Multi-Stage Robotic System for Enhanced Precision in MRI-Guided Stereotactic Neurosurgical Procedures
A groundbreaking study from Zhuoliang He and colleagues at Johns Hopkins University represents a pivotal step forward in integrating robotics with intra-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to significantly enhance precision in stereotactic neurosurgical procedures. Published on December 10, 2023, this research introduces a novel robotic system that ingeniously combines manual dexterity with automatic fine-tuning, facilitated by soft robotics, to accurately position instruments such as biopsy needles and electrodes during brain surgeries.
Deep topographic proteomics of a human brain tumour The cellular composition and spatial organization of tissues play a crucial role in determining their identity and function. Understanding these features is essential for studying disease outcomes. Recent advancements in spatially-resolved sequencing technologies have allowed for the characterization of gene expression patterns within tissues. However, to fully comprehend tissue heterogeneity, it is also necessary to consider the proteins encoded by the genes. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) techniques can map protein distribution in tissues but have limitations in generating comprehensive proteome data.
Multi-view Clustering on Single-cell Data with Community Detection
Dayu Hu, Zhibin Dong, Ke Liang, Jun Wang, Siwei Wang, and Xinwang Liu from the National University of Defense Technology of China, reported their contribution in identifying clusters on single-cell data.
Single-cell data, such as single-cell RNA (scRNA) and single-cell Assay of Transposase Accessible Chromatin (scATAC), contained valuable information about individual cells but analyzing them across different views posed difficulties. One challenge was the discrepancy in data richness between different views, which could lead to a decrease in overall performance when using traditional clustering methods.
Benjamin H. Good et al. from Stanford University reported the evolution of the human gut microbiome and its impact on the community composition on Nature Communication recently. They stated that while the microbiome can evolve over time, the effects of short-term evolution on the overall composition of the microbiome are not well understood. In this study, they use a reference-based approach to identify genetic modifications within the microbiome and investigate how these modifications affect the community composition.
J. de Ridder and colleagues conducted a study on the development and use of a neural network classifier called Sturgeon for classifying central nervous system (CNS) tumors during surgery. They have recently published their work in Nature (DOI:10.1038/s41586-023-06615-2). The team addressed the limitations of current methods for determining precise tumor types prior to surgery and explored the potential benefits of using rapid nanopore sequencing to obtain a methylation profile during surgery.
The human brain is a complex organ with a wide variety of cell types and intricate gene regulation processes. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, play a crucial role in gene expression and regulation. Studying DNA methylation patterns at a single-cell resolution can provide insights into the diverse cellular composition and functional diversity of the human brain.
Prof. Joseph R. Ecker from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has recently reported the discovery concerning DNA methylation in brain maps.
Prof. Francis R. Willett from the Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, reported their newly developed BCI device/method for speech neuroprosthesis.
They focused on addressing the communication challenges faced by individuals with paralysis, particularly those who can no longer speak due to conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). People with neurological disorders often experience severe speech and motor impairments, including the complete loss of speech (locked-in syndrome). While there have been advancements in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) that enable individuals to communicate through hand movement activities, speech BCIs have not yet achieved high accuracies for unconstrained communication with large vocabularies.
TIM-3 blockade in diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma models promotes tumor regression and antitumor immune memory
The scientist Marta M. Alonso from Spain recently reported their finding on the potential of TIM-3 (HAVCR2) in targeting Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).
TIM-3 is highly expressed in DIPGs In this study, researchers investigate the potential of targeting TIM-3, an immune checkpoint molecule, as a therapeutic strategy for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), an aggressive brain stem tumor with a high mortality rate.