Plasma cell-free RNA profiling of Vietnamese Alzheimer's patients reveals a linkage with chronic inflammation and apoptosis: a pilot study.

Introduction: Circulating cell-free RNA (cfRNA) is a potential hallmark for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) as it construes the genetic expression level, giving insights into the pathological progress from the outset. Profiles of cfRNA in Caucasian AD patients have been investigated thoroughly, yet there was no report exploring cfRNAs in the ASEAN groups. This study examined the gap, expecting to support the development of point-of-care AD diagnosis.

Neurotransmitter transporter family including SLC6A6 and SLC6A13 contributes to the 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced accumulation of protoporphyrin IX and photodamage, through uptake of ALA by cancerous cells.

δ-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin accumulation is widely used in the treatment of cancer, as photodynamic therapy (PDT). To clarify the mechanisms of ALA uptake by tumor cells, we have examined the ALA-induced accumulation of protoporphyrin by the treatment of colon cancer DLD-1 and epithelial cancer HeLa cells with γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-related compounds. When the cells were treated with GABA, taurine and β-alanine, the level of protoporphyrin was decreased, suggesting that plasma membrane transporters involved in the transport of neurotransmitters contribute to the uptake of ALA.