Genetics

23andMe to launch study exploring role of genetics in depression, bipolar disorders – MobiHealthNews

Personal genetics company 23andMe will be teaming up with the Milken Institute, a think tank, and pharmaceutical company Lundbeck to drive enrollment for a genetic study designed to grasp the underlying biology of major depressive and bipolar disorders.The study will combine cognitive assessments with genetic data and survey responses to assess how genes influence brain processes -- such as attention, decision-making and visual perception -- in individuals who live with these serious mental health conditions.In the United States alone, more than 16 million people are living with a major depressive disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, while nearly 6 million Americans suffer from bipolar disorder. The causes of these disorders are largely unknown, but there are clues: research from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, for example, suggests major depressive and bipolar disorders are caused by a combination of genetic, biological and environmental factors. Other studies back up the hypothesis that theres a genetic component involved.In August 2016 a landmark study was published by 23andMe, Massachusetts General Hospital and Pfizer, detailing the scientific connection between genetics and depression, said Anna Faaborg, Research Communities manager at 23andMe. In that study, we identified 15 genetic regions that were linked to depression. However, even with recent scientific advancements, more research is needed to help accelerate our understanding of these conditions and drive medical discoveries forward. We want to expand on the genetic component, looking at additional phenotypic factors of depression and bipolar, to hopefully gain a more holistic understanding of these diseases.To conduct this research, 23andMe intends to recruit 15,000 people with major depressive disorder and 10,000 people with bipolar disorder. The study is open to anyone aged 18 to 50 who has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder, has been prescribed medication to treat his/her condition, lives in the United States and has access to the internet through a desktop or laptop computer.This study is the first to combine data from genetics, cognitive tests and online surveys at this scale, said Faaborg. The hope is to gain a greater understanding of how genetics is related to brain functions such as attention, decision-making and reaction time. This knowledge of the biological underpinnings of disease could ultimately inform the development of novel, disease-modifying therapies.As part of the study, consenting participants will receive the 23andMe Personal Genome Service at no cost, including more than 75 personalized genetic reports about their health, traits and ancestry. Theyll provide a saliva sample for DNA genotyping, and then complete nine monthly online cognitive assessment sessions each lasting between 10-30 minutes. Participants de-identified data will be analyzed for clues as to how genetics and environmental factors combine to impact their brain function and behavior.Participants will receive regular updates about the progress of the study via email or newsletters. If there is a publishable result from the study, 23andMe will publish that information in a peer-reviewed journal and make it open access for all those interested in learning about the findings.At this early stage, we cannot anticipate where the data will lead us or exactly which analyses will be performed, said Faaborg.The study will build on 23andMes body of research in mood disorders. Its launch furthers the companys genetic discovery efforts with research collaborations already established in Parkinsons disease, lupus and inflammatory bowel disease, and more than 75 peer-reviewed papers published in scientific journals

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23andMe to launch study exploring role of genetics in depression, bipolar disorders - MobiHealthNews

Genetics

A life-changing genetics breakthrough deserves celebration and demands caution – Washington Post

THE NEWS that researchers have carried out the first known attempt to create genetically modified human embryos is another signpost in an astounding revolution unfolding before our eyes. This is not the first breakthrough nor will it be the last, but it should serve as a reminder an unmistakable one that this realm of scientific inquiry, manipulating the tiny building blocks of life, demands caution as well as enthusiasm and encouragement.

The latest effort, led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov of Oregon Health & Science University, with researchers from South Korea, China, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California and others, involved editing the DNA of single-cell embryos with CRISPR-Cas9, a tool for genome engineering that is much simpler, faster and cheaper than earlier methods, and which has sparked an explosion of interest in possible applications. According to a report published Wednesday in the journal Nature, the researchers were able to demonstrate that it is possible to safely and efficiently correct defective genes that cause inherited diseases.

The embryos they modified were not allowed to develop for more than a few days and were not implanted in a womb. In earlier research in China, the modified DNA was taken up by only some cells, not all, and suffered other setbacks, raising questions about its effectiveness. The latest research team reports it achieved efficiency, accuracy and safety with the approach.

If so, the research may be yet another step toward what is called germline engineering, or changing the genetic material in reproductive cells, so that any offspring would pass the changes on to future generations. The potential impact is huge; thousands of inherited diseases are caused by mutations in single genes, so editing the germline cells of individuals who carry these mutations could allow them to have children without the risk of passing on the conditions.

But the dangers and concerns are also significant. The technique could be used to enhance human traits beyond just eradicating disease, such as creating designer babies, or for other malevolent purposes. Genome editing was singled out for concern in a 2016 report to Congress from the U.S. intelligence community about potential wordwide threats: Given the broad distribution, low cost, and accelerated pace of development of this dual-use technology, its deliberate or unintentional misuse might lead to far-reaching economic and national security implications.

In a report this year, a panel of the National Academy of Sciences addressed the potential and the risks of germline engineering, concluding that basic research should proceed, closely watched. But the panel also said, Do not proceed at this time with human genome editing for purposes other than treatment or prevention of disease and disability. This seems to us to strike a reasonable balance, but one that will require vigilance transparency, oversight and public awareness to ensure the fruits of this remarkable revolution are not somehow abused or misused.

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A life-changing genetics breakthrough deserves celebration and demands caution - Washington Post

Genetics

MSU genetics and evolution study receives $1.2 million NSF grant – Mississippi State Newsroom

Contact: Sarah Nicholas

STARKVILLE, Miss.Mississippi State is part of a new research collaboration sponsored by the National Science Foundation in which a colorful tropical butterfly is helping researchers investigate genetics and evolution.

Scientists at the Starkville land-grant university and the University of Puerto RicoRio Piedras will be studying the relationship in organisms between genetic material, or genotype, and physical characteristics due to gene expression and environmental influences, or phenotype.

Brian Counterman, an associate professor of biological sciences, leads the MSU research team. Ryan Range, assistant professor of biological sciences, as well as Jovonn Hill and Federico Hoffman, both assistant professors in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, also are part of the study that will examine genotype-phenotype relationships using color patterns of the Heliconius butterfly.

More than $1.2 million is being provided through the NSFs Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, known as EPSCoR, for the MSU collaboration over four years.

National Science Foundation leaders have noted how the genotype-to-phenotype relationship has significant societal and economic implications across scientific fields and areas of industry such as medicine, agriculture and biotechnology.

According to EPSCoR Head Denise Barnes, Over the past several decades, scientists and engineers have made massive strides in decoding, amassing and storing genomic data. For that reason, the federal agency is committed to providing the U.S. scientific community, including MSU, with resources for future discoveries that may help improve food-crop yields, better predictions for human disease risk and new drug therapies.

Angus Dawe, head of MSUs Department of Biological Sciences, said that in addition to helping raise our profile nationally, the project will make possible extensive support for training students and extend the impact of work at MSU to other regions.

This award will support foundational work at the cutting edge of genetics and evolution, Dawe said.

As Counterman recounted, groundbreaking 19th century naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-82) considered Heliconius to be the most striking example of natural selection in the wild because it has the ability to work with other butterflies to train predators that they are toxic.

When species work together, more individual butterflies survive and produce offspring, which is the process of natural selection at its best, Counterman observed.

Counterman said the new inquiry actually is an extension of a project we were already working on with Puerto RicoRio Piedras. When we finished in February, we decided to take it a step further and write a proposal for this grant.

Dawe said the MSU department is proud of its facultys continued success in obtaining research support from a variety of agencies, even as federal funding rates have been cut dramatically. To be able to receive awards in this climate is further evidence that biological sciences at Mississippi State competes with the very best programs anywhere, he emphasized.

Counterman said he and fellow team members are excited about opportunities to provide highly specialized genomic training in both Mississippi and Puerto Rico.

An MSU faculty member since 2010, Counterman is a biology doctoral graduate of Duke University who earlier earned a bachelors degree in ecology and evolution at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dawe said that research proposals for national grants typically involve a tremendous amount of work. He expressed his departments deep appreciation for administrative support and scientific collaborations with campus colleagues in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, as well as the offices of Sponsored Projects and Research and Economic Development.

We are extremely grateful for their support, without which the submission of grant proposals could not happen, he said.

For details about EPSCoRs ongoing mission, visit http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/programs/epscor.

MSUs College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,000 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 25 academic majors offered in 14 departments. It also is home to the most diverse units for research and scholarly activities, including the Department of Biological Sciences.

Research expenditures in the humanities are also an important part of Mississippi States overall research portfolio. Additionally, the NSF has ranked MSU among the top 25 for research expenditures in the social sciences. For more information on MSUs College of Arts and Sciences, visit http://www.cas.msstate.edu. The Department of Biological Sciences is online at http://www.biology.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippis leading university, also available online at http://www.msstate.edu.

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MSU genetics and evolution study receives $1.2 million NSF grant - Mississippi State Newsroom

Neuroscience

Neuroscience Graduate Program | School of Medicine …

Neuroscience Graduate Program

The Neuroscience Training Program at the CU School of Medicine provides multidisciplinary training covering the breadth of neurobiology, from neuronal gene regulation to the development, structure, and function of the nervous system.

Students receive training in cellular and molecular neurobiology, neural development, neuropharmacology, and biochemistry, as well as hands-on training in a variety of state-of-the-art laboratory techniques.

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Neuroscience Graduate Program | School of Medicine ...

Neuroscience

Why Neuroscience Is the Key To Innovation in AI – Singularity Hub – Singularity Hub

The future of AI lies in neuroscience.

So says Google DeepMinds founder Demis Hassabis in a review paper published last week in the prestigious journal Neuron.

Hassabis is no stranger to both fields. Armed with a PhD in neuroscience, the computer maverick launched London-based DeepMind to recreate intelligence in silicon. In 2014, Google snagged up the company for over $500 million.

Its money well spent. Last year, DeepMinds AlphaGo wiped the floor with its human competitors in a series of Go challenges around the globe. Working with OpenAI, the non-profit AI research institution backed by Elon Musk, the company is steadily working towards machines with higher reasoning capabilities than ever before.

The companys secret sauce? Neuroscience.

Baked into every DeepMind AI are concepts and ideas first discovered in our own brains. Deep learning and reinforcement learningtwo pillars of contemporary AIboth loosely translate biological neuronal communication into formal mathematics.

The results, as exemplified by AlphaGo, are dramatic. But Hassabis argues that its not enough.

As powerful as todays AIs are, each one is limited in the scope of what it can do. The goal is to build general AI with the ability to think, reason and learn flexibly and rapidly; AIs that can intuit about the real world and imagine better ones.

To get there, says Hassabis, we need to closer scrutinize the inner workings of the human mindthe only proof that such an intelligent system is even possible.

Identifying a common language between the two fields will create a virtuous circle whereby research is accelerated through shared theoretical insights and common empirical advances, Hassabis and colleagues write.

The bar is high for AI researchers striving to bust through the limits of contemporary AI.

Depending on their specific tasks, machine learning algorithms are set up with specific mathematical structures. Through millions of examples, artificial neural networks learn to fine-tune the strength of their connections until they achieve the perfect state that lets them complete the task with high accuracymay it be identifying faces or translating languages.

Because each algorithm is highly tailored to the task at hand, relearning a new task often erases the established connections. This leads to catastrophic forgetting, and while the AI learns the new task, it completely overwrites the previous one.

The dilemma of continuous learning is just one challenge. Others are even less defined but arguably more crucial for building the flexible, inventive minds we cherish.

Embodied cognition is a big one. As Hassabis explains, its the ability to build knowledge from interacting with the world through sensory and motor experiences, and creating abstract thought from there.

Its the sort of good old-fashioned common sense that we humans have, an intuition about the world thats hard to describe but extremely useful for the daily problems we face.

Even harder to program are traits like imagination. Thats where AIs limited to one specific task really fail, says Hassabis. Imagination and innovation relies on models weve already built about our world, and extrapolating new scenarios from them. Theyre hugely powerful planning toolsbut research into these capabilities for AI is still in its infancy.

Its actually not widely appreciated among AI researchers that many of todays pivotal machine learning algorithms come from research into animal learning, says Hassabis.

An example: recent findings in neuroscience show that the hippocampusa seahorse-shaped structure that acts as a hub for encoding memoryreplays those experiences in fast-forward during rest and sleep.

This offline replay allows the brain to learn anew from successes or failures that occurred in the past, says Hassabis.

AI researchers snagged the idea up, and implemented a rudimentary version into an algorithm that combined deep learning and reinforcement learning. The result is powerful neural networks that learn based on experience. They compare current situations with previous events stored in memory, and take actions that previously led to reward.

These agents show striking gains in performance over traditional deep learning algorithms. Theyre also great at learning on the fly: rather than needing millions of examples, they just need a handful.

Similarly, neuroscience has been a fruitful source of inspiration for other advancements in AI, including algorithms equipped with a mental sketchpad that allows them to plan convoluted problems more efficiently.

But the best is yet to come.

The advent of brain imaging tools and genetic bioengineering are offering an unprecedented look at how biological neural networks organize and combine to tackle problems.

As neuroscientists work to solve the neural codethe basic computations that support brain functionit offers an expanding toolbox for AI researchers to tinker with.

One area where AIs can benefit from the brain is our knowledge of core concepts that relate to the physical worldspaces, numbers, objects, and so on. Like mental Legos, the concepts form the basic building blocks from which we can construct mental models that guide inferences and predictions about the world.

Weve already begun exploring ideas to address the challenge, says Hassabis. Studies with humans show that we decompose sensory information down into individual objects and relations. When implanted in code, its already led to human-level performance on challenging reasoning tasks.

Then theres transfer learning, the ability that takes AIs from one-trick ponies to flexible thinkers capable of tackling any problem. One method, called progressive networks, captures some of the basic principles in transfer learning and was successfully used to train a real robot arm based on simulations.

Intriguingly, these networks resemble a computational model of how the brain learns sequential tasks, says Hassabis.

The problem is neuroscience hasnt figured out how humans and animals achieve high-level knowledge transfer. Its possible that the brain extracts abstract knowledge structures and how they relate to one another, but so far theres no direct evidence that supports this kind of coding.

Without doubt AIs have a lot to learn from the human brain. But the benefits are reciprocal. Modern neuroscience, for all its powerful imaging tools and optogenetics, has only just begun unraveling how neural networks support higher intelligence.

Neuroscientists often have only quite vague notions of the mechanisms that underlie the concepts they study, says Hassabis. Because AI research relies on stringent mathematics, the field could offer a way to clarify those vague concepts into testable hypotheses.

Of course, its unlikely that AI and the brain will always work the same way. The two fields tackle intelligence from dramatically different angles: neuroscience asks how the brain works and the underlying biological principles; AI is more utilitarian and free from the constraints of evolution.

But we can think of AI as applied (rather than theoretical) computational neuroscience, says Hassabis, and theres a lot to look forward to.

Distilling intelligence into algorithms and comparing it to the human brain may yield insights into some of the deepest and most enduring mysteries of the mind, he writes.

Think creativity, dreams, imagination, andperhaps one dayeven consciousness.

Stock Media provided by agsandrew / Pond5

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Why Neuroscience Is the Key To Innovation in AI - Singularity Hub - Singularity Hub

Neuroscience

Shire may spin off Neuroscience franchise, upgrades guidance – Times of India

(Adds Neuroscience details)

LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Shire said it was exploring strategic options for its hyperactive drugs business, including a possible independent public listing, as the London-listed pharmaceutical maker upgraded its full-year earnings forecast on Thursday.

Shire, which reported 7 percent growth in second-quarter product sales, said it expected to complete a strategic review of its Neuroscience franchise by the end of the year.

"As part of the board's ongoing commitment to optimise Shire's portfolio and strategic focus, Shire is assessing strategic options for our Neuroscience franchise to derive even greater value from this franchise," it said.

The company upgraded the midpoint of its full-year forecast by 10 cents to $15 after stronger-than-expected costs savings from its acquisition of haemophilia specialist Baxalta last year.

It reported second-quarter revenue of $3.75 billion and non GAAP earnings per ADS of $3.73, up 11 percent and beating a market forecast of $3.60.

Shire shares were trading up 3.4 percent at 4,341 pence at 1126 GMT.

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; editing by Jason Neely)

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Shire may spin off Neuroscience franchise, upgrades guidance - Times of India

Neuroscience

GSK to shutter central neuroscience R&D hub in China – FierceBiotech

After reports surfaced in the Chinese press this week, GlaxoSmithKline has confirmed to FierceBiotech that it will be shutting down operations at its Shanghai R&D base as it looks west.

The U.K.-based drugmaker told FierceBiotech,Following a portfolio review and prioritization, GSK has decided to close its Neuroscience R&D Centre in Shanghai and move key programs to its global R&D hub in Upper Providence in the U.S., where they will benefit from co-location with other pipeline R&D programs."

The China R&D development organization will continue to be based in Shanghai and is set to expand over the next two years to accelerate the development of new medicines. We remain committed to China and will focus our R&D efforts in China on the needs of China, at both our Shanghai site and our Institute for Infectious Diseases and Public Health in Beijing. It did not say how many staffers would be affected.

This comes less than a year after the company looked to strengthen its China R&D commitment. Li Min, GSK's global head of neurosciences and general manager of R&D China, said last year, as quoted by news site China Daily: In the field of neurological diseases, we are very much committed to neurodegeneration and neuroexcitation. In medicine, you need to stay focused. You have to commit to one direction and make it happen.

Two yearsago, it launched the Neuro2020 project, encouraging partnerships with local universities, something Li said was part of our five-year plan to establish both our research as well as connectivity to the rest of our ecosystem, especially in China.

GSK has, of course, had a rather difficult past in the region. China is a major world economy with a growing middle class and the potential for big pharmaceutical sales and R&D, but tough policies led by a central and uncompromising government have made western biopharma expansion into China problematic.

Back in 2013,GSK became embroiled in a sex, lies and videotape-type scandal that saw allegations of bribery from certain sales teams in the region, with a deeper twist when a sex tape of former head of GSK China, Mark Reilly, in his Shanghai apartment with his girlfriend, was alleged to have been made, and then sent to CEO Andrew Witty. Witty has since been replaced by Emma Walmsley, who announced last month a major shake-up of the companys R&D.

Walmsley said she was focusing GSKs attention on two therapeutic areas in which it already has a sizable presencerespiratory and HIV/infectious diseasesand two in which it aspires to growoncology and immuno-inflammation. GSK will spend 80% of its R&D budget on top prospects in these areas. Neuroscience was not on her list of core areas to focus on.

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GSK to shutter central neuroscience R&D hub in China - FierceBiotech

Immunology

Arrest warrant issued for Northwestern professor in Near North Side stabbing death – Chicago Tribune

A Northwestern University associate professor and a University of Oxford employee are wanted in connection with the stabbing death of a man in a Near North Side apartment, according to public records. A Cook County judge issued arrest warrants Monday charging Wyndham Lathem, 42, and Andrew Warren, 56, with first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Trenton Cornell-Duranleau last week, records show.

An alert broadcast over police radio says the two should be considered armed and dangerous. Late Wednesday afternoon, Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi reported no arrests.

"Our search will only intensify,'' tweeted Guglielmi. "Prof Latham (Lathem) & Mr Warren, do the right thing & turn yourself in to any police dept.''

Lathem is an associate professor at Northwestern's Department of Microbiology-Immunology at the Feinberg School of Medicine. In his LinkedIn profile, Lathem said his research is focused on pathogens and the diseases they cause.

Lathem has been placed on administrative leave and is banned from all Northwestern campuses, according to school spokesman Alan K. Cubbage. He was a faculty researcher at the school's Chicago campus.

The university is cooperating with the police investigation, Cubbage said.

Warren is a senior treasury assistant at Somerville College, part of the Oxford University network, according to a university web page. Chicago police officers responded to a 10th-floor apartment in the 500 block of North State Street about 8:30 p.m. Thursday after a maintenance worker reported getting an anonymous call that a crime was committed there. Officers found Cornell-Duranleau dead on the scene. Lathem lists his home at the same address on State Street, public records show. The building is on the same block as the Grand Avenue Red Line station.Cornell-Duranleau died of multiple sharp force injuries, according to the Cook County medical examiners office. He had lived in the 2200 block of South Wood Street in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood on the Near Southwest Side, the office said.

He grew up in Michigan, according to public records. Cornell-Duranleau earned a state license as a cosmetologist in 2011, according to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

Chicago Police Department

His mother, Mischelle Duranleau, posted a message on Facebook over the weekend asking for prayers "as we navigate this very dark part of our Journey."

According to an obituary posted by the mother, Cornell-Duranleau was born in Lennon, Mich., a small town about 50 miles northeast of Lansing.

"Throughout his life he loved music and animals," the obituary said. "His enthusiasm for life was infectious. Trenton was a caregiver and loved to help others. His youthful free-spirit fueled his love of cars, video games and cartoons."

Northwestern was made aware of the investigation into Cornell-Duranleau's death on Monday afternoon, Cubbage said.

Lathem has been with Northwestern since 2007, according to Cubbage, who said he worked primarily in a research lab. "At some point in the past few years he taught medical students or graduate students, never undergrad, Cubbage said.

Lathem was not currently teaching and was not scheduled to be in a classroom in the fall, Cubbage said.

Oxford University, where the other suspect worked, released a statement Tuesday saying it was "not aware of this case, which is clearly extremely concerning. We will liaise with the relevant investigating authorities and provide any assistance that is required.

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Arrest warrant issued for Northwestern professor in Near North Side stabbing death - Chicago Tribune

Immunology

Shire eyes spin-out of its ADHD drugs arm – Telegraph.co.uk

Shire has kickstarted a strategic review of its ADHD drugs business which could see the FTSE 100 giant broken up into two stock exchange-listed parts, after posting consensus-beating half-year sales and profits growth.

Flemming rnskov, chief executive at Shire, said the groups US-focused neurosciences division set to make up around a fifth of its projected $14.3bn-$14.6bn (10.9bn-11.1bn) sales this year was an incredibly strong business that could stand alone.

The strategic review will complete this year, with the firm saying it could result in neurosciences getting an independent public listing. Mr rnskov declined to say whether London or New York was the more likely candidate.

Given the USs large appetite for ADHD drugs, New York could hold appeal.Julie Simmonds, analyst at Panmure, commented: Its something they could look at, it would make as much sense as it would here.

Any separation would allow Shire to focus on its rare diseases business, which accounts for the bulk of revenues and a wide gamut of treatments across immunology, haematology, internal medicine, eye ailments, oncology and anti-virals.

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Shire eyes spin-out of its ADHD drugs arm - Telegraph.co.uk