Modeling glioblastoma tumor progression via CRISPR-engineered brain organoids.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive form of brain cancer that is highly resistant to therapy due to significant intra-tumoral heterogeneity. The lack of robust in vitro models to study early tumor progression has hindered the development of effective therapies. Here, we develop engineered GBM organoids (eGBOs) harboring GBM subtype-specific oncogenic mutations to investigate the underlying transcriptional regulation of tumor progression.

Sinusitis complicated by intracranial abscess in 3 patients with coronavirus disease 2019: illustrative cases.

Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can be associated with various neurological manifestations, including cerebrovascular disease, seizures, peripheral nerve disease, and encephalitis. Intracranial abscess related to COVID-19 is rare but illustrates a serious complication in the studied cases.

Observations: The authors report 3 cases of patients presenting with COVID-19 complicated by sinusitis with associated intracranial abscesses.

CDC20 regulates sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiation in glioblastoma stem cells.

Glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) are an important subpopulation in glioblastoma, implicated in tumor growth, tumor recurrence, and radiation resistance. Understanding the cellular mechanisms for chemo- and radiation resistance could lead to the development of new therapeutic strategies. Here, we demonstrate that CDC20 promotes resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Neuromodulation Approaches in Parkinson's Disease Using Deep Brain Stimulation and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, characterized by progressive motor (such as resting tremor, hypokinesia, postural instability) and non-motor symptoms (such as neuropsychiatric decline and autonomic dysfunction). Since its introduction in the late 1980s, deep brain stimulation (DBS) has revolutionized the treatment of PD. Initially used in patients' with advanced PD with either medically refractory motor symptoms or medication intolerance, DBS typically provides excellent improvement in motor symptoms.

"Awake" clipping of cerebral aneurysms: report of initial series.

OBJECTIVE Risk of ischemia during aneurysm surgery is significantly related to temporary clipping time and final clipping that might incorporate a perforator. In this study, the authors attempted to assess the potential added benefit to patient outcomes of "awake" neurological testing when compared with standard neurophysiological testing performed under general anesthesia. The procedure is performed after the induction of conscious sedation, and for the neurological testing, the patient is fully awake.

Subunit composition of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors in status epilepticus.

Purpose: To describe the subunit composition of glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors in brain tissue from patients with different types of status epilepticus.

Patients And Methods: The subunit composition of glutamate and GABA receptors was analyzed in: (1) surgical brain samples from three patients with refractory convulsive status epilepticus, three patients with electrical status epilepticus in sleep, and six patients with refractory epilepsy, and (2) brain autopsy samples from four controls who died without neurological disorders. Subunit expression was quantified with Western blotting and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression was quantified with reverse polymerase chain reaction.

Bumetanide enhances phenobarbital efficacy in a rat model of hypoxic neonatal seizures.

Neonatal seizures can be refractory to conventional anticonvulsants, and this may in part be due to a developmental increase in expression of the neuronal Na(+)-K(+)-2 Cl(-) cotransporter, NKCC1, and consequent paradoxical excitatory actions of GABAA receptors in the perinatal period. The most common cause of neonatal seizures is hypoxic encephalopathy, and here we show in an established model of neonatal hypoxia-induced seizures that the NKCC1 inhibitor, bumetanide, in combination with phenobarbital is significantly more effective than phenobarbital alone. A sensitive mass spectrometry assay revealed that bumetanide concentrations in serum and brain were dose-dependent, and the expression of NKCC1 protein transiently increased in cortex and hippocampus after hypoxic seizures.