충남대학교 로고

[Presenting a new possibility for treating brain disease using ganglioside mapping for each brain region] 

 A team led by Prof. Hyun Joo An, Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology, Chungnam National University, developed a method for the isolation and analysis of gangliosides at the isomeric level from trace amounts of brain tissue samples, revealing their specificity and commonality across brain regions.

  The findings were published in the international academic journal Nature Communications (IF: 14.7) on October 8.

  □ Paper title: Deciphering Mouse Brain Spatial Diversity via Glyco-lipidomic Mapping

  Gangliosides are key components of the brain involved in synaptic plasticity, signal transduction, and brain development. They are closely linked to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, making them important topics in brain research. However, research has been limited by the structural complexity of gangliosides, their presence in trace amounts (<5%) in brain tissue, and the lack of efficient methods to isolate and analyze them.

  Professor An’s team built a mass spectrometry–based, highly sensitive and reproducible analysis platform to isolate and analyze ganglioside isomers and compared their expression specificity and commonality in nine brain regions of mice. In particular, by characterizing the structural diversity and spatial distribution of gangliosides in different brain regions, the team identified changes in the patterns of specific isomeric forms associated with brain disease.

  The study is of great scientific significance because it developed a unique analytical method for distinguishing subtle differences in ganglioside isomers that previous studies could not address. In November 2020, the team published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) the world’s first spatiotemporal database of glycogen expression in the mammalian brain, and in this study, they used a multi-omics approach integrating glycomics and glycolipidomics to systematically interpret the interactions of glycans and glycolipids for respective brain regions.

   “This study lays the foundation for a new perspective on the complex interactions of sugar and glycolipid distribution in brain function and disease,” said Prof. An, adding, “It is expected to provide critical clues for the early diagnosis and treatment of various brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.”

   This study was supported by the Institute for Basic Science, the Promotion Agency for R&D Outcomes (Professional Manpower Training Project for Research Equipment) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the National Research Foundation of Korea.

□ Link to the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-53032-8

□ Link to the Research Lab Website: http://www.agrs.kr/