NOMPC Ion Channel Hinge Forms Gating Spring to Initiate Mechanosensation Academic Background Mechanosensation is the process by which organisms perceive external mechanical stimuli and convert them into electrical signals. This process plays a crucial role in touch, hearing, gravity perception, and the movement of internal organs and limbs. The ini...

Pathological Link Between Kidney Disease and Parkinson’s Disease Academic Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in the brain, forming Lewy bodies (LBs) and Lewy neurites (LNs). In recent years, increasing evidence suggests that the pathological agg...

Aberrant Splicing in Huntington’s Disease Accompanies Disrupted TDP-43 Activity and Altered m6A RNA Modification Academic Background Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. The disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene, leading to ab...

Study on the Hypothalamus-Habenula Circuit Regulating Risk Preference Academic Background In complex and uncertain environments, animals need to assess risks to make survival-favorable decisions. When faced with safe and risky options, animals usually exhibit a strong preference for one option, which remains consistent over time. However, how this ...

Large field-of-view, single-cell-resolution two- and three-photon microscope for deep and wide imaging Research Background and Problem Statement Multiphoton microscopy (MPM) is a powerful tool for deep tissue imaging, especially in the study of brain function in vivo. However, while traditional two-photon microscopy (2PM) can achieve a larger imagi...

Functional Segregation of Dopaminergic Neural Circuits and Their Developmental Mechanisms Academic Background Dopamine is a crucial neurotransmitter in the brain, regulating various physiological functions, including motor control, emotional regulation, motivation, learning, and memory. Dopaminergic neurons are primarily located in the midbrain, an...

Academic Background In the mammalian neocortex, somatostatin (SST)-expressing neurons are a major class of inhibitory interneurons that exhibit diversity in electrophysiology and morphology, and are involved in various cognitive functions such as learning, memory, and sensory processing. However, despite extensive research on the diversity of SST n...

Neuropathic Changes in Pancreatic Cancer Academic Background Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal cancers today, characterized by late diagnosis and high aggressiveness. Despite some progress in diagnosis and treatment in recent years, the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer remains extremely low, at only around 12%. The pathogenes...

Academic Background Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases characterized primarily by behavioral changes, language impairment, or motor dysfunction. Although the incidence of FTD is lower than that of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), it remains one of the leading causes of early-onset dementia. The molecular bas...

Therapeutic Potential of ASO-Mediated MSH3 Suppression in Huntington’s Disease Academic Background Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by abnormal expansion of the CAG repeat sequence in the huntingtin gene (HTT). This expanded CAG repeat continues to expand somatically over time, driving the onset and progression of th...