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University of Maryland School of Medicine Researchers Contribute to Landmark Brain Cell Atlas for Disease Understanding

University of Maryland School of Medicine Researchers Contribute to Landmark Brain Cell Atlas for Disease Understanding

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), specifically its Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS), have played a critical role in developing the first-ever comprehensive, multi-species atlas of basal ganglia cell types. This atlas, released by a large group of scientists from over 50 institutions, includes data from humans, macaques, marmosets, and mice. The UMSOM team contributed by developing the NeMO Archive (Neuroscience Multi-Omic Archive), a research tool designed to make scientific data openly accessible, discoverable, and integrable across multiple studies and technologies. The NeMO Archive now houses genomic, transcriptomic, epigenomic, and spatial transcriptomic data from more than 50 million brain cells. This landmark effort, funded by the National Institute of Health’s Brain Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN), aims to elucidate the roles different cells play in brain diseases like schizophrenia, Parkinson’s disease, and addiction.

BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network Unveils Comprehensive Multi-Species Brain Atlas, Advancing Neurodegenerative Disease Research

BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network Unveils Comprehensive Multi-Species Brain Atlas, Advancing Neurodegenerative Disease Research

An international collaboration involving dozens of labs and hundreds of scientists across nine countries and 50 institutions has released a comprehensive multi-species cellular atlas of the basal ganglia. This massive undertaking, part of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN), includes data from over 29 million cells from human, macaque, and marmoset brains. The atlas, detailed in a package of 27 studies published in Cell Press journals, provides an unprecedented level of detail on how aging unfolds across brain regions, cell types, and sexes. Researchers, including a team led by Arizona State University, focused on analyzing 5.3 million individual brain cells from 55 rhesus macaques to map aging processes. The basal ganglia, a network of deep brain structures crucial for movement, habit formation, decision-making, and emotion, are central to this research due to their links to conditions like Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. This atlas serves as a f...

International Research Collaboration Unveils Detailed Basal Ganglia Atlas, Advancing Brain Disorder Research

International Research Collaboration Unveils Detailed Basal Ganglia Atlas, Advancing Brain Disorder Research

An international research collaboration has published a large cellular atlas of the basal ganglia, a critical network of brain structures involved in movement, habit formation, and decision-making. This atlas, part of the NIH BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network, integrates data from 25.5 million cells across human, macaque, and marmoset brains, including approximately 21 million human cells. The project combines measurements of gene activity, DNA regulation, cell location, and electrical behavior to create a comprehensive reference. The basal ganglia have been extensively studied in relation to conditions such as Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, addiction, and schizophrenia. The atlas aims to help researchers identify specific cell types and circuits that may be involved in these disorders, providing a foundational map for future investigations. The findings were released as a package of 27 studies in Cell Press journals.

UC Irvine Researchers Unveil Multiscale Spatial Atlas of Human Basal Ganglia, Highlighting Species-Specific Gene Gradients

UC Irvine Researchers Unveil Multiscale Spatial Atlas of Human Basal Ganglia, Highlighting Species-Specific Gene Gradients

Researchers at UC Irvine have published a new study in Cell revealing a multiscale spatial atlas of the human basal ganglia. This comprehensive atlas combines Stereo-seq and MERFISH+ technologies to map approximately 7.9 million cells from four human donors, identifying 60 distinct cell types. A significant finding is that 97.2% of genes exhibiting a dorsolateral-to-ventromedial expression gradient in the human striatum are enriched toward the ventromedial region, a stark contrast to the 73% observed in mice. The team profiled around 70,000 genes across 3.2 million cells, uncovering spatially organized molecular communities within key brain regions such as the caudate, putamen, nucleus accumbens, and globus pallidus. Beyond cell type mapping, the atlas details molecular gradients and patterns of striosome-matrix organization, highlighting both conserved and species-specific features across humans, macaques, marmosets, and mice. This research is part of the NIH BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN).

Scientists Unveil Landmark Cellular Atlas of Brain's Basal Ganglia, Advancing Neurological Research

Scientists Unveil Landmark Cellular Atlas of Brain's Basal Ganglia, Advancing Neurological Research

An international collaboration involving dozens of labs and hundreds of scientists across nine countries and over 50 institutions has unveiled the most detailed and comprehensive multi-species cellular atlas of the basal ganglia. This expansive library of brain cell types and datasets, spanning human, macaque, marmoset, and mouse brains, was published in a package of 26 studies in the Cell Press family of journals. Researchers utilized advanced single-cell molecular profiling technologies to measure the genetic expression of 25.5 million individual cells, including 21.0 million from humans. This effort represents the first major working model of a standardized, cross-species brain cell reference atlas. The basal ganglia, a set of structures deep within the brain, are crucial for movement, habit formation, decision-making, and emotion, and are implicated in conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and addiction. This atlas is also the first major output of ...

UT San Antonio Hosts International Conferences Advancing Dementia and Stroke Research

UT San Antonio Hosts International Conferences Advancing Dementia and Stroke Research

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) recently hosted two international brain health conferences from October 5-10, bringing together researchers from around the world. These conferences focused on the biological processes underlying Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, and stroke. The events aimed to strengthen collaborations among scientists to translate scientific discoveries into improved diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies. Nearly 100 speakers, including almost 30 researchers from UT San Antonio, participated, underscoring the university's significant role in advancing research into brain aging and neurological diseases. The meetings highlighted the opportunities and challenges in brain health research, emphasizing the need for continued efforts to turn scientific findings into better patient care.

Representative Gus Bilirakis Participates in Parkinson's Advisory Council Meeting, Emphasizing Research Partnerships

Representative Gus Bilirakis Participates in Parkinson's Advisory Council Meeting, Emphasizing Research Partnerships

Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) was among several Congressional Champions who provided opening remarks at the third public meeting of the Advisory Council on Parkinson’s Research, Care, and Services (ACPRCS) in Washington, D.C., on November 9, 2026. The meeting focused on accelerating progress in Parkinson's disease (PD) and related disorders through partnerships across government, research institutions, nonprofit organizations, industry, and the Parkinson’s community. Bilirakis, alongside Representative Paul Tonko (NY-20), Senator Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Senator Chris Murphy (CT), and former U.S. Representative Jennifer Wexton (VA 10), stressed the importance of establishing clear, measurable goals within the National Plan to End Parkinson’s and ensuring access to care. Key discussions at the meeting included translating scientific discoveries into new diagnostic and treatment options, improving understanding of PD biology and genetic risk, building more efficient clinical trials, and leveraging p...

Banner Alzheimer's Institute Celebrates 20 Years of Pioneering Research and Patient Care

Banner Alzheimer's Institute Celebrates 20 Years of Pioneering Research and Patient Care

Banner Alzheimer's Institute is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of significant contributions to Alzheimer's research, prevention, treatment, and care. Established in 2006, the institute has grown from its Phoenix origins into an internationally recognized leader in neurological conditions, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Its mission focuses on ending Alzheimer's, establishing new standards of care, and fostering biomedical collaboration. The institute has played a crucial role in advancing therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Alzheimer's and related dementias. Key achievements include pioneering prevention trials, developing groundbreaking biomarker blood tests for early detection, and implementing scalable programs to return Alzheimer's risk results directly to patients. Banner Health, a nonprofit health system, emphasizes making cutting-edge science accessible to everyday people, including underserved populations, through community programs ...

Allen Institute Leads Global Effort to Create 'Rosetta Stone' for Brain Cells, Advancing Neurological Disease Research

Allen Institute Leads Global Effort to Create 'Rosetta Stone' for Brain Cells, Advancing Neurological Disease Research

The Seattle-based Allen Institute has played a pivotal role in a global consortium of 56 institutions across nine countries to develop a 'biological Rosetta Stone' for brain cells. This initiative, part of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN), aims to create a shared system for naming and describing cells in the basal ganglia across different species. The basal ganglia, a critical brain region, controls movement, emotions, motivation, and habits, and is implicated in disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and Parkinson's disease. The research, published in a special issue of the journal Cell, involved analyzing 25.5 million brain cells, including 21 million human cells. Researchers utilized various techniques such as RNA sequencing, epigenomic studies, and electrical activity measurements to gather insights. Michael Hawrylycz, a principal investigator at the Allen Institute, highlighted the necessity of this groundwork for significant progress in understanding this complex brain region....

Mass General Brigham Researchers Highlight Tailored iPSC-Based Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Mass General Brigham Researchers Highlight Tailored iPSC-Based Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases

Researchers at Mass General Brigham have emphasized that induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases must be tailored to the specific biology of each condition. Their review, spanning 20 years of iPSC research, indicates that a single therapeutic strategy is unlikely to be effective for all neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The research highlights that PD is the most advanced model for neuronal replacement due to its well-defined cell loss, while HD, AD, and ALS present more complex challenges requiring combinations of cell replacement, cellular support, immune modulation, or engineered therapeutic delivery. The study also focuses on the critical period after cell delivery, referred to as a 'biological black box,' where factors like injury, immune responses, tissue remodeling, and integration significantly influence the fate of transplanted cells...

Roche Initiates Phase II Clinical Trial for Alzheimer's Drug Targeting Neuroinflammation

Roche Initiates Phase II Clinical Trial for Alzheimer's Drug Targeting Neuroinflammation

Roche has announced the initiation of a new Phase II clinical trial, TARBELA-AD, to evaluate RG6434, an investigational oral NLRP3 inhibitor, for early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. This study is part of Roche's broader strategy to address Alzheimer's by targeting various biological mechanisms, specifically focusing on neuroinflammation as a key driver of pathology in addition to amyloid aggregation. The announcement was made in anticipation of the 19th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) Congress in Boston, scheduled from November 16-19, 2026. According to Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., Roche’s Chief Medical Officer, this trial aims to test additional therapeutic hypotheses to potentially halt or prevent disease progression, complementing their ongoing trontinemab programs. Roche's diagnostics division is also expanding access to earlier and more accurate Alzheimer's diagnosis through its blood-based biomarker portfolio, including the FDA-cleared Elecsys pTau217 and Elecsys pTau181 tests.

Genentech and Roche to Present New Alzheimer's Disease Data at CTAD 2026, Highlighting Multi-pronged Therapeutic and Diagnostic Approaches

Genentech and Roche to Present New Alzheimer's Disease Data at CTAD 2026, Highlighting Multi-pronged Therapeutic and Diagnostic Approaches

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announced it will present new data from its Alzheimer's disease portfolio at the 19th Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) Congress in Boston from November 16-19, 2026. The presentations will cover advancements in both pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, emphasizing a comprehensive strategy to address Alzheimer's. Key pharmaceutical updates include new Phase Ib/IIa Brainshuttle™ AD study data for trontinemab, demonstrating rapid amyloid removal, and the design specifics for the Phase III PrevenTRON study of trontinemab in preclinical Alzheimer's. Additionally, Genentech and Roche are initiating a new Phase II clinical trial, TARBELA-AD, to evaluate the investigational oral NLRP3 inhibitor RG6434, which targets neuroinflammation. On the diagnostic front, Roche will present global clinical and health economic data for its Elecsys® pTau217 and Elecsys pTau181 blood tests, supporting earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. These efforts reflect ...