Brain cancer, with glioblastoma (GBM) being one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant cancers, represents a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Its complex nature and the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) significantly hinder the effectiveness of conventional therapies, posing major challenges for treatment development. In this context, nanotechnology—particularly nanomedicine—has emerged as a promising strategy to overcome these barriers and enhance standard treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT). This review focuses on three of the most challenging brain neoplasms—GBM, brain metastases, and pediatric brain tumors—and explores the growing role of nanoparticle-based therapies, with special emphasis on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Owing to their unique physicochemical properties, such as surface functionalization, biocompatibility, and the ability to cross the BBB, AuNPs have shown great potential in selectively delivering drugs, enhancing RT as radiosensitizers, and reducing systemic toxicity. Despite their therapeutic advantages, concerns remain regarding the long-term safety of AuNPs. Their small size and ability to cross biological barriers may lead to unintended biodistribution, immune responses, and cytotoxic effects. Reported risks include inflammatory reactions, apoptosis, and developmental toxicity, highlighting the need for comprehensive safety assessments. AuNPs offer a promising avenue for improving therapeutic efficacy and patient survival in brain cancers. However, their clinical application requires further in-depth preclinical and clinical evaluation to ensure both effectiveness and safety
Recent research has highlighted the indispensability of traditional molecular biology and imaging techniques in pain research. However, the mechanisms underlying pain empathy remain unclear. Consequently, a deeper understanding of these mechanisms would greatly enhance pain management. This article aimed to scrutinize previous research findings on pain empathy, with a particular emphasis on the correlation between empathy for pain and distinct anatomical structures, such as mirror neurons, the anterior cingulate cortex, insular cortex, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. Additionally, this study explored the involvement of endogenous systems, including oxytocin and the locus coeruleus norepinephrine system, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, opioid system, and 5-hydroxylamine signaling. In conclusion, the mechanisms of pain empathy are complex and diverse, and research on pain empathy and target treatment will contribute to pain treatment.
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative disease leading to dementia, lacks a single definitive diagnosis. While current medications only manage symptoms, the ideal treatment would restore cognition. Traditional therapies targeting beta-amyloid haven't yielded significant results, while new approaches target tau protein tangles, protein degradation pathways, inflammation, and neurotrophic factor depletion. Autophagy, a cellular degradation and recycling process, has emerged as a crucial hallmark and contributor to the pathogenesis of AD. Notably, autophagy induction has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach, with inducers like celastrol and caudatin promoting the degradation of toxic protein aggregates. Additionally, innovative drug formulations, such as nanoparticles, are being explored for targeted drug delivery. Research is increasingly focusing on neuroinflammation and developing multi-targeted drugs to address various aspects of AD, potentially leading to preventive strategies in the early stages. This review summarizes the current state and emerging trends in AD drug development.
Several noninvasive brain stimulation techniques have gained significant attention in neurocognitive science and clinical research due to their potential efficacy in addressing neurological, psychiatric, and cognitive impairments. This study explores global trends and research hotspots in brain stimulation research for cognitive impairment and related disorders. Using a data set from 1989 to 2024 sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection, 4156 records were analyzed through bibliometric methods, including publication trends, country or region, and institutional analysis, and document co-citation analysis (DCA). Results revealed a steady increase in research, with a significant increase in publications during the period from 2019 to 2023. The USA led in citation counts (1117), centrality (0.37), while China topped the burst value (72.31). The University of London led in citation counts (235), whereas Capital Medical University topped the sigma value (1.77). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and repetitive TMS (rTMS) dominated the top positions in DCA analysis. Emerging trends were identified through burst keywords, including “transcranial Doppler,” “subthalamic nucleus stimulation,” “cerebral blood flow,” “vascular dementia,” and “cardiopulmonary bypass.” These emerging research hotspots underscore the growing focus on vascular aspects of cognitive impairment and advanced brain stimulation methods. Additionally, newer noninvasive techniques like fast gamma magnetic stimulation, paired-associative stimulation with TMS (PAS-TMS), and theta-burst stimulation are identified as promising avenues for future research, offering significant potential for therapeutic advancements. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the global landscape, trends, and future directions in brain stimulation research for cognitive impairment.
This study aims to investigate the relationship between Parkinson's disease (PD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk by a systematic review and meta-analysis. Using Embase, Pubmed, and Cochrane Library databases, 21 articles reporting clinical data of 1,635,873 PD patients and 10,388,842 healthy individuals were finally included. Based on the results of pooled analysis, we found that PD patients exhibited a decreased risk of CRC (relative risk (RR) = 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68–0.80). In contrast to case-control (RR = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64–1) and cohort studies (RR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.66–0.79), the combined risk of PD patients with CRC in Asian nations (RR = 0.67; 95% CI, 0.58–0.78) was lower than that in Western countries (RR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.70–0.82). In comparison to rectal cancer (RR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.69–0.97), PD patients exhibited a lower combined risk of colon cancer (RR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.67–0.86). Furthermore, the combined CRC risks for patients in studies published before 2010 and after 2010 were 0.76 (RR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.66–0.88) and 0.74 (RR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.68–0.80), respectively. These findings indicate that patients with PD had a reduced risk of CRC. Future studies are merited in exploring pathological molecular linkages or underlying mechanisms of inverse association between CRC and PD.
Iron accumulation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been implicated in neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables noninvasive quantification of brain iron content and deposition. This review aimed to summarize the evidence on the MRI-based assessment of PFC iron accumulation in healthy individuals and patients with neurodegeneration. A systematic preliminary literature review was conducted using the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases. MRI techniques for capturing susceptibility changes reflecting iron, such as susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), and R2* mapping, were included. Data were extracted, and narrative synthesis was performed. Twelve studies that measured PFC iron levels using MRI in diseases with neurodegeneration (five studies) and healthy subjects (seven studies) were included. In general, studies involving diseases with neurodegeneration have found that increased PFC iron content correlates with cognitive impairment. Aging studies on healthy subjects have reported that age-related accumulation of PFC iron, particularly in the dorsolateral, medial, and anterior subregions, increases with age, and is associated with reduced dopamine signaling and poorer cognition. MRI techniques, such as QSM, can quantify prefrontal iron accumulation in diseases with neurodegeneration and aging. As imaging biomarkers, increased prefrontal iron levels may contribute to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Longitudinal studies combining advanced QSM and other advanced neuroimaging techniques with cognitive assessments may further elucidate the effects of iron dysregulation on PFC function. Thus, our findings highlight the importance of MRI as a sensitive tool for assessing PFC iron content and its potential role in understanding the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration and the effects of aging on the brain.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative condition that is influenced by multiple factors along with neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Our previous study proved that Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd. aqueous extract (sweet tea aqueous extract, STAE) effectively inhibits hydrogen peroxide-induced neuronal cell injury. However, it is not clear whether STAE can protect against AD, and its underlying mechanisms are still uncertain. Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the possible behavioral and neurochemical effects of STAE on Aβ25-35-induced AD rats administered STAE (20, 40, 80 mg/mL) for 14 days. We showed that STAE administration significantly and dose-dependently ameliorated the cognitive deficits in the AD rat models, assessed in the Morris water maze (MWM) test, Y-maze test, and novel object recognition (NOR) test. The results of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and Nissl staining showed that after treatment with STAE, the pathological damage to the hippocampal CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) neurons of rats was significantly improved. Furthermore, STAE dose-dependently inhibited microglia and astrocyte activation in the hippocampus of rats accompanied by increased protein expression of silent mating-type information regulation 2 homolog 6 (SIRT6) and decreased protein expression of nod-like receptor thermal protein domain-associated protein 3 (NLRP3) and its downstream pyroptosis-related genes after following Aβ25-35. In summary, our findings indicate that STAE effectively inhibits Aβ25-35-induced learning and memory impairment in rats, and the mechanism is, at least partially, related to the regulation of SIRT6/NLRP3 signaling pathway.
This study aims to provide a clinical reference for the management of endocrine complications in pituitary tumor patients by synthesizing recent evidence for domestic and international management strategies. Based on the PIPOST (Population, Intervention, Professional, Outcome, Setting, and Type of Evidence) framework, evidence-based medicine targets were determined. Electronic decision support systems, guideline websites, and databases were searched to identify the best evidence on postoperative endocrine complications in pituitary tumors. The PICO (Patient, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) principle was used to construct the search strategy, and the studies from the past 10 years (July 2013 to July 2023) were included. A total of 11 articles were included, including four guidelines, two expert consensus statements, one systematic review, one best practice article, and three randomized controlled trials. We obtained evidence on five aspects (endocrine assessment, secondary adrenal insufficiency management, water metabolism disorder management, special population management, and follow-up management) with a total of 30 pieces of evidence. Clinical healthcare professionals should focus on the care and follow-up of patients with postoperative complications, such as adrenal insufficiency, temporary or permanent diabetes insipidus, and hyponatremia. Future research should involve large sample sizes, long-term follow-ups, and multicenter studies to further clarify the protocols for fluid restriction, diet, and hormone use.
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are disorders that drastically alter the physiological functioning of neurons in the brain. These processes are often accompanied by abnormal protein aggregates that alter the physical and chemical properties of brain tissue and peripheral nerves. The causes of NDs are complex, involving genetic factors, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, environmental influences, and lifestyle, while symptoms and progression vary significantly based on the mechanisms of cell death. Currently, no definitive treatment exists for NDs, as the underlying degenerative processes remain poorly understood. Existing therapies focus on symptom alleviation but are insufficient to halt or prevent disease progression. This highlights the urgent need for strategies that mimic the pathophysiology of NDs, facilitating deeper insights and the development of effective treatments. Conventional in vitro and in vivo models attempt to replicate NDs but often fail to capture the physiological complexity of nervous tissue and its interactions. In this context, 3D microfluidic bioprinting emerges as a transformative technology. By enabling precise deposition of cells and biomaterials, it allows the creation of in vitro models with a high degree of structural and functional complexity. These advancements provide a valuable platform for faithfully modeling NDs, bridging critical gaps in our understanding, and paving the way toward innovative therapeutic approaches.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a group of autoimmune disorders characterized by inflammatory involvement of the optic nerve, spinal cord, and central nervous system. NMOSD is often associated with other autoimmune disorders, including Sjogren's syndrome (SS). While NMOSD typically occurs at a peak in young or older individuals, the coexistence of NMOSD and SS in a youngster is rare. Here, we presented a case of a 14-year-old girl with NMOSD and SS who responded well to immunosuppressive therapy but experienced a severe relapse after discontinuation of therapy. We described the clinical course of a case over 8 years, underscoring the importance of long-term treatment for NMOSD and SS. This case, along with the review of relevant literature, will raise awareness of this type of disease and facilitate early diagnosis and treatment to avoid serious sequelae.