Neural Cell News 12.06 February 14, 2018 | |
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TOP STORYStem Cell Divisions in the Adult Brain Seen for the First Time Scientists succeeded for the first time in tracking individual stem cells and their neuronal progeny over months within the intact adult brain. This study sheds light on how new neurons are produced throughout life. [Press release from the University of Zurich discussing online prepublication in Science] Press Release | Abstract | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)Haploinsufficiency Leads to Neurodegeneration in C9ORF72 ALS/FTD Human Induced Motor Neurons Using human induced motor neurons, researchers found that repeat-expanded C9ORF72 was haploinsufficient in ALS. They found that C9ORF72 interacted with endosomes and was required for normal vesicle trafficking and lysosomal biogenesis in motor neurons. [Nat Med] Abstract | Full Article | Press Release miR-182-5p and miR-183-5p Act as GDNF Mimics in Dopaminergic Midbrain Neurons Using small RNA sequencing, the authors showed that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) specifically increases the expression of miR-182-5p and miR-183-5p in primary midbrain neurons. Transfection of synthetic miR-182-5p and miR-183-5p mimics lead to increased neurite outgrowth and mediated neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons in vitro and in vivo, mimicking GDNF effects. [Mol Ther Nucleic Acids] Full Article To explore how fused in sarcoma (FUS) mutations impinge on motor neuron-specific RNA-based circuitries, investigators performed transcriptome profiling of small and long RNAs of motor neurons (MNs) derived from mouse embryonic stem cells carrying a FUS-P517L knock-in mutation, which is equivalent to human FUS-P525L, associated with a severe and juvenile-onset form of ALS. [Mol Neurobiol] Full Article Human Brain Organoid-on-a-Chip to Model Prenatal Nicotine Exposure Investigators created a new brain organoid-on-a-chip system derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells that allows them to model neurodevelopmental disorders under prenatal nicotine exposure at early stages. [Lab Chip] Abstract | Graphical Abstract To study the resistance of proneural gliomas that are driven by a platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-regulated pathway to targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, scientists utilized a mouse model of proneural glioma in which mice develop tumors that become resistant to PDGFR inhibition. [Mol Cancer Ther] Abstract Increased neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) proliferation was accompanied by peroxynitrite production in the rat brains with one hour of ischemia plus seven days of reperfusion in vivo. Cell sorting experiments revealed that endogenous peroxynitrite level affected the capacity of proliferation and self-renewal in NSCs in vitro. [Free Radic Biol Med] Abstract Investigators showed that patient survival correlates inversely with PLAUR mRNA expression in gliomas of all grades, in glioblastomas, and in the subset of glioblastomas that demonstrate the mesenchymal gene expression signature. [Sci Rep] Full Article The effectiveness of using CTX0E03, a conditionally immortalised human neural stem cell line, as a source of allogeneic cells for constructing living artificial nerve repair tissue was tested. CTX0E03 cells were differentiated then combined with collagen to form engineered neural tissue, stable aligned sheets of cellular hydrogel. [Sci Rep] Full Article The authors developed a convenient method to realize functionalized borosilicate glass capillaries with nanostructured texture as an electrochemical biosensor to detect glutamate release from cerebral organoids generated from human embryonic stem cells that mimic various brain regions. [Biosensors] Full Article | |
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REVIEWSMicroRNA-Based Drugs for Brain Tumors With a special focus on glioblastoma, the authors provide an up-to-date summary of miRNA biogenesis, the role of miRNA in cancer resistance, and essential tools for modulating miRNA expression, as well as of clinically promising RNAi delivery systems and how they can be adapted for therapy. [Semin Cancer Biol] Abstract Scientists discuss the hypothesis that Parkinson’s disease is actually a neurodevelopmental disorder that is compensated for a long time. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the neural cell research field. | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSSandoz announced the US FDA approval and launch of Glatopa® 40 mg/mL. Glatopa 40 mg/mL is FDA-approved as a fully-substitutable, AP-rated generic version of Copaxone® 40 mg/mL three times-a-week therapy for relapsing forms of MS. [Novartis] Press Release Boehringer Ingelheim announced that their Phase II Alzheimer’s disease (AD) trials with investigational compound BI 409306 had not met their efficacy endpoints and plans for further trials with BI 409306 in AD will therefore not be pursued. [Boehringer Ingelheim] Press Release Banyan Biomarkers, Inc. announced that the FDA has granted the De Novo request for the commercialization of Banyan BTITM, an in vitro diagnostic blood test to aid in the evaluation of patients with suspected traumatic brain injury, also known as concussion. [Banyan Biomarkers, Inc. (Business Wire Inc.)] Press Release NantKwest Inc. announced that the first patient has been dosed in a first-in-human, Phase I clinical study in glioblastoma of HER2.taNK, a novel, natural killer cell-based immuno-oncology therapy using CAR technology in patients. [NantKwest Inc.] Press Release Celltex Therapeutics Corporation, and Texas A&M University Health Science Center College of Medicine Institute for Regenerative Medicine announced an intellectual property license acquisition and research agreement. The announcement signals the first year of a multi-year research study investigating potential therapies for Alzheimer’s disease using autologous mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes. [Texas A&M University Health Science Center] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSResearchers Debate Whether Journals Should Publish Signed Peer Reviews Scientific journals should start routinely publishing the text of peer reviews for each paper they accept, said attendees at a meeting last week of scientists, academic publishers, and funding organizations. But there was little consensus on whether reviewers should have to publicly sign their critiques, which traditionally are accessible only to editors and authors. [ScienceInsider] Editorial NIH Stays Flat, Absorbs Three Institutes in President’s 2019 Budget Proposal Biomedical research funding was one of the budget lines saved from cuts by last-minute adjustments to President Donald Trump’s administration’s 2019 budget proposal. Still, advocates say they had hoped for more. [ScienceInsider] Editorial Few UK Universities Have Adopted Rules against Impact-Factor Abuse A survey of British institutions reveals that few have taken concrete steps to stop the much-criticized misuse of research metrics in the evaluation of academics’ work. The results offer an early insight into global efforts to clamp down on such practices. [Nature News] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW Adult Neurogenesis 2018 Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESNEW Multiple Positions – Neuroscience and Stem Cells (Sun Yat-Sen University) NEW Research Technologist – Neural (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.) Postdoctoral Position – Pain in Mouse Models of Spinal Cord Injury (Indiana University) Postdoctoral Position – Spinal Cord Injury (Nanyang Technological University) PhD/Postdoctoral Research Position – Neuroscience (Max Planck Society) Postdoctoral Fellowship – Neurodegeneration (Lund University) Postdoctoral Associate – Cerebral Organoids (Weill Cornell Medicine) Research Assistant – Neurodegenerative Disease (Thomas Jefferson University) Multiple Faculty Positions – Neuroscience and Neuroengineering (Tsinghua University) Postdoctoral Position – Brain Injury and Repair (University of Pennsylvania) Faculty Members – Neuroscience (Mercer University) Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.
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