Lecture 34 - Social Media... Flashcards
1
Q
What are brain nuclei?
A
- Relatively compact cluster of neurons in the brain
- Over 1000 per brain
- Heterogeneous population of neurons
2
Q
List ways that the brain can be investigated
Outline the pros / cons of each
A
- Lesion
- Complete ablation, chemically / electrically
- Off target effects
- Immunological response (microglia)
- Damage to fibres of passage
- Cannulation
- Metal tube into specific region of the brain delivers drug
- Reversible (different drugs on a different day)
- Versatile
- Risk of infection
- Due to foreign object in the brain
- Off target effects
- Don’t know precisely where the drug is going
- Viral vectors
- Cell type specific, affected cells easily identifiable
- Versatile
- Long term effects
3
Q
What are viral vectors?
What are the potential applications?
A
- Based on viruses
- eg Lentiviruses, adenoviruses etc.
- Modified to inhibit ability to replicate
- Can only **transduce **cells
- Can’t replicate in the cell
- Low immunogenicity
- Do not want immune response in the brain
- Can only **transduce **cells
- Deliver specifically packaged genetic material
- Wide range of applications
- Gene therapy
- Basic research
- Vaccines
4
Q
Describe the use of viral vectors in gene therapy
A
- Delivery of the functional version of the gene to a specific region
- There are over 200 clinical trials using viral vectors
- eg Familial hypercholesterolaemia
- First viral vector therapy has been licensed in Europe for lipoprotein lipase deficieny
5
Q
List the types of molecules that can be delivered by viral vector
A
- Genes
- Encoding proteins, anti-oxidants, agoinsts, antagonists etc.
- Regulatory elements
- eg Promoters
6
Q
How can viral vectors be made cell type specific?
A
- Include cell type specific promoters
- eg Noradrenergic or GABAergic neurons
7
Q
What are viral vectors used for in neuroscience?
A
- Mapping
- Using a viral vector using NA-neuron promoter + GFP
- Vector in the CFP
- Green fibres indicate presence of NA projections
- This has not been previously possible
- Chronic receptor modulation
- eg Food intake receptor agonist
- The administration of the receptor agonist in the vector resulted in feeding behaviour in the mice
- Gene silencing
- Most of the relaxin 3 protein is disappeared because it was silenced by the action of the vector
- Functional modulation
-
Pharmacogenetics: DREADDs
- Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs
- eg Muscarinic GPCR with no basal activity, responds to synthetic ligand clozapine N-oxide
- Optogenetics
- Range of different optogenetics
- Laser going into the brain of the animal
- When the light switches on, the … becomes activated, and the mouse behaves accordingly
8
Q
What is Science Advocacy?
A
- Campaigning for funding, Science minister etc.
- Institutions
- Australian Academy of Science
- Australian Society for Medical Research
- Australian Society for Neuroscience
9
Q
What is Science Communication?
A
- Visits to schools, groups etc.
- Blogs
- Radio
- Articles for the public
10
Q
Describe the role of Social media in science research
A
- Campaign against the Australian Vaccination-skeptics Network
- Twitter
- Use as a research tool itself
- Why bother?
- Understant community views on a topic
- Passion about scientific topic
- Collaboration
- Promotion of research
11
Q
Describe the role of Crowdfunding in medical research
A
- Number of platforms
- Pozible, Thinkable
- Success rate 50-60%
- Money only kept if the target is reached
- eg Name the virus
- Aim to raise $10 000 in order to create four new viral vectors
- Oct 20th to Dec 9th, 2013
- Rewards
- $100 personally designed virus
- $2500 get to name the virus
- Promoted on social media (Twitter & Facebook) and Media outlets
- Met targets ahead of schedule
