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Khoodoruth MAS, Chut-kai Khoodoruth WN, Al Alwani R. Exploring the epigenetic landscape: The role of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in neurodevelopmental disorders. CAMBRIDGE PRISMS. PRECISION MEDICINE 2024; 2:e5. [PMID: 38699519 PMCID: PMC11062787 DOI: 10.1017/pcm.2024.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Recent advances in genetic and epigenetic research have underscored the significance of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID), revealing its potential as both a biomarker for early detection and a target for novel therapeutic strategies. This review article provides a comprehensive analysis of the role of 5hmC in NDDs by examining both animal models and human studies. By examining mouse models, studies have demonstrated that prenatal environmental challenges, such as maternal infection and food allergies, lead to significant epigenetic alterations in 5hmC levels, which were associated with NDDs in offspring, impacting social behavior, cognitive abilities and increasing ASD-like symptoms. In human studies, researchers have linked alterations in 5hmC levels NDDs through studies in individuals with ASD, fragile X syndrome, TET3 deficiency and ID, specifically identifying significant epigenetic modifications in genes such as GAD1, RELN, FMR1 and EN-2, suggesting that dysregulation of 5hmC played a critical role in the pathogenesis of these disorders and highlighted the potential for targeted therapeutic interventions. Moreover, we explore the implications of these findings for the development of epigenetic therapies aimed at modulating 5hmC levels. The review concludes with a discussion on future directions for research in this field, such as machine learning, emphasizing the need for further studies to elucidate the complex mechanisms underlying NDDs and to translate these findings into clinical practice. This paper not only advances our understanding of the epigenetic landscape of NDDs but also opens up new avenues for diagnosis and treatment, offering hope for individuals affected by these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Adil Shah Khoodoruth
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Division of Genomics and Precision Medicine, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Rafaa Al Alwani
- College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
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2
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Danner B, Gonzalez AD, Corbett WC, Alhneif M, Etemadmoghadam S, Parker-Garza J, Flanagan ME. Brain banking in the United States and Europe: Importance, challenges, and future trends. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2024; 83:219-229. [PMID: 38506125 PMCID: PMC10951968 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlae014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, brain banks have become valuable resources for examining the molecular underpinnings of various neurological and psychological disorders including Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. However, the availability of brain tissue has significantly declined. Proper collection, preparation, and preservation of postmortem autopsy tissue are essential for optimal downstream brain tissue distribution and experimentation. Collaborations between brain banks through larger networks such as NeuroBioBank with centralized sample request mechanisms promote tissue distribution where brain donations are disproportionately lower. Collaborations between brain banking networks also help to standardize the brain donation and sample preparation processes, ensuring proper distribution and experimentation. Ethical brain donation and thorough processing enhances the responsible conduct of scientific studies. Education and outreach programs that foster collaboration between hospitals, nursing homes, neuropathologists, and other research scientists help to alleviate concerns among potential brain donors. Furthermore, ensuring that biorepositories accurately reflect the true demographics of communities will result in research data that reliably represent populations. Implementing these measures will grant scientists improved access to brain tissue, facilitating a deeper understanding of the neurological diseases that impact millions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Danner
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Angelique D Gonzalez
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - William Cole Corbett
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Mohammad Alhneif
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Shahroo Etemadmoghadam
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Julie Parker-Garza
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Margaret E Flanagan
- Biggs Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Henkens MTHM, van Ast JF, te Riele ASJM, Houweling AC, Amin AS, Nijveldt R, Antoni ML, Li X, Wehrens SMT, von der Thüsen JH, Damman K, ter Horst EN, Manintveld OC, Abma-Schouten RY, Niessen HWM, Silljé HHW, Jukema JW, Doevendans PA. The Netherlands Heart Tissue Bank : Strengthening the cardiovascular research infrastructure with an open access Cardiac Tissue Repository. Neth Heart J 2023; 31:16-20. [PMID: 35896887 PMCID: PMC9807721 DOI: 10.1007/s12471-022-01713-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Cardiac diseases remain a leading cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) related hospitalisation and mortality. That is why research to improve our understanding of pathophysiological processes underlying cardiac diseases is of great importance. There is a strong need for healthy and diseased human cardiac tissue and related clinical data to accomplish this, since currently used animal and in vitro disease models do not fully grasp the pathophysiological processes observed in humans. This design paper describes the initiative of the Netherlands Heart Tissue Bank (NHTB) that aims to boost CVD-related research by providing an open-access biobank. METHODS The NHTB, founded in June 2020, is a non-profit biobank that collects and stores biomaterial (including but not limited to myocardial tissue and blood samples) and clinical data of individuals with and without previously known cardiac diseases. All individuals aged ≥ 18 years living in the Netherlands are eligible for inclusion as a potential future donor. The stored samples and clinical data will be available upon request for cardiovascular researchers. CONCLUSION To improve the availability of cardiac tissue for cardiovascular research, the NHTB will include extensive (cardiac) biosamples, medical images, and clinical data of donors with and without a previously known cardiac disease. As such, the NHTB will function as a translational bridge to boost a wide range of cardiac disease-related fundamental and translational studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. T. H. M. Henkens
- Netherlands Heart Institute (NLHI), Utrecht, The Netherlands ,Department of Pathology, CARIM, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands ,Department of Cardiology, CARIM, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - J. F. van Ast
- Netherlands Heart Institute (NLHI), Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A. S. J. M. te Riele
- Netherlands Heart Institute (NLHI), Utrecht, The Netherlands ,Department of Cardiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Centre Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - A. C. Houweling
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam UMC (location VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A. S. Amin
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Heart Failure Research Centre, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R. Nijveldt
- Department of Cardiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - M. L. Antoni
- Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - X. Li
- Department of Pathology, CARIM, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - S. M. T. Wehrens
- Netherlands Brain Bank, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J. H. von der Thüsen
- Erasmus MC Transplant Institute, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands ,Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - K. Damman
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - O. C. Manintveld
- Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - H. W. M. Niessen
- Department of Pathology and Cardiac Surgery, Amsterdam UMC, location AMC and VUmc, ACS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H. H. W. Silljé
- Department of Cardiology, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - J. W. Jukema
- Netherlands Heart Institute (NLHI), Utrecht, The Netherlands ,Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - P. A. Doevendans
- Netherlands Heart Institute (NLHI), Utrecht, The Netherlands ,Department of Cardiology, Division of Heart and Lungs, University Medical Centre Utrecht, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Brain Donation Decisions as Disease Specific Behaviors: An Elucidation of the Donation Process in the Context of Essential Tremor. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 2022; 12:25. [PMID: 36072893 PMCID: PMC9414733 DOI: 10.5334/tohm.704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain donation is a challenging process, comprising four sequential stages: (1) the brain donation decision, (2) pre-mortem arrangements and follow up, (3) specimen collection and (4) tissue processing. It is important to understand the factors that are pertinent to each stage. Currently, there is extensive information on factors that involve donor’s personal and cultural backgrounds and how these could affect the process. However, little is known about disease-specific factors that influence the process. The Essential Tremor Centralized Brain Repository was established in 2003, and after nearly 20 years of collecting essential tremor (ET) brain tissue, we are well-positioned to discuss the brain donation process from a disease-specific standpoint. In the current manuscript, we discuss ET disease-specific factors that influence the first two stages of the brain donation process. We center our discussion around three points: (1) factors that influence the patient’s decision to donate, (2) the involvement of next of kin in the donation, and (3) the rationale for enrolling patients prospectively and evaluating them longitudinally before the anatomical gift takes place. This discussion shares our understanding of the background from which our repository operates and may be of value for other brain banks that study similar neurodegenerative diseases.
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Reyes-Pablo AE, Campa-Córdoba BB, Luna-Viramontes NI, Ontiveros-Torres MÁ, Villanueva-Fierro I, Bravo-Muñoz M, Sáenz-Ibarra B, Barbosa O, Guadarrama-Ortíz P, Garcés-Ramírez L, de la Cruz F, Harrington CR, Martínez-Robles S, González-Ballesteros E, Perry G, Pacheco-Herrero M, Luna-Muñoz J. National Dementia BioBank: A Strategy for the Diagnosis and Study of Neurodegenerative Diseases in México. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 76:853-862. [PMID: 32568191 DOI: 10.3233/jad-191015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
We recently developed the National Dementia Biobank in México (BioBanco Nacional de Demencias, BND) as a unit for diagnosis, research, and tissue transfer for research purposes. BND is associated with the Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico. The donation of fluids, brain, and other organs of deceased donors is crucial for understanding the underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and for the development of successful treatment. Our laboratory research focuses on 1) analysis of the molecular processing of the proteins involved in those neurodegenerative diseases termed tauopathies and 2) the search for biomarkers for the non-invasive and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldelmo Emmanuel Reyes-Pablo
- National Dementia BioBank, Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Cuautitlán campo 1, UNAM Estado de México, México.,Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Depto. Fisiología, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CDMX, México
| | - B Berenice Campa-Córdoba
- National Dementia BioBank, Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Cuautitlán campo 1, UNAM Estado de México, México.,Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Depto. Fisiología, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CDMX, México
| | - Nabil Itzi Luna-Viramontes
- National Dementia BioBank, Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Cuautitlán campo 1, UNAM Estado de México, México.,Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Depto. Fisiología, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CDMX, México
| | | | | | - Marely Bravo-Muñoz
- National Dementia BioBank, Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Cuautitlán campo 1, UNAM Estado de México, México
| | - Bárbara Sáenz-Ibarra
- Depto. de Patología, Facultad de medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Nuevo León, México
| | - Oralia Barbosa
- Jefa del Servicio de Anatomía Patológicay Citopatología del Hospital Universitario "Dr. José E. González de la UANL, Nuevo León, México
| | | | - Linda Garcés-Ramírez
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Depto. Fisiología, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CDMX, México
| | - Fidel de la Cruz
- Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Depto. Fisiología, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CDMX, México
| | - Charles R Harrington
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Sandra Martínez-Robles
- National Dementia BioBank, Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Cuautitlán campo 1, UNAM Estado de México, México
| | - Erik González-Ballesteros
- National Dementia BioBank, Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Cuautitlán campo 1, UNAM Estado de México, México
| | - George Perry
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Mar Pacheco-Herrero
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra, Dominican Republic
| | - José Luna-Muñoz
- National Dementia BioBank, Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Estudios Superiores, Cuautitlán campo 1, UNAM Estado de México, México
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6
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Ma C, Bao AM, Yan XX, Swaab DF. Progress in Human Brain Banking in China. Neurosci Bull 2019; 35:179-182. [PMID: 30843142 PMCID: PMC6426891 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-019-00350-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ma
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Neuroscience Center; Joint Laboratory of Anesthesia and Pain, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100005, China.
| | - Ai-Min Bao
- Department of Neurobiology, and Department of Neurology of the Second Affiliated Hospital; Institute of Neuroscience, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiao-Xin Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Central South University School of Basic Medical Science, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Dick F Swaab
- Department Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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