Article
Clinical Neurology
Miren Altuna, Rosa Larumbe, Maria Victoria Zelaya, Sira Moreno, Virginia Garcia-Solaesa, Maite Mendioroz, Maria Antonia Ramos, Maria Elena Erro
Summary: ADAD due to PSEN1 mutations can lead to varied phenotypes within the same family. This study describes three patients from two generations of the same family with movement disorders and progressive cognitive impairment. The findings highlight the importance of considering not only cognitive decline but also movement disorders and epileptic seizures when assessing family history.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Dror Shir, Jonathan Graff-Radford, Mary M. Machulda, Nha Trang Thu Pham, Clifford R. Jack, Val J. Lowe, Jennifer L. Whitwell, Keith A. Josephs
Summary: This study found that primary occipital posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is characterized by an older age at onset, more color perception dysfunction, less severe ideomotor apraxia, and less hypometabolism in the temporo-parietal meta-ROI compared to established phenotypes.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Samantha K. K. Holden, Brianne M. M. Bettcher, Christopher M. M. Filley, Dan Lopez-Paniagua, Victoria S. S. Pelak
Summary: This study explored the relationship between scores on the Colorado Posterior Cortical Questionnaire (CPC-Q) and white matter integrity. The results showed that CPC-Q scores were correlated with DTI FA of the averaged posterior white matter regions, with the DTI FA of the posterior thalamic radiations showing the strongest association. These findings suggest that the integrity of posterior white matter tracts is related to scores on the CPC-Q, providing further validation for this questionnaire.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Mario Torso, Samrah Ahmed, Christopher Butler, Giovanna Zamboni, Mark Jenkinson, Steven Chance
Summary: Global cortical DTI derived measures were able to detect differences in both PCA and tAD patients compared to healthy controls. AngleR was the best measure to discriminate HC from tAD (AUC = 0.922), while PerpPD was the best measure to discriminate HC from PCA (AUC = 0.961). Finally, the best global measure to differentiate the two patient groups was ParlPD (AUC = 0.771).
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Oleg Yerstein, Leila Parand, Li-Jung Liang, Adrienne Isaac, Mario F. Mendez
Summary: The study reviewed the clinical experience of 65 patients with PCA from 1995 to 2020, finding that most patients presented with visual localization complaints and visuospatial symptoms, with memory complaints and depression also common. Neurobehavioral testing showed difficulties in visuospatial constructions, memory, and naming in these patients. The research suggests modifying PCA criteria to include secondary memory and naming difficulties, as well as emphasizing the presence of Gerstmann's and Balint's syndromes.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Valeria Isella, Daniele Licciardo, Giulia Nastasi, Valentina Impagnatiello, Francesca Ferri, Cristina Mapelli, Cinzia Crivellaro, Monica Musarra, Sabrina Morzenti, Ildebrando Appollonio, Carlo Ferrarese
Summary: Late-onset and early-onset dementia exhibit neurobiological and clinical differences. This study compared the clinical and FDG-PET features of posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), the visual variant of Alzheimer's disease, between late-onset and early-onset cases. The results showed that the main difference between the two groups was a higher prevalence of Balint-Holmes symptoms in the early-onset cases, which was associated with severe bilateral occipito-temporo-parietal hypometabolism. In the late-onset cases, there was a reduction of FDG uptake mainly in the right posterior regions. Age was found to be correlated with metabolism in different brain regions.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Marie-Anne St-Georges, Linshan Wang, Marianne Chapleau, Raffaella Migliaccio, Thomas Carrier, Maxime Montembeault
Summary: This study compared the behavioral symptoms of individuals with early-stage posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) to healthy controls and other Alzheimer's disease variants. The results showed that PCA patients often experience anxiety, depression, apathy, and irritability. They also exhibited disorganized and reactive behaviors during cognitive testing. However, their social cognition and empathy were generally preserved. This study provides valuable insights into the non-visual symptoms of PCA and has implications for diagnosis and intervention strategies.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Mario F. Mendez, Youssef Khattab, Oleg Yerstein
Summary: The study showed that impaired visual search tasks of spatial localization can effectively differentiate patients with PCA from those with tAD and HC, highlighting the importance of visual search tasks in detecting and distinguishing PCA from more common dementia syndromes.
JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Pathology
Rajesh N. Kalaria, Diego Sepulveda-Falla
Summary: Small vessel disease (SVD) features may be one of the factors affecting both sporadic and familial Alzheimer disease (AD), as neuroimaging studies suggest SVD frequently occurs in the AD spectrum. Incorporating SVD as a biomarker in the biological definition of AD may help in understanding the disease better, while reducing the risk of vascular disease seems to be the only rational approach to tackle both early- and late-onset AD dementia.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Brian L. Day, Dilek Ocal, Amy Peters, Matthew J. Bancroft, David Cash, Diego Kaski, Sebastian J. Crutch, Keir X. X. Yong
Summary: Research suggests that the brain combines multisensory information to determine gravity direction and uprightness, involving the spatial transformation of sensory signals between different reference frames. Patients with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) show disturbances in upright perception, with a model developed to combine vertical information from multiple sources in a statistically optimal way, indicating disruptions in spatial transformation of graviceptive information in both patient groups. Despite visual dysfunction being a typical feature of PCA, disturbances were greater in PCA than tAD, especially for haptic-vertical, suggesting posterior parietal vulnerability.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Takuya Morikawa, Hiroaki Ohishi, Kengo Kosaka, Tomofumi Shimojo, Akihiro Nagano, Itsuki Taniguchi, Ryuta Fujioka, Kosei Moriyama, Motoko Unoki, Masatomo Takahashi, Motonao Nakao, Yoshihiro Izumi, Takeshi Bamba, Hiroyuki Sasaki, Shiroh Miura, Hiroki Shibata
Summary: The novel homozygous 4-bp deletion in DDHD1 was identified as responsible for spastic paraplegia type 28 (SPG28). Knockout mice with a premature stop codon similar to the patient showed decreased foot-base angle and reduced LPI 20:4 (sn-2) levels in the cerebra. Changes in gene expression related to nervous system and cell-cell communication were also observed, suggesting a potential role of reduced downstream signaling in the pathogenesis of SPG28.
BIOSCIENCE REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jose Bernal, Stefanie Schreiber, Inga Menze, Anna Ostendorf, Malte Pfister, Jonas Geisendoerfer, Aditya Nemali, Anne Maass, Renat Yakupov, Oliver Peters, Lukas Preis, Luisa Schneider, Ana Lucia Herrera, Josef Priller, Eike Jakob Spruth, Slawek Altenstein, Anja Schneider, Klaus Fliessbach, Jens Wiltfang, Bjoern H. Schott, Ayda Rostamzadeh, Wenzel Glanz, Katharina Buerger, Daniel Janowitz, Michael Ewers, Robert Perneczky, Boris-Stephan Rauchmann, Stefan Teipel, Ingo Kilimann, Christoph Laske, Matthias H. Munk, Annika Spottke, Nina Roy, Laura Dobisch, Peter Dechent, Klaus Scheffler, Stefan Hetzer, Steffen Wolfsgruber, Luca Kleineidam, Matthias Schmid, Moritz Berger, Frank Jessen, Miranka Wirth, Emrah Duezel, Gabriel Ziegler
Summary: Hypertension and A-beta positivity are associated with larger volumes of white matter hyperintensities (WMH), which in turn negatively impact cognition. Both hypertension and A-beta positivity are related to worse cognitive performance, and the relationship is partially mediated by WMH in specific brain regions.
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Catherine Brodeur, Emilie Belley, Lisa-Marie Deschenes, Adriana Enriquez-Rosas, Michelyne Hubert, Anik Guimond, Josee Bilodeau, Jean-Paul Soucy, Joel Macoir
Summary: This study focused on three patients with language complaints and clinical profiles consistent with posterior cortical atrophy (PCA). The results showed that PCA is characterized by visuospatial and visuoperceptual deficits, as well as primary and secondary language impairments in these patients.
Article
Neurosciences
Zhiyu Cao, Yingren Mai, Wenli Fang, Ming Lei, Yishan Luo, Lei Zhao, Wang Liao, Qun Yu, Jiaxin Xu, Yuting Ruan, Songhua Xiao, Vincent C. T. Mok, Lin Shi, Jun Liu
Summary: This study explored the association between white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and regional brain lobe atrophy in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The results showed that the severity of WMHs tends to be associated with atrophy in specific brain regions, especially in the medial temporal lobe, temporal lobe, and insular lobe. Periventricular WMHs contributed to these correlations.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Doaa G. Ali, Ahmed A. Bahrani, Riham H. El Khouli, Brian T. Gold, Yang Jiang, Valentinos Zachariou, Donna M. Wilcock, Gregory A. Jicha
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on the levels of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in cognitively normal older adults in connected default mode network (DMN) regions. The results showed that increased WMH volumes in the superior longitudinal fasciculus were associated with increased Aβ levels in the inferior parietal lobule.
BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luna-Palencia Gabriela Rebeca, Correa-Basurto Jose, Trujillo-Ferrara Jose, Meraz-Rios Marco Antonio, Vasquez-Moctezuma Ismael
Summary: The study revealed that o-OH-VPA effectively inhibited the survival of HeLa cells and increased cell doubling time without exhibiting toxicity toward normal cells. o-OH-VPA acted as an HDACI in HeLa cells, affecting p21 expression and caspase-3 activity to arrest the cell cycle.
CURRENT MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Alexandru A. Hennrich, Bevan Sawatsky, Rosalia Santos-Mandujano, Dominic H. Banda, Martina Oberhuber, Anika Schopf, Verena Pfaffinger, Kevin Wittwer, Christiane Riedel, Christian K. Pfaller, Karl-Klaus Conzelmann
Summary: The study focuses on developing a safe single round rhabdovirus replicon vaccine platform for enhanced presentation of the S receptor-binding domain (RBD). A chimeric minispike was designed to simultaneously present the antigen on cell surface and virus-like particles, leading to high titers of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and protection against COVID-19-like disease in mice. The results demonstrate that non-spreading rhabdovirus RNA replicons expressing minispike proteins provide an effective and safe alternative to traditional vaccination approaches.
Article
Virology
Martina Oberhuber, Anika Schopf, Alexandru Adrian Hennrich, Rosalia Santos-Mandujano, Anna Gesine Huhn, Stefan Seitz, Christiane Riedel, Karl-Klaus Conzelmann
Summary: The discovery of lyssavirus sequences in amphibians and reptiles challenges their previously believed mammalian origin and highlights substantial phylogenetic differences between these viruses. The functionality of glycoproteins encoded by the proposed American tree frog lyssavirus and anole lizard lyssavirus in rabies virus pseudotype particles has been studied, revealing infectivity and membrane fusion activities across a broad range of cell lines from humans, bats, and reptiles. These findings support the existence of contagious lyssaviruses in cold-blooded animals and demonstrate a wide cell tropism in vitro, similar to rabies virus.
Article
Polymer Science
Luis R. Torres-Ferrer, Jose M. Lopez-Romero, Juan Mendez-Nonell, Maria J. Rivas-Arreola, Marisa Moreno-Rios, Erika O. Avila-Davila, Evgeny Prokhorov, Yuriy Kovalenko, Diana G. Zarate-Trivino, Javier R. Revilla-Vazquez, Marco A. Meraz-Rios, Gabriel Luna-Barcenas
Summary: In this study, chitosan-gold nanocomposite thin films were synthesized by chemically reducing HAuCl4 in chitosan solutions, and the effects of HAuCl4/sodium citrate molar ratio on the structure, electrical, and relaxation properties were investigated. It was found that the HAuCl4/sodium citrate ratio influenced the size of gold particles, conductivity, Vogel temperature, and water content. Two relaxation processes were observed in the nanocomposites, which could be used for the design of functional materials.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Miguel Guerrero-Gonzalez, Maria-Elena Campos Aldrete, Marco Antonio Meraz-Rios
Summary: In this study, the optimization of imidazo[1,2-a]azines with an acid group was conducted to inhibit the activity of COX enzymes. The results showed that the imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines had higher activity compared to the bioisosteric imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines. In silico docking analysis revealed the structural elements necessary for the inhibition of the targets. Molecule 4a was identified as the optimized compound through factorial analysis.
FUTURE MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Danira Toral-Rios, Elizabeth Ruiz-Sanchez, Nancy Lucero Martinez Rodriguez, Marlene Maury-Rosillo, Oscar Rosas-Carrasco, Fernando Becerril-Perez, Francisco Mena-Barranco, Rosa Carvajal-Garcia, Daniela Silva-Adaya, Yair Delgado-Namorado, Gerardo Ramos-Palacios, Carmen Sanchez-Torres, Victoria Campos-Pena
Summary: This study evaluated the risk effect of 12 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the SORL1 gene on Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD) in the Mexican population. The rs1784933 polymorphism was found to be associated with an increased risk of LOAD in Mexican patients. Additionally, the presence of APOE epsilon 4 allele and SORL1 variants may contribute to the increased risk of LOAD in the Mexican population.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jesus Manuel Perez-Villarreal, Katia Avina-Padilla, Evangelina Beltran-Lopez, Alma Marlene Guadron-Llanos, Esther Lopez-Bayghen, Javier Magana-Gomez, Marco Antonio Meraz-Rios, Alfredo Varela-Echavarria, Carla Angulo-Rojo
Summary: This study examined the expression of two miRNAs in individuals with Down syndrome and found that let-7c was over-expressed from an early stage, while miR-155 was associated with lipid metabolism changes. Further research on these two miRNAs could provide insights into their potential as therapeutic targets for preventing or delaying cognitive impairment in Down syndrome.
MOLECULAR GENETICS & GENOMIC MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jorge Rosas-Garcia, Lucero A. Ramon-Luing, Karen Bobadilla, Marco Antonio Meraz-Rios, Edgar E. Sevilla-Reyes, Teresa Santos-Mendoza
Summary: This study evaluated the transcriptional profiles of PDZ genes in human macrophages and dendritic cells, revealing significant differences under different stimulation conditions. Distinct PDZ gene transcription signatures were found in macrophages and dendritic cells, and several PDZ genes showed significant changes in expression, potentially playing important roles in antigen-presenting cells. The findings suggest that these PDZ proteins may be targeted by viral products as part of immune evasion mechanisms, indicating a distinct requirement for PDZ scaffolds in signaling pathways activation in macrophages and dendritic cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Eduardo Patino-Martinez, Miguel A. Solis-Barbosa, Eduardo Santana, Erika Gonzalez-Dominguez, Norma C. Segovia-Gamboa, Marco A. Meraz-Rios, Emilio J. Cordova, Jesus Valdes, Angel L. Corbi, Carmen Sanchez-Torres
Summary: The orphan nuclear receptor Nur77 is involved in regulating inflammatory responses, with differential expression and function in anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory macrophages. In pro-inflammatory macrophages, Nur77 activity can suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines by regulating NF-kappa B p65 nuclear translocation, while in anti-inflammatory macrophages, Nur77 activity helps maintain the anti-inflammatory profile.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
G. R. Vazquez-Martinez, M. A. Meraz-Rios, J. A. Balderas-Lopez
Summary: Gold nanoparticles are utilized for diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and carbohydrate coatings enhance their stability and biocompatibility. This study introduces a synthesis method for gold nanoparticles stabilized by unmodified reducing and nonreducing disaccharides.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jorge E. Gutierrez-Virgen, Maricela Pina-Pozas, Esther A. Hernandez-Tobias, Lucia Taja-Chayeb, Ma. de Lourdes Lopez-Gonzalez, Marco A. Meraz-Rios, Rocio Gomez
Summary: Arylamine N-acetyltransferase 2 is associated with drug side effects and cancer susceptibility, and its protein structure and acetylation capacity are influenced by polymorphisms in the NAT2 gene. The absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of drugs show diversity patterns across populations and ethnic groups. However, the NAT2 diversity has not been comprehensively studied in all populations, which limits our understanding of its variation. This systematic review provides a detailed landscape of NAT2 diversity, including genetic and acetylation patterns, and expands the knowledge about its role in precision medicine.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
S. A. Sosa-Luis, W. J. Rios-Rios, A. Almaraz-Arreortua, M. A. Romero-Tlalolini, S. R. Aguilar-Ruiz, R. Valle-Rios, C. Sanchez-Torres, H. Torres-Aguilar
Summary: This study reveals for the first time the expression and functionality of the purinergic halo in human blood pDCs. Under steady-state conditions, 14% of pDCs express CD39 on the cell surface, while 8% of pDCs express CD73 intracellularly. However, stimulation with a TLR-7 agonist increases the surface expression of both molecules and leads to high IFN-alpha secretion. Moreover, exogenous ATP addition significantly enhances adenosine generation in activated pDCs due to superior CD73 expression and activity.
PURINERGIC SIGNALLING
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Lory J. Rochin-Hernandez, Miguel A. Jimenez-Acosta, Lorena Ramirez-Reyes, Maria del Pilar Figueroa-Corona, Victor J. Sanchez-Gonzalez, Maribel Orozco-Barajas, Marco A. Meraz-Rios
Summary: This study explored the proteomic differences associated with Familial Alzheimer's Disease (FAD) by analyzing the differences in protein expression in olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from FAD patients. The results showed that the differentially expressed proteins were stage-dependent and involved in various important biological processes and pathways. The study also highlighted the potential of MSCs as an in vitro model for future Alzheimer's disease research.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Virology
Juan Fidel Osuna-Ramos, Carlos Noe Farfan-Morales, Carlos Daniel Cordero-Rivera, Luis Adrian De Jesus-Gonzalez, Jose Manuel Reyes-Ruiz, Arianna M. M. Hurtado-Monzon, Selvin Noe Palacios-Rapalo, Ricardo Jimenez-Camacho, Marco Antonio Meraz-Rios, Rosa Maria Del Angel
Summary: This study investigated the antiviral potential of atorvastatin and ezetimibe in monotherapy and combination against Dengue, Zika, and Yellow Fever viruses. The in vitro results showed that both drugs could reduce the percentage of infected cells in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of atorvastatin and ezetimibe exhibited synergistic effects against Dengue 2, additive effects against Dengue 4 and Zika, and antagonistic effects against Yellow Fever. In mice infected with Dengue 2, monotherapy with atorvastatin or ezetimibe improved clinical signs and increased survival. However, the combination of both drugs did not significantly affect survival. This study provides valuable insights into the potential of atorvastatin and ezetimibe as antiviral agents against flaviviruses and highlights the need for further investigations into their combined therapeutic effects.