Publications by authors named "R M Cowell"

The endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway is composed of a series of protein complexes that are essential for sorting cargo through the endosome. In neurons, the ESCRT pathway is a key mediator of many cellular pathways that regulate neuronal morphogenesis as well as synaptic growth and function. The ESCRT-0 complex, consisting of HGS (hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate) and STAM (signal-transducing adaptor molecule), acts as a gate keeper to this pathway, ultimately determining the fate of the endosomal cargo.

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  • A 50-something woman experienced an atraumatic splenic rupture linked to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) after initially presenting with pneumonia and sepsis.
  • CT scans showed the rupture and a large perisplenic hematoma, and lab tests confirmed EBV infection.
  • Due to her frailty, the treatment involved fluoroscopy-guided splenic artery embolization, emphasizing the uncommon risk of splenic rupture from EBV, which can occur without typical mononucleosis symptoms.
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  • Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) feature harmful protein aggregates called Lewy Pathology, notably in the basolateral amygdala, which affects cognition and emotional processing.
  • Research using C57BL/6 J mice injected with α-syn pre-formed fibrils (PFFs) indicates that while synapse loss is minimal, the structure of excitatory synapses in the amygdala changes significantly post-aggregation, increasing their size and volume.
  • Additionally, findings suggest that pathological α-syn influences synaptic functioning by altering distances between synaptic vesicles, indicating a link between protein aggregation and synaptic transmission issues.
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Short-interfering RNA (siRNA) has gained significant interest for treatment of neurological diseases by providing the capacity to achieve sustained inhibition of nearly any gene target. Yet, efficacious drug delivery throughout deep brain structures of the CNS remains a considerable hurdle for intrathecally administered therapeutics. We herein describe an albumin-binding lipid-siRNA conjugate that transports along meningeal and perivascular CSF pathways, leading to broad dispersion throughout the CNS parenchyma.

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