Neural Cell News Volume 13.02 | Jan 23 2019

TOP STORY

Dysregulated Protocadherin-Pathway Activity as an Intrinsic Defect in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cortical Interneurons from Subjects with Schizophrenia

Scientists generated cortical interneurons (cINs) from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from 14 healthy controls and 14 subjects with schizophrenia. Both healthy control(cINs) and schizophrenia cINs were authentic, fired spontaneously, received functional excitatory inputs from host neurons, and induced GABA-mediated inhibition in host neurons in vivo. [Nat Neurosci] Full Article

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Cell-Type-Specific Interleukin 1 Receptor 1 Signaling in the Brain Regulates Distinct Neuroimmune Activities

Scientists found that endothelial interleukin-1 (IL)-receptor 1 (1R1) was necessary and sufficient for mediating sickness behavior and drove leukocyte recruitment to the central nervous system (CNS) and impaired neurogenesis, whereas ventricular IL-1R1 was critical for monocyte recruitment to the CNS. [Immunity] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Lsd1 as a Therapeutic Target in Gfi1-Activated Medulloblastoma

The authors demonstrated that Lsd1 physically associated with Gfi1, and that these proteins cooperated to inhibit genes involved in neuronal commitment and differentiation. They also showed that Lsd1 is essential for Gfi1-mediated transformation. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Altered Interplay between Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 2A Neuropathy

Researchers observed that expression of MFN2R94Q induced distal axonal degeneration in the absence of overt neuronal death. The presence of mutant protein lead to reduction in endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria contacts in Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A (CMT2A) patient-derived fibroblasts, in primary neurons and in vivo, in motoneurons of a mouse model of CMT2A. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract

Transcriptional Repressor Rest Drives Lineage Stage-Specific Chromatin Compaction at Ptch1 and Increases AKT Activation in a Mouse Model of Medulloblastoma

Researchers studied the contribution of RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) to medulloblastomas using a transgenic mouse model wherein conditional NeuroD2-controlled REST transgene expression in lineage-committed Ptch1^+/− cerebellar granule neuron progenitors accelerated tumorigenesis and increased penetrance and infiltrative disease. [Sci Signal] Full Article

Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 5B (eIF5B) Provides a Critical Cell Survival Switch to Glioblastoma Cells via Regulation of Apoptosis

Investigators showed that depletion of eIF5B sensitizes glioblastoma multiforme cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis by a pathway involving caspases-8, -9, and -7, had no significant effect on cell cycle progression. eIF5B promoted evasion of apoptosis by promoting the translation of several IRES-containing mRNAs, encoding the antiapoptotic proteins XIAP, Bcl-xL, cIAP1, and c-FLIPS. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Ablation of the MicroRNA-17-92 Cluster in Neural Stem Cells Diminishes Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis and Cognitive Function

With the use of a transgenic mouse line with conditional ablation of the miR-17-92 cluster in nestin lineage neural stem cells, the authors tested the hypothesis that the miR-17-92 cluster regulates adult neurogenesis and cognitive function in vivo. [FASEB J] Abstract

Differential YAP Expression in Glioma Cells Induces Cell Competition and Promotes Tumorigenesis

In a xenograft mouse model, differential YAP expression in glioma cells promoted tumorigenesis and lead to clonal dominance by cells expressing more YAP. Such clonal dominance also occured in vitro when cells reach confluence in the two-dimensional culture condition or grow into tumor spheroids. [J Cell Sci] Abstract

Genome-Wide Transcriptome Landscape of Embryonic Brain-Derived Neural Stem Cells Exposed to Alcohol with Strain-Specific Cross-Examination in BL6 and CD1 Mice

Ethanol withdrawal restored the gene expression profile of differentiating neural stem cells without rescuing impaired expression of epigenetics factors. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis analysis predicated that ethanol may impact synaptic functions via GABA receptor signalling pathway and affects neural system and brain morphology. [Sci Rep] Full Article

LncRNA Riken-201 and Riken-203 Modulates Neural Development by Regulating the Sox6 through Sequestering miRNAs

Repression of Rik-201 and Rik-203 inhibited neural differentiation from mouse embryonic stem cells. Moreover, Rik-201 and Rik-203 functioned as the competing endogenous RNA to repress the function of miR-96 and miR-467a-3p, respectively, and modulate the expression of Sox6 to further regulate neural differentiation. [Cell Prolif] Abstract

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Regulation of Temporal Properties of Neural Stem Cells and Transition Timing of Neurogenesis and Gliogenesis during Mammalian Neocortical Development

Researchers discuss recent findings regarding the mechanisms that govern the temporal properties of neural stem cells and the precise transition timing during neocortical development. [Semin Cell Dev Biol] Abstract

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STEMCELL Technologies Launches mTeSR^™ Plus, a Next-Generation Culture System for Human ES and iPS Cell Maintenance

STEMCELL Technologies has released mTeSR^™ Plus, an enhanced version of mTeSR^™1, the most widely published feeder-free human pluripotent stem cell maintenance medium. The new medium has undergone successful beta testing with several members of the Stem Cell COREdinates group and has completed rigorous in-house validation testing. [STEMCELL Technologies Inc] Press Release

uniQure Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug Application for AMT-130 in Huntington’s Disease

uniQure N.V. announced the U.S.FDA has completed its review of the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for AMT-130, and the IND is now effective allowing uniQure to begin its planned Phase I/II study. [uniQure] Press Release

National Brain Tumor Society Invests in GBM Agile, the World’s First Global Adaptive Trial for Glioblastoma Brain Cancer

National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) announced a partnership with the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research. NBTS has provided GCAR with a $750,000 award to help launch and build patient awareness of the world’s first global “adaptive” clinical trial for brain cancer, GBM AGILE (Glioblastoma Adaptive Global Innovative Learning Environment). [National Brain Tumor Society] Press Release

IntelGenx Provides Update on Phase IIa Montelukast VersaFilm^™ Clinical Trial

IntelGenx Corp. provided an update on its Phase IIa study of Montelukast VersaFilm^™ in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease. [INTELGENX CORP] Press Release

Biohaven Receives FDA May Proceed Letter for Phase III Clinical Trial of BHV-3241 for Multiple System Atrophy

Biohaven Pharmaceutical Holding Company Ltd. announced the U.S. FDA has notified the company that it may proceed with its clinical investigation of BHV-3241, a novel myeloperoxidase inhibitor, which Biohaven is developing as a potential treatment for multiple system atrophy. [Biohaven Pharmaceuticals] Press Release

Promentis Pharmaceuticals Announces Commencement of Phase II Studies for SXC-2023 Targeting Novel Glutamatergic Mechanism

Promentis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announced it has initiated dosing in a Phase II study for its lead compound, SXC-2023, for the treatment of moderate to severe trichotillomania in adults. [Promentis Pharmaceuticals, Inc] Press Release

Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Enters Partnership with Zeiss

The Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI) announces a new “labs@location” partnership agreement between the MPFI Electron Microscopy Core Facility and Germany-based microscopy company ZEISS. [Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience] Press Release

Brazil’s New President Has Scientists Worried. Here’s Why

Brazil has long been a frontrunner in climate change policy and environmental diplomacy. The international conventions on climate change and biological diversity, for example, were born during the historic United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and Brazil played a key role in crafting and implementing both agreements. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

CRISPR-Baby Scientist Fired by University

The scientist who announced last year that he had produced the world’s first gene-edited babies has been fired by his university. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW FEBS: From Molecules to Living Systems
July 6-11, 2019
Krakow, Poland

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NEW Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cells & Neurodegeneration (Lund University)

NEW Assistant Member – Developmental Neurobiology (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

Research Assistant – Cellular Neuroscience (Cardiff University)

Group Leader – Neuroscience (Bordeaux Neurocampus – Universite de Bordeaux)

Research Fellow – Neuroscience (University College London)

Associate Professor/Assistant Professor – Neuroscience (Hong Kong Baptist University)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Alzheimer’s & Cerebrovascular Disease (Schepens Eye Research Institute/Massachusetts Eye and Eaar)

Associate Professor – Neurophysiology (University of Copenhagen)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Neurotrauma and Neural Repair Mechanisms (University of Pennsylvania)

PhD – Neuroscience (Institute for Neuroscience)

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