Ali Max Erturk

The blood-brain barrier doesn't just keep things out.

In @CellCellPress, 92 of 861 plasma proteins entered the mouse brain. In early 5xFAD mice, APOA1 uptake fell; boosting liver APOA1 reduced astrocyte lipid load. Kudos to Haoyue Zhou & @andcyang 👏
doi.org/10.1016/j.cell…

Decades of hospital archives, now in 3D.

In @ScienceAdvances, aDISCO clears and immunolabels FFPE human tissue blocks stored 15+ years: 11 organs, 20 antibodies, 43% lower neuron density in cortical dysplasia. Kudos to Anna Maria Reuss & Adriano Aguzzi 👏
doi.org/10.1126/sciadv…

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗣𝗵𝗗 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗱𝗼𝗰 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲.

When I moved to Genentech, practical support began before I arrived: visa, banking and help finding a home. That support was part of the environment I was joining. It made an impression on me. I carry that approach into my academic lab, and even more into my company, where I have greater flexibility.

For a PhD student or postdoc moving from abroad on a limited budget, a delayed document or an uncertain visa timeline can mean extra rent, changed travel plans and weeks of stress. They are starting a new life with little room for costly surprises.

If Germany and Europe want to attract and retain talented scientists, respect has to show up in these practical steps. Universities should provide the required documents on time and reduce unnecessary bureaucracy. Authorities should process visas reliably and promptly, and institutions should help with relocation. Give each incoming researcher one clear contact who helps coordinate these steps.

Anelloviruses are the most abundant viruses we carry, yet they sit in the discard pile of sequencing data. A 2,023-strain pangenome across >1.1M biobank participants gives 121 loci for persistence, converging on NF-kB. Nice work by Gutierrez & @CalebLareau

In MS, a rare PD-1+ Tfh-like T cell subset keeps the attack going inside the CNS. PD-1 CAR T cells deplete those cells and release IL-10 only where inflammation is, improving outcomes in mice. Nice work by Rotem Shalita, Florian Ingelfinger & @IdoAmitLab
doi.org/10.1016/j.cell…