The technology relies on small proteins known as ‘released activity markers’ (RMA), which enter the blood after targeting nerve cells and can be measured via a simple blood test.

Through the use of a special enzyme, these markers can be selectively removed, allowing gene activity to be recorded again and subtle changes in genes to be followed over time.

The researchers pointed out that the technology significantly reduces background noise, as the enzyme was able to remove about 90% of unwanted signals within 30 minutes, which allowed the detection of gene expression changes that were previously impossible to observe.

Iranian researcher Shirin Nouraeen, a participant in the study, said that this method allows tracking genetic activity with higher temporal accuracy, and opens new horizons for studying neurological disorders in a less invasive and accurate manner.

Studying gene activity in the brain is one of the most prominent challenges in neuroscience, as precise genetic processes control the functions of neurons and affect learning, memory, and behavior, and are linked to many neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and depression.

Traditional methods for monitoring gene activity are often invasive or have limited power, and require specialized equipment that cannot detect small, rapid changes in real time. This makes it difficult to study how genes interact with environmental factors or pathological changes in the brain.

Blood markers, or RMA, are a promising technology that allows non-invasive monitoring of nerve cell activity via the blood, but they have faced challenges in that the signals persist over a long period, masking short-term changes.

The new technology developed by Iranian researcher Shirin Nouraeen and a team Rice University This problem is solved by removable markers, allowing gene activity to be recorded accurately and brain dynamics to be understood clearly, and represents a major step towards studying neurological disorders in a non-intrusive way.