{"id":126,"date":"2019-04-06T08:55:57","date_gmt":"2019-04-06T08:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/wordpress\/?page_id=126"},"modified":"2023-03-31T23:38:13","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T23:38:13","slug":"in-the-news","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/","title":{"rendered":"In the News"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t<p>Recent News<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/#gast\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDebugging Our Memories\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>The Gaustronauts Podcast.<\/strong>\u00a0August, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spectrumnews.org\/features\/deep-dive\/supplements-worms-stool-families-trying-game-gut-treat-autism-traits\/\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSupplements, worms and stool: How families are trying to game the gut to treat autism traits.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>Spectrum.<\/strong> June, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/#canthismouse\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCan this mouse treat Autism?\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>TMC Pulse.<\/strong> April, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/#howyour\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow your gut might modify your mind.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>c&amp;en.<\/strong> April, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/#germs\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGerms in Your Gut Are Talking to Your Brain. Scientists Want to Know What They\u2019re Saying.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>The New York Times.<\/strong> January, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/#gutbac\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGut bacteria may offer a treatment for autism &#8211; a common probiotic holds the key.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>The Economist.<\/strong> December, 2018<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spectrumnews.org\/news\/gut-microbes-may-treat-social-difficulties-autism-mice\/\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGut microbes may treat social difficulties in autism mice.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>Spectrum.<\/strong> January, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmc.edu\/news\/2018\/12\/can-autism-be-treated-with-a-simple-microbial-based-therapy\/\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCan autism be treated with a simple microbial-based therapy?\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>TMC News.<\/strong> December, 2018<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/#gutfeeling\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGut feelings.\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em><strong>The Economist.<\/strong> June, 2016<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/#2016\" target=\"_self\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t&#8212; News before 2016 &#8212;\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/03\/Cell2021.jpeg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/03\/Cell2021.jpeg?resize=750%2C750&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Cell2021\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"750\" width=\"750\" title=\"Cell2021\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/08\/Brain-3.5.211.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/08\/Brain-3.5.211.jpg?resize=654%2C825&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Brain-3.5.21[1]\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"825\" width=\"654\" title=\"Brain-3.5.21[1]\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted March 10th, 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/news\/microbes-may-hold-the-key-for-treating-neurological-disorders\"><em>BCM News<\/em><\/a>: Microbes may hold the key for treating neurological disorders<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;When we think about the causes of neurological disorders and how to treat them, we think about targeting the brain. But is this the best or only way? Maybe not. New research by scientists at Baylor College of Medicine suggests that microbes in the gut may contribute to certain symptoms associated with complex neurological disorders. The findings, published in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/pdf\/S0896-6273(18)31009-2.pdf\">Cell<\/a>, also suggest that microbe-inspired therapies may one day help to treat them.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>&#8216;We found that L. reuteri also can restore normal social behavior but cannot correct the hyperactivity in Cntnap2\u2013\/\u2013 mice,&#8217; <\/strong>said co-first author Dr. <a href=\"https:\/\/researchexperts.utmb.edu\/en\/persons\/shelly-buffington\"><strong>Shelly Buffington<\/strong><\/a>, a former postdoctoral fellow in the Costa-Mattioli lab and now an assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>&#8216;We were able to separate the contribution of the microbiome and that of the animal\u2019s genetic mutation on the behavioral changes,&#8217; <\/strong>co-first author <a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-currentm\"><strong>Sean Dooling <\/strong><\/a> said. <strong>&#8216;This shows that the gut microbiome shouldn\u2019t be ignored as an important variable in studying health and disease.&#8217;<\/strong>&#8220;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/news\/microbes-may-hold-the-key-for-treating-neurological-disorders\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News March 2021 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/03\/MARCH-APRIL-2021-Observer-Online-GutBrain.png?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/03\/MARCH-APRIL-2021-Observer-Online-GutBrain.png?resize=600%2C400&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"MARCH-APRIL-2021-Observer-Online-GutBrain\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"400\" width=\"600\" title=\"MARCH-APRIL-2021-Observer-Online-GutBrain\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted February 26th, 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologicalscience.org\/observer\/gut-brain\"><em>Association for Psychological Science<\/em><\/a>: The Gut and Brain, Inextricably Linked<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;&#8211;Researchers are identifying the mechanisms involved in the brain-gut axis, laying the groundwork for more targeted interventions&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In research on ASD in animal models, Costa-Mattioli and colleagues found that treatment with the bacteria Lactobacillus reuteri\u2014which reduces social deficits in mice that lacked those bacteria\u2014appeared to work not by replenishing the mice\u2019s gut microbiome but by promoting social-interaction-induced synaptic plasticity, which is impaired in ASD, through interactions with the vagus nerve (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/pdf\/S0896-6273(18)31009-2.pdf\">Sgritta et al., 2019<\/a>). <strong>These findings support the groundbreaking idea that the gut microbiome can influence brain plasticity\u2014and suggest that this type of research could point to novel therapies in human patients<\/strong>. However, the researchers cautioned that \u201cthe gut-microbiota-brain axis is an emerging field, and to ensure the success of microbial-based therapies for neurological disorders, we believe that first it would be important to establish a set of defined and objective criteria for transitioning into human clinical trials.\u201d <\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologicalscience.org\/observer\/gut-brain\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAPS: March\/April, 2021 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/02\/Nat-2021.png?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/02\/Nat-2021.png?resize=600%2C951&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Credit: Nik Spencer\/Nature\n\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"951\" width=\"600\" title=\"Nat 2021\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Nik Spencer\/Nature\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted February 4th, 2021<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-021-00260-3#ref-CR13\"><em>Nature<\/em><\/a>\u00a0News Feature: How gut microbes could drive brain disorders<\/p>\n\t<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/pdf\/S0896-6273(18)31009-2.pdf\">paper<\/a> from Dr. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-currentm\">Martina Sgritta<\/a><\/strong> and her colleagues (<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-currentm\"><strong>Sean Dooling <\/strong><\/a><em>et al<\/em>) was mentioned in this nice piece of summary of some highlights in studies investigating how the gut microbiota affect brain health.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They tested L. reuteri in several other mouse models, and the bacterium was able to reverse some of the ASD-like behaviours in every one. And, just as with the Parkinson\u2019s work, the researchers could block the effect in mice if they severed the vagus nerve.<\/p>\n<p>Exactly what type of signal L. reuteri sends isn\u2019t yet known. The team has found that some strains of L. reuteri can reverse the behaviours while others cannot, and the researchers are now working to discover which of its genes are involved. If they find the gene that produces a key metabolite, \u201cwe can just put it in any bacteria and now we may have a potential treatment\u201d, Costa-Mattioli says. That strategy has yet to be tested.<\/p>\n<p>One group in Italy is already trying L. reuteri <a href=\"https:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov\/ct2\/show\/NCT04293783\">as a therapy in 80 children with ASD<\/a>. Participants will take L. reuteri or a placebo tablet for six months, and have their symptoms monitored. Costa-Mattioli is hoping to launch his own trial soon.&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/368\/6489\/381.12.full\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNature: February 3, 2021 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/ISR.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/04\/ISR.jpg?resize=750%2C493&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"ISR\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"493\" width=\"750\" title=\"ISR\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted April 24th, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/368\/6489\/381.12.full\"><em>Science<\/em><\/a>\u00a0Perspective: Proteostasis dISRupted<\/p>\n\t<p>Costa-Mattioli and Walter review the integrated stress response (ISR), a central signaling network that responds to proteostasis defects by tuning protein synthesis. (<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/368\/6489\/eaat5314.abstract\">Read the review<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The ISR is emerging as a promising avenue to reverse cognitive dysfunction in a wide range of memory disorders that resulted from disruption in protein homeostasis.&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/368\/6489\/381.12.full\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScience: April 24, 2020 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/epi-currents.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/epi-currents.jpg?resize=150%2C198&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"epi currents\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"198\" width=\"150\" title=\"epi currents\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted Feburary 26th, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/loi\/epib\"><i>Epilepsy Currents <\/i><\/a>by<i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aesnet.org\"> American Epilepsy Society<\/a>\u00a0<\/i>Commentary: mTORC2 Steals the Spotlight<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;At first glance, the findings of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/fulltext\/S0896-6273(19)31035-9#bib1\" id=\"back-bib1\" data-db-target-for=\"bib1-d3113696e76\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"bib1\">Chen et\u00a0al., 2019<\/a><\/strong> may appear to contradict previous studies, in which treatment with the mTORC1-selective inhibitor rapamycin was able to both prevent and reverse abnormalities in brain size, behavior, and seizures in <i>Pten<\/i> conditional knockout mice.<sup><\/sup>\u00a0However, close reading of these articles reveals that the rapamycin dosing paradigms used resulted in not only inhibition of mTORC1 activity but also significant inhibition of mTORC2 activity. While short-term rapamycin exposure may selectively inhibit mTORC1, longer term exposure has been demonstrated to also inhibit mTORC2 activity, potentially through a reduction of mTOR availability for formation of the complex. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/1535759720905835\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEpilepsy Currents \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/01\/Cell-Met%E5%89%AF%E6%9C%AC.png?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/01\/Cell-Met%E5%89%AF%E6%9C%AC.png?resize=750%2C182&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Integrated Stress Response: A Molecular Switch Controlling Long-Term Memory in Down Syndrome\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"182\" width=\"750\" title=\"Cell Met\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIntegrated Stress Response: A Molecular Switch Controlling Long-Term Memory in Down Syndrome\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted January 7th, 2020<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1550413119306734\"><em>Cell Metabolism<\/em><\/a> Preview: The Integrated Stress Response: A Central Memory Switch in Down Syndrome Author links open overlay panel<\/p>\n\t<p>Genetic and pharmacological evidence causally demonstrate that the<strong> integrated stress response (ISR) is a central molecular switch for long-term memory formation across different species<\/strong>. <a name=\"bbib12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1550413119306734#bib12\">Zhu et\u00a0al. (2019)<\/a> recently demonstrated that persistent activation of the ISR could explain the long-term memory and synaptic plasticity deficits in a mouse model of Down syndrome, the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S1550413119306734#fig1\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCell Metabolism \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/Neuron-Best-of-2018-2019.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/Neuron-Best-of-2018-2019.jpg?resize=750%2C958&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Neuron Best of 2018-2019\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"958\" width=\"750\" title=\"Neuron Best of 2018-2019\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted December 28th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Included in <a href=\"http:\/\/info.cell.com\/best-of-neuron_2018_2019\"><i>Best of Neuron 2018 and 2019<\/i><\/a>: Mechanisms Underlying Microbial-Mediated Changes in Social\u00a0Behavior in Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder<\/p>\n\t<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/pdf\/S0896-6273(18)31009-2.pdf\">paper<\/a> from Dr. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-currentm\">Martina Sgritta<\/a><\/strong> and her colleagues (<a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-currentm\"><strong>Sean Dooling <\/strong><\/a><em>et al<\/em>) was one of the most widely read papers in 2019 and was selected by <em>Neuron<\/em>\u00a0as\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/info.cell.com\/best-of-neuron_2018_2019\"><em>Neuron Best of 2018-2019<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/info.cell.com\/best-of-neuron_2018_2019\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBest of Neuron 2018-2019 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/01\/Apple-News-Science-Blog.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/01\/Apple-News-Science-Blog.jpg?resize=750%2C665&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Apple News Science Blog\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"665\" width=\"750\" title=\"Apple News Science Blog\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted December 26th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apple.news\/AP9dv_cGYTMSqjI3kjmn0bg\"><i>Apple News <\/i><\/a>Science Blog: Restoring protein imbalance improves memory deficits in Down syndrome<\/p>\n\t<p>Down syndrome is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. The disorder occurs when a person has three, instead of two, copies of chromosome 21. Currently, there is no effective treatment for this condition.<\/p>\n<p>Memory deficits are a hallmark of Down syndrome, but little is known about the mechanisms that lead to them. In his lab at Baylor College of Medicine, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/people\/view\/mauro-costa-mattioli-ph-d\/b16b2b66-ffed-11e2-be68-080027880ca6\">Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli<\/a> and his colleagues study at the cellular level mechanisms that are disrupted in Down syndrome looking to identify those that may be involved in causing the condition.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the current study, we investigated the role\u00a0<strong>protein homeostasis networks<\/strong> play in Down syndrome. Protein homeostasis networks refers to the cell\u2019s processes geared at maintaining a balance between how much protein is produced and how much is degraded, which is important for keeping cells working properly,\u201d said Costa-Mattioli, professor of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/departments\/neuroscience\">neuroscience<\/a> and Cullen Foundation Endowed Chair at Baylor College of Medicine. \u201cA decline in protein homeostasis networks is strongly linked to several neurological conditions, from aging to neurodegenerative disorders, but little was known about its role in Down syndrome.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Costa-Mattioli and his colleagues discovered that <strong>activation of the \u2018integrated stress response<\/strong>,\u2019 or <strong>ISR<\/strong>, a network that regulates protein homeostasis by regulating protein synthesis, could explain the protein synthesis deficits associated with Down syndrome.<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDown syndrome mice exhibit problems with long-term memory,\u201d said first author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/people\/view\/ping-jun-zhu-m-d\/b23a6f80-ffed-11e2-be68-080027880ca6\">Dr. Ping Jun Zhu<\/a>, assistant professor of neuroscience and senior investigator in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/research\/labs\/mauro-costa-mattioli\/lab-members\">Costa-Mattioli group<\/a>. \u201cIn one set of experiments we trained Down syndrome and control mice in a new task. Down syndrome mice did not learn the task as well as control mice. However, <strong>when we genetically or pharmacologically inhibited the ISR, the animals were able to learn almost as well as control mice<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the last 10 years, we and others have shown the <strong>ISR is a molecular switch for normal long-term memory formation<\/strong>. In this study, <strong>we found that the switch is off in Down syndrome<\/strong>. More importantly, <strong>turning the switch back on in these mice reverses their memory deficits<\/strong>.&#8221; Costa Mattioli said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese very encouraging results suggest that tuning the <strong>ISR may emerge as a promising avenue to alleviate a wide range of cognitive disorders with a disruption in protein homeostasis<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/apple.news\/AP9dv_cGYTMSqjI3kjmn0bg\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApple News \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/neuron-cjc.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/neuron-cjc.jpg?resize=591%2C768&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"neuron-cjc\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"768\" width=\"591\" title=\"neuron-cjc\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted December 18th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/issue?pii=S0896-6273(18)X0025-7\"><em>Neuron<\/em><\/a>\u00a0Spotlight: Therapeutic Targeting of mTORC2 in mTORopathies<\/p>\n\t<p>Dysregulated mTOR contributes to neurodevelopmental dysfunction. A new study (<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/fulltext\/S0896-6273(19)31035-9#bib1\" id=\"back-bib1\" data-db-target-for=\"bib1-d3113696e76\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"bib1\">Chen et\u00a0al., 2019<\/a><\/strong>) demonstrates that suppression of mTORC2, not mTORC1, ameliorates survival, seizures, and abnormal behaviors in a <em>Pten<\/em> mutant model, highlighting mTORC2 as a potential therapeutic target in mTORopathies.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/fulltext\/S0896-6273(19)31035-9?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0896627319310359%3Fshowall%3Dtrue\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNeuron: December 18, 2019 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/nature-review.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/nature-review.jpg?resize=277%2C219&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Credit: Science Photo Library\/Alamy Stock Photo\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"219\" width=\"277\" title=\"nature review\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Science Photo Library\/Alamy Stock Photo\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted December 4th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/nrneurol\/\"><em>Nature Review Neurology<\/em><\/a> Research Highlight: Integrated stress response mediates cognitive decline in Down syndrome<\/p>\n\t<p>Down syndrome (DS), a neurodevelopmental disorder that results from the presence of an extra copy of chromosome 21, is a common cause of intellectual disability in the general population, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms that underlie the cognitive deficits. In a new study published in <i>Science<\/i>, Mauro Costa-Mattioli, Peter Walter and colleagues provide evidence that <strong>a signalling network known as the integrated stress response (ISR) mediates cognitive decline in DS<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<strong>We hypothesized that loss of proteostasis \u2014 the process by which the cell\u2019s proteins are monitored and maintained at homeostasis \u2014 could explain the memory deficits associated with DS<\/strong>,\u201d comments Costa-Mattioli. \u201cProtein synthesis is known to be required for long-term memory formation, and loss of proteostasis is associated with a wide range of cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of the ISR was found to restore protein synthesis and improve long-term memory in Ts65Dn mice. \u201c<strong>We have previously identified that the ISR serves as a long-term memory switch, and in this study we found that the switch is off in DS<\/strong>,\u201d explains Costa-Mattioli. \u201cWe showed that turning the switch back on by inhibiting the ISR reverses the cognitive decline associated with DS.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The new findings raise the possibility that <strong>pharmacological manipulation of the ISR could help to alleviate cognitive impairments in individuals with DS<\/strong>. The investigators plan to further explore the mechanisms that lead to ISR activation in DS and to determine whether ISR inhibition can reverse cognitive deficits in other neurological conditions in which proteostasis is dysregulated.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41582-019-0298-6\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNature Review: December 4, 2019 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/PTENdeficientbrains.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/01\/PTENdeficientbrains.jpg?resize=750%2C507&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Mice missing PTEN, a top autism gene, have bigger brains (right) than controls do (left).\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"507\" width=\"750\" title=\"PTENdeficientbrains\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMice missing PTEN, a top autism gene, have bigger brains (right) than controls do (left).\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted November 20th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.spectrumnews.org\/news\/mouse-study-reveals-overlooked-target-for-autism-therapies\/\"><em>Spectrum News<\/em><\/a>\u00a0Mouse study reveals overlooked target for autism therapies<\/p>\n\t<p>The mice lack a gene called PTEN. Like many people who have a mutation in PTEN, the mice have enlarged brains, seizures and behaviors associated with autism. They also have hyperactive mTOR, a key enzyme in a pathway of the same name. The mTOR pathway is best known for its role in cancer; it governs cell growth and is hyperactive in several conditions related to autism.<\/p>\n<p>The enzyme is part of two complexes called mTORC1 and mTORC2, each of which has a distinct function. Both complexes are known to be hyperactive in people with a PTEN mutation and in mice missing the gene.<\/p>\n<p>However, the new study suggests that mTORC2 is solely responsible for the mice\u2019s seizures and unusual behaviors.<\/p>\nThe findings come as a surprise because many other studies pointed to mTORC1 as the main culprit, says lead investigator Mauro Costa-Mattioli, chair of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.<br \/>\n \n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spectrumnews.org\/news\/mouse-study-reveals-overlooked-target-for-autism-therapies\/\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSpectrum News \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/11\/neuron-cover.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/11\/neuron-cover.jpg?resize=591%2C768&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"neuron cover\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"768\" width=\"591\" title=\"neuron cover\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted November 20th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/issue?pii=S0896627318X00233\"><em>Neuron<\/em><\/a>\u00a0Featured Article Preview: NMD Takes the Immune Road to NDD<\/p>\n\t<p>Proper mRNA quality control prevents immune activation; when it goes awry, mice and flies develop abnormal behavioral phenotypes. In this issue of <em>Neuron<\/em>, <a name=\"bbib4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0896627319309626#bib4\"><strong>Johnson et\u00a0al. (2019)<\/strong><\/a> report that inhibiting nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) contributes to the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) phenotypes by triggering aberrant immune activation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0896627319309626\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNeuron: November 20, 2019 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/science-qc.gif?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/12\/science-qc.gif?resize=346%2C440&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"science qc\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"440\" width=\"346\" title=\"science qc\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted November 15th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/366\/6467\/797\"><em>Science<\/em><\/a>\u00a0Perspective: Translating translation in Down syndrome.<\/p>\n\t<p>Across the spectrum of neurological disorders, from the developmental to the degenerative, clinical features and progression are influenced not only by disease-specific genetic effects but also by more generic mechanisms. Dysregulated stress responses are emerging as common targets for therapeutic intervention independently of causal genes, offering the tantalizing prospect of new treatments for a swathe of diseases irrespective of specific etiology. The integrated stress response (ISR) is a key player in the control of proteostasis\u2014the balance between protein synthesis and degradation that is essential for cellular health. Dysregulated proteostasis is a common feature of the neuropathological landscape, from fragile X syndrome (<em>1<\/em>) to the neurodegenerative disorders Alzheimer&#8217;s and Parkinson&#8217;s diseases (<em>2<\/em>). On page 843 of this issue, <a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/366\/6467\/843\"><strong>Zhu <\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/366\/6467\/843\"><strong><em>et al.<\/em><\/strong><\/a> (<em>3<\/em>) provide compelling evidence that Down syndrome (DS), the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability, joins the pantheon of neurological disorders in which dysregulated ISR signaling plays a key role.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/366\/6467\/797\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScience: November 15, 2019 \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/stm.sciencemag.org\/content\/11\/516\/eaaz3723\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/Science-featured.jpg?resize=750%2C191&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science featured\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"191\" width=\"750\" title=\"Science featured\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted October 31st, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>A no-nonsense treatment for autism spectrum disorder<\/p>\n\t<p>Mutation of the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay factor Upf2 leads to neurological phenotypes that can be corrected with immunosuppressive drugs in mice.<\/p>\n<p>Many genetic mutations implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are in regulators of mRNA expression, processing, and translation. Among these, copy number variants of the <strong>UP-frameshift 2 (<\/strong><strong><em>UPF2<\/em><\/strong><strong>)<\/strong> gene that regulates <strong>nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD)<\/strong> have been identified in patients with ASD. NMD is responsible for degrading mRNAs with a premature stop codon, an essential quality control mechanism limiting the creation of nonfunctional proteins. <strong>In Johnson\u00a0<\/strong><strong><em>et al<\/em>., researchers identified new\u00a0<em>UPF2<\/em>\u00a0variants in patients with language disorder and intellectual disability and investigated the impact of\u00a0<em>Upf2<\/em>\u00a0mutation in mouse and fly models.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This study provides further understanding of how genetic mutations impacting mRNA and protein processing could lead to the behavioral changes associated with ASD. In the case of\u00a0<em>UPF2<\/em>\u00a0mutations, the pathological driver may be an increased activation of the brain immune system that can be targeted by immunosuppressive drugs. <strong>Now researchers can investigate whether mutations in other NMD regulators result in similar neurological impairments and whether an immunosuppressive strategy is effective in treating patients with these mutations.<\/strong> A limitation of the study is the neuron-specific deletion of\u00a0<em>Upf2<\/em>\u00a0in the mouse model, which does not directly match the global expression of\u00a0<em>UPF2<\/em>\u00a0variants in patients. Nevertheless, this study exemplifies the importance of investigating expression regulators, such as\u00a0<em>Upf2<\/em>, to determine how behavioral phenotypes arise and to identify molecular changes that can be corrected by therapeutic intervention.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/stm.sciencemag.org\/content\/11\/516\/eaaz3723\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tScience translational Medicine \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-019-0608-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/Screen-Shot-2019-10-25-at-3.33.26-PM.png?resize=750%2C530&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-10-25 at 3.33.26 PM\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"530\" width=\"750\" title=\"Screen Shot 2019-10-25 at 3.33.26 PM\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted October 21st, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>New therapeutic strategy may help PTEN mutation symptoms<\/p>\n\t<p>Autism is a developmental disorder that affects 1 in 59 children in the U.S. Mutations in specific genes, such as\u00a0<em>PTEN,\u00a0<\/em>can explain many autism cases.\u00a0While children with mutations in PTEN exhibit autism, macrocephaly (an abnormally large skull), intellectual disability and epilepsy, there are currently no effective treatment options for those affected by this condition.\u00a0But a new study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine offers a potential new approach to therapy.<\/p>\n<p>Published today in\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41591-019-0608-y\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nature Medicine<\/a><\/em>, the study showed that a previously unexplored pathway goes awry in the brain of\u00a0<em>PTEN<\/em>-deficient mice, and its restoration reverses their behavioral and neurophysiological abnormalities. More importantly, the researchers developed a new therapeutic strategy to treat the symptoms associated with\u00a0<em>PTEN<\/em>-deficiency in this mouse model.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>PTEN<\/em>\u00a0is associated with the mTOR signaling pathway, which includes two distinct molecular complexes\u00a0<strong>\u2014<\/strong>\u00a0mTORC1 and mTORC2\u00a0<strong>\u2014\u00a0<\/strong>each one regulating different cellular functions,\u201d said first author <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-alum\">Chien-Ju Chen<\/a><\/strong>, a graduate student in the lab of corresponding author\u00a0Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli, professor of neuroscience and Cullen Foundation Endowed Chair at Baylor College of Medicine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe found that genetically silencing the mTORC1 complex in\u00a0<em>PTEN<\/em>-deficiency mice only resulted in restoration of the size of the brain. It did not affect survival, the behavioral alterations or even the number seizures. <strong>Unexpectedly<\/strong>, genetically silencing mTORC2 complex activity resulted in prolonged lifespan, suppressed seizures, rescue of long-term memory and reduced autism spectrum disorder-like behaviors,\u201d Costa-Mattioli said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Currently, there is no drug that could specifically inhibit mTORC2.<\/strong> Thinking of possible future clinical applications of these findings, the researchers developed an antisense oligonucleotide, a molecule that silences the activity of mTORC2 by preventing the synthesis of one of its defining components.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<strong>Amazingly<\/strong>, when we administered a single injection of the <strong>anti-sense oligonucleotide<\/strong>, we were able to reverse the abnormal behaviors and reduce seizures in Pten-deficient mice,\u201d <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-alum\">Chien-Ju Chen<\/a><\/strong> said.<\/p>\n<p>These findings are important because research efforts have mainly been focused on developing drugs to modulate mTORC1. Costa-Mattioli and his colleagues found that brain size and behavior are regulated by different mTOR complexes and molecular processes. More importantly, they found that mTORC2 is the major driver of the behavioral and other neurological alterations in\u00a0<em>PTEN<\/em>-deficient mice, and their findings suggest that modulation of mTORC2 activity is a promising therapeutic approach.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, mTOR signaling also is altered in other neurological disorders, including epilepsy, tuberous sclerosis, Fragile X syndrome and Alzheimer disease. <strong>Future experiments should determine whether mTORC2 also is the main mTOR complex implicated in these disorders.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Other contributors to this work include Chien-Ju Chen, Martina Sgritta, Jacqunae Mays, Hongyi Zhou, Rocco Lucero, Jin Park, I-Ching Wang, Jun Hyoung Park, Benny Abraham Kaipparettu, Loredana Stoica, Paymaan Jafar-Nejad, Frank Rigo, Jeannie Chin and Jeffrey L. Noebels.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/news\/neuroscience\/strategy-autism-behavioral-abnormalities\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/fulltext\/S0896-6273(19)30733-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/10\/Upf2.jpg?resize=750%2C744&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Upf2\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"744\" width=\"750\" title=\"Upf2\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted October 1st, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Study reveals a new pathway, a potential treatment for neurological disorders<\/p>\n\t<p>Many individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, suffer from these mental conditions without knowing the specific cause. In a multidisciplinary study, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have revealed how dysfunction in a key quality control mechanism leads to neurological dysfunction in humans, mice and files.<\/p>\n<p>Their findings, published in the current edition of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cell.com\/neuron\/fulltext\/S0896-6273(19)30733-0\"><em>Neuron<\/em><\/a>, show that inhibition of nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) cause brain inflammation, and more importantly, that two FDA-approved drugs were able to help reverse the neuronal and behavioral deficits in NMD-deficient animals.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe modeled this in mice lacking Upf2 and saw that not only did they have impaired NMD, but also memory, social and communication behavior deficits, similar to the patients,\u201d said Dr.<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-alum\">Jennifer Johnson<\/a><\/strong>, a former graduate student in the <a href=\"http:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\">MCM lab<\/a>\u00a0at Baylor College of Medicine. \u201cThe function of Upf2 in the brain seems to be evolutionarily conserved because investigators also showed that flies lacking Upf2 showed memory problems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Because the human patients showed language problems, <a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-currentm\"><strong>Yuwei Liu<\/strong><\/a>, a current graduate student in Costa-Mattioli\u2019s lab, studied ultrasonic vocalization, a behavior that\u2019s thought to reflect a type communication in mice, and discovered that mice lacking Upf2 exhibit altered vocalization patterns.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The investigators are excited with their results because they might have discovered a new pathway implicated in <strong>speech and language function<\/strong> and even and new way to treat speech disorders.<\/p>\n<p>However, before discussing the possibility of doing experiments in humans, Costa-Mattioli and his team wish to know how disruption in NMD leads to <strong>an activation of the immune response<\/strong>, and, when the immune system is dampened using drugs, what communication is taking place on the molecular level that then improves or reverses behavioral deficits.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were totally surprised when we found that there was a significant increase in the total number of immune cells in the brain of the mice lacking Upf2,\u201d said Dr. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-alum\">Loredana Stoica<\/a><\/strong>, a former graduate student in the lab of Costa-Mattioli.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe importance of NMD as a key regulator of gene expression required for proper brain function is largely unappreciated,\u201d Costa-Mattioli said. He also wonders whether NMD is implicated in normal aging or other major neurological disorders like Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n<p>While it is far too early to know if these two FDA approved drugs could be quickly repurposed for the treatment of brain disorders with deficient NMD, it remains an interesting possibility.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/news\/neuroscience\/study-reveals-pathway-neurological-disorders\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p>An interpretation piece published in one of the biggest Chinese online scientific community <a href=\"https:\/\/mp.weixin.qq.com\/s?__biz=MzA3MzQyNjY1MQ==&amp;mid=2652476578&amp;idx=4&amp;sn=61c649ce9508cfa85ba1cf7d1290db33&amp;chksm=84e20716b3958e00586615f6c85062a767989640b21c96cb0f880ff651d3c74c3482c5c27f68&amp;scene=21#wechat_redirect\"><em>BioArt<\/em><\/a>: Understanding the role of NMD in the central nervous system<\/p>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted October 15th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/mp.weixin.qq.com\/s?__biz=MzA3MzQyNjY1MQ==&#038;mid=2652476578&#038;idx=4&#038;sn=61c649ce9508cfa85ba1cf7d1290db33&#038;chksm=84e20716b3958e00586615f6c85062a767989640b21c96cb0f880ff651d3c74c3482c5c27f68&#038;scene=21#wechat_redirect\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBioArt Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/gastronauts\/the-gastronauts-podcast\/e\/63041643\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/08\/The-Gastronauts-Podcast.jpg?resize=480%2C270&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The Gastronauts Podcasts\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"270\" width=\"480\" title=\"The Gastronauts Podcast\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn our third episode, Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli, the Director of the Memory and Brain Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, gives us his thoughts on memories and microbes as well as the approaches he uses to push forward into new scientific fields.\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted August 6th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Scientific wandering led by serendipity:<\/p>\n<p>From microbiology to memory to microbial-driven behaviors\u00a0\u2014 &#8220;The best is yet to come&#8221;.<\/p>\n\t<p>In the third episode of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/gastronauts\/the-gastronauts-podcast\/\">The Gastronaut Podcasts<\/a>, &lt;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/podcast\/gastronauts\/the-gastronauts-podcast\/e\/63041643\">Debugging Our Memories<\/a>&gt;, Dr. <a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/\">Mauro Costa-Mattioli<\/a>, the Director of the Memory and Brain Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, gives us his thoughts on memories and microbes as well as the approaches he uses to push forward into new scientific fields.<\/p>\n<p>0:12:30 <b>Peter\u00a0<\/b>(the host): &#8220;What prompted you to go into the microbiome field from being very heavily focused on memory to studying the microbiome?&#8221; <b>MCM<\/b>: &#8220;I would say serendipity. So the project we started actually aimed to look at how diet could affect behaviors&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>0:20:40 <strong>MCM&#8217;s advice to entering graduate students: <\/strong><b>1<\/b>,Trust no one; be vocal when needed. <b>2<\/b>,\u00a0Be curious; take your own initiative. <b>3<\/b>,\u00a0Never get discouraged; PhD training is a marathon, but not a sprint. <b>4<\/b>,\u00a0Learn to fail. <b>5<\/b>,\u00a0Take your project\/experiments seriously; &#8220;give your experiment a chance to be successful&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;From the moment you have a story that is strong and you believe in it, this is where your PhD starts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>0:27:50 <strong>MCM&#8217;s advice to starting investigators:<\/strong> &#8220;Instead of worrying of getting more funding upon starting the lab, instead you should focus on doing your science\/enjoy your science, if the science\/experiment is good, it will bring money, and the money should support more science, which will bring more money&#8230; From the moment that you&#8217;re in the cycle, it&#8217;s nonstop. The first several years when you&#8217;re not yet in the cycle, don&#8217;t get into it until you need to&#8230;&#8221; &#8220;I understand the pressure is massive. The funding is actually getting low. The funding agencies like NIH or the government should increase\/keep up with the support in science&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrom memories to microbes, we\u2019ve got the chance to see how Dr. Costa-Mattioli has not let himself be defined by one particular field. <strong>It was the refusal to let go of an interesting finding that sparked his curiosity that has made it easy for him to push forward into new fields. I feel like we should take this mentality and try invest a little bit of time every month to reflect on what excites us about what we do.<\/strong> Perhaps even write it down or share it with someone. If nothing comes to mind, maybe it\u2019s time to rethink our approach to our work.\u201d<\/p>\n\t<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spectrumnews.org\/features\/deep-dive\/supplements-worms-stool-families-trying-game-gut-treat-autism-traits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Spectrum-img.jpg?resize=750%2C272&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Spectrum img\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"272\" width=\"750\" title=\"Spectrum img\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted June 26th, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Supplements, worms and stool: How families are trying to game the gut to treat autism traits<\/p>\n<p>Scientists are playing catch-up as microbiome-based treatments for autism proliferate.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;.About 19 percent of physicians surveyed in 2009 said they recommend probiotics to the autistic people they treat. An unpublished survey of 100 people found 2 adults trying stool transplants at home for autism.<\/p>\n<p><strong>These unregulated therapies can be costly and unpredictable<\/strong> \u2014 and they pose significant, even life-threatening, risks. <strong>Home-grown stool transplants and parasites, for example, can introduce deadly infections.<\/strong> This month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert about fecal transplants after two recipients contracted an antibiotic-resistant infection and one of them died.<\/p>\n<p>Given the public\u2019s interest in these therapies, researchers should \u201cspeed up the process, as far as investigating and understanding why,\u201d says Chiazotam Ekekezie, who led the survey of 100 people when she was chief medical resident at Rhode Island Hospital at Brown University. &#8216;<strong>Rather than [have] people taking it into their own hands, maybe we can standardize it and make access equitable and safe.&#8217; &#8220;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The mechanisms involved in brain-gut communication are many and layered. The vagus nerve, for example, connects the brainstem to the visceral organs; signaling molecules in the immune system, as well as hormones and neurotransmitters, can all modulate messages traveling back and forth. Costa-Mattioli has focused on a single species of gut bacteria, <i>Lactobacillus<\/i> <i>reuteri<\/i>, found in yogurt and commercial probiotics<i>. <\/i>In 2016, his team found that these bacteria seem to restore sociability in pups born to obese mice.<\/p>\n<p>In a follow-up study last year, the team tested <i>L. reuteri<\/i> in three mouse models raised without a microbiome. Again the bacteria restored the mice\u2019s social behaviors \u2014 but only under certain conditions. &#8216;We were very surprised to find that when we cut the vagus nerve, the bacteria were no longer able to reverse the social deficits,&#8217; Costa-Mattioli says. The mice also did not respond if the researchers knocked out the oxytocin receptors in the brain. Costa-Mattioli speculates that <i>L. reuteri<\/i> produces a metabolite that activates the vagus nerve to promote oxytocin, the \u2018cuddle hormone.\u2019 This hormone then turns on the brain\u2019s reward center for social behavior. Impeding the message at any point along this relay \u2014 from bacteria to metabolite to vagus nerve to oxytocin receptors \u2014 impairs the animals\u2019 sociability, but Costa-Mattioli points out that other microbes may also produce this same factor or metabolite.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.spectrumnews.org\/features\/deep-dive\/supplements-worms-stool-families-trying-game-gut-treat-autism-traits\/\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSpectrum Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cen.acs.org\/biological-chemistry\/microbiome\/gut-might-modify-mind\/97\/i14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-24-at-6.08.15-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C312&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-24 at 6.08.15 PM\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"312\" width=\"750\" title=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-24 at 6.08.15 PM\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/09714-cover-webgraphic.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/09714-cover-webgraphic.jpg?resize=750%2C859&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Source: Adapted from Front. Integr. Neurosci. 2013, DOI: 10.3389\/fnint.2013.00070.\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"859\" width=\"750\" title=\"09714-cover-webgraphic\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSource: Adapted from Front. Integr. Neurosci. 2013, DOI: 10.3389\/fnint.2013.00070.\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted April 8, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>How your gut might modify your mind<\/p>\n<p><em>The microbes that live in your body might be influencing your behavior. Researchers want to know what they\u2019re saying to your brain and how.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230; Other researchers have also noticed the vagus nerve\u2019s link between the gut and the brain. Around 2015, Mauro Costa-Mattioli and his colleagues at Baylor College of Medicine were investigating a link between a mother\u2019s diet and the development of autism in her children when they inadvertently stumbled into gut microbiome research. &#8216;Obesity is a big issue here in the US,&#8217; Costa-Mattioli explains. &#8216;And there are epidemiological studies that actually showed that if the mom is obese, there is a higher possibility of the offspring developing autism.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;To make a long story short, what we discovered is that the maternal diet eliminates a particular bacterium, <i>Lactobacillus reuteri<\/i>, in the offspring&#8217;, Costa-Mattioli explains. Reintroducing the bacterium, either by intervention from the scientists or by the mice eating poop, reverses the social deficit. The scientists also found that the bacterium sends signals from the gut to the brain via the vagus nerve, increasing production of the hormone oxytocin, which promotes social bonding (<i>Cell<\/i> 2016, DOI: <a href=\"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cell.2016.06.001\" shape=\"rect\" title=\"Read the article here: DOI: 10.1016\/j.cell.2016.06.001\">10.1016\/j.cell.2016.06.001<\/a>). &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/cen.acs.org\/biological-chemistry\/microbiome\/gut-might-modify-mind\/97\/i14\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tC&#038;EN Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/TMC-pulse.png?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/TMC-pulse.png?resize=750%2C990&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"990\" width=\"750\" title=\"TMC pulse\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/tmcpulse.uberflip.com\/i\/1099222-april-2019\/19?m4=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-11-at-12.13.59-PM.png?resize=750%2C598&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"598\" width=\"750\" title=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-11 at 12.13.59 PM\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted April 2, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Can this mouse treat Autism?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn this research, we determined that the vagus nerve and the oxytocin-dopamine reward system were both necessary for the social behaviors to be restored,\u201d explained <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/people\/#mcm-menutaget-currentm\">Martina Sgritta<\/a><\/strong>, a postdoctoral associate in the Costa-Mattioli lab at Baylor. \u201cWhen we cut the vagus nerve, the treatment with the bacteria had no effect. When we prevented the oxytocin to bind to its receptors in the specific brain area involved in social reward, the bacteria was not able to have an effect either. So L. reuteri needed both the vagus nerve and the oxytocin receptors to restore the behavior.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>That deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved plays a critical role in analyzing exactly how the bacteria restored social behaviors in the mice models, since increased levels of oxytocin\u2014also known as the \u201clove hormone\u201d\u2014are related to a boost in sociability. <\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/tmcpulse.uberflip.com\/i\/1099222-april-2019\/19?m4=\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTMC Pulse Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/28\/health\/microbiome-brain-behavior-dementia.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/merlin_149740557_bce2a202-e5ca-4439-b9f9-74be76dee727-superJumbo-copy-2.jpg?resize=750%2C875&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"merlin_149740557_bce2a202-e5ca-4439-b9f9-74be76dee727-superJumbo copy 2\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"875\" width=\"750\" title=\"merlin_149740557_bce2a202-e5ca-4439-b9f9-74be76dee727-superJumbo copy 2\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/28\/health\/microbiome-brain-behavior-dementia.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/NYT-2.jpg?resize=750%2C632&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"NYT 2\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"632\" width=\"750\" title=\"NYT 2\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted January 28, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Germs in Your Gut Are Talking to Your Brain. Scientists Want to Know What They\u2019re Saying.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;To study autism, Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli and his colleagues at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston investigated different kinds of mice, each of which display some symptoms of autism. A mutation in a gene called SHANK3 can cause mice to groom themselves repetitively and avoid contact with other mice, for example. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Dr. Costa-Mattioli found evidence that L. reuteri releases compounds that send a signal to nerve endings in the intestines. The vagus nerve sends these signals from the gut to the brain, where they alter production of a hormone called oxytocin that promotes social bonds. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/01\/28\/health\/microbiome-brain-behavior-dementia.html\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe New York Times Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmc.edu\/news\/2018\/12\/can-autism-be-treated-with-a-simple-microbial-based-therapy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-23-at-6.03.13-PM.jpg?resize=750%2C518&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-23 at 6.03.13 PM\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"518\" width=\"750\" title=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-23 at 6.03.13 PM\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/martina-photo-899x1024.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/martina-photo-899x1024.jpg?resize=750%2C854&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"martina-photo-899x1024\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"854\" width=\"750\" title=\"martina-photo-899x1024\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/costa-mattioli-mauro-1410180019450.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/costa-mattioli-mauro-1410180019450.jpg?resize=300%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"costa-mattioli-mauro-1410180019450\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"295\" width=\"300\" title=\"costa-mattioli-mauro-1410180019450\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted December 20, 2018<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Can autism be treated with a simple microbial-based therapy?<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;\u00a0The dream of this unconventional approach is that we would be using this or a similar microbial-based treatment. This particular bacterium, for instance, is considered safe in people and it was already given to infants to treat colic. There are no secondary effects and there is no toxicity. It is non-invasive and, perhaps, could someday just be added to yogurt\u2014or taken in a pill form or, perhaps, with water. It is still extremely early to envision this, but if this were to be true, I think not only will we have to change the way we think about the disease, but also new treatments. Because you\u2019re treating the brain through the gut, which, a few years ago, was sort of unthinkable. But now, it might become a reality. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tmc.edu\/news\/2018\/12\/can-autism-be-treated-with-a-simple-microbial-based-therapy\/\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe TMC News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/20181208_cna400.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/20181208_cna400.jpg?resize=400%2C526&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"20181208_cna400\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"526\" width=\"400\" title=\"20181208_cna400\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2018\/12\/06\/gut-bacteria-may-offer-a-treatment-for-autism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/economist.jpg?resize=750%2C422&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"422\" width=\"750\" title=\"economist\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted December 6, 2018<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Gut bacteria may offer a treatment for autism &#8211; A common probiotic holds the key<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;&#8230;The crucial aspect of this work is L. reuteri\u2019s wide availability\u2014an availability approved by regulators such as America\u2019s Food and Drug Administration. This existing approval, which means L. reuteri poses no known health hazard, simplifies the process of organising clinical trials.<\/p>\n<p>Clearly, autism in people is more complicated than a mere willingness to associate with others. And getting too excited about a mouse trial is usually a mistake. But in Dr. Costa-Mattioli\u2019s view his results, which have been replicated in part by Evan Elliot\u2019s laboratory in Bar-Ilan University, Israel, would justify embarking on at least preliminary trials intended to determine whether L. reuteri has positive effects on people with autism, and might thus be worth pursuing. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2018\/12\/06\/gut-bacteria-may-offer-a-treatment-for-autism\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Economist Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/opinion\/outlook\/article\/Khatiwada-Funding-uncertainty-threatens-11882393.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/SK%E5%89%AF%E6%9C%AC.jpg?resize=565%2C850&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Container with pills\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"850\" width=\"565\" title=\"Container with pills\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted August 17, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Khatiwada: Funding uncertainty threatens addiction research<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;&#8230;As a Ph.D candidate at Baylor College of Medicine, my research seeks to develop a deeper understanding of the brain, including identifying risk factors that make some individuals more susceptible than others to the effects of addictive drugs. These advancements, which will assist in the development of novel therapeutic approaches to prevent drug addiction, are contingent upon robust federal funding of keystone agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF).<\/p>\n<p>Recognizing the critical importance of supporting scientific research, Congress has expressed opposition to the substantial cuts to NIH and NSF proposed in the president&#8217;s fiscal year 2018 budget. Although House lawmakers are showing support for NIH in their draft funding bill, they have proposed cuts to NSF. Any cuts to research would have widespread repercussions, including delayed progress toward life-saving medical advancements.\u00a0&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/opinion\/outlook\/article\/Khatiwada-Funding-uncertainty-threatens-11882393.php\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHouston Chronicle Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bcm.edu\/2016\/07\/25\/a-single-species-of-gut-bacteria-can-reverse-autism-related-social-behavior-in-mice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/buffington_hypothalamus1.jpg?resize=750%2C562&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"562\" width=\"750\" title=\"buffington_hypothalamus1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted July 25, 2016<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>A single species of gut bacteria can reverse autism-related social behavior in mice<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;&#8230;In particular, the researchers believe that their work, which uses a human-sourced bacterial species to promote oxytocin levels and improve social behavioral deficits in deficient mice, could be explored as a probiotic intervention for the treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders in humans.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;This is where the science is unexpectedly leading us. We could potentially see this type of approach developing quite quickly not only for the treatment of ASD but also for other neurodevelopmental disorders; anyway, this is my gut feeling,&#8217; Costa-Mattioli says. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bcm.edu\/2016\/07\/25\/a-single-species-of-gut-bacteria-can-reverse-autism-related-social-behavior-in-mice\/\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/20160618_cuk400.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/20160618_cuk400.jpg?resize=400%2C526&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"20160618_cuk400\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"526\" width=\"400\" title=\"20160618_cuk400\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2016\/06\/18\/gut-feelings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/20160618_STP002_0.jpg?resize=750%2C1001&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"1001\" width=\"750\" title=\"20160618_STP002_0\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted June 18, 2016<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Gut feelings &#8211; The theory that bacteria are involved in some cases of autism gets a boost<\/p>\n\t<p>ONE of the less-known problems of obesity is that obese mothers are 50% more likely than those of normal weight to give birth to children who go on to develop autism. This correlation is perplexing, but some suspect it is connected to differences between the gut bacteria of the overweight and of those who are not. One researcher who thinks this way is Mauro Costa-Mattioli of Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston. He has just published evidence in\u00a0<em>Cell<\/em>\u00a0that, in mice at least, a clear relationship does exist between gut flora, obesity and social behaviour. What is particularly intriguing is that the culprit seems to be a single bacterial species.<\/p>\n<p>Dr Costa-Mattioli and his colleague Shelly Buffington set up a series of experiments, each of which involved feeding 100 female mice a normal diet or a high-fat diet for eight weeks, getting those mice pregnant and then examining both the behaviour and the gut flora of their offspring. To monitor behaviour, the researchers put the pups through tests that measured how long they spent interacting with strangers and with inanimate objects. To study the gut floras, they used a test called ribosomal-RNA sequencing to identify which species the animals\u2019 faeces contained.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.economist.com\/science-and-technology\/2016\/06\/18\/gut-feelings\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Economist Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/persistent-viral-infections-t.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/persistent-viral-infections-t.jpg?resize=180%2C222&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"persistent-viral-infections-t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"222\" width=\"180\" title=\"persistent-viral-infections-t\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-scientist.com\/scientist-to-watch\/mauro-costa-mattioli-memorys-puppeteer-36009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/51943b56-784e-408a-a141-37f83016a20e-stw.jpg?resize=310%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"500\" width=\"310\" title=\"51943b56-784e-408a-a141-37f83016a20e-stw\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted Feburary 1, 2015<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Mauro Costa-Mattioli: Memory\u2019s Puppeteer<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;&#8230;During Mauro Costa-Mattioli\u2019s childhood in rural Uruguay, the government was transitioning from fascism to democracy. \u201cAt the time it was very difficult to pursue science,\u201d he says. Yet he fell in love with biology, and throughout his elementary school years, as a military government ruled the country, Costa-Mattioli spent his time dissecting plants and animals and staring into a microscope. He continued to study microbiology as an undergrad at the University of the Republic in Montevideo, and when he saw the opportunity to go abroad to pursue graduate work, Costa-Mattioli left for France to study the genomic strategies viruses deploy to escape immune attack. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Upon relocating to Canada, Costa-Mattioli heard a talk by Nobel laureate Eric Kandel discussing the as-yet-unknown role of protein synthesis in memory formation. Costa-Mattioli was intrigued and decided that working out the mechanisms of such a phenomenon would help him carve out a niche in the translation world. \u201cAnd I was in the best lab in the world to develop this project,\u201d he says. The only problem? \u201cWe didn\u2019t know anything about neuroscience,\u201d adds Sonenberg.<\/p>\n<p>Costa-Mattioli was not deterred. He reached out to experts to get training in behavior, neurobiology, and electrophysiology, and in 2005, he, Sonenberg, and colleagues provided genetic evidence that protein synthesis is necessary for long-term memory in mice. They then showed that this process is governed by the phosphorylation of a translational regulator, eIF2\u03b1; reducing phosphorylation enhanced memory in mice, and ramping it up impaired memory. &#8216;It was amazing to see: you change a particular amino acid, and you make an animal smart. Or you do the opposite and make it stupid,&#8217; Costa-Mattioli says. &#8216;That is the power of biology.&#8217; &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-scientist.com\/scientist-to-watch\/mauro-costa-mattioli-memorys-puppeteer-36009\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Scientist Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bcm.edu\/2014\/08\/05\/key-process-required-to-weaken-strength-of-synaptic-connections-store-memory-identified\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/new1.png?resize=750%2C573&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"573\" width=\"750\" title=\"new1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted June 21, 2014<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p><strong>Key process required to weaken strength of synaptic connections, store memory identified<\/strong><\/p>\n\t<p><em>Pictured are the authors for the Nature Neuroscience Paper: Dr. Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco, assistant professor; Wei Huang, graduate student; Dr. Shelly A. Buffington, postdoctoral fellow, all in the department of neuroscience.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In a study published in\u00a0<em>Nature Neuroscience<\/em>, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have identified a new model by which LTD \u2013 and related behaviors \u2013 is generated, opening the door to creating new avenues toward treatments for many neurological conditions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe knew that long-term depression (LTD) required the synthesis of new proteins but we didn\u2019t know how the process was regulated or the identify of the newly synthesized proteins. Our study identifies the precise mechanism by which LTD occurs,\u201d said Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli, associate professor of neuroscience at Baylor and senior author on the study.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe found that the translation factor elF2a tightly controls the induction of LTD; reduction of eIF2a activity blocks LTD while its induction triggers LTD,\u201d said Dr. Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco, assistant professor of neuroscience at Baylor and a lead author on the study.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bcm.edu\/2014\/08\/05\/key-process-required-to-weaken-strength-of-synaptic-connections-store-memory-identified\/\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted April 24, 2014<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Baylor College of Medicine celebrates $100 million in Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation grant funding.<\/p>\n\t<p>Symposium highlight:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;<strong>Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli<\/strong>, associate professor of neuroscience. Costa-Mattioli has discovered key signaling pathways that are required for the formation of long-term memory. He is a recipient of an Alkek Award for Pilot Projects in Experimental Therapeutics, a college-wide seed fund to build Baylor expertise and capacity in target validation as well as in preclinical translational research focused on the development of promising therapeutic targets, devices or diagnostic tools. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/news\/general-news\/alkek-foundation-100-million\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/award.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/award.jpg?resize=320%2C240&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"240\" width=\"320\" title=\"award\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe winners include Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli, assistant professor neuroscience; Dr. Martin Matzuk, professor of pathology &#038; immunology; Dr. Jeffrey Noebels, professor of neurology; Dr. Matthew Rasband, professor of neuroscience, and Dr. Thomas &#8220;Trey&#8221; Westbrook, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and molecular and human genetics. \n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted July 12, 2013<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Five DeBakey Excellence in Research Award winners showcase breadth of Baylor College of Medicine research.<\/p>\n\t<p>Five scientists whose recent research demonstrates the breadth and depth of basic science at Baylor College of Medicine received the 2013 Michael E. DeBakey Excellence in Research Award, named in honor of the College\u2019s first president, in ceremonies today.<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; In his most recent paper in Nature Neuroscience, Costa-Mattioli and colleagues discovered that by regulating actin polymerization, the recently discovered mTORC2 complex links structural changes in the neuron that contribute long-term changes required for memory storage. This paper, the first in the memory field to combine mouse and fly genetics, show that mTORC2 decides whether a long-term memory will be stored in the brain. In addition, they have found a small molecule that promotes mTORC2 activity and acts as a &#8220;memory-enhancing drug.\u201d Hence, mTORC2 could be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230; &#8216;To briefly indicate the level at which this work has penetrated the popular consciousness, <strong>it has become an answer on the long-running TV game show Jeopardy! for $1,200,<\/strong> &#8216;M. Costa-Mattioli found a protein that controls memory formation, a possible help for this disease named for a German,&#8221; wrote Dani. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/news\/awards-honors-faculty-staff\/2013-debakey-excellence-in-research-awards\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.j-archive.com\/showgame.php?game_number=6284\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Picture1.jpg?resize=655%2C203&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Picture1\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"203\" width=\"655\" title=\"Picture1\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-17-at-11.31.14-PM.png?ssl=1\" target=\"_self\" itemprop=\"url\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-17-at-11.31.14-PM.png?resize=320%2C372&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-17 at 11.31.14 PM\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"372\" width=\"320\" title=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-17 at 11.31.14 PM\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>Jeopardy \/ Archived Jan 5, 2012<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>The answer is&#8230;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tClick to see the answer\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tAlzheimer&#8217;s\t\n\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.j-archive.com\/showgame.php?game_number=6284\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJeopardy Archive \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted May 4, 2013<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Novel storage mechanism allows command, control of memory<\/p>\n\t<p>Introductions at a party seemingly go in one ear and out the other. However, if you meet someone two or three times during the party, you are more likely to remember his or her name. Your brain has taken a short-term memory &#8211; the introduction &#8211; and converted it into a long-term one. The molecular key to this activity is mTORC2 (mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2), according to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in an article that appeared online in the journal Nature Neuroscience.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Memory consolidation is a fundamental process,&#8221; said Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli, assistant professor of neuroscience at BCM and corresponding author of the report. &#8220;Memories are at the center of our identity. They allow us to remember people, places and events for a long time, even a lifetime. Understanding the precise mechanism by which memories are stored in the brain will lead to the development of new treatments for conditions associated with memory loss&#8221;.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/news\/neurology\/converting-short-to-long-term-memory\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0092867411013754?via%3Dihub\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-17-at-2.00.27-AM.png?resize=750%2C405&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-17 at 2.00.27 AM\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"405\" width=\"750\" title=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-17 at 2.00.27 AM\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/news.yahoo.com\/amphtml\/blogs\/sideshow\/super-memory-pill-possibly-alzheimer-cure-could-around-162010613.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-17-at-2.07.15-AM.png?resize=350%2C102&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-17 at 2.07.15 AM\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"102\" width=\"350\" title=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-17 at 2.07.15 AM\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted December 19, 2011<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>\u201cSuper memory\u201d pill\u2013and possibly an Alzheimer\u2019s cure\u2013could be around the corner<\/p>\n\t<p>Scientists have isolated a gene in mice\u00a0 that works to give them &#8220;super memories&#8221; and reverses the course of several degenerative mental illnesses like Alzheimer&#8217;s. And because of the similarity of mice and human brains, a powerful brain pill for humans may now not be far off.<\/p>\n<p>The brains of both mice and humans release a gene known as PKR, which is triggered by the onset of Alzheimer&#8217;s. But the newly discovered gene can apparently block PKR&#8217;s release&#8211;a development that not only can reverse the course of degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer&#8217;s, but induces a state of &#8220;super memory&#8221; in the mice it has been tested on.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If we were to find an inhibitor, a molecule, a drug that will specifically block PKR, we should be able to do the same [in humans],&#8221; Maura Costa-Mattioli, who led the research study at Baylor College of Medicine, told the Vancouver Sun. &#8220;And we did.&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/22153080\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tYahoo News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted February\u00a011, 2011<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Pharmacogenetics reveal key memory protein complex.<\/p>\n\t<p>Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine have provide the first direct genetic evidence that a complex of proteins known as mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) plays a crucial role in memory formation.<\/p>\n<p>The findings, which could have implications in treating those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and a wide range of cognitive memory disorders, can be found in the current edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In the study we use a drug called rapamycin. We have known that this drug could reduce brain activity that strengthens long-term memory and can partially block long-term memory,&#8221;said Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli, assistant professor of neuroscience at BCM and the senior author of the study. &#8220;However the effect of the drug could be non-specific. In addition, the evidence that mTORC1 promotes long-term memory and enhances the connection between brain cells has been controversial.&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcm.edu\/news\/genetics\/key-memory-protein-complex-revealed\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBCM News Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Untitled-copy.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Untitled-copy.jpg?resize=750%2C788&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Untitled copy\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"788\" width=\"750\" title=\"Untitled copy\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/11.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/11.jpg?resize=750%2C1125&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"11\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"1125\" width=\"750\" title=\"11\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Untitled-1.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Untitled-1.jpg?resize=750%2C500&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Untitled\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"500\" width=\"750\" title=\"Untitled\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted November 6, 2008<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Mauro Costa-Mattioli was awarded the Eppendorf and <em>Science<\/em> Prize for Neurobiology.<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;<strong>2008 Grand Prize winner: Mauro Costa-Mattioli\u00a0<\/strong>for his essay &#8220;<em>Switching Memories ON and OFF.<\/em>&#8220;<\/p>\n<p>DR. Costa-Mattioli received his bachelor&#8217;s degree in biology from the University of the Republic, Montevideo, Uruguay. In 1998, he was offered an opportunity to continue his studies in France, where he received his master&#8217;s degree (dipl\u00f4me universitaire) from Pierre and Marie Curie University, Paris, and his Ph.D. from the University of Nantes under the supervision of Sylviane Billaudel. During his graduate work, he studied genetic variability of positive-stranded RNA viruses. In 2002, he joined the laboratory of Nahum Sonenberg at McGill University, Montreal, as a postdoctoral fellow. His work defined the role of translational (protein synthesis) control in long-lasting synaptic plasticity and memory formation. In the summer of 2008, he joined the faculty at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, as an assistant professor of neuroscience. Using multidisciplinary approaches, Dr. Costa-Mattioli&#8217;s laboratory studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying long-term synaptic plasticity, learning and memory, and related neurological disorders.&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/corporate.eppendorf.com\/fileadmin\/Main\/Company\/Awards\/Global_Award\/2008_Poster_Mattioli.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEppendorf Award Poster \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/322\/5903\/874.full\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/F1.medium.gif?resize=317%2C404&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"F1.medium\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"404\" width=\"317\" title=\"F1.medium\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/vigeland.caltech.edu\/ist4\/lectures\/funes%20borges.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Funes-the-Memorious.jpg?resize=516%2C700&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Funes the Memorious\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"700\" width=\"516\" title=\"Funes the Memorious\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p>Switching Memory ON and OFF.<\/p>\n\t<p><em>by Mauro Costa-Mattioli.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Ireneo Funes, the fictional main character in Jorge Luis Borges&#8217; short story \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Funes_the_Memorious\">Funes el Memorioso<\/a>,\u201d could remember in vivid detail every day of his life after he was thrown from a wild horse at a ranch in Fray Bentos, Uruguay. He had acquired a prodigious ability to store new information without any practice. Unlike Funes [and real &#8216;autistic savants&#8217;], who could store information with a glance, most people learn new things only after many attempts. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;If making new proteins is the rate-limiting step required to store new long-lasting memories, how is this process turned on? If one were able to identify the triggering mechanism and switch it on, then stimulation normally eliciting short-lasting changes should evoke long-lasting ones. Could an increase in the ability to make new proteins explain extraordinarily long-lasting memories? &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230; As &#8216;Ireneo Funes died in 1889&#8217;, we shall never know whether eIF2\u03b1 activity was exceptionally low in his brain; however, it remains a possibility. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/322\/5903\/874.full\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSwitching Memory ON and OFF @Science Magazine \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/cencover8536.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/cencover8536.jpg?resize=115%2C144&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"cencover8536\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"144\" width=\"115\" title=\"cencover8536\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/cen\/coverstory\/85\/8536cover.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/8536cov1_opencxd.jpg?resize=300%2C214&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Courtesy of Nahum Sonenberg\/McGill University.\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"214\" width=\"300\" title=\"8536cov1_opencxd\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCourtesy of Nahum Sonenberg\/McGill University.\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted September 3, 2007<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Hold That Thought.<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;&#8230; WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME you misplaced your car in a parking lot? Gave you a bit of a scare, didn&#8217;t it? What about when you blanked on the name of a longtime friend\u2014did you wonder if you were showing the first signs of Alzheimer&#8217;s disease? These are not trivial fears. Memory is as vital to your trip to the grocery store as it is to your role at work and to your very personality. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Researchers have discovered multiple genetic and pharmacological techniques to improve memory, an accomplishment that will no doubt capture the attention of an aging population (see page 22). They have also determined what happens when memory malfunctions. These findings could one day enable physicians to cure learning disabilities or to erase the unbearable memories associated with posttraumatic stress disorder. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/cen\/coverstory\/85\/8536cover.html\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tC&#038;EN Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Picture-002.jpg?ssl=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Picture-002.jpg?resize=750%2C1000&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"in lab vs in news @ McGill 2007\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"1000\" width=\"750\" title=\"Picture 002\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tin lab vs in news @ McGill 2007\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/news\/2007\/04\/05\/scientists_find_key_to_memory.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/TS.jpg?resize=750%2C489&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Dr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli is one of the researchers at McGill University who have discovered a gene which improves the memory of mice, a discovery which may lead to better treatment for humans.\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"489\" width=\"750\" title=\"TS\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tDr. Mauro Costa-Mattioli is one of the researchers at McGill University who have discovered a gene which improves the memory of mice, a discovery which may lead to better treatment for humans.\n\t<p><em>In the News \/ Posted April 5, 2007<\/em><\/p>\n\t<p>Scientists find key to memory.<\/p>\n\t<p>&#8220;Memory has been called &#8216;the sublime miracle&#8217; of the mind \u2013 and a team of Canadian scientists believes it has pinpointed what may be the molecular master switch that underlies our ability for long-term recall.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s more, they hope their discovery will lead to a drug that can help people with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease and other forms of dementia, whose ability to remember is increasingly impaired.<\/p>\n<p>The researchers, led by molecular biologist Nahum Sonenberg of McGill University, discovered that laboratory mice with a mutation to a certain gene have an enhanced ability to learn and remember compared to normal mice.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230; &#8216;If such a pill could be generated, it might provide a new method for treating people with memory-related diseases such as Alzheimer&#8217;s,&#8217; said Mauro Costa-Mattioli, a senior postdoctoral fellow in Sonenberg&#8217;s lab. &#8216;While a drug that worked in this way wouldn&#8217;t cure the disease itself, it might rescue the symptoms of memory loss.&#8217; &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestar.com\/news\/2007\/04\/05\/scientists_find_key_to_memory.html\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tToronto Star Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2007\/04\/05\/AR2007040500930.html?noredirect=on\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" itemprop=\"url\">\n\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/04\/Screen-Shot-2019-04-18-at-8.26.30-AM.png?resize=392%2C66&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-18 at 8.26.30 AM\" itemprop=\"image\" height=\"66\" width=\"392\" title=\"Screen Shot 2019-04-18 at 8.26.30 AM\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\"  \/>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p>Genetic Mutation Boosts Memory<\/p>\n\t<p>\u201cWorking with mice, lead researcher Mauro Costa-Mattioli, a postgraduate fellow at McGill University in Montreal, and colleagues found that rodents that had a defective version of a gene that produces a memory-blocking protein could learn and remember tasks faster than normal mice.\u00a0\u2018We discovered a protein that is called eIF2a that, when mutated, mice have an enhanced memory,&#8221; Mattioli said. &#8220;We hope that this could be a good target to develop a compound that will mimic this mutation, and we can enhance memory in humans,\u2019 he said. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230; for most people, it might take several times to memorize everything. &#8216;But if a human had the same mutation, one would be able to remember it after one reading,&#8217; he said. &#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;Mattioli thinks that finding a way to get the same memory-enhancing effect in humans could benefit patients with memory loss, including Alzheimer&#8217;s patients. &#8216;We wouldn&#8217;t cure Alzheimer&#8217;s, but, hopefully, we can rescue the memory deficit, which is associated with the disease,&#8217; he said.<\/p>\n<p>One expert thinks this discovery could be important in understanding memory loss in Alzheimer&#8217;s disease.\u00a0&#8216;Many researchers are pursuing the hypothesis that memory loss in Alzheimer&#8217;s disease is caused by defects in the complicated machinery controlling the formation of synapses &#8212; the critical connections between nerve cells that define functional circuits,&#8217; said Greg M. Cole, associate director of the UCLA Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease Research Center, and a professor of medicine and neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles.\u00a0&#8230;&#8221;<\/p>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-dyn\/content\/article\/2007\/04\/05\/AR2007040500930.html?noredirect=on\" target=\"_blank\" role=\"button\" rel=\"noopener\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Washington Post Original Article \u00bb\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/\">Costa-Mattioli Lab<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/altoslabs.com\/\">Altos Labs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a9\u00a02023 The MCM lab all rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>Website contents curated by MCM, Yuwei Liu and Christina Myhre<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\t\t\t\t&lt;![CDATA[<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t]]&gt;\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":32,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-126","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>In the News - The MCM Laboratory<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The latest news about the Costa-Mattioli lab work. C&amp;EN: How your gut might modify your mindThe microbes that live in your body might be influencing your behavior. Researchers want to know what they\u2019re saying to your brain and how.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/costamattiolilab.org\/news\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In the News - The MCM Laboratory\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The latest news about the Costa-Mattioli lab work. C&amp;EN: How your gut might modify your mindThe microbes that live in your body might be influencing your behavior. 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