Vascularized midbrain assembloids
#ParkinsonsDisease

Vascular+Microglia integration⏫endothelial & microglial morphologic complexity (elongation, arborization)

hiPSC LRRK2 G2019S
👉⬆️% Astrocyte Pericyte Netrin1+GPX4+ Dopaminergic neuron
👉Altered microglial inflamm

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Microglia: Replacing the immune system of the brain A new method enables engineered immune progenitor cells to replace microglia in mice and reveals how a genetic mutation can lead to inflammation in the brain.

Thanks to @elife.bsky.social for publishing this really nice insight article about my grad school paper! Absolutely thrilled that folks are excited about the work and the promise of microglia replacement. And yes I do still use these cells daily in my postdoc lab!

elifesciences.org/articles/110...

📢last weeks #immunometabolism discoveries @biomednews.bsky.social ⬇️⬇️⬇️

biomed.news/bims-imicid/...

Interesting papers 🧪:

I) The immunometabolic topography of cellular organization in TB

II) The human antibacterial factor APOL3 couples lysosomal damage to mtDNA efflux and type I IFN induction.

Oxygen-free metabolism in the bird inner retina supported by the pecten - Nature While the photoreceptor outer segments in the bird outer retina have access to oxygen, the inner retina operates under chronic anoxia, supported by anaerobic glycolysis in the retinal neurons.

Birds have a thick retina devoid of blood vessels - so how do they ensure sufficient oxygen availability?
They don't - neurons rely on glycolysis, metabolizing glucose released from the pecten.

Insane new study that includes comparative data on lizards and crocs.🧪

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Woot!!! Congrats to you and the team

JCS poster ‘Mitochondria–membranous organelle contacts at a glance’ Antigoni Diokmetzidou, Luca Scorrano

In their Cell Science at a Glance article, Antigoni Diokmetzidou and Luca Scorrano summarise the mitochondrial contacts characterised in mammals, the molecular mechanisms underlying their formation, and their principal functions.
journals.biologists.com/jcs/article/...
#JCSMitoSI #OpenAccess

Retina in a Dish: Advanced Ex-Vivo Methods for Retina Research The active representation of the Institute for Ophthalmic Research in Tübingen, represents the strategic focus on retina physiology and disease mechanisms, as well as its commitment to training the ne...

For PhD studs, postdocs.
Cutting-edge retina research, from physiology to disease mechanisms. Strong involvement from IOR in Tübingen, highlighting commitment to training the next generation of vision scientists!
@blanka-g.bsky.social @unituebingen.bsky.social

www.eye-tuebingen.de?tx_news_pi1%...

a cartoon dog with glasses is reading a book ALT: a cartoon dog with glasses is reading a book

#Autophagy and #mTOR papers from last two weeks, enjoy thanks to @biomednews.bsky.social pre-selection!

biomed.news/bims-auttor/...

biomed.news/bims-auttor/...

Microglial phagocytosis in Alzheimer disease - Nature Reviews Neurology Growing evidence indicates important roles for microglial phagocytosis in Alzheimer disease. This Review summarizes the latest insights into the mechanisms by which microglial phagocytosis can affect ...

Microglial phagocytosis in Alzheimer disease

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

🧠 Astrocytes protect the brain during viral infection! Lindman et al. (2025) show #astrocyte RIPK3 triggers serpins that preserve the blood-brain barrier & limit immune cell influx. RIPK3 deletion → lower survival, same viral load. 📖 https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scisignal.adq6422

NEW STUDY! Building on pioneering work by Dr. Alison Goate, an international team of researchers, led by #IcahnMountSinai's Anne Schaefer, ID'd distinct population of neuroprotective #Microglia that may point to new therapeutic approach for #Alzheimers. @nature.com 👉 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

There are lots of us missing, but so many joining so quickly

Please do share, and comment below to be added

go.bsky.app/5f2V6L6

(microglia starter pack also here by @mancusorenzo.bsky.social - bsky.app/starter-pack...)

Thrilled to share our new paper @cp-cell.bsky.social:
“Microglia–astrocyte crosstalk regulates synapse remodeling via Wnt signaling.”

This work demonstrates the necessity of glia–glia communication and coordination during synapse remodeling.

🔗 www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...

Faust et al., Cell 2025

Regionally mapped astrocytic responses to cortical and white matter stroke show differential roles in astrocyte-induced vascular remodeling Stroke is a major cause of disability. Astrocytes respond to stroke in a gradated manner, but details of that response and its consequences for tissue…

Thrilled to share this work from my postdoc with Tom Carmichael, available online @ Neuron! Long story short: we find even more evidence that all reactive astrocytes are not equal, and we can take advantage of those differences to improve repair after stroke.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Jane Goodall with monarch butterfly scarf

“It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there are so many of us.”
― Jane Goodall

💙 RIP to a real one. My childhood hero

#FluorescenceFriday: a weekly reminder that behind the data, there are moments of pure wonder. This is why we do what we do. And the #retina is so uniquely beautiful!

Retinal polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation reverses aging-related vision decline in mice Intravitreal delivery of an ELOVL2 product reduces age-related molecular changes in the retina and restores visual function.

New work in #ScienceTranslationalMedicine reveals how a drop in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and the enzyme ELOVL2 correlate with vision decline in aged mice—and shows that intravitreal supplementation of PUFAs can reverse vision loss and rejuvenate the retina. https://scim.ag/4pNNh3M

The mechanism of STING NF-κB signaling has remained a mystery. An exciting new study from the Paludan lab now uses data throughout animal STING evolution to provide new answers – including isolating white blood cells from turtles and carp!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

On astrocyte-neuron interactions: Broad insights from the striatum In this review, Khakh discusses the mechanisms, physiology, and pathophysiological relevance of astrocyte-neuron interactions across biological scales from molecules to whole organisms. By highlightin...

On astrocyte-neuron interactions: Broad insights from the striatum: Neuron www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...

Wonderful to see our paper on the #organelle signatures of #neurons and #astrocytes out in final form - congratulations, Shannon Rhoads and team!🎉 t.co/BPxKlbU6Ou

Microglia-astrocyte crosstalk regulates synapse remodeling via Wnt signaling In the postnatal mouse cortex, microglia use Wnts to direct astrocytes to reduce their contact with synapses prior to synapse engulfment by microglia. This mechanism allows microglia to instruct astrocyte-synapse interactions to facilitate synapse removal and remodeling.

Now online! Microglia-astrocyte crosstalk regulates synapse remodeling via Wnt signaling

TBK1-associated adapters TANK and AZI2 protect mice against TNF-induced cell death and severe autoinflammatory diseases - Nature Communications Dysregulation of the TNF receptor signaling complex (TNF-RSC) promotes the onset of autoinflammatory conditions. Here the authors show that two adapter proteins, TANK and AZI2, mediate the recruitment...

TANK & AZI2 limit TNF-triggered RIPK1 cell death through TBK1. Mice lacking both show severe inflammation, high antibodies, male sterility, early death. #Inflammation #TNF #Science #Biomedicine PMID:39562788, Nat Commun 2024, @NatureComms doi.org/10.1038/s414...

🤩

Mitochondria as sensors of intracellular pathogens Mitochondria must sense their environment to enable cells and organisms to adapt to diverse environments and survive during stress. However, during microbial infection, an evolutionary pressure since ...

Our opinion piece is out! My first published postdoc work with Lena Pernas. 🎉

Here, we speculate whether mitochondria can autonomously sense and elicit a response to microbes. 🤔🦠

#mitochondria #microbes

dlvr.it/TGLcRm

🟣Astrocytes extend a nurturing embrace around the retinal 🟢vasculature
💜💚
#fluorescencefriday

#GliaPapers #GliaJanuary2025 REVIEW

Olivia Taylor, …, Andy Fischer
medicine.osu.edu/find-faculty...

Regulating the formation of Müller glia-derived progenitor cells in the retina onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

#GliaPapers #GliaJuly2025 RESEARCH

Joseph Holden, …, David Calkins
www.psy.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/calk...

Potassium-dependent coupling of retinal astrocyte light response to Müller glia onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Brain myelin as a deficient energy source in aging and disease Central nervous system (CNS) myelin may act as a dynamic energy store that supports brain metabolism; its consumption and replenishment is a newly recognized form of metabolic plasticity aimed at main...

Brain myelin as a deficient energy source in aging and disease www.cell.com/trends/endoc... Excellent discussion on how myelin fatty acid reserves may be reallocated during aging and neurodegeneration

Pretty stars! 🤩

(A) An abstracted version of an astrocyte, showing the astrocyte processes and the synapses. (B) Our mathematical idealization of the minicircuit defined by a single astrocyte.

One of the most-viewed PNAS articles in the last week is “Neuron–astrocyte associative memory.” Explore the article here: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

For more trending articles, visit ow.ly/Me2U50SkLRZ.