Plasma pTau181 and amyloid markers predict conversion to dementia in idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder.

Blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology have been intensively investigated as markers for AD-related neurodegeneration. Comorbid AD pathology is common in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Accordingly, we hypothesized that plasma biomarkers associated with AD pathology might be useful to predict DLB in a cohort of idiopathic/isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), an incipient synucleinopathy.

Molecular and spatial analysis of tertiary lymphoid structures in Sjogren's syndrome.

Tertiary lymphoid structures play important roles in autoimmune and non-autoimmune conditions. While many of the molecular mechanisms involved in tertiary lymphoid structure formation have been identified, the cellular sources and temporal and spatial relationship remain unknown. Here we use combine single-cell RNA-sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and proteomics of minor salivary glands of patients with Sjogren's disease and Sicca Syndrome, with ex-vivo functional studies to construct a cellular and spatial map of key components involved in the formation and function of tertiary lymphoid structures.

Chemical Probes for Investigating the Endocannabinoid System.

Cannabis sativa has been used therapeutically since early civilizations, with key cannabinoids Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) 3.1 and cannabidiol characterized in the 1960s, leading to the discovery of cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CBR) and type 2 (CBR) and the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the 1990s. The ECS, involving endogenous ligands like 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) 1.

Human respiratory organoids sustained reproducible propagation of human rhinovirus C and elucidation of virus-host interaction.

The lack of a robust system to reproducibly propagate HRV-C, a family of viruses refractory to cultivation in standard cell lines, has substantially hindered our understanding of this common respiratory pathogen. We sought to develop an organoid-based system to reproducibly propagate HRV-C, and characterize virus-host interaction using respiratory organoids. We demonstrate that airway organoids sustain serial virus passage with the aid of CYT387-mediated immunosuppression, whereas nasal organoids that more closely simulate the upper airway achieve this without any intervention.

A high-throughput micro-scale workflow to quantify molecularly dissolved drug concentrations under solubilizing conditions.

Physiological and artificial solubilizing agents usually enhance apparent solubility of poorly soluble drugs, and in many cases also oral drug exposure. However, exposure may decrease in cases where micellization reduces the molecularly dissolved drug fraction, overriding the solubility advantage. While this information is critical to accurately anticipate the effect of drug micellization on oral absorption, the experimental determination of molecularly dissolved drug concentrations is complex and time consuming.

Prognostic Relevance of Relative Ellipsoid Zone Reflectivity for Ellipsoid Zone Loss in Macular Telangiectasia Type 2.

Purpose: The relative ellipsoid zone reflectivity (rEZR) is an innovative biomarker for photoreceptor alterations and showed association with disease staging in macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel). However, its prognostic relevance for the ellipsoid zone (EZ) loss is unclear.

Methods: Longitudinal spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) imaging of patients with MacTel from an observational natural history study was used for en face determination of manifest EZ loss.

Durable lymphocyte subset elimination upon a single dose of AAV-delivered depletion antibody dissects immune control of chronic viral infection.

To interrogate the role of specific immune cells in infection, cancer, and autoimmunity, immunologists commonly use monoclonal depletion antibodies (depletion-mAbs) or genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs). To generate a tool that combines specific advantages and avoids select drawbacks of the two methods, we engineered adeno-associated viral vectors expressing depletion mAbs (depletion-AAVs). Single-dose depletion-AAV administration durably eliminated lymphocyte subsets in mice and avoided accessory deficiencies of GEMMs, such as marginal zone defects in B cell-deficient animals.

snRNA-seq stratifies multiple sclerosis patients into distinct white matter glial responses.

Poor understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of clinical and genetic heterogeneity in progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) has hindered the search for new effective therapies. To address this gap, we analyzed 632,000 single-nucleus RNA sequencing profiles from 156 brain tissue samples of MS and control donors to examine inter- and intra-donor heterogeneity. We found distinct cell type-specific gene expression changes between MS gray and white matter, highlighting clear pathology differences.

Biologically defined neuronal synuclein disease as a tool to advance drug development.

In a recent Viewpoint article (. 2024;81:789‒90), Okubadejo et al. raised concerns regarding two recent proposals for biological definitions and staging systems for synucleinopathies (the Neuronal Synuclein Disease Integrated Staging System and SynNeurGe system).

Pertactin deficiency of : Insights into epidemiology, and perspectives on surveillance and public health impact.

Pertussis resurgence has been documented even in countries with high pediatric vaccine coverage. The proportion of isolates not expressing pertactin (PRN) has increased in several countries where acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines are used. We systematically reviewed published literature up to July 2023 on PRN-negative isolates in MEDLINE and Embase with no geographical limitations, complemented with a gray literature search.

Tolerability and Preliminary Outcomes of Adjuvant T-DM1 in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer After Neoadjuvant Therapy: The ATD Study.

Background/objectives: HER2-positive breast cancer (HER2BC) is an aggressive subtype, with neoadjuvant treatment (NAT) aiming to achieve a pathological complete response (pCR) to improve long-term outcomes. Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) has been established as the standard of care in the adjuvant setting for HER2BC patients who do not obtain pCR. The ATD study aimed to evaluate the real-world tolerability of T-DM1 in this setting.

Quantitative Oculomotor and Vestibular Profile in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 6 - Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Whereas several studies have reported on quantitative oculomotor and vestibular measurements in spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), selecting the most suitable paradigms remains challenging. We aimed to address this knowledge gap through a systematic literature review and providing disease-specific recommendations for a tailored set of eye-movement recordings in SCA6. A literature search (MEDLINE, Embase) was performed focusing on studies reporting on quantitative oculomotor and/or vestibular measurements in SCA6-patients.

Exploration of (R)-[C]YH168 as a PET tracer for imaging monoacylglycerol lipase in the brain: from mice to non-human primates.

Purpose: The monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) plays a pivotal role in modulating the endocannabinoid system and is considered an attractive therapeutic target for diseases in both the central nervous system and periphery. The current study aimed to develop and evaluate a suitable carbon-11 labeled tracer for imaging MAGL in preclinical studies.

Methods: (R)-YH168 was synthesized via a multi-step pathway and its half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC) values were measured using an enzymatic assay.

scTrends: A living review of commercial single-cell and spatial 'omic technologies.

Understanding the rapidly evolving landscape of single-cell and spatial omic technologies is crucial for advancing biomedical research and drug development. We provide a living review of both mature and emerging commercial platforms, highlighting key methodologies and trends shaping the field. This review spans from foundational single-cell technologies such as microfluidics and plate-based methods to newer approaches like combinatorial indexing; on the spatial side, we consider next-generation sequencing and imaging-based spatial transcriptomics.

International Harmonization of Nomenclature and Diagnostic Criteria (INHAND): Nonproliferative and Proliferative Lesions of Nonrodent Ocular Tissues.

The INHAND (International Harmonization of Nomenclature and Diagnostic Criteria for Lesions) Project (www.toxpath.org/ inhand.

Analyzing IL-2-induced vascular leakage with an irAOP as tool.

Immune-related adverse outcome pathways (irAOPs) are a toxicological tool for the structuring of complex immunological mechanisms. The EU-funded IMI-project imSAVAR analyses the applicability of irAOPs in pre-clinical safety assessment of immunotherapies. Here, we use immunotherapy with interleukin (IL)-2 as a use case to develop an irAOP for IL-2-mediated vascular leakage (VL).

A framework for neural organoids, assembloids and transplantation studies.

As the field of neural organoids and assembloids rapidly expands, there is an emergent need for guidance and advice on designing, conducting and reporting experiments to increase the reproducibility and utility of these models. Here, our consortium- representing specialized laboratories from around the world- presents a framework for the experimental process that ranges from ensuring the quality and integrity of human pluripotent stem cells to characterizing and manipulating neural cells in vitro, and from transplantation techniques to considerations for modeling human development, evolution, and disease. As with all scientific endeavors, we advocate for rigorous experimental designs tailored to explicit scientific questions, and transparent methodologies and data sharing, to provide useful knowledge for both current research practices and for developing regulatory standards.

Disease-modifying treatment and disability progression in subclasses of patients with primary progressive MS: results from the Big MS Data Network.

Background: Effectiveness of disease-modifying treatment (DMT) in people affected by primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) is limited. Whether specific subgroups may benefit more from DMT in a real-world setting remains unclear. Our aim was to investigate the potential effect of DMT on disability worsening among patients with PPMS stratified by different disability trajectories.

Patterned gastrointestinal monolayers with bilateral access as observable models of parasite gut infection.

Organoids for modelling the physiology and pathology of gastrointestinal tissues are constrained by a poorly accessible lumen. Here we report the development and applicability of bilaterally accessible organoid-derived patterned epithelial monolayers that allow the independent manipulation of their apical and basal sides. We constructed gastric, small-intestinal, caecal and colonic epithelial models that faithfully reproduced their respective tissue geometries and that exhibited stem cell regionalization and transcriptional resemblance to in vivo epithelia.