Forensic Context

A study in human postmortem midbrain specimens from chronic cocaine abusers identified the PICSAR as a long noncoding RNA that is down-regulated (-1.74-fold) in cocaine abusers compared to matched controls [Bannon et al. DOI:10.1111/jnc.13255]. In situ hybridization histochemistry validated its expression as specific to dopamine neurons and localized to the cytoplasm, and its differential expression was part of a robust profile of 32 dysregulated lncRNAs linked to chronic cocaine abuse.