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Dobner S, Tóth F, de Rooij LPMH. A high-resolution view of the heterogeneous aging endothelium. Angiogenesis 2024; 27:129-145. [PMID: 38324119 PMCID: PMC11021252 DOI: 10.1007/s10456-023-09904-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Vascular endothelial cell (EC) aging has a strong impact on tissue perfusion and overall cardiovascular health. While studies confined to the investigation of aging-associated vascular readouts in one or a few tissues have already drastically expanded our understanding of EC aging, single-cell omics and other high-resolution profiling technologies have started to illuminate the intricate molecular changes underlying endothelial aging across diverse tissues and vascular beds at scale. In this review, we provide an overview of recent insights into the heterogeneous adaptations of the aging vascular endothelium. We address critical questions regarding tissue-specific and universal responses of the endothelium to the aging process, EC turnover dynamics throughout lifespan, and the differential susceptibility of ECs to acquiring aging-associated traits. In doing so, we underscore the transformative potential of single-cell approaches in advancing our comprehension of endothelial aging, essential to foster the development of future innovative therapeutic strategies for aging-associated vascular conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Dobner
- The CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fanni Tóth
- The CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura P M H de Rooij
- The CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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2
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Maden SK, Kwon SH, Huuki-Myers LA, Collado-Torres L, Hicks SC, Maynard KR. Challenges and opportunities to computationally deconvolve heterogeneous tissue with varying cell sizes using single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets. Genome Biol 2023; 24:288. [PMID: 38098055 PMCID: PMC10722720 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03123-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Deconvolution of cell mixtures in "bulk" transcriptomic samples from homogenate human tissue is important for understanding disease pathologies. However, several experimental and computational challenges impede transcriptomics-based deconvolution approaches using single-cell/nucleus RNA-seq reference atlases. Cells from the brain and blood have substantially different sizes, total mRNA, and transcriptional activities, and existing approaches may quantify total mRNA instead of cell type proportions. Further, standards are lacking for the use of cell reference atlases and integrative analyses of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data. We discuss how to approach these key challenges with orthogonal "gold standard" datasets for evaluating deconvolution methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean K Maden
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sang Ho Kwon
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Louise A Huuki-Myers
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leonardo Collado-Torres
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Stephanie C Hicks
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Center for Computational Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Kristen R Maynard
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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3
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Wakid M, Almeida D, Aouabed Z, Rahimian R, Davoli MA, Yerko V, Leonova-Erko E, Richard V, Zahedi R, Borchers C, Turecki G, Mechawar N. Universal method for the isolation of microvessels from frozen brain tissue: A proof-of-concept multiomic investigation of the neurovasculature. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 34:100684. [PMID: 37822873 PMCID: PMC10562768 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurovascular unit, comprised of vascular cell types that collectively regulate cerebral blood flow to meet the needs of coupled neurons, is paramount for the proper function of the central nervous system. The neurovascular unit gatekeeps blood-brain barrier properties, which experiences impairment in several central nervous system diseases associated with neuroinflammation and contributes to pathogenesis. To better understand function and dysfunction at the neurovascular unit and how it may confer inflammatory processes within the brain, isolation and characterization of the neurovascular unit is needed. Here, we describe a singular, standardized protocol to enrich and isolate microvessels from archived snap-frozen human and frozen mouse cerebral cortex using mechanical homogenization and centrifugation-separation that preserves the structural integrity and multicellular composition of microvessel fragments. For the first time, microvessels are isolated from postmortem ventromedial prefrontal cortex tissue and are comprehensively investigated as a structural unit using both RNA sequencing and Liquid Chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Both the transcriptome and proteome are obtained and compared, demonstrating that the isolated brain microvessel is a robust model for the NVU and can be used to generate highly informative datasets in both physiological and disease contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Wakid
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Research Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Almeida
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Research Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Zahia Aouabed
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Research Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Reza Rahimian
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Research Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Volodymyr Yerko
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Research Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Elena Leonova-Erko
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Research Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Vincent Richard
- Segal Cancer Proteomics Centre, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - René Zahedi
- Segal Cancer Proteomics Centre, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christoph Borchers
- Segal Cancer Proteomics Centre, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Research Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Research Centre, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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4
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Cordon J, Duggan MR, Gomez GT, Pucha K, Peng Z, Dark HE, Davatzikos C, Erus G, Lewis A, Moghekar A, Candia J, Ferrucci L, Kapogiannis D, Walker KA. Identification of Clinically Relevant Brain Endothelial Cell Biomarkers in Plasma. Stroke 2023; 54:2853-2863. [PMID: 37814955 PMCID: PMC10608795 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.123.043908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Proteins expressed by brain endothelial cells (BECs), the primary cell type of the blood-brain barrier, may serve as sensitive plasma biomarkers for neurological and neurovascular conditions, including cerebral small vessel disease. METHODS Using data from the BLSA (Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging; n=886; 2009-2020), BEC-enriched proteins were identified among 7268 plasma proteins (measured with SomaScanv4.1) using an automated annotation algorithm that filtered endothelial cell transcripts followed by cross-referencing with BEC-specific transcripts reported in single-cell RNA-sequencing studies. To identify BEC-enriched proteins in plasma most relevant to the maintenance of neurological and neurovascular health, we selected proteins significantly associated with 3T magnetic resonance imaging-defined white matter lesion volumes. We then examined how these candidate BEC biomarkers related to white matter lesion volumes, cerebral microhemorrhages, and lacunar infarcts in the ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities; US multisite; 1990-2017). Finally, we determined whether these candidate BEC biomarkers, when measured during midlife, were related to dementia risk over a 25-year follow-up period. RESULTS Of the 28 proteins identified as BEC-enriched, 4 were significantly associated with white matter lesion volumes (CDH5 [cadherin 5], CD93 [cluster of differentiation 93], ICAM2 [intracellular adhesion molecule 2], GP1BB [glycoprotein 1b platelet subunit beta]), while another approached significance (RSPO3 [R-Spondin 3]). A composite score based on 3 of these BEC proteins accounted for 11% of variation in white matter lesion volumes in BLSA participants. We replicated the associations between the BEC composite score, CDH5, and RSPO3 with white matter lesion volumes in ARIC, and further demonstrated that the BEC composite score and RSPO3 were associated with the presence of ≥1 cerebral microhemorrhages. We also showed that the BEC composite score, CDH5, and RSPO3 were associated with 25-year dementia risk. CONCLUSIONS In addition to identifying BEC proteins in plasma that relate to cerebral small vessel disease and dementia risk, we developed a composite score of plasma BEC proteins that may be used to estimate blood-brain barrier integrity and risk for adverse neurovascular outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenifer Cordon
- Multimodal Imaging of Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) Unit, NIA
| | | | | | | | - Zhongsheng Peng
- Multimodal Imaging of Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) Unit, NIA
| | - Heather E. Dark
- Multimodal Imaging of Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) Unit, NIA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Keenan A. Walker
- Multimodal Imaging of Neurodegenerative Disease (MIND) Unit, NIA
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Temple S. Advancing cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:512-529. [PMID: 37084729 PMCID: PMC10201979 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based therapies are being developed for various neurodegenerative diseases that affect the central nervous system (CNS). Concomitantly, the roles of individual cell types in neurodegenerative pathology are being uncovered by genetic and single-cell studies. With a greater understanding of cellular contributions to health and disease and with the arrival of promising approaches to modulate them, effective therapeutic cell products are now emerging. This review examines how the ability to generate diverse CNS cell types from stem cells, along with a deeper understanding of cell-type-specific functions and pathology, is advancing preclinical development of cell products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Temple
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
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Kaur N, LaForce G, Mallela DP, Saha PP, Buffa J, Li XS, Sangwan N, Rothenberg K, Zhu W. Exploratory Transcriptomic Profiling Reveals the Role of Gut Microbiota in Vascular Dementia. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098091. [PMID: 37175797 PMCID: PMC10178712 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Stroke is the second most common cause of cognitive impairment and dementia. Vascular dementia (VaD), a cognitive impairment following a stroke, is common and significantly impacts the quality of life. We recently demonstrated via gut microbe transplant studies that the gut microbe-dependent trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) pathway impacts stroke severity, both infarct size and long-term cognitive outcomes. However, the molecular mechanisms that underly the role of the microbiome in VaD have not been explored in depth. To address this issue, we performed a comprehensive RNA-sequencing analysis to identify differentially expressed (DE) genes in the ischemic cerebral cortex of mouse brains at pre-stroke and post-stroke day 1 and day 3. A total of 4016, 3752 and 7861 DE genes were identified at pre-stroke and post-stroke day 1 and day 3, respectively. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated pathways of neurodegeneration in multiple diseases, chemokine signaling, calcium signaling, and IL-17 signaling as the key enriched pathways. Inflammatory response genes interleukin-1 beta (Il-1β), chemokines (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (Cxcl10), chemokine ligand 2 (Ccl2)), and immune system genes (S100 calcium binding protein 8 (S100a8), lipocalin-2 (Lcn2)) were among the most significantly upregulated genes. Hypocretin neuropeptide precursor (Hcrt), a neuropeptide, and transcription factors such as neuronal PAS domain protein 4 (Npas4), GATA binding protein 3 (Gata3), and paired box 7 (Pax7) were among the most significantly downregulated genes. In conclusion, our results indicate that higher plasma TMAO levels induce differential mRNA expression profiles in the ischemic brain tissue in our pre-clinical stroke model, and the predicted pathways provide the molecular basis for regulating the TMAO-enhanced neuroinflammatory response in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navdeep Kaur
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Geneva LaForce
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Deepthi P Mallela
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Prasenjit Prasad Saha
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Jennifer Buffa
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Xinmin S Li
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Naseer Sangwan
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Microbial Sequencing & Analytics Resource (MSAAR) Facility, Shared Laboratory Resources (SLR), Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Kasia Rothenberg
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Weifei Zhu
- Department of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
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Endothelial Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032909. [PMID: 36769234 PMCID: PMC9918222 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebral vascular system stringently regulates cerebral blood flow (CBF). The components of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) protect the brain from pathogenic infections and harmful substances, efflux waste, and exchange substances; however, diseases develop in cases of blood vessel injuries and BBB dysregulation. Vascular pathology is concurrent with the mechanisms underlying aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VaD), which suggests its involvement in these mechanisms. Therefore, in the present study, we reviewed the role of vascular dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly AD and VaD. During the development of the aforementioned diseases, changes occur in the cerebral blood vessel morphology and local cells, which, in turn, alter CBF, fluid dynamics, and vascular integrity. Chronic vascular inflammation and blood vessel dysregulation further exacerbate vascular dysfunction. Multitudinous pathogenic processes affect the cerebrovascular system, whose dysfunction causes cognitive impairment. Knowledge regarding the pathophysiology of vascular dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases and the underlying molecular mechanisms may lead to the discovery of clinically relevant vascular biomarkers, which may facilitate vascular imaging for disease prevention and treatment.
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Liu S, Cheng F, Ren B, Xu W, Chen C, Ma C, Zhang X, Tang F, Wang Q, Wang X. Qinzhi Zhudan formula improves memory and alleviates neuroinflammation in vascular dementia rats partly by inhibiting the TNFR1-mediated TNF pathway. JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICAL SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtcms.2022.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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