Scientists used advanced data analysis and machine learning to identify the viral proteins that may trigger autoimmune disorders such as type 1 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

The first atlas of mitochondria in the brain could help scientists develop brain scans that determine the health of a patient’s mitochondria and if they are contributing to disease. 

Compared to sugar, consuming sucralose—a widely used sugar substitute—increases activity in the hypothalamus, a brain region that regulates appetite and body weight, according to new USC research. Sucralose also changes how the hypothalamus communicates with other brain regions, including those involved in motivation. The study was just published in the journal Nature Metabolism. Researchers tested how 75 participants responded after consuming water, a drink sweetened with sucralose or a drink sweetened with regular sugar. They collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) brain scans, blood samples and hunger ratings before and after participants consumed the drink. Sucralose increased hunger and activity in the hypothalamus, especially in people with obesity. It also changed the way the hypothalamus communicated with other brain regions. Unlike sugar, sucralose did not increase blood levels of certain hormones that create a feeling of fullness. The findings show how sucralose confuses the brain by providing a sweet taste without the expected caloric energy and suggest that sucralose could impact cravings or eating behavior.

A large language model analysis found that criteria related to socialization, such as emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and developing relationships, were not highly specific to an autism diagnosis, meaning they were not found much more in individuals diagnosed with autism than those in which a diagnosis was ruled out. Criteria related to repetitive movements, highly fixated interests, and perception-based behaviors, however, were strongly linked to an autism diagnosis.