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Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 2020 Jun 28. Epub 2020 Jun 28.

Molecular Medicine Research Center, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz. Iran.

Stem cells are considered to have significant capacity to differentiate into various cell types in humans or animals. Unlike specialized cells, these cells can proliferate several times to produce millions of cells. Nowadays, pluripotent stem cells are important candidates to provide a renewable source for replacement of cells in tissues of interest. Read More

J Neurosci Methods 2020 Jun 24;343:108831. Epub 2020 Jun 24.

Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, United States; Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY, United States. Electronic address:

Background: A mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) occurs to millions of people each year. Translational approaches to understanding the pathogenesis of neurological diseases and the testing of the effectiveness of interventions typically require cognitive function assays in rodents.

New Methods: Our goal was to validate the active avoidance task using the GEMINI avoidance system in a mouse model of mild closed head injury (CHI). Read More

PLoS One 2020 15;15(6):e0234245. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America.

There are approximately 1.2 million people currently living with spinal cord injury (SCI), with a majority of cases at the cervical level and half involving incomplete injuries. Yet, as most preclinical research has been focused on bilateral thoracic models, there remains a disconnect between bench and bedside that limits translational success. Read More

Curr Osteoporos Rep 2020 Jun 9. Epub 2020 Jun 9.

Division of Pathology, IRCCS European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milan, Italy.

Purpose Of Review: The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of (i) bone and muscle tissue modifications pathophysiology in spinal cord injury (SCI), (ii) experimental data on the physiopathological mechanisms underpinning these modifications and their similarities with the aging process, and (iii) potential clinical implications in the management of the disabling sequelae of SCI.

Recent Findings: Several studies attempted to describe the biology underpinning the links between bone and muscle tissues in the setting of highly disabling conditions, such as osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and neurodegenerative disorders, although these bidirectional connections remain still unclear. SCI could be considered an in vivo paradigmatic model of the bone muscle interactions in unloading conditions that might be expanded in the field of neurodegenerative disorders or cancer studies. Read More

Neurourol Urodyn 2020 Jun 8. Epub 2020 Jun 8.

Department of Urology, University of Yamanashi Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo, Yamanashi, Japan.

Aims: Rodent cystometry has provided valuable insights into the impact of the disease, injury, and aging on the cellular and molecular pathways, neurologic processes, and biomechanics of lower urinary tract function. The purpose of this white paper is to highlight the benefits and shortcomings of different experimental methods and strategies and to provide guidance on the proper interpretation of results.

Methods: Literature search, selection of articles, and conclusions based on discussions among a panel of workers in the field. Read More

Spine J 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange NJ, USA; Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA.

Background Context: While several models for predicting independent ambulation early after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) based upon age and specific motor and sensory level findings have been published and validated, their accuracy, especially in individual American Spinal Injury Association [ASIA] Impairment Scale (AIS) classifications, has been questioned. Further, although age is widely used in prediction rules, its role and possible modifications have not been adequately evaluated until now.

Purpose: To evaluate the predictive accuracy of existing clinical prediction rules for independent ambulation among individuals at spinal cord injury model systems (SCIMS) Centers as well as the effect of modifying the age parameter from a cutoff of 65 years to 50 years. Read More

Eur J Transl Myol 2020 Apr 1;30(1):8826. Epub 2020 Apr 1.

Interdepartmental Research Centre of Myology (CIR-Myo), Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy.

More than half a century of skeletal muscle research is continuing at Padua University (Italy) under the auspices of the Interdepartmental Research Centre of Myology (CIR-Myo), the European Journal of Translational Myology (EJTM) and recently also with the support of the A&CM-C Foundation for Translational Myology, Padova, Italy. The Volume 30(1), 2020 of the EJTM opens with the collection of abstracts for the conference "2020 Padua Muscle Days: Mobility Medicine 30 years of Translational Research". This is an international conference that will be held between March 18-21, 2020 in Euganei Hills and Padova in Italy. Read More

Aging Dis 2020 May 9;11(3):603-617. Epub 2020 May 9.

1Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.

The complex pathology of chronic thoracic spinal cord compression involves vascular and neuroarchitectural repair processes that are still largely unknown. In this study, we used synchrotron radiation microtomography (SRμCT) to quantitatively characterize the 3D temporal-spatial changes in the vascular and neuronal network after chronic thoracic spinal cord compression in order to obtain further insights into the pathogenesis of this disease and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. Direct 3D characterization of the spinal cord microvasculature and neural microstructure of the thoracic spinal cord was successfully reconstructed. Read More

J Cell Physiol 2020 Jun 2. Epub 2020 Jun 2.

Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Electrical stimulation (ES) has been shown to improve some of impairments after spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The Wnt signaling pathways and the endocannabinoid system appear to be modulated in response to SCI. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ES therapy on the activity of canonical/noncanonical Wnt signaling pathways, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and fatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which regulate endocannabinoids levels. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2020 May 28;12(10):8953-8967. Epub 2020 May 28.

Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Chitosan nanoparticles have been recognized as a new type of biomaterials for treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). To develop a novel treatment method targeted delivery injured spinal cord, valproic acid labeled chitosan nanoparticles (VA-CN) were constructed and evaluated in the treatment of SCI. Our results demonstrated that administration of VA-CN significantly promoted the recovery of the function and tissue repair after SCI. Read More

Pharmacol Rep 2020 May 27. Epub 2020 May 27.

Halal Research Center of IRI, FDA, Tehran, Iran.

Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system, and are important players in both brain injury and neurodegenerative disease. Curcumin (1,7-bis[4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl]-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione), the major active component of turmeric, belongs to the curcuminoid family that was originally isolated from the plant Curcuma longa. Several studies suggest that curcumin may have a beneficial impact on the brain pathology and aging. Read More

Mol Neurobiol 2020 Jul 25;57(7):2996-3013. Epub 2020 May 25.

Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.

The mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes (MAMs) are specific ER domains that contact the mitochondria and function to facilitate communication between ER and mitochondria. Disruption of contact between the mitochondria and ER is associated with a variety of pathophysiological conditions including neurodegenerative diseases. Considering the many cellular functions of MAMs, we hypothesized that MAMs play an important role in regulating microRNA (miRNA) activity linked to its unique location between mitochondria and ER. Read More

Biomed Eng Online 2020 May 24;19(1):34. Epub 2020 May 24.

Kite Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-University Health Network, 550 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 2A2, Canada.

Functional electrical stimulation is a technique to produce functional movements after paralysis. Electrical discharges are applied to a person's muscles making them contract in a sequence that allows performing tasks such as grasping a key, holding a toothbrush, standing, and walking. The technology was developed in the sixties, during which initial clinical use started, emphasizing its potential as an assistive device. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2020 May 19;12:9292-9310. Epub 2020 May 19.

Department of Pathology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai.

Emerging studies demonstrate that PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) participate in the development of cancers. 75 pairs of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) samples and 31 benign thyroid nodule samples were included in this three-phase biomarker identifying study. First, piRNA expression profiles of five pairs of PTC samples were acquired piRNA sequencing. Read More

FASEB Bioadv 2020 May 20;2(5):304-314. Epub 2020 Mar 20.

Cardiovascular Innovation Institute University of Louisville Louisville KY USA.

Background: Ischemia reperfusion (IR) injury leads to activation of dynamin-related protein (Drp-1), causing mitochondrial fission and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), but the molecular mechanisms that activate Drp-1 are not known. The purpose of this study was to establish a link between Thbs-1 and fission protein (Drp-1) through Pgc-1α following IR in advancing age.

Methods: Female Fischer-344 rats were divided into four groups: Young Control, Young + IR, Old Control, and Old + IR. Read More

J Aging Res 2020 1;2020:7232614. Epub 2020 Apr 1.

Neurological and Endocrine Toxicology Branch, Public Health and Integrated Toxicology Division, CPHEA/ORD, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, Durham, NC 27711, USA.

Mitochondria play a central role in energy homeostasis and act as regulatory checkpoints for downstream metabolic responses and cell senescence processes during an entire life span. Acute or chronic environmental toxicant exposures have shown deleterious organ-specific human health issues at various life stages. Since mitochondria are a prime target for ensuing cellular bioenergetics responses and senescence, it is essential to understand mitochondrial bioenergetic responses in different organs over multiple life stages. Read More

Spinal Cord Ser Cases 2020 Apr 17;6(1):23. Epub 2020 Apr 17.

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a life-changing event that drastically affects a person's sense of identity, ability to participate, and quality of life (QOL). Researchers studying the coping process have often focused on identifying maladaptive behaviors and barriers, and less on positive psychology approaches emphasizing individual strengths. More recently, positive psychology constructs, such as resilience, have received greater attention from SCI researchers. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2020 May 11. Epub 2020 May 11.

Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Although experience suggests a shift in the epidemiology of spinal cord injury (SCI) toward an older demographic, population studies are lacking. We aimed to evaluate (1) how the epidemiology and age profile of SCI have changed over time, and (2) how increased age impacts health outcomes up to 15 years post-injury. A population-based cohort study was performed in Ontario including adults diagnosed with traumatic SCI between 2002 and 2017. Read More

J Neuroinflammation 2020 Apr 14;17(1):115. Epub 2020 Apr 14.

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Room 433, Sanders-Brown Bldg., 800 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.

Background: Older-age individuals are at the highest risk for disability from a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Astrocytes are the most numerous glia in the brain, necessary for brain function, yet there is little known about unique responses of astrocytes in the aged-brain following TBI.

Methods: Our approach examined astrocytes in young adult, 4-month-old, versus aged, 18-month-old mice, at 1, 3, and 7 days post-TBI. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2020 21;2020:2102785. Epub 2020 Mar 21.

School of Physical Therapy and Graduate Institute of Rehabilitation Science, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Background: To investigate the effects of robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) on spasticity and pain in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). . Four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) were searched for studies published up to November 2019. Read More

Front Cell Dev Biol 2020 25;8:190. Epub 2020 Mar 25.

Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, United States.

In the aging western population, the average age of incidence for spinal cord injury (SCI) has increased, as has the length of survival of SCI patients. This places great importance on understanding SCI in middle-aged and aging patients. Axon regeneration after injury is an area of study that has received substantial attention and made important experimental progress, however, our understanding of how aging affects this process, and any therapeutic effort to modulate repair, is incomplete. Read More

Clin Pharmacol Drug Dev 2020 Apr 7. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

Department of Neurology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

MW01-6-189WH (MW189) is a novel central nervous system-penetrant small-molecule drug candidate that selectively attenuates stressor-induced proinflammatory cytokine overproduction and is efficacious in intracerebral hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury animal models. We report first-in-human, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1 studies to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of single and multiple ascending intravenous doses of MW189 in healthy adult volunteers. MW189 was safe and well tolerated in single and multiple doses up to 0. Read More

Biomed J 2020 Feb 26;43(1):44-52. Epub 2020 Feb 26.

Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, IA, USA. Electronic address:

Background: This study used novel human neurophysiologic models to investigate whether the mechanism of rate-sensitive H-reflex depression lies in the pre-synaptic or post-synaptic locus in humans. We hypothesized that pre-synaptic inhibition would suppress Ia afferents and H-reflexes without suppressing alpha motor neurons or motor evoked potentials (MEPs). In contrast, post-synaptic inhibition would suppress alpha motor neurons, thereby reducing H-reflexes and MEPs. Read More

Front Neurosci 2020 3;14:129. Epub 2020 Mar 3.

Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with a complex and not fully understood pathogenesis. Besides brain-intrinsic hallmarks such as abnormal deposition of harmful proteins, i.e. Read More

Harefuah 2020 Mar;159(3):191-194

REUTH Rehabilitation Hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) etiology can be either traumatic or non-traumatic. Non-traumatic SCI is of growing importance, with studies indicating increased incidence, partly because of population aging. Approximately 9% of these injuries are secondary to an infectious cause. Read More

Neurobiol Aging 2020 Jun 17;90:99-109. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD), University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Epigenetic changes associated with aging have been linked to functional and cognitive deficits in the adult CNS. Histone acetylation is involved in the control of the transcription of plasticity and regeneration-associated genes. The intrinsic axon growth capacity in the CNS is negatively regulated by phosphatase and tensin homolog (Pten). Read More

J Clin Med 2020 Feb 16;9(2). Epub 2020 Feb 16.

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.

Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of spinal cord injury in developed countries; its prevalence is increasing due to the ageing of the population. DCM causes neurological dysfunction and is a significant cause of disability in the elderly. It has important negative impacts on the quality of life of those affected, as well as on their caregivers. Read More

Nat Neurosci 2020 Feb;23(2):294

Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. Read More

Nat Neurosci 2020 02 20;23(2):194-208. Epub 2020 Jan 20.

Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.

Microglia become progressively activated and seemingly dysfunctional with age, and genetic studies have linked these cells to the pathogenesis of a growing number of neurodegenerative diseases. Here we report a striking buildup of lipid droplets in microglia with aging in mouse and human brains. These cells, which we call 'lipid-droplet-accumulating microglia' (LDAM), are defective in phagocytosis, produce high levels of reactive oxygen species and secrete proinflammatory cytokines. Read More

Exp Neurol 2020 Apr 11;326:113180. Epub 2020 Jan 11.

Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States of America; Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America. Electronic address:

In humans, the majority of sustained traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are classified as 'mild' and most often a result of a closed head injury (CHI). The effects of a non-penetrating CHI are not benign and may lead to chronic pathology and behavioral dysfunction, which could be worsened by repeated head injury. Clinical-neuropathological correlation studies provide evidence that conversion of tau into abnormally phosphorylated proteotoxic intermediates (p-tau) could be part of the pathophysiology triggered by a single TBI and enhanced by repeated TBIs. Read More

Autophagy 2020 Jan 13:1-17. Epub 2020 Jan 13.

Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.

Macroautophagy/autophagy is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis through the degradation of organelles and proteins. It also has a prominent role in modulating aging. However, the role of autophagy in the neuronal response to axon injury and axon regeneration, particularly in the context of aging, remains largely unknown. Read More

Nature 2020 01 8;577(7790):399-404. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder in which neuroinflammation has a critical function. However, little is known about the contribution of the adaptive immune response in Alzheimer's disease. Here, using integrated analyses of multiple cohorts, we identify peripheral and central adaptive immune changes in Alzheimer's disease. Read More

Physiother Theory Pract 2020 Jan 8:1-10. Epub 2020 Jan 8.

Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.

: Correlations between aging, cognitive impairment and poor quality of life (QOL) have been observed for many patient populations.: The purpose of this study was to examine these correlations in individuals with and without spinal cord injury (SCI).: 23 individuals with complete SCI and 20 individuals without SCI ("NON") underwent assessment of cognitive function via the NIH Toolbox for Neurological and Behavioral Function. Read More

Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2020 01 5;245(1):54-65. Epub 2020 Jan 5.

Department of Spine Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, PR China.

Spinal Cord 2020 Jun 3;58(6):658-666. Epub 2020 Jan 3.

College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.

Study Design: Longitudinal cohort study OBJECTIVE: To evaluate lifetime variation in healthcare utilization among individuals with a chronic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Setting: Medical university in the Southeastern United States (US).

Methods: Participants were identified from two Midwestern University hospitals and a specialty hospital in the Southeastern US and were enrolled in 1973-1974, 1984-1985, 1993-1994, and 2003-2004. Read More

Bone Rep 2020 Jun 29;12:100233. Epub 2019 Nov 29.

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wolfson Building, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NW, UK.

Micro-Computed Tomography bone analysis is the gold standard method for assessing trabecular and cortical bone microarchitecture in small animal bones. This technique reports morphometric parameters as averages over selected volumes of interest (VOIs). This study proposes the introduction of an additional global 2D morphometric step into the analysis process, that provides a survey of the underlying morphometric variation present throughout both trabecular and cortical bone. Read More

Clin Orthop Relat Res 2020 Mar;478(3):593-606

B. S. Baker, M. S. Stannard, D. L. Duren, J. L. Cook, J. P. Stannard, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA B. S. Baker, D. L. Duren, J. L. Cook, J. P. Stannard, Missouri Orthopedic Institute, Columbia, MO, USA M. S. Stannard, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA D. L. Duren, Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.

Background: Blood flow restriction (BFR) is a process of using inflatable cuffs to create vascular occlusion within a limb during exercise. The technique can stimulate muscle hypertrophy and improve physical function; however, most of these studies have enrolled healthy, young men with a focus on athletic performance. Furthermore, much of the information on BFR comes from studies with small samples sizes, limited follow-up time, and varied research designs resulting in greater design, selection, and sampling bias. Read More

Sci Rep 2019 12 18;9(1):19324. Epub 2019 Dec 18.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan.

Approximately 40% of people under 30 and over 90% of people 55 or older suffer from moderate-to-severe levels of degenerative intervertebral disc (IVD) disease in their lumbar spines. Surgical treatments are sometimes effective; however, the treatment of back pain related to IVD degeneration is still a challenge; therefore, new treatments are necessary. Apoptosis may be important in IVD degeneration because suppressing cell apoptosis inside the IVD inhibits degeneration. Read More

Biol Open 2019 Dec 24;8(12). Epub 2019 Dec 24.

Department of Computer Science, School of Engineering, P. Universidad Católica de Chile

frogs are a widely used organism to study aspects of modern biology ( Harland and Grainger, 2011). Its central nervous system is particularly interesting, because in certain stages of metamorphosis the spinal cord can regenerate after injury and recover swimming. With this in mind, automatic gait analysis could help evaluate the regenerative performance by means of a method that automatically and quantitatively establishes the degree in froglets' limb movement. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2019 12 17;11(24):12278-12294. Epub 2019 Dec 17.

Department of Neurosurgery, Characteristic Medical Center of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, Institution of Brain Trauma and Neurology Disease of People's Armed Police Forces, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Neurotrauma Repair, Tianjin 300162, China.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains the most common cause of paralysis, and there are no effective therapies for SCI patients. Neural stem cell (NSC)-derived exosomes can attenuate apoptosis and neuroinflammation after traumatic spinal cord injury, but the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Here, we examined the efficacy of miRNAs isolated from exosomes as treatments for SCI and characterized their mechanisms of action. Read More

Aging (Albany NY) 2019 12 16;11(24):12213-12235. Epub 2019 Dec 16.

Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, Sichuan Province, China.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes long-term and severe disability, influencing the quality of life and triggering serious socioeconomic consequences. Lack of effective pharmacotherapies for SCI is largely attributable to an incomplete understanding of its pathogenesis. Caspase recruitment domain family member 6 (CARD6) was initially suggested to be a protein playing significant role in NF-κB activation. Read More

Elife 2019 12 3;8. Epub 2019 Dec 3.

Aging and Critical Care Research Laboratory, University of Kentucky, Lexington, United States.

Chronic critical illness is a global clinical issue affecting millions of sepsis survivors annually. Survivors report chronic skeletal muscle weakness and development of new functional limitations that persist for years. To delineate mechanisms of sepsis-induced chronic weakness, we first surpassed a critical barrier by establishing a murine model of sepsis with ICU-like interventions that allows for the study of survivors. Read More

Front Immunol 2019 8;10:2474. Epub 2019 Nov 8.

BIH Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), Berlin, Germany.

Heterogeneous populations of human bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSC) are among the most frequently tested cellular therapeutics for treating degenerative and immune disorders, which occur predominantly in the aging population. Currently, it is unclear whether advanced donor age and commonly associated comorbidities affect the properties of -expanded BMSCs. Thus, we stratified cells from adult and elderly donors from our biobank ( = 10 and = 13, mean age 38 and 72 years, respectively) and compared their phenotypic and functional performance, using multiple assays typically employed as minimal criteria for defining multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Read More

J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2020 Jan;79(1):3-21

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging (YK, DWF, ADB, SCA, W-XW, AW, LJB, BGN, QH, ELA, SA, IP, DAP, DMN, DWW, GAJ, LJVE, PTN); Department of Biostatistics (YK, DWF); Spinal Cord & Brain Injury Research Center (ADB); Department of Neuroscience (ADB, DWW, LJVE); Department of Epidemiology (ELA); Department of Neurology (DWW, GAJ); Department of Physiology (BCS, SE); and Department of Pathology (W-XW, JHN, PTN), University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.

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. Read More

Curr Osteoporos Rep 2019 12;17(6):548-559

Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Missouri Kansas City, 650 E. 25th Street, Kansas City, MO, 64108, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Extracellular vesicles (EV), which include exosomes and microvesicles, are membrane-bound particles shed by most cell types and are important mediators of cell-cell communication by delivering their cargo of proteins, miRNA, and mRNA to target cells and altering their function. Here, we provide an overview of what is currently known about EV composition and function in bone and muscle cells and discuss their role in mediating crosstalk between these two tissues as well as their role in musculoskeletal aging.

Recent Findings: Recent studies have shown that muscle and bone cells produce EV, whose protein, mRNA, and miRNA cargo reflects the differentiated state of the parental cells. Read More

PM R 2020 May 20;12(5):454-461. Epub 2019 Dec 20.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

Background: An estimated one billion people worldwide live with some form of disability and may face many challenges as they age, including increased fall risk. Understanding the risk factors linking falls, fear of falling, and activity restriction is critical for developing effective programs to increase activity levels among persons with disabilities.

Objectives: To determine if differences exist in the level of physical activity in people with different types of conditions associated with disability and to investigate if fear of falling is associated with physical activity in individuals who are aging with a long-term disability. Read More

J Aging Health 2019 12;31(10_suppl):214S-240S

University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.

Aging with physical disability disrupts one's ability to achieve valued goals due to changes in symptoms and function. It is unclear how to cope optimally in this context. This study examined whether two possible strategies-tenacious goal pursuit (TGP) and flexible goal adjustment (FGA)-were associated with reduced pain interference and depressive symptoms and greater well-being, and protected against pain intensity, and FGA was more protective with increasing age and worse physical function. Read More

Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2019 Dec 2;187:105549. Epub 2019 Nov 2.

Neurosurgery Department, Tulane/Ochsner Medical Centers, LA, United States. Electronic address:

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) can predispose to acute spinal cord injury and post-operative quadriparesis during non-spine procedures, although few accounts of this phenomenon exist within the literature. To the best of our knowledge, there are only 18 cases reported in the literature including ours with spinal cord injury following elective non-spine surgery with undiagnosed CSM. Due to multifactorial pathophysiology, the maintenance of cervical cord neutrality is not sufficient to ensure that these patients will not sustain cord injury intraoperatively as this solely addresses the role of static factors. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2019 Nov 3;20(21). Epub 2019 Nov 3.

Institute of Life Sciences, Vasile Goldiş Western University of Arad, 310414 Arad, Romania.

With age, our cognitive skills and abilities decline. Maybe starting as an annoyance, this decline can become a major impediment to normal daily life. Recent research shows that the neurodegenerative disorders responsible for age associated cognitive dysfunction are mechanistically linked to the state of the microvasculature in the brain. Read More

Neuroscience 2020 01 31;424:86-101. Epub 2019 Oct 31.

Department of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery, Jing'an District Central Hospital of Shanghai, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China; Department of Hand Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China; Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Priority Among Priorities of Shanghai Municipal Clinical Medicine Center, Shanghai 200040, China; National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China. Electronic address:

Corticospinal neurons (CSNs) undertake direct cortical outputs to the spinal cord and innervate the upper limb through the brachial plexus. Our previous study has shown that the contralateral middle trunk transfer to the paralyzed upper extremity due to cerebral injury can reconstruct the functional cerebral cortex and improve the function of the paralyzed upper extremity. To interpret the cortical reconstruction and the motor improvement after the middle trunk transfer, we explored the distribution of CSNs connecting to the middle, upper, and lower trunk of the brachial plexus by retrograde trans-neuronal tracing using pseudorabies virus (PRV-EGFP or PRV-mRFP). Read More