Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zachary T. Olmsted, Janet L. Paluh
Summary: Researchers have successfully studied the co-development of the central and peripheral nervous systems with trunk mesendoderm in elongating multi-lineage organized (EMLO) gastruloids. They identified NCCs that differentiate to form peripheral neurons integrated with an upstream spinal cord region after day 8.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ling Tao, Myrthala Moreno-Smith, Rodrigo Ibarra-Garcia-Padilla, Giorgio Milazzo, Nathan A. Drolet, Blanca E. Hernandez, Young S. Oh, Ivanshi Patel, Jean J. Kim, Barry Zorman, Tajhal Patel, Abu Hena Mostafa Kamal, Yanling Zhao, John Hicks, Sanjeev A. Vasudevan, Nagireddy Putluri, Cristian Coarfa, Pavel Sumazin, Giovanni Perini, Ronald J. Parchem, Rosa A. Uribe, Eveline Barbieri
Summary: This study shows that CHAF1A gain-of-function supports cell malignancy, blocks neuronal differentiation, and promotes NB oncogenesis. Mechanistically, CHAF1A upregulates polyamine metabolism, which blocks neuronal differentiation and promotes cell cycle progression.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Arianna Baggiolini, Scott J. Callahan, Emily Montal, Joshua M. Weiss, Tuan Trieu, Mohita M. Tagore, Sam E. Tischfield, Ryan M. Walsh, Shruthy Suresh, Yujie Fan, Nathaniel R. Campbell, Sarah C. Perlee, Nathalie Saurat, Miranda Hunter, Theresa Simon-Vermot, Ting-Hsiang Huang, Yilun Ma, Travis Hollmann, Satish K. Tickoo, Barry S. Taylor, Ekta Khurana, Richard P. Koche, Lorenz Studer, Richard M. White
Summary: The intrinsic transcriptional program present in the cell of origin plays a key role in the transforming ability of oncogenes like BRAF(V600E), with developmental chromatin factors mediating oncogenic competence and allowing for proper response to oncogenes.
Article
Cell Biology
Aubrey G. A. Howard, Aaron C. Nguyen, Joshua Tworig, Priya Ravisankar, Eileen W. Singleton, Can Li, Grayson Kotzur, Joshua S. Waxman, Rosa A. Uribe
Summary: Neural crest cells (NCCs) are migratory and multipotent stem cells essential to vertebrate embryonic development. This study identifies the gene Hoxb5b as a regulator of NCC development, demonstrating that elevated Hoxb5b levels promote expansion of zebrafish NCCs and specifically expand expression domains of vagal NCC markers. The study also shows that early increase in vagal NCCs leads to supernumerary enteric neural progenitors, but these fail to properly expand into enterically fated neurons in the gut tissue.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Rosanna Di Tinco, Ugo Consolo, Alessandra Pisciotta, Giulia Orlandi, Giulia Bertani, Milena Nasi, Jessika Bertacchini, Gianluca Carnevale
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of three different bone substitute biomaterials (BSBs) on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs). The results showed that the BSBs did not alter cell proliferation, stemness markers expression, or induce any inflammatory responses. Furthermore, the formulation of the BSBs also influenced the biological properties of the stem cells.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Adriana Sanna, Bengt Phung, Shamik Mitra, Martin Lauss, Jiyeon Choi, Tongwu Zhang, Ching-Ni Njauw, Eugenia Cordero, Katja Harbst, Frida Rosengren, Rita Cabrita, Iva Johansson, Karolin Isaksson, Christian Ingvar, Ana Carneiro, Kevin Brown, Hensin Tsao, My Andersson, Kristian Pietras, Goran Jonsson
Summary: Cellular stress contributes to the phenotype switching of melanoma cells, and this is associated with the loss of specific gene expression and increased expression of mesenchymal markers. The loss of microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and SRY-box transcription factor 10 (SOX10) is related to this process, and their loss is associated with promoter hypermethylation and poor patient survival.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Qunzhou Zhang, Phuong Nguyen, Justin C. Burrell, Jincheng Zeng, Shihong Shi, Rabie M. Shanti, Grace Kulischak, D. Kacy Cullen, Anh D. Le
Summary: This study identified a rapid biofabrication approach for functionalized NGCs by directing GMSCs conversion into GiSCs in 3D collagen hydrogel. The implantation of functionalized NGCs laden with GiSCs significantly improved functional recovery and axonal regeneration in a segmental facial nerve defect model in rats.
NPJ REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Xiaolei Zhao, Tram P. Le, Shannon Erhardt, Tina O. Findley, Jun Wang
Summary: Neural crest cells are a migratory stem cell population in vertebrate embryogenesis that play a crucial role in the development of various tissues and organs. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of the Hippo-Yap pathway in normal neural crest development, but further research is needed to fully understand its roles and mechanisms.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biology
Imadeldin Yahya, Dorit Hockman, Beate Brand-Saberi, Gabriela Morosan-Puopolo
Summary: This article reviews the role of transcription factors and signaling molecules in the differentiation of a subset of head muscles called branchiomeric muscles, which originate from the pharyngeal arches. The article provides new data on the distinct myogenic programs within these muscles and explores the regulation of branchiomeric muscle patterning and differentiation by cranial neural crest cells. Understanding the genetic program and differentiation of branchiomeric muscles is crucial for studying their properties and therapeutic potential.
Review
Cell Biology
Ji Wu, Yun-Yi Wang, Xi-Wen Yang, Xiao-Tian Zhang, Jia-Yi Tang
Summary: hNP22 is a novel neuron-specific protein that interacts with actin filaments and microtubules, showing similarities to other cytoskeleton-associated proteins. It has potential biological functions in neurological disorders like schizophrenia and ARBD, making it a target for research in exploring clinical significance.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Hung-Jhen Chen, Lindsey Barske, Jared C. Talbot, Olivia M. Dinwoodie, Ryan R. Roberts, D'Juan T. Farmer, Christian Jimenez, Amy E. Merrill, Abigail S. Tucker, J. Gage Crump
Summary: In this study, the pluripotency factor Nr5a2 was found to play a critical role in cell-fate decisions during jaw development. Nr5a2 was transiently expressed in a subset of postmigratory neural-crest-derived cells in zebrafish and mice. Loss of Nr5a2 in zebrafish resulted in excessive jaw cartilage at the expense of tendons, while in mice, neural-crest-specific Nr5a2 loss led to skeletal, tendon, and salivary gland defects in the jaw and middle ear. Single-cell profiling revealed that Nr5a2 regulates chromatin accessibility and gene expression specifically in jaw cells, promoting tendon and gland fates. Therefore, repurposing of Nr5a2 is crucial for generating the diverse derivatives required for proper jaw and middle ear function.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2023)
Review
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Surangi N. Perera, Laura Kerosuo
Summary: The neural crest (NC) is a unique embryonic stem cell population in vertebrates, contributing to a wide range of derivatives. Recent discoveries have revealed the coexpression of pluripotency factors in NC cells, leading to the proposal of a new term pleistopotent. Studies on the maintenance of NC stemness are crucial for understanding its contribution to tissue formation.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Begona M. Bosch, Enrique Salero, Raquel Nunez-Toldra, Alfonso L. Sabater, F. J. Gil, Roman A. Perez
Summary: The failure of corneal endothelium cell monolayer is a major reason for corneal transplantation. This study proposes the use of dental pulp stem cells as an autologous cell source to reconstruct the corneal endothelium cell monolayer, bypassing ethical issues and limited clinical applications. Through a two-step differentiation protocol, dental pulp stem cells were successfully converted into corneal endothelial-like cells, demonstrating the potential for patient-derived cell therapies.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shuting Liu, Kangjian Xiang, Fa Yuan, Mengqing Xiang
Summary: Recently, mouse fibroblasts have been successfully reprogrammed into self-organized and networked induced autonomic ganglion (iAG) organoids, using a combination of transcription factors Ascl1, Phox2a/b, and Hand2. The iAG neurons exhibit molecular properties, subtype diversity, and electrophysiological characteristics of autonomic neurons. They can also integrate into the superior cervical ganglia and innervate and control the beating rate of co-cultured ventricular myocytes. Therefore, iAG organoids can be valuable tools for studying autonomic nervous system diseases, drug screening, and cell-based therapies.
Article
Cell Biology
Nathalia C. Oliveira, Fabiele B. Russo, Patricia Beltrao-Braga
Summary: This study aimed to establish a method for differentiating sensory neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), which have the same embryonic origin as the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The protocol successfully differentiated neural crest and PNS cells from SHED-derived iPSCs, providing a platform for future studies on PNS pathologies.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Krisztina Toth, Nikolett Lenart, Peter Berki, Rebeka Fekete, Eszter Szabadits, Balazs Posfai, Csaba Cserep, Ahmad Alatshan, Szilvia Benko, Daniel Kiss, Christian A. Huebner, Attila Gulyas, Kai Kaila, Zsuzsanna Koernyei, Adam Denes
Summary: The NKCC1 ion transporter has an important role in microglia, the main inflammatory cells of the brain, by regulating cellular morphology, volume changes, and inflammatory responses. Microglial NKCC1 deficiency leads to exaggerated inflammation and worsened neurological outcomes.
Article
Rheumatology
Sabrina Meisgen, Malin Hedlund, Aurelie Ambrosi, Lasse Folkersen, Vijole Ottosson, David Forsberg, Gudny Ella Thorlacius, Luca Biavati, Linn Strandberg, Johannes Mofors, Daniel Ramskold, Sabrina Ruhrmann, Lauro Meneghel, William Nyberg, Alexander Espinosa, Robert Murray Hamilton, Anders Franco-Cereceda, Anders Hamsten, Tomas Olsson, Lois Greene, Per Eriksson, Kristina Gemzell-Danielsson, Stina Salomonsson, Vijay K. Kuchroo, Eric Herlenius, Ingrid Kockum, Sven-Erik Sonesson, Marie Wahren-Herlenius
Summary: This study identifies DNAJC6 as a novel genetic susceptibility factor in NLE, modulating cardiac function and providing new insights into the development of screening and therapeutic strategies for CHB.
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Jan Philipp Reising, Wiktor S. Phillips, Naify Ramadan, Eric Herlenius
Summary: Inflammation in infants can affect respiratory function and is regulated by prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). PGE2 modulates the duration of inspiratory burst period through activation of EP2 receptors in excitatory neurons and EP3 receptors in inhibitory neurons.
FRONTIERS IN NEURAL CIRCUITS
(2022)
Article
Physiology
Vanesa Stojanovska, John Atta, Sharmony B. Kelly, Valerie A. Zahra, Eva Matthews-Staindl, Ilias Nitsos, Alison Moxham, Yen Pham, Stuart B. Hooper, Eric Herlenius, Robert Galinsky, Graeme R. Polglase
Summary: This study found that exposure to antenatal inflammation can inhibit fetal breathing movements and increase inflammation and PGE(2) levels in brainstem, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood plasma. Further research is needed to determine whether the inflammation-induced increase in PGE(2) levels plays a key role in depressing respiratory drive during the perinatal period.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Athina Samara, Asma Khalil, Patrick O'Brien, Eric Herlenius
Summary: Pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to have mild disease compared to non-pregnant individuals, but they have a higher risk of developing severe disease. The delta variant is associated with increased hospitalization and morbidity in unvaccinated pregnant populations. However, it is unclear whether the worse pregnancy outcomes associated with the delta variant are due to a direct effect of the virus on the pregnancy or through more severe maternal infection.
Article
Pediatrics
Kristin Leifsdottir, Kerstin Jost, Veronica Siljehav, Eric P. Thelin, Philipp Lassaren, Peter Nilsson, Asgeir Haraldsson, Staffan Eksborg, Eric Herlenius
Summary: This study found differences in the protein profiles of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) between preterm infants and full-term infants. Preterm infants had increased levels of proteins associated with neurodevelopment and neuroinflammatory pathways, which may serve as potential biomarkers for unfavorable neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants. Several proteins were found to be associated with favorable outcomes in preterm infants.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Antoine Honore, David Forsberg, Katja Adolphson, Saikat Chatterjee, Kerstin Jost, Eric Herlenius
Summary: This study investigates the predictive value of machine learning-assisted analysis of non-invasive monitoring data and demographic factors for detecting neonatal sepsis. The results show that combining multiple vital signs improves the algorithm's performance, allowing for sepsis prediction up to 24 hours before clinical suspicion. Moreover, the risk of sepsis increases 150-fold 10 hours prior to clinical suspicion.
Article
Neurosciences
Samu N. Kurki, Pavel Uvarov, Alexey S. Pospelov, Kalevi Trontti, Antje K. Huebner, Rakenduvadhana Srinivasan, Masahiko Watanabe, Iiris Hovatta, Christian A. Huebner, Kai Kaila, Mari A. Virtanen
Summary: The widely expressed Na-K-2Cl cotransporter NKCC1 has been hindered in its understanding of its roles in brain functions and disorders due to lack of reliable data on its developmental and (sub)cellular expression patterns. This study provides a well-controlled analysis of NKCC1 protein expression in different cell types of the mouse brain and reveals its high levels in oligodendrocytes, differential expression in neurons, microglia, astrocytes, developing pericytes, and progenitor cells of the dentate gyrus, and the presence of NKCC1 splice variants. These findings contribute to our understanding of NKCC1 functions in the brain and have implications for the development of neuron-targeting NKCC1-blockers.
Article
Neurosciences
Robert J. Hatch, Geza Berecki, Nikola Jancovski, Melody Li, Ben Rollo, Paymaan Jafar-Nejad, Frank Rigo, Kai Kaila, Christopher A. Reid, Steven Petrou
Summary: Brain pH plays a critical role in determining neuronal activity, with alkalosis increasing excitability and acidosis reducing it. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms behind the seizure protection observed when brain pH shifts through the inhalation of carbogen. The findings suggest that acidification reduces excitability in excitatory neurons but has no effect on inhibitory neurons, providing insight into the basis of seizure suppression caused by carbogen-mediated acidification.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Alexander Mildalen Stalhammar, Antoine Honore, Katja Adolphson, David Forsberg, Eric Herlenius, Kerstin Jost
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between autonomic regulation, body weight, and prematurity in infants. It also assessed the usefulness of including body weight in a machine learning-based sepsis prediction algorithm. The findings showed a positive correlation between autonomic regulation and body weight and age. Adding body weight measures improved the algorithm's ability to predict sepsis in the overall population.
Article
Clinical Neurology
James Fasham, Antje K. Huebner, Lutz Liebmann, Reham Khalaf-Nazzal, Reza Maroofian, Nderim Kryeziu, Saskia B. Wortmann, Joseph S. Leslie, Nishanka Ubeyratna, Grazia M. S. Mancini, Marjon van Slegtenhorst, Martina Wilke, Tobias B. Haack, Hanan E. Shamseldin, Joseph G. Gleeson, Mohamed Almuhaizea, Imad Dweikat, Bassam Abu-Libdeh, Muhannad Daana, Maha S. Zaki, Matthew N. Wakeling, Lucy McGavin, Peter D. Turnpenny, Fowzan S. Alkuraya, Henry Houlden, Peter Schlattmann, Kai Kaila, Andrew H. Crosby, Emma L. Baple, Christian A. Huebner
Summary: A novel neurodevelopmental disorder associated with biallelic pathogenic variants in SLC4A10 has been identified, which exhibits learning difficulties, seizures, and characteristic brain imaging features. Dysfunction of GABAergic transmission may contribute to the disorder.
Article
Immunology
Samu N. Kurki, Tommi Ala-Kurikka, Arto Lipponen, Alexey S. Pospelov, Taisia Rolova, Jari Koistinaho, Juha Voipio, Kai Kaila
Summary: Systemic inflammation induces both protective and pro-inflammatory responses in the brain, leading to disrupted cognition. The mechanisms underlying the peripheral-central inflammatory signaling are not fully understood.
JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Elham Ahmadzadeh, Graeme R. Polglase, Vanesa Stojanovska, Eric Herlenius, David W. Walker, Suzanne L. Miller, Beth J. Allison
Summary: Fetal growth restriction (FGR) refers to a complex obstetric issue where the fetus doesn't reach its genetic growth potential. The primary cause is placental dysfunction leading to chronic fetal hypoxaemia, which affects neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory development. This review examines the impact of chronic hypoxia and FGR on the brainstem, particularly its structural and functional consequences on cardiovascular and respiratory control.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Samu N. Kurki, Rakenduvadhana Srinivasan, Jens Laine, Mari A. Virtanen, Tommi Ala-Kurikka, Juha Voipio, Kai Kaila
Summary: Acute neuroinflammation leads to hyperexcitability in dentate gyrus (DG) neurons, caused by disruption of neuronal chloride regulation and loss of GABAergic inhibition, resulting in cognitive impairment.
Article
Pediatrics
Kayla Vidinopoulos, Zahrah Azman, Ainsley Somers, Valerie A. Zahra, Alison Thiel, Hui Lu, Yen Pham, Nhi Thao Tran, Beth J. Allison, Eric Herlenius, Stuart Hooper, Robert Galinsky, Graeme R. Polglase
Summary: Mechanical ventilation in preterm fetal sheep induces a systemic inflammatory response, with only moderate inflammatory effects observed in the brainstem respiratory centers. However, the impact on cell death and prostaglandin synthesis remains unclear.
FRONTIERS IN PEDIATRICS
(2023)