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PubMed2026

Dysregulated adult hippocampal neurogenesis in major depressive disorder.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with reduced hippocampal volume, altered connectivity and negative memory bias, suggesting disrupted hippocampal plasticity. Dysregulated adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a potential contributor, but its relevance in humans and role in MDD remain unclear. Here we investigated the molecular basis of hippocampal dysfunction in nonmedicated individuals with MDD by integrating analyses of neurogenic trajectories, cell-type- and subfield-specific gene expression, chromatin accessibility and protein expression. We identify a neurogenic lineage in the adult human hippocampal subgranular zone and provide evidence for a stalled neurogenic process in MDD, associated with transcriptional regulation, stress-related reprogramming and interferon signaling across developmental stages. Excitatory and inhibitory neurons show dysregulation of transcription factor networks affecting cell states. Cellular stress, excitatory-inhibitory imbalance, impaired synaptic plasticity, reduced metabolic capacity and immune activation, underlie impaired neurogenesis and reduced hippocampus circuit plasticity. Findings indicate genetic and epigenetic regulation of gene expression in MDD, and overlapping pathogenetic mechanisms with autoimmune, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. This work provides a new understanding of the pathogenesis of hippocampus-dependent cognitive symptoms in MDD and suggests potential therapeutic targets.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2024

Convergence on CaMK4: A Key Modulator of Autism-Associated Signaling Pathways in Neurons.

Although the precise underlying cause(s) of autism spectrum disorder remain unclear, more than 1000 rare genetic variations are associated with the condition. For many people living with profound autism, this genetic heterogeneity has impeded the identification of common biological targets for therapy development for core and comorbid traits that include significant impairments in social communication and repetitive and restricted behaviors. A substantial number of genes associated with autism encode proteins involved in signal transduction and synaptic transmission that are critical for brain development and function. CAMK4 is an emerging risk gene for autism spectrum disorder that encodes the CaMK4 (calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 4) enzyme. CaMK4 is a key component of a Ca2+-activated signaling pathway that regulates neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity. In this review, we discuss 3 genetic variants of CAMK4 found in individuals with hyperkinetic movement disorder and comorbid neurological symptoms including autism spectrum disorder that are likely pathogenic with monogenic effect. We also comment on 4 other genetic variations in CAMK4 that show associations with autism spectrum disorder, as well as 12 examples of autism-associated variations in other genes that impact CaMK4 signaling pathways. Finally, we highlight 3 environmental risk factors that impact CaMK4 signaling based on studies of preclinical models of autism and/or clinical cohorts. Overall, we review molecular, genetic, physiological, and environmental evidence that suggest that defects in the CaMK4 signaling pathway may play an important role in a common autism pathogenesis network across numerous patient groups, and we propose CaMK4 as a potential therapeutic target.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Biological roles of nonsense-mediated RNA decay: insights from the nervous system.

Nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD) is a highly selective and conserved RNA turnover pathway. The discovery that NMD is not only a quality control pathway that degrades aberrant mRNAs but also degrades subsets of normal mRNAs has led to the hypothesis that NMD influences and controls normal biological events. In this review, we lay out the support for this hypothesis, with a focus on NMD's roles in the nervous system. Studies have demonstrated roles for NMD in several aspects of nervous system development, including neural cell generation and differentiation. Studies in mice have provided evidence that NMD inhibits neural inflammation and promotes mature neuron functions, including dendritic spine maturation and synaptic plasticity, providing a potential explanation for why NMD deficiency leads to cognitive and behavioral dysfunction in mice and humans.

Nonsense Mediated mRNA Decay↗

PubMed2026

Microglial modulation in general anesthesia: molecular.

General anesthetics profoundly alter brain function and consciousness, yet the mechanisms underlying these effects remain incompletely understood. Although traditional studies have primarily focused on neuronal targets, accumulating evidence suggests that microglia dynamically respond to anesthetic exposure and may participate in anesthesia-associated neurophysiological changes. Beyond their established immune functions, microglia are increasingly implicated in synaptic remodeling, metabolic regulation, neuronal activity surveillance, and neuron-glia communication. Recent studies indicate that different classes of anesthetic agents modulate microglial activity through diverse and context-dependent mechanisms involving inflammatory signaling, purinergic pathways, calcium dynamics, mitochondrial metabolism, and neural circuit interactions. These responses are associated with postoperative neurocognitive disorders, altered synaptic plasticity, and anesthesia-related changes in brain states. In this review, we summarize current evidence regarding the effects of volatile anesthetics, intravenous anesthetics, and analgesics on microglial function and discuss the molecular, functional, and circuit-level mechanisms underlying anesthesia-associated neuron-microglia interactions. We further highlight the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of microglial responses during anesthesia and discuss current limitations in the field, including the lack of temporally resolved and cell-specific approaches. Understanding these processes may provide insights into anesthesia-associated neurocognitive dysfunction and support the development of neuroimmune-targeted strategies in anesthesiology.

General anesthesia↗

PubMed2026

Firemaster 550 differentially alters gene expression underlying synaptic function in amygdala of prairie voles after gestational or lactational exposure.

Neurodevelopmental disorders often share similar behavioral diagnostic criteria including socioemotional and cognitive deficits. The prairie vole is a uniquely suitable model to study these deficits because they demonstrate strong social affiliation, bi-parental care, and partner attachment. Previously, we have shown that developmental exposure to the flame-retardant mixture Firemaster 550 (FM 550) impairs socioemotional behavior in the prairie vole and alters underlying neuroanatomy and function. However, the mechanisms for impaired pair bonding in males and increased anxiety in females remain unknown, along with the specific critical window(s) of vulnerability. Herein, we exposed prairie vole dams to FM 550 during gestation or lactation, and performed bulk RNA-seq on the amygdala, a hub of socioemotional processing, in their adult offspring. Two mathematically orthogonal methods were utilized for analysis, a linear statistical method and an ensemble machine learning method, incorporating sex as a biological variable. Gene ontology (GO) pathway analysis was performed following both and results compared to identify potential mechanisms of toxicity. GO results indicated consistent expression changes in the Synapse cellular component in all conditions, and implicated glutamatergic signaling specifically. Additionally, gestational exposure (GE) altered genes underlying modulation of synaptic transmission and neural development, while lactational exposure (LE) impacted genes underlying synaptic plasticity, axon guidance, and mitophagy. Machine learning identified disruption of endocrine system development, regulation of biosynthetic processes in GE animals, and suppression of various neuroinflammatory genes across multiple groups. Finally, we performed RNA expression analysis using Nanostring and demonstrated stronger correlation with the differentially expressed genes (DEG) of interest in females than males. Overall, this study demonstrates both the intersecting and distinct impacts of FM 550 exposure on amygdalar gene expression depending on sex and timing of exposure.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Individual differences in brain dynamics across a social cognition network induced by cortico-cerebellar tDCS in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with core diagnostic domains of social communication impairments, restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Idiosyncratic brain organization is a potential hallmark of ASD. Previous transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) studies often targeted dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, with changes oin brain dynamics averaged across the cohort. We utilized a magnetoencephalographic (MEG) array to characterize individual differences in brain dynamics induced by cortico-cerebellar tDCS across nodes of a social cognition network. A randomized, sham-controlled, double-blind, within-subject clinical trial was conducted in a cohort of 24 young adults with ASD or high autistic traits. Two separate sessions of computerized social learning activities were combined with verum/sham tDCS, with anodal electrode over right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and cathode on right deltoid. Following stimulation, theta- and alpha-band activity were evaluated within nodes of a social cognition network: bilateral TPJ, fusiform, medial prefrontal cortex and Crus I/II of cerebellum. Idiosyncratic participant-specific up- and down-regulation of theta- and alpha-band activity occurred across the network. Activity in right Crus I/II, a region inundated by the stimulation current, strongly correlated with the change of activity summed across all cerebral cortical nodes in theta- but not alpha-band. Intrinsic theta-band activity is believed to mediate input/output relationships in cerebellar cortex and to drive synaptic plasticity. These results suggest that theta-band stimulation of cerebellar cortex might be an effective therapy for individuals on the autism spectrum who present with cerebellar hyperactivity.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

An acute dose of glyphosate alters novel object exploration and hippocampal cFos expression in a sex-dependent manner in wildtype mice.

Glyphosate (GLY) is the active ingredient in most herbicides, including off-the-shelf weed killers such as Roundup®. GLY crosses the blood-brain barrier, increases oxidative stress and genotoxicity, and impacts reproduction, but the extent of its effects remains unclear. Previous research reports conflicting evidence on sex-specific susceptibility to GLY's effects, and very few investigate the effects of a single, acute dose on learning, memory, and neuronal activation. In vitro studies have found GLY interferes with gene expression and is uniquely capable of inducing DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) compared to other herbicides. DSBs can induce expression of immediate early genes (IEGs), which are important for synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. However, a clear connection between GLY, IEGs, and learning and memory has yet to be made. To explore this, we tested male and female wildtype mice in novel object recognition after they received an acute, oral dose of 0, 250, or 500 mg/kg of GLY and assessed hippocampal DSB and IEG levels. We hypothesized that a single dose of GLY would impair memory by disrupting IEG expression and would affect males more than females. We did not find robust evidence that GLY impaired memory, though females that received 500 mg/kg did not explore the novel object more than the familiar. Hippocampal DSBs were decreased following 500 mg/kg in both sexes, yet hippocampal IEG immunoreactivity was decreased in GLY-exposed males only, revealing a complex sex-dependent relationship. These data add to the literature that GLY is potentially detrimental, highlighting the need for further investigations.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

CNNM2 in schizophrenia: multilevel evidence of genetic susceptibility, magnesium homeostasis, neurodevelopment and cognitive dysfunction.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a common psychiatric disorder with a complex, genetically and environmentally influenced etiology, but the specific pathogenesis remains unclear. In recent years, the SCZ susceptibility gene CNNM2 (encoding cyclin M2) located at the 10q24.32-33 locus has received widespread attention. The well-validated SCZ risk interval 10q24.32-33 harbors two independent risk variants: rs11191580 in NT5C2 (significantly associated with CNNM2 mRNA and protein levels) and rs7914558 in CNNM2. Results from functional genomic analyses indicate that lower CNNM2 expression is significantly associated with SCZ. Imaging genetics studies have demonstrated that carriers of risk alleles of CNNM2 SNPs exhibit alterations in brain structure. Animal model studies have revealed that Cnnm2 downregulation in mice leads to impairments in sensorimotor gating and cognitive function. As an Mg2+ transporter, CNNM2 primarily maintains systemic Mg2+ homeostasis. According to clinical studies, a proportion of patients with SCZ exhibit reduced Mg2+ concentrations in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. CNNM2 dysfunction may contribute to the pathology of SCZ by disrupting Mg2+ homeostasis, thereby affecting neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity. A systematic consolidation of current evidence supporting the involvement of CNNM2 in SCZ pathogenesis provides a direction for further investigation of the pathological mechanisms underlying this disease, and for identification of novel targets for clinical intervention..

Schizophrenia↗

PubMed2026

Differential regulation of CYP46A1 in ischemic core and peri-infarct regions of male mouse brain after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (CYP46A1) regulates brain cholesterol homeostasis and synaptic plasticity, playing a crucial role in ischemic stroke. Although previous studies have reported post-ischemic CYP46A1 upregulation, its spatiotemporal dynamics remain poorly defined. To elucidate these dynamics, we investigated the expression of CYP46A1 and other essential cholesterol homeostasis-related genes from 6 h to 3 days after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) in CB-17 mice. We utilized single-cell and single-nucleus transcriptomics, regional quantitative PCR, and high-resolution immunohistochemistry. CYP46A1 is predominantly expressed in neurons. Following ischemia, the cholesterol network exhibited a dynamic spatiotemporal divergence. Acutely (6 h post-ischemia), surviving regions transiently upregulated cell-autonomous cholesterol synthesis genes and CYP46A1. Subacutely (3 days), this response shifted toward a widespread upregulation of glia-dependent cholesterol transport genes and general CYP46A1 downregulation. At 24 h, CYP46A1 protein was substantially reduced in the necrotic core and superficial layer II/III of the peri-infarct cortex, but upregulated in deeper layer V, hippocampus, and lateral striatum. Notably, this localized upregulation spatially coincided with reactive microglial hypertrophy. These findings indicate that CYP46A1 is dynamically modulated in viable tissues following ischemic stress. This spatial divergence likely reflects a synergistic interaction between inflammatory propagation and neural circuit-mediated oxidative stress. Resolving these spatiotemporal profiles provides a rigorous foundation for evaluating CYP46A1 functionality and developing stage-specific therapeutic interventions.

Cholesterol 24-hydroxylase↗

PubMed2026

Potential contribution of the microbiota-gut-brain axis to doxorubicin-associated cognitive impairment: Mechanisms, evidence, and therapeutic opportunities.

Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (CICI), often termed chemobrain, is a clinically important complication of cancer treatment that can affect memory, attention, executive function, and processing speed during and after therapy. Doxorubicin is of particular mechanistic interest because brain parenchymal exposure is limited, yet preclinical studies consistently identify neuroinflammatory, oxidative, vascular, and synaptic abnormalities after treatment. This critical narrative review evaluates whether intestinal injury and disruption of the microbiota-gut-brain axis may contribute to these central effects. Preclinical evidence indicates that doxorubicin can alter microbial community structure, injure the intestinal barrier, modify SCFA-associated taxa or predicted functions, alter selected metabolite profiles, and promote systemic inflammatory and metabolic signaling. These peripheral changes could interact with brain endothelial cells, glia, mitochondria, hippocampal neurogenesis, and synaptic-plasticity pathways. However, the proposed doxorubicin-gut-brain pathway remains a predominantly preclinical and incompletely tested framework. No longitudinal human study has yet established, within the same patients, the temporal sequence linking doxorubicin exposure, microbiome or metabolome changes, systemic inflammation, and objective cognitive outcomes. Existing animal studies also vary in dose, regimen, tumor context, sampling time, microbiome methodology, and control of behavioral or microbiological confounders, while causal rescue experiments remain limited. Key priorities are therefore longitudinal human cohorts with pretreatment baselines and repeated multi-omics and cognitive assessments; animal studies that test temporal precedence and causal rescue or pathway blockade in the same model; mediation analyses that determine whether microbial or metabolic changes lie between treatment and cognitive dysfunction; and mechanism-informed clinical trials that demonstrate target engagement, cognitive benefit, oncology safety, and preservation of antitumor efficacy. Microbiome-directed interventions are promising but remain investigational for doxorubicin-associated CICI.

blood–brain barrier↗

PubMed2024

An increased copy number of glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) associated with psychosis reduces extracellular glycine and impairs NMDA receptor function.

Glycine is an obligatory co-agonist at excitatory NMDA receptors in the brain, especially in the dentate gyrus, which has been postulated to be crucial for the development of psychotic associations and memories with psychotic content. Drugs modulating glycine levels are in clinical development for improving cognition in schizophrenia. However, the functional relevance of the regulation of glycine metabolism by endogenous enzymes is unclear. Using a chromosome-engineered allelic series in mice, we report that a triplication of the gene encoding the glycine-catabolizing enzyme glycine decarboxylase (GLDC) - as found on a small supernumerary marker chromosome in patients with psychosis - reduces extracellular glycine levels as determined by optical fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in dentate gyrus (DG) and suppresses long-term potentiation (LTP) in mPP-DG synapses but not in CA3-CA1 synapses, reduces the activity of biochemical pathways implicated in schizophrenia and mitochondrial bioenergetics, and displays deficits in schizophrenia-like behaviors which are in part known to be dependent on the activity of the dentate gyrus, e.g., prepulse inhibition, startle habituation, latent inhibition, working memory, sociability and social preference. Our results demonstrate that Gldc negatively regulates long-term synaptic plasticity in the dentate gyrus in mice, suggesting that an increase in GLDC copy number possibly contributes to the development of psychosis in humans.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

BDNF-DT and BDNF-AS-DT: novel genes in the BDNF locus.

Divergent transcription from bidirectional promoters is frequently observed in eukaryotic genomes, but the biological relevance of divergent RNA transcripts (DT) is unknown. We identified and characterized BDNF-DT, a novel DT gene, and BDNF-AS-DT, a novel readthrough gene, in the locus containing BDNF, a gene with key roles in neuronal development, differentiation, and synaptic plasticity. BDNF-DT is independent from the known BDNF antisense (BDNF-AS), and its expression is developmentally regulated and positively correlated with BDNF in human postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). BDNF-DT and BDNF-AS-DT expression increase after induced depolarization, but the temporal dynamics follow expression of BDNF, suggesting a regulatory role. Moreover, CRISPR-mediated upregulation of BDNF in human neural progenitor cells drives BDNF-DT expression. Finally, BDNF-DT shows higher expression in DLPFC from patients diagnosed with schizophrenia compared to neurotypical controls, and genetically predicted lower expression of the BDNF-AS-DT readthrough transcript is associated with schizophrenia and with the schizophrenia-associated C allele of the rs6265 single-nucleotide polymorphism. These findings identify BDNF-DT and BDNF-AS-DT as novel, low-abundance genes that show coordinated expression with BDNF and association with schizophrenia risk, though their biological significance requires further validation given detection limitations and the need to establish causal roles.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

GPR3 in neuro-metabolic-immune-reproductive nexus - a potential therapeutic target for Multi-System diseases.

BACKGROUND: GPR3(G-protein-coupled receptor 3), an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) with constitutive Gs activity, is expressed in the brain, liver, ovary, and other tissues, regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis across the nervous, reproductive, immune, and metabolic systems. This review synthesizes evidence on its integrated signaling and physiological functions to address the lack of a comprehensive multisystem pathophysiology overview. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed and Web of Science, using keywords such as "GPR3", "GPCR", "neurodegeneration", "metabolism", "immune", "reproduction", "agonist", "inhibitor", and "therapeutic target". This search identified GPR3's roles in neurodegenerative diseases, immune inflammation, reproduction, and energy metabolism. The analysis focused on signaling pathways, ligand regulation, and therapeutic potential. RESULTS: The research indicates that GPR3 is involved in neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity, and microglial activity via the cAMP/PKA, PI3K/Akt, and β - arrestin pathways. It promotes amyloid - β formation in Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet provides neuroprotection in Parkinson's disease (PD) models. It may contribute to anxiety/depression - like states, maintain oocyte meiotic arrest in the ovary, and activate thermogenic genes in adipose tissue. GPR3 modulates immune responses. Using oleic acid (OA) and diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) as activators, and AF64394 and cannabidiol (CBD) as antagonists, it shows potential in disease models. CONCLUSION: GPR3 acts as a central molecular hub integrating neural, metabolic, immune, and reproductive signaling, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for chronic multisystem disorders. However, its dual roles in certain pathologies and translation challenges necessitate further research.

Humans↗

PubMed2026

Post-Translational Modifications in Traumatic Brain Injury: Decoding the Proteomic Landscape and Molecular Mechanisms of Secondary Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates a complex secondary injury cascade that significantly contributes to long-term neurological deficits, with post-translational modifications (PTMs) emerging as pivotal molecular regulators of this process. Unlike primary mechanical damage, secondary injury evolves over hours to years and involves intricate proteomic alterations that changes in gene expression alone cannot fully explain. PTMs-including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, acetylation, SUMOylation, glycosylation, and emerging modifications such as succinylation, lactylation, and nitrosylation-serve as dynamic molecular switches that fine-tune protein function, stability, localization, and interactions in response to TBI-induced stressors. These modifications play dual roles: they can either promote neuroprotection and recovery or drive pathological processes such as neuronal cell death (via apoptosis, necroptosis, and ferroptosis), neuroinflammation through glial activation and inflammasome signaling, blood-brain barrier disruption, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired synaptic plasticity. Critically, extensive crosstalk exists among different PTM pathways-such as the interplay between phosphorylation and ubiquitination in protein degradation or the competitive balance between acetylation and SUMOylation-that collectively shape cellular fate after injury. This nuanced regulatory network presents both challenges and opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Targeting PTM-related enzymes, including kinases, phosphatases, E3 ligases, and histone deacetylases, has shown promise in preclinical models, while novel strategies like Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) and repurposed drugs (e.g., metformin, resveratrol) offer innovative avenues for modulating the PTM landscape. Advances in high-throughput proteomics and mass spectrometry are enabling the mapping of TBI-specific PTM signatures across spatiotemporal phases, facilitating the identification of pro-survival versus pro-death modification thresholds. Despite hurdles in clinical translation-such as blood-brain barrier penetration and off-target effects-the growing understanding of PTM dynamics underscores their potential as both biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Future TBI management may thus rely on precision medicine approaches that integrate multi-PTM profiling to guide combination therapies aimed at tipping the balance toward neural repair and functional recovery.

Brain Injuries, Traumatic↗

PubMed2026

Synaptic Proteome Divergence in the Prefrontal Cortex of Tame and Aggressive Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes).

The biological mechanisms behind aggressive and affiliative behaviors are difficult to pinpoint. In the Farm-Fox Experiment, conventional foxes were selectively bred since 1959 in two different directions, one for tame and another for aggressive response to humans. The distinct differences in social behavior of tame, aggressive, and conventional populations are genetically based and the three populations live in conditions that control for factors that could impact social reactions, such as environment and social experiences. Genomic and transcriptomic studies of genetic differences among the fox populations have highlighted genes involved in synaptic processes in the prefrontal cortex. To investigate how the synaptic mechanisms differ between the three fox populations, synaptosomes were isolated from prefrontal and premotor cortex extracts of sixteen female foxes. Tandem mass tags with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were used to identify and quantify the relative abundance of the proteins. The results were sorted into protein groups and compared between populations using a limma analysis to determine proteins with differential expression (DE). In the tame versus aggressive comparison, 174 protein groups were found to be DE, while only five were found in the conventional versus aggressive comparison. Most DE protein groups had lower fold expression in the aggressive population compared to tame and aggressive populations. ADGRB2 was found to be the most DE protein group, with 11-fold higher expression in aggressive foxes than in tame foxes. ADGRB2 was previously shown to affect depression-like behavior in mice and is involved in the vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway, that is known to influence neurogenesis. Enrichment analyses on the DE protein groups found gene ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways that were enriched in the tame versus aggressive comparison, including multiple, highly enriched terms involving ribosome and translation. Local translation at synapses plays an important role in synaptic plasticity and, as a result, can profoundly influence behavior. This study highlighted potential mechanisms that could underly the behavioral differences between tame and aggressive foxes.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

The Thyroid-Brain Network: Exploring Inflammation, Immune Mechanisms and Common Triggers in Thyroid-Related Neurological Dysfunction.

Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD), including Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease, represent the most prevalent endocrine disorders worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions with profound but often under recognized neurological consequences. There are emerging lines of evidence establishing inflammation and immunity as the critical missing link connecting peripheral thyroid dysfunction to central nervous system manifestations. Thyroid hormones function as essential neuromodulators governing neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, and cognitive processing through integrated genomic and non-genomic mechanisms, with region-specific cerebral metabolic disturbances correlating with distinct neuropsychiatric symptoms. The immunological perspective reveals that AITD propagates neuroinflammation through convergent pathways: molecular mimicry enabling cross-reactivity between thyroid and neural antigens, cytokine-mediated disruption of neurotransmitter metabolism, HMGB1-driven glial activation, and blood-brain barrier compromise facilitating immune cell infiltration. The thyroid-gut-microbiota axis emerges as a critical mediator wherein dysbiosis perpetuates both thyroid autoimmunity and neuroinflammation through impaired serotonin precursor availability and increased intestinal permeability. Mitochondrial dysfunction represents an energetic common denominator, as thyroid hormone dysregulation directly impairs oxidative phosphorylation, producing region-specific cerebral metabolic disturbances. Simultaneous compromise of monoamine systems, cholinergic signaling abnormalities, and glutamate excitotoxicity creates a particularly toxic neurochemical state in untreated thyroid dysfunction. Common triggers such as psychological stress, gut dysbiosis, and mitochondrial impairment may activate interconnected pathways that simultaneously compromise thyroid and brain function, revealing that these disorders share fundamental mechanistic origins. These insights have been discussed in the current review to enhance the understanding of thyroid-brain function, the core mechanisms and consequences of functional deficits.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2026

Plasma Proteomic Signatures of Physical Activity Provide Insights into Biological Impacts and its Protective Role against Dementia.

PURPOSE: Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are associated with many diseases, including Alzheimer disease and all-cause dementia. However, the specific biological mechanisms through which PA protects against disease are not entirely understood. This study aims to address this gap, with a specific focus on all-cause dementia. METHODS: We first assessed the conventional observational associations of three self-reported and three device-based PA/SB measures with circulating levels of 2911 plasma proteins measured in the UK Biobank ( nmax = 39,160) and assessed functional enrichment of identified proteins. We then used bidirectional Mendelian randomization to further evaluate the evidence for causal relationships of PA/SB with protein levels. Finally, we performed mediation analyses to identify proteins that may mediate the relationship of PA with incident all-cause dementia. RESULTS: Our findings revealed 41 proteins consistently associated with all PA measures and 1027 proteins associated with at least one PA measure. Both conventional observational and Mendelian randomization study designs converged on proteins that appear to increase as a result of PA, including integrins such as ITGAV and ITGAM, as well as MXRA8, CLEC4A, CLEC4M, LPL, and ADGRG2; and on proteins that appear to decrease as a result of PA such as LEP, INHBC, CLMP, PTGDS, ADM, OGN, and PI3; and on proteins that are more responsive to high-intensity PA, such as CA14, CA6, CA4, KIT, and ANGPT2. Functional enrichment analyses revealed processes such as cell-matrix adhesion, integrin-mediated signaling, and collagen binding. Finally, GDF15, ITGAV, ITGAM, ITGA11, HPGDS, GFAP, ADM, AHNAK, and DPP4 were among 21 unique proteins found to mediate the relationship of PA with all-cause dementia, implicating processes such as synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, and inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide insights into how PA affects biological processes and protects against dementia, and provide avenues for future research into the health-promoting effects of PA.

Humans↗

PubMed2025

Identifying potential biomarkers in the hippocampus of chronic fatigue syndrome rats treated with moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36): a proteomics study.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) on rats with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and to analyze the mechanisms of moxibustion through hippocampal Proteomics. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into three groups: control group (CON), model group (MOD), and moxibustion group (MOX), with 12 rats in each group. The MOD and MOX groups underwent chronic multi-factor stress stimulation for 35 d to establish the CFS model. After modeling, the rats in the MOX group received mild moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) (bilateral) for 10 minutes daily for 28 d. During the treatment period, rats in both the MOD and MOX groups continued modeling, while the CON group was kept under normal breeding conditions. The general condition of the rats was monitored, and behaviors were assessed using the Open Field Test (OFT), Exhaustion Treadmill Test, and Morris Water Maze (MWM). Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to observe morphological changes in the hippocampus. Label-free Proteomics were utilized to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the hippocampus, followed by bioinformatics analysis. The reliability of the Proteomics results was verified using Parallel Reaction Monitoring. RESULTS: A: Moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) significantly reduced the general condition score of CFS rats, improved their behavioral performance in OFT, treadmill and MWM, and repaired the pathological and synaptic structural damage in the hippocampus.B: We identified DEPs by applying a fold change threshold of 1.2 and a significance level of P < 0.05. In the comparison between the CON and the MOD, we identified a total of 72 DEPs (31 up-regulated and 41 down-regulated) associated with the development of CFS. In the comparison between the MOX and the MOD group, we identified a total of 103 DEPs (40 up-regulated and 63 down-regulated) related to the therapeutic effects of moxibustion. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that CFS and moxibustion treatment were related to multiple biological processes, molecular functions, and cellular components. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that CFS pathogenesis was linked to base excision repair, steroid biosynthesis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, Furthermore, the treatment of CFS with moxibustion was relevant to terpenoid skeleton biosynthesis.C: Compared with the two comparison groups, we identified 16 potential biomarkers, noting that moxibustion reversed the up-regulation of 14 DEPs and the down-regulation of 2 DEPs in CFS. These proteins are mainly associated with synaptic plasticity, ribosomal function, neurotransmitter secretion, glycine metabolism, and mitochondrial function. CONCLUSION: Moxibustion at Zusanli (ST36) is effective in treating CFS, the potential biomarkers identified by Proteomics confirm that the mechanisms of moxibustion involve multiple targets and pathways, which may be key to regulating the structural and functional damage in the hippocampus associated with CFS, highlighting their significant value for future research.

Animals↗