FGF/FGFR system in the central nervous system demyelinating disease: Recent progress and implications for multiple sclerosis

Molecular Determinants of Neurocognitive Deficits in Glioma: Based on 2021 WHO Classification

Cognitive impairment is a common feature among patients with diffuse glioma. The objective of the study is to investigate the relationship between preoperative cognitive function and clinical as well as molecular factors, firstly based on the new 2021 World Health Organization's updated classification of central nervous system tumors. A total of 110 diffuse glioma patients enrolled underwent preoperative cognitive assessments using the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Clinical information was collected from medical records, and gene sequencing was performed to analyze the 18 most influenced genes. The differences in cognitive function between patients with and without glioblastoma were compared under both the 2016 and 2021 WHO classification of tumors of the central nervous system to assess their effect of differentiation on cognition. The study found that age, tumor location, and glioblastoma had significant differences in cognitive function. Several genetic alterations were significantly correlated with cognition. Especially, IDH, CIC, and ATRX are positively correlated with several cognitive domains, while most other genes are negatively correlated. For most focused genes, patients with a low number of genetic alterations tended to have better cognitive function. Our study suggested that, in addition to clinical characteristics such as age, histological type, and tumor location, molecular characteristics play a crucial role in cognitive function. Further research into the mechanisms by which tumors affect brain function is expected to enhance the quality of life for glioma patients. This study highlights the importance of considering both clinical and molecular factors in the management of glioma patients to improve cognitive outcomes.

Fgf22 and Fgfr2b are required for neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the zebrafish forebrain

Fibroblast growth factors (Fgfs) play crucial roles in various developmental processes including brain development. We previously identified Fgf22 in zebrafish and found that fgf22 is involved in midbrain patterning during embryogenesis. Here, we investigated the role of Fgf22 in the formation of the zebrafish forebrain. We found that fgf22 was essential for determining the ventral properties of the telencephalon and diencephalon but not for cell proliferation. In addition, the knockdown of fgf22 inhibited the generation of glutamatergic neurons, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons and astrocytes. Recently, Fgf signaling has received much attention because of its importance in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis, in which oligodendrocytes and myelin are destroyed. However, the effects of each Fgf on oligodendrocytes remain largely unknown. Therefore, we also investigated the role of Fgf22 in oligodendrocyte development and explored whether there is a difference between Fgf22 and other Fgfs. Knockdown of fgf22 promoted the generation of oligodendrocytes. Conversely, overexpression of fgf22 inhibited the generation of oligodendrocytes. Furthermore, the forebrain phenotypes of fgfr2b knockdown zebrafish were remarkably similar to those of fgf22 knockdown zebrafish. This establishes the Fgf22-Fgfr2b axis as a key ligand‒receptor partnership in neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the forebrain. Our results indicate that Fgf22 has a unique function in suppressing oligodendrocyte differentiation through Fgfr2b without affecting cell proliferation.

Development of synthetic modulator enabling long-term propagation and neurogenesis of human embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells

Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) are essential for in vitro drug screening and cell-based therapies for brain-related disorders, necessitating well-defined and reproducible culture systems. Current strategies employing protein growth factors pose challenges in terms of both reproducibility and cost. In this study, we developed a novel DNA-based modulator to regulate FGFR signaling in NPCs, thereby facilitating the long-term maintenance of stemness and promoting neurogenesis. This DNA-based FGFR-agonist effectively stimulated FGFR1 phosphorylation and activated the downstream ERK signaling pathway in human embryonic stem cell (HESC)-derived NPCs. We replaced the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the culture medium with our DNA-based FGFR-agonist to artificially modulate FGFR signaling in NPCs. Utilizing a combination of cell experiments and bioinformatics analyses, we showed that our FGFR-agonist could enhance NPC proliferation, direct migration, and promote neurosphere formation, thus mimicking the functions of bFGF. Notably, transcriptomic analysis indicated that the FGFR-agonist could specifically influence the transcriptional program associated with stemness while maintaining the neuronal differentiation program, closely resembling the effects of bFGF. Furthermore, our culture conditions allowed for the successful propagation of NPCs through over 50 passages while retaining their ability to efficiently differentiate into neurons. Collectively, our approach offers a highly effective method for expanding NPCs, thereby providing new avenues for disease-in-dish research and drug screening aimed at combating neural degeneration.