Tracking cell-type-specific temporal dynamics in human and mouse brains.

Progenitor cells are critical in preserving organismal homeostasis, yet their diversity and dynamics in the aged brain remain underexplored. We introduced TrackerSci, a single-cell genomic method that combines newborn cell labeling and combinatorial indexing to characterize the transcriptome and chromatin landscape of proliferating progenitor cells in vivo. Using TrackerSci, we investigated the dynamics of newborn cells in mouse brains across various ages and in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Our dataset revealed diverse progenitor cell types in the brain and their epigenetic signatures. We further quantified aging-associated shifts in cell-type-specific proliferation and differentiation and deciphered the associated molecular programs. Extending our study to the progenitor cells in the aged human brain, we identified conserved genetic signatures across species and pinpointed region-specific cellular dynamics, such as the reduced oligodendrogenesis in the cerebellum. We anticipate that TrackerSci will be broadly applicable to unveil cell-type-specific temporal dynamics in diverse systems.

Examining the association between blood-based biomarkers and human post mortem neuropathology in the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Research Center autopsy cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Clinically, detection of disease-causing pathology associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) is limited to magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scans, which are expensive and not widely accessible. Here, we assess angiogenic, inflammatory, and AD-related plasma biomarkers to determine their relationships with human post mortem neuropathology. METHOD: Plasma samples were analyzed using a digital immunoassay and pathological evaluation was performed by University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Research Center neuropathologists. The association of plasma markers with neuropathology was estimated via proportional odds and logistic regressions adjusted for age. RESULTS: Included cases (N = 90) showed increased tau/amyloid beta (Aß)42 ratio, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and placental growth factor (PlGF) were positively associated with higher level of AD neuropathological change, while higher Aß42/Aß40 ratio was inversely associated. Higher PlGF, VEGF-A, and interleukin 6 were inversely associated with chronic cerebrovascular disease, while Aß42/Aß40 ratio was positively associated. DISCUSSION: Our results provide support for the continued study of plasma biomarkers as a clinical screening tool for AD and VCID pathology.

Review of Newer Antidiabetic Agents for Diabetes Management in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review describes the efficacy, safety, and drug interactions of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), and sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). DATA SOURCES: Articles were identified by English-language MEDLINE search, published prior to May 2020, using the terms kidney transplant, OR PTDM, OR NODAT, AND metformin, OR DPP4, OR GLP1, OR SGLT2. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All selected studies were included if the study population was composed of adult KTRs who were diagnosed with either impaired glucose tolerance, diabetes mellitus (DM), new-onset diabetes after transplant (NODAT), or posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM). DATA SYNTHESIS: In KTRs, there is evidence for safety with DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 RAs, and SGLT2 inhibitors. However, urinary tract infections and a slight initial decrease in renal function may limit use of SGLT2 inhibitors. As compared with the nontransplant type 2 DM population, SGLT2 inhibitors are not as efficacious in KTRs. RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE: This review provides an overview of the current literature on newer antidiabetic agents, addressing efficacy, safety, and drug interactions to help guide clinical decision-making for their use in KTRs. CONCLUSION: Newer antidiabetic agents have been recommended by the American Diabetes Association for potential cardiovascular, renal, and hypoglycemic benefits. Particular agents, such as DPP-4 inhibitors and GLP-1 RAs may play a role in correcting PTDM-related defects. Clinicians need to take into account both patient-specific and drug-specific characteristics when initiating these agents in KTRs.

A global view of aging and Alzheimer's pathogenesis-associated cell population dynamics and molecular signatures in human and mouse brains.

Conventional methods fall short in unraveling the dynamics of rare cell types related to aging and diseases. Here we introduce EasySci, an advanced single-cell combinatorial indexing strategy for exploring age-dependent cellular dynamics in the mammalian brain. Profiling approximately 1.5 million single-cell transcriptomes and 400,000 chromatin accessibility profiles across diverse mouse brains, we identified over 300 cell subtypes, uncovering their molecular characteristics and spatial locations. This comprehensive view elucidates rare cell types expanded or depleted upon aging. We also investigated cell-type-specific responses to genetic alterations linked to Alzheimer's disease, identifying associated rare cell types. Additionally, by profiling 118,240 human brain single-cell transcriptomes, we discerned cell- and region-specific transcriptomic changes tied to Alzheimer's pathogenesis. In conclusion, this research offers a valuable resource for probing cell-type-specific dynamics in both normal and pathological aging.

Alzheimer Disease Pathology-Associated Polymorphism in a Complex Variable Number of Tandem Repeat Region Within the MUC6 Gene, Near the AP2A2 Gene.

We found evidence of late-onset Alzheimer disease (LOAD)-associated genetic polymorphism within an exon of Mucin 6 (MUC6) and immediately downstream from another gene: Adaptor Related Protein Complex 2 Subunit Alpha 2 (AP2A2). PCR analyses on genomic DNA samples confirmed that the size of the MUC6 variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) region was highly polymorphic. In a cohort of autopsied subjects with quantitative digital pathology data (n = 119), the size of the polymorphic region was associated with the severity of pTau pathology in neocortex. In a separate replication cohort of autopsied subjects (n = 173), more pTau pathology was again observed in subjects with longer VNTR regions (p = 0.031). Unlike MUC6, AP2A2 is highly expressed in human brain. AP2A2 expression was lower in a subset analysis of brain samples from persons with longer versus shorter VNTR regions (p = 0.014 normalizing with AP2B1 expression). Double-label immunofluorescence studies showed that AP2A2 protein often colocalized with neurofibrillary tangles in LOAD but was not colocalized with pTau proteinopathy in progressive supranuclear palsy, or with TDP-43 proteinopathy. In summary, polymorphism in a repeat-rich region near AP2A2 was associated with neocortical pTau proteinopathy (because of the unique repeats, prior genome-wide association studies were probably unable to detect this association), and AP2A2 was often colocalized with neurofibrillary tangles in LOAD.

Diffuse Amyloid-ß Plaques, Neurofibrillary Tangles, and the Impact of APOE in Elderly Persons' Brains Lacking Neuritic Amyloid Plaques.

Data from a large autopsy series were analyzed to address questions pertinent to primary age-related tauopathy (PART) and Alzheimer's disease (AD): what factors are associated with increased severity of neurofibrillary degeneration in brains that lack neuritic amyloid plaques?; is there an association between Apolipoprotein E (APOE) alleles and PART pathologic severity independent of amyloid-ß (Aß) deposits?; and, how do the stains used to detect plaques and tangles impact the experimental results? Neuropathologic data were evaluated from elderly research volunteers whose brain autopsies were performed at University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center (UK-ADC; N = 145 subjects). All of the included subjects' brains lacked neuritic amyloid plaques according to the CERAD diagnostic criteria and the average final MMSE score before death was 26.8±4.6 stdev. The study incorporated evaluation of tissue with both silver histochemical stains and immunohistochemical stains to compare results; the immunohistochemical stains (Aß and phospho-tau) were scanned and quantified using digital pathologic methods. Immunohistochemical stains provided important advantages over histochemical stains due to sensitivity and detectability via digital methods. When AD-type pathology was in its presumed earliest phases, neocortical parenchymal Aß deposits were associated with increased medial temporal lobe neurofibrillary tangles. The observation supports the NIA-AA consensus recommendation for neuropathologic diagnoses, because even these "diffuse" Aß deposits signal that AD pathobiologic mechanisms are occurring. Further, the data were most compatible with the hypothesis that the APOEɛ4 allele exerts its effect(s) via driving Aß deposition, i.e., an "upstream" influence, rather than being associated directly with Aß- independent PART pathology.

Detergent Insoluble Proteins and Inclusion Body-Like Structures Immunoreactive for PRKDC/DNA-PK/DNA-PKcs, FTL, NNT, and AIFM1 in the Amygdala of Cognitively Impaired Elderly Persons.

Misfolded protein in the amygdala is a neuropathologic feature of Alzheimer disease and many other neurodegenerative disorders. We examined extracts from human amygdala (snap-frozen at autopsy) to investigate whether novel and as yet uncharacterized misfolded proteins would be detectable. Polypeptides from the detergent-insoluble, urea-soluble protein fractions of amygdala were interrogated using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Among the detergent-insoluble proteins identified in amygdala of demented subjects but not controls were Tau, TDP-43, Aß, α-synuclein, and ApoE. Additional detergent-insoluble proteins from demented subjects in the high-molecular weight portion of SDS gels included NNT, TNIK, PRKDC (DNA-PK, or DNA-PKcs), ferritin light chain (FTL), AIFM1, SYT11, STX1B, EAA1, COL25A1, M4K4, CLH1, SQSTM, SYNJ1, C3, and C4. In follow-up immunohistochemical experiments, NNT, TNIK, PRKDC, AIFM1, and FTL were observed in inclusion body-like structures in cognitively impaired subjects' amygdalae. Double-label immunofluorescence revealed that FTL and phospho-PRKDC immunoreactivity colocalized partially with TDP-43 and/or Tau inclusion bodies. Western blots showed high-molecular weight "smears", particularly for NNT and PRKDC. A preliminary genetic association study indicated that rare NNT, TNIK, and PRKDC gene variants had nominally significant association with Alzheimer-type dementia risk. In summary, novel detergent-insoluble proteins, with evidence of proteinaceous deposits, were found in amygdalae of elderly, cognitively impaired subjects.

The Amygdala as a Locus of Pathologic Misfolding in Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Over the course of most common neurodegenerative diseases the amygdala accumulates pathologically misfolded proteins. Misfolding of 1 protein in aged brains often is accompanied by the misfolding of other proteins, suggesting synergistic mechanisms. The multiplicity of pathogenic processes in human amygdalae has potentially important implications for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease, Lewy body diseases, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, primary age-related tauopathy, and hippocampal sclerosis, and for the biomarkers used to diagnose those diseases. Converging data indicate that the amygdala may represent a preferential locus for a pivotal transition from a relatively benign clinical condition to a more aggressive disease wherein multiple protein species are misfolded. Thus, understanding of amygdalar pathobiology may yield insights relevant to diagnoses and therapies; it is, however, a complex and imperfectly defined brain region. Here, we review aspects of amygdalar anatomy, connectivity, vasculature, and pathologic involvement in neurodegenerative diseases with supporting data from the University of Kentucky Alzheimer's Disease Center autopsy cohort. Immunohistochemical staining of amygdalae for Aß, Tau, α-synuclein, and TDP-43 highlight the often-coexisting pathologies. We suggest that the amygdala may represent an "incubator" for misfolded proteins and that it is possible that misfolded amygdalar protein species are yet to be discovered.

Optodynamic simulation of ß-adrenergic receptor signalling.

Optogenetics has provided a revolutionary approach to dissecting biological phenomena. However, the generation and use of optically active GPCRs in these contexts is limited and it is unclear how well an opsin-chimera GPCR might mimic endogenous receptor activity. Here we show that a chimeric rhodopsin/ß2 adrenergic receptor (opto-ß2AR) is similar in dynamics to endogenous ß2AR in terms of: cAMP generation, MAP kinase activation and receptor internalization. In addition, we develop and characterize a novel toolset of optically active, functionally selective GPCRs that can bias intracellular signalling cascades towards either G-protein or arrestin-mediated cAMP and MAP kinase pathways. Finally, we show how photoactivation of opto-ß2AR in vivo modulates neuronal activity and induces anxiety-like behavioural states in both fiber-tethered and wireless, freely moving animals when expressed in brain regions known to contain ß2ARs. These new GPCR approaches enhance the utility of optogenetics and allow for discrete spatiotemporal control of GPCR signalling in vitro and in vivo.

Hippocampal Sclerosis of Aging Can Be Segmental: Two Cases and Review of the Literature.

Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging) is a neurodegenerative disease that mimics Alzheimer disease (AD) clinically and has a prevalence rivaling AD in advanced age. Whereas clinical biomarkers are not yet optimized, HS-Aging has distinctive pathological features that distinguish it from other diseases with "hippocampal sclerosis" pathology, such as epilepsy, cerebrovascular perturbations, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. By definition, HS-Aging brains show neuronal cell loss and gliosis in the hippocampal formation out of proportion to AD-type pathology; it is strongly associated with aberrant TDP-43 pathology and arteriolosclerosis. Here, we describe 2 cases of "segmental" HS-Aging in which "sclerosis" in the hippocampus was evident only in a subset of brain sections by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain. In these cases, TDP-43 pathology was more widespread on immunostained sections than the neuronal cell loss and gliosis seen in H&E stains. The 2 patients were cognitively intact at baseline and were tracked longitudinally over a decade using cognitive studies with at least 1 neuroimaging scan. We discuss the relevant HS-Aging literature, which indicates the need for a clearer consensus-based delineation of "hippocampal sclerosis" and TDP-43 pathologies in aged subjects.

Digital pathology and image analysis for robust high-throughput quantitative assessment of Alzheimer disease neuropathologic changes.

Quantitative neuropathologic methods provide information that is important for both research and clinical applications. The technologic advancement of digital pathology and image analysis offers new solutions to enable valid quantification of pathologic severity that is reproducible between raters regardless of experience. Using an Aperio ScanScope XT and its accompanying image analysis software, we designed algorithms for quantitation of amyloid and tau pathologies on 65 ß-amyloid (6F/3D antibody) and 48 phospho-tau (PHF-1)-immunostained sections of human temporal neocortex. Quantitative digital pathologic data were compared with manual pathology counts. There were excellent correlations between manually counted and digitally analyzed neuropathologic parameters (R² = 0.56-0.72). Data were highly reproducible among 3 participants with varying degrees of expertise in neuropathology (intraclass correlation coefficient values, >0.910). Digital quantification also provided additional parameters, including average plaque area, which shows statistically significant differences when samples are stratified according to apolipoprotein E allele status (average plaque area, 380.9 µm² in apolipoprotein E [Latin Small Letter Open E]4 carriers vs 274.4 µm² for noncarriers; p < 0.001). Thus, digital pathology offers a rigorous and reproducible method for quantifying Alzheimer disease neuropathologic changes and may provide additional insights into morphologic characteristics that were previously more challenging to assess because of technical limitations.

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells promote immunosuppression in ovarian cancer via ICOS costimulation of Foxp3(+) T-regulatory cells.

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fifth most common cause of cancer death among women. Despite its immunogenicity, effective antitumor responses are limited, due, in part, to the presence of forkhead box protein 3-positive (Foxp3(+)) T regulatory (Treg) cells in the tumor microenvironment. However, the mechanisms that regulate the accumulation and the suppressive function of these Foxp3(+) Treg cells are poorly understood. Here, we found that the majority of Foxp3(+) Treg cells accumulating in the tumor microenvironment of EOCs belong to the subset of Foxp3(+) Treg cells expressing inducible costimulator (ICOS). The expansion and the suppressive function of these cells were strictly dependent on ICOS-L costimulation provided by tumor plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC). Accordingly, ICOS(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells were found to localize in close vicinity of tumor pDCs, and their number directly correlated with the numbers of pDCs in the tumors. Furthermore, pDCs and ICOS(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells were found to be strong predictors for disease progression in patients with ovarian cancer, with ICOS(+) Treg cell subset being a stronger predictor than total Foxp3(+) Treg cells. These findings suggest an essential role for pDCs and ICOS-L in immunosuppression mediated by ICOS(+) Foxp3(+) Treg cells, leading to tumor progression in ovarian cancer.

Research in pediatric physical therapy: an analysis of trends in first fifteen years of publication.

PURPOSE: All articles published in Pediatric Physical Therapy (PPT) within the first 15 years of publication were reviewed to determine research trends. METHODS: All articles published in PPT (n = 262) were categorized as research or nonresearch, classified as experimental or nonexperimental, and further categorized as examination/evaluation, intervention, prognosis, and economics. The data were divided into the following three groups: Volumes 1-5, Volumes 6-10, and Volumes 11-15. RESULTS: During the 15-year period, 64% of all published articles were derived from original research (p = 0.01). Thirty-two articles (12% of the total number of articles) met the definition of experimental, and 136 articles (52% of the total number of articles) met the definition of nonexperimental. Four research articles disseminated results from randomized-control clinical trials. The number of articles reporting experimental research did not show a significant increase during the 15-year period. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric Physical Therapy is a major source of information, including evidence-based research, for pediatric physical therapists, meeting the demand of therapists to base clinical decisions on research.