options for brain injuries. The loss of neurons, which subsequently causes impairment of brain function, is caused by the onset and progression of neurological disorders, like strokes, spinal cord injuries and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimers / Dementia, ALS and MND. Effective treatment options still need to be improved. However, preclinical research has shown a promising response involving reactive astrocytes, a specific type of glial cell, which is a crucial part of the nervous system alongside neurons. Microglia and Glial cells are regarded as a safeguard for neurons, demonstrating the ability to resume cell proliferation, a mechanism essential for protecting the injury-affected brain from invasion by immune cells.[1]

Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Neuroglia.

Given the importance of astrocyte proliferation, these findings are relevant for understanding how changes in cerebrospinal fluid composition (upregulation of Galectin 3 protein) support the maintenance of astrocyte plasticity in the brain. Identifying Galectin 3 protein as an inducer of astrocyte plasticity has helped discover other biomarkers that offer beneficial modulation inside the injured brain parenchyma. These regulators of astrocyte proliferation after acute injury offer great promise for the future clinical applications of these biomarkers as indicators for detecting a beneficial reaction of glial stem cell therapy or help identify the presence of other cells with stemness potential in an injured patient’s brain [5].

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