{"title":"Tau aggregation induces cell death in iPSC-derived neurons","authors":"Hirokazu Tanabe , Sumihiro Maeda , Etsuko Sano , Norio Sakai , Setsu Endoh-Yamagami , Hideyuki Okano","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2025.100136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbas.2025.100136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Abnormal accumulation of tau proteins in the brain is a hallmark of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and is closely linked with neuronal cell death. Tau accumulation is a prominent therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease, since tau accumulation correlates well with the disease progression, and tau-targeting drugs hold potentials to halt the disease progression. Given the differential response of human and mouse neuronal cells, there is a critical need for a human cellular platform to quickly screen for tau-related neurodegenerative disease therapeutics. However, inducing rapid, tau-dependent neuronal cell death in human models remains challenging. In this study, we established a human cellular model capable of inducing tau aggregation-dependent neuronal cell death within two weeks via tau overexpression. Additionally, we demonstrated the neuroprotective efficacy of known tau-targeting compounds within this system. These findings suggest that our cellular model recapitulates the molecular pathogenesis of tau-induced neurodegeneration and could serve as a valuable platform for drug screening in tauopathies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100136"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143816765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100134
Robyn A. Honea , Heather Wilkins , Suzanne L. Hunt , Paul J. Kueck , Jeffrey M. Burns , Russell H. Swerdlow , Jill K. Morris
{"title":"TOMM40 may mediate GFAP, neurofilament light Protein, pTau181, and brain morphometry in aging","authors":"Robyn A. Honea , Heather Wilkins , Suzanne L. Hunt , Paul J. Kueck , Jeffrey M. Burns , Russell H. Swerdlow , Jill K. Morris","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100134","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A growing amount of data has implicated the <em>TOMM40</em> gene in the risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), neurodegeneration, and accelerated aging. No studies have investigated the relationship of <em>TOMM40</em> rs2075650 (‘650<em>)</em> on the structural complexity of the brain or plasma markers of neurodegeneration. We used a comprehensive approach to quantify the impact of <em>TOMM40</em> ‘650 on brain morphology and multiple cortical attributes in cognitively unimpaired (CU) individuals. We also tested whether the presence of the risk allele, G, of <em>TOMM40</em> ‘650 was associated with plasma markers of amyloid, tau, and neurodegeneration and if there were interactions with age and sex, controlling for the effects of <em>APOE</em> ε4. We found that the <em>TOMM40</em> ‘650 G-allele was associated with decreased sulcal depth, increased gyrification index, and decreased gray matter volume. NfL, GFAP, and pTau181 had independent and age-associated increases in individuals with a G-allele. Our data suggest that <em>TOMM40</em> ‘650 is associated with aging-related plasma biomarkers and brain structure variation in temporal-limbic circuits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11699468/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142933794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2025-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2025.100135
John Aaron Howell , Jonathan Larochelle , Rachel E. Gunraj , Sofia M. Stansbury , Lei Liu , Changjun Yang , Eduardo Candelario-Jalil
{"title":"Effects of global Ripk2 genetic deficiency in aged mice following experimental ischemic stroke","authors":"John Aaron Howell , Jonathan Larochelle , Rachel E. Gunraj , Sofia M. Stansbury , Lei Liu , Changjun Yang , Eduardo Candelario-Jalil","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2025.100135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbas.2025.100135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Besides the loss of blood and oxygen reaching the ischemic tissue, many secondary effects of ischemic stroke can cause additional tissue damage, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and proteomic disturbances. Receptor-interacting serine/threonine kinase 2 (RIPK2) is an important mediator in the post-stroke inflammatory cascade that responds to signals and molecular patterns released by dead or dying cells in the ischemic area. We hypothesize that RIPK2 signaling worsens injury and neurological recovery post-stroke and that global deletion of <em>Ripk2</em> is protective following ischemic stroke in aged mice. Aged (18–24 months) male mice were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). Vertical grid, weight grip, and open field were conducted at baseline and on days 1, 2, 3, 8, 15, and 22 post-stroke. Cognitive tests (novel object recognition and Y-maze) were performed at baseline and day 28 post-stroke. Infarct size was measured using cresyl violet staining, and reactive gliosis was measured using Iba1 and GFAP staining at day 28 post-stroke. Global deletion of <em>Ripk2</em> (<em>Ripk2<sup>-/-</sup></em>) in aged mice resulted in smaller infarct volume and improved performance on vertical grid and weight grip tests compared to aged wildtype (WT) mice. Additionally, aged <em>Ripk2</em><sup>-/-</sup> mice had less Iba1 staining in the ipsilateral cortex than the aged WT control mice. This study further elucidates the role of RIPK2 signaling in the ischemic cascade and expands our knowledge of RIPK2 in stroke to aged mice. These results support the hypothesis that RIPK2 signaling worsens injury post-stroke and may be an attractive candidate for therapeutic intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100135"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143734808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100132
Feliberto de la Cruz , Andy Schumann , Katrin Rieger , Daniel Güllmar , Jürgen R. Reichenbach , Karl-Jürgen Bär
{"title":"White matter differences between younger and older adults revealed by fixel-based analysis","authors":"Feliberto de la Cruz , Andy Schumann , Katrin Rieger , Daniel Güllmar , Jürgen R. Reichenbach , Karl-Jürgen Bär","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100132","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100132","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The process of healthy aging involves complex alterations in neural structures, with white matter (WM) changes significantly impacting cognitive and motor functions. Conventional methods such as diffusion tensor imaging provide valuable insights, but their limitations in capturing complex WM geometry advocate for more advanced approaches. In this study involving 120 healthy volunteers, we investigated whole-brain WM differences between young and old individuals using a novel technique called fixel-based analysis (FBA). This approach revealed that older adults exhibited reduced FBA-derived metrics in several WM tracts, with frontal areas particularly affected. Surprisingly, age-related differences in FBA-derived measures showed no significant correlation with risk factors such as alcohol consumption, exercise frequency, or pulse pressure but predicted cognitive performance. These findings emphasize FBA’s potential in characterizing complex WM changes and the link between cognitive abilities and WM alterations in healthy aging. Overall, this study advances our understanding of age-related neurodegeneration, highlighting the importance of comprehensive assessments that integrate advanced neuroimaging techniques, cognitive evaluation, and demographic factors to gain insights into healthy aging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100132"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142702646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100118
Lars Nyberg
{"title":"Longitudinal data are crucial for identifying superagers","authors":"Lars Nyberg","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100118","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589958924000148/pdfft?md5=968a6dd9072eda1a79318250dc1f7ad2&pid=1-s2.0-S2589958924000148-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141294648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100110
Bryan Alava , Gabriela Hery , Silvana Sidhom , Miguel Gutierrez-Monreal , Stefan Prokop , Karyn A. Esser , Jose Abisambra
{"title":"Targeted brain-specific tauopathy compromises peripheral skeletal muscle integrity and function","authors":"Bryan Alava , Gabriela Hery , Silvana Sidhom , Miguel Gutierrez-Monreal , Stefan Prokop , Karyn A. Esser , Jose Abisambra","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders in which the pathological intracellular aggregation of the protein tau causes cognitive deficits. Additionally, clinical studies report muscle weakness in populations with tauopathy. However, whether neuronal pathological tau species confer muscle weakness, and whether skeletal muscle maintains contractile capacity in primary tauopathy remains unknown. Here, we identified skeletal muscle abnormalities in a mouse model of primary tauopathy, expressing human mutant P301L-tau using adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8). AAV8-P301L mice showed grip strength deficits, hyperactivity, and abnormal histological features of skeletal muscle. Additionally, spatially resolved gene expression of muscle cross sections were altered in AAV8-P301L myofibers. Transcriptional changes showed alterations of genes encoding sarcomeric proteins, proposing a weakness phenotype. Strikingly, specific force of the soleus muscle was blunted in AAV8-P301L tau male mice. Our findings suggest tauopathy has peripheral consequences in skeletal muscle that contribute to weakness in tauopathy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100110"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589958924000057/pdfft?md5=9013d5b5fc8f1c0ab274640c4767554a&pid=1-s2.0-S2589958924000057-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139944993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100131
Evan T. Smith , Kaoru Nashiro , Margaret O’Connell , Xi Chen , Chandramallika Basak
{"title":"Cognitive and gray matter volume predictors of learning across two types of casual video games in older Adults: Action vs Strategy","authors":"Evan T. Smith , Kaoru Nashiro , Margaret O’Connell , Xi Chen , Chandramallika Basak","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100131","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100131","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Video game based and other computerized cognitive interventions are generally efficacious in bolstering cognition in adults over the age of 60, though specific efficacy varies widely by intervention methodology. Furthermore, there is reason to suspect that the process of learning complex tasks like video games is a major factor underpinning training-related transfer to cognition. The current study examined the neurocognitive predictors of learning of video games, and how those predictors may differentially relate to games of different genres. Learning rates from two different types of games, one action and another strategy, were calculated for 32 older adults (mean age = 66.29 years, 65 % Female). An extensive cognitive battery as well as structural measures of regional gray matter volumes were examined to identify the cognitive and the brain structure contributors to the learning rates for each type of game. A broad leftlateralized gray matter volume construct, as well as cognitive constructs of processing speed, episodic memory and reasoning, were found to significantly predict learning of the Strategy game, but not the Action game. Additionally, this gray matter construct was found to entirely mediate the relationships between the Strategy game learning and cognition, esp. episodic memory and reasoning. The contributions of age-sensitive cognitive skills as well as related brain volumes of lateral fronto-parietal regions to Strategy video games implicate the examined game as a potential game training tool in normal aging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100131"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142702647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100123
Mark H. Sundman , Jacob M. Green , Andrew J. Fuglevand , Ying-hui Chou
{"title":"TMS-derived short afferent inhibition discriminates cognitive status in older adults without dementia","authors":"Mark H. Sundman , Jacob M. Green , Andrew J. Fuglevand , Ying-hui Chou","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Aging is a complex and diverse biological process characterized by progressive molecular, cellular, and tissue damage, resulting in a loss of physiological integrity and heightened vulnerability to pathology. This biological diversity corresponds with highly variable cognitive trajectories, which are further confounded by genetic and environmental factors that influence the resilience of the aging brain. Given this complexity, there is a need for neurophysiological indicators that not only discern physiologic and pathologic aging but also closely align with cognitive trajectories. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) may have utility in this regard as a non-invasive brain stimulation tool that can characterize features of cortical excitability. Particularly, as a proxy for central cholinergic function, short-afferent inhibition (SAI) dysfunction is robustly associated with cognitive deficits in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD). In this study, we evaluated SAI in healthy young adults and older adults who, though absent clinical diagnoses, were algorithmically classified as cognitively normal (CN) or cognitively impaired (CI) according to the Jak/Bondi actuarial criteria. We report that SAI is preserved in the Old-CN cohort relative to the young adults, and SAI is significantly diminished in the Old-CI cohort relative to both young and CN older adults. Additionally, diminished SAI was significantly associated with impaired sustained attention and working memory. As a proxy measure for central cholinergic deficits, we discuss the potential value of SAI for discerning physiological and pathological aging.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100123"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589958924000197/pdfft?md5=503c1b66230036c6b85cf844ec28c8b3&pid=1-s2.0-S2589958924000197-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141729012","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100117
Amanda L. Trout , Christopher J McLouth , Jenne M. Westberry , Tomoko Sengoku , Melinda E. Wilson
{"title":"Estrogen’s sex-specific effects on ischemic cell death and estrogen receptor mRNA expression in rat cortical organotypic explants","authors":"Amanda L. Trout , Christopher J McLouth , Jenne M. Westberry , Tomoko Sengoku , Melinda E. Wilson","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Estrogens, such as the biologically active 17-β estradiol (E2), regulate not only reproductive behaviors in adults, but also influence neurodevelopment and neuroprotection in both females and males. E2, contingent upon the timing and concentration of the therapy, is neuroprotective in female and male rodent models of stroke. <em>In Vivo</em> studies suggest that E2 may partially mediate this neuroprotection, particularly in the cortex, via ERα. <em>In Vitro studies,</em> utilizing a chemically induced ischemic injury in cortical explants from both sexes, suggest that ERα or ERβ signaling is needed to mediate the E2 protection. Since we know that the timing and concentration of E2 therapy may be sex-specific, we examined if E2 (1 nM) mediates neuroprotection when female and male cortical explants are separately isolated from postnatal day (PND) 3–4 rat. Changes in basal levels ERα, ERβ, and AR mRNA expression are compared across early post-natal development in the intact cortex and the corresponding days in vitro (DIV) for cortical explants. Following ischemic injury at 7 DIV, cell death and ERα, ERβ and AR mRNA expression was compared in female and male cortical explants. We provide evidence that E2-mediated protection is maintained in isolated cortical explants from females, but not male rats. In female cortical explants, the E2-mediated protection at 24 h occurs secondarily to a blunted transient increase in ERα mRNA at 12 h. These results suggest that cortical E2-mediated protection is influenced by sex and supports data to differentially treat females and males following ischemic injury.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589958924000136/pdfft?md5=0c7048ea54f7186c449d5ee4a428ea83&pid=1-s2.0-S2589958924000136-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140554845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aging brainPub Date : 2024-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100109
Kathleen Kang , Daria Antonenko , Franka Glöckner , Agnes Flöel , Shu-Chen Li
{"title":"Neural correlates of home-based intervention effects on value-based sequential decision-making in healthy older adults","authors":"Kathleen Kang , Daria Antonenko , Franka Glöckner , Agnes Flöel , Shu-Chen Li","doi":"10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Older adults demonstrate difficulties in sequential decision-making, which is partly attributed to under-recruitment of prefrontal networks. It is, therefore, important to understand the mechanisms that may improve this ability. This study investigated the effectiveness of an 18-sessions, home-based cognitive intervention and the neural mechanisms that underpin individual differences in intervention effects. Participants were required to learn sequential choices in a 3-stage Markov decision-making task that would yield the most rewards. Participants were assigned to better or worse responders group based on their performance at the last intervention session (T18). Better responders improved significantly starting from the fifth intervention session while worse responders did not improve across all training sessions. At post-intervention, only better responders showed condition-dependent modulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) as measured by fNIRS, with higher DLPFC activity in the delayed condition. Despite large individual differences, our data showed that value-based sequential-decision-making and its corresponding neural mechanisms can be remediated via home-based cognitive intervention in some older adults; moreover, individual differences in recruiting prefrontal activities after the intervention are associated with variations in intervention outcomes. Intervention-related gains were also maintained at three months after post-intervention. However, future studies should investigate the potential of combining other intervention methods such as non-invasive brain stimulation with cognitive intervention for older adults who do not respond to the intervention, thus emphasizing the importance of developing individualized intervention programs for older adults.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":72131,"journal":{"name":"Aging brain","volume":"5 ","pages":"Article 100109"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589958924000045/pdfft?md5=92b523d3c508668afd08f2162eeb16b6&pid=1-s2.0-S2589958924000045-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139726933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}