(Press-News.org) Thanks to a new technology called Moscot (“Multi-Omics Single-Cell Optimal Transport”), researchers can now observe millions of cells simultaneously as they develop into a new organ—for example, a pancreas. This groundbreaking method was developed by an international research team led by Helmholtz Munich and has been published in the renowned journal Nature.
Until now, biologists had only a limited understanding of how cells develop in their natural environment—for instance, when they form an organ in the embryo. “Existing methods provided only snapshots of a few cells or could not link the dynamic processes in space and time,” explains Dominik Klein, one of the lead authors of the study, a PhD candidate at the Institute of Computational Biology at Helmholtz Munich, and a researcher at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). “This has greatly limited our understanding of the complex interactions during organ development and in disease processes.”
Moscot Maps Cell Development in Entire Organs and Organisms
Together with an interdisciplinary team led by Giovanni Palla (Helmholtz Munich), Marius Lange (ETH Zurich), Michal Klein (Apple), and Zoe Piran (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Dominik Klein developed Moscot. The team drew on a theory developed in the 18th century: the theory of optimal transport, which describes how objects can move most efficiently from one place to another to minimize time, energy, or cost. The application of optimal transport to two populations of cells had previously been limited by the size of biomedical datasets. This obstacle has now been overcome thanks to advances in artificial intelligence, significantly influenced by co-author Marco Cuturi (Apple). “We have adapted our mathematical models to accurately represent the molecular information and position of cells in the body during their development. The theory of optimal transport helps us understand how cells move, change, and transition from one state to another,” says Klein. This now makes it possible to observe millions of cells simultaneously—with an accuracy that was previously unimaginable.
Moscot enables the multimodal mapping of single cells in spatial tissues and plays a crucial role in dynamic biological processes. It connects millions of cells over time, linking changes in gene expression to cellular decisions. The implementation of Moscot aims to analyze enormous datasets using complex algorithms while providing an intuitive interface for biologists. Additionally, Moscot precisely and simultaneously captures the molecular state of a large number of cells and describes their development in space and time. This makes it possible for the first time to track and better understand complex cellular processes within entire living organs and organisms.
New Insights into Pancreas and Diabetes Research
Moscot’s application has provided new insights in pancreas research: the team succeeded in mapping the development of hormone-producing cells in the pancreas based on multimodal measurements. Based on these findings, scientists can now analyze the underlying mechanisms of diabetes in detail. “This new perspective on cellular processes opens up opportunities for targeted therapies that address the root causes of diseases rather than merely treating symptoms,” says Prof. Heiko Lickert, who heads the Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research at Helmholtz Munich and is co-last author of the study together with Prof. Fabian Theis.
A Turning Point in Medical Research
Fabian Theis, Director at the Institute of Computational Biology at Helmholtz Munich and TUM professor, emphasizes the significance of Moscot for biomedical research: “Moscot is changing the way we understand and use biological data. It enables us not only to capture the dynamics of cell development in unprecedented detail but also to make precise predictions about the progression of diseases, aiming to develop personalized therapy approaches.”
For Theis, Moscot is a prime example of interdisciplinary collaboration: “The successful combination of mathematics and biology in this project impressively demonstrates how crucial collaboration between different disciplines is for achieving true scientific breakthroughs. Thanks to close cooperation with the team led by Heiko Lickert from the Helmholtz Diabetes Center, we were able to validate Moscot’s predictions through laboratory experiments.”
Learn more: moscot-tools.org
END
AI in cell research: Moscot reveals cell dynamics in unprecedented detail
2025-01-22
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New study finds social programs could reduce the spread of HIV by 29%
2025-01-22
January 22, 2025
New Study Finds Social Programs Could Reduce the Spread of HIV by 29%
Although HIV was used as a case study, the UMass Amherst researchers say their assessment tool has applications for other diseases
AMHERST, Mass. — Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have quantified the impacts of a constellation of social factors on the spread of HIV. Their study, published in Health Care Management Science, found that a hypothetical 100% effective intervention addressing barriers to HIV treatment and care from depression, homelessness, ...
SIDS discovery could ID babies at risk of sudden death
2025-01-22
New University of Virginia School of Medicine research revealing the fingerprints of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome within blood samples could open the door to simple tests to identify babies at risk.
The findings also represent an important step forward in unraveling the causes of SIDS, an unexplained condition that is the No. 1 killer of babies between amonth and a year old.
The UVA researchers analyzed blood serum samples collected from infants who died ...
Ozone exposure linked to hypoxia and arterial stiffness
2025-01-22
Ozone (O3) exposure may reduce the availability of oxygen in the body, resulting in arterial stiffening due to the body’s natural response to create more red blood cells and hemoglobin, according to a study published today in JACC, the flagship journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“Researchers found that even brief exposure to elevated ozone levels reduced blood oxygen saturation, triggered hypoxia-related biomarkers, and increased arterial stiffness, highlighting the novel connection between ozone exposure and arterial stiffness, demonstrated through comprehensive biomarker analysis in a high-altitude ...
Princeton Chemistry develops copper-detection tool to discover possible chelation target for lung cancer
2025-01-22
The Chang Lab at Princeton Chemistry continues in its mission to elucidate the role of metal nutrients in human biology: last year, iron; this year, copper. The lab’s first paper of 2025 showcases its development of a revelatory sensing probe for the detection of copper in human cells and then wields it to uncover how copper may be regulating cell growth in lung cancer.
Researchers also offer a possible treatment modality in which copper chelation shows promising results in certain lung cancers where cells have two related phenomena: a heightened transcription factor responding to oxidative stress and a diminished level of bioavailable copper.
Their collaborative paper, A histochemical ...
Drug candidate eliminates breast cancer tumors in mice in a single dose
2025-01-22
Despite significant therapeutic advances, breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Treatment typically involves surgery and follow-up hormone therapy, but late effects of these treatments include osteoporosis, sexual dysfunction and blood clots. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have created a novel treatment that eliminated small breast tumors and significantly shrank large tumors in mice in a single dose, without problematic side effects.
Most breast cancers are ...
WSU study shows travelers are dreaming forward, not looking back
2025-01-22
PULLMAN, Wash. – When it comes to getting people to want to go places, the future is ever more lovely than the past, according to a new Washington State University-led study in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research.
Led by Ruiying Cai, an assistant professor in the Carson College of Business, the study found that forestalgia-focused destination ads—those that emphasize an idealized future—are more effective at enticing travelers to click the purchase button for a vacation than ads based on fond recollections. The research also revealed that forestalgia advertising is particularly effective for getting people to book near-term trips, as imagining ...
Black immigrants attract white residents to neighborhoods
2025-01-22
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Black immigrants moving into a neighborhood can help shift the overall racial and ethnic character of the area, a new study suggests.
A researcher from The Ohio State University found that when Black immigrants move into a majority native-Black neighborhood, there is an increase in the white population moving in while native Black residents move out.
“Blackness can’t be treated as a monolith within the United States today, where there is a growing Black immigrant population,” said Nima Dahir, author of the study and assistant professor of sociology at Ohio State.
“There is a lot of complexity ...
Hot or cold? How the brain deciphers thermal sensations
2025-01-22
When we touch something hot or cold, the temperature is consciously sensed. Previous studies have shown that the cortex, the outermost layer of the brain, is responsible for thermal sensations. However, how the cortex determines whether something is hot or cold is not well understood. Thermal sensitivity is often subjective and individualistic; what is a comfortable temperature for someone might be too hot or too cold for someone else.
In a new study, Professor Kei Nagashima from the Body Temperature and Fluid Laboratory, Faculty of Human Sciences, ...
Green tea-based adhesive films show promise as a novel treatment for oral mucositis
2025-01-22
Green tea shines as a natural powerhouse of antioxidants, with catechins leading the charge among its polyphenols, which protect cells from oxidative stress. These powerful compounds neutralize harmful free radicals generated during cancer treatment. The anti-inflammatory properties of green tea can alleviate oral mucositis, a painful inflammation of the mouth lining often caused by chemotherapy and radiation.
Building on these benefits, researchers at the Tokyo University of Science (TUS), Japan, have explored the potential of tea catechins in developing ...
Single-cell elemental analysis using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
2025-01-22
Trace metals are crucial for the growth of all living organisms. Understanding the role of these trace metals on the metabolism is essential for maintaining a stable state of the organism. Additionally, human beings are also facing constant exposure to various harmful heavy metals due to various types of pollution. Collectively, these aspects have led to research and development in the field of analytical techniques that can help in identifying the level of these trace metals in our cells.
Inductively coupled ...