Investigators showed a major depletion of cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE), the biosynthetic enzyme for cysteine, in Huntington’s disease tissues, which may mediate Huntington’s disease pathophysiology. Consistent with the notion of loss of CSE as a pathogenic mechanism, supplementation with cysteine reverses abnormalities in cultures of Huntington’s disease tissues and in intact mouse models of Huntington’s disease, suggesting therapeutic potential. [Nature] Abstract | Press Release Pemetrexed and Gemcitabine as Combination Therapy for the Treatment of Group3 Medulloblastoma
Researchers found that pemetrexed and gemcitabine preferentially inhibited Group3 medulloblastoma (G3 MB) proliferation in vitro compared to control neurospheres and substantially inhibited G3 MB proliferation in vivo. When combined, these two drugs significantly increased survival of mice bearing cortical implants of mouse and human G3 MBs that overexpress MYC compared to each agent alone, while having little effect on mouse MBs of the sonic hedgehog subgroup. [Cancer Cell] Abstract | Press Release
Astrocyte Kir4.1 Ion Channel Deficits Contribute to Neuronal Dysfunction in Huntington’s Disease Model Mice
Researchers found that symptom onset in R6/2 and Q175 Huntington’s disease mouse models was not associated with classical astrogliosis, but was associated with decreased Kir4.1 K+ channel functional expression, leading to elevated in vivo striatal extracellular K+, which increased striatal medium spiny neuron excitability in vitro. [Nat Neurosci] Abstract | Press Release
Phenotypic Differences in hiPSC NPCs Derived from Patients with Schizophrenia
Researchers report that a significant fraction of the gene signature of schizophrenia (SZ) human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons is conserved in SZ hiPSC neural progenitor cells (NPCs). [Mol Psychiatry] Full Article
PCAF-Dependent Epigenetic Changes Promote Axonal Regeneration in the Central Nervous System
Researchers showed through systematic epigenetic studies that the histone acetyltransferase p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) promotes acetylation of histone 3 Lys 9 at the promoters of established key regeneration-associated genes following a peripheral but not a central axonal injury. PCAF is necessary for conditioning-dependent axonal regeneration and also singularly promotes regeneration after spinal cord injury. [Nat Commun] Abstract | Press Release
Intracellular mGluR5 Can Mediate Synaptic Plasticity in the Hippocampus
To determine whether metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) signals from intracellular membranes of other cell types, such as excitatory pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus, researchers used dissociated rat CA1 hippocampal cultures and slice preparations to localize and characterize endogenous receptors. [J Neurosci] Abstract | Press Release
L-Serine Treatment May Improve Neurorestoration of Rats after Permanent Focal Cerebral Ischemia Potentially through Improvement of Neurorepair
The authors found that L-serine treatment in permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion rats can reduce brain injury and facilitate neurorestoration which is partly associated with the improvement of proliferation of neural stem cells and microvessels, reconstruction of neurovascular units and resultant neurorepair. [PLoS One]
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Human Fetal Striatum-Derived Neural Stem (NS) Cells Differentiate to Mature Neurons In Vitro and In Vivo
Scientists described the isolation of a new cell line from human fetal striatum. These cells showed properties of NS cells in vitro such as monolayer growth, high proliferation rate and expression of radial glia markers. [Curr Stem Cell Res Ther] Abstract
GABA and 5-HT Chitosan Nanoparticles Decrease Striatal Neuronal Degeneration and Motor Deficits during Liver Injury
GABA and 5-HT chitosan nanoparticles mediated liver cell proliferation influenced by growth factor and cytokines and neuronal survival in corpus striatum of partially hepatectomised rats was evaluated. [J Mater Sci Mater Med] Abstract
In Vivo Tracking of Human Neural Progenitor Cells in the Rat Brain Using Bioluminescence Imaging
Researchers employed bioluminescence imaging to track luciferase-expressing human neural progenitor cells in the rat striatum long-term. [J Neurosci Methods] Abstract