FM November2020 Digital P

esearch snippets
Nucleus accumbens
linked to obesity
in children
Electronic blood
vessels to replace
diseased vasculature
Shiyu Cheng et al developed
electrically conductive artificial
blood vessels that may serve as
implants to replace diseased native
vessels. The flexible and biodegradable
constructs consist of a metal-polymer
conductive membrane composed of
poly (L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone)
that encapsulated three layers of its
cell-based tissue-engineered blood
vessel (TEBV). The researchers could
stimulate the implanted blood vessels
by passing an electric current through
it which activated the endothelialization
process and enabled controlled drug
or gene delivery into specific parts
of the vessel via electroporation. The
endothelialization process encouraged
the proliferation and migration of
endothelial cells at the implanted
site which allowed the integration
of the implanted vessel within the
surrounding tissue promoting healing.
The researchers could deliver a green
fluorescent protein (GFP) DNA plasmid
in situ into three kinds of blood-vessel
cells via electroporation. The functioning
of the blood vessels has been tested
in rabbits where they functioned as a
successful replacement for the carotid
artery. The implanted constructs allowed
sufficient blood flow and did not produce
an inflammatory response or narrowing
over a period of three months. The
findings pave the way towards new
treatments via gene therapies, electrical
Kristina M Rapuano et al revealed
a significant association between
differences in the microstructure of
the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) region
of the brain and obesity in children.
Utilising restriction spectrum imaging
(RSI)- a novel diffusion-weighted
MRI technique, the team showed
that microstructural differences in
cell density of the subcortical NAcc
region strongly correlated to weight
gain in the same participants after
1 year. The cohort included children
aged 9 and 10 year involved in the
ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive
Development (ABCD) study. The
findings suggested that high
saturated fat diets increased gliosis
and neuroinflammation in rewardrelated
brain region NAcc, which
in turn lead to further unhealthy
eating and obesity. The findings
were further confirmed in rodents.
As an ongoing longitudinal study,
ABCD would be further investigating
causal relationships between brain
microstructure and weight gain during
childhood and adolescence.
Source: PNAS October 12, 2020; https://doi.
org/10.1073/pnas.2007918117
50 / FUTURE MEDICINE / November 2020