Publications by authors named "Margarita Lui"
Article Synopsis
- Brain pericytes can change into multiple cell types after injury, but different subsets might have varied abilities to do so based on their characteristics.
- Using an ischemic stroke model and advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers identified two main pericyte subpopulations (NG2 and Tbx18) that respond differently to brain injury: NG2 pericytes are more likely to turn into neurons, while Tbx18 pericytes can become endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and microglia.
- Additionally, by manipulating AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK) activity, the study found ways to enhance the conversion of pericytes into functional neurons, implying that targeted treatments could improve neuron formation from pericytes after
Neurological disorders are a diverse group of conditions that affect the nervous system and include neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease), cerebrovascular conditions (stroke), and neurodevelopmental disorders (autism spectrum disorder). Although they affect millions of individuals around the world, only a limited number of effective treatment options are available today. Since most neurological disorders express mitochondria-related metabolic perturbations, metformin, a biguanide type II antidiabetic drug, has attracted a lot of attention to be repurposed to treat neurological disorders by correcting their perturbed energy metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe endothelin-1 (ET-1) model of stroke involves the stereotactic injection of the vasoconstrictor ET-1 to produce a focal ischemic injury. In rats, this model produces consistent deficits, in contrast to more variable results in mice. In this chapter, we describe a new method to induce a murine focal ischemic cortical stroke by injecting L-NAME, another potent vasoconstrictor , in combination with ET-1 into the sensorimotor cortex.
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