Introduction: Early diagnosis is important to differentiate central nervous system lymphomas (CNSL) from the main differential diagnosis, glioblastoma (GBM), because of different primary treatment modalities for these entities. Due to neurological deficits, diagnostic stereotactic biopsies often need to be performed urgently. In this setting the availability of an intraoperative neuropathological assessment is limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common childhood cancer. The translocation t(1;19), encoding the TCF3-PBX1 fusion, is associated with intermediate risk and central nervous system (CNS) infiltration at relapse. Using our previously generated TCF3-PBX1 conditional knock-in mice, we established a model to study relapsed clones after in vivo chemotherapy treatment, CNS infiltration, and clonal dynamic evolution of phenotypic diversity at the single cell-level using next-generation sequencing technologies and mass cytometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIDH-mutant astrocytomas are diffuse gliomas that are defined by characteristic mutations in IDH1 or IDH2 and do not have complete 1p/19q co-deletion. The established grading criteria include histological features of brisk mitotic activity (grade 3) and necrosis and/or microvascular proliferation (grade 4). In addition, homozygous deletion of the CDKN2A/B locus has recently been implemented as a molecular marker for grade 4 IDH-mutant astrocytomas.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study primarily aimed to explore the etiology of the phenotypic relationships between personality traits and executive functions. We assessed common genetic and environmental sources of variance in these phenomena by examining different dimensions of the Five Factor Model (FFM) and executive function factors. An additional research question focused on whether specific facets within the FFM share a greater genetic overlap with executive functions compared to broader personality dimensions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFocal cortical dysplasias (FCDs) are local malformations of the human neocortex and a leading cause of intractable epilepsy. FCDs are classified into different subtypes including FCD IIa and IIb, characterized by a blurred gray-white matter boundary or a transmantle sign indicating abnormal white matter myelination. Recently, we have shown that myelination is also compromised in the gray matter of FCD IIa of the temporal lobe.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough macrophages in the meningeal compartments of the central nervous system (CNS) have been comprehensively characterized under steady state, studying their contribution to physiological and pathological processes has been hindered by the lack of specific targeting tools in vivo. Recent findings have shown that the dural sinus and its adjacent lymphatic vessels act as a neuroimmune interface. However, the cellular and functional heterogeneity of extrasinusoidal dural macrophages outside this immune hub is not fully understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent advances in fate mapping and single-cell technologies have revealed how the dynamics and function of tissue-resident macrophages are shaped by their environment. However, macrophages in sensory organs such as the cochlea where the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system meet remain understudied. Combining single-cell transcriptomics, fate mapping, and parabiosis experiments, we show that five types of myeloid cells including three tissue-resident macrophage subpopulations, coexist in the mouse cochlea.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGlioma associated macrophages/microglia (GAMs) play an important role in glioblastoma (GBM) progression, due to their massive recruitment to the tumor site and polarization to a tumor promoting phenotype. GAMs secrete a variety of cytokines, which facilitate tumor cell growth and invasion, and prevent other immune cells from mounting an immune response against the tumor. Here, we demonstrate that zinc finger and BTB containing domain 18 (ZBTB18), a transcriptional repressor with tumor suppressive function in glioblastoma, impairs the production of key cytokines, which function as chemoattractant for GAMs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFISG15, an IFN-stimulated gene, plays a crucial role in modulating immune responses during viral infections. Its upregulation is part of the host's defense mechanism against viruses, contributing to the antiviral state of cells. However, altered ISG15 expression can also lead to immune dysregulation and pathological outcomes, particularly during persistent viral infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAfter a stroke, the neurogenic response from the subventricular zone (SVZ) to repair the brain is limited. Microglia, as an integral part of the distinctive SVZ microenvironment, control neural stem / precursor cell (NSPC) behavior. Here, we show that discrete stroke-associated SVZ microglial clusters negatively impact the innate neurogenic response, and we propose a repository of relevant microglia-NSPC ligand-receptor pairs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: This study investigates the relationship between DNA methylation (DNAm) and the personality traits outlined in the NEO-PI-R model through an epigenetic study of monozygotic twins. DNAm, a critical epigenetic mechanism, regulates gene expression and has been linked to various biological processes and disorders. By leveraging the genetic similarities of monozygotic twins, this research explores how epigenetic variations influenced by environmental factors correlate with personality differences.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSignal Transduct Target Ther
October 2024
Microglial cells are unique tissue-resident macrophages located in the parenchyma of the central nervous system (CNS). A recent comparative transcriptional study on microglia across more than 20 species from leach across chicken and many more up to humans revealed multiple conserved features. The results indicate the imperative role of microglia over the last 500 million years (Geirsdottir et al.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroglia are the resident macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS). Their phagocytic activity is central during brain development and homeostasis-and in a plethora of brain pathologies. However, little is known about the composition, dynamics, and function of human microglial phagosomes under homeostatic and pathological conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite major advances in molecular profiling and classification of primary brain tumors, personalized treatment remains limited for most patients. Here, we explored the feasibility of individual molecular profiling and the efficacy of biomarker-guided therapy for adult patients with primary brain cancers in the real-world setting within the molecular tumor board Freiburg, Germany. We analyzed genetic profiles, personalized treatment recommendations, and clinical outcomes of 102 patients with 21 brain tumor types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF