Activation of the sigma-1 receptor attenuates blood–brain barrier disruption by inhibiting amyloid deposition in Alzheimer’s disease mice
By Yang An, Yue Qi, Ying Li, Zhao Li, Caiyu Yang, and Dong Jia Introduction to the article published in Neuroscience Letters, volume 774, 2022, 136528, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136528. Highlights Sig-1R agonist PRE084 treatment attenuated learning and memory deficits in AD mice. PRE084 lowed the soluble and insoluble Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels in the brain. PRE084 […]
Continue ReadingSigma‑1 receptor overexpression promotes proliferation and ameliorates cell apoptosis in β‑cells
By Mengting Ke, Fengping Lin, Huawei Wang, Guangzhen He, Jieyuan Feng, Linyang Song, Yancheng Xu, and Jie Liu Excerpt from the article published in Molecular Medicine Reports 25, no. 5 (2022): 170. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2022.12686 Editor’s Highlights Sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a class of receptors that serve unique physiological functions due to the lack of homology with […]
Continue ReadingBiallelic CACNA2D1 loss-of-function variants cause early-onset developmental epileptic encephalopathy
By Shehrazade Dahimene, Leonie von Elsner, Tess Holling, Lauren S. Mattas, Jess Pickard, Davor Lessel, Kjara S. Pilch, Ivan Kadurin, Wendy S. Pratt, Igor B. Zhulin, Hongzheng Dai, Maja Hempel, Maura R. Z. Ruzhnikov, Kerstin Kutsche, Annette C. Dolphin Excerpt from the article published in Brain, awac081, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac081 Editor’s Highlights Bi-allelic variants in CACNA2D1, encoding alpha2delta-1 […]
Continue ReadingOrder through destruction: how ER-associated protein degradation contributes to organelle homeostasis
By John C Christianson and Pedro Carvalho Excerpt from the article published in The EMBO Journal (2022)41:e109845 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15252/embj.2021109845 Editor’s Highlights As a large, multifunctional organelle, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) houses robust protein quality control systems, on which it relies heavily. The best-characterized protein quality control system of the ER is the ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent process of […]
Continue ReadingImpact of history of mental disorders on short-term mortality among hospitalized patients with sepsis: A population-based cohort study
By Lavi Oud, and John Garza Excerpt from the article published in PLoS ONE 17(3): e0265240. Published: March 10, 2022, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0265240 Editor’s Highlights Sepsis remains a major global health burden with estimated nearly 49 million cases worldwide in 2017 and 11 million sepsis-related deaths. Mental disorders were associated, unexpectedly, with markedly lower risk of […]
Continue ReadingAn open-like conformation of the sigma-1 receptor reveals its ligand entry pathway
By Meng, F., Xiao, Y., Ji, Y. et al. Excerpt from the article published in Nat Commun 13, 1267 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28946-w Editor’s Highlights Data suggest that access to the σ1R ligand binding site is likely achieved by protein conformational changes that involve the carboxy-terminal two-helix bundle, rather than structural changes in the cupin-fold domain. The PATH2 access hypothesis […]
Continue ReadingMetabolomics and biochemical alterations caused by pleiotrophin in the 6-hydroxydopamine mouse model of Parkinson’s disease
By Esther Gramage, Jorge Sáiz, Rosalía Fernández-Calle, Yasmina B. Martín, María Uribarri, Marcel Ferrer-Alcón, Coral Barbas, and Gonzalo Herradón Excerpt from the article published in Scientific Reports volume 12, Article number: 3577 (2022) DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-07419-6 Editor’s Highlights Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) and […]
Continue ReadingNew Pharmacological Strategies against Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: The Multifunctional Thiosemicarbazone FA4
By Dario P. Anobile, Mauro Niso, Adrian Puerta, Stephanie M. Fraga Rodrigues, Francesca S. Abatematteo, Amir Avan, Carmen Abate, Chiara Riganti, and Elisa Giovannetti Excerpt from the article published in Molecules 2022, 27, 1682. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051682 Editor’s Highlights Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) represents about 95% of all types of pancreatic cancer and is characterized by aggressive […]
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 ReadingSigma 1 Receptor Contributes to Astrocyte-Mediated Retinal Ganglion Cell Protection
By Jing Zhao; Graydon B. Gonsalvez; Barbara A. Mysona; Sylvia B. Smith; Kathryn E. Bollinger Excerpt from the article published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science February 2022, Vol.63, 1. doi:https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.63.2.1 Editor’s Highlights Abstract Purpose: Sigma 1 receptor (S1R) is expressed in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and astrocytes, and its activation is neuroprotective. We evaluated the contribution of S1R within optic […]
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