Guohui Yang, Chong Guan, Meixi Liu, Yi Lin, Ying Xing, Yashuo Feng, Haozheng Li, Yi Wu, Nianhong Wang, Lu Luo
{"title":"Electroacupuncture for the treatment of ischemic stroke: A preclinical meta-analysis and systematic review.","authors":"Guohui Yang, Chong Guan, Meixi Liu, Yi Lin, Ying Xing, Yashuo Feng, Haozheng Li, Yi Wu, Nianhong Wang, Lu Luo","doi":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01030","DOIUrl":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, and electroacupuncture has a long history of use in stroke treatment. This meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of electroacupuncture and explore its potential mechanisms in animal models of ischemic stroke. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and CINAHL databases were comprehensively searched up to May 1, 2024. This review included articles on preclinical investigations of the efficacy and mechanisms of electroacupuncture in treating ischemic stroke. Data from 70 eligible studies were analyzed in Stata 18.0, using a random-effects model to calculate the standardized mean difference (Hedge's g). The risk of bias was assessed using RevMan 5.4 software, and the quality of evidence was rated according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Subgroup analyses were conducted to test the consistency of the results and sensitivity analyses were used to assess their robustness. The quality assessment revealed that most studies adequately handled incomplete data and selective reporting. However, several methodological limitations were identified: only 4 studies demonstrated a low risk of allocation concealment, 26 achieved a low risk of outcome assessment bias, and 9 had a high risk of randomization bias. Additionally, there was an unclear risk regarding participant blinding and other methodological aspects. The GRADE assessment rated 12 outcomes as moderate quality and 6 as low quality. The mechanisms of electroacupuncture treatment for ischemic stroke can be categorized as five primary pathways: (1) Electroacupuncture significantly reduced infarct volume and apoptotic cell death ( P < 0.01) in ischemic stroke models; (2) electroacupuncture significantly decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory factors ( P < 0.01) while increasing the levels of anti-inflammatory factors ( P = 0.02); (3) electroacupuncture reduced the levels of oxidative stress indicators ( P < 0.01) and enhanced the expression of antioxidant enzymes ( P < 0.01); (4) electroacupuncture significantly promoted nerve regeneration ( P < 0.01); and (5) electroacupuncture influenced blood flow remodeling ( P < 0.01) and angiogenesis ( P < 0.01). Subgroup analyses indicated that electroacupuncture was most effective in the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion model ( P < 0.01) and in post-middle cerebral artery occlusion intervention ( P < 0.01). Dispersive waves were found to outperform continuous waves with respect to neuroprotection and anti-inflammatory effects ( P < 0.01), while scalp acupoints demonstrated greater efficacy than body acupoints ( P < 0.01). The heterogeneity among the included studies was minimal, and sensitivity analyses indicated stable results. Their methodological quality was generally satisfactory. In conclusion, electroacupuncture is effective in treating cerebral ischemia by modulating cell apoptosis, o","PeriodicalId":19113,"journal":{"name":"Neural Regeneration Research","volume":" ","pages":"1191-1210"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12296412/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143066865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Role of tunneling nanotubes in neuroglia.","authors":"Weichen Xu, Xingyu Yang, Hongmei Zheng, Changzheng Chen, Jiajia Yuan","doi":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01129","DOIUrl":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01129","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tunneling nanotubes are crucial structures for cellular communication and are observed in a variety of cell types. Glial cells, the most abundant cells in the nervous system, play a vital role in intercellular signaling and can show abnormal activation under pathological conditions. Our bibliometric analysis indicated a substantial increase in research on tunneling nanotubes over the past two decades, highlighting their important role in cellular communication. This review focuses on the formation of tunneling nanotubes in various types of glial cells, including astrocytes, microglia, glioma cells, and Schwann cells, as well as their roles in cellular communication and cargo transport. We found that glial cells influence the stability of the neural system and play a role in nerve regeneration through tunneling nanotubes. Tunneling nanotubes facilitate the transmission and progression of diseases by transporting pathogens and harmful substances. However, they are also involved in alleviating cellular stress by removing toxins and delivering essential nutrients. Understanding the interactions between glial cells through tunneling nanotubes could provide valuable insights into the complex neural networks that govern brain function and responses to injury.</p>","PeriodicalId":19113,"journal":{"name":"Neural Regeneration Research","volume":" ","pages":"1023-1036"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12296451/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143720602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexandra Polyzou, Alexandros K Tsiouris, Charalampos Labrakakis, Britta J Eickholt, George Leondaritis
{"title":"Lysophosphatidic acid signaling: Transmembrane modulators in the central nervous system.","authors":"Alexandra Polyzou, Alexandros K Tsiouris, Charalampos Labrakakis, Britta J Eickholt, George Leondaritis","doi":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01465","DOIUrl":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01465","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19113,"journal":{"name":"Neural Regeneration Research","volume":" ","pages":"1104-1105"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12296401/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143720911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Raquel Coronel, Rosa González-Sastre, Patricia Mateos-Martínez, Laura Maeso, Elena Llorente-Beneyto, Sabela Martín-Benito, Viviana S Costa Gagosian, Leonardo Foti, Ma Carmen González-Caballero, Victoria López-Alonso, Isabel Liste
{"title":"Human cerebral organoids: Complex, versatile, and human-relevant models of neural development and brain diseases.","authors":"Raquel Coronel, Rosa González-Sastre, Patricia Mateos-Martínez, Laura Maeso, Elena Llorente-Beneyto, Sabela Martín-Benito, Viviana S Costa Gagosian, Leonardo Foti, Ma Carmen González-Caballero, Victoria López-Alonso, Isabel Liste","doi":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01639","DOIUrl":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01639","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The brain is the most complex human organ, and commonly used models, such as two-dimensional-cell cultures and animal brains, often lack the sophistication needed to accurately use in research. In this context, human cerebral organoids have emerged as valuable tools offering a more complex, versatile, and human-relevant system than traditional animal models, which are often unable to replicate the intricate architecture and functionality of the human brain. Since human cerebral organoids are a state-of-the-art model for the study of neurodevelopment and different pathologies affecting the brain, this field is currently under constant development, and work in this area is abundant. In this review, we give a complete overview of human cerebral organoids technology, starting from the different types of protocols that exist to generate different human cerebral organoids. We continue with the use of brain organoids for the study of brain pathologies, highlighting neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, neurodegenerative, brain tumor, and infectious diseases. Because of the potential value of human cerebral organoids, we describe their use in transplantation, drug screening, and toxicology assays. We also discuss the technologies available to study cell diversity and physiological characteristics of organoids. Finally, we summarize the limitations that currently exist in the field, such as the development of vasculature and microglia, and highlight some of the novel approaches being pursued through bioengineering.</p>","PeriodicalId":19113,"journal":{"name":"Neural Regeneration Research","volume":" ","pages":"837-854"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12296421/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144020784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Debbie Xiu En Lim, Shi Yun Yeo, Zhen You Ashley Chia, Aaron Zefrin Fernandis, Jimmy Lee, John Jia En Chua
{"title":"Schizophrenia: Genetics, neurological mechanisms, and therapeutic approaches.","authors":"Debbie Xiu En Lim, Shi Yun Yeo, Zhen You Ashley Chia, Aaron Zefrin Fernandis, Jimmy Lee, John Jia En Chua","doi":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01375","DOIUrl":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01375","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder marked by positive and negative symptoms, leading to mood disturbances, cognitive impairments, and social withdrawal. While anti-psychotic medications remain the cornerstone of treatment, they often fail to fully address certain symptoms. Additionally, treatment-resistant schizophrenia, affecting 30%-40% of patients, remains a substantial clinical challenge. Positive, negative symptoms and cognitive impairments have been linked to disruptions in the glutamatergic, serotonin, GABAergic, and muscarinic pathways in the brain. Recent advances using genome-wide association study and other approaches have uncovered a significant number of new schizophrenia risk genes that uncovered new, and reinforced prior, concepts on the genetic and neurological underpinnings of schizophrenia, including abnormalities in synaptic function, immune processes, and lipid metabolism. Concurrently, new therapeutics targeting different modalities, which are expected to address some of the limitations of anti-psychotic drugs currently being offered to patients, are currently being evaluated. Collectively, these efforts provide new momentum for the next phase of schizophrenia research and treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19113,"journal":{"name":"Neural Regeneration Research","volume":" ","pages":"1089-1103"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12296475/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144036518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Regulation of dendrite and axon growth and arborization by CD40L-reverse signaling: Interrelationships among JNK, PKC, and ERK1/2 signaling pathways.","authors":"Paulina Carriba","doi":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01171","DOIUrl":"10.4103/NRR.NRR-D-24-01171","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19113,"journal":{"name":"Neural Regeneration Research","volume":"21 3","pages":"1116-1117"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12296438/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144310177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Medical Gas ResearchPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-06-28DOI: 10.4103/mgr.MEDGASRES-D-25-00036
Maher Monir Akl, Maya M El-Samnody, Amr Ahmed
{"title":"Integrating carboxytherapy and hypochlorous acid: a novel molecular approach harnessing the Bohr effect for diabetic foot ulcer treatment.","authors":"Maher Monir Akl, Maya M El-Samnody, Amr Ahmed","doi":"10.4103/mgr.MEDGASRES-D-25-00036","DOIUrl":"10.4103/mgr.MEDGASRES-D-25-00036","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18559,"journal":{"name":"Medical Gas Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"82-83"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144528824","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}
Medical Gas ResearchPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-06-28DOI: 10.4103/mgr.MEDGASRES-D-24-00136
Jun Lu, Wentao Ji, Yu Guo, Shun Yang, Didi Yang, Bo Li, Lulong Bo
{"title":"Efficacy of enhanced preoxygenation protocols in mitigating hypoxemia during propofol sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures: a prospective, randomized, controlled study.","authors":"Jun Lu, Wentao Ji, Yu Guo, Shun Yang, Didi Yang, Bo Li, Lulong Bo","doi":"10.4103/mgr.MEDGASRES-D-24-00136","DOIUrl":"10.4103/mgr.MEDGASRES-D-24-00136","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>JOURNAL/mgres/04.03/01612956-202603000-00003/figure1/v/2025-06-28T140100Z/r/image-tiff Hypoxemia during propofol sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures is a significant risk and is often exacerbated by inadequate preoxygenation. Effective preoxygenation strategies are essential for reducing the incidence of hypoxemia, especially in high-risk patients. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of an enhanced preoxygenation protocol for mitigating hypoxemia during propofol sedation during gastroscopy. In a prospective, randomized, controlled design, patients undergoing gastroscopy were assigned to either an intervention group (enhanced preoxygenation) or a nonintervention group (standard care). The intervention protocol involved the administration of eight tidal volume breaths over 1 minute at an oxygen flow rate of 10 L/min via a tight-fitting face mask, with clinical supervision by an endoscopy nurse. The primary outcome was the incidence of hypoxemia, defined as a peripheral oxygen saturation level of less than 90% at any point during the gastroscopy procedure. Compared with the nonintervention group, the intervention group had a significantly lower incidence of hypoxemia. This effect was particularly pronounced in high-risk patients, including elderly individuals and those with elevated body mass indices. No significant adverse events were observed during the procedure. These results suggest that enhanced preoxygenation may effectively alleviate the occurrence of hypoxemia during propofol sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures. Further research is needed to assess the broader applicability of this approach and explore additional strategies for optimizing preoxygenation in endoscopic procedures.</p>","PeriodicalId":18559,"journal":{"name":"Medical Gas Research","volume":"16 1","pages":"12-18"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144528819","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}