Site of breast cancer metastasis is independent of single nutrient levels.

Cancer metastasis is a major contributor to patient morbidity and mortality, yet the factors that determine the organs where cancers can metastasize are incompletely understood. In this study, we quantify the absolute levels of over 100 nutrients available across multiple tissues in mice and investigate how this relates to the ability of breast cancer cells to grow in different organs. We engineered breast cancer cells with broad metastatic potential to be auxotrophic for specific nutrients and assessed their ability to colonize different organs.

The effects of musical practice on the well-being, mental health and social support of student, amateur, and professional musicians in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This pan-Canadian study investigates the effects of musical practice on the well-being, mental health, and social support of Canadian musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a survey questionnaire, data was collected from 1,618 participants aged 14 and above during the first wave of the pandemic up to the first half of 2022. The survey included standardized questionnaires to self-assess well-being (WHO-5), mental health (MHC-SF), and social support (SPS-10 measures social support).

A CRISPRi/a screening platform to study cellular nutrient transport in diverse microenvironments.

Blocking the import of nutrients essential for cancer cell proliferation represents a therapeutic opportunity, but it is unclear which transporters to target. Here we report a CRISPR interference/activation screening platform to systematically interrogate the contribution of nutrient transporters to support cancer cell proliferation in environments ranging from standard culture media to tumours. We applied this platform to identify the transporters of amino acids in leukaemia cells and found that amino acid transport involves high bidirectional flux dependent on the microenvironment composition.

Bio-based surfactants derived from pectin.

Surfactants derived from renewable resources and synthesized using renewable feedstock and sustainable methods have become a major research focus over the past decade in the surfactant industry. This research presents an approach for rapidly converting readily available polysaccharides, like pectin derived from fruit waste, into safely biodegradable surface-active polymers. Commercially available pectin was modified with n-alkyl amines having different alkyl chain lengths using potassium carbonate as a catalyst.

Restoring neuronal chloride extrusion reverses cognitive decline linked to Alzheimer's disease mutations.

Disinhibition during early stages of Alzheimer's disease is postulated to cause network dysfunction and hyperexcitability leading to cognitive deficits. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that, in mouse lines carrying Alzheimer's disease-related mutations, a loss of neuronal membrane potassium-chloride cotransporter KCC2, responsible for maintaining the robustness of GABAA-mediated inhibition, occurs pre-symptomatically in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.