Discoveries

Mitochondria are known as the powerhouses of the cell, generating the energy that’s needed to fuel the functions that our cells carry out. Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer Martin Hetzer, first author Shefali Krishna and colleagues have taken a closer look at how mitochondria are maintained in nondividing cells, such as neurons. The researchers found that many of the proteins in mitochondria last much longer than expected, and that this stability likely protects them from damage. These findings will ultimately help researchers better understand age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, and offer insights on treatment and prevention

Professor John Reynolds and Senior Postdoctoral Fellow Tom Franken have discovered that neurons deep in the brain’s cortex are the first to compute which side of a visual border is an object versus a background. Through recording the activity of neurons in different layers of the cortex, the scientists were able to determine which particular cells were processing this border. Their discovery helps reveal how neurons communicate to supply us with internal representations of the external world. This work also provides researchers with better tools for diagnosing and treating brain disorders, such as schizophrenia.

Associate Professor Sreekanth Chalasani and colleagues have found a way to look at the brain activity of a worm and tell you which chemical the animal smelled a few seconds before. It sounds like a party trick, but these findings help scientists better understand how the brain functions and integrates information. The goal, of course, isn’t to read the minds of worms, but to gain a deeper understanding of how humans encode information in the brain. These findings help scientists unravel what happens when this encoding goes awry in sensory processing disorders and related conditions, such as anxiety, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders.

You’re startled by a threatening sound, and your breath quickens; you smash your elbow and pant in pain. Why a person’s breathing rate increases dramatically when they’re hurting or anxious was not previously understood. Now, Assistant Professor Sung Han, first author Shijia Liu and colleagues have uncovered a neural network in the brain that coordinates breathing rhythm with feelings of pain and fear. The findings contribute to the fields of pain management and psychological theories of anxiety. What’s more, the study could lead to development of an analgesic that prevents opioid-induced respiratory depression, the disrupted breathing that causes overdose deaths. See Analysis feature.

Decades of research on medical cannabis has focused on the compounds THC and CBD in clinical applications. But less is known about the therapeutic properties of cannabinol. This molecule is derived from the cannabis plant, is molecularly similar to THC, but is not psychoactive. Now, Research Professor Pamela Maher, first author Zhibin Liang and colleagues have found that cannabinol can protect nerve cells from oxidative damage, a major pathway to cell death. The discovery suggests that cannabinol has the potential to treat age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Clinicians treating brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy currently use deep brain stimulation, a process that involves surgically implanting electrodes in the brain, to activate certain subsets of cells. Now, Associate Professor Sreekanth Chalasani, co-first authors Marc Duque, Corinne Lee-Kubli and Yusuf Tufail, and colleagues have pinpointed a sound-sensitive mammalian protein that lets them activate brain cells with ultrasound. Pioneered by Chalasani, “sonogenetics” uses ultrasonic waves to stimulate specific groups of genetically marked cells. The finding paves the way toward non-invasive versions of deep brain stimulation, pacemakers and insulin pumps. See Resolution feature.