Aβ-Dependent Reduction of NCAM2-Mediated Synaptic Adhesion Contributes to Synapse Loss in Alzheimer’s Disease The authors showed that the neural cell adhesion molecule 2 (NCAM2) is enriched in synapses in the human hippocampus. This enrichment is abolished in the hippocampus of AD patients and in brains of mice overexpressing the human amyloid-β (Aβ) precursor protein carrying the pathogenic Swedish mutation. Aβ binds to NCAM2 at the cell surface of cultured hippocampal neurons and induces removal of NCAM2 from synapses. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release PTEN Deficiency Reprograms Human Neural Stem Cells towards a Glioblastoma Stem Cell-Like Phenotype Researchers showed that targeted disruption of PTEN leads to neoplastic transformation of human neural stem cells, but not mesenchymal stem cells. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release Mouse Models of Human PIK3CA-Related Brain Overgrowth Have Acutely Treatable Epilepsy Researchers generated mouse models expressing the most common activating phosphoinositide 3-kinase (Pik3ca) mutations in developing neural progenitors. These accurately recapitulated all the key human pathological features including brain enlargement, cortical malformation, hydrocephalus and epilepsy, with phenotypic severity dependent on the mutant allele and its time of activation. [eLife] Abstract | Full Article | Press Release Cell Type-Dependent ROS and Mitophagy Response Leads to Apoptosis or Necroptosis in Neuroblastoma Scientists investigated the molecular mechanisms by which the hemisynthetic cardiac glycoside UNBS1450 overcomes this limitation and induces differential cell death modalities in both neuroblastic and stromal neuroblastoma through stimulation of a cell-type-specific autophagic response eventually leading to apoptosis or necroptosis. [Oncogene] Abstract Genome-Wide CRISPR-Cas9 Screens Reveal Loss of Redundancy between PKMYT1 and WEE1 in Glioblastoma Stem-Like Cells To identify therapeutic targets for glioblastoma (GBM), the authors performed genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens in patient-derived GBM stem-like cells and human neural stem/progenitors, non-neoplastic stem cell controls, for genes required for their in vitro growth. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract Learning-Induced Synaptic Potentiation in Implanted Neural Precursor Cell-Derived Neurons Scientists characterized the functional properties of immortalized neural progenitor HiB5 cells implanted into the rat hippocampus with chemically induced lesion. [Sci Rep] Full Article Burst Predicting Neurons Survive an In Vitro Glutamate Injury Model of Cerebral Ischemia Scientists examined the role of burst predictors in cultures undergoing an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia. Dissociated primary cortical neurons were plated on multielectrode arrays and spontaneous activity was recorded at 17 days in vitro. [Sci Rep] Full Article Synthetic and Natural Small Molecule TLR4 Antagonists Inhibit Motoneuron Death in Cultures from ALS Mouse Model Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) antagonists efficiently protected motoneurons from LPS-induced lethality in spinal cord cultures, and inhibited the interleukin-1β production by LPS-stimulated microglia. [Pharmacol Res] Abstract Hippocampal Neurogenesis in the APP/PS1/Nestin-GFP Triple Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease To assess the relationship between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and neurogenesis, researchers studied APP/PS1/nestin-green fluorescent protein (GFP) triple transgenic mice, a well-characterized mouse model of AD, which express GFP under the control of the nestin promoter. [Neuroscience] Abstract The Synergistic Local Immunosuppressive Effects of Neural Stem Cells Expressing Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase (IDO) in an Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) Animal Model The synergistic immune suppressive effects of rat fetal neural stem cells expressing IDO were validated by mixed leukocyte reaction in vitro and an EAE animal model in vivo. [PLoS One] Full Article |