Category: Science

Over recent decades, neuroscience has achieved remarkable progress, yet the cerebellum, aptly named from the Latin for “little brain” and located at the brain’s rear, remains largely an enigma.

Despite holding three-quarters of the brain’s neurons in a near-crystalline structure, contrasting with the more chaotic neuron arrangement elsewhere, its complexity is not fully understood. While traditionally recognized for its role in controlling body movement, emerging research suggests this view is limited.

This expanded understanding of the cerebellum was highlighted at the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in Washington, DC, where neuroscientists convened to discuss its newly discovered functions beyond motor control. Innovative experimental methods reveal the cerebellum’s involvement in a range of activities, including complex behaviors, social interactions, aggression, working memory, learning, emotion, and more.

Historically, the link between the cerebellum and movement has been clear, evidenced by patients with cerebellar damage experiencing significant movement and balance challenges. Detailed studies have elucidated the cerebellum’s unique neural circuitry and its role in motor functions. However, a groundbreaking 1998 study in the journal Brain challenged this narrow perspective, detailing significant emotional and cognitive impairments in patients with cerebellar damage, suggesting its functions extend beyond physical coordination.

Despite these insights, the broader scientific community has been slow to acknowledge the cerebellum’s role in cognitive and emotional processes. Neurophysiologists like Diasynou Fioravante of UC Davis and neuroscientist Stephanie Rudolph of Albert Einstein College of Medicine have pointed out the longstanding observation of neuropsychiatric deficits in patients with cerebellar damage, yet a lack of anatomical evidence initially hindered the acceptance of these findings.

Currently, advancements in understanding the cerebellum’s circuitry are validating these clinical observations, challenging the conventional wisdom that limited its function to movement control, and opening new avenues for understanding its role in the brain’s broader cognitive and emotional landscape.

Certain immune cells in healthy women can become ‘exhausted,’ making them susceptible for developing breast cancer. Researchers from Cambridge University have identified a pathway involving mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which are known to increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

The study revealed that immune cells in the breast tissue of women carrying these mutations exhibit signs of malfunction, termed ‘exhaustion.’ These exhausted immune cells are unable to clear damaged breast cells, potentially leading to the development of breast cancer.

Professor Walid Khaled from the University of Cambridge’s Department of Pharmacology highlighted existing drugs capable of reversing this immune cell dysfunction, typically used in late-stage disease. However, employing these drugs preventatively represents a novel approach, offering a non-invasive alternative to breast removal surgery for high-risk individuals.

By analyzing samples from 55 women across various age groups, the researchers created the Human Breast Cell Atlas, providing valuable insights into breast cancer development. Austin Reed, a PhD student involved in the study, emphasized the importance of such resources in understanding breast cancer and improving treatment outcomes.

Breast cancer presents a complex challenge due to its diverse genetic variations and interactions with other risk factors. The study utilized single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize different breast cell types and states, shedding light on how various risk factors contribute to disease development.

Dr. Sara Pensa, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Pharmacology and a co-author of the study, stressed the significance of prevention in mitigating disease burden and improving outcomes.

Published in Nature Genetics and primarily funded by the Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK, this research offers promising avenues for preventative breast cancer treatment and underscores the importance of understanding the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors in disease development.

Dexcom has announced the clearance of its new over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor, Stelo, by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Stelo, which underwent FDA review in February, will be worn on the upper arm and has a lifespan of up to 15 days before replacement. This device will be available for online purchase starting this summer.

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are small sensors that penetrate the skin to monitor glucose levels in real-time, primarily used by diabetes patients. Information from the sensor is transmitted wirelessly to a smartphone, aiding in the detection of emergencies for users, their families, and healthcare providers.

Stelo, Dexcom’s latest CGM, is specifically designed for Type 2 diabetes patients who do not require insulin. Notably, it is the first glucose biosensor that does not mandate a prescription, expanding accessibility, particularly for those without insurance coverage for CGMs.

With over 25 million Type 2 diabetes patients in the U.S. who do not use insulin, Dexcom aims to bridge the gap in accessibility. While their existing G7 CGM system serves this population, it necessitates a prescription, limiting its availability.

The FDA’s clearance reflects the significance of CGMs in managing blood glucose levels. Dr. Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health, highlighted how this clearance facilitates individual access to CGMs without healthcare provider involvement.

NASA recently shared an impressive collection of 19 images depicting 13 spiral galaxies, a feat made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope. These galaxies are part of the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby GalaxieS (PHANGS) initiative, which engages over 150 astronomers globally in its efforts.

The space agency expressed its fascination with these celestial structures, stating, “It’s oh-so-easy to be absolutely mesmerized by these spiral galaxies. Follow their clearly defined arms, which are brimming with stars, to their centers, where there may be old star clusters and – sometimes – active supermassive black holes.” This initiative showcases the unique ability of the James Webb Space Telescope to capture detailed imagery of galaxies in a combination of near and mid-infrared light, unlike any other existing telescopic technology.

Janice Lee, a project scientist for strategic initiatives at the Space Telescope Science Institute, remarked, “Webb’s new images are extraordinary. They’re mind-blowing even for researchers who have studied these same galaxies for decades.” She elaborated on the level of detail now observable, pointing out how the telescope’s capabilities have unveiled previously unseen aspects of star formation.

The images detail both the vastness and intricacies within these spiral galaxies, made possible by the telescope’s sensitivity to infrared light. This sensitivity is crucial because many dim stars and gas or dust clouds do not emit enough visible light on their own but can be observed in the infrared spectrum.

Thomas Williams, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford, shared his experience working with these images, saying, “I feel like our team lives in a constant state of being overwhelmed—in a positive way—by the amount of detail in these images.” The NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) of the telescope captured millions of stars in these images, which appear in blue tones. Some stars are dispersed across the spiral arms, while others are densely packed in star clusters. Furthermore, the telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) data brings out the glowing dust, revealing stars in early stages of formation encased in gas and dust, likened to “bright red seeds at the tips of dusty peaks.”

If you want to see all the images, you can find them here.

Important: If you want to see the highest resolution images, click on the “Webb and Hubble” images, which show images of the same galaxies shown though the Webb and Hubble telescopes. Then click on “Zoom Image” and that will give you the full Webb image.

They are absolutely stunning, I would highly recommend checking them out.

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered a neutron star in the remnants of a stellar explosion, putting an end to a nearly decade-long search. Supernova 1987A is the aftermath of a star explosion with an initial mass of 8 to 10 times that of the sun, is situated 170,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud. Initially observed in 1987, it became the closest and brightest supernova visible from Earth in about 400 years.

These stellar explosions, like Supernova 1987A, play a crucial role in distributing elements like carbon, oxygen, silicon, and iron across the cosmos. The resulting remnants can become compact stellar objects such as neutron stars or black holes. For 37 years, astronomers were uncertain whether the core of Supernova 1987A formed a neutron star, or collapsed into a black hole.

The recently identified neutron star remained hidden due to a thick layer of gas and dust from the supernova blast. Using the JWST’s infrared capabilities, researchers examined emissions for evidence of argon and sulfur, determining that the ionization of these elements could only be caused by radiation emitted by a neutron star. The brightness of the neutron star was estimated to be about a tenth of that of the sun.

However, questions about the neutron star remain. The ionization could result from interactions with a pulsar wind nebula, created by a rapidly rotating neutron star, or from ultraviolet and X-ray light emitted by the neutron star itself. Further infrared observations with the JWST’s NIRSpec instrument may help distinguish between these possibilities, providing more insights into the nature of the neutron star at the heart of Supernova 1987A. The research was published in the journal Science on February 22.