Neurons migrate through complex brain tissue using distinct strategies, but how they choose remains unclear. A recent study from Japan found that neurons switch migration modes based on their environment. Researchers identified PIEZO1, a mechanosensitive protein, as crucial to this process, helping neurons adapt in confined spaces. These findings enhance our understanding of brain development and may inform therapies for brain injuries and cancer metastasis, offering new insights into neuronal movement and mechanobiology.

CSHL Associate Professor Tobias Janowitz and colleagues identified a circuit connecting the brain and immune system that may be responsible for the sense of apathy many late-stage cancer patients experience. The discovery suggests that existing antibody treatments could be repurposed to improve cancer patients’ quality of life and enable them to better tolerate common cancer therapies.

Scientists have transformed RNA, a biological molecule present in all living cells, into a biosensor that can detect tiny chemicals relevant to human health.

Research by Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists centers on RNA, a nucleic acid that plays a crucial role in most cellular processes. Their work is expected to have applications in the surveillance of environmental chemicals and, ultimately, the diagnosis of critical diseases including neurological and cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Four University of Texas at Arlington faculty members have been named Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors for their outstanding achievements in innovation. The UT Arlington honorees are Colin Cameron, professor of research in chemistry and biochemistry; Rasika Dias, distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry; Panos Shiakolas, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; and Baohong Yuan, distinguished professor of bioengineering.