Perspectives in 2010

This Perspective discusses concepts in endocannabinoid signaling that have come to light with the recent development of pharmacological and genetic tools for the study of biosynthetic enzymes. It also highlights caveats for interpreting data, given the cross-talk between biosynthetic pathways, and outlines future directions for the field.

Disruption of DNA methylation in the brain can impair learning and memory in rodents. In this Perspective, Day and Sweatt provide an overview of evidence that implicates this epigenetic mechanism in memory processes and discuss how past controversies can be explained in light of recent findings.

This perspective discusses the role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating circadian rhythms, and emphasizes that the role of peripheral machinery is key for a fuller understanding of this regulation.

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) allows for unbiased discovery of genetic bases for various diseases in both familial and sporadic forms. Using two recent GWASs of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease as examples, Wood and Gandhi discuss the underlying principles of the GWAS and highlight the progress of these studies of neurodegenerative disease and the road lying ahead.

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a form of childhood neurodegenerative disease due to the lack of SMA protein in motor neurons. This Perspective article discusses the recent progress in our understanding of pathological mechanisms, past efforts in SMA therapy developments, and future directions for translational research.

Przedborski and Wichterle discuss various ways in which stem cells may be used to facilitate research in neurodegeneration. Particularly, this Perspective highlights the use of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from affected individuals as a potential tool to better dissect disease mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases and to aid in restorative therapy.