Atlas of human brain blood vessels highlights changes in Alzheimer’s disease

AI SummaryScientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, and The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard have created a molecular atlas of human brain vasculature and its changes in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) across six brain regions. The researchers characterized over 22,514 vascular cells from different… Continue reading Atlas of human brain blood vessels highlights changes in Alzheimer’s disease

Scientists discover how mutations in a language gene produce speech deficits

AI SummaryMutations in the gene Foxp2 have been linked to speech disorders, specifically apraxia. Researchers from MIT and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University conducted a study on mice and found that these mutations disrupt the formation of dendrites and neuronal synapses in the brain, affecting the ability to produce high-frequency sounds. The mutations prevent… Continue reading Scientists discover how mutations in a language gene produce speech deficits

Neuroscientists identify cells especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s

AI SummaryNeurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease affects different brain regions unequally, with one of the first regions to show damage being the mammillary body in the hypothalamus. MIT researchers have identified a subset of neurons in the mammillary body that are most susceptible to neurodegeneration and hyperactivity, which leads to memory impairments. The findings suggest that… Continue reading Neuroscientists identify cells especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s

How Huntington’s disease affects different neurons

AI SummaryIn patients with Huntington’s disease, neurodegeneration of two distinct cell populations in the striatum, the striosomes and the matrix, contribute to motor impairments and mood disorders, respectively. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers at MIT have mapped these cell populations and their vulnerability to Huntington’s disease, hoping to develop new treatments that target specific cells.… Continue reading How Huntington’s disease affects different neurons

New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease

After decades of fundamental scientific and drug discovery research, Alzheimer’s disease has remained inscrutable and incurable, with a bare minimum of therapeutic progress. But in a new review article in Nature Neuroscience, MIT scientists write that by employing the new research capability of single-cell profiling, the field has rapidly achieved long-sought insights with strong potential for both… Continue reading New technologies reveal cross-cutting breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease

Professor Emeritus Richard Wurtman, influential figure in translational research, dies at 86

AI SummaryRichard Wurtman, a prominent neurochemist and neuropharmacologist who was a member of the MIT faculty for 44 years, has died at the age of 86. Wurtman’s research on neurotransmitters and the impact of nutrition on brain function has made significant contributions to our understanding of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and premenstrual syndrome. He… Continue reading Professor Emeritus Richard Wurtman, influential figure in translational research, dies at 86

Five from MIT named 2023 Quad Fellows

AI SummaryFour MIT alumni and a Harvard-MIT doctoral student have been selected for the inaugural class of the Quad Fellowship, a joint initiative of the governments of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. The fellowship aims to support exceptional individuals pursuing STEM graduate study in the United States and provides a $50,000 award for… Continue reading Five from MIT named 2023 Quad Fellows