795 results match your criteria: "Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology[Affiliation]"

Stem Cell Therapies and Ageing: Unlocking the Potential of Regenerative Medicine.

Subcell Biochem

December 2024

Group for Regeneration and Reprogramming, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.

A multifaceted biological process of ageing culminates in the gradual decline of tissue and organ functions, escalating vulnerability to age-related diseases. Stem cell therapies, standing at the frontier of regenerative medicine, hold the potential to mitigate the challenges induced by ageing. By harnessing the unique regenerative capabilities of stem cells, these therapies aim to renew and heal ageing or damaged cells and tissues, thereby bolstering their function.

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Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) sustain and modulate spermatogenesis through intricate signaling pathways and transcription factors. Promyelocytic leukemia zinc-finger (, also known as ) has been identified as a critical transcription factor influencing various signaling and differentiation pathways. plays a pivotal role in regulating the differentiation properties of SSCs and is essential for the proper maintenance of spermatogenesis.

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Protective effect of interferon type I on barrier function of human airway epithelium during rhinovirus infections in vitro.

Sci Rep

December 2024

Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Medical Clinic 1, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

The airway epithelium provides a crucial barrier against infection with respiratory pathogens. This barrier can be impaired following viral infection, paving the way for bacterial superinfections. Type I interferons (IFNs) are important antiviral mediators, and inhaled formulations of these glycoproteins are considered a potential approach for the treatment of respiratory viral infections.

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Characterizing and targeting glioblastoma neuron-tumor networks with retrograde tracing.

Cell

December 2024

Neurology Clinic and National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Clinical Cooperation Unit Neurooncology, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address:

Glioblastomas are invasive brain tumors with high therapeutic resistance. Neuron-to-glioma synapses have been shown to promote glioblastoma progression. However, a characterization of tumor-connected neurons has been hampered by a lack of technologies.

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Background: Despite great advances in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) therapy over the last decades, one third of treated patients continue to lose vision. While resident vitreous macrophages called hyalocytes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of vitreoretinal proliferative disease previously, little is known about their exact role in PDR. In this study, we address molecular and cellular alterations in the vitreous of PDR patients as a means towards assessing the potential contribution of hyalocytes to disease pathogenesis.

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Integrating Microarray Data and Single-Cell RNA-Seq Reveals Key Gene Involved in Spermatogonia Stem Cell Aging.

Int J Mol Sci

October 2024

Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.

The in vitro generation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) offers a viable approach for addressing male infertility. A multitude of molecules participate in this intricate process, which requires additional elucidation. Despite the decline in SSCs in aged testes, SSCs are deemed immortal since they can multiply for three years with repeated transplantation.

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Numerous variables that regulate the metabolism of Sertoli cells and sperm have been identified, one of which is sex steroid hormones. These hormones play a vital role in maintaining energy homeostasis, influencing the overall metabolic balance of the human body. The proper functioning of the reproductive system is closely linked to energy status, as the reproductive axis responds to metabolic signals.

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Article Synopsis
  • The FGF, VEGFR-2, and CSF1R signaling pathways are crucial in the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), and inhibiting FGFR with infigratinib showed a 40% prevention of severe symptoms in a mouse model.
  • Fexagratinib, which inhibits multiple kinases, demonstrated significant reductions in inflammation and neurodegeneration, with a 66.7% to 84.6% prevention of severe episodes in mice depending on the dosage used.
  • The study suggests that using a low, well-tolerated dose of fexagratinib in humans could be effective in slowing down MS progression and enhancing remyelination.
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The brain helps us survive by forming internal representations of the external world. Excitatory cortical neurons are often precisely tuned to specific external stimuli. However, inhibitory neurons, such as parvalbumin-positive (PV) interneurons, are generally less selective.

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Axonal Regeneration after Spinal Cord Injury: Molecular Mechanisms, Regulatory Pathways, and Novel Strategies.

Biology (Basel)

September 2024

Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Department of Neuroanatomy, Group for Regeneration and Reprogramming, Medical Faculty, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.

Axonal regeneration in the spinal cord after traumatic injuries presents a challenge for researchers, primarily due to the nature of adult neurons and the inhibitory environment that obstructs neuronal regrowth. Here, we review current knowledge of the intricate network of molecular and cellular mechanisms that hinder axonal regeneration, with a focus on myelin-associated inhibitors (MAIs) and other inhibitory guidance molecules, as well as the pivotal pathways implicated in both inhibiting and facilitating axonal regrowth, such as PKA/AMP, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and Trk, alongside the regulatory roles of neurotrophins and axonal guidance cues. We also examine current insights into gene therapy, tissue engineering, and pharmacological interventions that show promise in overcoming barriers to axonal regrowth.

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Cancer cachexia (CC) continues to challenge clinicians by massively impairing patients' prognosis, mobility, and quality of life through skeletal muscle wasting. CC also includes cardiac cachexia as characterized by atrophy, compromised metabolism, innervation and function of the myocardium through factors awaiting clarification for therapeutic targeting. Because monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) is a myocardial source of HO and implicated in myofibrillar protein catabolism and heart failure, we presently studied myocardial MAO-A expression, inflammatory cells, and capillarization together with transcripts of pro-inflammatory, -angiogenic, -apoptotic, and -proteolytic signals (by qRT-PCR) in a 3x-transgenic (LSL-Kras; LSL-TrP53; Pdx1-Cre) mouse model of orthotopic pancreatic ductal adenoarcinoma (PDAC) compared to wild-type (WT) mice.

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Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by aberrant lung epithelial phenotypes, fibroblast activation, and increased extracellular matrix deposition. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)1-induced Smad signaling and downregulation of peroxisomal genes are involved in the pathogenesis and can be inhibited by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α activation. However, the three PPARs, that is PPAR-α, PPAR-β/δ, and PPAR-γ, are known to interact in a complex crosstalk.

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Article Synopsis
  • Neuropathologic studies indicate tau inclusions appear in the brain more than a decade before amyloid-β deposition in Alzheimer's disease (AD), leading to the suggestion of a "primary age-related tauopathy" (PART) theory.
  • A study involving 325 brains with tau inclusions but without amyloid deposits confirmed that tau was consistently found in certain areas, particularly in the transentorhinal cortex.
  • The results challenge the PART hypothesis, suggesting that the observed cases are actually prodromal Alzheimer's disease rather than a distinct age-related condition.
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Article Synopsis
  • Intravital 2P-microscopy facilitates the study of brain tumor behavior in mouse cortex, previously limited by imaging challenges in deep brain areas.
  • The new Deep3P imaging workflow combines microscopy with artificial intelligence, allowing researchers to visualize glioblastoma infiltrating up to 1.2 mm into the brain.
  • The study reveals that glioblastoma primarily invades through blood vessels in the white matter, and identifies potential imaging biomarkers associated with early tumor colonization.
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Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is linked with metabolic risk factors including body mass index (BMI), fasting blood glucose (FBG), cholesterol levels, and triglycerides (TG). The extent to which these factors affect motor symptoms, depression, and sleep problems in PD, as well as their role in determining the success of deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy, is yet to be fully understood.

Methods: This study delved into the effects of metabolic risk factors like BMI, FBG, cholesterol, and TG on the outcomes of DBS in treating PD-related depression and sleep disturbances, across both mouse models and human subjects.

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Background: Sonic Hedgehog (Shh), extensively researched for its role in early neurogenesis and brain development, has recently been recognized for its neuroprotective potential following neuronal injuries. This study examines the immediate impact of early administered Shh on the local inflammatory response post-acute spinal cord injury in rats.

Methods: Thirty-four female Wistar rats underwent either sham surgery (laminectomy; n = 10) or clip compression/contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) at the T9 level.

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Endothelialized Bronchioalveolar Lung Organoids Model Endothelial Cell Responses to Injury.

Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol

September 2024

Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center, Department of Medicine V (Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases and Infection Control), Cardio-Pulmonary Institute (CPI), Giessen, Hessen, Germany.

Organoid 3D systems are powerful platforms to study development and disease. Recently, the complexity of lung organoid models derived from adult mouse and human stem cells has increased substantially in terms of cellular composition and structural complexity. However, a murine lung organoid system with a clear integrated endothelial compartment is still missing.

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Disorders of gallbladder motility can lead to serious pathology. Bitter tastants acting upon bitter taste receptors (TAS2R family) have been proposed as a novel class of smooth muscle relaxants to combat excessive contraction in the airways and other organs. To explore whether this might also emerge as an option for gallbladder diseases, we here tested bitter tastants for relaxant properties and profiled Tas2r expression in the mouse gallbladder.

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Background: Canonical transient receptor potential channels play a crucial role in cancer cell proliferation. While TRPC6 subtype detection in submandibular glands and the relevance of some TRPC channels in this gland have been shown in animal models, its histological detection in human lacrimal and submandibular glands, as well as related tumors, lacks systematic study. Studying TRPC6 in humans could lead to new therapeutic options.

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Purpose: To evaluate mid- to long-term clinical outcomes after arthroscopic bucket-handle meniscal tear (BHMT) repair and to assess the impact of concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

Methods: A comparative retrospective case series with blinded outcome assessment was conducted. All consecutive patients treated with arthroscopic BHMT repair with or without concurrent ACLR between 2001 and 2021 were eligible for inclusion.

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Vaccine-based immunotherapy and related preclinical models for glioma.

Trends Mol Med

October 2024

Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address:

Glioma, the most common primary malignant tumor in the central nervous system (CNS), lacks effective treatments, and >60% of cases are glioblastoma (GBM), the most aggressive form. Despite advances in immunotherapy, GBM remains highly resistant. Approaches that target tumor antigens expedite the development of immunotherapies, including personalized tumor-specific vaccines, patient-specific target selection, dendritic cell (DC) vaccines, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) and T cell receptor (TCR) T cells.

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