Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Michael V. Sofroniew
Summary: This study shows that local proliferation of CNS fibroblasts drives fibrotic scar formation in response to circulating inflammatory cell infiltration in a model of multiple sclerosis, which may limit repair.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
T. M. O'Shea, Y. Ao, S. Wang, A. L. Wollenberg, J. H. Kim, R. A. Ramos Espinoza, A. Czechanski, L. G. Reinholdt, T. J. Deming, M. Sofroniew
Summary: The study illustrates that transplanted NPC into CNS lesions generate cells sharing transcriptional and functional characteristics with host wound repair astroglia in mice.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Philipp J. Hohensinner, Max Lenz, Patrick Haider, Julia Mayer, Manuela Richter, Christoph Kaun, Laura Goederle, Mira Brekalo, Manuel Salzmann, Smriti Sharma, Michael B. Fischer, Stefan Stojkovic, Daniel Ramsmayer, Christian Hengstenberg, Bruno K. Podesser, Kurt Huber, Christoph J. Binder, Johann Wojta, Walter S. Speidl
Summary: The inhibition of fatty acid oxidation has been shown to reduce atherosclerotic plaque growth by decreasing the activation of the NLRP-3 system and subsequently lowering the levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1 beta.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Cayce E. Dorrier, Dvir Aran, Ezekiel A. Haenelt, Ryan N. Sheehy, Kimberly K. Hoi, Lucija Pintaric, Yanan Chen, Carlos O. Lizama, Kelly M. Cautivo, Geoffrey A. Weiner, Brian Popko, Stephen P. J. Fancy, Thomas D. Arnold, Richard Daneman
Summary: Fibrotic scarring in the CNS is identified to arise from proliferative CNS fibroblasts in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model, with involvement of interferon-gamma pathway genes. Reduction of scarring can lead to decreased severity of motor symptoms.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ko Eun Lee, Seunghan Mo, Hyo-Seol Lee, Mijeong Jeon, Je Seon Song, Hyung-Jun Choi, Hyunsoo Cho, Chung-Min Kang
Summary: The study demonstrates that deferoxamine (DFO) can effectively suppress inflammation and bone resorption, as well as regulate gene expression and ROS production, making it a potential new option for root surface treatment in avulsed teeth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Maryam Ayazi, Sandra Zivkovic, Grace Hammel, Branko Stefanovic, Yi Ren
Summary: Reviewed the formation of fibrotic scars in central nervous system trauma and their unique characteristics, and discussed therapeutic targets that may enhance CNS regeneration.
Article
Neurosciences
Jian Wu, Bing Lu, Riyun Yang, Ying Chen, Xue Chen, Yi Li
Summary: Targeting EphB2 can effectively inhibit the formation of astroglial-fibrotic scars at the beginning of SCI, promoting nerve regeneration.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Adam M. Syanda, Vera I. Kringstad, Samuel J. I. Blackford, Joachim S. Kjesbu, Soon Seng Ng, Liang Ma, Fang Xiao, Abba E. Coron, Anne Mari A. Rokstad, Sunil Modi, S. Tamir Rashid, Berit Lokensgard Strand
Summary: Intra-peritoneal placement of alginate encapsulated human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatocytes (hPSC-Heps) could be a potential new bridging therapy for acute liver failure. The use of sulfated alginate reduces fibrotic overgrowth while maintaining the encapsulation process and cell functionality.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jessica Guenzle, Harue Akasaka, Katharina Joechle, Wilfried Reichardt, Aina Venkatasamy, Jens Hoeppner, Claus Hellerbrand, Stefan Fichtner-Feigl, Sven A. Lang
Summary: This study demonstrates the significant reduction in migration, invasion, and proliferation of melanoma cells upon specific inhibition of mTORC2 using the novel inhibitor JR-AB2-011, leading to cell death through non-apoptotic pathways. In a syngeneic murine metastasis model, therapy with JR-AB2-011 showed a remarkable decrease in liver metastasis, highlighting the potential of pharmacological blockade of mTORC2 as a novel anti-cancer approach for melanoma liver metastasis.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Mirabela Romanescu, Valentina Buda, Adelina Lombrea, Minodora Andor, Ionut Ledeti, Maria Suciu, Corina Danciu, Cristina Adriana Dehelean, Liana Dehelean
Summary: Studies show that there are differences in drug response between men and women, particularly in central nervous system drugs. Different genders significantly influence the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs. Although many studies have conflicting results, there are certain sex-related differences in each drug class. There are differences in response to opioids, antidepressants, and antipsychotics between genders.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Xiangyu Zhang, Hui Liu, Jennifer Q. Zhou, Stefanie Krick, Jarrod W. Barnes, Victor J. Thannickal, Yan Y. Sanders
Summary: H4K16Ac plays a critical role in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression related to fibrosis, suggesting potential therapeutic strategies for age-related diseases like IPF.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Araceli Lerida-Viso, Alejandra Estepa-Fernandez, Angela Morella-Aucejo, Beatriz Lozano-Torres, Maria Alfonso, Juan F. Blandez, Viviana Bisbal, Pilar Sepulveda, Alba Garcia-Fernandez, Mar Orzaez, Ramon Martinez-Manez
Summary: Many anticancer drugs can cause premature aging in healthy tissues, resulting in accelerated aging processes and adverse effects in patients. Cardiotoxicity is a major limiting factor in the use of doxorubicin as a cancer treatment, leading to long-term morbidity and mortality. In this study, it was demonstrated that induction of senescence in the heart contributes to impaired cardiac function in mice treated with doxorubicin. Elimination of senescent cells using the senolytic Navitoclax significantly reduced senescence and cardiotoxicity markers, and restored cardiac function in mice. These results suggest the potential clinical use of senolytic therapies to alleviate cardiotoxicities induced by chemotherapy.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Malgorzata Elzbieta Zujko, Marta Rozniata, Kinga Zujko
Summary: Individual nutrition education was found to be an effective method to improve knowledge, dietary habits, and physical activity of individuals with metabolic syndrome. Dietary modifications, such as increasing intake of polyphenols, fiber, and polyunsaturated fatty acids while decreasing saturated fatty acids, had a significant impact on improving certain risk factors of metabolic syndrome.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Simona-Adriana Manea, Mihaela-Loredana Vlad, Alexandra-Gela Lazar, Horia Muresian, Maya Simionescu, Adrian Manea
Summary: Dysregulated epigenetic mechanisms, specifically LSD1/KDM1A, play a crucial role in atherosclerosis by promoting oxidative stress and inflammation. Inhibition of LSD1 effectively reduces the extent of atherosclerotic lesions and decreases markers of immune cell infiltration and vascular inflammation, making it a potential therapeutic target.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Di Hu, Xiaoyan Sun, Anniefer Magpusao, Yuriy Fedorov, Matthew Thompson, Benlian Wang, Kathleen Lundberg, Drew J. Adams, Xin Qi
Summary: The authors identified CHIR99021 as a potent enhancer of mitochondrial function, improving mitochondrial phenotypes in Huntington's disease models. CHIR99021 stabilized calpastatin to suppress calpain activation and Drp1-induced mitochondrial fragmentation, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for neurological disorders characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Caroline Fischer, Heiko Endle, Lana Schumann, Annett Wilken-Schmitz, Julia Kaiser, Susanne Gerber, Christina F. Vogelaar, Mirko H. H. Schmidt, Robert Nitsch, Isabel Snodgrass, Dominique Thomas, Johannes Vogt, Irmgard Tegeder
Summary: Recent studies show that synaptic lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) can enhance cortical excitability and sensory information processing through presynaptic LPAR2 activation in mice and humans. Deletion or antagonism of LPAR2 in mice resulted in decreased hippocampal neuronal network activity, increased hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), and improved cognitive performance in tasks requiring high attention and fast spatial discrimination. LPAR2(-/-) mice exhibited similar performance to wild-type controls in maze tests, but showed faster and more accurate responses in tasks requiring selective attention.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
David Wegrzyn, Marie-Pierre Manitz, Michael Kostka, Nadja Freund, Georg Juckel, Andreas Faissner
Summary: The study revealed that activation of the maternal immune system during pregnancy led to significant changes in hippocampal neurons, including a reduction in PNN intensity and area, and shorter axons in embryonic neurons. Furthermore, an increase in spontaneous network activity and synaptic density in the neuronal networks was observed after a prenatal immune challenge, suggesting a potential link between prenatal MIA and neuropsychiatric diseases.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Ramona Romeo, Kristin Glotzbach, Anja Scheller, Andreas Faissner
Summary: LRP1 is a transmembrane receptor involved in various cell processes, especially abundant in the central nervous system, where it plays a critical role in astrocytic differentiation and neuronal activity modulation.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
David Wegrzyn, Josephine Zokol, Andreas Faissner
Summary: Vav proteins are a type of GEFs that catalyze the exchange of GDP with GTP. In the rodent CNS, Vav3 plays a significant role in neuronal development, but its functions in other cell types are less understood.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Lars Roll, Katrin Lessmann, Oliver Bruestle, Andreas Faissner
Summary: During the development of the nervous system, the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a crucial role in regulating the formation of specialized cell types. This study focuses on the expression patterns of specific carbohydrate structures in human cerebral organoids, providing insights into their potential functions in early central nervous system development.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elena Schaberg, Magdalena Gotz, Andreas Faissner
Summary: The study reveals that Tnc protein plays a crucial role in the adult neural stem cell niche, affecting the maturation and proliferation of stem cells, as well as the migration capacity of neuroblasts.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Wegrzyn, Georg Juckel, Andreas Faissner
Summary: Schizophrenia is a severe neuropsychiatric disease that affects normal life. Hippocampal abnormalities play a crucial role in schizophrenia and can be observed in both early and late stages of the disease. Studying hippocampal abnormalities can provide a better understanding of the onset and outcomes of schizophrenia.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Nicholas Hanuscheck, Carine Thalman, Micaela Domingues, Samantha Schmaul, Muthuraman Muthuraman, Florian Hetsch, Manuela Ecker, Heiko Endle, Mohammadsaleh Oshaghi, Gianvito Martino, Tanja Kuhlmann, Katarzyna Bozek, Tim van Beers, Stefan Bittner, Jakob von Engelhardt, Johannes Vogt, Christina Francisca Vogelaar, Frauke Zipp
Summary: Evidence suggests that immune responses are not only involved in diseases in the central nervous system (CNS), but also play a crucial role in maintaining healthy synaptic function. The IL-4/IL-4R alpha signaling pathway was found to be important in synaptic processes, with IL-4R alpha expressed presynaptically and regulating synaptic transmission. Deficiency of IL-4R alpha led to altered synaptic function and increased network activity in vivo.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Egor Dzyubenko, Daniel Manrique-Castano, Matthias Pillath-Eilers, Paraskevi Vasileiadou, Jacqueline Reinhard, Andreas Faissner, Dirk M. Hermann
Summary: Cellular responses in glia play a key role in regulating brain remodeling post-stroke. Excessive glial reactivity impedes neuroplasticity and hampers neurological recovery. We found that tenascin-C (TnC) plays a central role in restraining astrogliosis and regulating astrocyte-microglial interactions.
Article
Cell Biology
Juliane Bauch, Andreas Faissner
Summary: Oligodendrocytes play an important role in myelination in the central nervous system. The glycoproteins tenascin-C (Tnc) and tenascin-R (Tnr) regulate the differentiation and regeneration of oligodendrocytes, affecting the formation and thickness of myelin sheaths. Results from experiments using Tnc and Tnr knockout mice show increased number of myelin sheaths and thickness in the absence of these proteins.
Article
Cell Biology
Juliane Bauch, Sina Vom Ort, Annika Ulc, Andreas Faissner
Summary: Recent research has demonstrated the inhibitory effects of tenascin-C (Tnc) and tenascin-R (Tnr) on the formation of myelin membranes through an ex vivo approach. In addition, the cuprizone-based acute demyelination model was successfully used to analyze the remyelination behavior in Tnc(-/-) and Tnr(-/-) mice, revealing inhibitory properties of Tnc and Tnr in myelin membrane formation.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Cornelius Mueller-Buehl, Jacqueline Reinhard, Lars Roll, Verian Bader, Konstanze F. Winklhofer, Andreas Faissner
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between fast-spiking parvalbumin interneurons, perineuronal nets (PNNs), and synaptic distribution in the mature cortical inhibitory circuits. The results suggest that the specialized extracellular matrix structure plays a crucial role in regulating the interaction between these factors.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Yvonne Gaertner, Lynn Bitar, Frauke Zipp, Christina Francisca Vogelaar
Summary: Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a pleiotropic cytokine known for its role in type 2 immunity. Therapies targeting IL-4 have been developed for diseases like atopic dermatitis and asthma. However, IL-4 has also shown beneficial effects in experimental stroke, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis. Efforts are being made to modify the IL-4 pathway and target it to specific tissues for therapeutic purposes. This review discusses the different activities of IL-4 and potential therapeutic strategies.
PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Ina Schaefer, Juliane Bauch, David Wegrzyn, Lars Roll, Simon van Leeuwen, Annika Jarocki, Andreas Faissner
Summary: This study investigates the impact of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Vav3 on the migration behavior of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). The results show that Vav3 knockout enhances OPCs' migration capacity on the ECM glycoprotein tenascin-C, while not affecting their migration on other ECM molecules. Furthermore, activation of RhoA GTPase signaling compromises migration, while inhibition of RhoA signaling promotes migration behavior.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Nils Stamm, Kristin Glotzbach, Andreas Faissner, Ralf Weberskirch
Summary: This study fabricated cationic gels with adjustable cationic strength by using defined soluble precursor copolymers and PEGDA3500 as a crosslinker. The results showed that the concentration of cationic groups in the gel had a significant impact on the number and morphology of adhesive cells. Additionally, a synergistic effect of cationic groups and RGD peptide on cell adhesion was observed.