@article{KleikersHooijmansGoebetal.2015, author = {Kleikers, Pamela W. M. and Hooijmans, Carlijn and G{\"o}b, Eva and Langhauser, Friederike and Rewell, Sarah S. J. and Radermacher, Kim and Ritskes-Hoitinga, Merel and Howells, David W. and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Schmidt, Harald H. H. W.}, title = {A combined pre-clinical meta-analysis and randomized confirmatory trial approach to improve data validity for therapeutic target validation}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {5}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {13428}, doi = {10.1038/srep13428}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-151401}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Biomedical research suffers from a dramatically poor translational success. For example, in ischemic stroke, a condition with a high medical need, over a thousand experimental drug targets were unsuccessful. Here, we adopt methods from clinical research for a late-stage pre-clinical meta-analysis (MA) and randomized confirmatory trial (pRCT) approach. A profound body of literature suggests NOX\(_{2}\) to be a major therapeutic target in stroke. Systematic review and MA of all available NOX\(_{2}\)\(^{-/y}\) studies revealed a positive publication bias and lack of statistical power to detect a relevant reduction in infarct size. A fully powered multi-center pRCT rejects NOX\(_{2}\) as a target to improve neurofunctional outcomes or achieve a translationally relevant infarct size reduction. Thus stringent statistical thresholds, reporting negative data and a MA-pRCT approach can ensure biomedical data validity and overcome risks of bias.}, language = {en} } @article{UeceylerTopuzoğluSchiesseretal.2011, author = {{\"U}{\c{c}}eyler, Nurcan and Topuzoğlu, Teng{\"u} and Schießer, Peter and Hahnenkamp, Saskia and Sommer, Claudia}, title = {IL-4 Deficiency Is Associated with Mechanical Hypersensitivity in Mice}, series = {PLoS One}, volume = {6}, journal = {PLoS One}, number = {12}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0028205}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-137924}, pages = {e28205}, year = {2011}, abstract = {Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic cytokine that induces opioid receptor transcription. We investigated IL-4 knockout (ko) mice to characterize their pain behavior before and after chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve as a model for neuropathic pain. We investigated opioid responsivity and measured cytokine and opioid receptor gene expression in the peripheral and central nervous system (PNS, CNS) of IL-4 ko mice in comparison with wildtype (wt) mice. Na{\"i}ve IL-4 ko mice displayed tactile allodynia (wt: 0.45 g; ko: 0.18 g; p<0.001), while responses to heat and cold stimuli and to muscle pressure were not different. No compensatory changes in the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), IL-1β, IL-10, and IL-13 were found in the PNS and CNS of na{\"i}ve IL-4 ko mice. However, IL-1β gene expression was stronger in the sciatic nerve of IL-4 ko mice (p<0.001) 28 days after CCI and only IL-4 ko mice had elevated IL-10 gene expression (p = 0.014). Remarkably, CCI induced TNF (p<0.01), IL-1β (p<0.05), IL-10 (p<0.05), and IL-13 (p<0.001) gene expression exclusively in the ipsilateral spinal cord of IL-4 ko mice. The compensatory overexpression of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic cytokines IL-10 and IL-13 in the spinal cord of IL-4 ko mice may explain the lack of genotype differences for pain behavior after CCI. Additionally, CCI induced gene expression of μ, κ, and δ opioid receptors in the contralateral cortex and thalamus of IL-4 ko mice, paralleled by fast onset of morphine analgesia, but not in wt mice. We conclude that a lack of IL-4 leads to mechanical sensitivity; the compensatory hyperexpression of analgesic cytokines and opioid receptors after CCI, in turn, protects IL-4 ko mice from enhanced pain behavior after nerve lesion.}, language = {en} } @article{NorrmenFigliaLebrunJulienetal.2014, author = {Norrmen, Camilla and Figlia, Gianluca and Lebrun-Julien, Frederic and Pereira, Jorge A. and Tr{\"o}tzm{\"u}ller, Martin and K{\"o}feler, Harald C. and Rantanen, Ville and Wessig, Carsten and van Deijk, Anne-Lieke F. and Smit, August B. and Verheijen, Mark H. G. and R{\"u}egg, Markus A. and Hall, Michael N. and Suter, Ueli}, title = {mTORC1 Controls PNS Myelination along the mTORC1-RXR gamma-SREBP-Lipid Biosynthesis Axis in Schwann Cells}, series = {Cell Reports}, volume = {9}, journal = {Cell Reports}, number = {2}, issn = {2211-1247}, doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2014.09.001}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-114847}, pages = {646-660}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Myelin formation during peripheral nervous system (PNS) development, and reformation after injury and in disease, requires multiple intrinsic and extrinsic signals. Akt/mTOR signaling has emerged as a major player involved, but the molecular mechanisms and downstream effectors are virtually unknown. Here, we have used Schwann-cell-specific conditional gene ablation of raptor and rictor, which encode essential components of the mTOR complexes 1 (mTORC1) and 2 (mTORC2), respectively, to demonstrate that mTORC1 controls PNS myelination during development. In this process, mTORC1 regulates lipid biosynthesis via sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs). This course of action is mediated by the nuclear receptor RXRg, which transcriptionally regulates SREBP1c downstream of mTORC1. Absence of mTORC1 causes delayed myelination initiation as well as hypomyelination, together with abnormal lipid composition and decreased nerve conduction velocity. Thus, we have identified the mTORC1-RXR gamma-SREBP axis controlling lipid biosynthesis as a major contributor to proper peripheral nerve function.}, language = {en} }