Radically different
BUNIA, Congo — Confirmed cases in the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo have reached 1,003, including 254 deaths, officials said, as tracing those who had been in contact with patients remains a major challenge.
A total of 100 people have recovered in the outbreak concentrated in the Ituri province since it was declared on May 15, Congo’s Ministry of Health said Sunday. At least 365 patients are in hospitals or in isolation, it said.
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is roughly one in 36 people, with a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. The disorder is known to be influenced by multiple factors, both genetic (gene mutations and copy number variations) and environmental, such as infections during pregnancy. However, the role of immunity in genetic ASD remains unclear.
One area of interest lies in lymphocytes—cells that are known to shape neurodevelopment and behavior. But their roles in neurodevelopmental disorders are not well defined.
Now, new research shows that a subset of T cells—γδ T cells—can infiltrate the brain and contribute to changes in social behavior in a genetic mouse model that mimics behavioral features of ASD. Depleting these cells from the brain increased sociability, suggesting that targeting abnormal immune function during neurodevelopment may offer interventions for ASD.
This work is published in Science Immunology in the paper, “CXCL16-mediated recruitment of γδ T cells to the brain reduces sociability in mice.”
Infections during pregnancy can induce the release of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) from T helper 17 cells and γδ T cells. Prior research has linked this type of maternal immune activation to neurodevelopmental disorders, but there is a lack of evidence connecting IL-17A and social behaviors in genetic mouse models.
To investigate this further, a team of researchers from the Division of Allergy and Immunology in the Medical Institute of Bioregulation at Kyushu University, in Fukuoka, Japan, studied 15q11-13 duplication (15q dup) mice—a mouse model that mimics a chromosome duplication found in some humans with ASD. These mice also demonstrate reduced social interactions, behavioral inflexibility, and increased anxiety-like behaviors.
The team analyzed immune cell populations in the brains of the 15q dup mice. Their findings suggest an increase in γδ T cells in the developing brains when compared with wild-type mice.
Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), the team uncovered that this was most likely due to microglia in the brain expressing the chemokine CXCL16, which promotes immune cell migration. CXCL16 was highly expressed in the brains of 15q dup mice and contributed to increased infiltration of γδ T cells.
In addition, experiments revealed that deleting IL-17A–producing γδ T cells or blocking them with antibodies after birth increased sociability and reduced anxiety-like behaviors in the 15q dup mice.
Taken together, the authors note that these findings suggest that “immune dysregulation contributes to social behavior deficits in 15q dup mice, consistent with observations in maternal immune activation models, and may represent a potential target for interventions for ASD-associated differences in social behavior.”
The post Brain-Infiltrating T Cells Linked to Social Deficits in Autism Mouse Model appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
In a new study published in Science titled, “Maternal trans-vaccenic acid shapes neonatal T cell development and early-life immune imprinting,” researchers from the University of Chicago have found that trans-vaccenic acid (TVA), the most abundant trans fatty acid in human breast milk, helps boost immune system development in mice.
Nursing female mice that were fed a diet enriched with TVA passed the nutrient to their pups, leading to increased production of immune cells during early development. Genetic analyses showed that TVA exposure during breastfeeding reprogrammed immune cells to improve responses to pathogens. Mice that were nursed on TVA-enriched milk responded faster to infections with viruses or common bacteria, even into adulthood.
“It’s common knowledge that breastfeeding is important for neonatal immune development and overall health, but breast milk is so complex that it seems almost impossible that one single molecule would be sufficient to change a baby’s immune development,” said Jing Chen, PhD, professor of medicine at UChicago and co-corresponding author on the study. “So, it was very surprising to see that during this crucial stage of development, one nutrient derived from the mother’s diet and delivered through breastfeeding has such a tremendous effect.”
TVA is a long-chain fatty acid found in meat and dairy products from grazing animals such as cows and sheep. The human and mouse body must obtain TVA through diet.
Pups who were nursed by mothers with a diet enriched with TVA demonstrated a broader and more effective immune cell population, particularly CD4+ T cells that are important for adaptive immunity. Mice raised on TVA-enriched breast milk responded more quickly and had higher survival rates when exposed to the flu virus or Salmonella.
“We saw that only postnatal exposure to TVA through breastfeeding is important to train the neonatal T cells, and this can have long-lasting imprinting effects,” Chen said. “Even in adulthood, when we challenged the mice with influenza, the ones that were exposed to higher TVA levels during breastfeeding responded better when battling the infection.”
The team also analyzed TVA levels in breast milk and blood samples from human nursing mothers and infants. They found that higher TVA levels in breast milk were closely linked to higher TVA levels in infants’ blood. In preterm infants, levels of circulating TVA correlated with similar shifts in immune responses seen in mice.
Higher TVA levels in human breast milk were also associated with reduced risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a chronic inflammatory lung disease that affects premature infants with underdeveloped lungs and increased susceptibility to respiratory infection.
Chen hopes for more research on the possibilities for supplementing diets with TVA during pregnancy and breastfeeding, or infant formula. The team will also investigate additional fatty acids and nutrients found in breast milk to understand their benefits.
“There are close to 40 fatty acids in total in breast milk, along with hundreds of other components,” Chen said. “So, I think it’s safe for us to say that we believe there could be additional fatty acids and nutrients that can do something similar.”
The post Breast Milk Fatty Acid Shapes Immune Development in Mice appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.
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Good morning! Pharma companies are on a biotech buying spree, an LSD pill just delivered unusually strong late-stage depression data, and the FDA reverses course of Regenxbio’s treatment.
Also: Today, thousands of industry players (and me!) are gathering in San Diego for BIO to talk deals, science, and whatever comes next. Check out the last item for a jaunt down memory lane about the conference.
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Good morning. Here’s a poem for the first Monday of (official) summer. As Alex Dimitrov writes, “Unfortunately / for me and you, we have / the rest of it to get to.” Let’s get to it.
Since the Trump administration announced its plan to overhaul the federal grantmaking process to give more power to political appointees, researchers have expressed alarm at the potential impact such a change could have on American science. And within the 412-page proposal, there’s one particular section that health disparities researchers say could disqualify their work from federal funding — a change that poses perhaps the biggest threat yet to the future of their field.
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite — longer than usual thanks to a holiday on this side of the pond — was relaxing and invigorating. Now, though, that oh-too-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and the like has returned with a vengeance. You knew this would happen, yes? To cope, we are relying, as always, on a cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is English breakfast. Feel free to join us. Remember, no prescription is required. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Best of luck accomplishing your goals and we hope you conquer the world. And, of course, do keep in touch …
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will reconsider approving an experimental gene therapy for a deadly and rare childhood brain disorder that it rejected just four months ago, STAT tells us. The sudden turnaround is the latest in a series of apparent FDA reversals in the past two months, after leaders installed by the Trump administration resigned or were fired. Just last week, UniQure announced it was cleared to submit an application for a Huntington’s disease gene therapy that the agency had previously spurned and that former commissioner Marty Makary appeared to disparage on national television.
The U.S. launched a trade investigation into a German plan to lower its spending on pharmaceutical products, to see whether it is unreasonable or discriminatory, Reuters notes. The probe by the U.S. Trade Representative comes under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and follows a move by the German Ministry of Health unveiled plans in April for a wide-ranging overhaul of the country’s statutory healthcare system to reduce a looming funding gap by $23 billion. The plan, which would have introduced variable discounts on pharmaceuticals, is being replaced after the pharmaceutical industry expressed opposition to it.
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
—Niall Firth
I’m currently around 1,000 feet beneath the North Sea, in a dark, dank cave. It smells weird. And I’m increasingly aware of the pressure from millions of tons of seawater just above my head.
I’m under the iconic fjords of Norway to visit what will soon become the world’s longest and deepest subsea road tunnel—an exceptional engineering feat that will carry drivers deep beneath the North Sea.
I’m here to understand how you make a 16.6-mile highway that sits 1,280 feet below the sea at its deepest point. And also—at a time when it can feel hard to get anything done—to reassure myself that ambitious engineering is still possible. That we can still make things.
Step inside Norway’s Rogfast tunnel and see how engineers are making it happen.
This story is from the next edition of our magazine, which is all about engineering. Subscribe now to get a copy when it lands on Wednesday!
The AI boom is putting unprecedented pressure on the electric grid. But rather than rushing to build new power plants, companies could find part of the solution right under our noses—or, more precisely, in the transmission lines under our feet and above our heads.
If data centers can limit the power they draw during high-demand stretches, they won’t need to wait for big infrastructure upgrades or build their own off-grid generation.
The idea of flexibility isn’t entirely foreign to grid operators. But a new generation of software could make the process faster, smarter, and more precise for the AI era.
Find out how the challenge of powering AI could lead to a smarter, more flexible grid.
—Amos Zeeberg
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 SK Hynix has overtaken Samsung as South Korea’s most valuable company
It’s also now the world’s most valuable memory chipmaker. (Reuters $)
+ And one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global AI boom. (BBC)
+ AI’s need for memory chips is set to skyrocket device prices. (WSJ $)
2 Trump says he no longer views Anthropic as a national security threat
“Well, not now, but a week ago, maybe,” he told The Axios Show. (Axios)
+ He praised the response of Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. (Reuters $)
+ Anthropic’s IPO outcome could depend on the midterms. (WSJ $)
+ A culture war tactic against Anthropic has backfired. (MIT Technology Review)
3 SpaceX has received the lowest possible ESG rating
Index provider MSCI gave the company a triple C. (Financial Times $)
+ Russia got the same score after invading Ukraine. (Business Times)
+ Elon Musk previously called ESG metrics the “Devil Incarnate.” (CNBC)
4 A Tesla on Autopilot allegedly crashed into a Texas home and killed a woman
The driver said his Tesla Model 3 was in self-driving mode. (NYT $)
+ Tesla’s AI trainers don’t trust its self-driving tech. (Reuters $)
5 Polymarket reportedly paid creators to post fake betting videos
Clips showed them winning big on bets they would have really lost. (WSJ $)
+ Polymarket bets on an Iran deal are fueling insider-trading fears. (Bloomberg $)
6 Physicists have proposed that black holes don’t exist
They may be something much stranger: “gravastars.” (404 Media)
+ This is the first ever photo of a black hole. (MIT Technology Review)
7 A daring space rescue mission is set to launch this week
A spacecraft will try to lift an observatory into a safer orbit. (Space)
+ We’re putting more stuff into space than ever. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Nothing’s next budget phone has been cancelled due to “RAMageddon”
The company said memory prices pushed costs too high. (The Verge $)
+ Buying a used phone makes more sense than ever. (Wired $)
9 A viral doomsday scenario aims to pierce Europe’s AI complacency
It envisions the US and China tearing Europe into pieces. (Guardian)
10 Scientists have invented a way to brew espresso with ultrasonic waves
No hot water required. (Wired $)
Quote of the day
—Francisco Jeronimo, an analyst at IDC, tells CNBC that consumers are covering the costs of the ongoing memory shortage.
One More Thing
How mobile money supercharged Kenya’s sports betting addiction
As the lorry he’d flagged down lurched through Kenya’s western highlands, Bill Kirwa’s Infinix smartphone dinged with a notification. The bet of 3,500 shillings he’d placed with mobile money—then worth approximately $35—had just turned into nearly $8,500.
Kirwa, now 26, put the windfall to good use, purchasing a car that enabled him to drive for Wasili, an Uber-style ride-hailing service. But he continued gambling, and over time, his losses mounted. In just a few years, he’s effectively erased his big win.
Kirwa’s experience is hardly unique. Across Africa, the rapid spread of smartphones and mobile money has fueled an explosion in online gambling. But nowhere is the craze as acute as it is in Kenya. Find out why.
—Jonathan W. Rosen
We can still have nice things
A place for comfort, fun, and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line.)
+ A clever Bengal cat has seemingly learned to understand English—and talk back.
+ This list of the 100 greatest bird names lovingly captures the quirks of avian taxonomy.
+ Darth Vader’s weird chestplate transforms into a cassette player in these reworked Star Wars clips.
+ Trace the history and evolution of heavy metal music through the interactive genres and playlists of Map of Metal.