A resource of targeted mutant mouse lines for 5,061 genes.

The International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium reports the generation of new mouse mutant strains for over 5,000 genes, including 2,850 novel null, 2,987 novel conditional- ready, and 4,433 novel reporter alleles.

A novel investigation method for axonal damage in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: In vivo corneal confocal microscopy.

Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is an inflammatory autoimmune disorder that damages optic nerves, brainstem, and spinal cord. In vivo corneal confocal microscopy (IVCM) is a noninvasive technique that provides corneal images with dendritic cells (DCs) and corneal subbasal nerve plexus (SBP), which arises from the trigeminal nerve.

Objective: We investigated corneal SBP changes in NMOSD and proposed IVCM as a potential new disease severity biomarker for NMOSD.

Maternal Angiotensin Increases Placental Leptin in Early Gestation via an Alternative Renin-Angiotensin System Pathway: Suggesting a Link to Preeclampsia.

[Figure: see text].

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 14: refining clinicogenetic diagnosis in a rare adult-onset disorder.

Objectives: Genetic variant classification is a challenge in rare adult-onset disorders as in SCA-PRKCG (prior spinocerebellar ataxia type 14) with mostly private conventional mutations and nonspecific phenotype. We here propose a refined approach for clinicogenetic diagnosis by including protein modeling and provide for confirmed SCA-PRKCG a comprehensive phenotype description from a German multi-center cohort, including standardized 3D MR imaging.

Methods: This cross-sectional study prospectively obtained neurological, neuropsychological, and brain imaging data in 33 PRKCG variant carriers.

Lateral geniculate nucleus volume changes after optic neuritis in neuromyelitis optica: A longitudinal study.

Objectives: Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) volume is reduced after optic neuritis (ON) in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD). We aimed at a longitudinal assessment of LGN volume in NMOSD.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients with aquaporin 4-IgG seropositive NMOSD (age: 47.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Multiple Sclerosis at 7.0 Tesla.

The overall goal of this article is to demonstrate a state-of-the-art ultrahigh field (UHF) magnetic resonance (MR) protocol of the brain at 7.0 Tesla in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. MS is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating, neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by white and gray matter lesions.

COVID-19: a simple statistical model for predicting intensive care unit load in exponential phases of the disease.

One major bottleneck in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the limited number of critical care beds. Due to the dynamic development of infections and the time lag between when patients are infected and when a proportion of them enters an intensive care unit (ICU), the need for future intensive care can easily be underestimated. To infer future ICU load from reported infections, we suggest a simple statistical model that (1) accounts for time lags and (2) allows for making predictions depending on different future growth of infections.

The traveling heads 2.0: Multicenter reproducibility of quantitative imaging methods at 7 Tesla.

Object: This study evaluates inter-site and intra-site reproducibility at ten different 7 T sites for quantitative brain imaging.

Material And Methods: Two subjects - termed the "traveling heads" - were imaged at ten different 7 T sites with a harmonized quantitative brain MR imaging protocol. In conjunction with the system calibration, MP2RAGE, QSM, CEST and multi-parametric mapping/relaxometry were examined.

Effect of nabiximols on Goal Attainment Scale scores in patients with treatment-resistant multiple sclerosis spasticity.

Nabiximols oromucosal spray (Sativex) is an approved add-on treatment option for moderate-to-severe treatment-resistant multiple sclerosis (MS) spasticity. This prospective, observational, noninterventional, 3-month follow-up pilot study assessed the evolution of patient-selected goal attainment scale (GAS) item scores and of MS spasticity and associated symptoms during nabiximols treatment. In the full analysis set (n = 21), the mean (SD) overall unweighted GAS score increased from 32.

Allosteric coupling and biased agonism in G protein-coupled receptors.

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are essential cell membrane signaling molecules and represent the most important class of drug targets. Some signaling pathways downstream of a GPCR may be responsible for drug adverse effects, while others mediate therapeutic efficacy. Biased ligands preferentially activate only a subset of all GPCR signaling pathways.

Cardiomyocyte Injury Following Acute Ischemic Stroke: Protocol for a Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Background: Elevated cardiac troponin, which indicates cardiomyocyte injury, is common after acute ischemic stroke and is associated with poor functional outcome. Myocardial injury is part of a broad spectrum of cardiac complications that may occur after acute ischemic stroke. Previous studies have shown that in most patients, the underlying mechanism of stroke-associated myocardial injury may not be a concomitant acute coronary syndrome.

Ophthalmic Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Where Are We (Heading To)?

Magnetic resonance imaging of the eye and orbit (MReye) is a cross-domain research field, combining (bio)physics, (bio)engineering, physiology, data sciences and ophthalmology. A growing number of reports document technical innovations of MReye and promote their application in preclinical research and clinical science. Realizing the progress and promises, this review outlines current trends in MReye.

Mitigated viral myocarditis in A/J mice by the immunoproteasome inhibitor ONX 0914 depends on inhibition of systemic inflammatory responses in CoxsackievirusB3 infection.

A preclinical model of troponin I-induced myocarditis (AM) revealed a prominent role of the immunoproteasome (ip), the main immune cell-resident proteasome isoform, in heart-directed autoimmunity. Viral infection of the heart is a known trigger of cardiac autoimmunity, with the ip enhancing systemic inflammatory responses after infection with a cardiotropic coxsackievirusB3 (CV). Here, we used ip-deficient A/J-LMP7 mice to investigate the role of ip-mediated effects on adaptive immunity in CV-triggered myocarditis and found no alteration of the inflammatory heart tissue damage or cardiac function in comparison to wild-type controls.

Preparation of Ex Vivo Rodent Phantoms for Developing, Testing, and Training MR Imaging of the Kidney and Other Organs.

Here we describe a simple and inexpensive protocol for preparing ex vivo rodent phantoms for use in MR imaging studies. The experimental animals are perfused and fixed with formaldehyde, and then wrapped with gauze and sealed with liquid latex. This yields a phantom that preserves all organs in situ, and which avoids the need to keep fixed animals and organs in containers that have dimensions very different from living animals.

Rbm10 facilitates heterochromatin assembly via the Clr6 HDAC complex.

Splicing factors have recently been shown to be involved in heterochromatin formation, but their role in controlling heterochromatin structure and function remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified a fission yeast homologue of human splicing factor RBM10, which has been linked to TARP syndrome. Overexpression of Rbm10 in fission yeast leads to strong global intron retention.

Development of SARA , a New Video-Based Tool for the Assessment of Ataxia at Home.

Background: Clinical scales such as the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) cannot be used to study ataxia at home or to assess daily fluctuations. The objective of the current study was to develop a video-based instrument, SARA , for measuring ataxia severity easily and independently at home.

Methods: Based on feasibility of self-application, we selected 5 SARA items (gait, stance, speech, nose-finger test, fast alternating hand movements) for SARA (range, 0-28).

Pain, depression, and quality of life in adults with MOG-antibody-associated disease.

Background And Purpose: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-antibody-associated disease (MOGAD) is an inflammatory autoimmune condition of the central nervous system. However, data on pain and depression have remained scarce. The aim of this study was to assess features of chronic pain and depression as well as their impact on health-related quality of life (hr-QoL) in MOGAD.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor increases matrix metallopeptidase 9 and 14 expression in microglia and promotes microglia-mediated glioma progression.

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is released by glioma cells and promotes tumor growth. We have previously found that GDNF released from the tumor cells is a chemoattractant for microglial cells, the immune cells of the central nervous system. Here we show that GDNF increases matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 and MMP14 expression in cultured microglial cells from mixed sexes of neonatal mice.

Transdiagnostic hippocampal damage patterns in neuroimmunological disorders.

Hippocampal damage and associated cognitive deficits are frequently observed in neuroimmunological disorders, but comparative analyses to identify shared hippocampal damage patterns are missing. Here, we adopted a transdiagnostic analytical approach and investigated hippocampal shape deformations and associated cognitive deficits in four neuroimmunological diseases. We studied 120 patients (n = 30 in each group), including patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), anti-NMDAR and anti-LGI1 encephalitis.

Artificially produced gametes in mice, humans and other species.

The production of gametes from pluripotent stem cells in culture, also known as invitro gametogenesis, will make an important contribution to reproductive biology and regenerative medicine, both as a unique tool for understanding germ cell development and as an alternative source of gametes for reproduction. Invitro gametogenesis was developed using mouse pluripotent stem cells but is increasingly being applied in other mammalian species, including humans. In principle, the entire process of germ cell development is nearly reconstitutable in culture using mouse pluripotent stem cells, although the fidelity of differentiation processes and the quality of resultant gametes remain to be refined.