Pam McClean on Modeling Sporadic PD in a Dish?

COMMENT I think this paper adds to the increasing literature on the consequences of extracellular α-synuclein and its role in PD pathogenesis. It represents an important validation of several recent studies showing that α-synuclein can be taken up by neurons from

Pam McClean

Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Charlestown, United States

Sanjay Pimplikar on In vivo olfactory model of APP-induced neurodegeneration reveals a reversible cell-autonomous function.

COMMENT In my view, the importance of this study lies in the finding that APP-induced neurodegeneration is cell autonomous. This study makes clever use of cell-specific promoters to show that only the APP-overexpressing cells undergo apoptosis while the neighbori

Chris Carter on Human apoE isoforms differentially regulate brain amyloid-β peptide clearance.

COMMENT ApoE doesn't just clear amyloid or carry cholesterol. A paper from Weintraub et al., 1987, showed that it is involved in dietary fat clearance, with very interesting differences between isoforms in the carriage of retinyl palmitate, a vitamin A precu

PAPER Weintraub MS, Eisenberg S, Breslow JL

Dietary fat clearance in normal subjects is regulated by genetic variation in apolipoprotein E.

J Clin Invest. 1987 Dec;80(6):1571-7. PubMed: 3479440

PAPER Yrjänheikki J, Tikka T, Keinänen R, Goldsteins G, Chan PH, Koistinaho J

A tetracycline derivative, minocycline, reduces inflammation and protects against focal cerebral ischemia with a wide therapeutic window.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1999 Nov 9;96(23):13496-500. PubMed: 10557349

PAPER Wang F, Wu H, Xu S, Guo X, Yang J, Shen X

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor activates cyclooxygenase 2-prostaglandin E(2) in cultured spinal microglia.

Neurosci Res. 2011 Nov;71(3):210-8. PubMed: 21802455

PAPER Papadeas ST, Kraig SE, O'Banion C, Lepore AC, Maragakis NJ

Astrocytes carrying the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1G93A) mutation induce wild-type motor neuron degeneration in vivo.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Oct 25;108(43):17803-8. PubMed: 21969586

PAPER Rao MS, Mayer-Proschel M

Glial-restricted precursors are derived from multipotent neuroepithelial stem cells.

Dev Biol. 1997 Aug 1;188(1):48-63. PubMed: 9245511

Jenny Hunter

Stephen Graham

Forest Research Institute
Jersey City, United States

PAPER Tycko DH, Anbalagan S, Liu HC, Ornstein L

Automatic leukocyte classification using cytochemically stained smears.

J Histochem Cytochem. 1976 Jan;24(1):178-94. PubMed: 56388

Believe It: Astrocytes Kill Neurons in New ALS Model

RESEARCH NEWS 2011-10-10 Research News Bad neighbors are usually a mere annoyance, but in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, they kill. According to a recent study, astrocytes, which are supposed to nurture neurons, turn deadly when they express the disease-linked mutant enzyme super

Modeling Sporadic PD in a Dish?

RESEARCH NEWS 2011-10-10 Research News A major challenge of studying diseases marked by intracellular protein aggregates is getting those pesky clumps to form in the lab under anything resembling realistic circumstances. A study in the October 6 issue of Neuron takes Parkinson’s

Australia Report: Aβ Toxicity, ApoE

CONFERENCE COVERAGE 2011-10-10 Conference Coverage Despite intensive study, and with some frustration, the question of how Aβ is toxic to the cell in Alzheimer’s disease remains unsolved. The group suggested several areas of focus. First, the range of Aβ species found in human brain ha