Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39920674›Full record

ArticleMolecular neurodegeneration2025

Disparate and shared transcriptomic signatures associated with cortical atrophy in genetic behavioral variant frontotemporal degeneration.

Ting Shen, Jacob W Vogel, Vivianna M Van Deerlin, EunRan Suh, Laynie Dratch, Jeffrey S Phillips, Lauren Massimo, Edward B Lee, David J Irwin, Corey T McMillan

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Molecular neurodegeneration, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Ting ShenPenn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Richards 606B, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Jacob W VogelDepartment of Clinical Sciences Malmö, SciLifeLab, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Vivianna M Van DeerlinCenter for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
EunRan SuhCenter for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Laynie DratchPenn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Richards 606B, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Jeffrey S PhillipsPenn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Richards 606B, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Lauren MassimoPenn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Richards 606B, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Edward B LeeCenter for Neurodegenerative Disease Research, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
David J IrwinPenn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Richards 606B, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Corey T McMillanPenn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3700 Hamilton Walk, Richards 606B, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA. mcmillac@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-7581-6405

Funding

Research Education ComponentP30AG072979 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI DAVID A WOLK · 2021 to 2026
$24.8M
Understanding Environmental Contributions to Heterogeneity in bvFTD.P01AG066597 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI David John Irwin, Corey T McMillan · 2020 to 2026
$18.8M
Spreading Tau Pathology in Non-Amnestic Alzheimer's DiseaseR01AG054519 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI Jeffrey S Phillips · 2018 to 2026
$7.4M
SCHIZOPHRENIA: A NEUROPSYCHIATRIC PERSPECTIVET32MH019112 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI GUR, RAQUEL E · 1990 to 2024
$6.2M
Microscopic and Large-Scale Networks of Molecular Pathology in Frontotemporal Lobar DegenerationR01NS109260 · NINDS · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI IRWIN, DAVID JOHN · 2019 to 2023
$3.8M
A Network Neuroscience Investigation of Disease Spread in Non-Amnestic Mild Cognitive ImpairmentK01AG061277 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · PI PHILLIPS, JEFFREY S · 2019 to 2023
$583k
Foundation for the National Institutes of Health K01-AG061277Foundation for the National Institutes of Health R01-AG054519Foundation for the National Institutes of Health T32MH019112NIA NIH HHS K01 AG061277NIA NIH HHS P01 AG066597NIA NIH HHS P30 AG072979NIA NIH HHS R01 AG054519NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH019112NINDS NIH HHS R01 NS109260
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCortical atrophy is a common manifestation in behavioral variant frontotemporal degeneration (bvFTD), exhibiting spatial heterogeneity across various genetic subgroups, which may be driven by distinct biological mechanisms.

methodsWe employed an integrative imaging transcriptomics approach to identify both disparate and shared transcriptomic signatures associated with cortical thickness in bvFTD with C9orf72 repeat expansions or pathogenic variants in GRN or MAPT. Functional enrichment analyses were conducted on each gene list significantly associated with cortical thickness. Additionally, we mapped neurotransmitter receptor/transporter density maps to the cortical thickness maps, to uncover different correlation patterns for each genetic form. Furthermore, we examined whether the identified genes were enriched for pathology-related genes by using previously identified genes linked to TDP-43 positive neurons and genes associated with tau pathology.

resultsFor each genetic form of bvFTD, we identified cortical thickness signatures and gene sets associated with them. The cortical thickness associated genes for GRN-bvFTD were significantly involved in neurotransmitter system and circadian entrainment. The different patterns of spatial correlations between synaptic density and cortical thinning, further confirmed the critical role of neurotransmission and synaptic signaling in shaping brain structure, especially in the GRN-bvFTD group. Furthermore, we observed significant overlap between genes linked to TDP-43 pathology and the gene sets associated with cortical thickness in C9orf72-bvFTD and GRN-bvFTD but not the MAPT-bvFTD group providing specificity for our associations. C9orf72-bvFTD and GRN-bvFTD also shared genes displaying consistent directionality, with those exhibiting either positive or negative correlations with cortical thickness in C9orf72-bvFTD showing the same direction (positive or negative) in GRN-bvFTD. MAPT-bvFTD displayed more pronounced differences in transcriptomic signatures compared to the other two genetic forms. The genes that exhibited significantly positive or negative correlations with cortical thickness in MAPT-bvFTD showed opposing directionality in C9orf72-bvFTD and GRN-bvFTD.

conclusionsOverall, this integrative transcriptomic approach identified several new shared and disparate genes associated with regional vulnerability with increased biological interpretation including overlap with synaptic density maps and pathologically-specific gene expression. These findings illuminated the intricate molecular underpinnings contributing to the heterogeneous nature of disease distribution in bvFTD with distinct genetic backgrounds.

Indexed as

Cerebral CortexFrontotemporal DementiaTranscriptomeAgedAtrophyC9orf72 ProteinFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHumansMaleMiddle AgedProgranulinstau ProteinsC9orf72 ProteinC9orf72 protein, humanGRN protein, humanMAPT protein, humanProgranulinstau ProteinsBehavioral variant frontotemporal dementiaCortical thicknessPartial least squares regressionPathologySynaptic densityTranscriptomics

Identifiers

PMID39920674
PMCPMC11806866

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.