Plcg2M28L Interacts With High Fat/High Sugar Diet to Accelerate Alzheimer\u27s Disease-Relevant Phenotypes in Mice.

Obesity is recognized as a significant risk factor for Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD). Studies have supported the notion that obesity accelerates AD-related pathophysiology in mouse models of AD. The majority of studies, to date, have focused on the use of early-onset AD models. Here, we evaluate the impact of genetic risk factors on late-onset AD (LOAD) in mice fed with a high fat/high sugar diet (HFD). We focused on three mouse models created through the IU/JAX/PITT MODEL-AD Center. These included a combined risk model wit

Guidelines for Biobanking of Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue and Related Cell Types: Report of the Biobanking Working Group of the International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society

Over the last two decades, increased interest of scientists to study bone marrow adiposity (BMA) in relation to bone and adipose tissue physiology has expanded the number of publications using different sources of bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT). However, each source of BMAT has its limitations in the number of downstream analyses for which it can be used. Based on this increased scientific demand, the International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society (BMAS) established a Biobanking Working Group to identify the challenges of biobanking for human BMA-related samples and to develop guidelines to advance establishment of biobanks for BMA research. BMA is a young, growing field with increased interest among many diverse scientific communities. These bring new perspectives and important biological questions on how to improve and build an international community with biobank databases that can be used and shared all over the world. However, to create internationally accessible biobanks, several practical and legislative issues must be addressed to create a general ethical protocol used in all institutes, to allow for exchange of biological material internationally. In this position paper, the BMAS Biobanking Working Group describes similarities and differences of patient information (PIF) and consent forms from different institutes and addresses a possibility to create uniform documents for BMA biobanking purposes. Further, based on discussion among Working Group members, we report an overview of the current isolation protocols for human bone marrow adipocytes (BMAds) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs, formerly mesenchymal), highlighting the specific points crucial for effective isolation. Although we remain far from a unified BMAd isolation protocol and PIF, we have summarized all of these important aspects, which are needed to build a BMA biobank. In conclusion, we believe that harmonizing isolation protocols and PIF globally will help to build international collaborations and improve the quality and interpretation of BMA research outcomes

Multi-disciplinary efforts to evaluate the therapeutic potential of CDK11, a novel transcription associated cyclin dependent kinase.

View full abstracthttps://openworks.mdanderson.org/leading-edge/1043/thumbnail.jp

Transcriptome Profiling of Citrus Fruit Response to Huanglongbing Disease

Huanglongbing (HLB) or “citrus greening” is the most destructive citrus disease worldwide. In this work, we studied host responses of citrus to infection with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CaLas) using next-generation sequencing technologies. A deep mRNA profile was obtained from peel of healthy and HLB-affected fruit. It was followed by pathway and protein-protein network analysis and quantitative real time PCR analysis of highly regulated genes. We identified differentially regulated pathways and constructed networks that provide a deep insight into the metabolism of affected fruit. Data mining revealed that HLB enhanced transcription of genes involved in the light reactions of photosynthesis and in ATP synthesis. Activation of protein degradation and misfolding processes were observed at the transcriptomic level. Transcripts for heat shock proteins were down-regulated at all disease stages, resulting in further protein misfolding. HLB strongly affected pathways involved in source-sink communication, including sucrose and starch metabolism and hormone synthesis and signaling. Transcription of several genes involved in the synthesis and signal transduction of cytokinins and gibberellins was repressed while that of genes involved in ethylene pathways was induced. CaLas infection triggered a response via both the salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways and increased the transcript abundance of several members of the WRKY family of transcription factors. Findings focused on the fruit provide valuable insight to understanding the mechanisms of the HLB-induced fruit disorder and eventually developing methods based on small molecule applications to mitigate its devastating effects on fruit production

Biomarker candidates of neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease for the evaluation of disease-modifying therapeutics

Reliable biomarkers that can be used for early diagnosis and tracking disease progression are the cornerstone of the development of disease-modifying treatments for Parkinson’s disease (PD). The German Society of Experimental and Clinical Neurotherapeutics (GESENT) has convened a Working Group to review the current status of proposed biomarkers of neurodegeneration according to the following criteria and to develop a consensus statement on biomarker candidates for evaluation of disease-modifying therapeutics in PD. The criteria proposed are that the biomarker should be linked to fundamental features of PD neuropathology and mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in PD, should be correlated to disease progression assessed by clinical rating scales, should monitor the actual disease status, should be pre-clinically validated, and confirmed by at least two independent studies conducted by qualified investigators with the results published in peer-reviewed journals. To date, available data have not yet revealed one reliable biomarker to detect early neurodegeneration in PD and to detect and monitor effects of drug candidates on the disease process, but some promising biomarker candidates, such as antibodies against neuromelanin, pathological forms of α-synuclein, DJ-1, and patterns of gene expression, metabolomic and protein profiling exist. Almost all of the biomarker candidates were not investigated in relation to effects of treatment, validated in experimental models of PD and confirmed in independent studies

HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP: Lucas Thornton and Blake Reagan are Going to Paint a Really Big Mural on the Courthouse This Week

Back to bummer. This past week felt somewhat similar to the beginning of the pandemic — a grim sort of déjà vu. A wave of local event cancelations hit Humboldt as public officials and citizens attempted to wrap their brains around surging COVID case numbers. Here we go again! But just like last summer, one annual event is proceeding since, by its nature, it doesn’t require its participants or attendees to cluster together or be indoors at a time when social distancing is again recommended. The fourth annual Eureka Street Art Festival officially kicked off yesterday and some entries are already emerging from downtown walls. At a time when we could all use some cheer, Eureka has a colorful week in store. Arguably this year’s highest profile mural will grace the gargantuan I Street-facing wall of the Humboldt County Courthouse. And on this week’s edition of Humboldt Holding Up — LoCO’s always artsy, sometimes fartsy podcast — we speak with Blake Reagan and Lucas Thornton who plan to spend the week perched high in a lift painting to life a design that has already befuddled a county supervisor or two. Art, man! What even is it?! What is it for!

Inadequate Sleep Moderates Effects of Interparental Conflict Appraisals on Adolescent Adjustment.

Previous research and theory suggest that interparental conflict that is perceived by youth as frequent/intense, threatening, and/or the responsibility of the youth is predictive of adjustment problems. In contrast, sleep, an important precursor to emotion regulation, is likely a protective factor for youth experiencing interparental conflict. The goal of the current study was to investigate the extent to which adolescents who maintain better and/or longer sleep are buffered from the adjustment problems associated with greater interparental conflict

The Parental Factors that Impact Hispanics’ Post-Secondary Education Completion

The purpose of this study is to explore the parental factors that impact Hispanics’ post-secondary education completion. This is an important social issue as prior literature has indicated that educated parents have a strong influence on their children’s abilities, knowledge, and values. For this study, 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews of Hispanic adults aged 23 to 42 were conducted. Nine participants completed their college degrees, six participants enrolled in but did not complete college, and five participants did not enroll in college. Nineteen participants reported that their parents and family placed a high value on furthering their education beyond high school, irrespective of their own educational level. The absence of parental involvement, caused by family instability, was an unanticipated barrier to obtaining a college degree. One-fourth of participants (n = 5) expressed a desire to have accessed a high school guidance counselor with whom they could have discussed various college funding possibilities and scholarship information. This study’s findings can help public schools, colleges, and universities identify strategies to improve college retention and graduation rates of Hispanic students by using programs and seminars for entering students