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Tiny brain probe reveals how deep-brain neurons can be measured and manipulated
A new breakthrough technology, co-developed by UCL scientists, that simultaneously records and manipulates neuron activity deep within the brain could transform our understanding of neural circuits and neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.
The device, known as Neuropixels Opto and researched in mice, integrates two powerful but traditionally separate techniques—electrophysiology (the study of the electrical activity of living cells) and optogenetics (combining genetics and optics to control cells). They form a single probe, enabling unprecedented insight into how individual neurons in the brain function and interact.
Published in Nature Methods, the system allows researchers to monitor the electrical activity of hundreds of neurons while also selectively activating or silencing specific cells using light.
First direct view tracks planet-forming disk spinning around AB Aurigae
The rotation of a protoplanetary disk (a disk where planets are being formed) has been observed directly for the very first time by mapping the emissions from the dust grains within it. The disk in question surrounds the young star AB Aurigae. Although it appears to generally rotate in accordance with the laws of physics, certain regions close to the star show an unexpected departure from this behavior. A body of evidence suggests that this anomaly is caused by the presence of giant planets in the process of formation.
The study, led by scientists from the CNRS and the University of Bordeaux is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. It sheds fresh light on the mechanisms of planetary formation and the complex dynamics of protoplanetary disks.
Thanks to the unique near-infrared capabilities of the SPHERE instrument and its exceptional spatial resolution, the team was able to accurately track the disk’s structures and their evolution during three sets of observations, collected over a 4-year period. The scientists identified a bright structure, characteristic of accretion zones where gas and dust accumulate and fall onto an object in the process of formation. This phenomenon is closely linked to the formation of gas giant planets.
Why some tumors resist immunotherapy: Blocking miR-25 may help turn ‘cold’ cancers ‘hot’
Immune checkpoint therapy, a type of cancer immunotherapy that helps the immune system recognize and attack tumors, has transformed cancer treatment. While these therapies can produce long-lasting benefits for some patients, many cancers either fail to respond or become resistant over time.
One major challenge is the tumor microenvironment —the network of cells and signals surrounding tumors that can weaken immune cells and protect cancer from treatment. This protective environment can act like a shield that prevents immunotherapy from working effectively.
Researchers at University of California San Diego investigated whether microRNAs —small RNA molecules that help control gene activity—play a role in creating this treatment-resistant environment. The team focused on microRNA-25 (miR-25), which stood out after analyses showed that its levels changed in tumors that responded to immunotherapy.
Targeted therapy reduces risk of lung cancer recurrence by 83% in rare genetic subtype
A new study co-led by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center shows that the targeted cancer drug selpercatinib can significantly reduce the risk of lung cancer returning in patients with a rare genetic subtype of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), potentially offering a new treatment option to help keep the disease from coming back after standard therapy.
The international phase 3 clinical trial, called LIBRETTO-432, found that after two years, 92% of patients with stage II–IIIA RET fusion-positive NSCLC who received selpercatinib after standard treatment were alive without their cancer returning—a measure known as event-free survival—compared with 61% of patients who received a placebo. Overall, the treatment reduced the risk of cancer recurrence or death by 83%.
The results were shared during the Plenary Session on May 31 at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting by Dr. Jonathan Goldman, Health Sciences Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. The paper was also published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Children’s brain tumors may spread faster when microglia build invasion-friendly scaffolding
Researchers at the Institute of Environmental Medicine (IMM), Karolinska Institutet, have identified a possible mechanism behind the spread of the aggressive brain tumor diffuse midline glioma. The study shows that the brain’s own immune cells, microglia, may contribute to the tumor’s invasive capacity by producing the protein fibronectin. The results are published in the journal Cell Death & Disease.
Diffuse midline glioma (DMG), also known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), is a rare but highly aggressive brain tumor that primarily affects children. There is currently no effective treatment, and the prognosis is very poor.
In the present study, the researchers investigated how microglia—the brain’s immune cells—are affected by tumor cells and what role they play in disease progression.
