Nervous System Diseases Commons^™

Tiny But Mighty, An Exploration Of Microbes And Plants As Sources Of Small Novel Bioactive Compounds Against Invasive Mycoses., Hannah Mai Peacock, James Anthony O'Connor

SURE Journal: Science Undergraduate Research Experience Journal

Despite the high mortality rate involved with invasive cerebral mycoses, there is a relative lack of research available around antifungals capable of crossing the blood brain barrier.

In this study the metabolites of four plants (Crocus vernus, Miniature Narcissus (daffodil), Osmanthus delavayi and Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)) and two bacteria (Lacticaseibacillus paracasei and Staphylococcus epidermidis) were extracted and assayed for antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Thin layer chromatography and bioautography were then employed to assess the activity of the constituent components of sources showing antifungal activity.

Metabolites of S.epidermidis, and extracts …

Genetic Connections Between Neurological Disorders And Cholesterol Metabolism, Ingemar Bjorkhem, Valerio Leoni, Steve Meaney

Articles

Cholesterol is an essential component of both the peripheral and central nervous systems of mammals. Over the last decade, evidence has accumulated that disturbances in cholesterol metabolism are associated with the development of various neurological conditions. In addition to genetically defined defects in cholesterol synthesis, which will be covered in another review in this Thematic Series, defects in cholesterol metabolism (cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis) and intracellular transport (Niemann Pick Syndrome) lead to neurological disease. A subform of hereditary spastic paresis (type SPG5) and Huntington's disease are neurological diseases with mutations in genes that are of importance for cholesterol metabolism. Neurodegeneration is generally …

Combining Cytotoxic And Immune-Mediated Gene Therapy To Treat Brain Tumors, James Curtin, Gwendalyn King, Marianela Candolfi, Remy Greeno, Kurt Kroeger, Pedro Lowenstein, Maria Castro

Articles

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a type of intracranial brain tumor, for which there is no cure. In spite of advances in surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, patients die within a year of diagnosis. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop novel therapeutic approaches for this disease. Gene therapy, which is the use of genes or other nucleic acids as drugs, is a powerful new treatment strategy which can be developed to treat GBM. Several treatment modalities are amenable for gene therapy implementation, e.g. conditional cytotoxic approaches, targeted delivery of toxins into the tumor mass, immune stimulatory strategies, and these will all …

Gene Therapy And Targeted Toxins For Glioma, James Curtin, Gwendalyn King, Marianela Candolfi, Kurt Kroeger, Pedro Lowenstein, Maria Castro

Articles

The most common primary brain tumor in adults is glioblastoma. These tumors are highly invasive and aggressive with a mean survival time of nine to twelve months from diagnosis to death. Current treatment modalities are unable to significantly prolong survival in patients diagnosed with glioblastoma. As such, glioma is an attractive target for developing novel therapeutic approaches utilizing gene therapy. This review will examine the available preclinical models for glioma including xenographs, syngeneic and genetic models. Several promising therapeutic targets are currently being pursued in pre-clinical investigations. These targets will be reviewed by mechanism of action, i.e., conditional cytotoxic, targeted …