Neural Cell News Volume 12.30 | Aug 1 2018

TOP STORY

A New Roadmap for Repairing the Damage of Multiple Sclerosis

Scientists provide new understanding about how drugs can repair damaged brain cells that cause disability in patients with multiple sclerosis. They suggested new drug targets and potent early-stage drug candidates could lead to regenerative medicines for multiple sclerosis and other debilitating neurological diseases. [Press release from Case Western Reserve University discussing online prepublication in Nature] Press Release | Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Human Glioblastoma Arises from Subventricular Zone Cells with Low-Level Driver Mutations

Researchers describe direct molecular genetic evidence from patient brain tissue and genome-edited mouse models that show astrocyte-like neural stem cells in the subventricular zone to be the cell of origin that contains the driver mutations of human glioblastoma. [Nature] Abstract

The Fragile X Mutation Impairs Homeostatic Plasticity in Human Neurons by Blocking Synaptic Retinoic Acid Signaling

Using human neurons generated from control and fragile X syndrome patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells or from embryonic stem cells carrying conditional fragile X mental retardation 1 FMR1 mutations, the authors showed that loss of FMR1 function specifically abolished homeostatic synaptic plasticity without affecting basal synaptic transmission. [Sci Transl Med] Full Article

Mossy Cells Control Adult Neural Stem Cell Quiescence and Maintenance through a Dynamic Balance between Direct and Indirect Pathways

Scientists demonstrated that mossy cell (MC) commissural projections structurally and functionally interacted with radial neural stem cells (rNSCs) through both the direct glutamatergic MC-rNSC pathway and the indirect GABAergic MC-local interneuron-rNSC pathway. [Neuron] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract

Enhanced Expression of MycN/CIP2A Drives Neural Crest toward a Neural Stem Cell-Like Fate: Implications for Priming of Neuroblastoma

Ectopic expression of MycN or CIP2A in the neural crest domain biases cells toward CNS-like neural stem cells that express Sox2. Consistent with this, some forms of neuroblastoma have been shown to share transcriptional resemblance with CNS neural stem cells. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract

Loss of PRMT5 Promotes PDGFRα Degradation during Oligodendrocyte Differentiation and Myelination

Researchers observed the progressive decrease in PRMT5 during oligodendrocyte differentiation, and they showed that one role of this decrease is to downregulate growth signals provided by PDGFRα to initiate oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination. [Dev Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Direct Conversion of Mouse Fibroblasts into Neural Stem Cells by Chemical Cocktail Requires Stepwise Activation of Growth Factors and Nup210

Investigators identified a culture condition that greatly promoted the efficiency of neural stem cell generation directly from mouse fibroblasts based on the reported chemical cocktail. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Colony-Stimulating Factor 1 Receptor (CSF1R) Regulates Microglia Density and Distribution, but Not Microglia Differentiation In Vivo

The authors found that csf1r mutations led to aberrant microglia density and distribution and regional loss of microglia. The remaining microglia still had a microglia-specific gene expression signature, indicating that they had differentiated normally. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Recapitulation of Human Neural Microenvironment Signatures in iPSC-Derived NPC 3D Differentiation

Researchers employed neurospheroids to address microenvironment remodeling during neural differentiation of human stem cells, without the confounding effects of exogenous matrices. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Zika Virus E Protein Alters the Properties of Human Fetal Neural Stem Cells by Modulating MicroRNA Circuitry

Investigators explored the underlying mechanisms for Zika virus-mediated induction of quiescence in the primary cultures of human fetal neural stem cells. [Cell Death Differ] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Hippo Signaling Pathway Dysregulation in Human Huntington’s Disease Brain and Neuronal Stem Cells

Scientists demonstrated a significant increase in phosphorylated mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1, the active form, in post-mortem Huntington’s disease (HD) cortex and in the brains of CAG knock-in Hdh^Q111/Q111 mice. Yes-associated protein nuclear localization was also decreased in HD post-mortem cortex and in neuronal stem cells derived from HD patients. [Sci Rep] Full Article

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Adult Neurogenesis and Its Role in Brain Injury and Psychiatric Diseases

The authors highlight two topics: the altered behavior of neural stem cells (NSCs) after brain damage and the dysfunction of NSCs and oligodendrocyte precursor cells, another type of undifferentiated cell in the adult brain, in mood affective disorders. [J Neurochem] Abstract | Full Article

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the neural cell research field.

Disarm Therapeutics Presents Data Demonstrating the Protective Effect of SARM1 Deletion on Axonal Degeneration

Disarm Therapeutics presented data demonstrating SARM1 deletion prevents axonal degeneration following traumatic and chemical nerve injuries. [Press release from Disarm Therapeutics discussing research presented at the 2018 Peripheral Nerve Society Annual Meeting, Baltimore] Press Release

First-of-Its-Kind Clinical Trial Will Use Reprogrammed Adult Stem Cells to Treat Parkinson’s

Researchers in Japan announced the launch of a clinical trial to treat Parkinson’s disease with neurological material derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, mature cells chemically manipulated to return to an early stage of development from which they can theoretically differentiate into any of the body’s specialized cells. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Denali Therapeutics Announces Positive Clinical Results from LRRK2 Inhibitor Program for Parkinson’s Disease

Denali Therapeutics Inc. announced positive results from its Phase I clinical study with DNL201, a small molecule inhibitor of leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2). [Denali Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

Neuralstem Announces Initiation of Phase II Clinical Trial of NSI-566 in Ischemic Stroke

Neuralstem, Inc. announced the initiation of a Phase II clinical trial evaluating NSI-566, the company’s lead neural stem cell candidate, as a potential treatment for ischemic stroke. [Neuralstem, Inc.] Press Release

Moleculin Announces Enrollment Opens for Brain Tumor Trial of WP1066

Moleculin Biotech, Inc. announced enrollment has opened for a physician-sponsored clinical trial of WP1066 for the treatment of glioblastoma and brain metastases in adults. [Moleculin Biotech, Inc.] Press Release

Athersys Announces Enrollment of First Patient in Masters-2 Phase III Study of Multistem^® Treatment for Ischemic Stroke

Athersys, Inc. announced that the first patient has been enrolled its Phase III study entitled, MultiStem Administration for Stroke Treatment and Enhanced Recovery Study-2 to evaluate MultiStem^® cell therapy treatment of patients who have suffered an ischemic stroke. [Athersys, Inc.] Press Release

Trump’s Pick to Head White House Science Office Gets Good Reviews

The long wait for a White House science adviser is over. President Donald Trump announced that he intends to nominate meteorologist Kelvin Droegemeier, a university administrator and former vice-chair of the governing board of the U.S. National Science Foundation, to be director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Series of Ethical Stumbles Tests NIH’s Reliance on Private Sector for Research Funding

NIH officials told STAT the agency is completing a plan to ensure better ethical compliance and better delineate the actual process for private-sector collaboration. The officials said the plan will be presented to an advisory committee in December. [STAT News] Editorial

NEW European CanCer Organisation (ECCO) 2018: European Cancer Summit
September 7-9, 2018
Vienna, Austria

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NEW Excellence in Science PhD Scholarship Award – Neuroscience (University of Technology Sydney)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist/Fellow – Neural Development and Neurodegenerative Diseases (Columbia University)

Postdoctoral Position – Molecular Mechanisms & Neural Circuits of Memory & Behavior (Rutgers University)

Senior/Principal Fellow or Professor – Program Leader for Animal Models (UK Dementia Research Institute)

Scientist/Assistant Professor – Neuroscience (The Hospital for Sick Children)

Postdoctoral Associate – Cerebral Organoids (Weill Cornell Medicine)

Postdoctoral Positions – Neurodevelopmental Disorders (University of Copenhagen)

Postdoctoral Associate – hiPSC-Based Brain Organoids (Rutgers University)

Multiple Faculty Positions – Neuroscience and Neuroengineering (Tsinghua University)

Faculty Members – Neuroscience (Mercer University)

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