Prof. dr hab. med. Anna Członkowska, II Klinika Neurologii, Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii, Warszawa

The article presents a summary of the results from five analyses, focusing on impact of COVID-19 on stroke care including: ischaemic stroke, reperfusion therapy, subarachnoid haemorrhage, and cerebral venous thrombosis, before and during the pandemic (COVID-19), analyzing the contribution of Polish centres.
Paper: International Study: Global Impact of COVID 19 on Stroke Care – Polish participation. Lasek-Bal A, Członkowska A, Qureshi MM, Abdalkader M, Marto JM, Michel P, Yamagami H, Mikulik R, Demeestere J, Qiu Z, Nguyen TN, Nogueira RG, Neurol Neurochir PoI, accepted to press 27.01.2023.

The analysis of the clinical characteristics Wilson’s disease patients admitted, diagnosed and treated in Institute Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland over seven decades (pre-1959 to 2019).
Paper: Seven decades of clinical experience with Wilson’s disease: report from the national reference center in Poland. Członkowska A, Niewada M, Litwin T, Kraiński Ł, Skowrońska M, Piechal A, Antos A, Misztal M, Khanna I, Kurkowska-Jastrzębska I. Eur J Neurol, 2022, doi: 10.1111/ene.15646

Prof. dr hab. med. Dariusz J. Jaskólski, Klinika Neurochirurgii i Onkologii Układu Nerwowego UM w Łodzi

It has been established that the level of hydroxyproline and phenylanaline in the plasma of patients operated on for ruptured intracranial aneurysm is an important prognostic factor for the occurrence of cerebral vasospasm (CVS) - a serious complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage - so taking them into account greatly improves the sensitivity and specificity of the Hunt and Hess scale in predicting the occurrence of this complication.
Paper: Plasma Amino Acids May Improve Prediction Accuracy of Cerebral Vasospasm after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Haemorrhage, Bobeff EJ, Bukowiecka-Matusiak M, Stawiski K, Wiśniewski K, Burzyńska-Pędziwiatr I, Kordzińska M, Kowalski K, Sendys P, Piotrowski M, Szczęsna D, Stefańczyk L, Woźniak LA, Jaskólski DJ. J Clin Med. 2022 Jan 13;11(2):380. doi: 10.3390/jcm11020380.

Dr hab. n. med Tomasz Litwin, prof. IPiN, Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii, II Klinika Neurologii, Warszawa

First ever longitudinal prospective study with objective Viena software which analyzed at diagnosis and in 2 years follow-up brain atrophy in Wilson’s disease(WD) patients. The study documented that brain atrophy could be a very sensitive biomarker of neurological involvement in WD, especially in patients who neurologically deteriorated.
Paper: Brain Atrophy Is Substantially Accelerated in Neurological Wilson’s Disease: A Longitudinal Study. Smoliński Ł, Ziemssen T, Akgun K, Antos A, Skowrońska M, Kurkowska-Jastrzębska I., Członkowska A, Litwin T. Mov Disord 2022; 37: 2446-245

The neuroradiological analysis of 100 Wilson’s disease patients (newly diagnosed) according to brain MRI and potentially pathognomonic neuroradiological symptoms (frequency and significance).
Paper: Pathognomonic Neuroradiological Signs in Wilson’s Disease - Truth or Myth? Rędzia-Ogrodnik B, Członkowska A, Antos A, Bembenek J, Kurkowska-Jastrzębska I, Przybyłkowski A, Skowrońska M, Smoliński Ł, Litwin T. Park Rel Disord 2022, DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2022.105247, 1-17

Prof. dr hab. n. med. Barbara Mroczko, Zakład Diagnostyki Chorób Neurozwyrodnieniowych, Uniwersytet Medyczny w Białymstoku

This finding suggests that preclinical and prodromal Alzheimer's disease may be more prevalent than previously estimated, with important implications for clinical trial recruitment strategies and healthcare planning policies. The study showed that an estimate of the prevalence of amyloid abnormalities based on cerebrospinal fluid results using appropriately adjusted cut-off values (i.e. adjusted cut-off points) to the available data was up to 10% higher than the predicted presence of amyloid pathology assessed by PET scan in people without dementia, similar results were obtained in people with dementia.
Paper: Prevalence estimates of amyloid abnormality across the Alzheimer disease clinical spectrum. Jansen WJ, Janssen O, Tijms BM, (…) Mroczko B. (…), Yen Tzu-C, Zboch M, Zetterberg H. JAMA Neurology 2022, 79, 3, 228-243

Evaluation of the clinical utility of biomarkers of neurodegeneration and axonal dysfunction in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The study showed that all of the proteins tested in the cerebrospinal fluid, i.e. NFL (neurofilaments light chain), RTN-4 (reticulon-4), Tau, allowed the differentiation of MS from controls (including neurological patients with non-inflammatory diseases CNS). However, a significant correlation with demyelinating lesions assessed by magnetic resonance imaging and the highest diagnostic value, were observed in the case of NFL.
Paper: Comparative Analysis of Neurodegeneration and Axonal Dysfunction Biomarkers in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis. Kulczyńska-Przybik A, Dulewicz M, Doroszkiewicz J, Borawska R, Litman-Zawadzka A, Arslan D, Kułakowska A, Kochanowicz J, Mroczko B. J Clin Med, 2022 Jul 15;11(14):4122. doi: 10.3390/jcm11144122.

The use of bioinformatic analysis and studies of biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid in the assessment of synaptic disorders in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Both the functional analysis of the tested proteins and the quantitative assessment confirmed that neurogranin (Ng) and neuronal pentraxin receptor (NPTXR) may be promising biomarkers of synaptic dysfunction in the early diagnosis of cognitive disorders. Both proteins seem to be functionally related during some biological processes taking place at the basic physiological level. Their important role also in pathological conditions is confirmed by the calculated NPTXR/Ng ratio, which shows a significant diagnostic value already at the stage of mild cognitive disorders. Mapping the common molecular and biological functions of the tested proteins with use of gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis can be beneficial in screening as well as in setting new therapeutic targets.
Paper: Evaluation of synaptic and axonal dysfunction biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment based on CSF and bioinformatic analysis. Dulewicz M, Kulczyńska-Przybik A, Borawska R, Słowik A, Mroczko B. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2022, 23, 18, 11, Article ID 10867

Prof. dr hab. Edyta Szurowska, Il Zakład Radiologii, Gdański Uniwersytet Medyczny

Previous neuroscientific studies on the brain-gut axis indicate the presence of a bidirectional system that may induce different dysfunction in patients with inflammatory and functional bowel diseases. The volumetry was used to assess the microstructural changes of subcortical structures in patients with non-specific digestive disorders (functional dyspepsia - FD, irritable bowel syndrome - IBS) and non-specific inflammatory bowel diseases—IBD (colitis ulcerosa and Crohn’s disease), in comparison to the healthy control group. The thalamus, responsible for integrating sensory and motor information transmitted to the cortex, was smaller in IBD patients in comparison to both the IBS and control group.
Paper: Evaluation of Subcortical Structure Volumes in Patients with Non-Specific Digestive Diseases. Skrobisz K, Piotrowicz G, Rudnik A, Naumczyk P, Sabisz A, Markiet K, Szurowska E. Diagnostics (Basel). 2022; 12(9): 2199 doi: 10.3390/diagnostics12092199.

The hypothesis of the research was to find out if Peak width Skeletonized Mean Diffusivity (PSMD) may be a predictive factor in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). According to our study, PSMD is a new white matter (WM) microstructure damage marker that is a contributor to complex cognitive tasks, California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) performance, and semantic fluency, as well as upper extremity disability together with WM hypointensities and normalized brain volume (NBV).
Paper: Skeletonized mean diffusivity and neuropsychological performance in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis .Chylińska M, Karaszewski B, Komendzióski J, Wyszomirski A, Sabisz A, Halas M, Szurowska E. Brain Behav, 2022 Jun;12(6):e2591. doi: 10.1002/brb3.2591.

The paper provides a state-of-the-art review with regard to tuberous sclerosis complex -neuropsychiatric disorders (TSC‐associated neuropsychiatric disorders, TAND) and describes diagnostic criteria, neuroanatomical pathology and pathophysiology of psychiatric, neuropsychological, developmental and psychosocial symptoms present in TSC, as well as differences between patients with or without epilepsy and/or intellectual disability. The importance of a proper diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders and multidisciplinary patient care was emphasized.
Paper: Tuberous sclerosis complex-associated neuropsychiatric disorders. Marcinkowska AB, Tarasewicz A, Jóżwiak S, Debska-Ślizień A, Szurowska E. Psychiatr Pol, 2022 May 3:1-20. English, Polish. doi: 10.12740/PP/OnlineFirst/146265.

The main complication of an intravenous administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, but rtPA use might also be connected with cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) formation. According to our study, baseline CMBs correlated with a higher risk of new CMBs appearing after the rtPA treatment, independently of other factors, but did not correlate with an increased risk of a hemorrhagic transformation of ischemic stroke.
Paper: New Remote Cerebral Microbleeds on TX-Weighted Echo Planar MRI After Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke. Jabłoński B, Gójska-Grymajko A, Ossowska D, Szurowska E, Wyszomirski A, Rojek B, Karaszewski B. Front Neurol, 2022 Feb 15;12:744701. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.744701.

The study assesses the diagnostic value of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with symptoms of cervical myelopathy. Changes in DTI parameters indicate a microstructural disorder of the spinal cord which is not visible in a structural MRI, and allow the differentiation of patients with myelopathy as well as potentially being helpful in treatment planning (conservative vs. surgical) for patients with visible canal stenosis.
Paper: Diagnostic value of diffusion tensor imaging in patients with clinical signs of cervical spondylotic myelopathy.Skotarczak M, Dzierżanowski J, Kaszubowski M, Winklewski PJ, Romanowski A, Szurowska E, Szarmach A. Neurol Neurochir PoI, 2022;56(4):341-348. doi: 10.5603/PJNNS.a2022.0031.

Dr hab. n. med. Anna SARNOWSKA, prof. IMDiK, Instytut Medycyny Doświadczalnej i Klinicznej im. Mirosława Mossakowskiego PAN

Current knowledge shows that even small changes in the cell environment may result in obtaining a subpopulation of cells with different therapeutic properties. For this reason, the conditions of mesenchymal stem/stromal cell transportation, isolation, cultivation and banking destined for clinical use should be unified and optimized. Based on the obtained results, a protocol for manufacturing an advanced-therapy medicinal product was composed.
Paper: Evaluation of the Optimal Manufacturing Protocols and Therapeutic Properties of Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Derived from Wharton's Jelly. Sypecka M, Bzinkowska A, Sulejczak D, Dabrowski F, Sarnowska A. Int J Mol Sci, 2022 Dec 30;24(1):652. doi: 10.3390/ijms24010652. PMID: 36614096; PMCID: PMC9820979.

The interaction between stem cells and companion/supporting cells is crucial for homeostasis and tissue regeneration. It seems that mesenchyme as a component of the cell niche may play a role in the homeostasis between the population of quiescent SCs and the population of progenitors that proliferate, differentiate, and migrate from cell niche. The same interactions are described between NSCs and MSCs. As NSCs are potentially an unlimited source of all neural cell types and MSCs display a high paracrine activity, their combined therapeutic use for neurological disorders seems to be highly prospective.
Paper: Interaction of Neural Stem Cells (NSCs) and Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) as a Promising Approach in Brain Study and Nerve Regeneration. Kaminska A, Radoszkiewicz K, Rybkowska P, Wedzinska A, Sarnowska A. Cells 2022 Apr 26;11(9):1464. doi: 10.3390/cells11091464. PMID: 35563770; PMCID: PMC9105617.

To select the optimal and minimally invasive methods of adipose derived stem/stromal cells (ASC) transplantation, direct cell application with an irrigator or with skin dressings was analyzed. Our results confirmed that both the presented methods of cell application allow for the safe delivery of isolated ASC into wounds without losing their vitality. Cells propagated in the described conditions and applied in non‐invasive cell application (with an irrigation system and dressings) to treat chronic wounds can be a potential alternative or supplement to more invasive clinical approaches.
Paper: Efficiency assessment of irrigation as an alternative method for improving the regenerative potential of non-healing wounds. Figiel-Dabrowska A, Krzesniak NE, Noszczyk BH, Domanska-Janik K, Sarnowska A. Wound Repair Regen, 2022 May;30(3):303-316. doi: 10.1111/wrr.13013. PMID: 35384136; PMCID: PMC9321893.

Nowadays it is observed that the number of stem-cell based experimental therapies in neurodegenerative disorders is massively increasing. In the conducted clinical trials neither serious side effects, nor statistically significant improvement were observed. In the presented papers, we summarize, in our opinion, the most important factors that could increase the effectiveness of stem cell - based therapy.
Paper: Critical factors responsible for the therapeutic effect of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in central nervous system disorders. Figiel-Dąbrowska A, Sypecka M, Chodkowska M, Sarnowska A. Folia Neuropathol, 2022;60(1):1-9. doi: 10.5114/fn.2022.114335. PMID: 35359141.

In this paper we provide the information on the application of cell therapy in orthopedics, hematology, ophthalmology, dermatology, gastrology and neurology. Advantages and disadvantages of application of different cell types for cell therapy are underlined. Last, but not least current law regulations in Poland and requirements of European regulatory bodies for cell therapy are pointed out and discussed.
Paper: Fakty i kontrowersje związane z terapią komórkową w medycynie regeneracyjnej. Sarnowska A, Machaliński B, Radoszkiewicz K, Bużańska L, NAUKA 4/2021 • 67–92 DOI: 10.24425/nauka.2021.137643

The manuscript describes the latest (published in 2021) discoveries regarding the pathogenesis of neurological diseases, neuroreconstructive mechanisms and clinical therapeutic achievements.
Paper: The 2021 yearbook of Neurorestoratology. Sharma H, Chopp M, Chen L, Sarnowska A, Xue M, Ao Q, Siniscalco D, Chen L, Hawamdeh Z, Huang H.Journal of Neurorestoratology, Volume 10, Issue 3, September 2022, doi.org/10.1016/j.jnrt.2022.100008

The International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR) and the Chinese Association of Neurorestoratology (CANR; Preparatory) collaborated to release Clinical Cell Therapy Guidelines for Neurorestoration (IANR/CANR 2017) in 2018. Due to recent advances and achievements in clinical cell therapy worldwide in recent years, IANR and CANR have renewed and updated the guidelines. Except for the requirements of equipment, personnel, and ethics, these revised guidelines include cell type nomenclature, cell quality control, cell types in clinical application, minimal suggested cellular doses, patient-informed consent, indications and contraindications for undergoing cell therapy, documentation of procedure and therapy, safety evaluation, efficacy evaluation, the policy of repeated treatments, do not charge patients for unproven therapies, basic principles of cell therapy, and publishing responsibility. IANR/CANR recommends that all clinical practitioners follow these cellular therapy guidelines.
Paper: Clinical cell therapy guidelines for neurorestoration (IANR/CANR 2022). Huang H, Al Zoubi Z, Moviglia G, Sharma HS, Sarnowska A, Sanberg PR, Chen L, Xue Q, Siniscalco D, Feng S, Saberi H, Guo X, Xue M, Dimitrijevic MR, Andrews RJ, Mao G, Chunhua Zhao R, Han F. Journal of Neurorestoratology, Volume 10, Issue 3,2022,100015,doi.org/10.1016/j.jnrt.2022.10001