Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Saleha Alqarni, Mashael Alsebai
Summary: The use of VGF and its derivatives for the diagnosis of PD, ALS, AD remains unclear, so further investigation of the role of VGF in neurodegenerative diseases and pathophysiology is needed to provide new insights.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Wei-Jye Lin, Yan Zhao, Zhe Li, Shuyu Zheng, Jin-lin Zou, Noel A. Warren, Purva Bali, Jingru Wu, Mengdan Xing, Cheng Jiang, Yamei Tang, Stephen R. Salton, Xiaojing Ye
Summary: Neuropeptides play a critical role in neuronal activity, and the translation of VGF and other granin proteins can rapidly increase independently of transcription, associated with learning. Truncated Vgf 3' UTR in mice leads to enhanced memory performance and reduced anxiety and depression-like behaviors.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
J. S. Dileep Kumar, Andrei Molotkov, Jongho Kim, Patrick Carberry, Sidney Idumonyi, John Castrillon, Karen Duff, Neil A. Shneider, Akiva Mintz
Summary: In this study, we observed a decrease in microtubule binding of [C-11]MPC-6827 in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These findings suggest that [C-11]MPC-6827 could potentially serve as a PET ligand for imaging Alzheimer's disease, ALS, and other neurodegenerative diseases.
PHARMACOLOGICAL REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Michael Wainberg, Shea J. Andrews, Shreejoy J. Tripathy
Summary: In this study, using state-of-the-art GWAS techniques, researchers identified shared genetic risk loci among Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These loci revealed the importance of lysosomal/autophagic dysfunction, neuroinflammation/immunity, oxidative stress, and the DNA damage response in the pathogenesis of multiple neurodegenerative disorders.
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrea Mastrangelo, Veria Vacchiano, Corrado Zenesini, Edoardo Ruggeri, Simone Baiardi, Arianna Cherici, Patrizia Avoni, Barbara Polischi, Francesca Santoro, Sabina Capellari, Rocco Liguori, Piero Parchi
Summary: Recent studies have shown that ALS patients have higher levels of plasma GFAP compared to controls, and this marker is associated with cognitive decline. Plasma GFAP is an accurate biomarker for identifying Alzheimer's disease co-pathology in ALS, which can influence the cognitive phenotype.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Agathe Vrillon, Vincent Deramecourt, Florence Pasquier, Eloi Magnin, David Wallon, Pierre Lozeron, Elodie Bouaziz-Amar, Claire Paquet
Summary: ALS and frontotemporal dementia are closely related, but association of ALS with Alzheimer's disease is rare. This study reported 5 cases of ALS associated with AD, with patients initially presenting with AD symptoms before developing ALS. The study suggests that ALS-AD phenotype could be an underexplored entity.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2021)
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Lorenzo Barba, Markus Otto, Samir Abu-Rumeileh
Summary: Around 10-15% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases show concurrent Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. These ALS-AD patients have a higher prevalence of amnestic cognitive disturbances before motor symptoms appear. While cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD core biomarkers do not show significant changes in ALS, phosphorylated tau protein levels in blood may increase independently of AD copathology. Neurofilament proteins are consistently elevated in ALS, but there is limited research on their role in ALS-AD. These considerations are important when using fluid biomarkers as inclusion criteria or secondary endpoints in clinical trials.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Veria Vacchiano, Anna Bartoletti-Stella, Giovanni Rizzo, Patrizia Avoni, Piero Parchi, Fabrizio Salvi, Rocco Liguori, Sabina Capellari
Summary: ALS and AD patients have a higher prevalence of Lewy body disease and parkinsonian features. This study found a higher frequency of Parkinson's disease-causative genes in ALS patients, suggesting their potential role in ALS pathogenesis.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Taylor A. Strope, Cole J. Birky, Heather M. Wilkins
Summary: Mitochondrial and bioenergetic dysfunction is a common feature in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mitochondria play a crucial role in controlling cellular processes and may drive the pathological changes in these diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Michael Benatar, Joanne Wuu, Caroline McHutchison, Ronald B. Postuma, Bradley F. Boeve, Ronald Petersen, Christopher A. Ross, Howard Rosen, Jalayne J. Arias, Stephanie Fradette, Michael P. McDermott, Jeremy Shefner, Christine Stanislaw, Sharon Abrahams, Stephanie Cosentino, Peter M. Andersen, Richard S. Finkel, Volkan Granit, Anne-Laure Grignon, Jonathan D. Rohrer, Corey T. McMillan, Murray Grossman, Ammar Al-Chalabi, Martin R. Turner
Summary: Significant progress has been made in understanding the pre-symptomatic phase of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Advances in other neurodegenerative diseases provide valuable insights and highlight opportunities for discovery in ALS. Biomarkers play a critical role in studying pre-symptomatic ALS and are essential for early therapeutic intervention and disease prevention.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edgar Ramos-Martinez, Ivan Ramos-Martinez, Ivan Sanchez-Betancourt, Juan Carlos Ramos-Martinez, Sheila Irais Pena-Corona, Jorge Valencia, Renata Saucedo, Ericka Karol Pamela Almeida-Aguirre, Marco Cerbon
Summary: Patients with neurodegenerative diseases have higher levels of galectins compared to healthy individuals, with different galectin expression patterns observed in different disease types.
Review
Clinical Neurology
David Brenner, Axel Freischmidt
Summary: ALS genetics research is highly dynamic and intriguing, with the discovery of numerous new ALS-associated genes and pathomechanisms. Recent findings include potential and risk genes, as well as new risk loci. Cell type and functional enrichment analyses have shed light on the genetic basis of selective motor neuron vulnerability in ALS, and major insights have been gained regarding known ALS genes and proteins. The understanding of ALS genetics and molecular basis has advanced significantly in the past years, leading to the development of novel gene-specific therapies for sporadic ALS and genetic subtypes.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
T. Dharmadasa, J. Howells, J. M. Matamala, N. G. Simon, D. Burke, S. Vucic, M. C. Kiernan
Summary: In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, patients with inexcitability of all four limbs to transcranial magnetic stimulation have a distinct clinical profile characterized by younger age, lower-limb onset, faster disease progression, greater functional disability, and reduced survival. This measure may serve as an important prognostic marker in the disease.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Phillip Smethurst, Hannah Franklin, Benjamin E. Clarke, Katie Sidle, Rickie Patani
Summary: Accumulating evidence suggests that astrocytes play a key role in neurodegenerative diseases by dealing with pathological protein aggregates and their prion-like behavior. However, their specific functions and their interactions with the disease process are still unclear.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Philippe Corcia, Pascal Lejeune, Patrick Vourc'h, Stephane Beltran, Anne-Sophie Piegay, Helene Blasco, Vincent Meininger
Summary: This study characterized the prototypical phenotype of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with PFN1 mutations and identified clinical indications for testing mutations in this gene. The main clinical findings for familial ALS linked to PFN1 were identified as pedigrees with over five cases, an onset age around 50 years, onset in the lower limbs, and the absence of cognitive impairment. The similarities with other ALS mutations prompt a review of ALS classifications based on both phenotype and genotype.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Francesca Caracci, Joyce Harary, Sherry Simkovic, Giulio Maria Pasinetti
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Urdhva Raval, Joyce M. Harary, Emma Zeng, Giulio M. Pasinetti
EXPERT REVIEW OF NEUROTHERAPEUTICS
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Susan Westfall, Duy M. Dinh, Giulio Maria Pasinetti
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2020)
Letter
Environmental Sciences
Sean X. Naughton, Urdhva Raval, Joyce M. Harary, Giulio M. Pasinetti
JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kenjiro Ono, Mayumi Tsuji, Tritia R. Yamasaki, Giulio M. Pasinetti
Article
Environmental Sciences
Drew A. Helmer, William W. Van Doren, David R. Litke, Chin-Lin Tseng, Lap Ho, Omowunmi Osinubi, Giulio Maria Pasinetti
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Tritia R. Yamasaki, Kenjiro Ono, Lap Ho, Giulio M. Pasinetti
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Merina Varghese, Wei Zhao, Kyle J. Trageser, Giulio M. Pasinetti
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Umar H. Iqbal, Emma Zeng, Giulio M. Pasinetti
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2020)
Review
Cell Biology
Maria Sebastian-Valverde, Giulio M. Pasinetti
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sean X. Naughton, Urdhva Raval, Giulio M. Pasinetti
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2020)
Article
Psychiatry
Chad Smith, Kyle J. Trageser, Henry Wu, Francis J. Herman, Umar Haris Iqbal, Maria Sebastian-Valverde, Tal Frolinger, Emma Zeng, Giulio Maria Pasinetti
Summary: Research on the impact of sleep deprivation on anxiety and anxiolytic properties reveals that a flavanol-rich dietary preparation can alleviate neuroimmune activation and reduce anxiety. Additionally, the study found that sleep deprivation alters the expression of circadian genes, leading to changes in NLRP3 expression and IL-1 beta production.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Sebastian-Valverde, Henry Wu, Md Al Rahim, Roberto Sanchez, Kunal Kumar, Robert J. De Vita, Giulio Maria Pasinetti
Summary: Inflammasomes are involved in host response to danger signals, with potential therapeutic implications for autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. Inhibiting the ATPase activity of NLRP3 disrupts inflammasome function, highlighting the need for new compounds with therapeutic potential. Computational modeling and virtual screening identified novel compounds as potential NLRP3 inhibitors, setting the basis for rational design of inflammasome-targeting drugs.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Timothy Monko, Jaclyn Rebertus, Jeff Stolley, Stephen R. Salton, Yasushi Nakagawa
Summary: Extrinsic cues from sensory thalamic projections play an early role in the formation of cortical cytoarchitecture by enhancing the production and specification of layer 4 neurons.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maite L. Docampo-Palacios, Anislay Alvarez-Hernandez, Angelo de Fatima, Luciano Morais Liao, Giulio M. Pasinetti, Richard A. Dixon
Article
Neurosciences
Yang He, Jun Tang, Meng Zhang, Junjie Ying, Dezhi Mu
Summary: This study investigated the protective effects and mechanisms of human placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) transplantation in a rat model of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). The results showed that hPMSCs transplantation reduced apoptosis and improved long-term neurological prognosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of Sema 3A/NRP-1 expression and activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway played a key role in the protective effects of hPMSCs.
Article
Neurosciences
Emily L. Isenstein, Edward G. Freedman, Jiayi Xu, Ian A. DeAndrea-Lazarus, John J. Foxe
Summary: This study evaluated electrophysiological discrimination of parametric somatosensory stimuli in healthy young adults to understand how the brain processes the duration of tactile information. The results showed that participants did not electrophysiologically discriminate between 100 and 115 ms, but they exhibited distinct electrophysiological responses when the deviant stimuli were 130, 145, and 160 ms. These findings contribute to a better understanding of tactile sensitivity in different clinical conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Juliana R. Souza, Ludmila Lima-Silveira, Daniela Accorsi-Mendonca, Benedito H. Machado
Summary: This study demonstrates that A2A receptors play a crucial role in modulating synaptic transmission in the NTS neurons and are required for the enhancement of glutamatergic transmission observed under short-term sustained hypoxia conditions.
Article
Neurosciences
Miki Hashizume, Rina Ito, Rie Suge, Yasushi Hojo, Gen Murakami, Takayuki Murakoshi
Summary: The basolateral amygdaloid complex (BLA) is closely involved in the formation of emotional memories, including both aversive memory and contextual fear memory. Acute sleep deprivation (SD) disrupts the acquisition of tone-associated fear memory in juvenile rats, but has no significant effect on contextual fear memory. Slow network oscillation in the amygdala contributes to the formation of amygdala-dependent fear memory in relation to sleep.
Article
Neurosciences
Qunxian Wang, Shipeng Guo, Dongjie Hu, Xiangjun Dong, Zijun Meng, Yanshuang Jiang, Zijuan Feng, Weihui Zhou, Weihong Song
Summary: GSDME plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease by regulating the switch from apoptosis to pyroptosis and participating in neuroinflammatory response. Knockdown of GSDME has been shown to improve cognitive impairments, indicating that GSDME could be a therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease.
