Enteral Nutrition in Critically Ill Patient With Septic Shock Requiring Vasopressor: Case Report.

Nutritional support in critically ill patients is an essential aspect of treatment. In particular, the benefits of enteral nutrition (EN) are well recognized, and various guidelines recommend early EN within 48 hours in critically ill patients. However, there is still controversy regarding EN in critically ill patients with septic shock requiring vasopressors.

Progranulin haploinsufficiency mediates cytoplasmic TDP-43 aggregation with lysosomal abnormalities in human microglia.

Background: Progranulin (PGRN) haploinsufficiency due to progranulin gene (GRN) variants can cause frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with aberrant TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) accumulation. Despite microglial burden with TDP-43-related pathophysiology, direct microglial TDP-43 pathology has not been clarified yet, only emphasized in neuronal pathology. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate TDP-43 pathology in microglia of patients with PGRN haploinsufficiency.

Optimal Therapeutic Strategy of Bone Marrow-Originated Autologous Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells for ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by selective and progressive neurodegenerative changes in motor neural networks. Given the system complexity, including anatomically distributed sites of degeneration from the motor cortex to the spinal cord and chronic pro-inflammatory conditions, a cell-based therapeutic strategy could be an alternative approach to treating ALS. Lessons from previous mesenchymal stromal/stem cell (MSC) trials in ALS realized the importance of 3 aspects in current and future MSC therapy, including the preparation of MSCs, administration routes and methods, and recipient-related factors.

Blood-brain barrier breakdown is linked to tau pathology and neuronal injury in a differential manner according to amyloid deposition.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown has been suggested as an early marker for Alzheimer's disease (AD); yet the relationship between BBB breakdown and AD-specific biomarkers based on the amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration framework is not clear. This study investigated the relationship between BBB permeability, AD-specific biomarkers, and cognition in patients with cognitive impairment. In this prospective study, we enrolled 62 participants with mild cognitive impairment or dementia between January 2019 and October 2020.

Role of NCKAP1 in the Defective Phagocytic Function of Microglia-Like Cells Derived from Rapidly Progressing Sporadic ALS.

Microglia plays a key role in determining the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), yet their precise role in ALS has not been identified in humans. This study aimed to identify a key factor related to the functional characteristics of microglia in rapidly progressing sporadic ALS patients using the induced microglia model, although it is not identical to brain resident microglia. After confirming that microglia-like cells (iMGs) induced by human monocytes could recapitulate the main signatures of brain microglia, step-by-step comparative studies were conducted to delineate functional differences using iMGs from patients with slowly progressive ALS [ALS(S), n = 14] versus rapidly progressive ALS [ALS(R), n = 15].

Clinical and genetic characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients with variants.

Increasing genetic evidence supports the hypothesis that variants in the annexin A11 gene () contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis. Therefore, we studied the clinical aspects of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients carrying variants. We also implemented functional experiments to verify the pathogenicity of the hotspot variants associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-frontotemporal dementia.

Extract of Moutan radicis cortex and Cinnamomi ramulus ameliorates laser-induced choroidal neovascularization in Brown-Norway rats.

Background: Moutan radicis cortex (MRC) and Cinnamomi ramulus (CR) are commonly used in eastern Asian traditional medicine to treat various diseases including cerebrovascular and cardiovascular, and have wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. However, the effect against laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) of extract of MRC and CR (1:1) (MRCCR) has not yet been studied.

Purpose: Our aim was to investigate the inhibitory effect of MRCCR on pathological CNV in laser-treated Brown-Norway (BN) rats.

Relationship between Dietary Fiber Intake and the Prognosis of Amytrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Korea.

The gut microbiota has been suggested as an important factor in the pathogenic mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study aimed to investigate whether the intake of different kinds of dietary fiber was related to the disease progression rate (∆FS) and survival time. In total, 272 Korean sporadic ALS patients diagnosed according to the revised EI Escorial criteria were recruited starting in March 2011 and were followed until the occurrence of events or the end of September 2020.

mutations in ALS cause dysregulation of calcium homeostasis and stress granule dynamics.

Dysregulation of calcium ion homeostasis and abnormal protein aggregation have been proposed as major pathogenic hallmarks underpinning selective degeneration of motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Recently, mutations in annexin A11 (), a gene encoding a Ca-dependent phospholipid-binding protein, have been identified in familial and sporadic ALS. However, the physiological and pathophysiological roles of remain unknown.

A Therapeutic Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease Focused on Immune-inflammatory Modulation.

Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, has emerged as a major global public health challenge. However, the complexity of AD in its biological, genetic, and clinical aspects has hindered the development of effective therapeutic agents. Research plans that integrate new drug discoveries are urgently needed, including those based on novel and reliable biomarkers that reflect not only clinical phenotype, but also genetic and neuroimaging information.

Repeated Intrathecal Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of 2 repeated intrathecal injections of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: In a phase 2 randomized controlled trial (NCT01363401), 64 participants with ALS were randomly assigned treatments (1:1) of riluzole alone (control group, n = 31) or combined with 2 BM-MSC injections (MSC group, n = 33). Safety was assessed based on the occurrence of adverse events.

Regulatory T cells increase after treatment with poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 inhibitor in ischemic stroke patients.

Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are thought to play a modulatory role in immune responses and to improve outcomes after ischemic stroke. Thus, various strategies for increasing Tregs in animal models of ischemic stroke have yielded successful results. The aim of this study was to examine the potential effect of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) inhibitor on Treg proportion in stroke patients.

Analysis of ATXN2 trinucleotide repeats in Korean patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

ATXN2 intermediate-length trinucleotide repeat expansions have been reported as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in various ethnicities. We tried to confirm this finding in Korean patients with ALS by screening ATXN2 cytosine-adenine-guanine nucleotide sequences (CAG) repeat lengths in 464 unrelated ALS patients and 703 controls. The most common and the highest CAG repeat lengths in the controls were 22 and 28, respectively, whereas those in ALS patients were 22 and 33, respectively.

Early Treatment with Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1 Inhibitor (JPI-289) Reduces Infarct Volume and Improves Long-Term Behavior in an Animal Model of Ischemic Stroke.

In patients with stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, overactivation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) causes harmful effects by inducing apoptosis, necrosis, neuroinflammation, and immune dysregulation. The current study investigated the neuroprotective effect of a novel PARP-1 inhibitor, JPI-289, in an animal model of ischemic stroke. A transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO, 2 h) model was used to determine the therapeutic effect and the most effective dose and time window of administration of JPI-289.

Association of meal frequency with metabolic syndrome in Korean adults: from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES).

Background: Although previous studies have established a close relationship between caloric intake and metabolic syndrome, there is limited research exploring the impact of meal frequency adjusted by caloric intake on metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Objective: To evaluate the association of meal frequency and MetS after adjusting for confounding factors including caloric intake in Korean men and women.

Methods: We analyzed the national representative data of a total 12,389 adults (5171 men, 7218 women) from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2010-2012.

Neuroprotective effects of a novel poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 inhibitor, JPI-289, in hypoxic rat cortical neurons.

Excessive activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is known to develop neuronal apoptosis, necrosis and inflammation after ischaemic brain injury. Therefore, PARP-1 inhibition after ischaemic stroke has been attempted in successful animal studies. The purpose of present work was to develop a novel water soluble PARP-1 inhibitor (JPI-289) and explore its neuroprotective effect on ischaemic injury in an in vitro model.

25-Hydroxycholesterol is involved in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

This study aimed to evaluate the levels of three major hydroxycholesterols (24-, 25-, and 27-hydroxycholesterols) in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as well as to show their role in the pathogenesis of ALS experimental models. The level of 25-hydroxycholesterol were higher in untreated ALS patients (n = 30) than in controls without ALS (n = 33) and ALS patients treated with riluzole (n = 9) both in their serum and CSF. The level of 25-hydroxycholesterol in the serum of ALS patients were significantly associated with their disease severity and rate of progression.

Genetic and functional analysis of TBK1 variants in Korean patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) gene has recently been identified as a novel causative gene of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This study aims to determine the frequency and spectrum of TBK1 variants and their functional implications in Korean patients with sporadic ALS (sALS). TBK1 sequences were analyzed in 129 consecutive patients with sALS using either multigene panel or exome sequencing.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modulate the Functional Properties of Microglia via TGF-β Secretion.

Unlabelled: : The regulation of microglial cell phenotype is a potential therapeutic intervention in neurodegenerative disease. Previously, we reported that transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) levels in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) could be used as potential biological markers to predict the effectiveness of autologous MSC therapy in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the underlying mechanism of TGF-β in MSCs was not fully elucidated in determining the functional properties of microglia.

Neuroprotective and antioxidant activities of bamboo salt soy sauce against HO-induced oxidative stress in rat cortical neurons.

Bamboo salt (BS) and soy sauce (SS) are traditional foods in Asia, which contain antioxidants that have cytoprotective effects on the body. The majority of SS products contain high levels of common salt, consumption of which has been associated with numerous detrimental effects on the body. However, BS may be considered a healthier substitute to common salt.

CLEC4C p.K210del variant causes impaired cell surface transport in plasmacytoid dendritic cells of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The type II C-type lectin CLEC4C is a transmembrane protein selectively expressed on plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs). Although its mechanism of action remains unclear, triggering of the extracellular C-terminal C-type carbohydrate recognition region of CLEC4C regulates the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and type I IFNs in PDCs. Applying whole-exome sequencing in a patient with juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and both healthy parents, we identified a de novo CLEC4C variant (c.

Directly converted patient-specific induced neurons mirror the neuropathology of FUS with disrupted nuclear localization in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Background: Mutations in the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS patients with FUS mutations exhibit neuronal cytoplasmic mislocalization of the mutant FUS protein. ALS patients' fibroblasts or induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons have been developed as models for understanding ALS-associated FUS (ALS-FUS) pathology; however, pathological neuronal signatures are not sufficiently present in the fibroblasts of patients, whereas the generation of iPSC-derived neurons from ALS patients requires relatively intricate procedures.

Association Between Usual Vitamin K Intake and Anticoagulation in Patients Under Warfarin Therapy.

This study aimed to explore the correlation between usual vitamin K intake and response to anticoagulant therapy among patients under warfarin therapy. We conducted a retrospective survey of patients (n = 50) on continuous warfarin therapy. Clinical information and laboratory parameters were sourced from medical records.

Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Preconditioned Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Rescue Ischemic Rat Cortical Neurons by Enhancing Trophic Factor Release.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) represent a promising tool for stem cell-based therapies. However, the majority of MSCs fail to reach the injury site and have only minimal therapeutic effect. In this study, we assessed whether hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) preconditioning of human BM-MSCs could increase their functional capacity and beneficial effect on ischemic rat cortical neurons.

The immunomodulatory effects of human mesenchymal stem cells on peripheral blood mononuclear cells in ALS patients.

In a previous study, we reported that intrathecal injection of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) slowed disease progression in G93A mutant superoxide dismutase1 transgenic mice. In this study, we found that intrathecal MSC administration vastly increased the infiltration of peripheral immune cells into the spinal cord of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mice (G93A mutant superoxide dismutase1 transgenic). Thus, we investigated the immunomodulatory effect of MSCs on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in ALS patients, focusing on regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg ; CD4(+) /CD25(high) /FoxP3(+) ) and the mRNA expression of several cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-17, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13, and TGF-β).