Volume 14 Issue 8, August 2018

Tackling intertumoural and intratumoural heterogeneity is one of the most important challenges in the study and treatment of glioblastoma. A new anatomical transcriptional atlas of human glioblastoma associates established anatomical features with distinct molecular subclasses and provides open access to these well-annotated data for drug target validation and data-mining projects.

Eteplirsen, a compound designed to restore dystrophin in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, controversially received approval by the FDA in 2016. Owing to limited clinical data, the approval was based on eteplirsen’s effect on dystrophin expression. Now, the dystrophin quantification results have been published, and although low levels of dystrophin expression are shown, the quantification remains debatable.

In this Review, Ferretti et al. discuss the evidence for sex-related differences in Alzheimer disease symptoms, progression, risk factors and treatment, and consider how understanding sex differences is crucial in developing precision medicine.

Non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep parasomnias are thought to derive from incomplete arousal from NREM sleep. Here, the authors present evidence for coexistence of sleep-like and wake-like brain activity in disorders of arousal, including confusional arousals, sleep terrors and sleepwalking.

Glioblastomas remain one of the most aggressive and lethal tumours, with no effective treatments available. Here, Xandra Breakefield and colleagues examine the ways in which glioblastomas manipulate brain cells and immune cells in their environment to support tumour growth and the opportunities available for new therapies that disrupt these interactions.

This Review appraises the available evidence for spatial navigation and/or orientation deficits in preclinical, prodromal and confirmed Alzheimer disease with a focus on using spatial navigation as a diagnostic tool. Research gaps and future research priorities are also identified.