In the first comprehensive, cell-by-cell analysis of brain tissue from individuals with Tourette syndrome, researchers have pinpointed exactly which cells are perturbed and how they malfunction, revealing how different types of brain cells are affected by the condition. Findings from this groundbreaking study in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier, provide unprecedented insights into the interplay of different brain cell types in Tourette syndrome, suggesting new therapeutic directions.

Researchers at City of Hope have identified a new molecular target for treating pancreatic cancer, reports a Gastroenterology study published today. Led by Mustafa Raoof, M.D., M.S., City of Hope assistant professor of surgery, cancer genetics and epigenetics, scientists focused on transcription-replication conflicts (TRCs), which occur when the mechanisms responsible for gene expression and genome duplication collide. The clash disrupts cells’ ability to read and copy genes, leading to replication stress, a frequent phenomenon in pancreatic cancer. The added stress causes cells to make errors copying their DNA, enabling cancer to gain a foothold and spread. Overall, the experimental approach was most effective at killing cancer cells with high replication stress, a common phenomenon that occurs when the KRAS gene goes awry.

When faced with a potential threat, mice often freeze in place. Moreover, when two animals are together, they typically freeze at the same time, matching each other’s periods of immobility. In a new study, researchers found that coordination during fear looks different in males and females.