Alysson Muotri Explained

Alysson Muotri
Employer:University of California in San Diego
Child:yes
Type:Commercial astronaut
Status:In training[1]
Occupation:biologist
Selection:2023
Module:
Embed:yes
Thesis Title:Modulação da expressão do gene de reparo de DNA XPA por meio de vetores genéticos em células humanas
Thesis Url:https://teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/41/41131/tde-18092001-091424/pt-br.php
Thesis Year:2001
Doctoral Advisor:Carlos Frederico Martins Menck

Alysson Renato Muotri is a Brazilian researcher from the University of California (UCSD), United States, where he has been working since 2008. He is also the director of the Stem-Cell Program of the UCSD.[2] He's research is about the frontier themes on genetics and neuroscience, like the development of the human nervous system using brain organoids developed from stem cells.[3] [4] He is currently the Brazilian biologist with the largest number of high impact scientific publications.[5]

Biography

Muotri has a degree in biological sciences from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and a PhD in genetic biology from the University of São Paulo (USP). He has experience in genetics, with an emphasis on human and medical genetics, working mainly on the following subjects: DNA repair, viral vectors, cancer, autism, gene therapy and gene modulation. He was one of the first researchers to cultivate embryonic stem cells.[6] [7] [8] [9]

From the beginning of his academic life, Muotri was interested in studying neuroscience. Reading scientific articles led him to learn about the research carried out at the Salk Institute, especially Dr. Fred Gage's line of work, which combines stem cells with the development of new neural networks.[10]

During his post-doctoral studies at the Salk Research Institute, also in San Diego, California, Muotri was a pioneer in showing, in 2005, that human neurons derived from embryonic stem cells were capable of differentiating and functionally integrating into the brains of chimeric animals (made up of cells from two different species).[11] [12] Also in 2005, in sophisticated neurogenetic work, he revealed the activity of "jumping genes" (retrotransposable L1 elements) in neural genomes, showing that the brain is made up of a mosaic of neuronal genomes.[13] [14] The research changed the then dogma of biology, which suggested that all cells in the body shared the same genome.[15] [16]

Using cellular reprogramming (developed by Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka[17]), in 2010 he managed to reverse morphological and functional alterations in neurons derived from individuals with autism[18] in the laboratory,[19] opening up prospects for the development of more efficient drugs for Autism Spectrum Disorder.[20] [21] [22] [23] [24]

In 2016, he created a cellular model to study Williams Syndrome, opening up the possibility of investigating the cellular and molecular bases of the human social brain.[25] [26] [27] [28] Also in 2016, Muotri led, together with international collaborators, a study showing the causal relationship between the Zika virus circulating in Brazil and cases of microcephaly and birth defects.[29] [30] [31] In 2018, he developed "mini Neanderthal brains", making it possible to create a new area of science, "neuroarchaeology".[32]

In February 2014, he launched the book "Simples assim: células tronco", co-authored with the doctor Adelson Alves, published by Atheneu, with a cover illustrated by the cartoonist Ziraldo.[33] [34] [35] [36]

In April 2016, Muotri, together with other scientists, founded, the world's first personalized medicine startup focused on autism and related syndromes,[37] [38] [39] [40] with headquarters in São Paulo and two offices in the United States, in San Diego and Miami.[41]

In May 2016, Tismoo was the first startup to publish a paper in Nature,[42] [43] [44] having its research recognized in one of the world's most respected scientific journals.[45] [46] [47] The paper is about the Zika virus and its relationship with the high rate of microcephaly in Brazil. Through its mini-brain technology,[48] the Brazilian startup helped to demonstrate the relationship between the Brazilian version of the virus and how it acts to cause malformation of the cortex and leads to this neurological condition.[49] [50] [51] [52]

In December 2016, he launched the book "Espiral - Conversas Científicas do Século XXI" (Spiral - Scientific Conversations of the 21st Century), published by Atheneu, a collection of more than 200 articles published over ten years as a columnist for G1.[53] [54]

In December 2017, the Brazilian researcher discovered in an experiment with mini-brains that a drug used for 60 years against malaria, chloroquine, works as a vaccine against Zika.[55] [56] [57] [58] [59]

Then, also using mini-brains, in a study published in January 2018 in the journal Scientific Reports,[60] from the prestigious Nature group, Muotri's team says that the drug Sofosbuvir, used to treat hepatitis C, can cure Zika infection, as well as preventing the transmission of the virus from mother to baby during pregnancy.[61]

On July 25, 2019, Muotri sent to the International Space Station (ISS), in a SpaceX capsule, an autonomous box with dozens of mini-brains, which remained in space for a month. The research aimed to verify the reaction of organoids in microgravity, for research into autism, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions.[62] [63] [64] [65] And he sent the second part of this research, on December 6, 2020, to the ISS.[66] [67]

In a study published on December 8, 2020, in the scientific journal EMBO Molecular Medicine, Muotri and his team identified two candidate drugs to neutralize the deficits caused by the lack of the MECP2 gene, which causes Rett Syndrome, with laboratory tests carried out on human mini-brains at the University of California at San Diego (USA). Two drugs were used which can now begin phase three clinical trials (already approved in phases 1 and 2, proving they are safe for human consumption). The mini-brains "treated" in Muotri's laboratory began to behave as if they didn't have Rett Syndrome.[68]

In 2023, his name was attributed for a mission to the International Space Station, originally in November 2024, to research brain organoids.[69] [70] [71] He will stay in space for about 10 days and its expedition will be financed by the University of California.[72] Muotri will also select experiments by Brazilian scientists to carry on his flight.[73] At the end of 2023, Muotri revealed that there is interest from Canada and South Korea in investing in the flight, but it is unclear whether the Brazilian government will have any involvement, and that biomedical researcher Livia Luz should be trained as his backup.[74] In an article on May 1, 2024, it was stated that the flight had been postponed until 2025.[75]

Controversies

Muotri has come to be considered, in some contexts, a controversial figure on the autism scene. Some autistic activists from the autistic rights movement disagree with his statements about curing autism and how he approaches the disorder in his public pronouncements.[76] Alysson, for his part, wrote for G1 in 2013 that "there is no clear answer to autism" in relation to the dissenting positions of autistic people and,[77] later, stated that "It is not these critics who pay my salary. Those who do, think exactly the opposite."[78]

Works

Awards

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Autismo e minicérebros: as pesquisas do cientista brasileiro que quer ir para a estação espacial. 2023-10-02. Estadão. pt-br.
  2. Web site: Meet the P.I. - Muotri Lab - UC San Diego Department of Pediatrics . 2018-07-30 . UC San Diego School of Medicine . en-US.
  3. Trujillo . Cleber A. . Gao . Richard . Negraes . Priscilla D. . Chaim . Isaac A. . Domissy . Alain . Vandenberghe . Matthieu . Devor . Anna . Yeo . Gene W. . Voytek . Bradley . 2018-06-29 . Nested oscillatory dynamics in cortical organoids model early human brain network development . bioRxiv . 358622 . 10.1101/358622 . 90412858 . en.
  4. 2017-03-21 . With tweaks, brains in a dish may yield clear clues to autism Spectrum Autism Research News . Spectrum Autism Research News . en-US.
  5. Web site: Alysson Muotri's Bibliography . 2018-07-30 . www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
  6. Web site: 2019-08-12 . Autism researcher Alysson Muotri's audacious plans for brain organoids . 2023-06-29 . Spectrum Autism Research News . en-US.
  7. Web site: Muotri Lab . 2023-06-29 . medschool.ucsd.edu.
  8. Teixeira Zorzanelli . Rafaela . January 2017 . Stem cell research in Brazil: the production of a new field of science . História, Ciências, Saúde . 24 . 1 . 2023-06-29.
  9. News: 2020-12-09 . Stem cell research finds a unique lab — the International Space Station . Washington Post . en-US . 0190-8286 . 2023-06-29.
  10. Web site: 2023-06-29. 2019-08-12. en-US. Autism researcher Alysson Muotri's audacious plans for brain organoids. Spectrum Autism Research News.
  11. Muotri . Alysson R. . Nakashima . Kinichi . Toni . Nicolas . Sandler . Vladislav M. . Gage . Fred H. . Development of functional human embryonic stem cell-derived neurons in mouse brain . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 2005 . 102 . 51 . 18644–18648 . 10.1073/pnas.0509315102 . 0027-8424 . 1317971 . 16352714. 2005PNAS..10218644M . free .
  12. Book: Renewing the Stuff of Life: Stem Cells, Ethics, and Public Policy . 2007-06-25 . Oxford University Press . 9780195305241 . Oxford, New York.
  13. Muotri . Alysson R. . Chu . Vi T. . Marchetto . Maria C. N. . Deng . Wei . Moran . John V. . Gage . Fred H. . June 2005 . Somatic mosaicism in neuronal precursor cells mediated by L1 retrotransposition . Nature . en . 435 . 7044 . 903–910 . 10.1038/nature03663 . 15959507 . 2005Natur.435..903M . 2027.42/62714 . 4417661 . 0028-0836. free .
  14. Web site: Hotz . Robert Lee . Brain's Darwin Machine . 2018-07-30 . Los Angeles Times. 11 April 2006 .
  15. Souza . Antônio Rodrigues de . 1994-01-31 . E então que quereis, Maiakoviski ? . Revista Literária do Corpo Discente da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais . 27 . 25 . 62 . 10.17851/0103-5878.27.25.62 . 0103-5878 . pt-BR.
  16. Vogel . Gretchen . 2011-04-15 . Do Jumping Genes Spawn Diversity? . Science . en . 332 . 6027 . 300–301 . 10.1126/science.332.6027.300 . 0036-8075 . 21493838.
  17. Web site: Shinya Yamanaka - Facts . 2018-07-30 . www.nobelprize.org.
  18. Web site: Paiva Junior . Francisco . 2011-04-02 . Uma luz no fim do microscópio . Revista Autismo.
  19. Web site: Segatto . Cristiane . 2010-11-11 . Esperança contra o autismo . Revista Época . pt-br.
  20. Web site: 2010-11-12 . A Model for Neural Development and Treatment of Rett Syndrome Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells . Cell . English.
  21. 2016-04-02 . 'A cura é possível, é só uma questão de 'quando, diz Alysson Muotri . O Globo . pt-BR.
  22. Web site: Mini-brain Model of Idiopathic Autism Reveals Underlying Pathology of Neuronal Overgrowth . 2018-07-30 . UC Health - UC San Diego . en-US.
  23. Lab-Grown Neurons From Autistic Kids Could Lead to New Treatments . WIRED . en-US.
  24. Web site: Com Ciência - SBPC/Labjor . 2018-07-30 . www.comciencia.br.
  25. Chailangkarn . Thanathom . Trujillo . Cleber A. . Freitas . Beatriz C. . Hrvoj-Mihic . Branka . Herai . Roberto H. . Yu . Diana X. . Brown . Timothy T. . Marchetto . Maria C. N. . Bardy . Cedric . 2016-08-18 . A human neurodevelopmental model for Williams syndrome . Nature . 536 . 7616 . 338–343 . 10.1038/nature19067 . 0028-0836 . 4995142 . 27509850. 2016Natur.536..338C .
  26. Mini-brains made from teeth help reveal what makes us sociable . New Scientist . en-US.
  27. 2016-09-16 . Tooth fairy delivers drug target for boosting social interest Spectrum Autism Research News . Spectrum Autism Research News . en-US.
  28. 2016-08-11 . Síndrome rara revela segredo por trás do cérebro social humano . O Globo . pt-BR.
  29. Cugola . Fernanda R. . Fernandes . Isabella R. . Russo . Fabiele B. . Freitas . Beatriz C. . Dias . João L.M. . Guimarães . Katia P. . Benazzato . Cecília . Almeida . Nathalia . Pignatari . Graciela C. . 2016-05-11 . The Brazilian Zika virus strain causes birth defects in experimental models . Nature . 534 . 7606 . 267–271 . 10.1038/nature18296 . 0028-0836 . 4902174 . 27279226. 2016Natur.534..267C .
  30. Wright . Jessica . 2016-06-15 . How Autism Research and Mini-Brains Helped Prove Zika Causes Microcephaly . Slate . 1091-2339 . en-US.
  31. 2016-06-09 . UCSD Professor Finds Causal Link Between the Zika Virus and Microcephaly THE TRITON . The Triton . en-US.
  32. 2018-06-20 . Exclusive: Neanderthal 'minibrains' grown in dish . Science . en.
  33. Web site: G1 – Espiral – Alysson Muotri » Inovando na divulgação científica no Brasil » Arquivo . 2018-04-14 . g1.globo.com . pt-BR.
  34. Web site: OAB/RJ . Simples assim: células tronco – OAB/RJ . 2018-04-14 . www.oabrj.org.br . pt-br.
  35. Livro sobre células-tronco será lançado no salão nobre da OAB/RJ . Jusbrasil . pt-BR.
  36. Palestra e Lançamento do Livro de Alysson Muotri sobre Autismo - A&R . Autismo & Realidade . pt-BR.
  37. Saleh . Naíma . EXCLUSIVO! Autismo: Nasce a primeira startup do mundo dedicada ao transtorno . 2018-04-13 . pt-br . Revista Crescer.
  38. Web site: Cientistas brasileiros criam startups inovadoras em saúde EXAME . 2018-04-12 . exame.abril.com.br . pt-BR.
  39. A Tismoo é a primeira startup que usa sequenciamento genético para entender e tratar o autismo no Brasil . pt-br . Projeto Draft. 8 November 2016 .
  40. Startup brasileira atua com medicina personalizada para o autismo - Saúde Business . pt-BR . Saúde Business.
  41. News: Novo laboratório em SP cria 'minicérebros' para tratamento de autismo . G1 . pt-BR.
  42. Cugola . Fernanda R. . Fernandes . Isabella R. . Russo . Fabiele B. . Freitas . Beatriz C. . Dias . João L. M. . Guimarães . Katia P. . Benazzato . Cecília . Muotri . Alysson R. . Pignatari . Graciela C. . June 2016 . The Brazilian Zika virus strain causes birth defects in experimental models . Nature . 534 . 7606 . 267–271 . 10.1038/nature18296 . 27279226 . 4902174 . 2016Natur.534..267C . 1476-4687 . en.
  43. Web site: Saraiva . Jacilio . 2016-11-30 . Biotecnologia conquista novos nichos de mercado . Fapesp na Mídia . pt-BR.
  44. Cugola . Fernanda R. . Fernandes . Isabella R. . Russo . Fabiele B. . Freitas . Beatriz C. . Dias . João L. M. . Guimarães . Katia P. . Benazzato . Cecília . Almeida . Nathalia . Pignatari . Graciela C. . 2016-09-06 . The Brazilian Zika virus strain causes birth defects in experimental models . NCBI . 534 . 7606 . 267–271 . 10.1038/nature18296 . 1476-4687 . 4902174 . 27279226 . 2016Natur.534..267C . en.
  45. Bicudo . Lucas . 2016-05-18 . Startup brasileira de biotecnologia tem trabalho reconhecido em uma das revistas mais respeitáveis de ciências StartSe . StartSe . pt-BR.
  46. Web site: 2018-01-15 . Autismo – startup brasileira atua com medicina personalizada . Revista News . pt-BR.
  47. Saraiva . Jacilio . 2016-11-30 . Biotecnologia conquista novos nichos de mercado . Valor Econômico . pt-br.
  48. Web site: 2016-06-17 . Tecnologia da TISMOO foi usada em pesquisa sobre zika vírus e publicada na Nature » DC Inovação » Diário do Comércio . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180414092032/http://diariodocomercio.com.br/noticia.php?tit=tecnologia_da_tismoo_foi_usada_em_pesquisa_sobre_zika_virus_e_publicada_na_nature&id=170017 . 2018-04-14 . DC Inovação.
  49. Web site: Monteiro . Rejane . 2016-05-17 . Startup brasileira realiza feito inédito no mundo científico . Segs.com.br.
  50. Com 'minicérebro', start-up investiga terapias alternativas e ação da zika . Folha de S.Paulo. 23 October 2023 .
  51. Web site: Martins . Raphael . 2018-04-09 . Muotri, da UC San Diego: Estamos perto da cura do zika EXAME . Revista Exame . pt-BR.
  52. Web site: Comércio . Diário do . Tecnologia da TISMOO foi usada em pesquisa sobre zika vírus e publicada na Nature » DC Inovação » Diário do Comércio . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180414092032/http://diariodocomercio.com.br/noticia.php?tit=tecnologia_da_tismoo_foi_usada_em_pesquisa_sobre_zika_virus_e_publicada_na_nature&id=170017 . 2018-04-14 . 2018-04-14 . Diário do Comércio.
  53. News: Cientista Alysson Muotri lança livro com artigos de dez anos de sua coluna no G1 . G1 . pt-BR.
  54. Web site: Paiva Junior . Francisco . 2017-03-17 . A nata da pesquisa sobre autismo Paiva Junior . 2018-04-14 . PaivaJunior.com.br . pt-BR.
  55. Web site: Martins . Raphael . 2018-04-09 . Muotri, da UC San Diego: Estamos perto da cura do zika EXAME . 2018-04-14 . Revista Exame . pt-BR.
  56. Remédio pode curar o Zika – e evitar transmissão para bebês . Superinteressante . pt-BR.
  57. Cientista brasileiro descobre remédio que pode proteger fetos contra o Zika vírus - Saúde Business . Saúde Business . pt-BR.
  58. Costa . Camilla . 2018-02-04 . Biólogo brasileiro aposta em medicamento contra hepatite C para curar o Zika vírus . R7.com . pt-BR.
  59. Web site: Muotri, da UC San Diego: Estamos perto da cura do zika EXAME . 2018-04-14 . exame.abril.com.br . pt-BR.
  60. Muotri . Alysson R. . Macia . Angela . Moore . Spencer M. . Shiryaev . Sergey A. . Pinto . Antonella . Huang . Chun-Teng . Tejwani . Leon . Fernandes . Isabella R. . Suarez . Nicole A. . Blocking Zika virus vertical transmission . Scientific Reports . 2018 . 8 . 1 . 1218 . 10.1038/s41598-018-19526-4 . 29352135 . 5775359 . 2018NatSR...8.1218M . 2045-2322 . en.
  61. News: Costa . Camilla . 2018-02-04 . Biólogo brasileiro aposta em medicamento contra hepatite C para curar o Zika vírus . BBC Brasil . pt-BR.
  62. Web site: Northon . Karen . 2019-07-25 . SpaceX Dragon en Route to Space Station with NASA Science, Cargo . 2019-07-31 . NASA.
  63. Web site: 2019: A Space Organoid . 2019-07-31 . UC Health - UC San Diego . en-US.
  64. Web site: Cofundador da Tismoo envia minicérebros para o espaço em missão da Nasa e SpaceX . 2019-07-31 . tismoo.us. 26 July 2019 .
  65. Web site: Cientista brasileiro envia 'minicérebros' para o espaço para desvendar reação das células . 2019-07-31 . G1 . 20 July 2019 . pt-br.
  66. Web site: 2020-12-15 . Muotri envia 2ª etapa de sua pesquisa com 'minicérebros' humanos para o espaço . 2021-01-13 . Revista Autismo . pt-br.
  67. Web site: 2020-11-27 . Muotri envia 2ª etapa de sua pesquisa com minicérebros humanos para o espaço . 2021-01-13 . Tismoo . pt-BR.
  68. Web site: 2021-01-13. 2020-12-09. pt-BR. Portal da Tismoo. Com minicérebros, Muotri encontra 2 medicamentos candidatos a tratar Síndrome de Rett. Tismoo.
  69. Web site: Estação Espacial Internacional pode receber primeiro cientista brasileiro . 2023-10-01 . Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação . pt-br.
  70. Web site: 2023-07-01 . Quem é Alysson Muotri, o primeiro cientista brasileiro que deve ir ao espaço . 2023-10-01 . G1 . pt-br.
  71. Web site: 2023-07-22 . Resposta para o autismo e o Alzheimer pode estar no espaço, diz 1º cientista brasileiro que irá à ISS . 2023-10-01 . Folha de S.Paulo . pt-BR.
  72. Web site: 1º cientista brasileiro escalado para ir ao espaço conduzirá estudo que pode mudar a colonização interplanetária. 2023-07-01. 2023-10-02. G1. pt-br.
  73. Web site: Cientista brasileiro escalado para missão espacial abrirá seleção para levar pesquisas nacionais. 2023-07-03. 2024-01-30. G1. pt-br.
  74. Web site: Nasa: as cientistas brasileiras que lançaram experimento na Estação Espacial Internacional. 2023-12-07. 2024-01-30. BBC News Brasil. pt-br.
  75. Web site: Vilicic . Filipe . 2024-05-01 . O cientista Alysson Muotri fala de experiências brisadas e de ir pro espaço . 2024-05-03 . Breeza . pt-BR.
  76. Web site: Introvertendo 109- Neurodiversidade: Os Autistas . 2020-10-16 . Introvertendo. 16 June 2020 .
  77. Web site: Os quatro reinos autistas . 2020-10-16 . G1.
  78. Web site: Alysson Muotri: para ele, a cura é um fato. Basta alcançá-la . 2020-10-16 . Medictando.
  79. Web site: Alysson Renato Muotri, Ph.D. . 2018-08-06 . www.pewtrusts.org.
  80. Web site: generator . metatags . Project Information - NIH RePORTER - NIH Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools Expenditures and Results . 2018-08-06 . projectreporter.nih.gov . en.
  81. Web site: UC San Diego's Alysson Muotri named 2011 Poptech Science Fellow . 2018-08-06 . UC San Diego School of Medicine . en-US.
  82. Web site: RFA-MH-14-214: Exceptional Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration (EUREKA) for Neuroscience and Disorders of the Nervous System (R01) . 2018-08-06 . grants.nih.gov . en-US.
  83. 2017-03-22 . Alysson R. Muotri, Ph.D. . en . Brain & Behavior Research Foundation.

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