Ritika Hait

Publish an article: Kickstart your career as a scholar learning the neuroscience of how your brain interprets sound

Started July 3, 2023

Abstract or project description

The brain is incredible and complex and the source of much scientific research around the world. In this pod, you’ll focus on how our brains allow us to take unassuming sound waves and enable us to enjoy music, learn a new language, or recognize danger. Through this fascinating process, students will learn about the research process, the brain regions, how the brain regions cooperate to interpret sensory information, and how those individual actions culminate into the actions we take every day but may take for granted.

How does the drug Nusinersen (Spinraza) assist in the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy?

Started Mar. 3, 2023

Abstract or project description

The recent discovery of Nusinersen and its design to increase the production of the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) protein has reshaped the concept of treatments for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) which, before, primarily consisted of physical therapy. Historically, Type 1 SMA is the leading cause of infant mortality. Administering Nusinersen early may lead to better patient outcomes due to the fact that SMA is a progressive disease. To clarify, the disease causes the loss of motor neurons which cannot be reversed. Motor neurons carry information from the brain or spinal cord and are involved in regulating activity in muscles or glands. The deterioration of these neurons is a significant sign of SMA. Treatments for SMA, for so long, have focused on management. This has changed now, with disease-modifying treatment options like Nusinersen. In a pivotal controlled clinical study (ENDEAR), infantile-onset SMA patients treated with Nusinersen attained and sustained improvement in motor function compared to untreated study participants. This is just one example of how Nusinersen offers new hope for the SMA community. The promise Nusinersen has shown when provided to SMA patients has sparked the fascination of many in the scientific community. This drug harbors the ability to help us learn more about motor neurons and genes as well as improve the lives of families around the globe. Here, we review the way Nusinersen is administered, how it is able to produce more of the SMN protein, how it improves motor skills along with how the drug stops any further loss or deterioration of skills.