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Olausson H, Marshall A, Nagi SS, Cole J. Slow touch and ultrafast pain fibres: Revisiting peripheral nerve classification. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 163:255-262. [PMID: 38704307 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.04.008] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
One hundred years ago, Erlanger and Gasser demonstrated that conduction velocity is correlated with the diameter of a peripheral nerve axon. Later, they also demonstrated that the functional role of the axon is related to its diameter: touch is signalled by large-diameter axons, whereas pain and temperature are signalled by small-diameter axons. Certain discoveries in recent decades prompt a modification of this canonical classification. Here, we review the evidence for unmyelinated (C) fibres signalling touch at a slow conduction velocity and likely contributing to affective aspects of tactile information. We also review the evidence for large-diameter Aβ afferents signalling pain at ultrafast conduction velocity and likely contributing to the rapid nociceptive withdrawal reflex. These discoveries imply that conduction velocity is not as clear-cut an indication of the functional role of the axon as previously thought. We finally suggest that a future taxonomy of the peripheral afferent nervous system might be based on the combination of the axońs molecular expression and electrophysiological response properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Håkan Olausson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping 58185, Sweden.
| | - Andrew Marshall
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, L3 3AF Liverpool, UK
| | - Saad S Nagi
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping 58185, Sweden
| | - Jonathan Cole
- University Hospitals, Dorset and Bournemouth University, Poole BH12 5BB, UK
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2
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Cao Y, Jiang W, Yan F, Pan Y, Gei L, Lu S, Chen X, Huang Y, Yan Y, Feng Y, Li Q, Zeng W, Xing W, Chen D. Sex differences in PD-L1-induced analgesia in paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy mice depend on TRPV1-based inhibition of CGRP. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14829. [PMID: 38961264 PMCID: PMC11222069 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14829] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Paclitaxel (PTX) is extensively utilized in the management of diverse solid tumors, frequently resulting in paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN). The present study aimed to investigate sex differences in the behavioral manifestations and underlying pathogenesis of PIPN and search for clinically efficacious interventions. METHODS Male and female C57BL/6 mice (5-6 weeks and 12 months, weighing 18-30 g) were intraperitoneally (i.p.) administered paclitaxel diluted in saline (NaCl 0.9%) at a dose of 2 mg/kg every other day for a total of 4 injections. Von Frey and hot plate tests were performed before and after administration to confirm the successful establishment of the PIPN model and also to evaluate the pain of PIPN and the analgesic effect of PD-L1. On day 14 after PTX administration, PD-L1 protein (10 ng/pc) was injected into the PIPN via the intrathecal (i.t.) route. To knock down TRPV1 in the spinal cord, adeno-associated virus 9 (AAV9)-Trpv1-RNAi (5 μL, 1 × 1013 vg/mL) was slowly injected via the i.t. route. Four weeks after AAV9 delivery, the downregulation of TRPV1 expression was verified by immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting. The levels of PD-L1, TRPV1 and CGRP were measured via Western blotting, RT-PCR, and immunofluorescence staining. The levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were measured via RT-PCR. RESULTS TRPV1 and CGRP protein and mRNA levels were higher in the spinal cords of control female mice than in those of control male mice. PTX-induced nociceptive behaviors in female PIPN mice were greater than those in male PIPN mice, as indicated by increased expression of TRPV1 and CGRP. The analgesic effects of PD-L1 on mechanical hyperalgesia and thermal sensitivity were significantly greater in female mice than in male mice, with calculated relative therapeutic levels increasing by approximately 2.717-fold and 2.303-fold, respectively. PD-L1 and CGRP were partly co-localized with TRPV1 in the dorsal horn of the mouse spinal cord. The analgesic effect of PD-L1 in PIPN mice was observed to be mediated through the downregulation of TRPV1 and CGRP expression following AAV9-mediated spinal cord specific decreased TRPV1 expression. CONCLUSIONS PTX-induced nociceptive behaviors and the analgesic effect of PD-L1 in PIPN mice were sexually dimorphic, highlighting the significance of incorporating sex as a crucial biological factor in forthcoming mechanistic studies of PIPN and providing insights for potential sex-specific therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Cao
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Wenqi Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Fang Yan
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Yuyan Pan
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Liba Gei
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
- Department of AnesthesiologyPeking University Cancer Hospital (Inner Mongolia Campus)/Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical University/Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Cancer HospitalHohhotChina
| | - Simin Lu
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Xiangnan Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
- Department of AnesthesiologyGuangdong Women and Children HospitalGuangzhouChina
| | - Yang Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Yan Yan
- Department of AnesthesiologyHuizhou Municipal Central HospitalHuizhouChina
| | - Yan Feng
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Weian Zeng
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Wei Xing
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
| | - Dongtai Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for CancerSun Yat‐Sen University Cancer CenterGuangzhouChina
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Qin Q, Ramesh S, Li Z, Zhong L, Cherief M, Archer M, Xing X, Thottappillil N, Gomez-Salazar M, Xu M, Zhu M, Chang L, Uniyal A, Mazhar K, Mittal M, McCarthy EF, Morris CD, Levi B, Guan Y, Clemens TL, Price TJ, James AW. TrkA + sensory neurons regulate osteosarcoma proliferation and vascularization to promote disease progression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.20.599869. [PMID: 38979210 PMCID: PMC11230162 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.20.599869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Bone pain is a presenting feature of bone cancers such as osteosarcoma (OS), relayed by skeletal-innervating peripheral afferent neurons. Potential functions of tumor-associated sensory neurons in bone cancers beyond pain sensation are unknown. To uncover neural regulatory functions, a chemical-genetic approach in mice with a knock-in allele for TrkA was used to functionally perturb sensory nerve innervation during OS growth and disease progression. TrkA inhibition in transgenic mice led to significant reductions in sarcoma-associated sensory innervation and vascularization, tumor growth and metastasis, and prolonged overall survival. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed that sarcoma denervation was associated with phenotypic alterations in both OS tumor cells and cells within the tumor microenvironment, and with reduced calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. Multimodal and multi-omics analyses of human OS bone samples and human dorsal root ganglia neurons further implicated peripheral innervation and neurotrophin signaling in OS tumor biology. In order to curb tumor-associated axonal ingrowth, we next leveraged FDA-approved bupivacaine liposomes leading to significant reductions in sarcoma growth, vascularity, as well as alleviation of pain. In sum, TrkA-expressing peripheral neurons positively regulate key aspects of OS progression and sensory neural inhibition appears to disrupt calcitonin receptor signaling (CALCR) and VEGF signaling within the sarcoma microenvironment leading to significantly reduced tumor growth and improved survival. These data suggest that interventions to prevent pathological innervation of osteosarcoma represent a novel adjunctive therapy to improve clinical outcomes and survival.
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David ET, Yousuf MS, Mei HR, Jain A, Krishnagiri S, Elahi H, Venkatesan R, Srikanth KD, Dussor G, Dalva MB, Price TJ. ephrin-B2 promotes nociceptive plasticity and hyperalgesic priming through EphB2-MNK-eIF4E signaling in both mice and humans. Pharmacol Res 2024; 206:107284. [PMID: 38925462 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Ephrin-B-EphB signaling can promote pain through ligand-receptor interactions between peripheral cells, like immune cells expressing ephrin-Bs, and EphB receptors expressed by DRG neurons. Previous studies have shown increased ephrin-B2 expression in peripheral tissues like synovium of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis patients, indicating the clinical significance of this signaling. The primary goal of this study was to understand how ephrin-B2 acts on mouse and human DRG neurons, which express EphB receptors, to promote pain and nociceptor plasticity. We hypothesized that ephrin-B2 would promote nociceptor plasticity and hyperalgesic priming through MNK-eIF4E signaling, a critical mechanism for nociceptive plasticity induced by growth factors, cytokines and nerve injury. Both male and female mice developed dose-dependent mechanical hypersensitivity in response to ephrin-B2, and both sexes showed hyperalgesic priming when challenged with PGE2 injection either to the paw or the cranial dura. Acute nociceptive behaviors and hyperalgesic priming were blocked in mice lacking MNK1 (Mknk1 knockout mice) and by eFT508, a specific MNK inhibitor. Sensory neuron-specific knockout of EphB2 using Pirt-Cre demonstrated that ephrin-B2 actions require this receptor. In Ca2+-imaging experiments on cultured DRG neurons, ephrin-B2 treatment enhanced Ca2+ transients in response to PGE2 and these effects were absent in DRG neurons from MNK1-/- and EphB2-PirtCre mice. In experiments on human DRG neurons, ephrin-B2 increased eIF4E phosphorylation and enhanced Ca2+ responses to PGE2 treatment, both blocked by eFT508. We conclude that ephrin-B2 acts directly on mouse and human sensory neurons to induce nociceptor plasticity via MNK-eIF4E signaling, offering new insight into how ephrin-B signaling promotes pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric T David
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Muhammad Saad Yousuf
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Hao-Ruei Mei
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Ashita Jain
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Sharada Krishnagiri
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Hajira Elahi
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Rupali Venkatesan
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Kolluru D Srikanth
- Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Tulane Brain Institute, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University; New Orleans, LA 70124, USA
| | - Gregory Dussor
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Matthew B Dalva
- Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107; Tulane Brain Institute, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University; New Orleans, LA 70124, USA
| | - Theodore J Price
- University of Texas at Dallas, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies.
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5
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Bhuiyan SA, Xu M, Yang L, Semizoglou E, Bhatia P, Pantaleo KI, Tochitsky I, Jain A, Erdogan B, Blair S, Cat V, Mwirigi JM, Sankaranarayanan I, Tavares-Ferreira D, Green U, McIlvried LA, Copits BA, Bertels Z, Del Rosario JS, Widman AJ, Slivicki RA, Yi J, Sharif-Naeini R, Woolf CJ, Lennerz JK, Whited JL, Price TJ, Robert W Gereau Iv, Renthal W. Harmonized cross-species cell atlases of trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj9173. [PMID: 38905344 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj9173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and trigeminal ganglion (TG) are specialized to detect and transduce diverse environmental stimuli to the central nervous system. Single-cell RNA sequencing has provided insights into the diversity of sensory ganglia cell types in rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans, but it remains difficult to compare cell types across studies and species. We thus constructed harmonized atlases of the DRG and TG that describe and facilitate comparison of 18 neuronal and 11 non-neuronal cell types across six species and 31 datasets. We then performed single-cell/nucleus RNA sequencing of DRG from both human and the highly regenerative axolotl and found that the harmonized atlas also improves cell type annotation, particularly of sparse neuronal subtypes. We observed that the transcriptomes of sensory neuron subtypes are broadly similar across vertebrates, but the expression of functionally important neuropeptides and channels can vary notably. The resources presented here can guide future studies in comparative transcriptomics, simplify cell-type nomenclature differences across studies, and help prioritize targets for future analgesic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamsuddin A Bhuiyan
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mengyi Xu
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Alan Edwards Center for Research on Pain and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Lite Yang
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Evangelia Semizoglou
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Parth Bhatia
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Katerina I Pantaleo
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ivan Tochitsky
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 3 Blackfan Cir., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aakanksha Jain
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 3 Blackfan Cir., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Burcu Erdogan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Steven Blair
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Victor Cat
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Juliet M Mwirigi
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Ishwarya Sankaranarayanan
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Diana Tavares-Ferreira
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Ursula Green
- Department of Pathology, Center for Integrated Diagnostics, Massachussetts General Hospital and Havard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Lisa A McIlvried
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Bryan A Copits
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zachariah Bertels
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - John S Del Rosario
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Allie J Widman
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Richard A Slivicki
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jiwon Yi
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Reza Sharif-Naeini
- Alan Edwards Center for Research on Pain and Department of Physiology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center and Department of Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 3 Blackfan Cir., Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jochen K Lennerz
- Department of Pathology, Center for Integrated Diagnostics, Massachussetts General Hospital and Havard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jessica L Whited
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Theodore J Price
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Robert W Gereau Iv
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - William Renthal
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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6
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Ferreira DT, Shen BQ, Mwirigi JM, Shiers S, Sankaranarayanan I, Kotamarti M, Inturi NN, Mazhar K, Ubogu EE, Thomas G, Lalli T, Wukich D, Price TJ. Deciphering the molecular landscape of human peripheral nerves: implications for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.15.599167. [PMID: 38915676 PMCID: PMC11195245 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.15.599167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a prevalent complication of diabetes mellitus that is caused by metabolic toxicity to peripheral axons. We aimed to gain deep mechanistic insight into the disease process using bulk and spatial RNA sequencing on tibial and sural nerves recovered from lower leg amputations in a mostly diabetic population. First, our approach comparing mixed sensory and motor tibial and purely sensory sural nerves shows key pathway differences in affected nerves, with distinct immunological features observed in sural nerves. Second, spatial transcriptomics analysis of sural nerves reveals substantial shifts in endothelial and immune cell types associated with severe axonal loss. We also find clear evidence of neuronal gene transcript changes, like PRPH, in nerves with axonal loss suggesting perturbed RNA transport into distal sensory axons. This motivated further investigation into neuronal mRNA localization in peripheral nerve axons generating clear evidence of robust localization of mRNAs such as SCN9A and TRPV1 in human sensory axons. Our work gives new insight into the altered cellular and transcriptomic profiles in human nerves in DPN and highlights the importance of sensory axon mRNA transport as an unappreciated potential contributor to peripheral nerve degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Tavares Ferreira
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Breanna Q Shen
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Juliet M Mwirigi
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Stephanie Shiers
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Ishwarya Sankaranarayanan
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Miriam Kotamarti
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Nikhil N Inturi
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Khadijah Mazhar
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Eroboghene E Ubogu
- Department of Neurology, Division of Neuromuscular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Geneva Thomas
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Trapper Lalli
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Dane Wukich
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Theodore J Price
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
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7
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Cao B, Xu Q, Shi Y, Zhao R, Li H, Zheng J, Liu F, Wan Y, Wei B. Pathology of pain and its implications for therapeutic interventions. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:155. [PMID: 38851750 PMCID: PMC11162504 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01845-w] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pain is estimated to affect more than 20% of the global population, imposing incalculable health and economic burdens. Effective pain management is crucial for individuals suffering from pain. However, the current methods for pain assessment and treatment fall short of clinical needs. Benefiting from advances in neuroscience and biotechnology, the neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms critically involved in pain modulation have been elucidated. These research achievements have incited progress in identifying new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In this review, we first introduce fundamental knowledge about pain, setting the stage for the subsequent contents. The review next delves into the molecular mechanisms underlying pain disorders, including gene mutation, epigenetic modification, posttranslational modification, inflammasome, signaling pathways and microbiota. To better present a comprehensive view of pain research, two prominent issues, sexual dimorphism and pain comorbidities, are discussed in detail based on current findings. The status quo of pain evaluation and manipulation is summarized. A series of improved and innovative pain management strategies, such as gene therapy, monoclonal antibody, brain-computer interface and microbial intervention, are making strides towards clinical application. We highlight existing limitations and future directions for enhancing the quality of preclinical and clinical research. Efforts to decipher the complexities of pain pathology will be instrumental in translating scientific discoveries into clinical practice, thereby improving pain management from bench to bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cao
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Qixuan Xu
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Yajiao Shi
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ruiyang Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Hanghang Li
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Jie Zheng
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Fengyu Liu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - You Wan
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Bo Wei
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.
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8
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Xu M, Thottappillil N, Cherief M, Li Z, Zhu M, Xing X, Gomez-Salazar M, Mwirigi JM, Sankaranarayanan I, Tavares-Ferreira D, Zhang C, Wang XW, Archer M, Guan Y, Tower RJ, Cahan P, Price TJ, Clemens TL, James AW. Mapping Somatosensory Afferent Circuitry to Bone Identifies Neurotrophic Signals Required for Fracture Healing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.06.597786. [PMID: 38895367 PMCID: PMC11185682 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.06.597786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The profound pain accompanying bone fracture is mediated by somatosensory neurons, which also appear to be required to initiate bone regeneration following fracture. Surprisingly, the precise neuroanatomical circuitry mediating skeletal nociception and regeneration remains incompletely understood. Here, we characterized somatosensory dorsal root ganglia (DRG) afferent neurons innervating murine long bones before and after experimental long bone fracture in mice. Retrograde labeling of DRG neurons by an adeno-associated virus with peripheral nerve tropism showed AAV-tdT signal. Single cell transcriptomic profiling of 6,648 DRG neurons showed highest labeling across CGRP+ neuron clusters (6.9-17.2%) belonging to unmyelinated C fibers, thinly myelinated Aδ fibers and Aβ-Field LTMR (9.2%). Gene expression profiles of retrograde labeled DRG neurons over multiple timepoints following experimental stress fracture revealed dynamic changes in gene expression corresponding to the acute inflammatory ( S100a8 , S100a9 ) and mechanical force ( Piezo2 ). Reparative phase after fracture included morphogens such as Tgfb1, Fgf9 and Fgf18 . Two methods to surgically or genetically denervate fractured bones were used in combination with scRNA-seq to implicate defective mesenchymal cell proliferation and osteodifferentiation as underlying the poor bone repair capacity in the presence of attenuated innervation. Finally, multi-tissue scRNA-seq and interactome analyses implicated neuron-derived FGF9 as a potent regulator of fracture repair, a finding compatible with in vitro assessments of neuron-to-skeletal mesenchyme interactions.
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9
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Liu Y, Balaji R, de Toledo MAS, Ernst S, Hautvast P, Kesdoğan AB, Körner J, Zenke M, Neureiter A, Lampert A. The pain target Na V1.7 is expressed late during human iPS cell differentiation into sensory neurons as determined in high-resolution imaging. Pflugers Arch 2024; 476:975-992. [PMID: 38538988 PMCID: PMC11139713 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-024-02945-w] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are efficiently differentiated into sensory neurons. These cells express the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7, which is a validated pain target. NaV1.7 deficiency leads to pain insensitivity, whereas NaV1.7 gain-of-function mutants are associated with chronic pain. During differentiation, the sensory neurons start spontaneous action potential firing around day 22, with increasing firing rate until day 40. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to generate a HA-tag NaV1.7 to follow its expression during differentiation. We used two protocols to generate sensory neurons: the classical small molecule approach and a directed differentiation methodology and assessed surface NaV1.7 expression by Airyscan high-resolution microscopy. Our results show that maturation of at least 49 days is necessary to observe robust NaV1.7 surface expression in both protocols. Electric activity of the sensory neurons precedes NaV1.7 surface expression. A clinically effective NaV1.7 blocker is still missing, and we expect this iPS cell model system to be useful for drug discovery and disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rachna Balaji
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Marcelo A Szymanski de Toledo
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sabrina Ernst
- Confocal Microscopy Facility, Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research IZKF, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Petra Hautvast
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Aylin B Kesdoğan
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jannis Körner
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Intensive and Intermediate Care, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Research Aachen, SCN-Aachen Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Martin Zenke
- Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Anika Neureiter
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Angelika Lampert
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
- Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Research Aachen, SCN-Aachen Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
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10
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Lian Y, Wu C, Liu L, Li X. Prediction of cell-cell communication patterns of dorsal root ganglion cells: single-cell RNA sequencing data analysis. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1367-1374. [PMID: 37905887 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.384067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202406000-00042/inline-graphic1/v/2023-10-30T152229Z/r/image-tiff
Dorsal root ganglion neurons transmit peripheral somatic information to the central nervous system, and dorsal root ganglion neuron excitability affects pain perception. Dorsal root ganglion stimulation is a new approach for managing pain sensation. Knowledge of the cell-cell communication among dorsal root ganglion cells may help in the development of new pain and itch management strategies. Here, we used the single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) database to investigate intercellular communication networks among dorsal root ganglion cells. We collected scRNA-seq data from six samples from three studies, yielding data on a total of 17,766 cells. Based on genetic profiles, we identified satellite glial cells, Schwann cells, neurons, vascular endothelial cells, immune cells, fibroblasts, and vascular smooth muscle cells. Further analysis revealed that eight types of dorsal root ganglion neurons mediated proprioceptive, itch, touch, mechanical, heat, and cold sensations. Moreover, we predicted several distinct forms of intercellular communication among dorsal root ganglion cells, including cell-cell contact, secreted signals, extracellular matrix, and neurotransmitter-mediated signals. The data mining predicted that Mrgpra3-positive neurons robustly express the genes encoding the adenosine Adora2b (A2B) receptor and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha 1 (GFRα-1). Our immunohistochemistry results confirmed the coexpression of the A2B receptor and GFRα-1. Intrathecal injection of the A2B receptor antagonist PSB-603 effectively prevented histamine-induced scratching behaviour in a dose-dependent manner. Our results demonstrate the involvement of the A2B receptor in the modulation of itch sensation. Furthermore, our findings provide insight into dorsal root ganglion cell-cell communication patterns and mechanisms. Our results should contribute to the development of new strategies for the regulation of dorsal root ganglion excitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanna Lian
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Cheng Wu
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang Province, China
- Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Li Liu
- Core Facilities of the School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xiangyao Li
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
- International Institutes of Medicine, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, China
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Haining, Zhejiang Province, China
- Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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11
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Wang H, Zuo W, Feng X, Huo X, Liang Y, Wang B, Sharma D, Li X, Yasin B, Ye JH, Hu H, Tao YX. ESRRG-controlled downregulation of KCNN1 in primary sensory neurons is required for neuropathic pain. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e180085. [PMID: 38912580 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.180085] [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: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injury-induced neuronal hyperactivity in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) participates in neuropathic pain. The calcium-activated potassium channel subfamily N member 1 (KCNN1) mediates action potential afterhyperpolarization (AHP) and gates neuronal excitability. However, the specific contribution of DRG KCNN1 to neuropathic pain is not yet clear. We report that chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the unilateral sciatic nerve or unilateral ligation of the fourth lumbar nerve produced the downregulation of Kcnn1 mRNA and KCNN1 protein in the injured DRG. This downregulation was partially attributed to a decrease in DRG estrogen-related receptor gamma (ESRRG), a transcription factor, which led to reduced binding to the Kcnn1 promoter. Rescuing this downregulation prevented CCI-induced decreases in total potassium voltage currents and AHP currents, reduced excitability in the injured DRG neurons, and alleviated CCI-induced development and maintenance of nociceptive hypersensitivities, without affecting locomotor function and acute pain. Mimicking the CCI-induced DRG KCNN1 downregulation resulted in augmented responses to mechanical, heat, and cold stimuli in naive mice. Our findings indicate that ESRRG-controlled downregulation of DRG KCNN1 is likely essential for the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Thus, KCNN1 may serve as a potential target for managing this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jiang-Hong Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience; and
| | - Huijuan Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience; and
| | - Yuan-Xiang Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology
- Department of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience; and
- Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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12
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Arendt-Tranholm A, Mwirigi JM, Price TJ. RNA isoform expression landscape of the human dorsal root ganglion generated from long-read sequencing. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00606. [PMID: 38809314 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Splicing is a posttranscriptional RNA processing mechanism that enhances genomic complexity by creating multiple isoforms from the same gene. We aimed to characterize the isoforms expressed in the human peripheral nervous system, with the goal of creating a resource to identify novel isoforms of functionally relevant genes associated with somatosensation and nociception. We used long-read sequencing to document isoform expression in the human dorsal root ganglia from 3 organ donors and validated in silico by confirming expression in short-read sequencing from 3 independent organ donors. Nineteen thousand five hundred forty-seven isoforms of protein-coding genes were detected and validated. We identified 763 isoforms with at least one previously undescribed splice junction. Previously unannotated isoforms of multiple pain-associated genes, including ASIC3, MRGPRX1, and HNRNPK, were identified. In the novel isoforms of ASIC3, a region comprising approximately 35% of the 5'UTR was excised. By contrast, a novel splice junction was used in isoforms of MRGPRX1 to include an additional exon upstream of the start codon, consequently adding a region to the 5'UTR. Novel isoforms of HNRNPK were identified, which used previously unannotated splice sites to both excise exon 14 and include a sequence in the 3' end of exon 13. This novel insertion is predicted to introduce a tyrosine phosphorylation site potentially phosphorylated by SRC. We also independently confirm a recently reported DRG-specific splicing event in WNK1 that gives insight into how painless peripheral neuropathy occurs when this gene is mutated. Our findings give a clear overview of mRNA isoform diversity in the human dorsal root ganglia obtained using long-read sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asta Arendt-Tranholm
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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13
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Sadler KE, Price TJ. A humanized focus on sickle cell pain. Blood 2024; 143:2016-2017. [PMID: 38753357 PMCID: PMC11143527 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2024024328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
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14
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Ospina OE, Soupir AC, Manjarres-Betancur R, Gonzalez-Calderon G, Yu X, Fridley BL. Differential gene expression analysis of spatial transcriptomic experiments using spatial mixed models. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10967. [PMID: 38744956 PMCID: PMC11094014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61758-0] [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: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial transcriptomics (ST) assays represent a revolution in how the architecture of tissues is studied by allowing for the exploration of cells in their spatial context. A common element in the analysis is delineating tissue domains or "niches" followed by detecting differentially expressed genes to infer the biological identity of the tissue domains or cell types. However, many studies approach differential expression analysis by using statistical approaches often applied in the analysis of non-spatial scRNA data (e.g., two-sample t-tests, Wilcoxon's rank sum test), hence neglecting the spatial dependency observed in ST data. In this study, we show that applying linear mixed models with spatial correlation structures using spatial random effects effectively accounts for the spatial autocorrelation and reduces inflation of type-I error rate observed in non-spatial based differential expression testing. We also show that spatial linear models with an exponential correlation structure provide a better fit to the ST data as compared to non-spatial models, particularly for spatially resolved technologies that quantify expression at finer scales (i.e., single-cell resolution).
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar E Ospina
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Alex C Soupir
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Xiaoqing Yu
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Brooke L Fridley
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA.
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Core, Division of Health Services & Outcomes Research, Children's Mercy, Kansas City, MO, USA.
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15
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George DS, Jayaraj ND, Pacifico P, Ren D, Sriram N, Miller RE, Malfait AM, Miller RJ, Menichella DM. The Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor d (Mrgprd) mediates pain hypersensitivity in painful diabetic neuropathy. Pain 2024; 165:1154-1168. [PMID: 38147415 PMCID: PMC11017747 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003120] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) is one of the most common and intractable complications of diabetes. Painful diabetic neuropathy is characterized by neuropathic pain accompanied by dorsal root ganglion (DRG) nociceptor hyperexcitability, axonal degeneration, and changes in cutaneous innervation. However, the complete molecular profile underlying the hyperexcitable cellular phenotype of DRG nociceptors in PDN has not been elucidated. This gap in our knowledge is a critical barrier to developing effective, mechanism-based, and disease-modifying therapeutic approaches that are urgently needed to relieve the symptoms of PDN. Using single-cell RNA sequencing of DRGs, we demonstrated an increased expression of the Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor d (Mrgprd) in a subpopulation of DRG neurons in the well-established high-fat diet (HFD) mouse model of PDN. Importantly, limiting Mrgprd signaling reversed mechanical allodynia in the HFD mouse model of PDN. Furthermore, in vivo calcium imaging allowed us to demonstrate that activation of Mrgprd-positive cutaneous afferents that persist in diabetic mice skin resulted in an increased intracellular calcium influx into DRG nociceptors that we assess in vivo as a readout of nociceptors hyperexcitability. Taken together, our data highlight a key role of Mrgprd-mediated DRG neuron excitability in the generation and maintenance of neuropathic pain in a mouse model of PDN. Hence, we propose Mrgprd as a promising and accessible target for developing effective therapeutics currently unavailable for treating neuropathic pain in PDN.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dongjun Ren
- Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Rachel E. Miller
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Anne-Marie Malfait
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Richard J. Miller
- Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Daniela Maria Menichella
- Departments of Neurology and
- Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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16
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Rogers M, Obergrussberger A, Kondratskyi A, Fertig N. Using automated patch clamp electrophysiology platforms in ion channel drug discovery: an industry perspective. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:523-535. [PMID: 38481119 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2329104] [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: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Automated patch clamp (APC) is now well established as a mature technology for ion channel drug discovery in academia, biotech and pharma companies, and in contract research organizations (CRO), for a variety of applications including channelopathy research, compound screening, target validation and cardiac safety testing. AREAS COVERED Ion channels are an important class of drugged and approved drug targets. The authors present a review of the current state of ion channel drug discovery along with new and exciting developments in ion channel research involving APC. This includes topics such as native and iPSC-derived cells in ion channel drug discovery, channelopathy research, organellar and biologics in ion channel drug discovery. EXPERT OPINION It is our belief that APC will continue to play a critical role in ion channel drug discovery, not only in 'classical' hit screening, target validation and cardiac safety testing, but extending these applications to include high throughput organellar recordings and optogenetics. In this way, with advancements in APC capabilities and applications, together with high resolution cryo-EM structures, ion channel drug discovery will be re-invigorated, leading to a growing list of ion channel ligands in clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Rogers
- Albion Drug Discovery Services Ltd, Cambridge, UK
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17
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Sapio MR, Staedtler ES, King DM, Maric D, Jahanipour J, Ghetti A, Jacobson KA, Mannes AJ, Iadarola MJ. Analgesic candidate adenosine A3 receptors are expressed by perineuronal peripheral macrophages in human dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord microglia. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00583. [PMID: 38691673 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Adenosine receptors are a family of purinergic G protein-coupled receptors that are widely distributed in bodily organs and in the peripheral and central nervous systems. Recently, antihyperalgesic actions have been suggested for the adenosine A3 receptor, and its agonists have been proposed as new neuropathic pain treatments. We hypothesized that these receptors may be expressed in nociceptive primary afferent neurons. However, RNA sequencing across species, eg, rat, mouse, dog, and human, suggests that dorsal root ganglion (DRG) expression of ADORA3 is inconsistent. In rat and mouse, Adora3 shows very weak to no expression in DRG, whereas it is well expressed in human DRG. However, the cell types in human DRG that express ADORA3 have not been delineated. An examination of DRG cell types using in situ hybridization clearly detected ADORA3 transcripts in peripheral macrophages that are in close apposition to the neuronal perikarya but not in peripheral sensory neurons. By contrast, ADORA1 was found primarily in neurons, where it is broadly expressed at low levels. These results suggest that a more complex or indirect mechanism involving modulation of macrophage and/or microglial cells may underlie the potential analgesic action of adenosine A3 receptor agonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Sapio
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ellen S Staedtler
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Diana M King
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Dragan Maric
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Flow and Imaging Cytometry Core Facility, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jahandar Jahanipour
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Flow and Imaging Cytometry Core Facility, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andre Ghetti
- AnaBios Corporation, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kenneth A Jacobson
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Molecular Recognition Section, Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andrew J Mannes
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michael J Iadarola
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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18
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Singh S, Kopruszinski CM, Watanabe M, Dodick DW, Navratilova E, Porreca F. Female-selective mechanisms promoting migraine. J Headache Pain 2024; 25:63. [PMID: 38658853 PMCID: PMC11040950 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-024-01771-w] [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: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism has been revealed for many neurological disorders including chronic pain. Prelicinal studies and post-mortem analyses from male and female human donors reveal sexual dimorphism of nociceptors at transcript, protein and functional levels suggesting different mechanisms that may promote pain in men and women. Migraine is a common female-prevalent neurological disorder that is characterized by painful and debilitating headache. Prolactin is a neurohormone that circulates at higher levels in females and that has been implicated clinically in migraine. Prolactin sensitizes sensory neurons from female mice, non-human primates and humans revealing a female-selective pain mechanism that is conserved evolutionarily and likely translationally relevant. Prolactin produces female-selective migraine-like pain behaviors in rodents and enhances the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a neurotransmitter that is causal in promoting migraine in many patients. CGRP, like prolactin, produces female-selective migraine-like pain behaviors. Consistent with these observations, publicly available clinical data indicate that small molecule CGRP-receptor antagonists are preferentially effective in treatment of acute migraine therapy in women. Collectively, these observations support the conclusion of qualitative sex differences promoting migraine pain providing the opportunity to tailor therapies based on patient sex for improved outcomes. Additionally, patient sex should be considered in design of clinical trials for migraine as well as for pain and reassessment of past trials may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shagun Singh
- Banner - University Medicine Sunrise Primary Care, Tucson, AZ, 85750, USA
| | - Caroline M Kopruszinski
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA
| | - Moe Watanabe
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA
| | - David W Dodick
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA
- Atria Academy of Science and Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Edita Navratilova
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Frank Porreca
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
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19
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Griffiths JA, Yoo BB, Thuy-Boun P, Cantu VJ, Weldon KC, Challis C, Sweredoski MJ, Chan KY, Thron TM, Sharon G, Moradian A, Humphrey G, Zhu Q, Shaffer JP, Wolan DW, Dorrestein PC, Knight R, Gradinaru V, Mazmanian SK. Peripheral neuronal activation shapes the microbiome and alters gut physiology. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113953. [PMID: 38517896 PMCID: PMC11132177 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113953] [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: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is innervated by intrinsic neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS) and extrinsic neurons of the central nervous system and peripheral ganglia. The GI tract also harbors a diverse microbiome, but interactions between the ENS and the microbiome remain poorly understood. Here, we activate choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-expressing or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-expressing gut-associated neurons in mice to determine effects on intestinal microbial communities and their metabolites as well as on host physiology. The resulting multi-omics datasets support broad roles for discrete peripheral neuronal subtypes in shaping microbiome structure, including modulating bile acid profiles and fungal colonization. Physiologically, activation of either ChAT+ or TH+ neurons increases fecal output, while only ChAT+ activation results in increased colonic contractility and diarrhea-like fluid secretion. These findings suggest that specific subsets of peripherally activated neurons differentially regulate the gut microbiome and GI physiology in mice without involvement of signals from the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Griffiths
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Bryan B Yoo
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Peter Thuy-Boun
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Victor J Cantu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kelly C Weldon
- Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; UCSD Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Collin Challis
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Michael J Sweredoski
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Ken Y Chan
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Taren M Thron
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Gil Sharon
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Annie Moradian
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Gregory Humphrey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Qiyun Zhu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Justin P Shaffer
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Dennis W Wolan
- Departments of Molecular Medicine and Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Pieter C Dorrestein
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; Collaborative Mass Spectrometry Innovation Center, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; UCSD Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; UCSD Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Engineering, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA; Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA
| | - Sarkis K Mazmanian
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, USA.
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20
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Hall BE, Mazhar K, Macdonald E, Cassidy M, Doty M, Judkins C, Terse A, Shiers S, Tadros S, Yun S, Burton MD, Price TJ, Kulkarni A. Transcriptome Analysis of Rheumatoid Arthritis Uncovers Genes Linked to Inflammation-Induced Pain. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4218885. [PMID: 38712195 PMCID: PMC11071542 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4218885/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can promote states of chronic Inflammation with accompanying tissue destruction and pain. RA can cause inflammatory synovitis in peripheral joints, particularly within the hands and feet, but can also sometimes trigger temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthralgia. To better understand the effects of ongoing Inflammation-induced pain signaling, dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) were acquired from individuals with RA for transcriptomic study. We conducted RNA sequencing from the L5 DRGs because it contains the soma of the sensory neurons that innervate the affected joints in the foot. DRGs from 5 RA patients were compared with 9 non-arthritic controls. RNA-seq of L5 DRGs identified 128 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were dysregulated in the RA subjects as compared to the non-arthritic controls. The DRG resides outside the blood brain barrier and, as such, our initial transcriptome analysis detected signs of an autoimmune disorder including the upregulated expression of immunoglobulins and other immunologically related genes within the DRGs of the RA donors. Additionally, we saw the upregulation in genes implicated in neurogenesis that could promote pain hypersensitivity. overall, our DRG analysis suggests that there are upregulated inflammatory and pain signaling pathways that can contribute to chronic pain in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradford E Hall
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
| | | | - Emma Macdonald
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
| | - Margaret Cassidy
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
| | - Megan Doty
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
| | - Christian Judkins
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
| | - Anita Terse
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
| | | | - Saber Tadros
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
| | | | | | | | - Ashok Kulkarni
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
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21
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Bai Z, Bartelo N, Aslam M, Murphy EA, Hale CR, Blachere NE, Parveen S, Spolaore E, DiCarlo E, Gravallese EM, Smith MH, Frank MO, Jiang CS, Zhang H, Pyrgaki C, Lewis MJ, Sikandar S, Pitzalis C, Lesnak JB, Mazhar K, Price TJ, Malfait AM, Miller RE, Zhang F, Goodman S, Darnell RB, Wang F, Orange DE. Synovial fibroblast gene expression is associated with sensory nerve growth and pain in rheumatoid arthritis. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadk3506. [PMID: 38598614 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk3506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
It has been presumed that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) joint pain is related to inflammation in the synovium; however, recent studies reveal that pain scores in patients do not correlate with synovial inflammation. We developed a machine-learning approach (graph-based gene expression module identification or GbGMI) to identify an 815-gene expression module associated with pain in synovial biopsy samples from patients with established RA who had limited synovial inflammation at arthroplasty. We then validated this finding in an independent cohort of synovial biopsy samples from patients who had early untreated RA with little inflammation. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses indicated that most of these 815 genes were most robustly expressed by lining layer synovial fibroblasts. Receptor-ligand interaction analysis predicted cross-talk between human lining layer fibroblasts and human dorsal root ganglion neurons expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP+). Both RA synovial fibroblast culture supernatant and netrin-4, which is abundantly expressed by lining fibroblasts and was within the GbGMI-identified pain-associated gene module, increased the branching of pain-sensitive murine CGRP+ dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro. Imaging of solvent-cleared synovial tissue with little inflammation from humans with RA revealed CGRP+ pain-sensing neurons encasing blood vessels growing into synovial hypertrophic papilla. Together, these findings support a model whereby synovial lining fibroblasts express genes associated with pain that enhance the growth of pain-sensing neurons into regions of synovial hypertrophy in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilong Bai
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | | | | | - Caryn R Hale
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nathalie E Blachere
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Myles J Lewis
- Queen Mary University of London & NIHR BRC Barts Health NHS Trust, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Shafaq Sikandar
- Queen Mary University of London & NIHR BRC Barts Health NHS Trust, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Costantino Pitzalis
- Queen Mary University of London & NIHR BRC Barts Health NHS Trust, London E1 4NS, UK
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University & IRCC Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan 20072, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Fan Zhang
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Susan Goodman
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Robert B Darnell
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fei Wang
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dana E Orange
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA
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22
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Kalia AK, Rösseler C, Granja-Vazquez R, Ahmad A, Pancrazio JJ, Neureiter A, Zhang M, Sauter D, Vetter I, Andersson A, Dussor G, Price TJ, Kolber BJ, Truong V, Walsh P, Lampert A. How to differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells into sensory neurons for disease modelling: a functional assessment. Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:99. [PMID: 38581069 PMCID: PMC10998320 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03696-2] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived peripheral sensory neurons present a valuable tool to model human diseases and are a source for applications in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Clinically, peripheral sensory neuropathies can result in maladies ranging from a complete loss of pain to severe painful neuropathic disorders. Sensory neurons are located in the dorsal root ganglion and are comprised of functionally diverse neuronal types. Low efficiency, reproducibility concerns, variations arising due to genetic factors and time needed to generate functionally mature neuronal populations from iPSCs remain key challenges to study human nociception in vitro. Here, we report a detailed functional characterization of iPSC-derived sensory neurons with an accelerated differentiation protocol ("Anatomic" protocol) compared to the most commonly used small molecule approach ("Chambers" protocol). Anatomic's commercially available RealDRG™ were further characterized for both functional and expression phenotyping of key nociceptor markers. METHODS Multiple iPSC clones derived from different reprogramming methods, genetics, age, and somatic cell sources were used to generate sensory neurons. Manual patch clamp was used to functionally characterize both control and patient-derived neurons. High throughput techniques were further used to demonstrate that RealDRGs™ derived from the Anatomic protocol are amenable to high throughput technologies for disease modelling. RESULTS The Anatomic protocol rendered a purer culture without the use of mitomycin C to suppress non-neuronal outgrowth, while Chambers differentiations yielded a mix of cell types. Chambers protocol results in predominantly tonic firing when compared to Anatomic protocol. Patient-derived nociceptors displayed higher frequency firing compared to control subject with both, Chambers and Anatomic differentiation approaches, underlining their potential use for clinical phenotyping as a disease-in-a-dish model. RealDRG™ sensory neurons show heterogeneity of nociceptive markers indicating that the cells may be useful as a humanized model system for translational studies. CONCLUSIONS We validated the efficiency of two differentiation protocols and their potential application for functional assessment and thus understanding the disease mechanisms from patients suffering from pain disorders. We propose that both differentiation methods can be further exploited for understanding mechanisms and development of novel treatments in pain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Kumar Kalia
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Corinna Rösseler
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Rafael Granja-Vazquez
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Ayesha Ahmad
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Joseph J Pancrazio
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Anika Neureiter
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mei Zhang
- Sophion Bioscience Inc., Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | | | - Irina Vetter
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia
| | - Asa Andersson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
| | - Gregory Dussor
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Theodore J Price
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Benedict J Kolber
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Vincent Truong
- Anatomic Incorporated, 2112 Broadway Street NE #135, Minneapolis, MN, 55413, USA
| | - Patrick Walsh
- Anatomic Incorporated, 2112 Broadway Street NE #135, Minneapolis, MN, 55413, USA
| | - Angelika Lampert
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
- Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen - SCN-Aachen, Uniklinik RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
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23
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Yosipovitch G, Kim B, Luger T, Lerner E, Metz M, Adiri R, Canosa JM, Cha A, Ständer S. Similarities and differences in peripheral itch and pain pathways in atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024; 153:904-912. [PMID: 38103700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2023.10.034] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is predominantly characterized by intense itching, but concomitant skin pain is experienced by more than 40% of patients. Patients with AD display considerable somatosensory aberrations, including increased nerve sensitivity to itch stimuli (hyperknesis), perception of itch from innocuous stimuli (alloknesis), or perception of pain from innocuous stimuli (allodynia). This review summarizes the current understanding of the similarities and differences in the peripheral mechanisms underlying itch and pain in AD. These distinct yet reciprocal sensations share many similarities in the peripheral nervous system, including common mediators (such as serotonin, endothelin-1, IL-33, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin), receptors (such as members of the G protein-coupled receptor family and Toll-like receptors), and ion channels for signal transduction (such as certain members of the transient receptor potential [TRP] cation channels). Itch-responding neurons are also sensitive to pain stimuli. However, there are distinct differences between itch and pain signaling. For example, specific immune responses are associated with pain (type 1 and/or type 3 cytokines and certain chemokine C-C [CCL2, CCL5] and C-X-C [CXCL] motif ligands) and itch (type 2 cytokines, including IL-31, and periostin). The TRP melastatin channels TRPM2 and TRPM3 have a role in pain but no known role in itch. Activation of μ-opioid receptors is known to alleviate pain but exacerbate itch. Understanding the connection between itch and pain mechanisms may offer new insights into the treatment of chronic pain and itch in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil Yosipovitch
- Miami Itch Center, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Fla.
| | - Brian Kim
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo
| | | | - Ethan Lerner
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Mass
| | - Martin Metz
- Institute of Allergology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, Allergology and Immunology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Roni Adiri
- Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Israel Ltd, Herzliya Pituach, Israel
| | | | | | - Sonja Ständer
- Center for Chronic Pruritus, Münster University Hospital, Münster, Germany
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24
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Balzulat A, Zhu WF, Flauaus C, Hernandez‐Olmos V, Heering J, Sethumadhavan S, Dubiel M, Frank A, Menge A, Hebchen M, Metzner K, Lu R, Lukowski R, Ruth P, Knapp S, Müller S, Steinhilber D, Hänelt I, Stark H, Proschak E, Schmidtko A. Discovery of a Small Molecule Activator of Slack (Kcnt1) Potassium Channels That Significantly Reduces Scratching in Mouse Models of Histamine-Independent and Chronic Itch. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2307237. [PMID: 38350720 PMCID: PMC11022729 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202307237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Various disorders are accompanied by histamine-independent itching, which is often resistant to the currently available therapies. Here, it is reported that the pharmacological activation of Slack (Kcnt1, KNa1.1), a potassium channel highly expressed in itch-sensitive sensory neurons, has therapeutic potential for the treatment of itching. Based on the Slack-activating antipsychotic drug, loxapine, a series of new derivatives with improved pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles is designed that enables to validate Slack as a pharmacological target in vivo. One of these new Slack activators, compound 6, exhibits negligible dopamine D2 and D3 receptor binding, unlike loxapine. Notably, compound 6 displays potent on-target antipruritic activity in multiple mouse models of acute histamine-independent and chronic itch without motor side effects. These properties make compound 6 a lead molecule for the development of new antipruritic therapies targeting Slack.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Balzulat
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical PharmacyGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - W. Felix Zhu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Cathrin Flauaus
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical PharmacyGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Victor Hernandez‐Olmos
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMPTheodor‐Stern‐Kai 760596Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Jan Heering
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMPTheodor‐Stern‐Kai 760596Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Sunesh Sethumadhavan
- Institute of BiochemistryGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Mariam Dubiel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal ChemistryHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfUniversitätsstr. 140225DüsseldorfGermany
| | - Annika Frank
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal ChemistryHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfUniversitätsstr. 140225DüsseldorfGermany
| | - Amelie Menge
- Institute of Pharmaceutical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC)Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life SciencesGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 1560438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Maureen Hebchen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical PharmacyGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Katharina Metzner
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical PharmacyGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Ruirui Lu
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical PharmacyGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Robert Lukowski
- Department of PharmacologyToxicology and Clinical PharmacyInstitute of Pharmacy University of TübingenAuf der Morgenstelle 872076TübingenGermany
| | - Peter Ruth
- Department of PharmacologyToxicology and Clinical PharmacyInstitute of Pharmacy University of TübingenAuf der Morgenstelle 872076TübingenGermany
| | - Stefan Knapp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC)Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life SciencesGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 1560438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Susanne Müller
- Institute of Pharmaceutical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
- Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC)Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life SciencesGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 1560438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Dieter Steinhilber
- Institute of Pharmaceutical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMPTheodor‐Stern‐Kai 760596Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Inga Hänelt
- Institute of BiochemistryGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Holger Stark
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal ChemistryHeinrich Heine University DüsseldorfUniversitätsstr. 140225DüsseldorfGermany
| | - Ewgenij Proschak
- Institute of Pharmaceutical ChemistryGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMPTheodor‐Stern‐Kai 760596Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Achim Schmidtko
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical PharmacyGoethe University FrankfurtMax‐von‐Laue‐Str. 960438Frankfurt am MainGermany
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25
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Franco-Enzástiga Ú, Inturi NN, Natarajan K, Mwirigi JM, Mazhar K, Schlachetzki JC, Schumacher M, Price TJ. Epigenomic landscape of the human dorsal root ganglion: sex differences and transcriptional regulation of nociceptive genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.27.587047. [PMID: 38586055 PMCID: PMC10996669 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.27.587047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Gene expression is influenced by chromatin architecture via controlled access of regulatory factors to DNA. To better understand regulation of gene expression in the human dorsal root ganglion (hDRG) we used bulk and spatial transposase-accessible chromatin technology followed by sequencing (ATAC-seq). We detected a total of 3005 differentially accessible chromatin regions (DARs) between sexes using bulk ATAC-seq. DARs in female hDRG mapped mainly to the X chromosome. In males, DARs were found in autosomal genes. We also found differential transcription factor binding motifs within DARs. EGR1/3 and SP1/4 were abundant in females, and JUN, FOS and other AP-1 family members in males. With the aim of dissecting the open chromatin profile in hDRG neurons, we used spatial ATAC-seq. Consistent with our bulk ATAC-seq data, most of the DARs in female hDRG were located in X chromosome genes. Neuron cluster showed higher chromatin accessibility in GABAergic, glutamatergic, and interferon-related genes in females, and in Ca2+-signaling-related genes in males. Sex differences in open chromatin transcription factor binding sites in neuron-proximal barcodes were consistent with the bulk data, having EGR1 transcription factor activity in females and AP-1 family members in males. Accordingly, we showed higher expression of EGR1 in female hDRG compared to male with in-situ hybridization. Our findings point to epigenomic sex differences in the hDRG that likely underlie divergent transcriptional responses that determine mechanistic sex differences in pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Úrzula Franco-Enzástiga
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Nikhil N. Inturi
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Keerthana Natarajan
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Juliet M. Mwirigi
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Khadja Mazhar
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Johannes C.M. Schlachetzki
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0651, USA
| | - Mark Schumacher
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care and the UCSF Pain and Addiction Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143 USA
| | - Theodore J. Price
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
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26
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Bang S, Jiang C, Xu J, Chandra S, McGinnis A, Luo X, He Q, Li Y, Wang Z, Ao X, Parisien M, Fernandes de Araujo LO, Jahangiri Esfahani S, Zhang Q, Tonello R, Berta T, Diatchenko L, Ji RR. Satellite glial GPR37L1 and its ligand maresin 1 regulate potassium channel signaling and pain homeostasis. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e173537. [PMID: 38530364 PMCID: PMC11060744 DOI: 10.1172/jci173537] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor 37-like 1 (GPR37L1) is an orphan GPCR with largely unknown functions. Here, we report that Gpr37l1/GRP37L1 ranks among the most highly expressed GPCR transcripts in mouse and human dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and is selectively expressed in satellite glial cells (SGCs). Peripheral neuropathy induced by streptozotoxin (STZ) and paclitaxel (PTX) led to reduced GPR37L1 expression on the plasma membrane in mouse and human DRGs. Transgenic mice with Gpr37l1 deficiency exhibited impaired resolution of neuropathic pain symptoms following PTX- and STZ-induced pain, whereas overexpression of Gpr37l1 in mouse DRGs reversed pain. GPR37L1 is coexpressed with potassium channels, including KCNJ10 (Kir4.1) in mouse SGCs and both KCNJ3 (Kir3.1) and KCNJ10 in human SGCs. GPR37L1 regulates the surface expression and function of the potassium channels. Notably, the proresolving lipid mediator maresin 1 (MaR1) serves as a ligand of GPR37L1 and enhances KCNJ10- or KCNJ3-mediated potassium influx in SGCs through GPR37L1. Chemotherapy suppressed KCNJ10 expression and function in SGCs, which MaR1 rescued through GPR37L1. Finally, genetic analysis revealed that the GPR37L1-E296K variant increased chronic pain risk by destabilizing the protein and impairing the protein's function. Thus, GPR37L1 in SGCs offers a therapeutic target for the protection of neuropathy and chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangsu Bang
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Changyu Jiang
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jing Xu
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sharat Chandra
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aidan McGinnis
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xin Luo
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Qianru He
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yize Li
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zilong Wang
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xiang Ao
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Marc Parisien
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Lorenna Oliveira Fernandes de Araujo
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Sahel Jahangiri Esfahani
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Qin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Raquel Tonello
- Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Temugin Berta
- Pain Research Center, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Luda Diatchenko
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ru-Rong Ji
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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27
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Rees TA, Tasma Z, Garelja ML, O'Carroll SJ, Walker CS, Hay DL. Calcitonin receptor, calcitonin gene-related peptide and amylin distribution in C1/2 dorsal root ganglia. J Headache Pain 2024; 25:36. [PMID: 38481170 PMCID: PMC10938748 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-024-01744-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The upper cervical dorsal root ganglia (DRG) are important for the transmission of sensory information associated with the back of the head and neck, contributing to head pain. Calcitonin receptor (CTR)-based receptors, such as the amylin 1 (AMY1) receptor, and ligands, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and amylin, have been linked to migraine and pain. However, the contribution of this system to nociception involving the cervical DRG is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relative distribution of the CTR, CGRP, and amylin in upper cervical DRG. METHODS CTR, CGRP, and amylin immunofluorescence was examined relative to neural markers in C1/2 DRG from male and female mice, rats, and human cases. Immunofluorescence was supported by RNA-fluorescence in situ hybridization examining amylin mRNA distribution in rat DRG. RESULTS Amylin immunofluorescence was observed in neuronal soma and fibres. Amylin mRNA (Iapp) was also detected. Amylin and CGRP co-expression was observed in 19% (mouse), 17% (rat), and 36% (human) of DRG neurons in distinct vesicle-like neuronal puncta from one another. CTR immunoreactivity was present in DRG neurons, and both peptides produced receptor signalling in primary DRG cell cultures. CTR-positive neurons frequently co-expressed amylin and/or CGRP (66% rat; 84% human), with some sex differences. CONCLUSIONS Amylin and CGRP could both be local peptide agonists for CTR-based receptors in upper cervical DRG, potentially acting through autocrine and/or paracrine signalling mechanisms to modulate neuron function. Amylin and its receptors could represent novel pain targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayla A Rees
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Zoe Tasma
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Michael L Garelja
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Simon J O'Carroll
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Christopher S Walker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
| | - Debbie L Hay
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand.
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.
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28
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Qi L, Iskols M, Shi D, Reddy P, Walker C, Lezgiyeva K, Voisin T, Pawlak M, Kuchroo VK, Chiu IM, Ginty DD, Sharma N. A mouse DRG genetic toolkit reveals morphological and physiological diversity of somatosensory neuron subtypes. Cell 2024; 187:1508-1526.e16. [PMID: 38442711 PMCID: PMC10947841 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.02.006] [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: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) somatosensory neurons detect mechanical, thermal, and chemical stimuli acting on the body. Achieving a holistic view of how different DRG neuron subtypes relay neural signals from the periphery to the CNS has been challenging with existing tools. Here, we develop and curate a mouse genetic toolkit that allows for interrogating the properties and functions of distinct cutaneous targeting DRG neuron subtypes. These tools have enabled a broad morphological analysis, which revealed distinct cutaneous axon arborization areas and branching patterns of the transcriptionally distinct DRG neuron subtypes. Moreover, in vivo physiological analysis revealed that each subtype has a distinct threshold and range of responses to mechanical and/or thermal stimuli. These findings support a model in which morphologically and physiologically distinct cutaneous DRG sensory neuron subtypes tile mechanical and thermal stimulus space to collectively encode a wide range of natural stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Qi
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael Iskols
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David Shi
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Pranav Reddy
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Christopher Walker
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Karina Lezgiyeva
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tiphaine Voisin
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mathias Pawlak
- Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vijay K Kuchroo
- Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Isaac M Chiu
- Department of Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David D Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Nikhil Sharma
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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29
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Chen O, Jiang C, Berta T, Powell Gray B, Furutani K, Sullenger BA, Ji RR. MicroRNA let-7b enhances spinal cord nociceptive synaptic transmission and induces acute and persistent pain through neuronal and microglial signaling. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00548. [PMID: 38452223 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Secreted microRNAs (miRNAs) have been detected in various body fluids including the cerebrospinal fluid, yet their direct role in regulating synaptic transmission remains uncertain. We found that intrathecal injection of low dose of let-7b (1 μg) induced short-term (<24 hours) mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia, a response that is compromised in Tlr7-/- or Trpa1-/- mice. Ex vivo and in vivo calcium imaging in GCaMP6-report mice revealed increased calcium signal in spinal cord afferent terminals and doral root ganglion/dorsal root ganglia neurons following spinal perfusion and intraplantar injection of let-7b. Patch-clamp recordings also demonstrated enhanced excitatory synaptic transmission (miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents [EPSCs]) in spinal nociceptive neurons following let-7b perfusion or optogenetic activation of axonal terminals. The elevation in spinal calcium signaling and EPSCs was dependent on the presence of toll-like receptor-7 (TLR7) and transient receptor potential ion channel subtype A1 (TRPA1). In addition, endogenous let-7b is enriched in spinal cord synaptosome, and peripheral inflammation increased let-7b in doral root ganglion/dorsal root ganglia neurons, spinal cord tissue, and the cerebrospinal fluid. Notably, let-7b antagomir inhibited inflammatory pain and inflammation-induced synaptic plasticity (EPSC increase), suggesting an endogenous role of let-7b in regulating pain and synaptic transmission. Furthermore, intrathecal injection of let-7b, at a higher dose (10 μg), induced persistent mechanical allodynia for >2 weeks, which was abolished in Tlr7-/- mice. The high dose of let-7b also induced microgliosis in the spinal cord. Of interest, intrathecal minocycline only inhibited let-7b-induced mechanical allodynia in male but not female mice. Our findings indicate that the secreted microRNA let-7b has the capacity to provoke pain through both neuronal and glial signaling, thereby establishing miRNA as an emerging neuromodulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouyang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Changyu Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Temugin Berta
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Bethany Powell Gray
- Department of Surgery, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kenta Furutani
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Bruce A Sullenger
- Department of Surgery, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ru-Rong Ji
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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30
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Ständer S, Schmelz M. Skin Innervation. J Invest Dermatol 2024:S0022-202X(24)00085-X. [PMID: 38402477 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.10.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
All layers and appendages of the skin are densely innervated by afferent and efferent neurons providing sensory information and controlling skin perfusion and sweating. In mice, neuronal functions have been comprehensively linked to unique single-cell expression patterns and to characteristic arborization of nerve endings in skin and dorsal horn, whereas for humans, specific molecular markers for functional classes of afferent neurons are still lacking. Moreover, bidirectional communication between sensory neurons and local skin cells has become of particular interest, resulting in a broader physiological understanding of sensory function but also of trophic functions and immunomodulation in disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Ständer
- Department of Dermatology and Center for Chronic Pruritus, University Hospital, Münster, Germany
| | - Martin Schmelz
- Department of Experimental Pain Research, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Faculty of Medicine Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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31
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Iadarola MJ, Sapio MR, Loydpierson AJ, Mervis CB, Fehrenbacher JC, Vasko MR, Maric D, Eisenberg DP, Nash TA, Kippenhan JS, Garvey MH, Mannes AJ, Gregory MD, Berman KF. Syntaxin1A overexpression and pain insensitivity in individuals with 7q11.23 duplication syndrome. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e176147. [PMID: 38261410 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.176147] [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: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Genetic modifications leading to pain insensitivity phenotypes, while rare, provide invaluable insights into the molecular biology of pain and reveal targets for analgesic drugs. Pain insensitivity typically results from Mendelian loss-of-function mutations in genes expressed in nociceptive (pain-sensing) dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons that connect the body to the spinal cord. We document a pain insensitivity mechanism arising from gene overexpression in individuals with the rare 7q11.23 duplication syndrome (Dup7), who have 3 copies of the approximately 1.5-megabase Williams syndrome (WS) critical region. Based on parental accounts and pain ratings, people with Dup7, mainly children in this study, are pain insensitive following serious injury to skin, bones, teeth, or viscera. In contrast, diploid siblings (2 copies of the WS critical region) and individuals with WS (1 copy) show standard reactions to painful events. A converging series of human assessments and cross-species cell biological and transcriptomic studies identified 1 likely candidate in the WS critical region, STX1A, as underlying the pain insensitivity phenotype. STX1A codes for the synaptic vesicle fusion protein syntaxin1A. Excess syntaxin1A was demonstrated to compromise neuropeptide exocytosis from nociceptive DRG neurons. Taken together, these data indicate a mechanism for producing "genetic analgesia" in Dup7 and offer previously untargeted routes to pain control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Iadarola
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Matthew R Sapio
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Amelia J Loydpierson
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Carolyn B Mervis
- Neurodevelopmental Sciences Laboratory, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jill C Fehrenbacher
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Michael R Vasko
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Dragan Maric
- Flow and Imaging Cytometry Core Facility, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and
| | - Daniel P Eisenberg
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tiffany A Nash
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - J Shane Kippenhan
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Madeline H Garvey
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Andrew J Mannes
- Department of Perioperative Medicine, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Michael D Gregory
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Karen F Berman
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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32
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Smulders PSH, Heikamp K, Hermanides J, Hollmann MW, Ten Hoope W, Weber NC. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy models constructed from human induced pluripotent stem cells and directly converted cells: a systematic review. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00530. [PMID: 38381959 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Developments in human cellular reprogramming now allow for the generation of human neurons for in vitro disease modelling. This technique has since been used for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) research, resulting in the description of numerous CIPN models constructed from human neurons. This systematic review provides a critical analysis of available models and their methodological considerations (ie, used cell type and source, CIPN induction strategy, and validation method) for prospective researchers aiming to incorporate human in vitro models of CIPN in their research. The search strategy was developed with assistance from a clinical librarian and conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed) and Embase (Ovid) on September 26, 2023. Twenty-six peer-reviewed experimental studies presenting original data about human reprogrammed nonmotor neuron cell culture systems and relevant market available chemotherapeutics drugs were included. Virtually, all recent reports modeled CIPN using nociceptive dorsal root ganglion neurons. Drugs known to cause the highest incidence of CIPN were most used. Furthermore, treatment effects were almost exclusively validated by the acute effects of chemotherapeutics on neurite dynamics and cytotoxicity parameters, enabling the extrapolation of the half-maximal inhibitory concentration for the 4 most used chemotherapeutics. Overall, substantial heterogeneity was observed in the way studies applied chemotherapy and reported their findings. We therefore propose 6 suggestions to improve the clinical relevance and appropriateness of human cellular reprogramming-derived CIPN models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal S H Smulders
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Laboratory for Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kim Heikamp
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Laboratory for Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jeroen Hermanides
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Laboratory for Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Markus W Hollmann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Laboratory for Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Werner Ten Hoope
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Laboratory for Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, the Netherlands
| | - Nina C Weber
- Department of Anesthesiology, Amsterdam UMC location University of Amsterdam, Laboratory for Experimental Intensive Care and Anesthesiology (L.E.I.C.A.), Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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33
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Whitaker EE, Mecum NE, Cott RC, Goode DJ. Expression of MHC II in DRG neurons attenuates paclitaxel-induced cold hypersensitivity in male and female mice. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298396. [PMID: 38330029 PMCID: PMC10852343 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy is often a life-saving treatment, but the development of intractable pain caused by chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a major dose-limiting toxicity that restricts cancer survival rates. Recent reports demonstrate that paclitaxel (PTX) robustly increases anti-inflammatory CD4+ T cells in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), and that T cells and anti-inflammatory cytokines are protective against CIPN. However, the mechanism by which CD4+ T cells are activated, and the extent cytokines released by CD4+ T cells target DRG neurons are unknown. Here, we are the first to detect major histocompatibility complex II (MHCII) protein in mouse DRG neurons and to find CD4+ T cells breaching the satellite glial cell barrier to be in close proximity to neurons, together suggesting CD4+ T cell activation and targeted cytokine release. MHCII protein is primarily expressed in small nociceptive neurons in male and female mouse DRG but increased after PTX in small nociceptive neurons in only female DRG. Reducing one copy of MHCII in small nociceptive neurons decreased anti-inflammatory IL-10 and IL-4 producing CD4+ T cells in naïve male DRG and increased their hypersensitivity to cold. Administration of PTX to male and female mice that lacked one copy of MHCII in nociceptive neurons decreased anti-inflammatory CD4+ T cells in the DRG and increased the severity of PTX-induced cold hypersensitivity. Collectively, our results demonstrate expression of MHCII protein in mouse DRG neurons, which modulates cytokine producing CD4+ T cells in the DRG and attenuates cold hypersensitivity during homeostasis and after PTX treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E. Whitaker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, United States of America
| | - Neal E. Mecum
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, United States of America
| | - Riley C. Cott
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, United States of America
| | - Diana J. Goode
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine, United States of America
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34
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He Z, Chen Q, Wang K, Lin J, Peng Y, Zhang J, Yan X, Jie Y. Single-cell transcriptomics analysis of cellular heterogeneity and immune mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:333-357. [PMID: 38221677 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16242] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell transcriptomics analysis is an advanced technology that can describe the intracellular transcriptome in complex tissues. It profiles and analyses datasets by single-cell RNA sequencing. Neurodegenerative diseases are identified by the abnormal apoptosis of neurons in the brain with few or no effective therapy strategies at present, which has been a growing healthcare concern and brought a great burden to society. The transcriptome of individual cells provides deep insights into previously unforeseen cellular heterogeneity and gene expression differences in neurodegenerative disorders. It detects multiple cell subsets and functional changes during pathological progression, which deepens the understanding of the molecular underpinnings and cellular basis of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis of immune cells shows the regulation of immune response. Different subtypes of immune cells and their interaction are found to contribute to disease progression. This finding enables the discovery of novel targets and biomarkers for early diagnosis. In this review, we emphasize the principles of the technology, and its recent progress in the study of cellular heterogeneity and immune mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases. The application of single-cell transcriptomics analysis in neurodegenerative disorders would help explore the pathogenesis of these diseases and develop novel therapeutic methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziping He
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Kaiyue Wang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiang Lin
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yilin Peng
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinlong Zhang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xisheng Yan
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wuhan Third Hospital & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Jie
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
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35
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Stewart RG, Camacena M, Copits BA, Sack JT. Distinct cellular expression and subcellular localization of Kv2 voltage-gated K + channel subtypes in dorsal root ganglion neurons conserved between mice and humans. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25575. [PMID: 38335058 PMCID: PMC10861167 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25575] [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: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The distinct organization of Kv2 voltage-gated potassium channels on and near the cell body of brain neurons enables their regulation of action potentials and specialized membrane contact sites. Somatosensory neurons have a pseudounipolar morphology and transmit action potentials from peripheral nerve endings through axons that bifurcate to the spinal cord and the cell body within ganglia including the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Kv2 channels regulate action potentials in somatosensory neurons, yet little is known about where Kv2 channels are located. Here, we define the cellular and subcellular localization of the Kv2 paralogs, Kv2.1 and Kv2.2, in DRG somatosensory neurons with a panel of antibodies, cell markers, and genetically modified mice. We find that relative to spinal cord neurons, DRG neurons have similar levels of detectable Kv2.1 and higher levels of Kv2.2. In older mice, detectable Kv2.2 remains similar, while detectable Kv2.1 decreases. Both Kv2 subtypes adopt clustered subcellular patterns that are distinct from central neurons. Most DRG neurons co-express Kv2.1 and Kv2.2, although neuron subpopulations show preferential expression of Kv2.1 or Kv2.2. We find that Kv2 protein expression and subcellular localization are similar between mouse and human DRG neurons. We conclude that the organization of both Kv2 channels is consistent with physiological roles in the somata and stem axons of DRG neurons. The general prevalence of Kv2.2 in DRG as compared to central neurons and the enrichment of Kv2.2 relative to detectable Kv2.1 in older mice, proprioceptors, and axons suggest more widespread roles for Kv2.2 in DRG neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Stewart
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Miriam Camacena
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Bryan A Copits
- Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jon T Sack
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
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36
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Zhang D, Chen Y, Wei Y, Chen H, Wu Y, Wu L, Li J, Ren Q, Miao C, Zhu T, Liu J, Ke B, Zhou C. Spatial transcriptomics and single-nucleus RNA sequencing reveal a transcriptomic atlas of adult human spinal cord. eLife 2024; 12:RP92046. [PMID: 38289829 PMCID: PMC10945563 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92046] [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] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the recognized importance of the spinal cord in sensory processing, motor behaviors, and neural diseases, the underlying organization of neuronal clusters and their spatial location remain elusive. Recently, several studies have attempted to define the neuronal types and functional heterogeneity in the spinal cord using single-cell or single-nucleus RNA sequencing in animal models or developing humans. However, molecular evidence of cellular heterogeneity in the adult human spinal cord is limited. Here, we classified spinal cord neurons into 21 subclusters and determined their distribution from nine human donors using single-nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics. Moreover, we compared the human findings with previously published single-nucleus data of the adult mouse spinal cord, which revealed an overall similarity in the neuronal composition of the spinal cord between the two species while simultaneously highlighting some degree of heterogeneity. Additionally, we examined the sex differences in the spinal neuronal subclusters. Several genes, such as SCN10A and HCN1, showed sex differences in motor neurons. Finally, we classified human dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons using spatial transcriptomics and explored the putative interactions between DRG and spinal cord neuronal subclusters. In summary, these results illustrate the complexity and diversity of spinal neurons in humans and provide an important resource for future research to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying spinal cord physiology and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghang Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yali Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yiyong Wei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Longgang District Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital of Shenzhen City (Longgang Maternity and Child Institute of Shantou University Medical College)ShenhenChina
| | - Hongjun Chen
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Yujie Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Lin Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Qiyang Ren
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical UniversityZunyiChina
| | - Changhong Miao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Tao Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Bowen Ke
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Cheng Zhou
- Laboratory of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, National-Local Joint Engineering Research Centre of Translational Medicine of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
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Hao M, Luo E, Chen Y, Wu Y, Li C, Chen S, Gao H, Bian H, Gu J, Wei L, Zhang X. STEM enables mapping of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics data with transfer learning. Commun Biol 2024; 7:56. [PMID: 38184694 PMCID: PMC10771471 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05640-1] [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: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Profiling spatial variations of cellular composition and transcriptomic characteristics is important for understanding the physiology and pathology of tissues. Spatial transcriptomics (ST) data depict spatial gene expression but the currently dominating high-throughput technology is yet not at single-cell resolution. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (SC) data provide high-throughput transcriptomic information at the single-cell level but lack spatial information. Integrating these two types of data would be ideal for revealing transcriptomic landscapes at single-cell resolution. We develop the method STEM (SpaTially aware EMbedding) for this purpose. It uses deep transfer learning to encode both ST and SC data into a unified spatially aware embedding space, and then uses the embeddings to infer SC-ST mapping and predict pseudo-spatial adjacency between cells in SC data. Semi-simulation and real data experiments verify that the embeddings preserved spatial information and eliminated technical biases between SC and ST data. We apply STEM to human squamous cell carcinoma and hepatic lobule datasets to uncover the localization of rare cell types and reveal cell-type-specific gene expression variation along a spatial axis. STEM is powerful for mapping SC and ST data to build single-cell level spatial transcriptomic landscapes, and can provide mechanistic insights into the spatial heterogeneity and microenvironments of tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minsheng Hao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Erpai Luo
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yixin Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yanhong Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chen Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Sijie Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Haoxiang Gao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Haiyang Bian
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jin Gu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Lei Wei
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Xuegong Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, BNRIST, Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Center for Synthetic and Systems Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Harripaul R, Morini E, Salani M, Logan E, Kirchner E, Bolduc J, Chekuri A, Currall B, Yadav R, Erdin S, Talkowski ME, Gao D, Slaugenhaupt S. Transcriptome analysis in a humanized mouse model of familial dysautonomia reveals tissue-specific gene expression disruption in the peripheral nervous system. Sci Rep 2024; 14:570. [PMID: 38177237 PMCID: PMC10766950 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51137-6] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare recessive neurodevelopmental disease caused by a splice mutation in the Elongator acetyltransferase complex subunit 1 (ELP1) gene. This mutation results in a tissue-specific reduction of ELP1 protein, with the lowest levels in the central and peripheral nervous systems (CNS and PNS, respectively). FD patients exhibit complex neurological phenotypes due to the loss of sensory and autonomic neurons. Disease symptoms include decreased pain and temperature perception, impaired or absent myotatic reflexes, proprioceptive ataxia, and progressive retinal degeneration. While the involvement of the PNS in FD pathogenesis has been clearly recognized, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the preferential neuronal loss remain unknown. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying FD by conducting a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of neuronal tissues from the phenotypic mouse model TgFD9; Elp1Δ20/flox. This mouse recapitulates the same tissue-specific ELP1 mis-splicing observed in patients while modeling many of the disease manifestations. Comparison of FD and control transcriptomes from dorsal root ganglion (DRG), trigeminal ganglion (TG), medulla (MED), cortex, and spinal cord (SC) showed significantly more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the PNS than the CNS. We then identified genes that were tightly co-expressed and functionally dependent on the level of full-length ELP1 transcript. These genes, defined as ELP1 dose-responsive genes, were combined with the DEGs to generate tissue-specific dysregulated FD signature genes and networks. Within the PNS networks, we observed direct connections between Elp1 and genes involved in tRNA synthesis and genes related to amine metabolism and synaptic signaling. Importantly, transcriptomic dysregulation in PNS tissues exhibited enrichment for neuronal subtype markers associated with peptidergic nociceptors and myelinated sensory neurons, which are known to be affected in FD. In summary, this study has identified critical tissue-specific gene networks underlying the etiology of FD and provides new insights into the molecular basis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Harripaul
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics and Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elisabetta Morini
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Monica Salani
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily Logan
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily Kirchner
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica Bolduc
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anil Chekuri
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin Currall
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics and Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rachita Yadav
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics and Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Serkan Erdin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics and Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics and Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dadi Gao
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Susan Slaugenhaupt
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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39
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Jang K, Garraway SM. A review of dorsal root ganglia and primary sensory neuron plasticity mediating inflammatory and chronic neuropathic pain. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 15:100151. [PMID: 38314104 PMCID: PMC10837099 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2024.100151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Pain is a sensory state resulting from complex integration of peripheral nociceptive inputs and central processing. Pain consists of adaptive pain that is acute and beneficial for healing and maladaptive pain that is often persistent and pathological. Pain is indeed heterogeneous, and can be expressed as nociceptive, inflammatory, or neuropathic in nature. Neuropathic pain is an example of maladaptive pain that occurs after spinal cord injury (SCI), which triggers a wide range of neural plasticity. The nociceptive processing that underlies pain hypersensitivity is well-studied in the spinal cord. However, recent investigations show maladaptive plasticity that leads to pain, including neuropathic pain after SCI, also exists at peripheral sites, such as the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which contains the cell bodies of sensory neurons. This review discusses the important role DRGs play in nociceptive processing that underlies inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Specifically, it highlights nociceptor hyperexcitability as critical to increased pain states. Furthermore, it reviews prior literature on glutamate and glutamate receptors, voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSC), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in the DRG as important contributors to inflammatory and neuropathic pain. We previously reviewed BDNF's role as a bidirectional neuromodulator of spinal plasticity. Here, we shift focus to the periphery and discuss BDNF-TrkB expression on nociceptors, non-nociceptor sensory neurons, and non-neuronal cells in the periphery as a potential contributor to induction and persistence of pain after SCI. Overall, this review presents a comprehensive evaluation of large bodies of work that individually focus on pain, DRG, BDNF, and SCI, to understand their interaction in nociceptive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyeongran Jang
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sandra M. Garraway
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
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40
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Yi J, Bertels Z, Del Rosario JS, Widman AJ, Slivicki RA, Payne M, Susser HM, Copits BA, Gereau RW. Bradykinin receptor expression and bradykinin-mediated sensitization of human sensory neurons. Pain 2024; 165:202-215. [PMID: 37703419 PMCID: PMC10723647 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003013] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Bradykinin is a peptide implicated in inflammatory pain in both humans and rodents. In rodent sensory neurons, activation of B1 and B2 bradykinin receptors induces neuronal hyperexcitability. Recent evidence suggests that human and rodent dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which contain the cell bodies of sensory neurons, differ in the expression and function of key GPCRs and ion channels; whether bradykinin receptor expression and function are conserved across species has not been studied in depth. In this study, we used human DRG tissue from organ donors to provide a detailed characterization of bradykinin receptor expression and bradykinin-induced changes in the excitability of human sensory neurons. We found that B2 and, to a lesser extent, B1 receptors are expressed by human DRG neurons and satellite glial cells. B2 receptors were enriched in the nociceptor subpopulation. Using patch-clamp electrophysiology, we found that acute bradykinin increases the excitability of human sensory neurons, whereas prolonged exposure to bradykinin decreases neuronal excitability in a subpopulation of human DRG neurons. Finally, our analyses suggest that donor's history of chronic pain and age may be predictors of higher B1 receptor expression in human DRG neurons. Together, these results indicate that acute bradykinin-induced hyperexcitability, first identified in rodents, is conserved in humans and provide further evidence supporting bradykinin signaling as a potential therapeutic target for treating pain in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Yi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Zachariah Bertels
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - John Smith Del Rosario
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Allie J. Widman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Richard A. Slivicki
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Maria Payne
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Henry M. Susser
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Bryan A. Copits
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Robert W. Gereau
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
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41
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Hovhannisyan AH, Lindquist KA, Belugin S, Mecklenburg J, Ibrahim T, Tram M, Corey TM, Salmon AB, Perez D, Ruparel S, Akopian AN. Sensory innervation of masseter, temporal and lateral pterygoid muscles in common marmosets. Sci Rep 2023; 13:23062. [PMID: 38155190 PMCID: PMC10754842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49882-9] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Myogenous temporomandibular disorders is associated with an increased responsiveness of nerves innervating the masseter (MM), temporal (TM), and lateral pterygoid muscles (LPM). This study aimed to examine sensory nerve types innervating MM, TM and LPM of adult non-human primate-common marmosets. Sensory nerves were localized in specific regions of these muscles. Pgp9.5, marker for all nerves, and NFH, a marker for A-fibers, showed that masticatory muscles were primarily innervated with A-fibers. The proportion of C- to A-fibers was highest in LPM, and lowest in MM. All C-fibers (pgp9.5+/NFH-) observed in masticatory muscles were peptidergic (CGRP+) and lacked mrgprD and CHRNA3, a silent nociceptive marker. TrpV1 was register in 17% of LPM nerves. All fibers in masticatory muscles were labeled with GFAP+, a myelin sheath marker. There were substantially more peptidergic A-fibers (CGRP+/NFH+) in TM and LPM compared to MM. MM, TM and LPM NFH+ fibers contained different percentages of trkC+ and parvalbumin+, but not trkB+ fibers. Tyrosine hydroxylase antibodies, which did not label TG, highlighted sympathetic fibers around blood vessels of the masticatory muscles. Overall, masticatory muscle types of marmosets have similarities and differences in innervation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anahit H Hovhannisyan
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Karen A Lindquist
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Sergei Belugin
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Jennifer Mecklenburg
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Tarek Ibrahim
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Meilinn Tram
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Tatiana M Corey
- Departments of Laboratory Animal Resources, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Adam B Salmon
- Departments of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Daniel Perez
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Shivani Ruparel
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Departments of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Armen N Akopian
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Departments of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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42
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Yousuf MS, Sahn JJ, Yang H, David ET, Shiers S, Mancilla Moreno M, Iketem J, Royer DM, Garcia CD, Zhang J, Hong VM, Mian SM, Ahmad A, Kolber BJ, Liebl DJ, Martin SF, Price TJ. Highly specific σ 2R/TMEM97 ligand FEM-1689 alleviates neuropathic pain and inhibits the integrated stress response. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2306090120. [PMID: 38117854 PMCID: PMC10756276 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306090120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The sigma 2 receptor (σ2R) was described pharmacologically more than three decades ago, but its molecular identity remained obscure until recently when it was identified as transmembrane protein 97 (TMEM97). We and others have shown that σ2R/TMEM97 ligands alleviate mechanical hypersensitivity in mouse neuropathic pain models with a time course wherein maximal antinociceptive effect is approximately 24 h following dosing. We sought to understand this unique antineuropathic pain effect by addressing two key questions: do these σ2R/TMEM97 compounds act selectively via the receptor, and what is their downstream mechanism on nociceptive neurons? Using male and female conventional knockout mice for Tmem97, we find that a σ2R/TMEM97 binding compound, FEM-1689, requires the presence of the gene to produce antinociception in the spared nerve injury model in mice. Using primary mouse dorsal root ganglion neurons, we demonstrate that FEM-1689 inhibits the integrated stress response (ISR) and promotes neurite outgrowth via a σ2R/TMEM97-specific action. We extend the clinical translational value of these findings by showing that FEM-1689 reduces ISR and p-eIF2α levels in human sensory neurons and that it alleviates the pathogenic engagement of ISR by methylglyoxal. We also demonstrate that σ2R/TMEM97 is expressed in human nociceptors and satellite glial cells. These results validate σ2R/TMEM97 as a promising target for further development for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Saad Yousuf
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
- NuvoNuro Inc., Austin, TX78712
| | - James J. Sahn
- NuvoNuro Inc., Austin, TX78712
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX78712
| | - Hongfen Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX78712
| | - Eric T. David
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Stephanie Shiers
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Marisol Mancilla Moreno
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Jonathan Iketem
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Danielle M. Royer
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Chelsea D. Garcia
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Jennifer Zhang
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Veronica M. Hong
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Subhaan M. Mian
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Ayesha Ahmad
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Benedict J. Kolber
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
| | - Daniel J. Liebl
- The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL33136
| | - Stephen F. Martin
- NuvoNuro Inc., Austin, TX78712
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX78712
| | - Theodore J. Price
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies and Department of Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX75080
- NuvoNuro Inc., Austin, TX78712
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43
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Koivisto AP, Szallasi A. Targeting TRP Channels for Pain, Itch and Neurogenic Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:320. [PMID: 38203491 PMCID: PMC10779384 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are multifunctional signaling molecules with important roles in health and disease [...].
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arpad Szallasi
- Department of Pathology and Experimental Cancer Research, Semmelweis University, 1083 Budapest, Hungary
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44
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Stewart RG, Camacena M, Copits BA, Sack JT. Distinct cellular expression and subcellular localization of Kv2 voltage-gated K + channel subtypes in dorsal root ganglion neurons conserved between mice and humans. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.01.530679. [PMID: 38187582 PMCID: PMC10769185 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.01.530679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
The distinct organization of Kv2 voltage-gated potassium channels on and near the cell body of brain neurons enables their regulation of action potentials and specialized membrane contact sites. Somatosensory neurons have a pseudounipolar morphology and transmit action potentials from peripheral nerve endings through axons that bifurcate to the spinal cord and the cell body within ganglia including the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Kv2 channels regulate action potentials in somatosensory neurons, yet little is known about where Kv2 channels are located. Here we define the cellular and subcellular localization of the Kv2 paralogs, Kv2.1 and Kv2.2, in DRG somatosensory neurons with a panel of antibodies, cell markers, and genetically modified mice. We find that relative to spinal cord neurons, DRG neurons have similar levels of detectable Kv2.1, and higher levels of Kv2.2. In older mice, detectable Kv2.2 remains similar while detectable Kv2.1 decreases. Both Kv2 subtypes adopt clustered subcellular patterns that are distinct from central neurons. Most DRG neurons co-express Kv2.1 and Kv2.2, although neuron subpopulations show preferential expression of Kv2.1 or Kv2.2. We find that Kv2 protein expression and subcellular localization is similar between mouse and human DRG neurons. We conclude that the organization of both Kv2 channels is consistent with physiological roles in the somata and stem axons of DRG neurons. The general prevalence of Kv2.2 in DRG as compared to central neurons and the enrichment of Kv2.2 relative to detectable Kv2.1, in older mice, proprioceptors, and axons suggest more widespread roles for Kv2.2 in DRG neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Stewart
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Miriam Camacena
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Bryan A Copits
- Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jon T Sack
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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45
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Cherief M, Xu J, Li Z, Tower RJ, Ramesh S, Qin Q, Gomez-Salazar M, Yea JH, Lee S, Negri S, Xu M, Price T, Kendal AR, Fan CM, Clemens TL, Levi B, James AW. TrkA-mediated sensory innervation of injured mouse tendon supports tendon sheath progenitor cell expansion and tendon repair. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eade4619. [PMID: 38117901 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.ade4619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Peripheral neurons terminate at the surface of tendons partly to relay nociceptive pain signals; however, the role of peripheral nerves in tendon injury and repair remains unclear. Here, we show that after Achilles tendon injury in mice, there is new nerve growth near tendon cells that express nerve growth factor (NGF). Conditional deletion of the Ngf gene in either myeloid or mesenchymal mouse cells limited both innervation and tendon repair. Similarly, inhibition of the NGF receptor tropomyosin receptor kinase A (TrkA) abrogated tendon healing in mouse tendon injury. Sural nerve transection blocked the postinjury increase in tendon sensory innervation and the expansion of tendon sheath progenitor cells (TSPCs) expressing tubulin polymerization promoting protein family member 3. Single cell and spatial transcriptomics revealed that disruption of sensory innervation resulted in dysregulated inflammatory signaling and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling in injured mouse tendon. Culture of mouse TSPCs with conditioned medium from dorsal root ganglia neuron further supported a role for neuronal mediators and TGFβ signaling in TSPC proliferation. Transcriptomic and histologic analyses of injured human tendon biopsy samples supported a role for innervation and TGFβ signaling in human tendon regeneration. Last, treating mice after tendon injury systemically with a small-molecule partial agonist of TrkA increased neurovascular response, TGFβ signaling, TSPC expansion, and tendon tissue repair. Although further studies should investigate the potential effects of denervation on mechanical loading of tendon, our results suggest that peripheral innervation is critical for the regenerative response after acute tendon injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masnsen Cherief
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jiajia Xu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zhao Li
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Robert J Tower
- Center for Organogenesis and Trauma, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Sowmya Ramesh
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Qizhi Qin
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Ji-Hye Yea
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Seungyong Lee
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Stefano Negri
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Verona, Verona 37129, Italy
| | - Mingxin Xu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Theodore Price
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75080, USA
| | - Adrian R Kendal
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Botnar Research Centre, Windmill Road, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Chen-Ming Fan
- Department of Embryology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Baltimore, MD 21208, USA
| | - Thomas L Clemens
- Department of Orthopaedics, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Benjamin Levi
- Center for Organogenesis and Trauma, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Aaron W James
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Qin QR, Xu ZQ, Liu TT, Li XM, Qiu CY, Hu WP. CCK-8 enhances acid-sensing ion channel currents in rat primary sensory neurons. Neuropharmacology 2023; 241:109739. [PMID: 37820935 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109739] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a peptide that has been implicated in pain modulation. Acid sensitive ion channels (ASICs) also play an important role in pain associated with tissue acidification. However, it is still unclear whether there is an interaction between CCK signaling and ASICs during pain process. Herein, we report that a functional link between them in rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Pretreatment with CCK-8 concentration-dependently increased acid-evoked ASIC currents. CCK-8 increased the maximum response of ASICs to acid, but did not changed their acid sensitivity. Enhancement of ASIC currents by CCK-8 was mediated by the stimulation of CCK2 receptor (CCK2R), rather than CCK1R. The enhancement of ASIC currents by CCK-8 was prevented by application of either G-protein inhibitor GDP-β-S or protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF109203×, but not by protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H-89 or JNK inhibitor SP600125. Moreover, CCK-8 increased the number of action potentials triggered by acid stimuli by activating CCK2R. Finally, CCK-8 dose-dependently exacerbated acid-induced nociceptive behavior in rats through local CCK2R. Together, these results indicated that CCK-8/CCK2R activation enhanced ASIC-mediated electrophysiological activity in DRG neurons and nociception in rats. The enhancement effect depended on G-proteins and intracellular PKC signaling rather than PKA and JNK signaling pathway. These findings provided that CCK-8/CCK2R is an important therapeutic target for ASIC-mediated pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing-Rui Qin
- School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China
| | - Zhong-Qing Xu
- School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China
| | - Ting-Ting Liu
- School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China
| | - Xue-Mei Li
- School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China
| | - Chun-Yu Qiu
- School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Wang-Ping Hu
- School of Pharmacy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China; Department of Physiology, Hubei College of Chinese Medicine, 87 Xueyuan Road, Jingzhou 434020, Hubei, PR China.
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47
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Zeidler M, Tavares-Ferreira D, Brougher J, Price TJ, Kress M. NOCICEPTRA2.0 - A comprehensive ncRNA atlas of human native and iPSC-derived sensory neurons. iScience 2023; 26:108525. [PMID: 38162030 PMCID: PMC10755718 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are pivotal in gene regulation during development and disease. MicroRNAs have been extensively studied in neurogenesis. However, limited knowledge exists about the developmental signatures of other ncRNA species in sensory neuron differentiation, and human dorsal root ganglia (DRG) ncRNA expression remains undocumented. To address this gap, we generated a comprehensive atlas of small ncRNA species during iPSC-derived sensory neuron differentiation. Utilizing iPSC-derived sensory neurons and human DRG RNA sequencing, we unveiled signatures describing developmental processes. Our analysis identified ncRNAs associated with various sensory neuron stages. Striking similarities in ncRNA expression signatures between human DRG and iPSC-derived neurons support the latter as a model to bridge the translational gap between preclinical findings and human disorders. In summary, our research sheds light on the role of ncRNA species in human nociceptors, and NOCICEPTRA2.0 offers a comprehensive ncRNA database for sensory neurons that researchers can use to explore ncRNA regulators in nociceptors thoroughly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Zeidler
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
- Omiqa Bioinformatics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Diana Tavares-Ferreira
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Theodore J. Price
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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48
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Bang S, Jiang C, Xu J, Chandra S, McGinnis A, Luo X, He Q, Li Y, Wang Z, Ao X, Parisien M, Fernandes de Araujo LO, Esfahan SJ, Zhang Q, Tonello R, Berta T, Diatchenko L, Ji RR. Satellite glial GPR37L1 regulates maresin and potassium channel signaling for pain control. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.03.569787. [PMID: 38106084 PMCID: PMC10723316 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.03.569787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
G protein coupled receptor 37-like 1 (GPR37L1) is an orphan GPCR and its function remains largely unknown. Here we report that GPR37L1 transcript is highly expressed compared to all known GPCRs in mouse and human dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) and selectively expressed in satellite glial cells (SGCs). Peripheral neuropathy following diabetes and chemotherapy by streptozotocin and paclitaxel resulted in downregulations of surface GPR37L1 in mouse and human DRGs. Transgenic mice with Gpr37l1 deficiency exhibited impaired resolution of neuropathic pain symptom (mechanical allodynia), whereas overexpression of Gpr37l1 in mouse DRGs can reverse neuropathic pain. Notably, GPR37L1 is co-expressed and coupled with potassium channels in SGCs. We found striking species differences in potassium channel expression in SGCs, with predominant expression of KCNJ10 and KCNJ3 in mouse and human SGCs, respectively. GPR37L1 regulates the surface expression and function of KCNJ10 and KCNJ3. We identified the pro-resolving lipid mediator maresin 1 (MaR1) as a GPR37L1 ligand. MaR1 increases KCNJ10/KCNJ3-mediated potassium influx in SGCs via GPR37L1. MaR1 protected chemotherapy-induced suppression of KCNJ13/KCNJ10 expression and function in SGCs. Finally, genetic analysis revealed that the GPR37L1-E296K variant is associated with increased chronic pain risk by destabilizing the protein. Thus, GPR37L1 in SGCs offers a new target for neuropathy protection and pain control.
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49
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Bouchatta O, Brodzki M, Manouze H, Carballo GB, Kindström E, de-Faria FM, Yu H, Kao AR, Thorell O, Liljencrantz J, Ng KKW, Frangos E, Ragnemalm B, Saade D, Bharucha-Goebel D, Szczot I, Moore W, Terejko K, Cole J, Bonnemann C, Luo W, Mahns DA, Larsson M, Gerling GJ, Marshall AG, Chesler AT, Olausson H, Nagi SS, Szczot M. PIEZO2-dependent rapid pain system in humans and mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.01.569650. [PMID: 38168273 PMCID: PMC10760115 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.01.569650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The PIEZO2 ion channel is critical for transducing light touch into neural signals but is not considered necessary for transducing acute pain in humans. Here, we discovered an exception - a form of mechanical pain evoked by hair pulling. Based on observations in a rare group of individuals with PIEZO2 deficiency syndrome, we demonstrated that hair-pull pain is dependent on PIEZO2 transduction. Studies in control participants showed that hair-pull pain triggered a distinct nocifensive response, including a nociceptive reflex. Observations in rare Aβ deafferented individuals and nerve conduction block studies in control participants revealed that hair-pull pain perception is dependent on Aβ input. Single-unit axonal recordings revealed that a class of cooling-responsive myelinated nociceptors in human skin is selectively tuned to painful hair-pull stimuli. Further, we pharmacologically mapped these nociceptors to a specific transcriptomic class. Finally, using functional imaging in mice, we demonstrated that in a homologous nociceptor, Piezo2 is necessary for high-sensitivity, robust activation by hair-pull stimuli. Together, we have demonstrated that hair-pulling evokes a distinct type of pain with conserved behavioral, neural, and molecular features across humans and mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otmane Bouchatta
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Marek Brodzki
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Houria Manouze
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Gabriela B. Carballo
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Emma Kindström
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Felipe M. de-Faria
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Huasheng Yu
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Anika R. Kao
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA
| | - Oumie Thorell
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Jaquette Liljencrantz
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kevin K. W. Ng
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Eleni Frangos
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Bengt Ragnemalm
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Dimah Saade
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Diana Bharucha-Goebel
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Ilona Szczot
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Warren Moore
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Katarzyna Terejko
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Biology of Astrocytes Research Group, Łukasiewicz Research Network - PORT Polish Center for Technology Development, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Jonathan Cole
- University Hospitals, Dorset, and University of Bournemouth, UK
| | - Carsten Bonnemann
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Wenquin Luo
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - David A. Mahns
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Max Larsson
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Gregory J. Gerling
- School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA
| | - Andrew G. Marshall
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Alexander T. Chesler
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA
| | - Håkan Olausson
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Saad S. Nagi
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia
- Senior author
| | - Marcin Szczot
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Senior author
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50
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Matsushita Y, Noguchi A, Ono W, Ono N. Multi-omics analysis in developmental bone biology. JAPANESE DENTAL SCIENCE REVIEW 2023; 59:412-420. [PMID: 38022387 PMCID: PMC10665596 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdsr.2023.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Single-cell omics and multi-omics have revolutionized our understanding of molecular and cellular biological processes at a single-cell level. In bone biology, the combination of single-cell RNA-sequencing analyses and in vivo lineage-tracing approaches has successfully identified multi-cellular diversity and dynamics of skeletal cells. This established a new concept that bone growth and regeneration are regulated by concerted actions of multiple types of skeletal stem cells, which reside in spatiotemporally distinct niches. One important subtype is endosteal stem cells that are particularly abundant in young bone marrow. The discovery of this new skeletal stem cell type has been facilitated by single-cell multi-omics, which simultaneously measures gene expression and chromatin accessibility. Using single-cell omics, it is now possible to computationally predict the immediate future state of individual cells and their differentiation potential. In vivo validation using histological approaches is the key to interpret the computational prediction. The emerging spatial omics, such as spatial transcriptomics and epigenomics, have major advantage in retaining the location of individual cells within highly complex tissue architecture. Spatial omics can be integrated with other omics to further obtain in-depth insights. Single-cell multi-omics are now becoming an essential tool to unravel intricate multicellular dynamics and intercellular interactions of skeletal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Matsushita
- Department of Cell Biology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan
| | - Azumi Noguchi
- Department of Cell Biology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan
| | - Wanida Ono
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry, Houston, TX 77054, USA
| | - Noriaki Ono
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry, Houston, TX 77054, USA
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