Category Biology/Biotechnology

Research cracks the Autism Code, making the Neurodivergent Brain Visible

UVA professor Gustavo Rohde’s technique uses mathematical equations to extract mass transport information from medical images, creating new images for visualization and further analysis. (Rohde Lab, UVA Engineering)

Model grounded in biology reveals the tissue structures linked to the disorder. A researcher’s mathematical modeling approach for brain imaging analysis reveals links between genes, brain structure and autism.

A multi-university research team co-led by University of Virginia engineering professor Gustavo K. Rohde has developed a system that can spot genetic markers of autism in brain images with 89 to 95% accuracy.

Their findings suggest doctors may one day see, classify and treat autism and related neurological conditions with this method, without having to rely on...

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Researchers develop Affordable, Rapid Blood Test for Brain Cancer

Researchers develop affordable, rapid blood test for brain cancer
The biochip is used to detect biomarkers for glioblastoma, a fast-growing brain cancer. Credit: Matt Cashore / University of Notre Dame

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame have developed a novel, automated device capable of diagnosing glioblastoma, a fast-growing and incurable brain cancer, in less than an hour. The average glioblastoma patient survives 12–18 months after diagnosis.

The crux of the diagnostic is a biochip that uses electrokinetic technology to detect biomarkers, or active Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs), which are overexpressed in certain cancers such as glioblastoma and found in extracellular vesicles.

“Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are unique nanoparticles secreted by cells...

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Finding Love: Study reveals Where Love Lives in the Brain

The brain in love: the image shows brain areas that activate in association with the most intensely felt forms of interpersonal
The brain in love: the image shows brain areas that activate in association with the most intensely felt forms of interpersonal love. Picture: Juha Lahnakoski.

Researchers have taken looking for love to a whole new level, revealing that different types of love light up different parts of the brain. We use the word ‘love’ in a bewildering range of contexts – from sexual adoration to parental love or the love of nature. Now, more comprehensive imaging of the brain may shed light on why we use the same word for such a diverse collection of human experiences.

‘You see your newborn child for the first time. The baby is soft, healthy and hearty – your life’s greatest wonder. You feel love for the little one.’

The above statement was one of many simple scenarios presented to fifty-five ...

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Spike Mutations that Help SARS-CoV-2 Infect the Brain Discovered

SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19
Transmission electron micrograph of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, isolated from a patient. Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility (IRF) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID

Scientists have discovered a mutation in SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, that plays a key role in its ability to infect the central nervous system. The findings may help scientists understand its neurological symptoms and the mystery of “long COVID,” and they could one day even lead to specific treatments to protect and clear the virus from the brain.

The new collaborative study between scientists at Northwestern University and the University of Illinois-Chicago uncovered a series of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (the outer part of the virus that help...

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