Anatomical correlates for the newly discovered meningeal layer in the existing literature: A systematic review.

The existence of a previously unrecognized subarachnoid lymphatic-like membrane (SLYM) was reported in a recent study. SLYM is described as an intermediate leptomeningeal layer between the arachnoid and pia mater in mouse and human brains, which divides the subarachnoid space (SAS) into two functional compartments. Being a macroscopic structure, having missed detection in previous studies is surprising.

COVID-19 Mechanisms in the Human Body-What We Know So Far.

More than one and a half years have elapsed since the commencement of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and the world is struggling to contain it. Being caused by a previously unknown virus, in the initial period, there had been an extreme paucity of knowledge about the disease mechanisms, which hampered preventive and therapeutic measures against COVID-19. In an endeavor to understand the pathogenic mechanisms, extensive experimental studies have been conducted across the globe involving cell culture-based experiments, human tissue organoids, and animal models, targeted to various aspects of the disease, , viral properties, tissue tropism and organ-specific pathogenesis, involvement of physiological systems, and the human immune response against the infection.

COVID-19 pandemic: insights into molecular mechanisms leading to sex-based differences in patient outcomes.

Recent epidemiological studies analysing sex-disaggregated patient data of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across the world revealed a distinct sex bias in the disease morbidity as well as the mortality - both being higher for the men. Similar antecedents have been known for the previous viral infections, including from coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and middle-east respiratory syndrome (MERS). A sound understanding of molecular mechanisms leading to the biological sex bias in the survival outcomes of the patients in relation to COVID-19 will act as an essential requisite for developing a sex-differentiated approach for therapeutic management of this disease.

Corpus Callosum Remodeling in Glioma: Constancy of Fiber Density and Anisotropy in MRI.

Corpus callosum (CC) is the primary fiber system bridging the cerebral hemispheres and is of critical importance for glioma migration which downgrades the prognosis. Here we present the specific pattern of CC restructuring in glioma patients. We probe that the magnetic resonance imaging-based fiber count decrease can be a ready noninvasive indicator of glioma aggressivity and prognosis.

Expression of SARS-CoV-2 Host Cell Entry Factors in Immune System Components of Healthy Individuals and Its Relevance for COVID-19 Immunopathology.

Intense immunological dysregulation including immune cell lesions has been characteristically observed in severe cases of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), for which molecular mechanisms are not properly understood. A study of physiological expressions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) host cell entry-related factors in immune system components may help explain molecular mechanisms involved in COVID-19 immunopathology. We analyzed transcriptomic and proteomic expression metadata for SARS-CoV-2 host cell entry receptor and entry associated proteases (, , and ) across immune system components including the blood lineage cells.

Relevance of SARS-CoV-2 related factors ACE2 and TMPRSS2 expressions in gastrointestinal tissue with pathogenesis of digestive symptoms, diabetes-associated mortality, and disease recurrence in COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 is caused by a new strain of coronavirus called SARS-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is a positive sense single strand RNA virus. In humans, it binds to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with the help a structural protein on its surface called the S-spike. Further, cleavage of the viral spike protein (S) by the proteases like transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) or Cathepsin L (CTSL) is essential to effectuate host cell membrane fusion and virus infectivity.

Pathogenesis guided therapeutic management of COVID-19: an immunological perspective.

Lack of standardized therapeutic approaches is arguably the significant contributor to the high burden of mortality observed in the ongoing pandemic of the Coronavirus disease, 2019 (COVID-19). Evidence is accumulating on SARS-CoV-2 specific immune cell dysregulation and consequent tissue injury in COVID-19. Currently, no definite drugs or vaccines are available against the disease; however initial results of the ongoing clinical trials have raised some hope.

SARS-CoV-2-specific virulence factors in COVID-19.

The paucity of knowledge about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific virulence factors has greatly hampered the therapeutic management of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Recently, a cluster of studies appeared, which presented empirical evidence for SARS-CoV-2-specific virulence factors that can explain key elements of COVID-19 pathology. These studies unravel multiple structural and nonstructural specifics of SARS-CoV-2, such as a unique FURIN cleavage site, papain-like protease (SCoV2-PLpro), ORF3b and nonstructural proteins, and dynamic conformational changes in the structure of spike protein during host cell fusion, which give it an edge in infectivity and virulence over previous coronaviruses causing pandemics.

Predicting susceptibility for SARS-CoV-2 infection in domestic and wildlife animals using ACE2 protein sequence homology.

The article is presenting a bioinformatics based method predicting susceptibility for SARS-CoV-2 infection in domestic and wildlife animals. Recently, there were reports of cats and ferrets, dogs, minks, golden hamster, rhesus monkeys, tigers, and lions testing for SARS-CoV-2 RNA which indicated for the possible interspecies viral transmission. Our method successfully predicted the susceptibility of these animals for contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection.

SARS-CoV-2 cell entry receptor ACE2 mediated endothelial dysfunction leads to vascular thrombosis in COVID-19 patients.

Several studies have described unusually high incidence of vascular thrombosis in coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) patients. Pathogenesis of the vascular thrombosis in COVID-19 is least understood for now and presents a challenge to the treating physicians. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative pathogen for COVID-19, has been shown to bind to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) protein in human epithelial cells which facilitates its entry in the organ and mediate tissue specific pathogenesis.

Transcriptomic analysis of the signature of neurogenesis in human hippocampus suggests restricted progenitor cell progression post-childhood.

Purpose: Immunohistological investigations have given rise to divergent perspectives about adult hippocampal neurogenesis in humans. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of signature markers of neurogenesis, supplemented with markers of gliogenesis, vasculogenesis, cell proliferation, and apoptosis, may help discern essential aspects of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in humans.

Materials And Methods: RNA expression data for salient marker genes of neurogenesis, gliogenesis, vasculogenesis, and apoptosis in post-mortem human hippocampal tissue [from prenatal (n = 15), child (n = 5), adolescent (n = 4), and adult (n = 6) brains] were downloaded from the Allen Human Brain Atlas database (http://www.

Possible routes of SARS-CoV-2 invasion in brain: In context of neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients.

Manifestation of neurological symptoms in certain patients of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has warranted for their virus-induced etiogenesis. SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, belongs to the genus of betacoronaviruses which also includes SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV; causative agents for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, respectively. Studies demonstrating the neural invasion of SARS-CoV-2 in vivo are still scarce, although such characteristics of certain other betacoronaviruses are well demonstrated in the literature.

Altered Expression of a Unique Set of Genes Reveals Complex Etiology of Schizophrenia.

The etiology of schizophrenia is extensively debated, and multiple factors have been contended to be involved. A panoramic view of the contributing factors in a genome-wide study can be an effective strategy to provide a comprehensive understanding of its causality. GSE53987 dataset downloaded from GEO-database, which comprised mRNA expression data of post-mortem brain tissue across three regions from control (C) and age-matched subjects (T) of schizophrenia (N = Hippocampus [HIP]: C-15, T-18, Prefrontal cortex [PFC]: C-15, T-19, Associative striatum [STR]: C-18, T-18).

Role of Neuroimaging Modality in the Assessment of Oxidative Stress in Brain: A Comprehensive Review.

Background & Objective: Oxidative stress (OS) is the secondary source of an injury in consequence to the earlier caused primary injury; it is the condition of an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants within the physiological system. OS causes alterations in proteins and DNA structure, leading to inflammation, apoptotic cell death, and tissue damage. Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Glioma-induced neurodegeneration and the normal aging-related neuro-degeneration are primarily associated with the increased OS.

Neurotrophin mediated HPA axis dysregulation in stress induced genesis of psychiatric disorders: Orchestration by epigenetic modifications.

Apart from their established role in embryonic development, neurotrophins (NTs) have diverse functions in the nervous system. Their role in the integration of physiological and biochemical aspects of the nervous system is currently attracting much attention. Based on a systematic analysis of the literature, we here propose a new paradigm that, by exploiting a novel role of NTs, may help explain the genesis of stress-related psychiatric disorders, opening new avenues for better management of the same.

ADULT NEUROGENESIS IN HUMANS: A Review of Basic Concepts, History, Current Research, and Clinical Implications.

Neurogenesis in adult humans remains a controversial area of research among neuroscientists. Methodological challenges have hampered investigators from conducting high-quality, studies that can help elucidate the presence and/or activity of neurogenesis in human brains. Additionally, the studies that have been done in humans report conflicting results, further adding to the ambiguity surrounding the concept of adult neurogenesis in humans.

Patterning of corpus callosum integrity in glioma observed by MRI: Effect of 2D bi-axial lamellar brain architecture.

Purpose: Corpus callosum (CC) is a main channel histologically for glioma spreading, downgrading the prognosis, the infiltration occurring through cellular reaction-diffusion process. Preliminary clinical trial indicates that CC's surgical interruption appreciably enhances clinical outcome. We aim to find how high-grade glioma phenomenology is reflected in CC parameters, including various 3D diffusion eigenvalues differentially, whereby this information may be utilized for planning radiotherapy and surgical intervention.

A Correlational Study between Microstructural White Matter Properties and Macrostructural Gray Matter Volume Across Normal Ageing: Conjoint DTI and VBM Analysis.

We investigate the relationship between Gray matter's volume vis-a-vis White matter's integrity indices, such Axial diffusivity, Radial diffusivity, Mean diffusivity, and Fractional anisotropy, in individuals undergoing healthy aging. We investigated MRI scans of 177 adults across 20 to 85 years. We used Voxel-based morphometry, and FDT-FSL analysis for estimation of Gray matter volume and White matter's diffusion indices respectively.

Oxidative Stress: Major Threat in Traumatic Brain Injury.

Background & Objective: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It represents mild, moderate and severe effects of physical assault to brain which may cause sequential, primary or secondary ramifications. Primary injury can be due to the first physical hit, blow or jolt to one of the brain compartments.

Regulatory role of NGFs in neurocognitive functions.

Nerve growth factors (NGFs), especially the prototype NGF and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), have a diverse array of functions in the central nervous system through their peculiar set of receptors and intricate signaling. They are implicated not only in the development of the nervous system but also in regulation of neurocognitive functions like learning, memory, synaptic transmission, and plasticity. Evidence even suggests their role in continued neurogenesis and experience-dependent neural network remodeling in adult brain.

A Possible Mechanism of Zika Virus Associated Microcephaly: Imperative Role of Retinoic Acid Response Element (RARE) Consensus Sequence Repeats in the Viral Genome.

Owing to the reports of microcephaly as a consistent outcome in the fetuses of pregnant women infected with ZIKV in Brazil, Zika virus (ZIKV)-microcephaly etiomechanistic relationship has recently been implicated. Researchers, however, are still struggling to establish an embryological basis for this interesting causal handcuff. The present study reveals robust evidence in favor of a plausible ZIKV-microcephaly cause-effect liaison.

Cardiovascular involvement in severe vivax and falciparum malaria.

Background & Objectives: Recently, vivax malaria is also presenting as severe malaria causing multiorgan dysfunction similar to falciparum malaria. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the involvement of cardiovascular system in severe malaria.

Methods: This is a clinical prospective study conducted on the cases of severe malaria in S.