Snapshot of Science for April 2019

Welcome to our Snapshot of Science for April 2019

Welcome to the April 2019 edition of Snapshot of Science. Here's a quick look at some recent publications, press releases and stories about the Mass General Research Institute community.

In this issue we highlight:

28 new studies published in high impact journals, along with 21 summaries submitted by the research teams
21 new research-related press releases from the Mass General Public Affairs office
9 posts from the Mass General Research Institute blog

Publications

C. ELEGANS CAN HARVEST MOCO
Molybdenum Cofactor Transfer from Bacteria to Nematode Mediates Sulfite Detoxification
Warnhoff, K, Ruvkun G.
Published in Nature Chemical Biology on March 25, 2019 | *Summary available

IDENTIFYING HOMOLOGOUS FUNCTIONAL REGIONS IN THE BRAIN
Performing Group-level Functional Image Analyses Based on Homologous Functional Regions Mapped in Individuals
Li M, Wang D, Ren J, Langs G, Stoecklein S [et al.], Liu H.
Published in PLOS Biology on March 25, 2019 | *Summary available

REMOVING TOXIC TAU PROTEINS IN DEMENTIA
Targeted Degradation of Aberrant Tau in Frontotemporal Dementia Patient-derived Neuronal Cell Models
Silva MC, Ferguson FM, Cai Q, Donovan KA, Nandi G [et al.], Haggarty SJ.
Published in eLife on March 25, 2019 | *Summary available

PRIMING BRAIN TUMORS FOR NANOPARTICLE UPTAKE
Radiation-induced Targeted Nanoparticle-based Gene Delivery for Brain Tumor Therapy
Erel-Akbaba G, Carvalho LA, Tian T, Zinter M, Akbaba H [et al.], Tannous BA.
Published in ACS Nano on March 27, 2019 | *Summary available

USING PET TO IDENTIFY FIBROGENESIS
68Ga-NODAGA-Indole: An Allysine-Reactive Positron Emission Tomography Probe for Molecular Imaging of Pulmonary Fibrogenesis
Wahsner J, Désogère P, Abston E, Graham-O'Regan KA, Wang J [et al.], Caravan P.
Published in Journal of the American Chemical Society on March 27, 2019 | *Summary available

PRIORITIZING GREATER DIVERSITY IN GENETIC STUDIES
Clinical Use of Current Polygenic Risk Scores May Exacerbate Health Disparities
Martin AR, Kanai M, Kamatani Y, Okada Y, Neale BM [et al.], Daly M.
Published in Nature Genetics on March 29, 2019 | *Summary available

DECODING DEPTH PROCESSING IN HUMANS AND MONKEYS
Areal Differences in Depth Cue Integration Between Monkey and Human
Armendariz M, Ban H, Welchman AE, Vanduffel W.
Published in PLOS Biology on March 29, 2019

MAPPING GENE EXPRESSION WITHIN INTACT TISSUE SECTIONS
Slide-seq: A Scalable Technology for Measuring Genome-wide Expression at High Spatial Resolution
Rodriques SG, Stickels RR, Goeva A, Martin CA, Murray E [et al.], Macosko EZ.
Published in Science on March 29, 2019 | *Summary available

NEW INSIGHTS INTO ASTHMA PREVENTION
Association of Rhinovirus C Bronchiolitis and Immunoglobulin E Sensitization During Infancy with Development of Recurrent Wheeze
Hasegawa K, Mansbach JM, Bochkov YA, Gern JE, Piedra PA [et al.], Camargo CA Jr.
Published in JAMA Pediatrics on April 1, 2019 | *Summary available

EXPLORING NEW TECHNIQUES TO IDENTIFY TUMOR-DERIVED EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES
Methods for Systematic Identification of Membrane Proteins for Specific Capture of Cancer-derived Extracellular Vesicles
Zaborowski MP, Lee K, Na YJ, Sammarco A, Zhang X [et al.], Breakefield XO.
Published in Cell Reports on April 2, 2019 | *Summary available

HOW ELITE CONTROLLERS ARE ABLE TO STOP THE PROGRESSION OF HIV
HIV Controllers Exhibit Effective CD8+ T Cell Recognition of HIV-1-Infected Non-activated CD4+ T Cells
Monel B, McKeon A, Lamothe-Molina P, Jani P, Boucau J [et al.], Walker BD.
Published in Cell Reports on April 2, 2019 | *Summary available

BALANCING SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF HIV TREATMENT FOR WOMEN OF CHILD-BEARING AGE
Risks and Benefits of Dolutegravir- and Efavirenz-based Strategies for South African Women with HIV of Child-Bearing Potential: A Modeling Study
Dugdale CM, Ciaranello AL, Bekker LG, Stern ME, Myer L [et al.], Walensky RP.
Published in Annals of Internal Medicine on April 2, 2019 | *Summary available

IMPROVING THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY OF DEEP-BRAIN STIMULATION
Deep Brain Stimulation of the Internal Capsule Enhances Human Cognitive Control and Prefrontal Cortex Function
Widge AS, Zorowitz S, Basu I, Paulk AC, Cash SS [et al.], Dougherty DD.
Published in Nature Communications on April 4, 2019

INVESTIGATING MECHANISMS BEHIND AUTOPHAGY AND DETERMINING ITS EFFECTS
Mitochondrial Permeability Uncouples Elevated Autophagy and Lifespan Extension
Zhou B, Kreuzer J, Kumsta C, Wu L, Kamer KJ [et al.], Soukas AA.
Published in Cell on April 4, 2019 | *Summary available

DISCOVERING MYELOID CELLS IN LUNG CANCER
Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Human and Mouse Lung Cancers Reveals Conserved Myeloid Populations Across Individuals and Species
Zilionis R, Engblom C, Pfirschke C, Savova V, Zemmour D [et al.], Pittet MJ.
Published in Immunity on April 5, 2019 | *Summary available

MISFOLDED PROTEIN TRIGGERS ACTIVATION OF SKN-1A
Endoplasmic Reticulum-associated SKN-1A/Nrf1 Mediates a Cytoplasmic Unfolded Protein Response and Promotes Longevity
Lehrbach NJ, Ruvkun G.
Published in eLife on April 11, 2019 | *Summary available

NEW BENCHMARK FOR OVERALL SURVIVAL IN ROS1-REARRANGED ADVANCED NON-SMALL-CELL LUNG CANCER
Crizotinib in ROS1-rearranged Advanced Non-small-cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Updated Results, Including Overall Survival, from PROFILE 1001
Shaw AT, Riely GJ, Bang YJ, Kim DW, Camidge DR [et al.], Ou SI.
Published in Annals of Oncology on April 13, 2019

SURVIVAL BENEFITS OF EARLY LIVER TRANSPLANTATION
Model to Calculate Harms and Benefits of Early vs Delayed Liver Transplantation for Patients with Alcohol-associated Hepatitis
Lee BP, Samur S, Dalgic OO, Bethea ED, Lucey MR [et al.], Chhatwal J.
Published in Gastroenterology on April 15, 2019

A NEW METHOD TO CALCULATE GENETIC RISK SCORES
Polygenic Prediction via Bayesian Regression and Continuous Shrinkage Priors
Ge T, Chen CY, Ni Y, Feng YA, Smoller JW.
Published in Nature Communications on April 16, 2019 | *Summary available

EVALUATING EFFICACY OF WORKPLACE WELLNESS PROGRAMS
Effect of a Workplace Wellness Program on Employee Health and Economic Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Song Z, Baicker K.
Published in JAMA on April 16, 2019 | *Summary available

REVIEWING MECHANISMS BEHIND DISRUPTIONS OF RNA BINDING PROTEINS
Disruption of RNA Metabolism in Neurological Diseases and Emerging Therapeutic Interventions
Nussbacher JK, Tabet R, Yeo GW, Lagier-Tourenne C.
Published in Neuron on April 17, 2019 | *Summary available

CRISPR BASE EDITORS FOUND TO INDUCE OFF-TARGET EFFECTS
Transcriptome-wide Off-target RNA Editing Induced By CRISPR-guided DNA Base Editors
Grünewald J, Zhou R, Garcia SP, Iyer S, Lareau CA [et al.], Joung JK.
Published in Nature on April 17, 2019

DISCOVERING CAUSES OF PROTEASOME DYSFUNCTION
Protein Sequence Editing of SKN-1A/Nrf1 by Peptide: N-Glycanase Controls Proteasome Gene Expression
Lehrbach NJ, Breen PC, Ruvkun G.
Published in Cell on April 18, 2019 | *Summary available

CALCULATING GENETIC RISK FOR OBESITY
Polygenic Prediction of Weight and Obesity Trajectories from Birth to Adulthood
Khera AV, Chaffin M, Wade KH, Zahid S, Brancale J [et al.], Kathiresan S.
Published in Cell on April 18, 2019 | *Summary available

INVESTIGATING CELLS INVOLVED IN SUBJECTIVE DECISION-MAKING
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Neurons Mediate Subjective Decisions and Their Variation in Humans
Jamali M, Grannan B, Haroush K, Moses ZB, Eskandar EN [et al.], Williams ZM.
Published in Nature Neuroscience on April 22, 2019 | *Summary available

MEDICALLY-TAILORED MEALS ASSOCIATED WITH FEWER HOSPITALIZATIONS
Association Between Receipt of a Medically Tailored Meal Program and Health Care Use
Berkowitz SA, Terranova J, Randall L, Cranston K, Waters DB, Hsu J.
Published in JAMA Internal Medicine on April 22, 2019

ANALYZING SINGLE-CELL EPIGENOMIC DATA USING STREAM
Single-cell Trajectories Reconstruction, Exploration and Mapping of Omics Data with STREAM
Chen H, Albergante L, Hsu JY, Lareau CA, Lo Bosco G [et al.], Pinello L.
Published in Nature Communications on April 23, 2019

VISUALIZING EFFICACY OF PERSONALIZED CANCER TREATMENTS
Visualizing Engrafted Human Cancer and Therapy Responses in Immunodeficient Zebrafish
Yan C, Brunson DC, Tang Q, Do D, Iftima NA [et al.], Langenau D.
Published in Cell on April 25, 2019 | *Summary available

Summaries

C. ELEGANS CAN HARVEST MOCO
Molybdenum Cofactor Transfer from Bacteria to Nematode Mediates Sulfite Detoxification
Warnhoff, K, Ruvkun G.
Published in Nature Chemical Biology on March 25, 2019

The molybdenum cofactor (Moco) is a coenzyme synthesized in organisms as diverse as bacteria and humans. Mutations in human Moco-synthesizing enzymes cause Moco deficiency, a rare genetic disorder that culminates in infant death. Researchers discovered that the nematode C. elegans is able to harvest Moco from the bacteria upon which it feeds — Moco was previously thought too unstable to be trafficked between cells and tissues, let alone organisms separated by over a billion years of evolution. This discovery is intriguing and offers hope that we might exploit similar systems to deliver mature Moco to patients.

(Summary submitted by Kurt Warnhoff, PhD, Department of Molecular Biology)

No two individuals are alike. The size, shape, position, and connectivity patterns of brain functional regions can vary drastically between individuals. While inter-individual differences in functional organization are well recognized, to date, standard procedures for functional neuroimaging research still rely on aligning different subjects’ data to a nominal “average” brain. Li et al. developed an approach to reliably identify homologous functional regions in each individual and demonstrated that aligning data based on these homologous functional regions can significantly improve the study of resting state functional connectivity, task-fMRI activations, and brain-behavior associations. They further demonstrated that individual differences in size, position, and connectivity of brain functional regions can partially explain individual differences in behavior.

(Summary submitted by Hesheng Liu, PhD, Department of Radiology, Martinos Center)

Deposits of tau protein in the brain are associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Mass General researchers recently conducted a study describing a new tool to study and prevent tau accumulation. Investigators repurposed a tool used in PET scanning for AD diagnosis and modified it to create a tau-specific degrader molecule that targets abnormal tau for degradation by the proteasome. When testing the new degrader in FTD patient-derived neuronal cell models, they observed clearance of tau and improved neuronal health. This study suggests that degraders may be relevant for other proteinopathies and could have therapeutic benefits.

(Summary submitted by Catarina Silva, PhD, Department of Neurology, Center for Genomic Medicine)

Researchers show that a short burst of radiation primes brain tumors for nanotherapeutics uptakes. Basically, the timing of radiation before delivery of nanoparticles is essential for a better therapeutic outcome, and could lead to >10-fold increase in delivery of therapeutics to brain tumors. We took this observation a step further and developed a nanoparticle loaded with siRNAs for dual targeted therapy and immunotherapy and showed that delivery of this nanoparticle to brain tumors primed with radiation, led to a very significant increase in tumor regression and overall survival.

(Summary submitted by Bakhos Tannous, PhD, Department of Neurology)

Tissue fibrosis, or scarring, is a common feature of many chronic diseases including pulmonary fibrosis. Methods to noninvasively and specifically distinguish fibrogenesis, active ongoing fibrosis, from old, stable scar tissue are lacking. We identified the allysine amino acid that is formed on oxidized collagen as a unique marker of lung fibrogenesis. In this paper we describe a positron emission tomography probe that specifically detects pulmonary fibrogenesis in a mouse model. Potential applications of this work include better patient prognosis, early monitoring of treatment response, and clinical development of new therapeutics.

(Summary submitted by Peter Caravan, PhD, Department of Radiology, Martinos Center)

Genome-wide measures of genetic risk known as “polygenic risk scores” (PRS) have emerged as a valuable clinical tool for predicting individuals at high-risk for preventable diseases. However, because most genetic studies to date have been conducted in populations with predominantly recent European ancestry, PRS available today are more accurate in individuals of European ancestry than other ancestries. Mass General researchers explore the magnitude of this imbalance and propose analytic approaches to help reduce this potential disparity. To realize the full potential of this new tool equitably, greater diversity must be prioritized in genetic studies, and summary statistics must be publicly disseminated to ensure that health disparities are not increased for those individuals already most underserved.

(Summary submitted by Mark Daly, PhD, Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine)

The tissues of the body are composed of a remarkable number of highly diverse cell types, which specialize by using unique combinations of genes. We developed a new technology called Slide-seq that provides a high-resolution map of gene usage (aka "expression") within intact tissue sections. We used Slide-seq to identify novel gene signatures in the mouse cerebellum, and in a model of traumatic brain injury in mice. We expect Slide-seq to be a useful tool both for large-scale efforts to systematically locate cell types within tissues, and for identifying cell types and states activated by disease processes.

(Summary submitted by Evan Macosko, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry)

Bronchiolitis – virus infection of the airway – is the leading cause of hospitalizations in American infants. Among these infants with severe bronchiolitis, 30%-40% subsequently develop recurrent wheeze and asthma. However, the mechanisms linking these two common diseases remain unclear. In this multicenter prospective study of infants with severe bronchiolitis, the investigators identified, for the first time, that newly discovered respiratory virus species (rhinovirus-C) and allergic sensitization (to food or aeroallergens) are synergistically associated with an increased risk of developing recurrent wheezing and asthma, compared to the most common respiratory virus (respiratory syncytial virus) infection. The findings offer new avenues for developing primary prevention strategies of childhood asthma.

(Summary submitted by Kohei Hasegawa, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine)

Cancer cells release cargo within membrane-bound vesicles, called extracellular vesicles (EVs), that can be used to determine the status of tumors for diagnostics. However, since normal cells also release EVs it has been challenging to enrich for tumor-derived EVs. Researchers computationally identified membrane proteins exposed on the surface of EVs from cancer cells. Information on RNA and protein selectively expressed in tumors and normal tissues was obtained from publicly available databases (TCGA, Human Protein Atlas and GTEx). Methods were also developed using membrane labeling to measure the efficiency of antibody capture of cancer EVs from tumor cells in culture and in animal models of malignancy.

(Summary submitted by Xandra Breakefield, PhD, Department of Neurology)

HIV infection of resting, non-activated CD4+ T cells results in a persistent reservoir of virus that is not eliminated by antiretroviral therapy, representing a major barrier to an HIV cure. Researchers show that HIV-specific CD8+ T cells from persons who spontaneously control HIV without medications (elite controllers) can effectively recognize and kill infected cells directly after HIV entry, before reverse transcription and before establishment of latency. The results suggest a mechanism whereby the immune response may reduce the size of the HIV reservoir.

(Summary submitted by Bruce Walker, MD, PhD, Ragon Institute)

BALANCING SAFETY AND EFFICACY OF HIV TREATMENT FOR WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE
Risks and Benefits of Dolutegravir- and Efavirenz-based Strategies for South African Women with HIV of Child-bearing Potential: A Modeling Study
Dugdale CM, Ciaranello AL, Bekker LG, Stern ME, Myer L [et al.], Walensky RP.
Published in Annals of Internal Medicine on April 2, 2019

While dolutegravir is one of the most effective and affordable treatments for HIV in resource-poor settings, recent data suggest it may increase the risk of serious birth defects. Using a computer model – populated with data from South Africa – we found that although dolutegravir may lead to 4,400 more deaths among children than the other first-line HIV therapy, it was projected to prevent over 13,000 deaths among women and nearly 60,000 HIV transmissions over five years in South Africa. These results argue against policies prohibiting dolutegravir use for all women despite the potential risk of birth defects.

(Summary submitted by Caitlin Dugdale, MD, Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical Practice Evaluation Center)

Activation of autophagy, the process by which cells clear defective organelles and molecules, is required in almost every genetic, dietary, and pharmacologic manipulation that extends lifespan. However, elevated levels of autophagy under certain circumstances can also have negative effects. Here we show that mitochondrial permeability, or "leakiness" in our cells' powerhouse, determines whether the effects of autophagy on health and longevity will be positive or negative. In every case tested, the longevity benefit of autophagy was reversed by triggering increased mitochondrial permeability. We put forth the idea that the cellular context in which autophagy is activated that is the critical determinant of whether autophagy is beneficial versus detrimental.

(Summary submitted by Alexander Soukas, MD, PhD, Center for Genomic Medicine, Department of Medicine)

DISCOVERING MYELOID CELLS IN LUNG CANCER
Single-cell Transcriptomics of Human and Mouse Lung Cancers Reveals Conserved Myeloid Populations Across Individuals and Species
Zilionis R, Engblom C, Pfirschke C, Savova V, Zemmour D [et al.], Pittet MJ.
Published in Immunity on April 5, 2019

Myeloid cells can promote or limit tumor outgrowth but remain poorly understood. Here, we mapped myeloid cells at the single cell level in human and mouse lung cancer and made the following findings: 1) Consistent complexity: we repeatedly found the same myeloid populations across patients, indicating that the myeloid microenvironment within lung tumors is stereotyped; 2) Conservation across species: many myeloid populations were highly conserved across patients and mice, suggesting that studying myeloid cells in mice can help understand the human disease; 3) New therapeutic targets: we identified candidate new molecular targets that could be relevant to improve current immunotherapies.

(Summary submitted by Mikael Pittet, PhD, Center for Systems Biology)

Accumulation of misfolded proteins causes cellular dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and ALS, and also occurs during normal aging. In this study, Lehrbach and Ruvkun reveal that the misfolded proteins trigger activation of a transcription factor called SKN-1A. Activation of SKN-1A leads to increased expression of proteasome subunit genes, an adaptive response that preserves cellular function during aging and promotes longevity. The authors show that increasing SKN-1A activity is sufficient to increase lifespan. This pathway is conserved in humans and may be a therapeutic target for age-related disease.

(Summary submitted by Nicolas Lehrbach, PhD, Department of Molecular Biology)

Using advanced statistical and computational technique, scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a new method for calculating genetic risk scores that may be useful for early detection, risk prediction, and prevention of human common disease. With data from the UK Biobank and the Partners HealthCare Biobank, they demonstrate that their method substantially increases the accuracy of genetic prediction over existing approaches across a broad range of complex traits and diseases.

(Summary submitted by Tian Ge, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric & Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit)

Workplace wellness programs are increasingly popular in the U.S., but rigorous scientific evidence on their effects has been difficult to come by. This study used a randomized controlled trial to study the effects of a workplace wellness program delivered at multiple locations across the Eastern U.S. through 18 months. It found higher rates of health behaviors—notably regular exercise and active weight management—among employees in worksites that received the wellness program relative to worksites that did not receive the program. However, there were no differences in clinical measures of health (e.g. blood pressure, weight), health care spending or utilization, or employment outcomes (e.g. absenteeism, job performance) at 18 months. While health behaviors responded to the wellness program, these results temper expectations of large financial returns on investment for employers in the short run.

(Summary submitted by Zirui Song, MD, PhD, Department of Medicine, Center for Primary Care)

Disruption of RNA binding proteins with widespread perturbations of the transcriptome is at the stem of several neurological diseases including spinal muscular dystrophy (SMA), fragile X syndrome (FXS), myotonic dystrophy (DM), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Researchers review the diverse mechanisms by which this occurs (reduced expression, increased aggregation and sequestration by repeat-containing RNAs and proteins), and emerging therapeutic approaches to ameliorate these pathologies.

(Summary submitted by Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne, MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS)

A protein complex called the proteasome carries out selective protein degradation. Cells must dynamically regulate proteasome levels to ensure efficient removal of unwanted proteins. This study reveals how the transcription factor that controls proteasome levels, called SKN-1A/Nrf1, is activated in cells with impaired proteasome function. Surprisingly, this activation requires post-translational editing of the amino acid sequence of SKN-1A/Nrf1, which occurs via sequential attachment and removal of sugar molecules (glycosylation and deglycosylation) from specific parts of SKN-1A/Nrf1. A pre-edited form of SKN-1A/Nrf1 that is hyperactive, dramatically increases cellular resistance to proteotoxic stress, and effectively "cures" a C. elegans model of Alzheimer's disease.

(Summary submitted by Nicolas Lehrbach, PhD, Department of Molecular Biology)

A team of Mass General researchers developed a “polygenic score” for obesity, a quantitative tool that predicts an individual’s risk for becoming overweight based on genetic variation. The score distills information from 2.1 million places in the genome into a single number for each individual. The impact of this score started very early in life – as early as 3 years of age. By middle age, the 10 percent of the adult population with the highest polygenic scores — corresponding to 32 million Americans — weighed nearly 30 pounds more on average than those with the lowest scores and were 25 times as likely to be severely obese.

(Summary submitted by Amit V. Khera, MD, Department of Cardiology, Center for Genomic Medicine)

Subjective decisions play a vital role in human behavior – from how we vote in political elections to how we interact with others and what products we buy. While often grounded in fact, they are inherently based on personal beliefs that can vary broadly within and between individuals. Here, we discover specific cells in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that reflected the subjective decisions of human participants when performing naturalistic opinion-based tasks. We also find how focal disruption of the dlPFC interferes with subjective decisions but does not interfere with sensory perceptual choices or their motor report. Together, these findings reveal a cellular mechanism in the human prefrontal cortex for mediating subjective decisions during opinion formation.

(Summary submitted by Ziv Williams, MD, Department of Neurosurgery)

Researchers from the Langenau lab recently reported the creation of immune-deficient zebrafish that grow human cancer. Because the fish are transparent and can be imaged live, the authors were able to directly visualize drug responses in individual cancer cells. Remarkably, tumor growth and therapy responses were identical whether assessed in tumors grown in immune deficient zebrafish or mice. The authors then used the model to identify a potential new therapy for childhood muscle cancer. Finally, the group has also successfully grown patient-derived tumors in the immune deficient fish, opening new avenues for developing personalized therapeutic approaches in the future.

(Summary submitted by David Langnau, PhD, Department of Pathology, Mass General Cancer Center)

Blog Posts

Fitness Trackers Monitor Our Physical Health, But Could They Monitor Our Mental Health Too?
Featuring Nicholas C. Jacobson, Hilary Weingarden, PhD, and Sabine Wilhelm, PhD

Diagnosis and treatment for mental health disorders can be a time and resource-intensive process for patients and providers alike. Could data from digital fitness trackers help?

Five Things to Know: What Causes Night Sweats and How Do You Treat Them?
Featuring Elizabeth R. Roth, MD, and Leigh Simmons, MD

Two Mass General clinicians were recently featured in an article about the causes of night sweats and how to treat them. Here are five things to know.

Could Bacterial Changes in the Blood Play a Role in Celiac Disease?
Featuring Gloria Serena, PhD

A recent research study from Mass General points to an intriguing new way to look at celiac disease—by studying its connection to bacterial changes in the blood.

Are You an Early Bird or a Night Owl? Study Finds Early Birds Have Lower Rates of Depression
Featuring Richa Saxena, PhD

Some people wake up early like clockwork with a chipper attitude and are eager to start the day. Then there those who have a bit of a slower start, but stay up till the wee hours claiming they’re most productive at night. Sound familiar? It turns out those waking habits may be embedded in our genes.

Mass General Research Roundup for April 2019

Chronic health problems for individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, 3D mammography in older women and how oxytocin acts on food receptors in the brain.

Scientists Find Physical Activity Could Prevent Depression
Featuring Jordan Smoller, MD, ScD, and Karmel Choi, PhD

Researchers from the Psychiatric & Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit at Mass General recently published a study in JAMA Psychiatry that set out to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between exercise and depression.

Why We Need a Better Awareness of How Autism Spectrum Disorder Differs in Women
Featuring Renée M. (Poulin) Green, PhD, Alyssa Travers, PhD, Yamini Howe, MD, and Christopher McDougle, MD

Are the current clinical guidelines for autism spectrum disorder weighted too heavily toward male patients? That's the conclusion of a team of researchers from the Lurie Center for Autism.

Mass General Research Institute Celebrates Science with the Community

Our communicating science initiatives include working with scientists to help them find ways to display their work in accessible language, as well as community outreach to give our scientists a chance to meet the public and explain their work. This April, the Research Institute organized two events designed to promote science communication and outreach as part of the Cambridge Science Festival.

Mass General Research Institute Externship: Sharing Science with Our Schools

This April, the Mass General Research Institute hosted its first-ever “externship,” where Boston Public School teachers could volunteer to be a part of a four-day experience to learn about research at Mass General and opportunities to get students involved.

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Snapshot of Science for April 2019