Lifeboat Foundation

The world’s first brain prosthesis has passed the first stages of live testing.

The microchip, designed to model a part of the brain called the hippocampus, has been used successfully to replace a neural circuit in slices of rat brain tissue kept alive in a dish. The prosthesis will soon be ready for testing in animals.

The device could ultimately be used to replace damaged brain tissue which may have been destroyed in an accident, during a stroke, or by neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. It is the first attempt to replace central brain regions dealing with cognitive functions such as learning or speech.

While silicon-based computing is cutting-edge today, human brain-based tech could be on track to dominate the future.

Scientists from the University of Reading developed a hydrogel that learns to play ‘Pong’ and mimics heartbeats in sync with a pacemaker. The study suggests hydrogels can exhibit adaptive behaviors.

A molecular biology research team at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has become the first to map out how mitochondrial messenger RNA folds in human cells.

The research advances knowledge about the expression of genes in the mitochondria and paves the way for identification of therapeutic targets for mitochondrial neurodegenerative diseases.

“Dysfunctional mitochondria can cause devastating diseases, frequently with childhood-onset, known as mitochondrial encephalomyopathies. Despite advances in identifying genes responsible for these disorders, their pathophysiological mechanisms have been poorly understood,” said Antoni Barrientos, Ph.D., professor of neurology and biochemistry and molecular biology at the Miller School. “This was partly due to a lack of a full understanding of mitochondrial gene expression. Specifically, nothing was known about how mitochondrial messenger RNA folds and how that could influence its stability and translation in health and disease.”

Using #CellDIVE multiplexed imaging and antibodies from Cell Signaling Technology to uncover cell identity and brain structure in Alzheimer’s disease, demonstrating how spatial biology can lead to advances in therapy development for neuro degeneration.

🖼️: Adult Human Alzheimer’s brain demonstrating a panel of 15 markers.

Uncover cell identity and brain structure in Alzheimer’s disease with Cell DIVE multiplexed imaging, demonstrating how spatial biology can lead to advances in therapy development for neurodegeneration.

Continue reading “The Shape of the Brain: Spatial Biology of Alzheimer’s Disease” »

Proposed lunar biorepository could store genetic samples without electricity or liquid nitrogen. New research led by scientists at the Smithsonian proposes a plan to safeguard Earth’s imperiled biodiversity by cryogenically preserving biological material on the moon. The moon’s permanently shadowed craters are cold enough for cryogenic preservation without the need for electricity or liquid nitrogen, according to the researchers.

The paper, published today in BioScience and written in collaboration with researchers from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and others, outlines a roadmap to create a lunar biorepository, including ideas for governance, the types of biological material to be stored and a plan for experiments to understand and address challenges such as radiation and microgravity. The study also demonstrates the successful cryopreservation of skin samples from a fish, which are now stored at the National Museum of Natural History.

“Initially, a lunar biorepository would target the most at-risk species on Earth today, but our ultimate goal would be to cryopreserve most species on Earth,” said Mary Hagedorn, a research cryobiologist at NZCBI and lead author of the paper. “We hope that by sharing our vision, our group can find additional partners to expand the conversation, discuss threats and opportunities and conduct the necessary research and testing to make this biorepository a reality.”

Amid ongoing human clinical trials, there is still a long way to go before neural chips are commonplace in clinics.

Neuroscientists at Stanford have linked Alzheimer’s disease to the disruption of brain metabolism via the kynurenine pathway, which is affected by amyloid plaque and tau proteins.

Their research has demonstrated that drugs blocking this pathway can restore cognitive function in Alzheimer’s mice by improving brain metabolism. This discovery not only bridges the gap between neuroscience and oncology but also provides a fast track to repurposing existing drugs for Alzheimer’s treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease and brain energy metabolism.

With investments, approvals, and revenues on the rise, gene editing therapy is increasingly able to address delivery and accessibility challenges.