Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

Abstract

Age-related microangiopathy, also known as small vessel disease (SVD), causes damage to the brain, retina, liver, and kidney. Based on the DNA damage theory of aging, we reasoned that genomic instability may underlie an SVD caused by dominant C-terminal variants in TREX1, the most abundant 3′−5′ DNA exonuclease in mammals. C-terminal TREX1 variants cause an adult-onset SVD known as retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukoencephalopathy (RVCL or RVCL-S). In RVCL, an aberrant, C-terminally truncated TREX1 mislocalizes to the nucleus due to deletion of its ER-anchoring domain. Since RVCL pathology mimics that of radiation injury, we reasoned that nuclear TREX1 would cause DNA damage. Here, we show that RVCL-associated TREX1 variants trigger DNA damage in humans, mice, and Drosophila, and that cells expressing RVCL mutant TREX1 are more vulnerable to DNA damage induced by chemotherapy and cytokines that up-regulate TREX1, leading to depletion of TREX1-high cells in RVCL mice. RVCL-associated TREX1 mutants inhibit homology-directed repair (HDR), causing DNA deletions and vulnerablility to PARP inhibitors. In women with RVCL, we observe early-onset breast cancer, similar to patients with BRCA1/2 variants. Our results provide a mechanistic basis linking aberrant TREX1 activity to the DNA damage theory of aging, premature senescence, and microvascular disease.

DOI： 10.1038/s41467-024-49066-7

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Other Link： https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49066-7

Authorship：Corresponding author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1186/s40478-023-01692-w

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Authorship：Corresponding author   Language：English  

DOI： 10.1136/jnnp-2023-332419

PubMed

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Authorship：Corresponding author   Language：English  

Genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (gCJD) with a V180I mutation (V180I gCJD) is the most common type of gCJD in Japan, characterized by an older age at onset, slower progression, and moderate to severe cortical degeneration with spongiform changes and sparing of the brainstem and cerebellum. Degeneration of the inferior olivary nucleus (IO) is rarely observed in patients with CJD but is known to occur in fatal familial insomnia (FFI) and MM2-thalamic-type sporadic CJD (sCJD-MM2T) involving type 2 prion protein (M2T prion). Here we report on an 81-year-old Japanese woman who initially developed depressive symptoms followed by progressive cognitive impairment, myoclonus, and hallucinations and died after a clinical course of 23 months. Insomnia was not evident. Genetic analysis of the prion protein (PrP) identified a V180I mutation with methionine/valine heterozygosity at codon 129. Pathologic analysis demonstrated extensive spongiform degeneration, neuronal loss in the cortices, and weak synaptic-type PrP deposition. Except for IO degeneration, the clinicopathologic features and Western blotting PrP band pattern were compatible with those of previously reported V180I gCJD cases. Quantitative analysis revealed that the neuronal density of the IO, especially in the dorsal area, was considerably reduced to the same extent as that of a patient with sCJD-MM2T but preserved in other patients with V180I gCJD and sCJD-MM1 (this patient, 2.3 ± 0.53/mm2 ; a patient with sCJD-MM2T, 4.2 ± 2; a patient with V180I gCJD, 60.5 ± 9.3; and a patient with sCJD-MM1, 84.5 ± 17.9). Use of the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) method confirmed the presence of the M2T prion strain, suggesting that the latter might be associated with IO degeneration in V180I gCJD. Autopsy studies are necessary to better understand the nature of CJD, since even if patients present with the common clinical picture, pathologic analysis might provide new insights, as was the case here.

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12908

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Authorship：Lead author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Oxford University Press (OUP)  

DOI： 10.1093/jnen/nlac120

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Springer Science and Business Media LLC  

Abstract

Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) type 17-digenic TBP/STUB1 disease (SCA17-DI) has been recently segregated from SCA17, caused by digenic inheritance of two gene mutations – intermediate polyglutamine-encoding CAG/CAA repeat expansions (polyQ) in TBP (TBP_{41 − 49}) and STUB1 heterozygosity – the former being associated with SCA17, and the latter with SCA48 and SCAR16 (autosomal recessive). In SCA17, most patients carry intermediate TBP_{41 − 49} alleles but show incomplete penetrance, and the missing heritability can be explained by a new entity whereby TBP_{41 − 49} requires the STUB1 variant to be symptomatic. The STUB1 gene encodes the chaperone-associated E3 ubiquitin ligase (CHIP) involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal control of protein homeostasis. However, reports of the neuropathology are limited and role of STUB1 mutations in SCA17-DI remain unknown. Here we report the clinicopathologic features of identical twin siblings, one of whom was autopsied and was found to carry an intermediate allele (41 and 38 CAG/CAA repeats) in TBP and a heterozygous missense mutation in STUB1 (p.P243L). These patients developed autosomal recessive Huntington’s disease-like symptoms. Brain MRI showed diffuse atrophy of the cerebellum and T2WI revealed hyperintense lesions in the basal ganglia and periventricular deep white matter. The brain histopathology of the patient shared features characteristic of SCA17, such as degeneration of the cerebellar cortex and caudate nucleus, and presence of 1C2-positive neurons. Here we show that mutant CHIP fails to generate the polyubiquitin chain due to disrupted folding of the entire U box domain, thereby affecting the E3 activity of CHIP. When encountering patients with cerebellar ataxia, especially those with Huntington’s disease-like symptoms, genetic testing for STUB1 as well as TBP should be conducted for diagnosis of SCA17-DI, even in cases of sporadic or autosomal recessive inheritance.

DOI： 10.1186/s40478-022-01486-6

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Other Link： https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40478-022-01486-6/fulltext.html

Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) causes dementia and gait disturbance due to arteriopathy. Cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL) is a hereditary form of CSVD caused by loss of high-temperature requirement A1 (HTRA1) serine protease activity. In CARASIL, arteriopathy causes intimal thickening, smooth muscle cell (SMC) degeneration, elastic lamina splitting, and vasodilation. The molecular mechanisms were proposed to involve the accumulation of matrisome proteins as substrates or abnormalities in transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling. Here, we show that HTRA1-/- mice exhibited features of CARASIL-associated arteriopathy: intimal thickening, abnormal elastic lamina, and vasodilation. In addition, the mice exhibited reduced distensibility of the cerebral arteries and blood flow in the cerebral cortex. In the thickened intima, matrisome proteins, including the hub protein fibronectin (FN) and latent TGF-β binding protein 4 (LTBP-4), which are substrates of HTRA1, accumulated. Candesartan treatment alleviated matrisome protein accumulation and normalized the vascular distensibility and cerebral blood flow. Furthermore, candesartan reduced the mRNA expression of Fn1, Ltbp-4, and Adamtsl2, which are involved in forming the extracellular matrix network. Our results indicate that these accumulated matrisome proteins may be potential therapeutic targets for arteriopathy in CARASIL.

DOI： 10.1172/JCI140555

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a subtype of B-cell lymphoma, characterized by lymphoma cell proliferation within small blood vessels. We herein describe a rare case with long spinal cord lesions caused by venous congestive myelopathy associated with IVLBCL. An 81-year-old man presented with paraplegia of the lower limbs and sensory disturbances. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed intramedullary longitudinal T2-hyperintensity lesions in the thoracic cords. The patient died three months after disease onset, and a neuropathological analysis revealed predominantly atypical B-lymphocytes located sparsely in the veins of the spinal cord. IVLBCL should be considered in the differential diagnoses of long spinal cord lesions.

DOI： 10.2169/internalmedicine.6717-20

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Authorship：Lead author,　Corresponding author   Language：English  

DOI： 10.1186/s40478-020-01008-2

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：English  

DOI： 10.1186/s40478-020-00945-2

PubMed

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Epithelioid glioblastoma is a rare aggressive variant of glioblastoma (GBM) characterized by a dismal prognosis of about 6 months and frequent leptomeningeal dissemination. A recent study has revealed that 50% of epithelioid GBMs harbor three genetic alterations - BRAF V600E mutation, TERT promoter mutations, and homozygous deletions of CDKN2A/2B. Emerging evidence support the effectiveness of targeted therapies for brain tumors with BRAF V600E mutation. Here we describe a dramatic radiographical response to combined therapy with BRAF and MEK inhibitors in a patient with epithelioid GBM harboring BRAF V600E mutation, characterized by thick spinal dissemination. From relapsed tumor procured at autopsy, we established a cell line retaining the BRAF V600E mutation, TERT promoter mutation and CDKN2A/2B loss. Intracranial implantation of these cells into mice resulted in tumors closely resembling the original, characterized by epithelioid tumor cells and dissemination, and invasion into the perivascular spaces. We then confirmed the efficacy of treatment with BRAF and MEK inhibitor both in vitro and in vivo. Epithelioid GBM with BRAF V600E mutation can be considered a good treatment indication for precision medicine, and this patient-derived cell line should be useful for prediction of the tumor response and clarification of its biological characteristics.

DOI： 10.1186/s40478-019-0774-7

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Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Three-dimensional (3D) imaging based on chemical tissue clearing in the post-mortem human brain is a promising approach for stereoscopic understanding of central nervous system diseases. Especially, delipidation of lipid-rich white matter (WM) is a rate-determining step in human brain clearing by hydrophilic reagents. In this study, we described the rapid delipidation of WM by a 1,2-hexanediol (HxD)-based aqueous solution. HxD delipidation enabled rapid clearing of a formalin-fixed human brain specimen including the WM. Although harsh HxD delipidation was applied to the brain tissue, conventional pathological staining patterns and various types of antigenicity were sufficiently preserved. Furthermore, HxD delipidation was compatible with 3D imaging of fluorescently-labeled tissue samples. HxD delipidation could be useful in future 3D neuropathological diagnosis.

DOI： 10.1016/j.bmcl.2019.05.049

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Authorship：Lead author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

Retinal vasculopathy with cerebral leukodystrophy (RVCL) is an autosomal-dominant disorder involving the cerebral, retinal, renal, and other systemic microvessels due to frameshift mutations in the TREX1 gene. Under physiological conditions, the TREX1 protein is localized in the cellular cytoplasm and perinuclear area, but translocates into the nucleus in response to oxidative DNA damage. It has been speculated that aberrant localization of the protein may be associated with systemic microangiopathy in patients with RVCL. However, cellular expression of TREX1 in the brain and visceral organs of patients with RVCL has been unclear. Here, we report the clinicopathologic features of an autopsied patient with a heterozygous T249fs mutation in TREX1. The patient showed the clinical phenotype of vasculopathy with retinopathy, nephropathy, and stroke. CT with contrast enhancement demonstrated a tumorous lesion in the subcortical white matter. Histologically, the lesion consisted of confluent foci of necrosis with calcification and fibrous thickening of small vessel walls. TREX1 immunohistochemistry demonstrated positivity in the nuclei of cells in the CNS and visceral organs, indicating aberrant localization of the truncated protein, and the expression was remarkable in oligodendrocytes within the lesion, suggesting possible involvement of the protein in the pathomechanism of vasculopathy leading to white matter degeneration.

DOI： 10.1093/jnen/nly115

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

We describe a strategy for developing hydrophilic chemical cocktails for tissue delipidation, decoloring, refractive index (RI) matching, and decalcification, based on comprehensive chemical profiling. More than 1,600 chemicals were screened by a high-throughput evaluation system for each chemical process. The chemical profiling revealed important chemical factors: salt-free amine with high octanol/water partition-coefficient (logP) for delipidation, N-alkylimidazole for decoloring, aromatic amide for RI matching, and protonation of phosphate ion for decalcification. The strategic integration of optimal chemical cocktails provided a series of CUBIC (clear, unobstructed brain/body imaging cocktails and computational analysis) protocols, which efficiently clear mouse organs, mouse body including bone, and even large primate and human tissues. The updated CUBIC protocols are scalable and reproducible, and they enable three-dimensional imaging of the mammalian body and large primate and human tissues. This strategy represents a future paradigm for the rational design of hydrophilic clearing cocktails that can be used for large tissues.

DOI： 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.07.056

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DOI： 10.1007/s13730-017-0300-3

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Authorship：Lead author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

We investigated whether loss of motor neurons innervating the neck muscles contributes to dropped head (DH) in multiple system atrophy (MSA). From 75 patients with autopsy-proven MSA, we retrieved 3 who had DH (MSA-DH), and examined the 4th cervical cord segments. Neurons of the medial and lateral nuclear groups (MNG and LNG) innervate the neck and shoulder muscles, respectively. We measured the area of individual neurons in the MNG and LNG, and created an area-frequency histogram. Neurons were classified as large or small based on their area, and their total numbers in the MNG and LNG were counted. In the MNG, the numbers of both total neurons and large neurons were significantly lower in MSA patients than in the controls (214.2 ± 91.4 vs 521.3 ± 74.8, p = 0.0030, and 26.2 ± 9.1 vs 88.0 ± 34.6, p = 0.020, respectively), and were significantly lower in MSA-DH than in MSA-nonDH (139.7 ± 7.6 vs 288.7 ± 74.6, p = 0.048, and 18.0 ± 4.1 vs 34.3 ± 4.1, p = 0.016, respectively). There were no differences in the LNG neuron counts between the MSA-DH and MSA-nonDH groups. Loss of cervical motor neurons may be responsible for DH in MSA.

DOI： 10.1093/jnen/nly007

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Authorship：Lead author   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1111/neup.12236

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

We report on the case of a 77-year-old male with genetically proven spinocerebellar ataxia type 31 (SCA31) who had dystonia. He was referred to our hospital for evaluation following a 6-year history of slowly progressive unsteadiness of his left leg during walking and dysarthria at the age of 62 years old. On the basis of his symptoms, we diagnosed him as spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), and prescribed taltirelin hydrate. However, his symptoms continued to worsen. He required a cane for walking at the age of 63 years, and a wheelchair at the age of 66 years. He was admitted to our hospital following acute cerebral infarction at the age of 77 years. On examination at admission, right hemiparesis and cerebellar ataxia were detected. And left hallux moved involuntarily toward the top surface of the foot at rest, that is dystonia. The dystonia was not associated with cerebral infarction, because it had been several years with dystonia that he got cerebral infarction. Genetic analysis revealed that this patient harbored a heterozygous SCA31 mutation. Previously there have been no reports of SCA31 associated with dystonia. Our case report support clinical heterogeneity of SCA31, and highlight the importance of considering this type in patients with dystonia and ataxia. Patients with the combination of dystonia and ataxia and a family history of a neurodegenerative disorder should be tested for SCA31.

PubMed

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：日本脳腫瘍病理学会  

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J-GLOBAL

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Language：English  

Cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD) is a leading cause of stroke and lies at the heart of vascular contributions to dementia. Sporadic cSVD is well-recognized and widely studied, whereas monogenic cSVD is incompletely characterized and understood.

DOI： 10.1111/ene.14222

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J-GLOBAL

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：新潟医学会  

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Other Link： https://search-tp.jamas.or.jp/index.php?module=Default&action=Link&pub_year=2019&ichushi_jid=J00990&link_issn=&doc_id=20201223020011&doc_link_id=%2Fdg3nigta%2F2019%2Fs13311%2F004%2F0389-0389%26dl%3D0&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalonline.jp%2Fjamas.php%3FGoodsID%3D%2Fdg3nigta%2F2019%2Fs13311%2F004%2F0389-0389%26dl%3D0&type=MedicalOnline&icon=https%3A%2F%2Fjk04.jamas.or.jp%2Ficon%2F00004_2.gif

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：(有)科学評論社  

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：信州医学会  

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：信州医学会  

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：新潟医学会  

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Other Link： https://search.jamas.or.jp/index.php?module=Default&action=Link&pub_year=2017&ichushi_jid=J00990&link_issn=&doc_id=20170929080010&doc_link_id=%2Fdg3nigta%2F2017%2Fs13105%2F005%2F0313-0314%26dl%3D0&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicalonline.jp%2Fjamas.php%3FGoodsID%3D%2Fdg3nigta%2F2017%2Fs13105%2F005%2F0313-0314%26dl%3D0&type=MedicalOnline&icon=https%3A%2F%2Fjk04.jamas.or.jp%2Ficon%2F00004_2.gif

Language：Japanese   Publisher：北関東医学会  

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：信州医学会  

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Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Rapid communication, short report, research note, etc. (scientific journal)   Publisher：Societas Neurologica Japonica  

DOI： 10.5692/clinicalneurol.cn-000677

Scopus

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：(一社)日本神経学会  

DOI： 10.5692/clinicalneurol.54.643

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：(一社)日本神経学会  

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：(一社)日本神経学会  

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：(一社)日本神経学会  

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Language：Japanese   Publisher：(一社)日本内科学会  

DOI： 10.2169/naika.98.2589

CiNii Article

CiNii Books

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Other Link： https://jlc.jst.go.jp/DN/JALC/00338907156?from=CiNii

Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (public)  

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Presentation type：Public lecture, seminar, tutorial, course, or other speech  

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Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

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Presentation type：Public lecture, seminar, tutorial, course, or other speech  

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Presentation type：Oral presentation (invited, special)  

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Language：English   Presentation type：Symposium, workshop panel (nominated)  

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