Category Biology/Biotechnology

found nestin labeling in cells of the vascular system, indicating blood vessels plasticity. Evidence of angiogenesis was seen throughout superior temporal cortex (primary auditory cortex), fusiform cortex (face recognition center), pons/midbrain and cerebellum in postmortem brains from ASD patients but not control brains. We found significant increases in both nestin and CD34, which are markers of angiogenesis localized to pericyte cells and endothelial cells, respectively. This labeling profile is indicative of splitting (intussusceptive), rather than sprouting, angiogenesis indicating the blood vessels are in constant flux rather than continually expanding.

Evidence of autism may be found in the composition and malfunction of the brain’s blood vessels, a team of scientists has found...

Lung cancer cell, ADAR1 extra copies of the gene are shown in green. In red the two normal copies of a control gene. Credit: IDIBELL

In human diseases, eventually DNA alterations modify proteins and they don’t do their normal function, either by excess or defect. But recently we have started to find alterations of proteins without an obvious damage of the gene that produces them. Manel Esteller, director of Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), ICREA researcher and Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona provides an explanation for this phenomenon: existence of alterations in an intermediate molecule (RNA) which transfers the information contained in the DNA to protein.

“We found that 5-10% of lung tumors, instead of h...

© Fanny Bonachera / IBMC / ICT / PDB. Modeling of the 3D structure of the P140 peptide. The P140 peptide corresponds to the 131-151 sequence of the nuclear ribonucleoprotein U1-70K, whose residue 140 is a phosphoserine (visible on the left).

This peptide is the subject of a CNRS patent (granted in 2009) and has already successfully completed phases I and II of its regulatory clinical trials. An international phase III pivotal trial will begin in a few days’ time in the US when the first patient starts the treatment, before the trial is extended to Europe. Phase III is the last stage in the testing of a candidate drug, before it can be given market approval. The launch of phase III was the subject of a meeting involving around a hundred physicians on December 11-12, in Paris.

Lupus is a ch...

One rhesus macaque grooming another, the primary way these monkeys act prosocially toward one another. Work with these animals helped University of Pennsylvania researcher Michael Platt and other scientists draw their conclusions about the function of the amygdala. Credit: Lauren Brent

The amygdala, at the front end of the brain’s temporal lobe, has long been associated with negative behaviors generally, and specifically with fear. But new research shows this collection of nuclei can also influence positive social functions like kindness and what might be called charitable giving in humans. This could have implications for people with autism, schizophrenia or anxiety-related disorders, Platt said.

“What we’re trying to do is both identify and understand the basic brain mechanism that allow...