Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine最新文献

β-Cell replacement for type 1 diabetes (T1D) can restore normal glucose homeostasis, thereby eliminating the need for exogenous insulin and halting the progression of diabetes complications. Success in achieving insulin independence following transplantation of cadaveric islets fueled academic and industry efforts to develop techniques to mass produce β cells from human pluripotent stem cells, and these have now been clinically validated as an alternative source of regulated insulin production. Various encapsulation strategies are being pursued to contain implanted cells in a retrievable format, and different implant sites are being explored with some strategies reaching clinical studies. Stem cell lines, whether derived from embryonic sources or reprogrammed somatic cells, are being genetically modified for designer features, including immune evasiveness to enable implant without the use of chronic immunosuppression. Although hurdles remain in optimizing large-scale manufacturing, demonstrating efficacy, durability, and safety, products containing stem cell-derived β cells promise to provide a potent treatment for insulin-dependent diabetes.

Although components of possible Parkinson's disease can be found in earlier documents, the first clear medical description was written in 1817 by James Parkinson. In the mid-1800s, Jean-Martin Charcot was particularly influential in refining and expanding this early description and in disseminating information internationally about Parkinson's disease. He separated the clinical spectrum of Parkinson's disease from multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by tremor, and he recognized cases that later would likely be classified among the parkinsonism-plus syndromes. Early treatments of Parkinson's disease were based on empirical observation, and anticholinergic drugs were used as early as the nineteenth century. The discovery of dopaminergic deficits in Parkinson's disease and the synthetic pathway of dopamine led to the first human trials of levodopa. Further historically important anatomical, biochemical, and physiological studies identified additional pharmacological and neurosurgical targets for Parkinson's disease and allow modern clinicians to offer an array of therapies aimed at improving function in this still incurable disease.

In this review, we explore the complex interplay between the immune system and pancreatic β cells in the context of type 1 diabetes (T1D). While T1D is predominantly considered a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease, the inability of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-risk alleles alone to explain disease development suggests a role for β cells in initiating and/or propagating disease. This review delves into the vulnerability of β cells, emphasizing their susceptibility to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and protein modifications, which may give rise to neoantigens. Additionally, we discuss the role of viral infections as contributors to T1D onset, and of genetic factors with dual impacts on the immune system and β cells. A greater understanding of the interplay between environmental triggers, autoimmunity, and the β cell will not only lead to insight as to why the islet β cells are specifically targeted by the immune system in T1D but may also reveal potential novel therapeutic interventions.

The quest for effective cancer therapeutics has traditionally centered on targeting mutated or overexpressed oncogenic proteins. However, challenges arise in cancers with low mutational burden or when the mutated oncogene is not conventionally targetable, which are common situations in childhood cancers. This obstacle has sparked large-scale unbiased screens to identify collateral genetic dependencies crucial for cancer cell growth. These screens have revealed promising targets for therapeutic intervention in the form of lineage-selective dependency genes, which may have an expanded therapeutic window compared to pan-lethal dependencies. Many lineage-selective dependencies regulate gene expression and are closely tied to the developmental origins of pediatric tumors. Placing lineage-selective dependencies in a transcriptional network model is helpful for understanding their roles in driving malignant cell behaviors. Here, we discuss the identification of lineage-selective dependencies and how two transcriptional models, core regulatory circuits and gene regulatory networks, can serve as frameworks for understanding their individual and collective actions, particularly in cancers affecting children and young adults.

Children and young adults are affected by a number of different cancers. These are developmental in origin and arise, in particular, in susceptible cell types. Recent advances have led to significant progress in our understanding of the underlying causes and the pathogenetic mechanisms involved. This is informing design of therapeutic approaches that offer new hope for patients.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is comprised of both cellular and stromal elements and plays an essential role in the growth, survival, and dissemination of malignancies. The TME is an organized program that develops with a growing tumor, using many processes involved in normal tissue development. In multiple solid tumors, developmental pathways are used to recruit immunosuppressive cells, including immunosuppressive monocytes and neutrophils, tumor-associated macrophages, and regulatory T cells to block the antitumor immune response. In addition, stromal cells sustain tumor growth via trophic support, angiogenesis, repair mechanisms, and associated immunosuppression, driven, at least in part, by canonical developmental signaling pathways. The microenvironmental ecosystem shapes tumor progression from its earliest inception by modulating important programs that dictate tumor behavior, necessitating further consideration when studying the developmental origins of malignancy. Here, we review the role of developmental pathways in the formation and modulation of the TME in pediatric and adult solid tumors, including Wnt, Notch, Hippo, Hedgehog, TGF-β, BMP, SOX, and OCT.

Functional neuroimaging techniques are increasingly being used to advance the diagnosis and management of Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods such as [¹⁸F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET), resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI, and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) enable the identification of disease-specific patterns like the PD-related pattern (PDRP) and PD cognition-related pattern (PDCP), which correlate with motor and cognitive symptoms. Network analysis using graph theory further elucidates the alterations in brain connectivity associated with PD, providing insights into disease progression and response to treatment. Moreover, these neuroimaging patterns assist in distinguishing PD from atypical parkinsonian syndromes, enhancing diagnostic accuracy. Understanding the impact of genetic variants like LRRK2 and GBA1 on functional connectivity highlights the potential for precision medicine in PD. As neuroimaging technologies evolve, their integration into clinical practice will be pivotal in the personalized management of PD, offering improved diagnostic precision and targeted therapeutic interventions.

The recent rise in effective immuno-oncology therapies has increased demand for experimental approaches to model anticancer immunity. A variety of mouse models have been developed and used to study cancer immunology. These include mutagen-induced, genetically engineered, syngeneic, and other models of cancer immunology. These models each have the potential to define mechanistic aspects of anticancer immune responses, identify potential therapeutic targets, and serve as preclinical models for further therapeutic development. Specific benefits and liabilities are characteristic of particular cancer immunology modeling approaches. The optimal choice and utilization of models depends on the cancer immunology scientific question being addressed and can serve to increase mechanistic understanding and development of human immuno-oncology therapies.

The debilitating motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) result primarily from the degenerative nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. To elucidate pathogenic mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic strategies for PD, numerous animal models have been developed. Understanding the strengths and limitations of these models can significantly impact the choice of model, experimental design, and data interpretation. Herein, we systematically review the literature over the past decade. Some models no longer serve the purpose of PD models. The primary objectives of this review are: First, to assist new investigators in navigating through available animal models and making appropriate selections based on the objective of the study. Emphasis will be placed on common toxin-induced murine models. And second, to provide an overview of basic technical requirements for assessing the nigrostriatal pathway's pathology, structure, and function.

Lipids have essential functions as structural components of cellular membranes, as efficient energy storage molecules, and as precursors of signaling mediators. While deregulated glucose and amino acid metabolism in cancer have received substantial attention, the roles of lipids in the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells are less well understood. However, since the first description of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in cancer tissues almost 70 years ago, numerous studies have investigated the complex functions of altered lipid metabolism in cancer. Here, we will summarize the mechanisms by which oncogenic signaling pathways regulate fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism to drive rapid proliferation and protect cancer cells from environmental stress. The review also discusses the role of fatty acid metabolism in metabolic plasticity required for the adaptation to changing microenvironments during cancer progression and the connections between fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism and ferroptosis.