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As the weather starts to warm up, let’s take a look at some of the most exciting developments in this week’s Science Review.
Plasma proteins may be used to predict patients at risk of dementia
A research team at Fudan University has discovered a new biomarker for predicting dementia, a chronic disease that affects 10% of adults over age 70 in the United States. Dementia, which commonly causes memory loss and other changes that interfere with daily life, comes in many different forms, from the well-known Alzheimer’s disease to the very rare Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. There is currently no cure for dementia.
This research Nature, included an analysis of plasma protein levels in more than 50,000 UK Biobank participants. Researchers found that people with higher levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), an intermediate protein found in central nervous system cells called astrocytes, were 2.32 times more likely to develop dementia. . Additionally, levels of GFAP and another predictive plasma protein, neurofilament photopolypeptide, began to change at least 10 years before the patient was diagnosed with dementia. These findings suggest that GFAP levels can be used in clinical practice to assess a patient’s risk of developing dementia and flag patients with elevated levels for early intervention.
3D printing creates neural tissue with functional connections
One of the most pressing challenges for researchers studying the brain is creating realistic brain-like structures and models for experimentation. Over the past few years, scientists have been studying neural networks using a variety of techniques, including computers and animal models.
One common method is to use stem cells to create brain-like masses called organoids. However, the different structures of each organoid make it very difficult to reproduce the results. 3D printed neural tissue, on the other hand, is an example of a model that can be easily replicated. In a study published in cell stem cellsResearchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and their collaborators have discovered a way for these 3D printed cells to connect with each other. This is a property that was previously impossible to investigate.
By modifying a printing technique, researchers created layered neural tissue in which neural progenitor cells (NPCs) form synapses across layers while maintaining their unique structure. Although there is still much room for improvement in this technology, this is a major step in understanding how various neurodegenerative diseases change connections in the brain.
Scientists discover former ocean on Saturn’s moon Mimas
Mimas — nicknamed the “Death Star” because of its resemblance to the Empire’s superweapon Star Wars – That’s where the ocean is unlikely to exist. Celestial bodies with “long-lived global oceans” usually have visible markings on their surfaces. But Mimas has nothing.
After a detailed analysis of how the moon moves in response to Saturn’s gravitational influence, researchers and astronauts at the Paris Observatory concluded that Mimas must have had a large ocean on its surface. . This ocean is relatively new, having only appeared 2 to 25 million years ago, and is thought to be located 20 to 30 kilometers below the Earth’s surface.
A molecule on the second X chromosome leads to an increase in autoimmune diseases in women
The karyotypes of men and women appear to be identical apart from the 23rd chromosome pair, but one study suggests that this sex chromosome difference is why women are more susceptible to autoimmune diseases than men. I discovered that it is possible. A research team led by Howard Chan at Stanford University has discovered that the Xist molecule that wraps around women’s second X chromosome contains many of the proteins that are also present in autoimmune diseases.
The Xist molecule essentially silences the second X chromosome, which could otherwise release an oversupply of potentially toxic proteins, but Professor Chan’s team believes the molecule may also be used in autoimmune diseases. We investigated whether this could be the cause. The researchers found that when they genetically engineered the Xist molecule into a strain of male mice that did not naturally have severe lupus, they had increased levels of the autoimmune disease.
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