{"title":"The nervous system as a systemic organizer of cancer-associated cachexia.","authors":"Zheqi Weng, Shuqi Cai, Haoran Zhu, Luju Jiang, Shan Zhang, Zhi-Gang Zhang, Shu-Heng Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.08.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) is a progressive, multiorgan wasting syndrome that critically limits treatment response and survival. In CAC, the nervous system senses, amplifies, and coordinates responses to a broad range of tumor-induced perturbations, including both direct tumor-derived factors and the resulting systemic disturbances in inflammation, metabolism, and immunity. By dysregulating central neural circuits and remodeling peripheral innervation, tumor-hijacked neural coordination drives both anorexia and multiorgan wasting, forming a self-reinforcing cachexia loop. Additionally, treatment-associated neurotoxicity further augments dysfunction across the central and peripheral nervous systems. In this review, we synthesize evidence from patient studies and animal models to examine how tumors co-opt the nervous system to systemically organize cachexia, thereby providing a pathophysiological framework for studying early disease detection, biomarker development, and mechanism-based intervention for CAC.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148876126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Amygdala excitability across development: mechanisms, environmental influences, and behavioral outcomes.","authors":"Ingrid Ehrlich, Sari E Lauri","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.08.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent work in rodent models provides mechanistic insights into how the excitability of principal neurons is dynamically regulated to facilitate the encoding and retrieval of emotionally salient memories in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). In this review, we discuss the physiological mechanisms governing BLA excitability, emphasizing their impact on the recruitment of defined BLA ensembles encoding distinct behavioral states. In addition, we summarize the current understanding of how these mechanisms are established during development and suggest that this may follow distinct developmental phases. Lastly, we outline recent findings on how early-life adversity or genetic risk factors can acutely perturb developmental trajectories and may lead to enduring changes in BLA circuit function, with implications for neurodevelopmental disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148851346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Eduardo R Zimmer, Anne-Karine Bouzier-Sore, Luc Pellerin
{"title":"The Microglia-Astrocyte-Neuron Lactate Shuttle model.","authors":"Eduardo R Zimmer, Anne-Karine Bouzier-Sore, Luc Pellerin","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.08.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In a recent study, Adler and colleagues demonstrated that microglia regulate blood glucose delivery to fuel the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle. As neuronal protein translation supported by this mechanism is essential for motor learning, these findings reveal how coordinated interactions among microglia, astrocytes, and neurons orchestrate neuroenergetics to support cognition.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148841357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katja Wiech, Falk Eippert, Karin Jensen, Lene Vase, Ulrike Bingel
{"title":"Beyond Bayesian integration: how meaning shapes placebo effects.","authors":"Katja Wiech, Falk Eippert, Karin Jensen, Lene Vase, Ulrike Bingel","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Placebo effects illustrate how strongly expectations can shape symptom perception and treatment outcomes. Contemporary Bayesian accounts have provided valuable insights by formalising how expectations are integrated with sensory information. However, such accounts can struggle to explain why treatment expectations persist despite disconfirming evidence and why placebo responses vary widely across individuals. We argue that placebo effects arise from richer inferential processes in which the individual aims to make sense of their observations through inferred explanatory states that are shaped by their motivational preferences and guide the interpretation of treatment effects. Combining Bayesian principles with latent-state inference and higher-level beliefs provides a more comprehensive account of placebo effects and highlights new opportunities for neuroscience and clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148798473","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development sculpts dense neural circuits to enhance memory capacity.","authors":"Talia Ulmer, Flavio Donato","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The hippocampal CA3 network supports associative memory through recurrent connectivity. Vargas-Barroso and colleagues have recently shown that the circuit develops from a dense network in which synapses exert strong influence into a sparse and structured architecture that requires convergent input for neuronal activation. Thus, during development, the hippocampus proceeds through distinct computational regimes that collectively expand its memory capacity.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148798498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Putting endocrine signaling on the neurodevelopmental map.","authors":"Lea Kaspar, Elisabeth B Binder","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Endocrine signals are emerging as important regulators of human brain development. In a recent study, Matassa and colleagues established a multiomic atlas of seven major endocrine pathway perturbations in neural organoids, revealing shared and distinct molecular, cellular, and metabolic responses. This resource provides a framework for understanding how hormonal and environmental influences shape neurodevelopment.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148798479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Asmer Aliyeva, John D Cleary, Hannah K Shorrock, J Andrew Berglund
{"title":"Alternative splicing dysregulation in CAG repeat expansion diseases.","authors":"Asmer Aliyeva, John D Cleary, Hannah K Shorrock, J Andrew Berglund","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alternative splicing of RNA is a highly regulated process that increases the complexity of gene expression, with disruption of splicing leading to significant disruption of cellular function and, ultimately, disease. This spliceopathy is exemplified by myotonic dystrophy type 1, a CTG repeat expansion disease, where dysregulation of alternative splicing drives core disease symptomatology. Recent studies across murine- and patient-derived disease models have demonstrated that similar alternative splicing changes are prevalent in CAG repeat expansion diseases, including Huntington's disease and multiple spinocerebellar ataxias. This review summarizes current knowledge on alternative splicing dysregulation in CAG repeat expansion diseases, highlights potentially disrupted genes and pathways, and discusses mechanisms through which alternative splicing dysregulation may contribute to disease pathogenesis and patient symptomatology.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148763765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An epigenetic view of anxiety disorders, one cell type at a time.","authors":"Klara Mareckova, Yuliya S Nikolova","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A recent publication by Ingram et al. revealed the importance of cellular precision in psychiatric epigenetics. Using cellular deconvolution, the authors showed that anxiety is associated with cell type-specific DNA methylation signatures reflecting stress, inflammation, and accelerated aging. These findings have critical implications for neuroscience studies aiming to bridge the gap between the peripheral epigenome and brain function.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148722257","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fronto-striatal molecular convergence in eating and obsessive-compulsive disorders.","authors":"Jill R Glausier","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The shared features of compulsivity in eating disorders (EDs) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may reflect common molecular pathogenic processes. In a recent study, Breen et al. used postmortem human brain tissue to investigate fronto-striatal transcriptomic alterations in ED and OCD, identifying systems-level molecular convergence centered on neuronal energetics and synaptic signaling.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexander R Mikesell, Anne E Willis, Sarah Loerch, Zachary T Campbell
{"title":"Translation elongation in the nervous system.","authors":"Alexander R Mikesell, Anne E Willis, Sarah Loerch, Zachary T Campbell","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2026.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Protein synthesis is a highly energy-dependent process that consists of initiation, elongation, termination, and ribosome recycling. Historically, initiation has been viewed as the major site of translation regulation. However, growing recognition of elongation as a regulatory node has highlighted the importance of eukaryotic elongation factor (eEF)1A-dependent decoding, eEF2-catalyzed ribosome translocation, conditional elongation factors, ribosome speed, and tRNA dynamics. In neurons, these mechanisms are especially important because protein synthesis must be regulated across highly polarized cellular compartments. In this review, we summarize evidence from diverse model systems showing that tightly regulated translation elongation supports cellular function and viability, whereas disrupted elongation contributes to dysfunction and disease throughout the nervous system.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}