Standardized Operational Protocol for Human Brain Banking in China

With the progress of society, there is an increasing need to tackle disorders of the central nervous system. Human brain tissue, unlike animal tissues, is an irreplaceable resource for the study of neurological diseases (1)Aimed at scientific research and education, the roles of human brain tissue repositories are to acquire brain tissue from donors, prepare, process, and preserve collected samples,provide tissue to specific eligible facilities, and determine the characteristics of each tissue sample.

Correlations Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms,Cognitive Dysfunction,and Postmortem Brain Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Among Han Chinese

In this study, the distribution of five Alzheimer's disease(AD)-related single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs) in the Han population was examined in combination with the evaluation of clinical cognition and brain pathological analysis. The associations among SNPs,clinical daily cognitive states, and postmortem neuropathological changes were analyzed in 110 human brains from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College(CAMS/PUMC) Human Brain Bank.APOE ?4(OR = 4.482, P = 0.004), the RS2305421 GG genotype(adjusted OR = 4.397, P = 0.015), and the RS10498633 GT genotype(adjusted OR = 2.375,P = 0.028) were associated with a higher score on the ABC(Ab plaque score, Braak NFT stage, and CERAD neuritic plaque score) dementia scale. These results advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of AD,the relationship between pathological diagnosis and clinical diagnosis, and the SNPs in the Han population for future research.

Focal-type,but not Diffuse-type,Amyloid Beta Plaques are Correlated with Alzheimer’s Neuropathology,Cognitive Dysfunction,and Neuroinflammation in the Human Hippocampus

Amyloid beta(Aβ)plaques are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease(AD).However,currently available anti-amyloid therapies fail to show effectiveness in the treatment of AD in humans.It has been found that there are different types of Aβplaque(diffuse and focal types)in the postmortem human brain.In this study,we aimed to investigate the correlations among different types of Aβplaque and AD-related neuropathological and cognitive changes based on a postmortem human brain bank in China.The results indicated that focal plaques,but not diffuse plaques,significantly increased with age in the human hippocampus.We also found that the number of focal plaques was positively correlated with the severity of AD-related neuropathological changes(measured by the“ABC”scoring system)and cognitive decline(measured by the Everyday Cognitive Insider Questionnaire).Furthermore,most of the focal plaques were co-localized with neuritic plaques(identified by Bielschowsky silver staining)and accompanied by microglial and other inflammatory cells.Our findings suggest the potential of using focal-type but not general Aβplaques as biomarkers for the neuropathological evaluation of AD.

Brain Banks Spur New Frontiers in Neuropsychiatric Research and Strategies for Analysis and Validation

Neuropsychiatric disorders affect hundreds of millions of patients and families worldwide.To decode the molecular framework of these diseases,many studies use human postmortem brain samples.These studies reveal brain-specific genetic and epigenetic patterns via highthroughput sequencing technologies.Identifying best practices for the collection of postmortem brain samples,analyzing such large amounts of sequencing data,and interpreting these results are critical to advance neuropsychiatry.We provide an overview of human brain banks worldwide,including progress in China,highlighting some well-known projects using human postmortem brain samples to understand molecular regulation in both normal brains and those with neuropsychiatric disorders.Finally,we discuss future research strategies,as well as state-of-the-art statistical and experimental methods that are drawn upon brain bank resources to improve our understanding of the agents of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Tracheal microenvironment,ANP metabolism and airway tone

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease,characterized by reversible airflow obstruction and airway hyperresponsiveness.There has been a sharp increase in the prevalence,morbidity,mortality and economic burden associated with this disorder over the last several decades,which triggers the development of various antiasthmatic agents[1].Maintenance of airway tone is the key in asthma therapy.

Comparison of Reference Genes for Transcriptional Studies in Postmortem Human Brain Tissue Under Different Conditions

Dear Editor Research on neurodegenerative diseases is a hot topic worldwide[1],and MRI,genetics and epigenetics,and animal models have been commonly used.Considering species differences,research on human brain samples is irreplaceable(2)Many countries and regions have built brain banks to collect and store brain tissue from donors.Samples provided by a brain bank can be used to study synaptic structure,protein,DNA,RNA[3,4],and lipids to illuminate the pathological mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases.When brain tissue is used for gene expression research,the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR)is an accurate method,which simultaneously amplifies and quantifies the expression of target genes by measuring the intensity of fluorescence in each PCR cycle.

A Global Multiregional Proteomic Map of the Human Cerebral Cortex

The Brodmann area(BA)-based map is one of the most widely used cortical maps for studies of human brain functions and in clinical practice;however,the molecular architecture of BAs remains unknown.The present study provided a global multiregional proteomic map of the human cerebral cortex by analyzing 29 BAs.These 29 BAs were grouped into 6 clusters based on similarities in proteomic patterns:the motor and sensory cluster,vision cluster,auditory and Broca’s area cluster,Wernicke’s area cluster,cingulate cortex cluster,and heterogeneous function cluster.We identified 474 cluster-specific and 134 BA-specific signature proteins whose functions are closely associated with specialized functions and disease vulnerability of the corresponding cluster or BA.The findings of the present study could provide explanations for the functional connections between the anterior cingulate cortex and sensorimotor cortex and for anxiety-related function in the sensorimotor cortex.The brain transcriptome and proteome comparison indicates that they both could reflect the function of cerebral cortex,but show different characteristics.These proteomic data are publicly available at the Human Brain Proteome Atlas(www.brain-omics.com).Our results may enhance our understanding of the molecular basis of brain functions and provide an important resource to support human brain research.