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INVITED REVIEW
Function of microglia and macrophages in secondary damage after spinal cord injury
Xiang Zhou, Xijing He, Yi Ren
15th October 2014, 9(20):1787-1795
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.143423
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating type of neurological trauma with limited therapeutic opportunities. The pathophysiology of SCI involves primary and secondary mechanisms of injury. Among all the secondary injury mechanisms, the inflammatory response is the major contributor and results in expansion of the lesion and further loss of neurologic function. Meanwhile, the inflammation directly and indirectly dominates the outcomes of SCI, including not only pain and motor dysfunction, but also preventingneuronal regeneration. Microglia and macrophages play very important roles in secondary injury. Microglia reside in spinal parenchyma and survey the microenvironment through the signals of injury or infection. Macrophages are derived from monocytes recruited to injured sites from the peripheral circulation. Activated resident microglia and monocyte-derived macrophages induce and magnify immune and inflammatory responses not only by means of their secretory moleculesand phagocytosis, but also through their influence on astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and demyelination. In this review, we focus on the roles of microglia and macrophages in secondary injury and how they contribute to the sequelae of SCI.
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5,783
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REVIEWS
Autophagy: a double-edged sword for neuronal survival after cerebral ischemia
Wenqi Chen, Yinyi Sun, Kangyong Liu, Xiaojiang Sun
15th June 2014, 9(12):1210-1216
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.135329
PMID
:25206784
Evidence suggests that autophagy may be a new therapeutic target for stroke, but whether activation of autophagy increases or decreases the rate of neuronal death is still under debate. This review summarizes the potential role and possible signaling pathway of autophagy in neuronal survival after cerebral ischemia and proposes that autophagy has dual effects.
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INVITED REVIEWS
Curcumin and Apigenin - novel and promising therapeutics against chronic neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease
Madhuri Venigalla, Sandra Sonego, Erika Gyengesi, Gerald Münch
August 2015, 10(8):1181-1185
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.162686
PMID
:26487830
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by deposition of amyloid beta, neurofibrillary tangles, astrogliosis and microgliosis, leading to neuronal dysfunction and loss in the brain. Current treatments for Alzheimer's disease primarily focus on enhancement of cholinergic transmission. However, these treatments are only symptomatic, and no disease-modifying drug is available for Alzheimer's disease patients. This review will provide an overview of the proven antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-amyloidogenic, neuroprotective, and cognition-enhancing effects of curcumin and apigenin and discuss the potential of these compounds for Alzheimer's disease prevention and treatment. We suggest that these compounds might delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease or slow down its progression, and they should enter clinical trials as soon as possible.
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66
6,808
1,356
DISCUSSION
Neuroprotective effects of berry fruits on neurodegenerative diseases
Selvaraju Subash, Musthafa Mohamed Essa, Samir Al-Adawi, Mushtaq A Memon, Thamilarasan Manivasagam, Mohammed Akbar
15th August 2014, 9(16):1557-1566
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.139483
PMID
:25317174
Recent clinical research has demonstrated that berry fruits can prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases and improve motor and cognitive functions. The berry fruits are also capable of modulating signaling pathways involved in inflammation, cell survival, neurotransmission and enhancing neuroplasticity. The neuroprotective effects of berry fruits on neurodegenerative diseases are related to phytochemicals such as anthocyanin, caffeic acid, catechin, quercetin, kaempferol and tannin. In this review, we made an attempt to clearly describe the beneficial effects of various types of berries as promising neuroprotective agents.
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63
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INVITED REVIEWS
Advances in regenerative therapies for spinal cord injury: a biomaterials approach
Magdalini Tsintou, Kyriakos Dalamagkas, Alexander Marcus Seifalian
May 2015, 10(5):726-742
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.156966
PMID
:26109946
Spinal cord injury results in the permanent loss of function, causing enormous personal, social and economic problems. Even though neural regeneration has been proven to be a natural mechanism, central nervous system repair mechanisms are ineffective due to the imbalance of the inhibitory and excitatory factors implicated in neuroregeneration. Therefore, there is growing research interest on discovering a novel therapeutic strategy for effective spinal cord injury repair. To this direction, cell-based delivery strategies, biomolecule delivery strategies as well as scaffold-based therapeutic strategies have been developed with a tendency to seek for the answer to a combinatorial approach of all the above. Here we review the recent advances on regenerative/neural engineering therapies for spinal cord injury, aiming at providing an insight to the most promising repair strategies, in order to facilitate future research conduction.
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62
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The p75 neurotrophin receptor: at the crossroad of neural repair and death
Rick B Meeker, Kimberly S Williams
May 2015, 10(5):721-725
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.156967
PMID
:26109945
The strong repair and pro-survival functions of neurotrophins at their primary receptors, TrkA, TrkB and TrkC, have made them attractive candidates for treatment of nervous system injury and disease. However, difficulties with the clinical implementation of neurotrophin therapies have prompted the search for treatments that are stable, easier to deliver and allow more precise regulation of neurotrophin actions. Recently, the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75
NTR
) has emerged as a potential target for pharmacological control of neurotrophin activity, supported in part by studies demonstrating 1) regulation of neural plasticity in the mature nervous system, 2) promotion of adult neurogenesis and 3) increased expression in neurons, macrophages, microglia, astrocytes and/or Schwann cells in response to injury and neurodegenerative diseases. Although the receptor has no intrinsic catalytic activity it interacts with and modulates the function of TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC, as well as sortilin and the Nogo receptor. This provides substantial cellular and molecular diversity for regulation of neuron survival, neurogenesis, immune responses and processes that support neural function. Upregulation of the p75
NTR
under pathological conditions places the receptor in a key position to control numerous processes necessary for nervous system recovery. Support for this possibility has come from recent studies showing that small, non-peptide p75
NTR
ligands can selectively modify pro-survival and repair functions. While a great deal remains to be discovered about the wide ranging functions of the p75
NTR
, studies summarized in this review highlight the immense potential for development of novel neuroprotective and neurorestorative therapies.
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Emerging potential of exosomes for treatment of traumatic brain injury
Ye Xiong, Asim Mahmood, Michael Chopp
January 2017, 12(1):19-22
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.198966
PMID
:28250732
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major causes of death and disability worldwide. No effective treatment has been identified from clinical trials. Compelling evidence exists that treatment with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) exerts a substantial therapeutic effect after experimental brain injury. In addition to their soluble factors, therapeutic effects of MSCs may be attributed to their generation and release of exosomes. Exosomes are endosomal origin small-membrane nano-sized vesicles generated by almost all cell types. Exosomes play a pivotal role in intercellular communication. Intravenous delivery of MSC-derived exosomes improves functional recovery and promotes neuroplasticity in rats after TBI. Therapeutic effects of exosomes derive from the exosome content, especially microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are small non-coding regulatory RNAs and play an important role in posttranscriptional regulation of genes. Compared with their parent cells, exosomes are more stable and can cross the blood-brain barrier. They have reduced the safety risks inherent in administering viable cells such as the risk of occlusion in microvasculature or unregulated growth of transplanted cells. Developing a cell-free exosome-based therapy may open up a novel approach to enhancing multifaceted aspects of neuroplasticity and to amplifying neurological recovery, potentially for a variety of neural injuries and neurodegenerative diseases. This review discusses the most recent knowledge of exosome therapies for TBI, their associated challenges and opportunities.
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Neurotrophic factors in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases: implications for pathogenesis and therapy
Tuane Bazanella Sampaio, Anne Suely Savall, Maria Eduarda Ziani Gutierrez, Simone Pinton
April 2017, 12(4):549-557
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.205084
PMID
:28553325
Neurotrophic factors comprise essential secreted proteins that have several functions in neural and non-neural tissues, mediating the development, survival and maintenance of peripheral and central nervous system. Therefore, neurotrophic factor issue has been extensively investigated into the context of neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease show changes in the regulation of specific neurotrophic factors and their receptors, which appear to be critical for neuronal degeneration. Indeed, neurotrophic factors prevent cell death in degenerative processes and can enhance the growth and function of affected neurons in these disorders. Based on recent reports, this review discusses the main findings related to the neurotrophic factor support – mainly brain-derived neurotrophic factor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor – in the survival, proliferation and maturation of affected neurons in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease as well as their putative application as new therapeutic approach for these diseases management.
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Neuroinflammation and comorbidities are frequently ignored factors in CNS pathology
Raluca Elena Sandu, Ana Maria Buga, Adriana Uzoni, Eugen Bogdan Petcu, Aurel Popa-Wagner
September 2015, 10(9):1349-1355
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.165208
PMID
:26604877
Virtually all drug interventions that have been successful pre-clinically in experimental stroke have failed to prove their efficacy in a clinical setting. This could be partly explained by the complexity and heterogeneity of human diseases as well as the associated co-morbidities which may render neuroprotective drugs less efficacious in clinical practice. One aspect of crucial importance in the physiopathology of stroke which is not completely understood is neuroinflammation. At the present time, it is becoming evident that subtle, but continuous neuroinflammation can provide the ground for disorders such as cerebral small vessel disease. Moreover, advanced aging and a number of highly prevalent risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis could act as "silent contributors" promoting a chronic proinflammatory state. This could aggravate the outcome of various pathological entities and can contribute to a number of subsequent post-stroke complications such as dementia, depression and neurodegeneration creating a pathological vicious cycle. Moreover, recent data suggests that the inflammatory process might be closely linked with multiple neurodegenerative pathways related to depression. In addition, pro-inflammatory cytokines could play a central role in the pathophysiology of both depression and dementia.
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RESEARCH AND REPORTS
Factors predicting sensory and motor recovery after the repair of upper limb peripheral nerve injuries
Bo He, Zhaowei Zhu, Qingtang Zhu, Xiang Zhou, Canbin Zheng, Pengliang Li, Shuang Zhu, Xiaolin Liu, Jiakai Zhu
15th March 2014, 9(6):661-672
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.130094
PMID
:25206870
Objective:
To investigate the factors associated with sensory and motor recovery after the repair of upper limb peripheral nerve injuries.
Data Sources:
The online PubMed database was searched for English articles describing outcomes after the repair of median, ulnar, radial, and digital nerve injuries in humans with a publication date between 1 January 1990 and 16 February 2011.
Study Selection:
The following types of article were selected: (1) clinical trials describing the repair of median, ulnar, radial, and digital nerve injuries published in English; and (2) studies that reported sufficient patient information, including age, mechanism of injury, nerve injured, injury location, defect length, repair time, repair method, and repair materials. SPSS 13.0 software was used to perform univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and to investigate the patient and intervention factors associated with outcomes.
Main Outcome Measures:
Sensory function was assessed using the Mackinnon-Dellon scale and motor function was assessed using the manual muscle test. Satisfactory motor recovery was defined as grade M4 or M5, and satisfactory sensory recovery was defined as grade S3
+
or S4.
Results:
Seventy-one articles were included in this study. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that repair time, repair materials, and nerve injured were independent predictors of outcome after the repair of nerve injuries (
P
< 0.05), and that the nerve injured was the main factor affecting the rate of good to excellent recovery.
Conclusion:
Predictors of outcome after the repair of peripheral nerve injuries include age, gender, repair time, repair materials, nerve injured, defect length, and duration of follow-up.
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REVIEW
Use of curcumin in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease
Min Chen, Zhi-Yun Du, Xi Zheng, Dong-Li Li, Ren-Ping Zhou, Kun Zhang
April 2018, 13(4):742-752
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.230303
PMID
:29722330
This review summarizes and describes the use of curcumin in diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. For diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-β and highly phosphorylated tau protein are the major biomarkers. Curcumin was developed as an early diagnostic probe based on its natural fluorescence and high binding affinity to amyloid-β. Because of its multi-target effects, curcumin has protective and preventive effects on many chronic diseases such as cerebrovascular disease, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. For prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, curcumin has been shown to effectively maintain the normal structure and function of cerebral vessels, mitochondria, and synapses, reduce risk factors for a variety of chronic diseases, and decrease the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The effect of curcumin on Alzheimer's disease involves multiple signaling pathways: anti-amyloid and metal iron chelating properties, antioxidation and anti-inflammatory activities. Indeed, there is a scientific basis for the rational application of curcumin in prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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REVIEWS
Polyphenols-gut microbiota interplay and brain neuromodulation
Stefania Filosa, Francesco Di Meo, Stefania Crispi
December 2018, 13(12):2055-2059
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.241429
PMID
:30323120
Increasing evidence suggests that food ingested polyphenols can have beneficial effects in neuronal protection acting against oxidative stress and inflammatory injury. Moreover, polyphenols have been reported to promote cognitive functions. Biotransformation of polyphenols is needed to obtain metabolites active in brain and it occurs through their processing by gut microbiota. Polyphenols metabolites could directly act as neurotransmitters crossing the blood-brain barrier or indirectly by modulating the cerebrovascular system. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is considered a neuroendocrine system that acts bidirectionally and plays an important role in stress responses. The metabolites produced by microbiota metabolism can modulate gut bacterial composition and brain biochemistry acting as neurotransmitters in the central nervous system. Gut microbiota composition can be influenced by dietary ingestion of natural bioactive molecules such as probiotics, prebiotics and polyphenol. Microbiota composition can be altered by dietary changes and gastrointestinal dysfunctions are observed in neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, several pieces of evidence support the idea that alterations in gut microbiota and enteric neuroimmune system could contribute to onset and progression of these age-related disorders. The impact of polyphenols on microbiota composition strengthens the idea that maintaining a healthy microbiome by modulating diet is essential for having a healthy brain across the lifespan. Moreover, it is emerging that they could be used as novel therapeutics to prevent brain from neurodegeneration.
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INVITED REVIEWS
Therapeutic potential of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a small molecular mimics of BDNF for traumatic brain injury
Mary Wurzelmann, Jennifer Romeika, Dong Sun
January 2017, 12(1):7-12
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.198964
PMID
:28250730
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health problem worldwide. Following primary mechanical insults, a cascade of secondary injuries often leads to further neural tissue loss. Thus far there is no cure to rescue the damaged neural tissue. Current therapeutic strategies primarily target the secondary injuries focusing on neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. The neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has significant effect in both aspects, promoting neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. Recently, the flavonoid 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a small TrkB agonist that mimics BDNF function, has shown similar effects as BDNF in promoting neuronal survival and regeneration following TBI. Compared to BDNF, 7,8-DHF has a longer half-life and much smaller molecular size, capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier, which makes it possible for non-invasive clinical application. In this review, we summarize functions of the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway and studies examining the potential of BDNF and 7,8-DHF as a therapy for TBI.
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ARTICLES
Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation promotes adult neurogenesis in the brains of Alzheimer's disease mice
Yufang Yan, Tuo Ma, Kai Gong, Qiang Ao, Xiufang Zhang, Yandao Gong
15th April 2014, 9(8):798-805
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.131596
PMID
:25206892
In the present study, we transplanted adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells into the hippocampi of APP/PS1 transgenic Alzheimer's disease model mice. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that the number of newly generated (BrdU
+
) cells in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus was significantly higher in Alzheimer's disease mice after adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, and there was also a significant increase in the number of BrdU
+
/DCX
+
neuroblasts in these animals. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation enhanced neurogenic activity in the subventricular zone as well. Furthermore, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation reduced oxidative stress and alleviated cognitive impairment in the mice. Based on these findings, we propose that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation enhances endogenous neurogenesis in both the subgranular and subventricular zones in APP/PS1 transgenic Alzheimer's disease mice, thereby facilitating functional recovery.
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INVITED REVIEW
Dynamic reactive astrocytes after focal ischemia
Shinghua Ding
1st December 2014, 9(23):2048-2052
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.147929
PMID
:25657720
Astrocytes are specialized and most numerous glial cell type in the central nervous system and play important roles in physiology. Astrocytes are also critically involved in many neural disorders including focal ischemic stroke, a leading cause of brain injury and human death. One of the prominent pathological features of focal ischemic stroke is reactive astrogliosis and glial scar formation associated with morphological changes and proliferation. This review paper discusses the recent advances in spatial and temporal dynamics of morphology and proliferation of reactive astrocytes after ischemic stroke based on results from experimental animal studies. As reactive astrocytes exhibit stem cell-like properties, knowledge of dynamics of reactive astrocytes and glial scar formation will provide important insights for astrocyte-based cell therapy in stroke.
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INVITED REVIEWS
Cerebral ischemia and neuroregeneration
Reggie H. C. Lee, Michelle H. H. Lee, Celeste Y. C. Wu, Alexandre Couto e Silva, Harlee E Possoit, Tsung-Han Hsieh, Alireza Minagar, Hung Wen Lin
March 2018, 13(3):373-385
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.228711
PMID
:29623912
Cerebral ischemia is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although stroke (a form of cerebral ischemia)-related costs are expected to reach 240.67 billion dollars by 2030, options for treatment against cerebral ischemia/stroke are limited. All therapies except anti-thrombolytics (
i.e
., tissue plasminogen activator) and hypothermia have failed to reduce neuronal injury, neurological deficits, and mortality rates following cerebral ischemia, which suggests that development of novel therapies against stroke/cerebral ischemia are urgently needed. Here, we discuss the possible mechanism(s) underlying cerebral ischemia-induced brain injury, as well as current and future novel therapies (
i.e
., growth factors, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, melatonin, resveratrol, protein kinase C isozymes, pifithrin, hypothermia, fatty acids, sympathoplegic drugs, and stem cells) as it relates to cerebral ischemia.
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43
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1,119
RESEARCH ARTICLES: BRAIN INJURY REPAIR AND NEURAL REGENERATION
Human neural stem cells promote proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells and enhance angiogenesis in ischemic rat brain
Sun Ryu, Seung-Hoon Lee, Seung U Kim, Byung-Woo Yoon
February 2016, 11(2):298-304
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.177739
PMID
:27073384
Transplantation of human neural stem cells into the dentate gyrus or ventricle of rodents has been reportedly to enhance neurogenesis. In this study, we examined endogenous stem cell proliferation and angiogenesis in the ischemic rat brain after the transplantation of human neural stem cells. Focal cerebral ischemia in the rat brain was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion. Human neural stem cells were transplanted into the subventricular zone. The behavioral performance of human neural stem cells-treated ischemic rats was significantly improved and cerebral infarct volumes were reduced compared to those in untreated animals. Numerous transplanted human neural stem cells were alive and preferentially localized to the ipsilateral ischemic hemisphere. Furthermore, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine-labeled endogenous neural stem cells were observed in the subventricular zone and hippocampus, where they differentiated into cells immunoreactive for the neural markers doublecortin, neuronal nuclear antigen NeuN, and astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein in human neural stem cells-treated rats, but not in the untreated ischemic animals. The number of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine-positive ⁄ anti-von Willebrand factor-positive proliferating endothelial cells was higher in the ischemic boundary zone of human neural stem cells-treated rats than in controls. Finally, transplantation of human neural stem cells in the brains of rats with focal cerebral ischemia promoted the proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells and their differentiation into mature neural-like cells, and enhanced angiogenesis. This study provides valuable insights into the effect of human neural stem cell transplantation on focal cerebral ischemia, which can be applied to the development of an effective therapy for stroke.
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518
REVIEWS
The role of Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis: from molecular pathophysiology to
in vivo
imaging
Yi Guan, Dejan Jakimovski, Murali Ramanathan, Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, Robert Zivadinov
March 2019, 14(3):373-386
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.245462
PMID
:30539801
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by inflammation, demyelination, and neuronal damage. Environmental and genetic factors are associated with the risk of developing MS, but the exact cause still remains unidentified. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), vitamin D, and smoking are among the most well-established environmental risk factors in MS. Infectious mononucleosis, which is caused by delayed primary EBV infection, increases the risk of developing MS. EBV may also contribute to MS pathogenesis indirectly by activating silent human endogenous retrovirus-W. The emerging B-cell depleting therapies, particularly anti-CD20 agents such as rituximab, ocrelizumab, as well as the fully human ofatumumab, have shown promising clinical and magnetic resonance imaging benefit. One potential effect of these therapies is the depletion of memory B-cells, the primary reservoir site where EBV latency occurs. In addition, EBV potentially interacts with both genetic and other environmental factors to increase susceptibility and disease severity of MS. This review examines the role of EBV in MS pathophysiology and summarizes the recent clinical and radiological findings, with a focus on B-cells and
in vivo
imaging. Addressing the potential link between EBV and MS allows the better understanding of MS pathogenesis and helps to identify additional disease biomarkers that may be responsive to B-cell depleting intervention.
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42
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EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE
Critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy: a systematic review
Chunkui Zhou, Limin Wu, Fengming Ni, Wei Ji, Jiang Wu, Hongliang Zhang
1st January 2014, 9(1):101-110
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.125337
PMID
:25206749
Critical illness polyneuropathy and critical illness myopathy are frequent complications of severe illness that involve sensorimotor axons and skeletal muscles, respectively. Clinically, they manifest as limb and respiratory muscle weakness. Critical illness polyneuropathy/myopathy in isolation or combination increases intensive care unit morbidity
via
the inability or difficulty in weaning these patients off mechanical ventilation. Many patients continue to suffer from decreased exercise capacity and compromised quality of life for months to years after the acute event. Substantial progress has been made lately in the understanding of the pathophysiology of critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy. Clinical and ancillary test results should be carefully interpreted to differentiate critical illness polyneuropathy/myopathy from similar weaknesses in this patient population. The present review is aimed at providing the latest knowledge concerning the pathophysiology of critical illness polyneuropathy/myopathy along with relevant clinical, diagnostic, differentiating, and treatment information for this debilitating neurological disease.
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INVITED REVIEWS
Structural and functional reorganization of propriospinal connections promotes functional recovery after spinal cord injury
Linard Filli, Martin E Schwab
April 2015, 10(4):509-513
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.155425
PMID
:26170799
Axonal regeneration and fiber regrowth is limited in the adult central nervous system, but research over the last decades has revealed a high intrinsic capacity of brain and spinal cord circuits to adapt and reorganize after smaller injuries or denervation. Short-distance fiber growth and synaptic rewiring was found in cortex, brain stem and spinal cord and could be associated with restoration of sensorimotor functions that were impaired by the injury. Such processes of structural plasticity were initially observed in the corticospinal system following spinal cord injury or stroke, but recent studies showed an equally high potential for structural and functional reorganization in reticulospinal, rubrospinal or propriospinal projections. Here we review the lesion-induced plastic changes in the propriospinal pathways, and we argue that they represent a key mechanism triggering sensorimotor recovery upon incomplete spinal cord injury. The formation or strengthening of spinal detour pathways bypassing supraspinal commands around the lesion site to the denervated spinal cord were identified as prominent neural substrate inducing substantial motor recovery in different species from mice to primates. Indications for the existence of propriospinal bypasses were also found in humans after cortical stroke. It is mandatory for current research to dissect the biological mechanisms underlying spinal circuit remodeling and to investigate how these processes can be stimulated in an optimal way by therapeutic interventions (
e.g
., fiber-growth enhancing interventions, rehabilitation). This knowledge will clear the way for the development of novel strategies targeting the remarkable plastic potential of propriospinal circuits to maximize functional recovery after spinal cord injury.
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RESEARCH ARTICLES: PERIPHERAL NERVE INJURY REPAIR AND NEURAL REGENERATION
Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells promote peripheral nerve repair via paracrine mechanisms
Zhi-yuan Guo, Xun Sun, Xiao-long Xu, Jiang Peng, Yu Wang
April 2015, 10(4):651-658
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.155442
PMID
:26170829
Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) represent a promising young-state stem cell source for cell-based therapy. hUCMSC transplantation into the transected sciatic nerve promotes axonal regeneration and functional recovery. To further clarify the paracrine effects of hUCMSCs on nerve regeneration, we performed human cytokine antibody array analysis, which revealed that hUCMSCs express 14 important neurotrophic factors. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry showed that brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial-derived neurotrophic factor, hepatocyte growth factor, neurotrophin-3, basic fibroblast growth factor, type I collagen, fibronectin and laminin were highly expressed. Treatment with hUCMSC-conditioned medium enhanced Schwann cell viability and proliferation, increased nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in Schwann cells, and enhanced neurite growth from dorsal root ganglion explants. These findings suggest that paracrine action may be a key mechanism underlying the effects of hUCMSCs in peripheral nerve repair.
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638
INVITED REVIEW
Key changes in denervated muscles and their impact on regeneration and reinnervation
Peng Wu, Aditya Chawla, Robert J Spinner, Cong Yu, Michael J Yaszemski, Anthony J Windebank, Huan Wang
15th October 2014, 9(20):1796-1809
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.143424
The neuromuscular junction becomes progressively less receptive to regenerating axons if nerve repair is delayed for a long period of time. It is difficult to ascertain the denervated muscle's residual receptivity by time alone. Other sensitive markers that closely correlate with the extent of denervation should be found. After a denervated muscle develops a fibrillation potential, muscle fiber conduction velocity, muscle fiber diameter, muscle wet weight, and maximal isometric force all decrease; remodeling increases neuromuscular junction fragmentation and plantar area, and expression of myogenesis-related genes is initially up-regulated and then down-regulated. All these changes correlate with both the time course and degree of denervation. The nature and time course of these denervation changes in muscle are reviewed from the literature to explore their roles in assessing both the degree of detrimental changes and the potential success of a nerve repair. Fibrillation potential amplitude, muscle fiber conduction velocity, muscle fiber diameter, mRNA expression levels of myogenic regulatory factors and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor could all reflect the severity and length of denervation and the receptiveness of denervated muscle to regenerating axons, which could possibly offer an important clue for surgical choices and predict the outcomes of delayed nerve repair.
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RESEARCH ARTICLES: BRAIN INJURY REPAIR AND NEURAL REGENERATION
Necrostatin-1 protection of dopaminergic neurons
Jing-ru Wu, Jie Wang, Sheng-kui Zhou, Long Yang, Jia-le Yin, Jun-ping Cao, Yan-bo Cheng
July 2015, 10(7):1120-1124
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.160108
PMID
:26330837
Necroptosis is characterized by programmed necrotic cell death and autophagic activation and might be involved in the death process of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease. We hypothesized that necrostatin-1 could block necroptosis and give protection to dopaminergic neurons. There is likely to be crosstalk between necroptosis and other cell death pathways, such as apoptosis and autophagy. PC12 cells were pretreated with necroststin-1 1 hour before exposure to 6-hydroxydopamine. We examined cell viability, mitochondrial membrane potential and expression patterns of apoptotic and necroptotic death signaling proteins. The results showed that the autophagy/lysosomal pathway is involved in the 6-hydroxydopamine-induced death process of PC12 cells. Mitochondrial disability induced overactive autophagy, increased cathepsin B expression, and diminished Bcl-2 expression. Necrostatin-1 within a certain concentration range (5-30 μM) elevated the viability of PC12 cells, stabilized mitochondrial membrane potential, inhibited excessive autophagy, reduced the expression of LC3-II and cathepsin B, and increased Bcl-2 expression. These findings suggest that necrostatin-1 exerted a protective effect against injury on dopaminergic neurons. Necrostatin-1 interacts with the apoptosis signaling pathway during this process. This pathway could be a new neuroprotective and therapeutic target in Parkinson's disease.
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REVIEWS
Multitarget therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer’s disease
Mostafa M. Ibrahim, Moustafa T. Gabr
March 2019, 14(3):437-440
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.245463
PMID
:30539809
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases have multifaceted nature because of the different factors contributing to their progression. The complex nature of neurodegenerative diseases has developed a pressing need to design multitarget-directed ligands to address the complementary pathways involved in these diseases. The major enzyme targets for development of therapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease are cholinesterase and β-secretase enzymes. In this review, we discuss recent advances in profiling single target inhibitors based on these enzymes to multitarget-directed ligands as potential therapeutics for this devastating disease. In addition, therapeutics based on iron chelation strategy are discussed as well.
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INVITED REVIEWS
Toll-like receptor 4 as a possible therapeutic target for delayed brain injuries after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Takeshi Okada, Hidenori Suzuki
February 2017, 12(2):193-196
DOI
:10.4103/1673-5374.200795
PMID
:28400792
Neuroinflammation is a well-recognized consequence of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 may be an important therapeutic target for post-SAH neuroinflammation. Of the TLR family members, TLR4 is expressed in various cell types in the central nervous system, and is unique in that it can signal through both the myeloid differentiation primary-response protein 88-dependent and the toll receptor associated activator of interferon-dependent cascades to coordinate the maximal inflammatory response. TLR4 can be activated by many endogenous ligands having damage-associated molecular patterns including heme and fibrinogen at the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm, and the resultant inflammatory reaction and thereby tissue damages may furthermore activate TLR4. It is widely accepted that the excreted products of TLR4 signaling alter neuronal functions. Previous studies have focused on the pathway through nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling among TLR4 signaling pathways as to the development of early brain injury (EBI) such as neuronal apoptosis and blood-brain barrier disruption, and cerebral vasospasm. However, many findings suggest that both pathways
via
NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases may be involved in EBI and cerebral vasospasm development. To overcome EBI and cerebral vasospasm is important to improve outcomes after SAH, because both EBI and vasopasm are responsible for delayed brain injuries or delayed cerebral ischemia, the most important preventable cause of poor outcomes after SAH. Increasing evidence has shown that TLR4 signaling plays an important role in SAH-induced brain injuries. Better understanding of the roles of TLR4 signaling in SAH will facilitate development of new treatments.
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