Biology subjects

Bilal, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Bilal, A..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

FMRP regulates adult human cortical excitability via cyclic-AMP signalling

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a common inherited neurodevelopmental condition, resulting from loss of Fragile X Messenger Ribonuclear Protein (FMRP). Rodent models of FXS display cellular hyperexcitability, but it is not known to what extent this is the case in intact human neurons. Depleting FMRP in human brain slice cultures reveals cyclic-AMP-dependent cellular hyperexcitability which is corrected by phosphodiesterase 4D inhibition and may be independent of neurodevelopment.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Connections in the Dark: Social-Ecological Networks as a Promising Tool for Bat Conservation and One Health

Bats provide vital ecosystem services, including pest suppression and crop pollination. However, the increasing proximity of bats and humans is a growing conservation and public health concern with negative consequences for both sides. Mitigating these consequences requires integrative approaches like network science and the emerging field of social-ecological networks (SENs), which offer powerful tools to map and analyse complex social and ecological dynamics. Here, we synthesize how network approaches have been applied to bat research and conservation. Specifically, we: (i) assess the use of both ecological and social network analyses to study bats; (ii) identify network tools well-suited for SEN-based bat research; (iii) present a case study illustrating how SEN applications in bat research can inform conservation and One Health efforts; and, lastly, (iv) discuss key challenges and opportunities in using SENs to investigate the human-bat interface. Our review unveils a rise in network-based bat research from 2006 to 2020, followed by a post-pandemic decline. Nevertheless, across the 127 studies mapped by our review, only one applied an SEN lens. Finally, we suggest how applying some underexplored SEN tools to bat research could lead to novel perspectives, aiming to promote integrated strategies for the coexistence of bats and humans.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2025

Plasma Cell-Free DNA in Acute and Chronic Aortic Syndromes.

Acute aortic syndromes and other acute aortic events are commonly misdiagnosed and associated with high mortality and morbidity. There is need for a blood-based biomarker to indicate the acutely unstable aorta. Plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is an established diagnostic marker in prenatal testing and cancer. Its use as a potential diagnostic marker in aortic disease remains to be demonstrated. We found that plasma short-fragment (50-700bp) cfDNA concentration is significantly increased in patients with both acute and chronic aortic disease compared with several control groups, and is significantly increased in acute versus chronic aortic disease. Plasma sf-cfDNA may differentiate acute aortic syndromes from other acute presentations of chest pain with good diagnostic accuracy and could prove a significant advance in the management of aortic disease.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2022

Dietary choline intake is necessary to prevent systems-wide organ pathology and reduce Alzheimers disease hallmarks

Evidence suggests that environmental factors may contribute to Alzheimers disease (AD). The B-like vitamin choline plays key roles in body- and brain-related functions. Choline produced endogenously by the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) enzyme in the liver is not sufficient for adequate physiological functions, necessitating daily dietary intake. [~]90% of Americans dont reach the recommended daily choline intake. Thus, its imperative to determine whether dietary deficiency increases disease outcomes. Here, we placed 3xTg-AD, a model of AD, and non-transgenic (NonTg) control mice on either a sufficient choline (ChN) or choline deficient (Ch-; choline deficiency) diet from 3 to 12 (early to late adulthood) months of age. Ch- reduced plasma choline and acetylcholine levels, increased weight, and impaired both glucose metabolism and motor function in NonTg, with 3xTg-AD mice showing greater deficits. Tissue analyses showed cardiac and liver pathology, and elevated Amyloid-{beta} and phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus and cortex of 3xTg-AD Ch- mice. Unbiased proteomic analyses revealed Ch- altered hippocampal networks associated with microtubule function and postsynaptic membrane regulation. In plasma, Ch- altered protein networks associated with insulin metabolism, mitochondrial function, and inflammation. Collectively, our data highlight that dietary choline intake is necessary to prevent systems-wide organ pathology and reduce AD hallmark pathologies.

neuroscience↗