NEWS BRIEFS

3D rendering of all ~140k neurons in the fruit fly brain. Data source: FlyWire.ai; Rendering by Philipp Schlegel, University of Cambridge/MRC LMB

A revolutionary map of the fly brain could change how we study our brains

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking new resource—the FlyWire Connectome, described in the journal Nature—that maps every neuron and synaptic connection in the central brain of Drosophila melanogaster, or the fruit fly. Totaling over 130,000 neurons and 30 million synaptic connections, this revolutionary tool will expedite inquiry into how the brain works and expand the questions that can be asked.

“The importance of this cannot be understated, because it really just drastically changes the field,” said Gabriella Sterne, PhD, assistant professor of Biomedical Genetics and Neuroscience, who contributed to this research as a member of the FlyWire consortium, a group co-led by the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, United Kingdom, Princeton University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Cambridge. “The first time I saw the complexity of the connectome it literally blew my mind because we have been thinking of these circuits in a simplistic manner, but we can now appreciate that they are far more complex than we imagined.”

Researchers can now use this resource to untangle complex brain connections and functions, accelerate findings, inform machine learning and artificial intelligence, and improve our understanding of the human brain.

Sterne worked with researchers at Max Planck Florida Institute using the connectome to understand more about the simple behavior of stopping. They identified two circuit mechanisms that fruit flies use to stop walking: the walk-off mechanism, which essentially turns off walking signals, and the brake mechanism, which increases resistance at the leg joints to produce a stable posture.

These latest findings suggest a generic circuit mechanism that may also trigger halting or stopping in humans. These insights could also inform the design of robots and inspire new computing architectures.

But Sterne cautions that there is still a long road until a fly can be booted up to fly inside a computer. “We’re not there yet because one thing this connectome lacks is information about how the motor neurons connect to physical features of the body like the muscles.”

Research finds neurons look different in children with autism

There is new evidence that the cells responsible for communication in the brain, may be structured differently in children with autism. Researchers discovered that in some areas of the brain neuron density varies in children with autism when compared to the general population.

Researchers, including John Foxe, PhD, director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, who is the senior author, used brain imaging data collected by the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study from more than 11,000 children ages 9-11. They compared the imaging of the 142 children in that group with autism, to the general population and found there was lower neuron density in regions of the cerebral cortex. Some of these regions of the brain are responsible for tasks like memory, learning, reasoning, and problem-solving. In contrast, the researchers also found other brain regions, such as the amygdala—an area responsible for emotions—that showed increased neuron density. In addition to comparing the scans of children with autism to those of children without any neurodevelopmental diagnosis, they also compared the children with autism to a large group of children diagnosed with common psychiatric disorders like ADHD and anxiety. The results were the same, suggesting that these differences are specific to autism.

Turning brain cells on using the power of light

University of Rochester researchers have demonstrated a noninvasive method using BL-OG, or bioluminescent optogenetics, that harnesses light to activate neurons in the brain. The ability to regulate brain activation could transform invasive procedures such as deep brain stimulation that is used to treat Parkinson’s disease and other neurological conditions.

The advantage of this new technique is that it can create brain activation without the use of an implanted device in the brain to deliver physical light, according to Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, PhD, an assistant professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the senior author of the study, which appears in the journal NeuroImage

FDA taps URMC to develop new digital measures for Huntington's disease

Developing digital tools to identify objective measures of Huntington’s disease will help accelerate the development of new therapies. Neurologist Jamie Adams, MD, is the principal investigator of the study funded by the Food and Drug Administration and will be led by the University of Rochester’s Center for Health + Technology (CHeT). CHeT has been studying digital health technologies in Parkinson's disease for a decade.

The FDA has tasked URMC and collaborators with demonstrating the reliability, validity, and meaningfulness of two key digital measures: daily living mobility (gait) and chorea, the involuntary muscle movements that are a hallmark symptom of the disease. Data will be captured remotely and continuously using wrist and trunk-worn digital sensors in individuals with early-stage Huntington's disease and controls. The study also includes qualitative work using an innovative symptom mapping approach to ensure the meaningfulness of the measures to people with Huntington’s disease.

New research offers hope for preventing age-related blindness

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the United States. Despite existing treatments, the underlying causes of this disease and effective therapies remain elusive. New research published in the journal Developmental Cell provides important insights into the cellular mechanisms behind AMD and offers potential avenues for new treatments.

The study led by Ruchira Singh, PhD, with the University of Rochester Flaum Eye Institute and Center for Visual Sciences, utilized human stem cells to model AMD, overcoming the limitations of previous research using animal models. By examining genes associated with both AMD and rarer inherited forms of blindness called macular dystrophies, the researchers identified a key protein involved in the early stages of the disease. They also developed a method that reduced deposits of lipids and proteins that are often early indicators of AMD, suggesting a possible pathway that could be a promising strategy for preventing AMD.

Comparing gene sequences across species to understand aging and dementia

A new grant partners longevity researchers and Alzheimer’s experts at Rochester to study the gene mechanisms that contribute to long and healthy lifespans. The new collaboration between leading longevity researchers, including Vera Gorbunova, PhD, Doris Johns Cherry Professor in the departments of Biology and of Medicine, and brain disease expert M. Kerry O’Banion, MD, PhD, professor of Neuroscience, will examine gene mechanisms responsible for long life, drawing on the latest findings to pursue novel interventions for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The five-year $18.5 million grant was awarded by the National Institute on Aging.