Promising Brain Assembloids Advance Genetic Understanding of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Assembloids and Neurological Medical Treatment

       Dr. Sergiu Pasca, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, recently published research that advances the field of neuroscience and psychiatry immensely. Previously, much of the neurological information regarding conditions such as autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, were known, but directions for treatment have been unclear and also unspecific to neural pathways and genetic causes. Thus, Dr. Pasca's research unlocked promising details into the world of psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorder treatment. He created brain organoids or "assembloids" as they are referred to, using stem cells to grow nervous system models similar to a brain, in which they used CRISPR gene editing techniques to target interneurons and distinguish the roles they play in various neural networks. An example of this would be which neurotransmitters are involved or inhibited (excitatory vs inhibitory), and what this could mean for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in addition to their treatment. As a result, this use of an assembloid is quite promising for medical treatments going forward, due to a particularly useful model.

      I really liked this article, and thought it was fascinating to see the overlap of cell cultures and genetic techniques using CRISPR gene editing. I also believe that from a medical standpoint, this is quite advanced, especially because there is so much we do not know about neurological conditions such as autism and schizophrenia, which has created a lot of stigma. I would hope that further research in treatments for these conditions could help diminish the stigma surrounding them, but also because treatments can improve the quality of life for people, especially in a neurological sense. I also enjoyed seeing the implications of genetics in neuroscience research because neuroscience is something I particularly enjoy learning about. The brain is such a fascinating organ and any new advancements about its function are always pleasant to read about, especially when it further applies to medicine, as that is the field I hope to join after Stockton!

Links:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/10/02/1202749791/new-tool-study-genetics-autism-schizophrenia-brain-disorders 

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02628-x

Understanding Genetic Factors that Leave People at Risk for Suicide

 Trigger Warning/Content Warning

This article discusses heavy topics like suicide. This may be a sensitive topic to some readers so please continue reading at your own risk. If you (or someone you know) are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention 24-hour Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741, or visit their website at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. 

Suicide is an unfortunate epidemic that accounts for about 800,000 deaths per year. Non-fatal suicide attempts occur more than 20 times for every death by suicide. Since suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be lessened with mental health support and treatment, it is imperative that we understand the biological pathways involved so we can provide better treatment and prevention strategies. In a worldwide genome-association study, scientists scanned more than 7.5 million common variations in the DNA sequence of 550,000 people. Of that group, roughly 30,000 of them had made a suicide attempt. They discovered a region on chromosome 7 with DNA variations that increased the risk a person might attempt it.

The risk location had a strong overlap in the genetic basis for suicide attempt and psychiatric disorders like major depression. There were some overlap in the genetics associated with smoking, pain, risk-taking, sleep disturbances, and overall poorer general health. The overlap with these non-psychiatric risk factors turned out to be unchanged when adjusted for psychiatric disorders; meaning that suicide attempt is not a result of non-psychiatric disorders, but that the biology between the two factors are shared. This study lays the foundation for future research in identifying genetic risk factors in other area of the human genome. Understanding the biological pathways involved in suicide means that better treatment and prevention strategies can save others from this tragedy.

https://health.ucsd.edu/news/releases/Pages/2019-01-14-large-study-identifies-genetic-variants-linked-to-risk-tolerance-risky-behaviors.aspx