Vitamin D differentially regulates colon stem cells in patient-derived normal and tumor organoids.

Intestine is a major target of vitamin D and several studies indicate an association between vitamin D deficiency and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but also increased colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and mortality. However, the putative effects of 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol), the active vitamin D metabolite, on human colonic stem cells are unknown. Here we show by immunohistochemistry and RNAscope in situ hybridization that vitamin D receptor (VDR) is unexpectedly expressed in LGR5 colon stem cells in human tissue and in normal and tumor organoid cultures generated from patient biopsies.

Increased striatal adenosine A2A receptor levels is an early event in Parkinson's disease-related pathology and it is potentially regulated by miR-34b.

Adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) is a G-protein coupled receptor that stimulates adenylyl cyclase activity. In the brain, A2ARs are found highly enriched in striatal GABAergic medium spiny neurons, related to the control of voluntary movement. Pharmacological modulation of A2ARs is particularly useful in Parkinson's disease (PD) due to their property of antagonizing dopamine D2 receptor activity.

DNA methylation and Yin Yang-1 repress adenosine A2A receptor levels in human brain.

Adenosine A(2A) receptors (A(2A) Rs) are G-protein coupled receptors that stimulate adenylyl cyclase activity. The most A(2A) Rs-enriched brain region is the striatum, in which A(2A) Rs are largely restricted to GABAergic neurons of the indirect pathway. We recently described how DNA methylation controls basal A(2A) R expression levels in human cell lines.

DNA methylation regulates adenosine A(2A) receptor cell surface expression levels.

Adenosine A(2A) receptors (A(2A)Rs) appear to play important roles in inflammation and in certain diseases of the nervous system. Pharmacological modulation of A(2A)Rs is particularly useful in Parkinson's disease and has been tested in schizophrenia. However, little is known about the regulation of A(2A)R gene (ADORA2A).