Publications by authors named "Zhi Ying Wu"

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) refer to a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons. To date, a significant number of patients still have not received a definite genetic diagnosis. Therefore, identifying unreported causative genes continues to be of great importance.

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Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative disorder, which is characterized by a decline in cognitive abilities. Genome-wide association and clinicopathological studies have demonstrated that the CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) gene is one of the most important genetic risk factors for AD. However, the precise mechanisms by which CD2AP is linked to AD pathogenesis remain unclear.

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Disease-associated microglia (DAM) are observed in neurodegenerative diseases, demyelinating disorders, and aging. However, the spatiotemporal dynamics and evolutionary trajectory of DAM during the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remain unclear. Using a mouse model of ALS that expresses a human gene mutation, we found that the microglia subtype DAM begins to appear following motor neuron degeneration, primarily in the brain stem and spinal cord.

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Background: Huntington's disease disease (HD) is characterized by motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Oculomotor impairments and gait variability have been independently considered as potential markers in HD. But there lacks an integration analysis of eye movement and gait.

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Objective: In the Asian population, variants are the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To date, more than 200 variants have been reported in . This study aimed to summarize the genotype-phenotype correlation and determine whether the patients carrying common variants derive from a common ancestor.

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Background: Sialidosis type 1 (ST-1) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutation in the NEU1 gene. However, limited reports on ST-1 patients in the Chinese mainland are available.

Methods: This study reported the genetic and clinical characteristics of 10 ST-1 patients from southeastern China.

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The CACNA1A gene encodes the alpha-1A subunit of P/Q type voltage-gated calcium channel Ca2.1, which is associated with a broad clinical spectrum and variable symptomatology. While few patients with progressive ataxia caused by CACNA1A missense variants have been reported, here we report three unrelated Chinese patients with progressive ataxia due to de novo missense variants in the CACNA1A gene, including a novel pathogenic variant (c.

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Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota is closely associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD). Gut microbiome-derived metabolites are key factors in host-microbiome interactions. This study aimed to investigate the crucial gut microbiome and metabolites in HD and their correlations.

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The blood brain barrier (BBB) limits the application of most therapeutic drugs for neurological diseases (NDs). Hybrid cell membrane-coated nanoparticles derived from different cell types can mimic the surface properties and functionalities of the source cells, further enhancing their targeting precision and therapeutic efficacy. Neuroinflammation has been increasingly recognized as a critical factor in the pathogenesis of various NDs, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD).

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KCNA1 is the coding gene for Kv1.1 voltage-gated potassium-channel α subunit. Three variants of KCNA1 have been reported to manifest as paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD), but the correlation between them remains unclear due to the phenotypic complexity of KCNA1 variants as well as the rarity of PKD cases.

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Accurate differential diagnosis among various dementias is crucial for effective treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study began with searching for novel blood-based neuronal extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are more enriched in the brain regions vulnerable to AD development and progression. With extensive proteomic profiling, GABRD and GPR162 were identified as novel brain regionally enriched plasma EVs markers.

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Wilson's disease (WD) is a genetic disorder that primarily leads to the pathological accumulation of copper (Cu) in the liver, causing an abnormal increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS). The prevailing clinical therapy for WD involves lifelong use of Cu chelation drugs to facilitate Cu excretion in patients. However, most available drugs exert severely side-effects due to their non-specific excretion of Cu, unsuitable for long-term use.

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Amyloid-β, tau pathology, and biomarkers of neurodegeneration make up the core diagnostic biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD). However, these proteins represent only a fraction of the complex biological processes underlying AD, and individuals with other brain diseases in which AD pathology is a comorbidity also test positive for these diagnostic biomarkers. More AD-specific early diagnostic and disease staging biomarkers are needed.

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Article Synopsis
  • * It is primarily caused by mutations in the PRRT2 or TMEM151A genes, but the exact processes behind the disorder are still not fully understood.
  • * The cerebellum is thought to play a critical role in PKD, with potential links to issues in ion channels and synaptic transmission, while the cerebrum's involvement needs further study.
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Introduction: Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) comprise a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of upper motor neurons. Homozygous or compound heterozygous variants in COQ4 have been reported to cause primary CoQ10 deficiency-7 (COQ10D7), which is a mitochondrial disease.

Aims: We aimed to screened COQ4 variants in a cohort of HSP patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • Monogenic disorders are diseases caused by mutations in single genes, with limited effective treatments available despite some progress with disease-modifying therapies.
  • Recent advancements in gene therapy present new hope for treating these genetic disorders through various gene manipulation and delivery methods.
  • However, challenges such as delivery efficiency, immune responses, and tissue specificity need to be overcome for these therapies to be more effective.
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Cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is the most common hereditary cerebral small vessel disease in adults. Many CADASIL cases were reported after was identified as the causative gene of CADASIL. However, there is still no specific and effective therapies for CADASIL.

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Introduction: Depression is considered a prodromal state of Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the underlying mechanism(s) by which depression increases the risk of AD are not known.

Methods: Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis was used to determine the CALHM2 variants in AD patients. Cellular and molecular experiments were conducted to investigate the function of CALHM2 V136G mutation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is prevalent in China, but there was limited research on CAT interruptions in this population.
  • In a study, CAT interrupted pathogenic alleles were found in 5.1% of Chinese SCA1 families, showcasing a higher median of CAG repeats compared to those without interruptions and a later age of onset.
  • The differences in the interruption patterns between Chinese and Caucasian cohorts suggest that genetic variations may be influenced by race.
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Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by CAG expansions in huntingtin (HTT) gene, involving motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, genetic modifiers and CAG repeat instability may lead to variations of clinical manifestations, making diagnosis of HD difficult. In this study, we recruited 229 HD individuals from 164 families carrying expanded CAG repeats of HTT, and analyzed loss of CAA interruption (LOI) on the expanded allele and CAG instability during germline transmission.

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