A Non-Canonical Role for IRE1α Links ER and Mitochondria as Key Regulators of Astrocyte Dysfunction: Implications in Methamphetamine use and HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders
By Jessica Proulx, Satomi Stacy, In-Woo Park, and Kathleen Borgmann Excerpt from the article published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 17 June 2022, DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.906651 Editor’s Highlights During human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infection or (METH)amphetamine exposure, astrocytes shift their neuroprotective functions and can become neurotoxic. As common comorbidity among HIV-1 infected individuals (METH)amphetamine use can […]
Continue ReadingAccurate Prediction of Virus-Host Protein-Protein Interactions via a Siamese Neural Network Using Deep Protein Sequence Embeddings
By Sumit Madan, Victoria Demina, Marcus Stapf, Oliver Ernst, and Holger Froehlich Excerpt from the preprint article published in bioRxiv 2022.05.31.494170; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.31.494170 Editor’s Highlights Prediction and understanding of tissue-specific virus-host interactions have relevance for the development of novel therapeutic intervention strategies. A novel deep learning approach to predict virus-host protein-protein interactions (PPIs), is the method (Siamese Tailored […]
Continue ReadingSARS-CoV-2 NSP3, NSP4 and NSP6 mutations and Epistasis during the pandemic in the world: Evolutionary Trends and Natural Selections in Six Continents
By Haniyeh fooladinezhad, Maryamsadat Shahidi, Mohammadamin Mahmanzar, Bahar Mahdavi, Samaneh Tokhanbigli, Mahsa Mollapour Sisakht, Bahman Moradi, Mohamad Reza Ganjalikhany, Karim Rahimian, and Mazdak Ganjndalikhani-Hakemi Excerpt from the article published in medRxiv 2022.05.22.22275422; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.05.22.22275422 Editor’s Highlights The key stage of the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle is virus replication in infected cells. During this process, several viral proteins facilitate […]
Continue ReadingLong COVID, neuropsychiatric disorders, psychotropics, present and future
By Siu Wa Tang, Brian E. Leonard, and Daiga Maret Helmeste Excerpt from the article published in Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 34(3), 109-126. DOI: 10.1017/neu.2022.6 Editor’s Highlights The term Long COVID is used to refer to the lingering or protracted illness, from 4 to 12 weeks after the acute illness and during recovery. Long-term psychological or adverse mental […]
Continue ReadingInteractions between SARS-CoV-2 N-Protein and α-Synuclein Accelerate Amyloid Formation
by Slav A Semerdzhiev, Mohammad A A Fakhree, Ine Segers-Nolten, Christian Blum, Mireille M A E Claessens Excerpt from the article published in ACS Chem Neuroscience. 2021 Dec 3. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00666. Editor’s Highlights COVID-19 Protein Found to Speed Toxic Alpha-Synuclein Buildup which is believed to be central to the pathogenesis in Parkinson’s Disease. The most well-known example is the 1918 influenza […]
Continue ReadingHighly Specific Sigma Receptor Ligands Exhibit Anti-Viral Properties in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Cells
By David A. Ostrov, Andrew P. Bluhm, Danmeng Li, Juveriya Qamar Khan, Megha Rohamare, Karthic Rajamanickam, Kalpana K. Bhanumathy, Jocelyne Lew, Darryl Falzarano, Franco J. Vizeacoumar, Joyce A. Wilson, Marco Mottinelli, Siva Rama Raju Kanumuri, Abhisheak Sharma, Christopher R. McCurdy, and Michael H. Norris Excerpt from the article published in Pathogens. 2021; 10(11):1514. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10111514 Editor’s […]
Continue ReadingCal‘MAM’ity at the Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondrial Interface: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Neurodegeneration and Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders
By Jessica Proulx, In-Woo Park, and Kathleen Borgmann Excerpt from the article published in Frontiers in neuroscience, 15, 715945. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.715945 Editor’s Highlights Cooperation and communication between the ER and mitochondria are essential to ensure maintenance of neuronal and organelle homeostasis. Neurons are not directly infected by HIV-1; thus, indirect HIV-induced toxicity via infected glia is a key mechanism […]
Continue ReadingHighly Specific Sigma Receptor Ligands Exhibit Anti-Viral Properties in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Cells
by Ostrov, D.A.; Bluhm, A.P.;Li, D.; Khan, J.Q.; Rohamare, M.;Rajamanickam, K.; K. Bhanumathy,K.; Lew, J.; Falzarano, D.;Vizeacoumar, F.J.; et al. Excerpt from the article published in Pathogens 2021,10, 1514. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10111514 Editor’s Highlights Background There is a strong need for prevention and treatment strategies for COVID-19 that are not impacted by SARS-CoV-2 mutations emerging in variants […]
Continue ReadingDifferential gene expression by RNA-Seq in Sigma-2 Receptor/TMEM97 knockout cells reveals its role in complement activation and SARS-CoV-2 viral uptake
By Aladdin Riad, Yann Aubert, Chenbo Zeng, Thomas J. A. Graham, E. James Petersson, Brian C. Capell, and Robert H. Mach Excerpt from the article published in bioRxiv 2021.03.14.435180; Posted March 15, 2021; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.03.14.435180 Editor’s Highlights Sigma-2R/TMEM97 has been shown to be involved with cholesterol homeostasis and metabolism through its interaction with the cholesterol transport-regulating protein Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) and through the sterol response element-binding protein (SREBP) pathway. Sigma-2R/TMEM97 regulates […]
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