Article
Neurosciences
Sheila M. Fleming, Ashley Davis, Emily Simons
Summary: Parkinson's disease is characterized by the abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein in the brain and the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Immunotherapies targeting alpha-synuclein have become a key focus for the development of novel therapies for PD.
Article
Clinical Neurology
John Stephen Middleton, Hanna Lynn Hovren, Nelson Kha, Manuel Joseph Medina, Karen Ruth MacLeod, Luis Concha-Marambio, Kendal Jay Jensen
Summary: Parkinson's disease (PD) can be misdiagnosed due to its clinical overlap with atypical parkinsonism. The a-Synuclein (aSyn) Seed Amplification Assay (SAA) has been reported as a potential diagnostic indicator for PD, but its use as a clinical laboratory test has not been validated. This study compares the accuracy of PD clinical diagnosis using the aSyn-SAA test with two different diagnostic inclusion criteria, showing a significant improvement when combined with confirmatory imaging.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Irene Hana Flones, Harald Nyland, Dagny-Ann Sandnes, Guido Werner Alves, Ole-Bjorn Tysnes, Charalampos Tzoulis
Summary: Early alpha-synuclein aggregation is associated with mitochondrial respiratory complex I (CI) deficiency in neurons of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD), and there is selective loss of neurons affected by both pathologies.
Article
Neurosciences
Sijia Yin, Chao Han, Yun Xia, Fang Wan, Junjie Hu, Liang Kou, Yadi Sun, Jiawei Wu, Yunna Li, Qiulu Zhou, Nian Xiong, Jinsha Huang, Tao Wang
Summary: This study identified and validated cancerous inhibitor of PP2A (CIP2A) as a potential diagnostic biomarker for Parkinson's disease (PD). The results showed that plasma CIP2A concentrations were significantly lower in PD patients compared to controls, and CIP2A played a role in PD-related pathogenesis in cellular and mouse models. This suggests that CIP2A could be a novel biomarker for PD.
MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Kathrin Doppler
Summary: Skin biopsies can serve as a potential diagnostic tool for Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies, with important implications for pre-mortem histopathological confirmation and clinical research targeting alpha-synuclein aggregates.
JOURNAL OF PARKINSONS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Stephanie Lohmann, Jessica Grigoletto, Maria Eugenia Bernis, Verena Pesch, Liang Ma, Sara Reithofer, Gultekin Tamgueney
Summary: This study investigates the long-term effects of ischemic stroke on the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. The results show that ischemia-induced neuronal loss and inflammation increase again 360 days post surgery, accompanied by an increase in alpha-synuclein aggregation and late loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra.
ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Vesna Sossi, Joseph R. Patterson, Siobhan McCormick, Christopher J. Kemp, Kathryn M. Miller, Anna C. Stoll, Nathan Kuhn, Michael Kubik, Joseph Kochmanski, Kelvin C. Luk, Caryl E. Sortwell
Summary: The study investigated dopaminergic deficits in a rat model and found that there were progressive decreases in DAT density and increases in DA turnover, which resemble the alterations observed in human PD.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Marta M. Morawska, Carlos G. Moreira, Varun R. Ginde, Philipp O. Valko, Tobias Weiss, Fabian Buechele, Lukas L. Imbach, Sophie Masneuf, Sedef Kollarik, Natalia Prymaczok, Juan A. Gerez, Roland Riek, Christian R. Baumann, Daniela Noain
Summary: Enhancing slow-wave sleep in murine models of Parkinson's disease reduces pathological alpha-synuclein accumulation and may improve disease progression through mechanisms such as promoting glymphatic clearance.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Avika Chopra, Tiago Fleming Outeiro
Summary: This article discusses the aggregation of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease and the possible sources of disease-related species released in extracellular vesicles, which promises to revolutionize the diagnosis and monitoring of the disease.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Shady Rahayel, Ying-Qiu Zheng, Zhen-Qi Liu, Alaa Abdelgawad, Nooshin Abbasi, Anna Caputo, Bin Zhang, Angela Lo, Victoria Kehm, Michael Kozak, Han Soo Yoo, Alain Dagher, Kelvin C. Luk
Summary: The study investigates the long-term spatiotemporal distribution of Lewy-related pathology in mice injected with alpha-synuclein preformed fibrils and recreates these patterns using a computational model. The findings suggest that both regional connectivity and Snca gene expression play a significant role in the propagation of pathologic alpha-synuclein.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
G. Pagano, K. I. Taylor, J. Anzures-Cabrera, M. Marchesi, T. Simuni, K. Marek, R. B. Postuma, N. Pavese, F. Stocchi, J. -P. Azulay, B. Mollenhauer, L. Lopez-Manzanares, D. S. Russell, J. T. Boyd, A. P. Nicholas, M. R. Luquin, R. A. Hauser, T. Gasser, W. Poewe, B. Ricci, A. Boulay, A. Vogt, F. G. Boess, J. Dukart, G. D'Urso, R. Finch, S. Zanigni, A. Monnet, N. Pross, A. Hahn, H. Svoboda, M. Britschgi, F. Lipsmeier, E. Volkova-Volkmar, M. Lindemann, S. Dziadek, S. Holiga, D. Rukina, T. Kustermann, G. A. Kerchner, P. Fontoura, D. Umbricht, R. Doody, T. Nikolcheva, A. Bonni
Summary: The study found that prasinezumab had no meaningful effect on global or imaging measures of Parkinson's disease progression and was associated with infusion reactions.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Mohammed Nadim Sardoiwala, Surajit Karmakar, Subhasree Roy Choudhury
Summary: This study evaluates the neuroprotective potential of chitosan-based FTY720 nanoformulations for Parkinson's disease prevention by downregulating phosphorylated serine 129 (pSer129) alpha-Syn, showcasing its neuroprotective effects through anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shelby Loraine Hatton, Manoj Kumar Pandey
Summary: This article reviews the connection between certain lipids and α-syn aggregation in Parkinson's disease, as well as their role in activating the immune system and triggering neuroinflammation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Teresa Torre-Muruzabal, Anke van der Perren, Audrey Coens, Geraldine Gelders, Anna Barber Janer, Sara Camacho-Garcia, Therese Klingstedt, Peter Nilsson, Nadia Stefanova, Ronald Melki, Veerle Baekelandt, Wouter Peelaerts
Summary: This study found that the progression of multiple system atrophy is influenced by different types of alpha Syn strains. Alpha Syn strains impact disease progression through oligodendroglial, neurotoxic, and immune-related mechanisms, leading to neurodegeneration and brain atrophy. The activation of microglial cells is associated with the structural features of alpha Syn strains.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Arina Yazawa, Kenneth Hensley, Toshio Ohshima
Summary: This study suggests that phosphorylation of CRMP2 in the hippocampus is related to pathology and memory impairment in DLB, and the experimental therapeutic LKE may have clinical implications in the treatment of alpha-synucleinopathy.
NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Fernando Plenge-Tellechea, Carlos A. Dominguez-Solis, Angel G. Diaz-Sanchez, David Melendez-Martinez, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Jorge A. Sierra-Fonseca
JOURNAL OF BIOENERGETICS AND BIOMEMBRANES
(2018)
Article
Neurosciences
Carolina Gil-Tommee, Guadalupe Vidal-Martinez, Annette Reyes, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Gloria V. Herrera, Silver M. Martin, Stephanie A. Chaparro, Ruth G. Perez
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2019)
Article
Neurosciences
Javier Vargas-Medrano, Barbara Yang, Nathan T. Garza, Ismael Segura-Ulate, Ruth G. Perez
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2019)
Review
Neurosciences
Guadalupe Vidal-Martinez, Barbara Yang, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Ruth G. Perez
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2018)
Article
Neurosciences
Guadalupe Vidal-Martinez, Katherine Najera, Julie D. Miranda, Carolina Gil-Tommee, Barbara Yang, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Valeria Diaz-Pacheco, Ruth G. Perez
Article
Neurosciences
Guadalupe Vidal-Martinez, Ismael Segura-Ulate, Barbara Yang, Valeria Diaz-Pacheco, Jose A. Barragan, Jocelyn De-Leon Esquivel, Stephanie A. Chaparro, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Ruth G. Perez
EXPERIMENTAL NEUROLOGY
(2020)
Article
Neurosciences
Javier Vargas-Medrano, Ismael Segura-Ulate, Barbara Yang, Ramesh Chinnasamy, Jeffrey B. Arterburn, Ruth G. Perez
Article
Neurosciences
Jorge A. Sierra-Fonseca, Minerva Rodriguez, Anapaula Themann, Omar Lira, Francisco J. Flores-Ramirez, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Bharathi S. Gadad, Sergio D. Iniguez
Summary: Adolescent exposure to FLX may have enduring effects on the neuronal protein degradation machinery, particularly in the prefrontal cortex. Furthermore, FLX history may induce persistent accumulation of AD-associated variants of tau in both the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Emre Umucu, Chu-Ling Lo, Beatrice Lee, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Valeria Diaz-Pacheco, Kiran Misra, Sarah L. Martin, Peter M. Thompson, Bharathi S. Gadad
Summary: This study aims to examine the effect of gratitude as an adaptive regulating mechanism on suicidal ideation in veterans with mental illness and student veterans with PTSD symptoms. The study found that higher levels of gratitude were associated with lower levels of suicidal ideation, and this association was supported in both studies. Therefore, gratitude interventions may be effective when working with veterans with mental illness.
JOURNAL OF NERVOUS AND MENTAL DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Bharathi S. Gadad, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Enrique Ivan Ramos, Katherine Najera, Matthew Fagan, Angelica Forero, Peter M. Thompson
Summary: This study found significant correlations of IL-6 and GDNF between brain and CSF, and IL-6 between brain and plasma, suggesting blood IL-6, GDNF and BDNF could be potential peripheral biomarkers associated with mood disorders, substance disorders, and suicide.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jordan Brown, Colleen Everett, Jose A. Barragan, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Bharathi S. Gadad, Frank Nichols, Jorge L. Cervantes
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the cellular response of human microglial cells to the first-line medications IFN-β and Fingolimod for multiple sclerosis (MS) management, and determine their effects on the cells' response to an MS-associated bacterial ligand, Lipid 654. The results showed that the medications induced differential secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreased the secretion of M1-associated cytokines when the cells were stimulated with Lipid 654. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms of action of these medications in human microglia and their potential use in regulating the inflammatory response in MS.
ARCHIVES OF MEDICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Valeria Diaz-Pacheco, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Eric Tran, Meza Nicolas, Diamond Price, Richa Patel, Silvina Tonarelli, Bharathi S. Gadad
Summary: Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is the most common type of TBI, characterized by a lack of noticeable changes in neuroimaging studies. Accurate diagnosis of mTBI is crucial due to its potential to cause post-concussion syndrome and cognitive impairments. This review focuses on the role of biomarkers in diagnosing mTBI, including protein-based markers, genetic markers, imaging markers, neurophysiological markers, and clinical trials.
JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Alyssa Salcido, Eden Hernandez Robles, Kiran Chaudhary, Luis Alvarado, Sergio D. Iniguez, Javier Vargas-Medrano, Valeria Diaz-Pacheco, Maria Theresa Villanos, Bharathi S. Gadad, Sarah L. Martin
Summary: Pediatric obesity and ADHD are growing health concerns in the US, particularly among Hispanic children and adolescents. Existing research indicates higher obesity prevalence rates in this community, but there is limited data on ADHD rates. This study aims to examine the prevalence of obesity in children with ADHD compared to the general population.
FRONTIERS IN INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Javier Vargas-Medrano, Luis M. Carcoba, Guadalupe Vidal Martinez, Zuber D. Mulla, Victoria Diaz, Alejandra Ruiz-Velasco, Fabian Alvarez-Primo, Gabriela Colina, Sergio D. Iniguez, Peter M. Thompson, Laura E. O'Dell, Bharathi S. Gadad
Summary: Chronic nicotine exposure affects the expression of regulatory genes associated with metabolic function and neuronal alterations in the brain. The effects of sex and diet on gene expression in nicotine-exposed brains have not been well studied. Comparing pre-clinical models and human subjects can provide valuable insights into biomarkers of nicotine's harmful effects and help develop interventions for smoking cessation.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Bharathi Gadad, Javier-Vargas Medrano, Valeria Diaz-Pacheco, Enrique Ramos, Barbara Yang, Ming-Ying Leung, Nikolaos Mellios, Manish Jha, Madhukar Trivedi, Peter Thompson
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)