The complexity of neuronal circuits presents a challenge when investigating potential future treatments for diseases caused by central nervous system defects. In a highly collaborative study from three groups at Harvard Medical School, Czupryn et al. show that transplanted neurons can establish neuronal circuitry in the mouse hypothalamus. This brain region controls aspects of whole-body metabolism, such as satiety and energy expenditure, in part by interpreting signals from the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin. To assess the potential to functionally repair complex neuronal circuitry, the authors transplanted fluorescently labelled leptin-responsive immature neurons and progenitors into db/db mice (which lack the leptin receptor, and are thus severely diabetic and morbidly obese). The transplanted cells localised to the hypothalamus, differentiated into the appropriate neuronal subtypes necessary for leptin signalling, functionally integrated, and led to amelioration of obesity and hyperglycemia. Thus, transplanted neurons can establish complex neural circuitry and restore defective physiological functions, suggesting great therapeutic potential for selected nervous system diseases.
Development/DMM Virtual Meeting 2021
Welcoming new Editors to DMM
Editor-in-Chief Liz Patton wants DMM to strengthen its presence in the field of translational biology and to focus on the importance of disease mechanisms, just as much as models. To implement this vision, we are pleased to welcome new Editors Sally Dunwoodie (Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Australia), Monkol Lek (Yale School of Medicine, USA) and Rickie Patani (Francis Crick Institute, London, UK) to the team.
Roles of the gut microbiome in colorectal cancer development
Going hand-in-hand, a new Perspective by Foegeding et al. explores the Western diet as a driver of dysbiosis in colorectal cancer while a new Review by Wang et al. focuses on microbiota-driven mechanisms that initiate sporadic colorectal cancer.
preLights – the latest disease modelling preprints
Head over to preLights for the digests of the latest preprints:
Erin McGregor highlights work by Nowicka et al. that suggests a potential connection between mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration.
Emma Wilson discusses work by Dagra et al., which highlights D2 receptors as a potential target that could be used to alleviate alpha-Synuclein pathology in Parkinson’s disease.
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