Publications

Past studies have suggested that non-neuronal brain cells express the leptin receptor. However, the identity and distribution of these leptin receptor-expressing non-neuronal brain cells remain debated. This study assessed the distribution of the long form of the leptin receptor (LepRb) in non-neuronal brain cells using a reporter mouse model in which LepRb-expressing cells are permanently marked by tdTomato fluorescent protein (LepRb-CretdTomato).

Programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression as determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) is potentially predictive of clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to assess the concordance of reported PD-L1 IHC assays and investigate factors influencing variability. Consecutive sections from 20 non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) comprising resection, core biopsy, cytology and pleural fluid samples underwent IHC with 5 different antibody/autostainer combinations: 22C3/Link48, 28-8/BOND-MAX, E1L3N/BOND-MAX, SP142/BenchMark and SP263/BenchMark. PD-L1 RNA levels were assessed using RNAscope.

The present study aimed to compare clinicopathologic features between idiopathic multicentric Castleman’s disease (n=22) and IgG4-related disease (n=26). Histology was analyzed using lymph node and lung biopsies. The expression of IL-6 mRNA in tissue was also examined by in situ hybridization and real-time PCR. Patients with idiopathic multicentric Castleman’s disease were significantly younger than those with IgG4-related disease (p<0.001).

Mammalian sleep consists of distinct rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) states. The midbrain region ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) is known to be important for gating REM sleep, but the underlying neuronal mechanism is not well understood.

Mutations in C9ORF72 are the most common cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a multisystem life-threatening fibrosing disorder that lacks effective treatment. The link between the inflammation observed in organs such as the skin and profibrotic mechanisms is not well understood. The plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) is a key celltype mediating Toll-like receptor (TLR)-induced inflammation in autoimmune disease patients, including lupus and skin diseases with interface dermatitis. However, the role of pDCs in fibrosis is less clear.

Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD1a) is an inherited metabolic disorder caused by the deficiency of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase). GSD1a is associated with life-threatening hypoglycemia and long-term liver and renal complications. We examined the efficacy of mRNA-encoding human G6Pase in a liver-specific G6Pase-/- mouse model (L-G6PC--/-) that exhibits the same hepatic biomarkers associated with GSD1a patients, such as fasting hypoglycemia, and elevated levels of hepatic glucose-6-phosphate (G6P), glycogen, and triglycerides.

Cortical sensory maps are remodeled during early life to adapt to the surrounding environment. Both sensory and contextual signals are important for induction of this plasticity, but how these signals converge to sculpt developing thalamocortical circuits remains largely unknown. Here we show that layer 1 (L1) of primary auditory cortex (A1) is a key hub where neuromodulatory and topographically organized thalamic inputs meet to tune the cortical layers below.

Despite recent efforts to dissect the inter-tumor heterogeneity of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by determining prognosis-predictive gene expression signatures for specific subtypes, their functional differences remain elusive.

Background and Aims