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
Perampanel Inhibits α‐Synuclein Transmission in Parkinson's Disease Models
The researchers demonstrated that perampanel, an antiepileptic drug, inhibited the activity-dependent neuronal uptake of α-synuclein preformed fibrils via macropinocytosis and the subsequent development of α-synuclein inclusions in Parkinson’s disease models. Targeting neuronal activity with perampanel could represent a new therapeutic strategy for Parkinson’s disease.
Non-viral Induction of Transgene-free iPSCs from Somatic Fibroblasts of Multiple Mammalian Species
In this article, the researchers established a species-wide method for deriving transgene-free iPSCs, and discovered primary colony-forming cells showed a neural stem cell-like profile, named induced neural stem cell-like cells (iNSLCs).
The researchers developed a new inhibitory neuron-specific promoter, GAD65 promoter. Intravenous infusion of blood-brain barrier-penetrating AAV-PHP.B expressing an enhanced green fluorescent protein under the control of the mGAD65 promoter transduced the whole brain in an inhibitory neuron-specific manner.
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.
