A novel probe developed in 2017 allowed unprecedented recording of brain activity but only in small lab animals. MGH researchers and colleagues have successfully used a modified version of the probe to measure brain activity in humans. Insights gleaned from data acquired by this modified tool could have profound implications for the understanding of how…

Researchers chronicling rare but serious toxicities that may occur with immune checkpoint inhibitors, the most widely prescribed class of immunotherapies. The molecular analysis revealed the presence of T cells known to react to Epstein-Barr virus in the affected tissue of the Vanderbilt patient. In addition, the investigators noted one very highly prevalent but uncharacterized T…

Researchers have found that although the vast majority of people with alcohol use disorder see their doctors regularly for a range of issues, fewer than one in 10 ever get treatment to help curb their drinking. Yet, in a new study involving data from more than 200,000 people with and without alcohol problems, researchers at…

Researchers have designed a new Optically Pumped Magnetometer (OPM) sensor for magnetoencephalography (MEG). The sensor is smaller and more robust in detecting magnetic brain signals and distinguishing them from background noise than existing sensors. Benchmarking tests showed good performance in environmental conditions where other sensors do not work, and it is able to detect brain…

Blocking dopamine receptors in different regions of the amygdala reduces drug seeking and taking behavior with varying longevity. The amygdala contains receptors for dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in reward seeking, and has been shown to influence cocaine reward behaviors, making it a target for addiction treatment research. Matthew Lattal and Earnest Kim at Oregon Health…

Cocaine continues to be one of the most commonly abused illicit drugs in the United States. Pre-clinical literature suggests that targeting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors (GLP-1Rs) in the brain may represent a novel approach to treating cocaine use disorder. Specifically, GLP-1R agonists, which are FDA-approved for treating diabetes and obesity, have been shown to reduce voluntary…

Psychiatric and cognitive symptoms emerge at an early stage in Huntington’s disease. However, research so far has mainly focused on movement impairment, a symptom associated with the more advanced stages of the disease. A new study now shows that the emotional brain — the limbic system — is affected earlier in the course of the…

Scientists have identified distinct functions for regions of a super-enhancer that controls gene expression during retina formation, calling it a ‘modular’ super-enhancer. Gene expression is important during development as cells establish their identity and become various cell types with distinct functions. The transcription factor Vsx2 is essential to proper eye development. It is expressed in…

In a new study, researchers found that a certain protein prevented regulatory T cells (Tregs) from effectively doing their job in controlling the damaging effects of inflammation in a model of multiple sclerosis (MS), a devastating autoimmune disease of the nervous system. Published this month in Science Advances, the new study illuminates the important role…

Ground-breaking new research has discovered a likely cause of Alzheimer’s disease, in a significant finding that offers potential new prevention and treatment opportunities. The study, published in the PLOS Biology journal and tested on mouse models, identified that a probable cause of Alzheimer’s disease was the leakage from blood into the brain of fat-carrying particles…