Alzheimer's disease (AD) is currently untreatable, and therapeutic strategies aimed to slow cognitive decline have not yet been successful. Many of these approaches have targeted the amyloid cascade, indicating that novel treatment strategies are required. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified a number of risk factors in genes expressed in microglia, underscoring their therapeutic potential in neurodegeneration. In this review, we discuss how the recently defined functions of these AD risk genes can be targeted therapeutically to modulate microglial cell state and slow the progression of AD. Antibody-mediated stimulation of the triggering receptor of myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is on the forefront of these candidate therapeutic approaches based on a combination of compelling human genetics and emerging preclinical data. This and other approaches to modify microglial function are a topic of intensive study and provide an opportunity for innovative AD treatments, which may be applied alone or potentially in combination with classical anti-amyloid therapies.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2020.09.029 | DOI Listing |
Hum Genomics
January 2025
Division of Genome Science, Department of Precision Medicine, Korea National Institute of Health, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28159, Republic of Korea.
Background: Congenital anomalies (CAs) encompass a wide spectrum of structural and functional abnormalities during fetal development, commonly presenting at birth. Identifying the cause of CA is essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Using a target-gene approach, genetic variants could be found in certain CA patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFActa Neuropathol Commun
January 2025
Ophthalmology, Novartis Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Neurodegeneration in glaucoma patients is clinically identified through longitudinal assessment of structure-function changes, including intraocular pressure, cup-to-disc ratios from fundus images, and optical coherence tomography imaging of the retinal nerve fiber layer. Use of human post-mortem ocular tissue for basic research is rising in the glaucoma field, yet there are challenges in assessing disease stage and severity, since tissue donations with informed consent are often unaccompanied by detailed pre-mortem clinical information. Further, the interpretation of disease severity based solely on anatomical and morphological assessments by histology can be affected by differences in death-to-preservation time and tissue processing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Transl Med
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Binzhou Medical University, 346 Guanhai Road, Yantai, 264003, P. R. China.
Immuno-oncology has witnessed remarkable advancements in the past decade, revolutionizing the landscape of cancer therapeutics in an encouraging manner. Among the diverse immunotherapy strategies, mRNA vaccines have ushered in a new era for the therapeutic management of malignant diseases, primarily due to their impressive impact on the COVID-19 pandemic. In this comprehensive review, we offer a systematic overview of mRNA vaccines, focusing on the optimization of structural design, the crucial role of delivery materials, and the administration route.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Gastrointest Cancer
January 2025
Department of Medical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with limited therapeutic options and poor prognosis. Recent advances in targeted therapies have opened new avenues for intervention in PDAC, focusing on key genetic and molecular pathways that drive tumor progression.
Methods: In this review, we provide an overview on advances in novel targeted therapies in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Mol Syst Biol
January 2025
Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
With current treatments addressing only a fraction of pathogens and new viral threats constantly evolving, there is a critical need to expand our existing therapeutic arsenal. To speed the rate of discovery and better prepare against future threats, we establish a high-throughput platform capable of screening compounds against 40 diverse viral proteases simultaneously. This multiplex approach is enabled by using cellular biosensors of viral protease activity combined with DNA-barcoding technology, as well as several design innovations that increase assay sensitivity and correct for plate-to-plate variation.
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