Proinflammatory cytokines and ARDS pulmonary edema fluid induce CD40 on human mesenchymal stromal cells-A potential mechanism for immune modulation

Potential Applications of Mitochondrial Therapy with a Focus on Parkinson's Disease and Mitochondrial Transplantation

Purpose

Both aging and neurodegenerative illnesses are thought to be influenced by mitochondrial malfunction and free radical formation. Deformities of the energy metabolism, mitochondrial genome polymorphisms, nuclear DNA genetic abnormalities associated with mitochondria, modifications of mitochondrial fusion or fission, variations in shape and size, variations in transit, modified mobility of mitochondria, transcription defects, and the emergence of misfolded proteins associated with mitochondria are all linked to Parkinson's disease.

Methods

This review is a condensed compilation of data from research that has been published between the years of 2014 and 2022, using search engines like Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus.

Results

Mitochondrial transplantation is a one-of-a-kind treatment for mitochondrial diseases and deficits in mitochondrial biogenesis. The replacement of malfunctioning mitochondria with transplanted viable mitochondria using innovative methodologies has shown promising outcomes as a cure for Parkinson's, involving tissue sparing coupled with enhanced energy generation and lower oxidative damage. Numerous mitochondria-targeted therapies, including mitochondrial gene therapy, redox therapy, and others, have been investigated for their effectiveness and potency.

Conclusion

The development of innovative therapeutics for mitochondria-directed treatments in Parkinson's disease may be aided by optimizing mitochondrial dynamics. Many neurological diseases have been studied in animal and cellular models, and it has been found that mitochondrial maintenance can slow the death of neuronal cells. It has been hypothesized that drug therapies for neurodegenerative diseases that focus on mitochondrial dysfunction will help to delay the onset of neuronal dysfunction.

SARS-CoV-2 Viroporins: A Multi-Omics Insight from Nucleotides to Amino Acids

COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 which has so far affected more than 500 million people worldwide and killed over 6 million as of 1 May 2022. The approved emergency-use vaccines were lifesaving in such a devastating pandemic. Inflammation-related pathways have been well documented to be upregulated in the case of SARS-CoV-2 in rodents, non-human primates and human samples. We reanalysed a previously published dataset to understand if certain molecular components of inflammation could be higher in infected samples. Mechanistically, viroporins are important players in the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 and are primary to its pathogenesis. We studied the two prominent viroporins of SARS-CoV-2 (i) Orf3a and (ii) envelope (E) protein from a sequence and structural point of view. Orf3a is a cation-selective viral ion channel which has been shown to disrupt the endosomal pathways. E protein is one of the most conserved proteins among the SARS-CoV proteome which affects the ERGIC-related pathways. The aqueous medium through the viroporins mediates the non-selective translocation of cations, affecting ionic homeostasis in the host cellular compartments. We hypothesize a possible mechanistic approach whereby the ionic imbalance caused by viroporin action could potentially be one of the major pathogenic drivers leading to the increased inflammatory response in the host cell. Our results shed light into the transcriptomic, genomic and structural proteomics aspects of widely studied SARS-CoV-2 viroporins, which can be potentially leveraged for the development of antiviral therapeutics.

Effects of secretome derived from macrophages exposed to calcium oxalate crystals on renal fibroblast activation

The association between kidney stone disease and renal fibrosis has been widely explored in recent years but its underlying mechanisms remain far from complete understanding. Using label-free quantitative proteomics (nanoLC-ESI-LTQ-Orbitrap MS/MS), this study identified 23 significantly altered secreted proteins from calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM)-exposed macrophages (COM-MP) compared with control macrophages (Ctrl-MP) secretome. Functional annotation and protein-protein interactions network analysis revealed that these altered secreted proteins were involved mainly in inflammatory response and fibroblast activation. BHK-21 renal fibroblasts treated with COM-MP secretome had more spindle-shaped morphology with greater spindle index. Immunofluorescence study and gelatin zymography revealed increased levels of fibroblast activation markers (α-smooth muscle actin and F-actin) and fibrotic factors (fibronectin and matrix metalloproteinase-9 and -2) in the COM-MP secretome-treated fibroblasts. Our findings indicate that proteins secreted from macrophages exposed to COM crystals induce renal fibroblast activation and may play important roles in renal fibrogenesis in kidney stone disease.

IDO and CD40 May Be Key Molecules for Immunomodulatory Capacity of the Primed Tonsil-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Background: Tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (T-MSCs) were reported to have suppressive effect on T cells, yet much remains unknown about the underlying mechanisms supporting this effect. We investigated the underlying mechanism of the immunomodulatory effect of T-MSCs on immune cell proliferation and cytokine production. Methods: We isolated T-MSCs from human palatine tonsil and evaluated the immunomodulatory capacity using RT-PCR, ELISA, and flow cytometry. Additionally, we assessed the expression of various soluble factors and several costimulatory molecules to detect the priming effect on T-MSCs. Results: T-MSCs significantly inhibited the immune cell proliferation and cytokine expression (TNF-α and IFN-γ) in the direct co-culture, but there was no suppressive effect in indirect co-culture. Additionally, we detected a remarkably higher expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in the primed T-MSCs having co-expression CD40. Moreover, immune cells or CD4⁺ T cells showed lower TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-4 expression when the primed T-MSC were added; whereas those findings were reversed when the inhibitor for IDO (not IL-4) or CD40 were added. Furthermore, T-bet and GATA3 levels were significantly decreased in the co-cultures of the primed T-MSCs and CD4⁺ T cells; whereas those findings were reversed when we added the neutralizing anti-CD40 antibody. Conclusions: Primed T-MSCs expressing IDO and CD40 may have immunomodulatory capacity via Th1-mediated and Th2-mediated immune response.