Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is a key regulator of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which has a critical neuromodulatory involvement in numerous functional mechanisms in the CNS. Based on this, MAGL is considered a promising therapeutic target in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Researchers from ETH Zürich and affiliated organizations have recently presented their work on (R)-[18F]YH-134, a novel reversible radiotracer for imaging MAGL in the brain.
Dopamine D3 receptors play a relevant role in the CNS modulating neurological activity, and its dysfunction is linked to disorders such as schizophrenia, drug abuse or Parkinson’s disease. There is a need for blood-brain barrier (BBB)-penetrant D3 receptor radiotracers with high brain uptake to be used for neurological and neuropsychiatric disease diagnosis.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is an alteration in brain function that occurs when a sudden external force traumatically impacts the brain and is frequent in vehicle accidents or sports injuries. There is no treatment for TBI to date, but recent research has opened a new avenue coming from the neuroprotective role of the liver.
It seems unlikely that American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou spent much time thinking about translational research. But two quotes of hers capture the essence of the interplay between bench and bedside: “I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better” and “I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.” At the 2023 Annual Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, Mary Reilly described the relationship between bench and bedside as “a continuous circle of translation,” with each cycle beginning with patients and their needs.
Four-repeat (4R)-tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases whose main hallmarks are brain accumulations of specific protein tau isoforms that lead to syndromes such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) or corticobasal syndrome. There are yet no sensitive-enough PET tracers for 4R-tauopathies.
Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to entice. On the exhibition floor at the 2023 Congress of the European Academy of Neurology, one company’s booth featured “Mindart” technology. A passersby could answer a short series of prompts, and get a unique image based on the input made by generative AI. Entertainment aside, medically speaking, AI applications “are still research,” Riccardo Soffietti told his audience at one of several sessions devoted to AI. “But obviously, research is the future.”
Etnova Therapeutics Co. Ltd. has described gadolinium complexes reported to be useful for the treatment of stroke, ataxia, epilepsy, spinal cord injury, optic nerve injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, among others.
Glioblastoma is a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer characterized by rapid infiltration into surrounding brain tissue, especially in areas of increased neuronal activity. Neurons and nerve fibers have recently been identified as vital components of the tumor microenvironment that favor the initiation and progression of a variety of solid tumors, including gliomas. Researchers have gained new insights into the molecular mechanisms driving glioblastoma infiltration and identified subtypes of neurons that serve as the substrate for driving tumor progression.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked genetic disorder affecting roughly 1 in 3,500 males. DMD is due to mutations in the dystrophin gene, which encodes for an exceptionally large 427 kD protein. DMD is characterized by repeated degeneration and regeneration of muscle fibers, but ultimately replacement of muscle with fibrotic and adipose tissue. Despite advances in gene therapy and improvements in quality of life, most patients still die by 30 years of age due to cardiopulmonary failure.
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