Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with strong association with psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). While some signaling pathways are well defined in HS, the role of TNF-like ligand 1 (TL1A) is not well understood. A group of researchers has investigated the association of TL1A with HS, as well as its association with other cytokine networks.
Despite the availability of advanced therapeutic options, about 40%-50% of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa do not achieve significant improvement in disease activity, thus there is a need for novel medications.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement, and tremor is one of its signatures. But it is a much more wide-ranging disorder, and patients experience problems with cognitive and emotional processes as well. SCAN, the somato-cognitive action network identified in 2023, could reshape the definition of PD. Treating this circuit can improve outcomes.
Bexorg Inc. has been awarded a research grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) through the Targets to Therapies initiative to identify translational biomarkers for TRPML1-targeted therapies.
About 10% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases result from inherited genetic mutations, with about 20% of them attributed to mutations in the gene encoding the ubiquitous cytoplasmic copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1).
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs gaining increasing attention due to their crucial role in gene expression regulation and influence in various cellular processes and diseases. miRNAs can be encapsulated in extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are released by most cell types to modulate gene expression in recipient cells.
Brain-derived tau, a protein that is exclusive to the brain and detectable in the blood, could serve as an indicator of brain damage after an ischemic stroke. The analysis of this special form of tau has revealed a relationship between high levels of the protein and extensive brain injury, a higher risk of complications, and poorer outcomes.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is a group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous sensorimotor peripheral neuropathies. It is the most frequent inherited neuromuscular disorder affecting 9.7-82.3 patients per 100,000 individuals. Over 100 genes with all patterns of inheritance have been linked to CMT. These genes encode proteins involved in nerve-specific processes, such as axonal transport, myelination and synaptic transmission, and in general housekeeping pathways. However, the reason underlying why defects in such ubiquitous proteins predominantly affect peripheral nerves remains unclear.
Neurotrimin (NTM) is a member of the IgLON family, the disruption of which has been tied to emotional learning deficits and anxiety-like behavior in animal models. A mutation in the NTM gene was found to disrupt NTM protein heterodimerization with other IgLON family members, suggesting a potential link between NTM dysfunction and neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders.
Researchers from Goethe-Universität and collaborators investigated novel molecular biomarker candidates for spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion mutation in the coding region of the ATXN2 gene, which encodes ataxin-2.