PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New tool activates deep brain neurons by combining ultrasound, genetics

It is the first work to show that sonothermogenetics can control behavior by stimulating a specific target deep in the brain

2021-05-28
(Press-News.org) Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy have had some treatment success with deep brain stimulation, but those require surgical device implantation. A multidisciplinary team at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a new brain stimulation technique using focused ultrasound that is able to turn specific types of neurons in the brain on and off and precisely control motor activity without surgical device implantation.

The team, led by Hong Chen, assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering and of radiation oncology at the School of Medicine, is the first to provide direct evidence showing noninvasive, cell-type-specific activation of neurons in the brain of mammal by combining ultrasound-induced heating effect and genetics, which they have named sonothermogenetics. It is also the first work to show that the ultrasound- genetics combination can robustly control behavior by stimulating a specific target deep in the brain.

Results of the three years of research, which was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health's BRAIN Initiative, were published online in Brain Stimulation May 11, 2021.

The senior research team included renowned experts in their fields from both the McKelvey School of Engineering and the School of Medicine, including Jianmin Cui, professor of biomedical engineering; Joseph P. Culver, professor of radiology, of physics and of biomedical engineering; Mark J. Miller, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine; and Michael Bruchas, formerly of Washington University, now professor of anesthesiology and pharmacology at the University of Washington.

"Our work provided evidence that sonothermogenetics evokes behavioral responses in freely moving mice while targeting a deep brain site," Chen said. "Sonothermogenetics has the potential to transform our approaches for neuroscience research and uncover new methods to understand and treat human brain disorders."

Using a mouse model, Chen and the team delivered a viral construct containing TRPV1 ion channels to genetically-selected neurons. Then, they delivered small burst of heat via low-intensity focused ultrasound to the select neurons in the brain via a wearable device. The heat, only a few degrees warmer than body temperature, activated the TRPV1 ion channel, which acted as a switch to turn the neurons on or off.

"We can move the ultrasound device worn on the head of free-moving mice around to target different locations in the whole brain," said Yaoheng Yang, first author of the paper and a graduate student in biomedical engineering. "Because it is noninvasive, this technique has the potential to be scaled up to large animals and potentially humans in the future."

The work builds on research conducted in Cui's lab that was published in Scientific Reports in 2016. Cui and his team found for the first time that ultrasound alone can influence ion channel activity and could lead to new and noninvasive ways to control the activity of specific cells. In their work, they found that focused ultrasound modulated the currents flowing through the ion channels on average by up to 23%, depending on channel and stimulus intensity. Following this work, researchers found close to 10 ion channels with this capability, but all of them are mechanosensitive, not thermosensitive.

The work also builds on the concept of optogenetics, the combination of the targeted expression of light-sensitive ion channels and the precise delivery of light to stimulate neurons deep in the brain. While optogenetics has increased discovery of new neural circuits, it is limited in penetration depth due to light scattering and requires surgical implantation of optical fibers.

Sonothermogenetics has the promise to target any location in the mouse brain with millimeter-scale resolution without causing any damage to the brain, Chen said. She and the team continue to optimize the technique and further validate their findings.

INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Starting local

2021-05-28
Corals are in trouble. All across the globe the diverse and dynamic ecosystems are taking huge hits year after year. The Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral since 1995. Scientists are seeing similar declines in reefs from Hawai'i to the Florida Keys and across the Indo-Pacific region. The widespread decline is fueled in part by climate-driven heatwaves that induce coral bleaching -- the breakdown of the relationship between shallow-water coral and the symbiotic algae they rely upon for nutrients. Climate change is a clear and present danger to the persistence of coral reefs, and global reductions in carbon emissions is ...

Exoskeleton therapy improves mobility, cognition and brain connectivity in people with MS

Exoskeleton therapy improves mobility, cognition and brain connectivity in people with MS
2021-05-28
East Hanover, NJ. May 28, 2021. A team of multiple sclerosis (MS) experts at Kessler Foundation led the first pilot randomized controlled trial of robotic-exoskeleton assisted exercise rehabilitation (REAER) effects on mobility, cognition, and brain connectivity in people with substantial MS-related disability. Their results showed that REAER is likely an effective intervention, and is a promising therapy for improving the lives of those with MS. The article, "A pilot randomized controlled trial of robotic exoskeleton-assisted exercise rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis," (doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2021.102936) was published on April 4, 2021, by Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. It is available open access at https://www.msard-journal.com/article/S2211-0348(21)00203-0/fulltext. The ...

Older adults with cerebral palsy need more, receive less physical therapy

2021-05-28
Adults with cerebral palsy are more likely to experience the debilitating pains of musculoskeletal disorders, but they receive significantly less physical therapy for those ailments, according to a recent study. The findings, published in Disability & Health, analyzed four years of Medicare service claims from community-living older adults with and without cerebral palsy who had one or more ambulatory claims for a musculoskeletal diagnosis. Fewer than one-third of general population patients utilized physical therapy. Those with cerebral palsy, despite having greater risk of secondary comorbid conditions, received even less physical therapy. "The results are staggering, but they support our hypothesis that people with cerebral palsy receive inequitable health care," says Mark ...

Climate change makes West Nile virus outbreaks 'plausible' in UK

Climate change makes West Nile virus outbreaks plausible in UK
2021-05-28
Climate change will make outbreaks of West Nile virus more likely in the UK within the next 20-30 years, scientists say. West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes and has no vaccine. Most people have no symptoms, but it can cause serious neurological disease. Scientists from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS) and the University of Glasgow developed a new model to determine the risk of a West Nile virus outbreak in the UK. They found the risk is low for the next two to three decades, but will increase as temperatures ...

Penn researchers discover drug that blocks multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants in mice

2021-05-28
The drug diABZI -- which activates the body's innate immune response -- was highly effective in preventing severe COVID-19 in mice that were infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to scientists in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The findings, published this month in Science Immunology, suggest that diABZI could also treat other respiratory coronaviruses. "Few drugs have been identified as game-changers in blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection. This paper is the first to show that activating an early immune response therapeutically with a single dose is a promising strategy for controlling the virus, including the South African variant ...

Seropositivity following mRNA vaccination for SARS-CoV-2 in patients undergoing cancer treatment

2021-05-28
What The Study Did: Rates of antispike antibody response to a messenger RNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in Israeli patients with cancer who are undergoing systemic treatment compared with healthy controls were evaluated in this study. Authors: Salomon M. Stemmer, M.D., of the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.2155) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, ...

SARS-CoV-2 antibody status in patients with cancer, health care workers

2021-05-28
What The Study Did: This study evaluates whether there are differences in SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and antibody levels in patients with cancer compared with health care workers in Japan. Authors: Tatsuya Yoshida, M.D., Ph.D., of the National Cancer Center Hospital in Tokyo, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.2159) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see ...

Socioeconomic disparities in respiratory health in US

2021-05-28
What The Study Did: Socioeconomic disparities in respiratory health over the past six decades in the United States are described in this study. Authors: Adam W. Gaffney, M.D., of the Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.2441) Editor's Note: The article includes conflicts of interest disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. #  #  ...

Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection 1 year after primary infection in Lombardy, Italy

2021-05-28
What The Study Did: Study results suggest that reinfections are rare events and that patients who have recovered from COVID-19 have a lower risk of reinfection. However, the observation ended before SARS-CoV-2 variants began to spread, and it is unknown how well natural immunity to the wild-type virus will protect against variants. . Authors: Nicola Mumoli, M.D., of the Ospedale Fornaroli in Magenta, Italy, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.2959) Editor's ...

Examining well-being, life expectancy with having family member incarcerated

2021-05-28
What The Study Did: This survey study examined the associations of having an incarcerated immediate or extended family member with perceived well-being and change in projected life expectancy among adults in the United States. Authors: Ram Sundaresh, M.D., M.S., of the University of California, Los Angeles, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.11821) Editor's Note: The article includes conflicts of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

Mission accomplished for the “T2T” Hong Kong Bauhinia Genome Project

Study identifies how malaria can lead to childhood cancer

An earth-abundant mineral for sustainable spintronics

[Press-News.org] New tool activates deep brain neurons by combining ultrasound, genetics
It is the first work to show that sonothermogenetics can control behavior by stimulating a specific target deep in the brain