Physically interacting beta-delta pairs in the regenerating pancreas revealed by single-cell sequencing.

Objectives: Until recently, communication between neighboring cells in islets of Langerhans was overlooked by genomic technologies, which require rigorous tissue dissociation into single cells.

Methods: We utilize sorting of physically interacting cells (PICs) with single-cell RNA-sequencing to systematically map cellular interactions in the endocrine pancreas after pancreatectomy.

Results: The pancreas cellular landscape features pancreatectomy associated heterogeneity of beta-cells, including an interaction-specific program between paired beta and delta-cells.

Circulating miR-181 is a prognostic biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a relentless neurodegenerative disease of the human motor neuron system, where variability in progression rate limits clinical trial efficacy. Therefore, better prognostication will facilitate therapeutic progress. In this study, we investigated the potential of plasma cell-free microRNAs (miRNAs) as ALS prognostication biomarkers in 252 patients with detailed clinical phenotyping.

Human genetics and neuropathology suggest a link between miR-218 and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathophysiology.

Motor neuron-specific microRNA-218 (miR-218) has recently received attention because of its roles in mouse development. However, miR-218 relevance to human motor neuron disease was not yet explored. Here, we demonstrate by neuropathology that miR-218 is abundant in healthy human motor neurons.

miR-17-92 and miR-106b-25 clusters regulate beta cell mitotic checkpoint and insulin secretion in mice.

Aims/hypothesis: Adult beta cells in the pancreas are the sole source of insulin in the body. Beta cell loss or increased demand for insulin impose metabolic challenges because adult beta cells are generally quiescent and infrequently re-enter the cell division cycle. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that a family of proto-oncogene microRNAs that includes miR-17-92 and miR-106b-25 clusters regulates beta cell proliferation or function in the adult endocrine pancreas.

High content image analysis reveals function of miR-124 upstream of Vimentin in regulating motor neuron mitochondria.

microRNAs (miRNAs) are critical for neuronal function and their dysregulation is repeatedly observed in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we implemented high content image analysis for investigating the impact of several miRNAs in mouse primary motor neurons. This survey directed our attention to the neuron-specific miR-124, which controls axonal morphology.