CD22 Blockage Restores Age-Related Impairments of Microglia Surveillance Capacity.

Microglia, the innate immune cells of the brain, are essential for maintaining homeostasis by their ramified, highly motile processes and for orchestrating the immune response to pathological stimuli. They are implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. One commonality of these diseases is their strong correlation with aging as the highest risk factor and studying age-related alterations in microglia physiology and associated signaling mechanism is indispensable for a better understanding of age-related pathomechanisms.

A novel orally available small molecule that inhibits hepatitis B virus expression.

Background & Aims: The hallmarks of chronic HBV infection are a high viral load (HBV DNA) and even higher levels (>100-fold in excess of virions) of non-infectious membranous particles containing the tolerogenic viral S antigen (HBsAg). Currently, standard treatment effectively reduces viremia but only rarely results in a functional cure (defined as sustained HBsAg loss). There is an urgent need to identify novel therapies that reduce HBsAg levels and restore virus-specific immune responsiveness in patients.