According to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, an estimated 6.8 million Americans are living with an unruptured brain aneurysm.
Category: neuroscience
Treatment For Psychosis May Be ‘Fundamentally Flawed’, Study Finds
For decades, psychiatrists have treated psychosis as if it were separate conditions. People experiencing hallucinations and delusions might be diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression and related diagnoses, and receive completely different treatments based on diagnosis.
But new research suggests this approach may be fundamentally flawed.
Our latest study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, reveals that the brain changes driving psychotic symptoms are remarkably similar across these supposedly distinct mental health conditions. The findings could change how doctors choose treatments for the millions of people worldwide who experience psychosis.
New insights into the epigenetic processes via which neuroinflammation causes memory loss
Neuroinflammation, a prolonged activation of the brain’s immune system prompted by infections or other factors, has been linked to the disruption of normal mental functions. Past studies, for instance, have found that neuroinflammation plays a central role in neurodegenerative diseases, medical conditions characterized by the progressive degradation of cells in the spinal cord and brain.
When inflammation is taking place, cells release proteins that act as signals between immune cells, also known as cytokines. While some studies have linked a specific cytokine called interleukin-1 (IL-1) to changes in brain function, the mechanisms through which it could contribute to a decline in mental capabilities remain poorly understood.
Researchers at the University of Toulouse INSERM and CNRS recently carried out a study involving mice aimed at better understanding these mechanisms. Their paper, published in Nature Neuroscience, particularly focused on neuroinflammation elicited by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which is responsible for a well-known illness called toxoplasmosis.
How an autism-linked mutation reduces vasopressin and alters social behavior
A team of researchers has identified for the first time the mechanism linking a mutation in the Shank3 gene with alterations in social behavior. Using a mouse model carrying this autism-associated mutation, the study shows that vasopressin, a brain hormone essential for social relationships, is not properly released in the lateral septum.
The team is from the Cognition and Social Interactions laboratory, led by Félix Leroy at the Institute for Neurosciences, a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the Miguel Hernández University (UMH) of Elche.
The work, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that the proper release of vasopressin in this region regulates social behaviors through two distinct receptor pathways: one controlling sociability and the other controlling social aggression, and that selective activation of these receptors can reverse deficits in social interaction without triggering unwanted aggressive responses.
Apertura Gene Therapy and Rett Syndrome Research Trust Collaborate to Pioneer Advanced Genetic Medicines for Rett Syndrome Using TfR1-Targeted AAV Capsid
NEW YORK and TRUMBULL, Conn., April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Apertura Gene Therapy, a biotechnology company focused on innovative gene therapy solutions, and the Rett Syndrome Research Trust (RSRT), an organization working to cure Rett Syndrome, today announced a collaboration to license Apertura’s human transferrin receptor 1 capsid (TfR1 CapX). This partnership aims to advance innovative genetic medicine approaches for the treatment of Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder caused by random mutations in the MECP2 gene on the X chromosome that primarily affect females, causing developmental regression and severe motor and language impairments.
Apertura’s TfR1 CapX is an intravenously delivered adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid engineered to bind the transferrin receptor 1(TfR1), enabling efficient delivery of genetic medicines across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). TfR1 is a well-characterized BBB-crossing receptor, broadly and consistently expressed throughout life—even in the context of neurological disease—making it an attractive target for CNS delivery in disorders like Rett syndrome. Developed by Apertura’s academic founder, Dr. Ben Deverman, Director of Vector Engineering at the Broad Institute, TfR1 CapX has shown strong CNS selectivity in preclinical studies, achieving over 50% neuronal and 90% astrocyte transduction across multiple brain regions. Because Rett syndrome affects the brain diffusely, broader cellular transduction may correlate with greater symptomatic improvement.
