Trends in neurosciences
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In a recent study, Yu et al. demonstrated that TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43) causes inflammation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) by triggering mitochondrial (mt)DNA release into the cytoplasm, which subsequently activates the cytoplasmic DNA-sensing cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway. These results suggest that inhibition of cGAS/STING could help mitigate inflammation-related neuropathology in ALS.
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Trends in neurosciences · Jun 2020
ReviewSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the Central Nervous System.
Emerging evidence indicates that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), can cause neurological complications. We provide a brief overview of these recent observations and discuss some of their possible implications. In particular, given the global dimension of the current pandemic, we highlight the need to consider the possible long-term impact of COVID-19, potentially including neurological and neurodegenerative disorders.
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Trends in neurosciences · Oct 2019
CommentMachine Learning and Brain Imaging: Opportunities and Challenges.
Machine learning approaches may provide ways to link brain activation patterns to behavior at an individual-subject level. Using a comparative performance analysis, Jollans and colleagues (Neuroimage, 2019) highlight in a recent paper key considerations when applying machine learning algorithms to neuroimaging data.
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Tissue injury can initiate bidirectional signaling between neurons, glia, and immune cells that creates and amplifies pain. While the ability for neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and cytokines to initiate and maintain pain has been extensively studied, recent work has identified a key role for reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS; nitroxidative species), including superoxide, peroxynitrite, and hydrogen peroxide. In this review we describe how nitroxidative species are generated after tissue injury and the mechanisms by which they enhance neuroexcitability in pain pathways. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic strategies for normalizing nitroxidative signaling, which may also enhance opioid analgesia, to help to alleviate the enormous burden of pathological pain.
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The many interactions between the nervous and the immune systems, which are active in both physiological and pathological states, have recently become more clearly delineated with the discovery of a meningeal lymphatic system capable of carrying fluid, immune cells, and macromolecules from the central nervous system (CNS) to the draining deep cervical lymph nodes. However, the exact localization of the meningeal lymphatic vasculature and the path of drainage from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to the lymphatics remain poorly understood. Here, we discuss the potential differences between peripheral and CNS lymphatic vessels and examine the purported mechanisms of CNS lymphatic drainage, along with how these may fit into established patterns of CSF flow.