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Category: biotech/medical

New genome editing method could swap entire genes and correct 1000 mutations at once

New technology enables the insertion of a large segment of DNA into a genome, potentially expanding gene therapy treatment from cancellation of disease-causing mutations to replacement of an entire gene, scientists say.

Reporting in Nature, the researchers describe building upon a technique called prime editing by inserting DNA that attaches to the genome through a series of overlapping flaps. This method, which they call a prime assembly approach, avoids a bottleneck in the gene therapy field—a double-strand break to the donor DNA that can cause toxicity and kill cells.

“Using this method, we are doing genome assembly rather than making a small edit in a gene,” said Bin Liu, a co-lead author of the study and assistant professor of biological chemistry and pharmacology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “If we think of the genome as a book, we can remove one paragraph and replace it with a new one—or even rewrite a chapter.”

A new era for ultrafast photonics: 2D mercury-acetylide frameworks for near-infrared nonlinear optics

In the increasingly digital world, the demand for faster, more efficient and miniaturized optical devices is ever-growing. From high-speed internet and secure quantum communications to advanced medical imaging and precision manufacturing, the backbone of these technologies is light, specifically how we can control and manipulate it at the nanoscale.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as a game-changer in this arena, offering unique properties that can be harnessed for ultrafast photonics and nonlinear optical applications.

However, the search for materials that combine stability, tunability and high performance in the near-infrared (NIR) region, a crucial window for telecommunications and sensing, remains a significant challenge.

Tiny flexible lasers enable force sensing inside living cells

Researchers have developed tiny flexible lasers that can be used to measure forces inside living cells. The new lasers could help illuminate various biological processes, including those involved in early development and tumor progression.

“Biological forces inside and between cells play an important role in many diseases,” said research team leader Marcel Schubert from the University of Cologne. “For example, when cancer cells invade tissue, they have to squeeze through the other cells. Our tiny lasers make it possible to measure forces on the scale of individual cells, which has previously been very difficult to accomplish.”

In the journal Optical Materials Express, the researchers describe their new spherical whispering gallery mode microbead lasers, which measure just 20 microns, about the width of a human hair. Whispering gallery mode lasers trap light in circular paths—in this case, inside a tiny elastomer bead doped with fluorescent dye—where the light circulates and amplifies until it emits coherent laser light.

Light-responsive hydrogels enable fast and precise control of soft materials

Researchers at Tampere University have recently demonstrated that light can be used to precisely reshape soft materials without mechanical contact. They have developed light-responsive hydrogel thin films that enable programmable surfaces with high sensitivity, rapid response, precise spatial control and reversibility. The technology opens new possibilities for tunable devices in photonics, sensing and biomedicine.

Until now, responses in hydrogel films have typically been limited to timescales of tens of seconds and spatial resolutions of tens of micrometers—about the thickness of a fine human hair—restricting practical applications. In contrast, the university’s Smart Photonic Materials research group has achieved control on sub-second timescales and sub-micron resolution, marking a significant advance in speed and precision. The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Light-responsive hydrogels are particularly attractive for mimicking dynamic microstructures found in nature. The materials absorb and release water when exposed to light, enabling accurate and remote actuation in lightweight structures. Such properties are well suited for applications including soft micro-robots, remote drug delivery systems and active cell culture platforms.

The Entrepreneurial University

More academic and nonprofit labs should act as spinoff factories — both creating innovative foundational technologies *and* pushing these technologies forward towards the entrepreneurial translation needed to truly change the world for the better.

A research university emphasizes entrepreneurial science—and spawns start-ups in fields as varied as genetic medicine, humanoid robotics and carbon-catching materials.

A domain-adapted large language model to support clinicians in psychiatric clinical practice

The authors present PsychFound, a psychiatry-specialized large language model trained on expert knowledge and clinical records. It achieves clinical-grade performance and enhances diagnostic and treatment decisions when deployed in clinical workflows.

Not all Alzheimer’s leads to dementia

One possible explanation is that resilient brains are better at repairing themselves during Alzheimer’s. “Perhaps they can add new brain cells to a network that is degenerating”, the author says.

This idea is linked to a process called adult neurogenesis, which refers to the birth of new brain cells (neurons) in the adult brain. It has been well-established in other animals, but its existence in humans has been debated for years.

To study this, the team used human brain tissue from the Netherlands Brain Bank, which collects and stores donated brain samples for research. They included brains from control donors with no brain pathology, Alzheimer’s patients, and individuals with Alzheimer’s pathology who remained resilient to developing dementia.

The team focused on a small part of the brain’s memory center, likely one of the few areas where these new brain cells could form. “These cells are extremely rare, so we had to develop new ways to find them,” the author says. “We really zoomed in on the exact spot where we expected them to be.”

The team found what they were looking for: so-called “immature” neurons. These cells resemble young, not fully developed neurons. “Even at an average age of over 80, we still found these immature neurons in all groups,” the author says.

But the biggest surprise came next. While the team had expected to find much more of these cells in the resilient group than in the Alzheimer’s patients, the difference was not as big as expected.

Surprisingly, the team found that the key difference lies in how the immature neurons behave. “In resilient individuals, these cells seem to activate programs that help them survive and cope with damage,” the author says. “We also see lower signals related to inflammation and cell death.”

Continue reading “Not all Alzheimer’s leads to dementia” | >

A Popular Senolytic Treatment Causes Brain Damage in Mice

A new study calls for caution in using the well-known senolytic treatment of dasatinib and quercetin (D+Q), showing that it causes damage in certain regions of the brain, similar to what is observed in multiple sclerosis [1].

Stem cell senescence prevents brain repair

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a brain disorder in which the patient’s own immune system attacks oligodendrocytes: cells in the nervous system that provide a myelin coating for neurons, which is essential for their function and survival. MS is much more common in older patients, who are also more likely to have progressive disease and a worse response to treatment.

Self-organizing “pencil beam” laser could help scientists design brain-targeted therapies

Researchers have found that a “pencil beam” laser allows brain imaging 25 times faster than current methods. This could help scientists quickly test whether new drugs for diseases like Alzheimer’s or ALS are reaching their targets in the brain.

After a surprising discovery that overcomes a longstanding problem in fiber optics, MIT researchers demonstrated a biomedical imaging technique that is faster and more precise than other methods, which could help scientists and clinicians study new brain therapies.

Deep secretome analysis reveals the effects of LiCl on fibroangiogenic remodeling in coculture and mouse models of peritoneal dialysis

In a new paper, researchers dive into the protein secretome and decrypt how peritoneal dialysis can trigger fibrosis and damage blood vessels, providing a resource that could inform efforts to limit toxicity from this lifesaving therapy.

Learn more in Science Signaling.

Secretomics uncovers cell-cell signaling networks in tissue remodeling induced by peritoneal dialysis.

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