Genetic Engineering Publications - GEG Tech top picks

Scientists have created miniature brains from stem cells that developed functional neural networks. Despite being a million times smaller than human brains, these lab-grown brains are the first observed to produce brain waves that resemble those of preterm babies.

The study, published August 29 in the journal Cell Stem Cell, could help scientists better understand human brain development.

Here the authors report that selective optogenetic stimulation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons in mice produces a powerful arousal response sufficient to restore conscious behaviors, including the righting reflex, during continuous, steady-state general anesthesia. Although previous studies found that VTA dopamine neurons do not appear to play a central role in regulating sleep–wake transitions, their findings demonstrate that selective stimulation of these neurons is sufficient to induce the transition from an unconscious, anesthetized state to an awake state. These results suggest that VTA DA neurons play a critical role in promoting wakefulness.

This review introduces the clinical manifestations of three distinct neurodegenerative diseases and the applications of the gene-editing technology on these debilitating diseases.

Here the scientists demonstrate that CRISPRa and CRISPRi can be used to exert precise modulations of endogenous gene expression in fate-committed iPSC-derived neurons. This highlights CRISPRa/i as a major technical advancement in accessible tools for evaluating the specific contributions of critical neurodegenerative disease-related genes to neuropathogenesis.