Oligomeric forms of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) are thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanism involved is still unclear. Here, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from familial and sporadic AD patients and differentiated them into neural cells. Aβ oligomers accumulated in iPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes in cells from patients with a familial amyloid precursor protein (APP)-E693Δ mutation and sporadic AD, leading to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and oxidative stress. The accumulated Aβ oligomers were not proteolytically resistant, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) treatment alleviated the stress responses in the AD neural cells. Differential manifestation of ER stress and DHA responsiveness may help explain variable clinical results obtained with the use of DHA treatment and suggests that DHA may in fact be effective for a subset of patients. It also illustrates how patient-specific iPSCs can be useful for analyzing AD pathogenesis and evaluating drugs.

Feeding problems depend on the severity of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia demonstrated not only poor feeding coordination but also poor feeding endurance and performance.

Covering: 2010-2011. Previous review: Nat. Prod. Rep. 2010, 27, 1630-1680This review covers the literature on simple indole alkaloids and those with a non-rearranged monoterpenoid unit from the beginning of 2010 up to the end of 2011, which includes newly isolated alkaloids, structure determinations, total syntheses and biological activities.

To understand the genetics of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS), we conducted a genome-wide association study in 987 childhood SSNS patients and 3,206 healthy controls with Japanese ancestry. Beyond known associations in the HLA-DR/DQ region, common variants in NPHS1-KIRREL2 (rs56117924, P[4.94E-20, odds ratio (OR) [1.90)

Total syntheses of carazostatin (1), hyellazole (2a), and carbazoquinocins B-F (3b-f) have been completed. The cross-coupling reaction between 3-iodoindole 8 and vinylstannane 11b gave the 3-alkenylindole 7. Treatment of 7 with ethynylmagnesium bromide, followed by etherification of the resulting alcohol 12 with MOMCl, yielded the 3-alkenyl-2-propargylindole 6. The compound 6 was treated with t-BuOK in t-BuOH at 90 degrees C to obtain the desired carbazoles 4 together with the N-deprotected carbazole 13 through an allene-mediated electrocyclic reaction. The carbazole 13a, derived from 4a or 4c, was converted into the triflate 24 in two steps. The triflate 24 was subjected to the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction with either 9-heptyl-9-BBN or phenylboronic acid in the presence of a palladium catalyst to produce the 1-heptylcarbazole 25a and the 1-phenylcarbazole 25b. Cleavage of the ether bond of 25a yielded carazostatin (1). Cleavage of the ether bond of 25b followed by O-methylation gave hyellazole (2a). Oxidation of carazostatin (1) with benzene seleninic anhydride afforded carbazoquinocin C (3c). In a similar way, carbazoquinocins B and D-F (3b,d-f) were synthesized, respectively.