AI algorithm enables tracking of vital white matter pathways
Opening a new window on the brainstem, a new tool reliably and finely resolves distinct nerve bundles in live diffusion MRI scans, revealing signs of injury or disease.
New vaccine platform promotes rare protective B cells
Based on a virus-like particle built with a DNA scaffold, the approach could generate broadly neutralizing antibody responses against HIV or influenza.
New tissue models could help researchers develop drugs for liver disease
Two models more accurately replicate the physiology of the liver, offering a new way to test treatments for fat buildup.
How a unique class of neurons may set the table for brain development
Somatostatin-expressing neurons follow a unique trajectory when forming connections in the visual cortex that may help establish the conditions needed for sensory experience to refine circuits.
Chemists determine the structure of the fuzzy coat that surrounds Tau proteins
Learning more about this structure could help scientists find ways to block Tau from forming tangles in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients.
A protein found in the GI tract can neutralize many bacteria
The protein, known as intelectin-2, also helps to strengthen the mucus barrier lining the digestive tract.
Study: High-fat diets make liver cells more likely to become cancerous
New research suggests liver cells exposed to too much fat revert to an immature state that is more susceptible to cancer-causing mutations.
Prefrontal cortex reaches back into the brain to shape how other regions function
Research illustrates how areas within the brain’s executive control center tailor messages in specific circuits with other brain regions to influence them with information about behavior and feelings.
A new immunotherapy approach could work for many types of cancer
Using new molecules that block an immune checkpoint, researchers showed they could stimulate a strong anti-tumor immune response.
RNA editing study finds many ways for neurons to diversify
Tracking how fruit fly motor neurons edit their RNA, neurobiologists cataloged hundreds of target sites and varying editing rates, finding many edits altered communication- and function-related proteins.
Deep-learning model predicts how fruit flies form, cell by cell
The approach could apply to more complex tissues and organs, helping researchers to identify early signs of disease.
MIT study shows how vision can be rebooted in adults with amblyopia
Temporarily anesthetizing the retina briefly reverts the activity of the visual system to that observed in early development and enables growth of responses to the amblyopic (“lazy”) eye.
When it comes to language, context matters
MIT researchers identified three cognitive skills that we use to infer what someone really means.
Astrocyte diversity across space and time
A new atlas charts the diversity of an influential cell type in the brains of mice and marmosets.
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya visits MIT
In a conversation with Rep. Jake Auchincloss, Bhattacharya focused on the agency’s policy goals and funding practices.