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Topic Review
Neuroinflammation and Epilepsy
Epilepsy can be both a primary pathology and a secondary effect of many neurological conditions. Many papers show that neuroinflammation is a product of epilepsy, and that in pathological conditions characterized by neuroinflammation, there is a higher probability to develop epilepsy.
  • 997
  • 09 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Probiotics to Psychobiotics Act on the Brain-Gut Axis
There is an important relationship between probiotics, psychobiotics and cognitive and behavioral processes, which include neurological, metabolic, hormonal and immunological signaling pathways; the alteration in these systems may cause alterations in behavior (mood) and cognitive level (learning and memory). Psychobiotics have been considered key elements in affective disorders and the immune system, in addition to their effect encompassing the regulation of neuroimmune regulation and control axes (the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or HPA, the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary axis or SAM and the inflammatory reflex) in diseases of the nervous system.
  • 997
  • 11 Aug 2022
Topic Review
SAP90/PSD-95-Associated Protein Scaffold Proteins and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
The SAPAP (SAP90/PSD-95-associated protein, also called discs-large-associated proteins (DLGAPs)) family is made up of key postsynaptic scaffold proteins that are highly concentrated in the PSD of excitatory synapses and are essential for synaptic structure and functions. Excitatory (glutamatergic) synaptic transmission underlies many aspects of brain activity and the genesis of normal human behavior. The postsynaptic scaffolding proteins SAP90/PSD-95-associated proteins (SAPAPs), which are abundant components of the postsynaptic density (PSD) at excitatory synapses, play critical roles in synaptic structure, formation, development, plasticity, and signaling. The convergence of human genetic data with recent in vitro and in vivo animal model data indicates that mutations in the genes encoding SAPAP1–4 are associated with neurological and psychiatric disorders, and that dysfunction of SAPAP scaffolding proteins may contribute to the pathogenesis of various neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, and bipolar disorder.
  • 995
  • 19 Dec 2022
Topic Review
HSV1’s Role in AD/Dementia
The review  describes studies on the following: relationship of HSV1 to AD using neural stem cells; the apparent protective effects of treatment of HSV1 infection or of VZV infection with antivirals prior to the onset of dementia; the putative involvement of VZV in AD/dementia; the possible role of human herpes virus 6 (HHV6) in AD; the seemingly reduced risk of dementia after vaccination with diverse types of vaccine, and the association shown in some vaccine studies with reduced frequency of HSV1 reactivation; anti-HSV serum antibodies supporting the linkage of HSV1 in brain with AD in APOE-ε4 carriers, and the association between APOE and cognition, and association of APOE and infection with AD/dementia. The conclusions are that there is now overwhelming evidence for HSV1’s role—probably causal—in AD, when it is present in brain of APOE-ε4 carriers, and that further investigations should be made on possible prevention of the disease by vaccination, or by prolonged antiviral treatment of HSV1 infection in APOE-ε4 carriers, before disease onset. 
  • 994
  • 05 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Novel Approaches in the Immunotherapy of Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a serious autoimmune disease. The patient in an advanced state of the disease has restrained mobility and remains handicapped. It is therefore understandable that there is a great need for novel drugs and vaccines for the treatment of MS. 
  • 994
  • 10 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Mitochondria in the Central Nervous System Disorder
Mitochondria, the energy suppliers of the cells, play a central role in a variety of cellular processes essential for survival or leading to cell death. Consequently, mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in numerous general and central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The clinical manifestations of mitochondrial dysfunction include metabolic disorders, dysfunction of the immune system, tumorigenesis, and neuronal and behavioral abnormalities.
  • 994
  • 08 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Cranial Nerve VII: Facial Nerve
The twelve cranial nerves play a crucial role in the nervous system, orchestrating a myriad of functions vital for our everyday life. These nerves are each specialized for particular tasks. Cranial nerve VII, the facial nerve, facilitates facial expressions and taste perception.
  • 993
  • 04 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Three Drug-Based Therapy for Neuroblastoma
High-risk neuroblastoma (HR-NB) still remains the most dangerous tumor in early childhood. For this reason, the identification of new therapeutic approaches is of fundamental importance. Recently, we combined the conventional pharmacological approach to NB, represented by cisplatin, with fendiline hydrochloride, an inhibitor of several transporters involved in multidrug resistance of cancer cells, which demonstrated an enhancement of the ability of cisplatin to induce apoptosis. In this work, we co-administrated acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase isoform IX (CAIX) inhibitor which was reported to increase chemotherapy efficacy in various cancer types, to the cisplatin/fendiline approach in SKNBE2 xenografts in NOD-SCID mice with the aim of identifying a novel and more effective treatment. We observed that the combination of the three drugs increases more than twelvefold the differences in the cytotoxic activity of cisplatin alone, leading to a remarkable decrease of the expression of malignancy markers. Our conclusion is that this approach, based on three FDA-approved drugs, may constitute an appropriate improvement of the pharmacological approach to HR-NB.
  • 992
  • 09 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Drug Targets to Prevent Death Due to Stroke
Acute ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the most prevalent major health problems worldwide, which frequently causes severe functional disabilities and mortality. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis revealed that the backbone of the highly connective network of IS death consisted of IL6, ALB, TNF, SERPINE1, VWF, VCAM1, TGFB1, and SELE. Cluster analysis revealed immune and hemostasis subnetworks, which were strongly interconnected through the major switches ALB and VWF. Enrichment analysis revealed that the PPI immune subnetwork of death due to IS was highly associated with TLR2/4, TNF, JAK-STAT, NOD, IL10, IL13, IL4, and TGF-β1/SMAD pathways. The top biological and molecular functions and pathways enriched in the hemostasis network of death due to IS were platelet degranulation and activation, the intrinsic pathway of fibrin clot formation, the urokinase-type plasminogen activator pathway, post-translational protein phosphorylation, integrin cell-surface interactions, and the proteoglycan-integrin extracellular matrix complex (ECM). Regulation Explorer analysis of transcriptional factors shows: (a) that NFKB1, RELA and SP1 were the major regulating actors of the PPI network; and (b) hsa-mir-26-5p and hsa-16-5p were the major regulating microRNA actors. 
  • 992
  • 17 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Clinical Trials of Pimavanserin
Pimavanserin (PMV) is the first approved drug for treating hallucinations and delusions in Parkinson’s disease (PD) psychosis. Psychosis is one of the leading causes of nursing home placement in people with PD. Furthermore, hallucinations are a more frequent cause of institutionalization than motor disability or dementia related to PD. The management of PD psychosis involves antipsychotic medications. Most of the drugs in this class directly block dopamine D2 receptors, leading to significantly worsening motor symptoms in patients with PD. The most commonly used medications for managing PD psychosis are quetiapine, clozapine, and PMV. 
  • 992
  • 26 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Marine-Derived Biomolecules with Antioxidant Properties
Marine sources contain several bioactive compounds with high therapeutic potential, such as remarkable antioxidant activity that can reduce oxidative stress related to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Indeed, there has been a growing interest in these natural sources, especially those resulting from the processing of marine organisms (i.e., marine bio-waste), to obtain natural antioxidants as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants in a sustainable approach to promote circularity by recovering and creating value from these bio-wastes.
  • 992
  • 27 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Antidepressant Effects of Ayahuasca in Humans
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic preparation usually made by the decoction of Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, or Diplopterys cabrerana, plants endemic to the Amazonian Basin where the brew is traditionally used in ritualistic contexts. B. caapi is known to contain a class of substances called β-carbolines or harmala alkaloids, mainly harmine, tetrahydroharmine (THH), and harmaline. These substances are known to selectively and reversibly inhibit the enzyme monoamine oxidase type A (MAO-A), which is believed to be their main mechanism of action. On the other hand, P. viridis is a source of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a serotoninergic psychedelic belonging to the same pharmacological class of substances as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin. The main mechanism of action for DMT and related psychedelic substances is widely accepted to be agonism at the serotonin receptors 5-HT1A,2A,2C, with the 2A subtype being the primary molecular target and its activation dose-dependently related to the psychoactive effects these substances cause. 
  • 990
  • 11 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Monomethyl Fumarate for Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a prevalent neurologic autoimmune disorder affecting two million people worldwide. Symptoms include gait abnormalities, perception and sensory losses, cranial nerve pathologies, pain, cognitive dysfunction, and emotional aberrancies. Traditional therapy includes corticosteroids for the suppression of relapses and injectable interferons. Recently, several modern therapies—including antibody therapy and oral agents—were approved as disease-modifying agents. Monomethyl fumarate (MMF, Bafiertam) is a recent addition to the arsenal available in the fight against MS and appears to be well-tolerated, safe, and effective. 
  • 989
  • 08 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Omics Sciences and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the progressive loss of motor neurons (MNs) resulting in weakness and paralysis of voluntary muscles. The main clinical feature of ALS is the upper and lower MN involvement. The age of onset is about 60 years, and the incidence is 5 per 100,000 inhabitants. Although important research progress has been made, the etiopathology of ALS is mostly unknown. The mechanisms underlying the development of the disease are multiple, with the involvement of a complex interaction between genetic and molecular characteristics. The major ALS-related genes include superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), FUSed in sarcoma (FUS), TAR DNA binding protein (TARDBP) and chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9Orf72). Due to the high complexity of the disease, the diagnosis is made by exclusion and there are no effective drug therapies that can stop or significantly slow down the progression of the disease. To date, the drugs used to slow down the course of the disease are Riluzole, which works by reducing excitotoxicity, and Edaravone that decreases oxidative stress. Neuropathology and medical genetics have led to the discovery that ALS and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are related diseases and form a broad neurodegenerative continuum. Both of these pathologies can be caused by mutations in the same gene that can lead to different clinical pictures. The discovery of hexanucleotide expansion involving the C9Orf72 gene helped to define a genetic basis to explain the spectrum ALS/FTD.
  • 989
  • 13 May 2022
Topic Review
Factors Influencing Human Microbiota
The human microbiota embodies the whole population of microorganisms present in the human body and is mainly represented by the gut microbiota. Factors influencing the composition and activity of the gut microbiota can alter the balance that exists between the host and the microbiota by compromising its functions. 
  • 989
  • 17 May 2023
Topic Review
The Vascular-Immune Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating and irreversible neurodegenerative disorder with unknown etiology. While its cause is unclear, a number of theories have been proposed to explain the pathogenesis of AD. In large part, these have centered around potential causes for intracerebral accumulation of beta-amyloid (βA) and tau aggregates. Yet, persons with AD dementia often exhibit autopsy evidence of mixed brain pathologies including a myriad of vascular changes, vascular brain injuries, complex brain inflammation, and mixed protein inclusions in addition to hallmark neuropathologic lesions of AD, namely insoluble βA plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Epidemiological data demonstrate that overlapping lesions diminish the βA plaque and NFT threshold necessary to precipitate clinical dementia. Moreover, a subset of persons who exhibit AD pathology remain resilient to disease while other persons with clinically-defined AD dementia do not exhibit AD-defining neuropathologic lesions. It is increasingly recognized that AD is a pathologically heterogeneous and biologically multifactorial disease with uncharacterized biologic phenomena involved in its genesis and progression. 
  • 988
  • 15 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Nicotine-Induced Addiction
Nicotine is the predominant addictive compound of tobacco and causes the acquisition of dependence through its interactions with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and various neurotransmitter releases in the central nervous system.
  • 986
  • 03 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Cortical Hyperexcitability in the Driver’s Seat in ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease characterized by the degeneration of cortical and spinal motor neurons. With no effective treatment available to date, patients face progressive paralysis and eventually succumb to the disease due to respiratory failure within only a few years. Intriguingly, a key feature present in both ALS patients and rodent models of the disease is cortical hyperexcitability and hyperconnectivity, the mechanisms of which still remain incompletely understood. 
  • 985
  • 28 Feb 2022
Topic Review
The Molecular Function of Calcium/Calmodulin-Dependent Serine Protein Kinase
MICPCH (microcephaly and pontocerebellar hypoplasia) is a monogenic condition that results from variants of an X-linked gene, CASK (calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine protein kinase). CASK variants are associated with a wide range of clinical presentations, from lethality and epileptic encephalopathies to intellectual disabilities, microcephaly, and autistic traits. The researches point to a highly complex relationship between the potential molecular function/s of CASK and the phenotypes observed in model organisms and humans.
  • 985
  • 20 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Microglia in Sepsis-Associated Encephalopathy
Multiple organ dysfunction is a hallmark of sepsis pathogenesis, and neurological manifestations are a frequent and underestimated symptom. Sepsis induces an acute brain dysfunction that is not related to direct brain infection and is characterized by clinical and electroencephalographic changes that range from sickness behavior to altered consciousness, varying from confusion to delirium and coma.
  • 984
  • 17 May 2021
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