Directional intermodular coupling enriches functional complexity in biological neuronal networks.

Hierarchically modular organization is a canonical network topology that is evolutionarily conserved in the nervous systems of animals. Within the network, neurons form directional connections defined by the growth of their axonal terminals. However, this topology is dissimilar to the network formed by dissociated neurons in culture because they form randomly connected networks on homogeneous substrates.

Enhanced responses to inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 in micropatterned networks of cultured cortical neurons.

Cortical neurons in dissociated cultures are an indispensable model system for pharmacological research that provides insights into chemical responses in well-defined environments. However, cortical neurons plated on homogeneous substrates develop an unstructured network that exhibits excessively synchronized activity, which occasionally masks the consequences induced by external substances. Here, we show that hyperactivity and excessive synchrony in cultured cortical networks can be effectively suppressed by growing neurons in microfluidic devices.

Analysis of clinicopathological features and NAB2-STAT6 fusion variants of meningeal solitary fibrous tumor with ectopic salivary gland components in the cerebellopontine angle.

Solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare mesenchymal tumors that can occur at any location. Since the identification of specific NAB2-STAT6 fusion in SFTs, the fusion gene variants, NAB2 exon 4-STAT6 exon 2/3 and NAB2 exon 5/6/7-STAT6 exon 16/17/18, have been reported to be associated with clinicopathological features, and the latter variant is predominant in meningeal SFTs. SFTs developing in the salivary glands are rare, and more rarely, those involving ectopic salivary glands (ESGs) have been reported in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA); however, their characteristics remain not well understood.