Research Roundup: Brain Cells; Covid; Drug-Resistant Tumors; Stroke; More

NPR: Human Neuron Clusters Transplanted Into Rats Offer New Tool To Study The Brain 
Scientists have demonstrated a new way to study conditions like autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and schizophrenia. The approach involves transplanting a cluster of living human brain cells from a dish in the lab to the brain of a newborn rat, a team from Stanford University reports in the journal Nature. (Hamilton, 10/12)

ScienceDaily: Human Brain Cells In A Dish Learn To Play Pong In Real Time 
Human and mouse neurons in a dish learned to play the video game Pong, researchers report. The experiments are evidence that even brain cells in a dish can exhibit inherent intelligence, modifying their behavior over time. (Cell Press, 10/12)

Also —

CIDRAP: Vaccinated COVID Patients Fare Better On Mechanical Ventilation, Data Show
A new study in JAMA Network Open suggests vaccinated COVID-19 patients intubated for mechanical ventilation had a higher survival rate than unvaccinated or partially vaccinated patients. (10/10)

ScienceDaily: Scientists Are One Step Closer To Stopping Drug-Resistant Tumors From Growing 
Researchers have solved a long-standing mystery about how a cancer-promoting protein causes drug-resistant tumors to grow. (Huntsman Cancer Institute, 10/11)

New England Journal of Medicine: Trial Of Endovascular Treatment Of Acute Basilar-Artery Occlusion 
Data from trials investigating the effects and risks of endovascular thrombectomy for the treatment of stroke due to basilar-artery occlusion are limited. (Tao, M.D., Ph.D., et al, 10/13)

New England Journal of Medicine: Congenital Hypermetabolism And Uncoupled Oxidative Phosphorylation 
We describe the case of identical twin boys who presented with low body weight despite excessive caloric intake. An evaluation of their fibroblasts showed elevated oxygen consumption and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. (Ganetzky, M.D., et al, 10/13)