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April 2022, Issue 2

April 2022, Issue 2 Table of Contents

This Issue

April 2022, Issue 2

Schizophrenia & the Immune System

Targeting the body’s defense pathways might help treat a subset of people with the psychiatric disorder

Conceptual image of a person's brain with a cluster of cells inside

Feature

Is the Immune System to Blame for Schizophrenia?

Diana Kwon | Apr 18, 2022 | 10+ min read

Several lines of evidence suggest that targeting the body’s defense pathways might help treat a subset of people with the psychiatric disorder. But many open questions remain.

Modus Operandi

Conceptual image of blue neurons with glowing segments over blue background.

CRACK Method Reveals Novel Neuron Type in Mouse Brain

A new technique reveals cells’ precise locations and functions in the brain. Its developers have already used it to identify a previously unknown neuron type.

Infographics

Illustration showing how calcium imaging and HCR-FISH combined is a technique called comprehensive readout of activity and cell type markers (CRACK)

Infographic: Simultaneously Studying Neuron Structure and Function

A new methodology combines existing techniques to reveal the specific function and location of multiple types of neurons at once.

Illustration comparing neural pathway and the humoral pathway

Infographic: How the Body’s Defenses Attack the Brain

Scientists have pinpointed several pathways through which the immune system could disrupt neuronal functioning and thereby lead to psychotic symptoms.

Freeze Frame

A close-up of the eyespot on the wing of a forest mother-of-pearl butterfly (Protogoniomorpha parhassus)

Caught on Camera

See some of the coolest images recently featured by The Scientist

Bio Business

Biotech Tries Manipulating the Skin Microbiome

Researchers are revealing the complexity of the microbial community living on the body—and paving the way for new bacteria-targeting treatments for acne and other dermatological conditions.

Scientist to Watch

Ana Marija Jakšić Shapes Fruit Fly Brains

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne evolutionary neurobiologist is using Drosophila to investigate how organisms adapt to novel environments.

Reading Frames

Opinion: Another Species of Hominin May Still Be Alive

Do members of Homo floresiensis still inhabit the Indonesian island where their fossils helped identify a new human species fewer than 20 years ago?

April 2022, Issue 2 Table of Contents

AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE