Brain Mapping by Integrated Neurotechnologies for Disease Studies
Studying the neural networks controlling higher brain functions in the marmoset, to gain new insights into information processing and diseases of the human brain.
Brain Mapping by Integrated Neurotechnologies for Disease Studies
Studying the neural networks controlling higher brain functions in the marmoset, to gain new insights into information processing and diseases of the human brain.
The International Brain Initiative (IBI) launched in 2017 brings together some of the world’s major brain research projects from the US, Europe, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea and Australia. It aims to advance ethical neuroscience research through international collaboration and knowledge sharing.
http://www.internationalbraininitiative.org
The Strategic International Brain Science Research Promotion Program (Brain/MINDS Beyond) aims at revealing human intelligence, sensitivity and sociality at the brain circuit level for the early detection and intervention of psychiatric and neurological disorders by brain imaging, studying neural circuits and developing AI-based technologies.
https://brainminds-beyond.jp
The Brain/MINDS Data Portal has been launched for sharing the data and knowledge being produced in the Brain/MINDS project.
Brain/MINDS 3D Marmoset Brain Atlas Viewer
A large effective area GaAsP PMT for wide field-of-view two-photon microscope is now available from Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.
The power of science to cure the incurable
The researchers utilized the diffusion MRI and neural tracer data of marmoset brains collected by the Brain/MINDS project to optimize the parameters of the algorithms for estimating whole-brain neural connections (connectome). The optimization allowed tracking of long-range fibers and raised an issue of parameter selection in connectomic studies.
Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion causes PERK-dependent vulnerability in dopaminergic neurons
Patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) suffer from the onset risk for neuropsychiatric disorders over their lifetime. In this study, the researchers revealed “PRKR-Like Endoplasmic Reticulum Kinase-dependent vulnerabilities in dopaminergic neurons” as one of the molecular pathologies in brains of 22q11.2DS.
The researchers demonstrated that mimicking a de novo mutation of the schizophrenia-risk gene SETD1A in mice induced various abnormal behaviors relevant to schizophrenia. Setd1a in postsynaptic neurons positively regulates excitatory synaptic transmission and structure in the medial prefrontal cortex through histone modification and regulating the expression of diverse synaptic genes.
Direct and indirect pathway medium-sized spiny neurons (dMSNs and iMSNs) in the neostriatum were selectively labeled with green and red fluorescent proteins by an AAV vector. Both pathways formed two axonal arborizations in the globus pallidus external segment, and dMSN axons converged in the center of iMSN projection fields.
Efficient whole brain transduction by systemic infusion of minimally purified AAV-PHP.eB
The researchers developed a simplified method for the production of AAV vectors, which drastically shortens the purification time from 1.5 days to 2 – 4 h. Systemic infusion of AAV-PHP.eB prepared using this method transduced whole brain. Transduction efficacy is comparable to the conventional method.
A machine learning classifier using neuroimaging data in schizophrenia, autism, and healthy controls classifies people with ultra-high risk and first episode psychosis into schizophrenia or healthy controls, but not autism.
Aberrant interaction between FUS and SFPQ in neurons in a wide range of FTLD spectrum diseases
Disruption of the FUS-SFPQ interaction was observed in a wide-range of FTLD spectrum diseases. Imbalanced ratio of tau isoforms regulated by FUS/SFPQ was observed in a wide-range of FTLD spectrum diseases as well. These results were not observed in Alzheimer disease, or Pick disease, indicating that impaired interactions of FUS/SFPQ is a common pathogenesis in FTLD spectrum diseases.
