Saturday, December 30, 2017

Association between iron related gene polymorphisms and Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) disease and peripheral neuropathy in Indian cohort

I. Singh, S. Shakya, R.K. Singh, A. Istaq, V. Goyal, S. Garima, A.K. Srivastava; Journal of the Neurological Sciences Volume 381, Supplement, 15 October 2017, Pages 895 Doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2017.08.2519

Till date, this is the largest study investigating HFE variations in FRDA. The observed over representation of p.H63D variation in FRDA and its correlation with the occurrence of peripheral neuropathy is intriguing in the context of dysregulated iron metabolism in FRDA due to loss of function mutations in FXN.

Transcriptional regulators of redox balance and other homeostatic processes with the potential to alter neurodegenerative disease trajectory.

Scott W. Burnside, Giles E. Hardingham; Biochemical Society Transactions Nov 17, 2017, 45 (6) 1295-1303; DOI: 10.1042/BST20170013

Diverse neurodegenerative diseases share some common aspects to their pathology, with many showing evidence of disruption to the brain's numerous homeostatic processes. As such, imbalanced inflammatory status, glutamate dyshomeostasis, hypometabolism and oxidative stress are implicated in many disorders. That these pathological processes can influence each other both up- and downstream makes for a complicated picture, but means that successfully targeting one area may have an effect on others. This targeting requires an understanding of the mechanisms by which homeostasis is maintained during health, in order to uncover strategies to boost homeostasis in disease. A case in point is redox homeostasis, maintained by antioxidant defences co-ordinately regulated by the transcription factor Nrf2, and capable of preventing not only oxidative stress but also inflammation and neuronal loss in neurodegenerative disease models. The emergence of other master regulators of homeostatic processes in the brain controlling inflammation, mitochondrial biogenesis, glutamate uptake and energy metabolism raises the question as to whether they too can be targeted to alter disease trajectory.

NAD+ Intermediates: The Biology and Therapeutic Potential of NMN and NR

Jun Yoshino, Joseph A. Baur, Shin-ichiro Imai,  Cell Metabolism, Available online 14 December 2017, ISSN 1550-4131, doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2017.11.002.

Research on the biology of NAD+ has been gaining momentum, providing many critical insights into the pathogenesis of age-associated functional decline and diseases. In particular, two key NAD+ intermediates, nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), have been extensively studied over the past several years. Supplementing these NAD+ intermediates has shown preventive and therapeutic effects, ameliorating age-associated pathophysiologies and disease conditions. Although the pharmacokinetics and metabolic fates of NMN and NR are still under intensive investigation, these NAD+ intermediates can exhibit distinct behavior, and their fates appear to depend on the tissue distribution and expression levels of NAD+ biosynthetic enzymes, nucleotidases, and presumptive transporters for each. A comprehensive concept that connects NAD+ metabolism to the control of aging and longevity in mammals has been proposed, and the stage is now set to test whether these exciting preclinical results can be translated to improve human health.