RESUMEN
Short-interfering RNA (siRNA) has gained significant interest for treatment of neurological diseases by providing the capacity to achieve sustained inhibition of nearly any gene target. Yet, achieving efficacious drug delivery throughout deep brain structures of the CNS remains a considerable hurdle. We herein describe a lipid-siRNA conjugate that, following delivery into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), is transported effectively through perivascular spaces, enabling broad dispersion within CSF compartments and through the CNS parenchyma. We provide a detailed examination of the temporal kinetics of gene silencing, highlighting potent knockdown for up to five months from a single injection without detectable toxicity. Single-cell RNA sequencing further demonstrates gene silencing activity across diverse cell populations in the parenchyma and at brain borders, which may provide new avenues for neurological disease-modifying therapies.
RESUMEN
The remarkable capabilities of generative artificial intelligence and large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT have delighted users around the world. Educators have regarded these tools as either a cause for great concern, an opportunity to educate students on cutting-edge technology, or often some combination of the two. Throughout the Fall 2023 semester, we explored the use of ChatGPT (and Bard, among other LLMs) in a graduate level numerical and statistical methods course for PhD-level bioengineers. In this article we share examples of this ChatGPT content, our observations on what worked best in our course, and speculate on how bioengineering students may be best served by this technology in the future.