Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gerard Griffioen
Summary: This review suggests that age-related neurodegeneration is caused by the inappropriate activation of intrinsic pathways, resulting in deregulated calcium signaling and impaired neuronal plasticity. Age-related neurodegenerative diseases share a common factor of impairing the specificity of calcium signaling, leading to intraneuronal pathophysiology. This pathophysiology comprises a self-enforcing feedforward cycle of elevated cytosolic calcium levels, ultimately leading to neuronal demise. Restoring calcium homeostasis may offer promising neuroprotective potential for age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Feng Chen, Huiyi Chen, Yanting Chen, Wenyan Wei, Yuanhong Sun, Lu Zhang, Lili Cui, Yan Wang
Summary: Communication between neurons relies on synaptic vesicle exocytosis, a process facilitated by the SNARE complex. Dysfunction of the SNARE complex in synapses may contribute to abnormal neurotransmission and lead to synaptic dysfunction. Research suggests that the SNARE complex could be a significant molecular target in neurological diseases.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Riikka Lampinen, Veronika Gorova, Simone Avesani, Jeffrey R. Liddell, Elina Penttila, Tana Zavodna, Zdenek Krejcik, Juha-Matti Lehtola, Toni Saari, Juho Kalapudas, Sanna Hannonen, Heikki Lopponen, Jan Topinka, Anne M. Koivisto, Anthony R. White, Rosalba Giugno, Katja M. Kanninen
Summary: The biometal homeostasis in the olfactory mucosa cells of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients is disturbed and correlated with the alterations in the brain. This provides new clues for the early diagnosis and treatment of AD.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Lorenzo Hermez, Abdelghani Halimi, Nesma Houmani, Sonia Garcia-Salicetti, Omar Galarraga, Vincent Vigneron
Summary: This study uses dynamic time warping to characterize normal gait and pathological deviations induced by neurological diseases. The results show that three normal gait profiles are necessary to accurately quantify the heterogeneity of normal gait and measure pathological deviations. The method could also be used to evaluate the impact of therapies on gait rehabilitation.
Article
Physiology
Mengjia Sun, Zhen Chen, Yuanbin Song, Bo Zhang, Jie Yang, Hu Tan
Summary: Thrombus detachment in the left atrial appendage (LAA) leading to intracranial embolism is a major complication of atrial fibrillation (AF). This study reveals the connection between impaired autophagy and increased intracellular calcium concentrations in EECs (endocardial endothelial cells) during AF, as well as the role of the protein PLXND1 in EEC dysfunction.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Kenji Yamamoto
Summary: Alpha-synuclein oligomers and Ca2+ dyshomeostasis play crucial roles in the vulnerability of neurons in LBD. While neuronal vulnerability may be determined by the transneuronal axonal transmission of pathological processes, neurons anatomically connected to vulnerable neurons in LBD are spared.
ARCHIVES OF PHARMACAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tony Heurtaux, David S. Bouvier, Alexandre Benani, Sergio Helgueta Romero, Katrin B. M. Frauenknecht, Michel Mittelbronn, Lasse Sinkkonen
Summary: The translation mentions that the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is a pleiotropic transcription factor that regulates hundreds of genes involved in various biological functions and diseases. It also highlights the importance of NRF2 activity stability in maintaining redox balance and brain homeostasis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicole El-Darzi, Natalia Mast, Sandra S. Hammer, Tim F. Dorweiler, Julia Busik, Irina A. Pikuleva
Summary: CYP46A1 is a CNS-specific enzyme responsible for eliminating cholesterol from the brain and retina, contributing to cholesterol homeostasis. The use of HPCD, an FDA-approved vehicle, has shown promise in reducing retinal cholesterol content and improving cholesterol dyshomeostasis in mice. Treatment with HPCD also altered the abundance of certain proteins, suggesting its potential therapeutic benefits for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy associated with retinal cholesterol overload.
JOURNAL OF LIPID RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Myeongjoo Son, Dae Yu Kim, Cheol-Hee Kim
Summary: Rare diseases are medical conditions that affect a small number of people and often lack viable treatment options. Neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders make up approximately 40% of rare diseases. Model organisms like roundworms, fruit flies, and zebrafish have been extensively used to study the characteristics and causative genes of rare neurological disorders, with a particular focus on zebrafish disease modeling.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Shane O'Grady, Maria P. Morgan
Summary: The Ca2+ signalling network is crucial for normal cellular activities and is frequently altered in breast cancer, driving tumorigenesis. Understanding these pathways may offer clinical benefit in terms of prognosis and treatment, providing potential therapeutic targets.
SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sofia Tagini, Federica Solca, Silvia Torre, Agostino Brugnera, Andrea Ciammola, Ketti Mazzocco, Roberta Ferrucci, Vincenzo Silani, Gabriella Pravettoni, Barbara Poletti
Summary: This scoping review summarized evidence on CFT in psychiatric and neurological diseases, finding deficits in both conditions likely associated with fronto-executive dysfunction. Future research should further explore CFT in these diseases and extend to all clinical conditions at risk for fronto-executive dysfunction.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yi Tan, Karim El-Kersh, Sara E. E. Watson, Kupper A. A. Wintergerst, Jiapeng Huang, Lu Cai
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide, and the role of environmental contaminants such as nonessential metals in their development and persistence needs more attention. Antimony, as a less addressed nonessential metal, is gradually being recognized for its potential link to CVDs.
ANTIOXIDANTS & REDOX SIGNALING
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Izabela Korczowska-Lacka, Bartosz Slowikowski, Thomas Piekut, Mikolaj Hurla, Natalia Banaszek, Oliwia Szymanowicz, Pawel P. Jagodzinski, Wojciech Kozubski, Agnieszka Permoda-Pachuta, Jolanta Dorszewska
Summary: In diseases of the central nervous system, oxidative stress load commonly exceeds the body's antioxidant capacity. Endogenous antioxidants such as enzymes and exogenous antioxidants like vitamins and polyphenols play a significant role in preventing oxidative damage. However, the clinical efficacy and effectiveness of these antioxidants in neurological diseases need further research and definition.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xuejing Zhang, Jaclyn Connelly, Yapeng Chao, Qiming Jane Wang
Summary: Protein kinase D (PKD) is a crucial family of protein kinases involved in various cell signaling pathways, dysregulation of which can lead to multiple diseases. Research indicates that PKD plays a key role in pathological conditions like cancer, highlighting the importance of understanding its biological significance for developing more effective therapies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Charveriat, F. Mouthon, W. Rein, A. Verkhratsky
Summary: Astrocytes play a crucial role in the central nervous system through gap junctions formed by connexins, influencing neurodegenerative diseases and pharmacological profiles of CNS drugs. Modulation of astrocytic connexins represents an innovative approach for CNS disorders and offers new therapeutic perspectives.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR BASIS OF DISEASE
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Carole Escartin, Elena Galea, Andras Lakatos, James P. O'Callaghan, Gabor C. Petzold, Alberto Serrano-Pozo, Christian Steinhauser, Andrea Volterra, Giorgio Carmignoto, Amit Agarwal, Nicola J. Allen, Alfonso Araque, Luis Barbeito, Ari Barzilai, Dwight E. Bergles, Gilles Bonvento, Arthur M. Butt, Wei-Ting Chen, Martine Cohen-Salmon, Colm Cunningham, Benjamin Deneen, Bart De Strooper, Blanca Diaz-Castro, Cinthia Farina, Marc Freeman, Vittorio Gallo, James E. Goldman, Steven A. Goldman, Magdalena Gotz, Antonia Gutierrez, Philip G. Haydon, Dieter H. Heiland, Elly M. Hol, Matthew G. Holt, Masamitsu Iino, Ksenia V. Kastanenka, Helmut Kettenmann, Baljit S. Khakh, Schuichi Koizumi, C. Justin Lee, Shane A. Liddelow, Brian A. MacVicar, Pierre Magistretti, Albee Messing, Anusha Mishra, Anna V. Molofsky, Keith K. Murai, Christopher M. Norris, Seiji Okada, Stephane H. R. Oliet, Joao F. Oliveira, Aude Panatier, Vladimir Parpura, Marcela Pekna, Milos Pekny, Luc Pellerin, Gertrudis Perea, Beatriz G. Perez-Nievas, Frank W. Pfrieger, Kira E. Poskanzer, Francisco J. Quintana, Richard M. Ransohoff, Miriam Riquelme-Perez, Stefanie Robel, Christine R. Rose, Jeffrey D. Rothstein, Nathalie Rouach, David H. Rowitch, Alexey Semyanov, Swetlana Sirko, Harald Sontheimer, Raymond A. Swanson, Javier Vitorica, Ina-Beate Wanner, Levi B. Wood, Jiaqian Wu, Binhai Zheng, Eduardo R. Zimmer, Robert Zorec, Michael V. Sofroniew, Alexei Verkhratsky
Summary: The article highlights the challenges and uncertainties surrounding reactive astrocytes, advocating for comprehensive research that includes assessment of multiple molecular and functional parameters, preferably in vivo, along with multivariate statistics and determination of impact on pathological hallmarks in relevant models.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Menachem Hanani, Alexei Verkhratsky
Summary: Astroglia and satellite glial cells have heterogeneous forms and functions, but both play important roles in neural functions, influencing neural plasticity and synaptic transmission through interactions with chemical messengers and receptors. Both types serve as boundary cells separating different compartments, but further research is needed to fully understand the role of satellite glial cells.
NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biology
Marcus Augusto-Oliveira, Gabriela P. Arrifano, Charlotte Isabelle Delage, Marie-Eve Tremblay, Maria Elena Crespo-Lopez, Alexei Verkhratsky
Summary: Microglial cells, originating from foetal macrophages, undergo phenotypic metamorphosis in response to the nervous tissue environment, displaying high plasticity and heterogeneity in gene and protein expression; their surveilling functions are crucial for maintaining homeostasis and contributing to the adaptive capacity of the central nervous system.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Alexei Verkhratsky, Alexey Semyanov
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ya-Fei Zhao, Wen-Jing Ren, Ying Zhang, Jin-Rong He, Hai-Yan Yin, Yang Liao, Patrizia Rubini, Jan M. Deussing, Alexei Verkhratsky, Zeng-Qiang Yuan, Peter Illes, Yong Tang
Summary: This study suggests that P2X7 receptors in hippocampal astrocytes are involved in the development of depressive disorder, and microglia and astrocytes respond differently to stress stimuli.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexei Verkhratsky, Margaret S. Ho, Vladimir Parpura, Aleksandra Pekowska
Summary: The evolution of the nervous system involved cellular diversification and specialization of functions, with the emergence of the centralized nervous system leading to an increase in the complexity of neuroglia. In the primate brain, especially in humans, the astrocyte lineage is exceedingly complex, possibly facilitating interlayer communication and integration.
ANNALS OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Robert Zorec, Alexei Verkhratsky
Summary: Astrocytes are key homeostasis providing cells in the central nervous system, and their alterations are associated with diseases caused by infectious insults. Neurotropic infections, including COVID-19 and other viruses, activate astrocytes and utilize their metabolic characteristics for viral multiplication. However, the failure of astrocyte protection in certain circumstances remains a topic for future study.
ESSAYS IN BIOCHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Physiology
Chia-Yu Yeh, Kuan-Yu Wu, Guo-Jen Huang, Alexei Verkhratsky
Summary: Adult neurogenesis is an important process that contributes to adaptive network remodelling in the brain. This review focuses on the cellular characteristics and roles of radial astrocytes (RSA) and parenchymal astrocytes in adult neurogenesis in different brain regions. The potential therapeutic applications of RSA and astrocytes in cell replacement and regeneration strategies are also discussed.
Editorial Material
Physiology
Alan Alpar, Alexei Verkhratsky
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Xinyu Li, Binjie Chen, Dianjun Zhang, Siman Wang, Yuliang Feng, Xiafang Wu, Lulu Cui, Ming Ji, Wenliang Gong, Alexei Verkhratsky, Maosheng Xia, Baoman Li
Summary: A novel mouse model of mania was developed by exposing mice to chronic unpredictable rhythm disturbances (CURD), including disruption of circadian rhythm, sleep deprivation, exposure to bright light, and other stressors. The CURD mice exhibited manic behaviors similar to those observed in patients with manic syndrome. Treatment with LiCl and valproic acid improved behaviors and molecular indicators in the manic mice. This environment-based model provides a valuable tool for studying the neuropathological mechanisms of mania.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Si-Si Lin, Bin Zhou, Bin-Jie Chen, Ruo-Tian Jiang, Baoman Li, Peter Illes, Alexey Semyanov, Yong Tang, Alexei Verkhratsky
Summary: This study found that electroacupuncture can prevent atrophy of astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex, and alleviate depressive-like behavior induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress. These behavioral changes are associated with morphological atrophy of astrocytes and down-regulation of the protein Ezrin.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Alexei Verkhratsky, Alexey Semyanov
Summary: Lia et al. discovered the critical role of the STIM1 ER Ca2+ sensor in the functional decline of astrocytes in AD-like pathology in PS2APP mice. The downregulation of STIM1 expression in astrocytes resulted in decreased ER Ca2+ content and impaired astrocytic Ca2+ signaling, leading to synaptic and memory deficits. Overexpression of STIM1 in astrocytes restored Ca2+ excitability and improved synaptic and memory function.
Review
Neurosciences
Chenju Yi, Alexei Verkhratsky, Jianqin Niu
Summary: Adult oligodendrocyte precursor cells (aOPCs), derived from fetal OPCs, are unique neuroglia cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and have diverse roles in neurological diseases. This review presents the physiology of aOPCs and summarizes the beneficial and detrimental effects of aOPCs in different CNS diseases. The paper discusses aOPC death, reactivity, changes during senescence, interactions with other glial cells, and pathological remodeling during disease, and outlines future perspectives for studying aOPCs in brain pathologies for potential therapeutic strategies.
TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexei Verkhratsky, Arthur Butt, Baoman Li, Peter Illes, Robert Zorec, Alexey Semyanov, Yong Tang, Michael V. Sofroniew
Summary: This article introduces the pathophysiology of astroglial cells in neurological diseases and disorders, discussing their changes and functions in different pathological states, and proposes the identification of cellular and molecular mechanisms of astroglial pathophysiology as a new frontier for finding novel therapeutic strategies.
SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND TARGETED THERAPY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Alexei Verkhratsky
NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Dominic Tscherrig, Rajesh Bhardwaj, Daniel Biner, Jan Dernic, Daniela Ross-Kaschitza, Christine Peinelt, Matthias A. Hediger, Martin Lochner
Summary: Changes in Ca2+ levels regulate many physiological functions, and the endoplasmic reticulum is the major Ca2+ store in cells. Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) is a refilling process that involves protein-protein interactions between Ca2+ sensing STIM in the ER and Orai proteins in the plasma membrane, forming selective Ca2+ channels. Abnormal SOCE is associated with diseases and cancers, making STIM and Orai important therapeutic targets. Novel GSK-7975A-based molecular probes have been developed for studying SOCE in different cells and settings.
Article
Cell Biology
Nicola Fameli, Cornelis van Breemen, Klaus Groschner
Summary: The study provides evidence for the importance of junctional membrane architecture in cellular function. Through modeling and prediction, it is shown that nano-scale membrane spacing plays a crucial role in junctional ER Ca2+ refilling and signaling efficiency. Additionally, interactions between Ca2+ and the phospholipid membrane surface are suggested to support interfacial Ca2+ transport and receptor targeting. This research introduces a new concept in pathophysiology.
Article
Cell Biology
Satomi Ohtsuka, Yumi Miyai, Hiroyuki Mima, Masaki Magari, Yoichi Chiba, Futoshi Suizu, Hiroyuki Sakagami, Masaki Ueno, Hiroshi Tokumitsu
Summary: This study characterized the splice variants of mouse CaMKKI3/2 and found that CaMKKI3-3 and I3-3x were functionally active and likely to be bona fide CaMKIV kinases involved in the regulation of spermiogenesis.
