@article{ShityakovNagaiErguenetal.2022,
  author    = {Shityakov, Sergey and Nagai, Michiaki and Erg{\"u}n, S{\"u}leyman and Braunger, Barbara M. and F{\"o}rster, Carola Y.},
  title     = {The protective effects of neurotrophins and microRNA in diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy and heart failure via regulating endothelial function},
  series = {Biomolecules},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {Biomolecules},
  number    = {8},
  issn      = {2218-273X},
  doi       = {10.3390/biom12081113},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-285966},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Diabetes mellitus is a common disease affecting more than 537 million adults worldwide. The microvascular complications that occur during the course of the disease are widespread and affect a variety of organ systems in the body. Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most common long-term complications, which include, amongst others, endothelial dysfunction, and thus, alterations in the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). This particularly restrictive physiological barrier is important for maintaining the neuroretina as a privileged site in the body by controlling the inflow and outflow of fluid, nutrients, metabolic end products, ions, and proteins. In addition, people with diabetic retinopathy (DR) have been shown to be at increased risk for systemic vascular complications, including subclinical and clinical stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and nephropathy. DR is, therefore, considered an independent predictor of heart failure. In the present review, the effects of diabetes on the retina, heart, and kidneys are described. In addition, a putative common microRNA signature in diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and heart failure is discussed, which may be used in the future as a biomarker to better monitor disease progression. Finally, the use of miRNA, targeted neurotrophin delivery, and nanoparticles as novel therapeutic strategies is highlighted.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SalvadorKesslerDomroeseetal.2022,
  author    = {Salvador, Ellaine and Kessler, Almuth F. and Domr{\"o}se, Dominik and H{\"o}rmann, Julia and Schaeffer, Clara and Giniunaite, Aiste and Burek, Malgorzata and Tempel-Brami, Catherine and Voloshin, Tali and Volodin, Alexandra and Zeidan, Adel and Giladi, Moshe and Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo and L{\"o}hr, Mario and F{\"o}rster, Carola Y. and Hagemann, Carsten},
  title     = {Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) reversibly permeabilize the blood-brain barrier in vitro and in vivo},
  series = {Biomolecules},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {Biomolecules},
  number    = {10},
  issn      = {2218-273X},
  doi       = {10.3390/biom12101348},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-288057},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Despite the availability of numerous therapeutic substances that could potentially target CNS disorders, an inability of these agents to cross the restrictive blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits their clinical utility. Novel strategies to overcome the BBB are therefore needed to improve drug delivery. We report, for the first time, how Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), approved for glioblastoma (GBM), affect the BBB's integrity and permeability. Here, we treated murine microvascular cerebellar endothelial cells (cerebEND) with 100-300 kHz TTFields for up to 72 h and analyzed the expression of barrier proteins by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot. In vivo, compounds normally unable to cross the BBB were traced in healthy rat brain following TTFields administration at 100 kHz. The effects were analyzed via MRI and immunohistochemical staining of tight-junction proteins. Furthermore, GBM tumor-bearing rats were treated with paclitaxel (PTX), a chemotherapeutic normally restricted by the BBB combined with TTFields at 100 kHz. The tumor volume was reduced with TTFields plus PTX, relative to either treatment alone. In vitro, we demonstrate that TTFields transiently disrupted BBB function at 100 kHz through a Rho kinase-mediated tight junction claudin-5 phosphorylation pathway. Altogether, if translated into clinical use, TTFields could represent a novel CNS drug delivery strategy.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{ReschkeSalvadorSchlegeletal.2022,
  author    = {Reschke, Moritz and Salvador, Ellaine and Schlegel, Nicolas and Burek, Malgorzata and Karnati, Srikanth and Wunder, Christian and F{\"o}rster, Carola Y.},
  title     = {Isosteviol sodium (STVNA) reduces pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and GM-CSF in an in vitro murine stroke model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB)},
  series = {Pharmaceutics},
  volume    = {14},
  journal   = {Pharmaceutics},
  number    = {9},
  issn      = {1999-4923},
  doi       = {10.3390/pharmaceutics14091753},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-286275},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Early treatment with glucocorticoids could help reduce both cytotoxic and vasogenic edema, leading to improved clinical outcome after stroke. In our previous study, isosteviol sodium (STVNA) demonstrated neuroprotective effects in an in vitro stroke model, which utilizes oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Herein, we tested the hypothesis that STVNA can activate glucocorticoid receptor (GR) transcriptional activity in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) as previously published for T cells. STVNA exhibited no effects on transcriptional activation of the glucocorticoid receptor, contrary to previous reports in Jurkat cells. However, similar to dexamethasone, STVNA inhibited inflammatory marker IL-6 as well as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) secretion. Based on these results, STVNA proves to be beneficial as a possible prevention and treatment modality for brain ischemia-reperfusion injury-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{FoersterShityakovScheperetal.2022,
  author    = {F{\"o}rster, Carola Y. and Shityakov, Sergey and Scheper, Verena and Lenarz, Thomas},
  title     = {Linking cerebrovascular dysfunction to age-related hearing loss and Alzheimer's disease — are systemic approaches for diagnosis and therapy required?},
  series = {Biomolecules},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {Biomolecules},
  number    = {11},
  issn      = {2218-273X},
  doi       = {10.3390/biom12111717},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-297552},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, is a neurodegenerative disorder associated with neurovascular dysfunction, cognitive decline, and the accumulation of amyloid β peptide (Aβ) in the brain and tau-related lesions in neurons termed neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Aβ deposits and NFT formation are the central pathological hallmarks in AD brains, and the majority of AD cases have been shown to exhibit a complex combination of systemic comorbidities. While AD is the foremost common cause of dementia in the elderly, age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most predominant sensory deficit in the elderly. During aging, chronic inflammation and resulting endothelial dysfunction have been described and might be key contributors to AD; we discuss an intriguing possible link between inner ear strial microvascular pathology and blood-brain barrier pathology and present ARHL as a potentially modifiable and treatable risk factor for AD development. We present compelling evidence that ARHL might well be seen as an important risk factor in AD development: progressive hearing impairment, leading to social isolation, and its comorbidities, such as frailty, falls, and late-onset depression, link ARHL with cognitive decline and increased risk of dementia, rendering it tempting to speculate that ARHL might be a potential common molecular and pathological trigger for AD. Additionally, one could speculate that amyloid-beta might damage the blood-labyrinth barrier as it does to the blood-brain barrier, leading to ARHL pathology. Finally, there are options for the treatment of ARHL by targeted neurotrophic factor supplementation to the cochlea to improve cognitive outcomes; they can also prevent AD development and AD-related comorbidity in the future.},
  language  = {en}
}