Pathogenesis of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease: Role of the Glymphatic System Dysfunction.

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a group of pathologies that affect the cerebral blood vessels. CSVD accounts for 25% of strokes and contributes to 45% of dementia. However, the pathogenesis of CSVD remains unclear, involving a variety of complex mechanisms.

Efficacy and safety of a new torque-controlled angiographic catheter in cerebral angiography: A multicenter, randomized, open-label trial.

Objective: We aimed to examine the effectiveness and safety of a novel torque-controlled catheter for cerebral angiography.

Methods: A total of 417 patients who underwent routine transfemoral cerebral angiography were enrolled in a randomized controlled study to compare the new torque-controlled and control group catheters. Device success was assessed on parameters such as the assessment of the common carotid artery, device rotation force, and success rate with the crossover group after the failed procedure.

Neuronal Cell Differentiation of iPSCs for the Clinical Treatment of Neurological Diseases.

Current chemical treatments for cerebrovascular disease and neurological disorders have limited efficacy in tissue repair and functional restoration. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) present a promising avenue in regenerative medicine for addressing neurological conditions. iPSCs, which are capable of reprogramming adult cells to regain pluripotency, offer the potential for patient-specific, personalized therapies.

Energy Metabolism in Human Pluripotent Stem and Differentiated Cells Compared Using a Seahorse XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer.

Evaluating cell metabolism is crucial during pluripotent stem cell (PSC) differentiation and somatic cell reprogramming as it affects cell fate. As cultured stem cells are heterogeneous, a comparative analysis of relative metabolism using existing metabolic analysis methods is difficult, resulting in inaccuracies. In this study, we measured human PSC basal metabolic levels using a Seahorse analyzer.

Cyclic Stretch Promotes Cellular Reprogramming Process through Cytoskeletal-Nuclear Mechano-Coupling and Epigenetic Modification.

Advancing the technologies for cellular reprogramming with high efficiency has significant impact on regenerative therapy, disease modeling, and drug discovery. Biophysical cues can tune the cell fate, yet the precise role of external physical forces during reprogramming remains elusive. Here the authors show that temporal cyclic-stretching of fibroblasts significantly enhances the efficiency of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) production.

Albumin-binding photosensitizer capable of targeting glioma via the SPARC pathway.

Background: Malignant glioma is among the most lethal and frequently occurring brain tumors, and the average survival period is 15 months. Existing chemotherapy has low tolerance and low blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability; therefore, the required drug dose cannot be accurately delivered to the tumor site, resulting in an insufficient drug effect.

Methods: Herein, we demonstrate a precision photodynamic tumor therapy using a photosensitizer (ZnPcS) capable of binding to albumin in situ, which can increase the permeability of the BBB and accurately target glioma.

Change of mortality of patients with acute ischemic stroke before and after 2015.

Introduction: Advances in the diagnosis and management of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and the increased use of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) have improved the quality of care and prognosis of patients with AIS since 2015. We investigated the changing trends in mortality of patients with AIS in Korea before and after 2015.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using combined anonymized data from the Acute Stroke Assessment Registry of Korea and the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service database.

Short- and long-term mortality of subarachnoid hemorrhage according to hospital volume and severity using a nationwide multicenter registry study.

Introduction: Recent improvements in treatment for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) have decreased the mortality rates; however, the outcomes of SAH management are dependent on many other factors. In this study, we used nationwide, large-scale, observational data to investigate short- and long-term mortality rates after SAH treatment and the influence of patient severity and hospital volume.

Patients And Methods: We selected patients with SAH treated with clipping and coiling from the South Korean Acute Stroke Assessment Registry.

Relationship between Brain Metabolic Disorders and Cognitive Impairment: LDL Receptor Defect.

The low-density-lipoprotein receptor () removes low-density lipoprotein (LDL), an endovascular transporter that carries cholesterol from the bloodstream to peripheral tissues. The maintenance of cholesterol content in the brain, which is important to protect brain function, is affected by . co-localizes with the insulin receptor and complements the internalization of LDL.

Utility of Exosomes in Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke Diagnosis and Treatment.

Stroke is the leading cause of death and neurological disorders worldwide. However, diagnostic techniques and treatments for stroke patients are still limited for certain types of stroke. Intensive research has been conducted so far to find suitable diagnostic techniques and treatments, but so far there has been no success.

ROCK and PDE-5 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Dementia: Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Dementia is a disease in which memory, thought, and behavior-related disorders progress gradually due to brain damage caused by injury or disease. It is mainly caused by Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia and several other risk factors, including genetic factors. It is difficult to treat as its incidence continues to increase worldwide.

Neuroinflammation in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a well-known mental illness, which is caused by various stressors, including memories of past physical assaults and psychological pressure. It is diagnosed as a mental and behavioral disorder, but increasing evidence is linking it to the immune system and inflammatory response. Studies on the relationship between inflammation and PTSD revealed that patients with PTSD had increased levels of inflammatory cytokine biomarkers, such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear factor-κB, and C-reactive protein, compared with healthy controls.

Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitor Attenuates Anxious Phenotypes and Movement Disorder Induced by Mild Ischemic Stroke in Rats.

Objective: Patients with mild ischemic stroke experience various sequela and residual symptoms, such as anxious behavior and deficits in movement. Few approaches have been proved to be effective and safe therapeutic approaches for patients with mild ischemic stroke by acute stroke. Sildenafil (SIL), a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor (PDE5i), is a known remedy for neurodegenerative disorders and vascular dementia through its angiogenesis and neurogenesis effects.

Inflammation and Rho-Associated Protein Kinase-Induced Brain Changes in Vascular Dementia.

Patients with vascular dementia, caused by cerebral ischemia, experience long-term cognitive impairment due to the lack of effective treatment. The mechanisms of and treatments for vascular dementia have been investigated in various animal models; however, the insufficient information on gene expression changes that define pathological conditions hampers progress. To investigate the underlying mechanism of and facilitate treatment development for vascular dementia, we established a mouse model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion, including bilateral carotid artery stenosis, by using microcoils, and elucidated the molecular pathway underlying vascular dementia development.

Short- and long-term mortality after intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke: A propensity score-matched cohort with 5-year follow-up.

It remains unknown whether intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), thrombectomy, or poststroke antithrombotic medication lower short- and long-term mortality in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of IVT in AIS using propensity score matching, to determine whether IVT could reduce short- and long-term mortality, and to identify risk factors influencing short- and long-term mortality in AIS.During 2013 to 2014, the nationwide Korea Acute Stroke Assessment registry enrolled 14,394 patients with first-ever recorded ischemic stroke.

Metabolic Profiling during Acute Myeloid Leukemia Progression Using Paired Clinical Bone Marrow Serum Samples.

Cellular metabolic changes reflect the characteristics of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) caused by genetic variations, which are important in establishing AML treatment. However, little is known about the metabolic profile of patients with genetic variation-induced AML. Furthermore, the metabolites differ with disease progression.

LIN28A enhances regenerative capacity of human somatic tissue stem cells via metabolic and mitochondrial reprogramming.

Developing methods to improve the regenerative capacity of somatic stem cells (SSCs) is a major challenge in regenerative medicine. Here, we propose the forced expression of LIN28A as a method to modulate cellular metabolism, which in turn enhances self-renewal, differentiation capacities, and engraftment after transplantation of various human SSCs. Mechanistically, in undifferentiated/proliferating SSCs, LIN28A induced metabolic reprogramming from oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) to glycolysis by activating PDK1-mediated glycolysis-TCA/OxPhos uncoupling.

Efficacy and Safety of Emergency Extracranial-Intracranial Bypass for Revascularization within 24 Hours in Resolving Large Artery Occlusion with Intracranial Stenosis.

Background: Endovascular treatment (EVT) is less effective for intracranial atherosclerosis-induced emergent large vessel occlusion. Extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery is a possible treatment option to augment cerebral blood flow in the perfusion defect area. We compared the efficacy and safety of EC-IC bypass surgery with those of EVT and maximal medical treatment for acute ischemic stroke.

Urinary exosomal microRNA profiling in type 2 diabetes patients taking dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor compared with sulfonylurea.

Background: Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor has been reported to have kidney-protective benefits. To elucidate how antidiabetic agents prevent diabetic kidney disease progression, it is important to investigate their effect on the kidney environment in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Herein, we investigated the expression pattern of urinary exosome-derived microRNA (miRNA) in patients taking a combination of DPP-4 inhibitor and metformin (DPP-4 inhibitor group) and compared them with patients taking a combination of sulfonylurea and metformin (sulfonylurea group).

Single-Cell Transcriptome Analysis as a Promising Tool to Study Pluripotent Stem Cell Reprogramming.

Cells are the basic units of all organisms and are involved in all vital activities, such as proliferation, differentiation, senescence, and apoptosis. A human body consists of more than 30 trillion cells generated through repeated division and differentiation from a single-cell fertilized egg in a highly organized programmatic fashion. Since the recent formation of the Human Cell Atlas consortium, establishing the Human Cell Atlas at the single-cell level has been an ongoing activity with the goal of understanding the mechanisms underlying diseases and vital cellular activities at the level of the single cell.

Short and Long-term Outcomes of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Treatment according to Hospital Volume in Korea: a Nationwide Multicenter Registry.

Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage is a potentially devastating cerebrovascular attack with a high proportion of poor outcomes and mortality. Recent studies have reported decreased mortality with the improvement in devices and techniques for treating ruptured aneurysms and neurocritical care. This study investigated the relationship between hospital volume and short- and long-term mortality in patients treated with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Vitamin D suppresses intestinal epithelial stemness via ER stress induction in intestinal organoids.

Background: Vitamin D is important for normal function of the intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D on the differentiation, stemness, and viability of healthy IECs in intestinal organoids.

Methods: Intestinal organoids derived from mouse small intestine were treated with vitamin D, and the effects on intestinal stemness and differentiation were evaluated using real-time PCR and immunofluorescence staining of the distinct lineage markers.

Reduction in endoplasmic reticulum stress activates beige adipocytes differentiation and alleviates high fat diet-induced metabolic phenotypes.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is closely associated with various metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. Development of beige/brite adipocytes increases thermogenesis and helps to reduce obesity. Although the relationship between ER stress and white adipocytes has been studied considerably, the possible role of ER stress and the unfolded protein response (UPR) induction in beige adipocytes differentiation remain to be investigated.

Profiling of Metabolic Differences between Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Acute/Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Although many studies have been conducted on leukemia, only a few have analyzed the metabolomic profiles of various leukemic cells. In this study, the metabolomes of THP-1, U937, KG-1 (acute myelogenous leukemia, AML), K562 (chronic myelogenous leukemia, CML), and cord blood-derived CD34-positive hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and specific metabolic alterations were found using multivariate statistical analysis. Compared to HSCs, leukemia cell metabolomes were found to have significant alterations, among which three were related to amino acids, three to sugars, and five to fatty acids.

Incidence, mortality, and cardiovascular diseases in pituitary adenoma in Korea: a nationwide population-based study.

Purpose: Few nationally representative studies have evaluated the epidemiology of PA (pituitary adenoma). This South Korean study evaluated the incidence of different PA subtypes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and related mortality.

Methods: This population-based study evaluated 31,898 patients with PA during 2005-2015.