Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-11DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.006
David A Hume
{"title":"Life without microglia.","authors":"David A Hume","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microglia are involved in many aspects of postnatal brain development and neuronal plasticity. This article questions some of the assumptions inherent in current experimental models used to analyze microglial ontogeny and function which likely underestimate the contributions of blood monocytes to brain homeostasis. It summarizes evidence from animal models of congenital microglial deficiency that postnatal neuronal development and synaptic refinement do not require the presence of microglia. Instead, the absence of microglia is associated with accelerated progression in disease models and age-dependent neuropathology in humans, implying that the major essential function of microglia is to protect against neuronal injury.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"560-569"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144620661","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}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-31DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.007
Emma Horton, Mercedes F Paredes
{"title":"The production and functions of caudal ganglionic eminence-derived inhibitory neurons.","authors":"Emma Horton, Mercedes F Paredes","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In the brain, maintaining the appropriate levels of excitation and inhibition is required for proper cognitive function. Inhibitory neurons, essential for maintaining this balance and implicated in various neurodevelopmental diseases, are generated during embryonic development from the ganglionic eminences (GEs). This review discusses the importance of inhibitory neuronal subtypes generated from the most posterior GE subregion, the caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE), highlighting what is known about their developmental origins, diversity, and functions in mice, humans, and non-human primates. By reviewing the molecular composition and patterning of the CGE, we discuss how technological advances have provided insights into the spatial heterogeneity of progenitor populations and the distinctive molecular characteristics and functions of CGE-derived neurons.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"570-581"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144765537","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}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-31DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.003
Justine Y Hansen, Bratislav Misic
{"title":"Integrating and interpreting brain maps.","authors":"Justine Y Hansen, Bratislav Misic","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tangled molecular, cellular, and dynamic undercurrents shape brain organization. An emerging paradigm across neuroscience domains is to comprehensively measure the spatial patterning of multiple biological features, yielding precise brain maps. How can these features be conceptually integrated into a coherent understanding of brain structure and function? Here we review the methodology and practice of interpreting relationships between maps of biological features. We demonstrate how neuroscience can increasingly be approached as a data science, complete with detailed multiomic datasets, tools for representing diverse data types, and an extensive repertoire of analytics. We also outline methodological and conceptual challenges for disentangling relationships among brain maps. Ultimately, studying the brain from an integrative perspective changes the nature of scientific questions that can be asked, as well as the culture and conduct of scientific inquiry.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"594-607"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144761459","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}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-15DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.002
Carol A Morris, Mohamed A Sadek, Pooja Modi, Seif Abdelnaem, Nancy J Rusch, Esraa Shosha, Abdelrahman Y Fouda
{"title":"The role of efferocytosis in ischemic stroke and insights from retinopathy.","authors":"Carol A Morris, Mohamed A Sadek, Pooja Modi, Seif Abdelnaem, Nancy J Rusch, Esraa Shosha, Abdelrahman Y Fouda","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Efferocytosis, the phagocytic removal of dead cells by microglia and macrophages, was recently recognized as a critical process in the resolution of inflammation and tissue repair following ischemic stroke. In this review, we examine the pathways involved in efferocytosis after stroke, including the recognition and engulfment of apoptotic cells and the modulation of inflammatory responses. We elaborate on the pathways regulating efferocytosis and discuss how dysregulated efferocytosis can contribute to secondary injury and neurological deficits. Furthermore, we explore valuable mechanisms gleaned from retinopathy, a condition with parallels to ischemic stroke in terms of cellular death and immune responses. We then discuss phagocytosis assays used in brain and retina research. Finally, we highlight future perspectives on, and outstanding questions related to, efferocytosis in stroke.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"624-639"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12276843/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144650616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-09DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.07.001
Laura R Cortes, Stephanie M Correa
{"title":"Hypothalamic prolactin signaling protects against overheating in pregnancy.","authors":"Laura R Cortes, Stephanie M Correa","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pregnancy involves physiological adaptations that optimize fetal development. Reduced maternal core temperature may protect offspring from the teratogenic effects of excess heat, but the mechanisms regulating body temperature during pregnancy remained largely unclear. In a recent study in mice, Ladyman and colleagues identified the prolactin receptor (Prlr) as a thermal switch lowering maternal core temperature and promoting offspring survival in warm environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"555-556"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12363340/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144609701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-08-01Epub Date: 2025-07-02DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.005
Oriol Dols-Icardo, Lianne M Reus, Alfredo Ramirez
{"title":"Genetic architecture of FTLD-TDP pathological subtypes.","authors":"Oriol Dols-Icardo, Lianne M Reus, Alfredo Ramirez","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Until recently, few genetic risk factors had been identified for the distinct pathological subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) with TDP-43 aggregation (FTLD-TDP). In a recent study, Pottier and colleagues addressed this gap by identifying common and rare genetic variants associated with FTLD-TDP subtypes, providing novel insights into the underlying mechanisms and heterogeneity of FTLD-TDP.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"553-554"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144561294","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":"Shifting ensembles in visual cortex: context-dependent encoding of learned cues.","authors":"Sarah Ruediger","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.07.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2025.07.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In a recent study in mice, Faulkner and colleagues revealed that visual cortex representations of learned cues rapidly shifted with a change in the external context. This work highlights the flexible recruitment of distinct neuronal ensembles to maintain behavioral relevance, providing new insights into how the brain balances stability and adaptability in sensory coding.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144754404","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}
Triet P M Nguyen, Francesca Alves, Darius J R Lane, Ashley I Bush, Scott Ayton
{"title":"Triggering ferroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases.","authors":"Triet P M Nguyen, Francesca Alves, Darius J R Lane, Ashley I Bush, Scott Ayton","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Neuronal death is a defining feature of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and motor neuron diseases, and is accordingly a priority drug target. Among the various cell death pathways, ferroptosis, a form of regulated necrosis driven by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, has emerged as a prominent candidate underlying neurodegeneration. Despite its potential significance, putative triggers initiating lipid peroxidation cascades that lead to ferroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases remain poorly characterized. This poses significant challenges for developing targeted and disease-specific therapies. We review evidence of ferroptosis in neurodegenerative diseases and examine potential disease-relevant triggers of ferroptosis. We propose that ferroptosis, rather than being initiated by a single triggering event, emerges due to a cumulative erosion of anti-ferroptosis defense systems. This process is likely driven by context-dependent interplay between common hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases, including neuroinflammation, protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, altered lipid metabolism, and iron accumulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":14.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144691656","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}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-11DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.005
Elizabeth S Wenzel, Rebekah Frye, Roxann Roberson-Nay, Jennifer L Payne
{"title":"The neurobiology of postpartum depression.","authors":"Elizabeth S Wenzel, Rebekah Frye, Roxann Roberson-Nay, Jennifer L Payne","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Postpartum depression (PPD) is the most common complication of pregnancy, posing significant health risks for both women and their children. Unlike other subtypes of major depressive disorder (MDD), PPD is thought to be biologically relatively homogenous, as it is precipitated by a specific biological trigger - the profound hormonal shifts associated with pregnancy and delivery. However, the underlying pathophysiology of PPD is still unclear, with a variety of biological factors likely at play. In this review, we examine recent biological findings related to neuroimaging, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, neuroactive steroids (NAS), epigenetics, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) and explore processes that may be unique to PPD versus those shared with MDD, along with avenues of future research aimed at PPD prevention and treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"469-482"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144286598","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}
Trends in NeurosciencesPub Date : 2025-07-01Epub Date: 2025-06-12DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.007
Céline Vrancx, Wim Annaert
{"title":"Amyloid precursor protein carboxy-terminal fragments as catalyzers of endolysosomal dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease.","authors":"Céline Vrancx, Wim Annaert","doi":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tins.2025.05.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Proteolytic processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) generates not only the well-known β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides but also APP C-terminal fragments (APP-CTFs). Recent evidence from studies in murine- or human-derived (neuronal) models suggests that APP-CTFs may independently contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology by disrupting cellular homeostasis. This review highlights pathological effects unique to APP-CTFs that are independent of Aβ, shedding light on their distinct role in disease progression. We explore the mechanisms underlying APP-CTF-induced toxicity, with a focus on their contribution to endolysosomal dysfunction. APP-CTFs impair lysosomal function and disrupt calcium signaling between the endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes, compounding organelle dysfunction. Understanding these mechanisms will aid the design of preventive therapeutic strategies that take into account the impact of APP-CTFs on AD pathology.</p>","PeriodicalId":23325,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Neurosciences","volume":" ","pages":"538-551"},"PeriodicalIF":15.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144286596","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}