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Nguyen YTM, Sibley L, Przanowski P, Zhao XY, Kovacs M, Wang S, Jones MK, Cowan M, Liu W, Merchak AR, Gaultier A, Janes K, Zang C, Harris T, Ewald SE, Zong H. Toxoplasma gondii infection supports the infiltration of T cells into brain tumors. J Neuroimmunol 2024; 393:578402. [PMID: 38996717 PMCID: PMC11318612 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2024.578402] [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: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Few T cells infiltrate into primary brain tumors, fundamentally hampering the effectiveness of immunotherapy. We hypothesized that Toxoplasma gondii, a microorganism that naturally elicits a Th1 response in the brain, can promote T cell infiltration into brain tumors despite their immune suppressive microenvironment. Using a mouse genetic model for medulloblastoma, we found that T. gondii infection induced the infiltration of activatable T cells into the tumor mass and led to myeloid cell reprogramming toward a T cell-supportive state, without causing severe health issues in mice. The study provides a concrete foundation for future studies to take advantage of the immune modulatory capacity of T. gondii to facilitate brain tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen T M Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology at the Carter Immunology Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Lydia Sibley
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Piotr Przanowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Xiao-Yu Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology at the Carter Immunology Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Michael Kovacs
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Shengyuan Wang
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Marieke K Jones
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Maureen Cowan
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Wenjie Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology at the Carter Immunology Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Andrea R Merchak
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Alban Gaultier
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kevin Janes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Chongzhi Zang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Tajie Harris
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Sarah E Ewald
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology at the Carter Immunology Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Hui Zong
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology at the Carter Immunology Center, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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Porte R, Belloy M, Audibert A, Bassot E, Aïda A, Alis M, Miranda-Capet R, Jourdes A, van Gisbergen KPJM, Masson F, Blanchard N. Protective function and differentiation cues of brain-resident CD8+ T cells during surveillance of latent Toxoplasma gondii infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2403054121. [PMID: 38838017 PMCID: PMC11181119 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2403054121] [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: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection induces brain-resident CD8+ T cells (bTr), but the protective functions and differentiation cues of these cells remain undefined. Here, we used a mouse model of latent infection by T. gondii leading to effective CD8+ T cell-mediated parasite control. Thanks to antibody depletion approaches, we found that peripheral circulating CD8+ T cells are dispensable for brain parasite control during chronic stage, indicating that CD8+ bTr are able to prevent brain parasite reactivation. We observed that the retention markers CD69, CD49a, and CD103 are sequentially acquired by brain parasite-specific CD8+ T cells throughout infection and that a majority of CD69/CD49a/CD103 triple-positive (TP) CD8+ T cells also express Hobit, a transcription factor associated with tissue residency. This TP subset develops in a CD4+ T cell-dependent manner and is associated with effective parasite control during chronic stage. Conditional invalidation of Transporter associated with Antigen Processing (TAP)-mediated major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I presentation showed that presentation of parasite antigens by glutamatergic neurons and microglia regulates the differentiation of CD8+ bTr into TP cells. Single-cell transcriptomic analyses revealed that resistance to encephalitis is associated with the expansion of stem-like subsets of CD8+ bTr. In summary, parasite-specific brain-resident CD8+ T cells are a functionally heterogeneous compartment which autonomously ensure parasite control during T. gondii latent infection and which differentiation is shaped by neuronal and microglial MHC I presentation. A more detailed understanding of local T cell-mediated immune surveillance of this common parasite is needed for harnessing brain-resident CD8+ T cells in order to enhance control of chronic brain infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Porte
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | - Marcy Belloy
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | - Alexis Audibert
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | - Emilie Bassot
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | - Amel Aïda
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | - Marine Alis
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | - Romain Miranda-Capet
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | - Aurélie Jourdes
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | | | - Frédérick Masson
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
| | - Nicolas Blanchard
- Toulouse Institute for Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases, Infinity, Inserm, CNRS, University of Toulouse, Toulouse31300, France
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Zengeler KE, Lukens JR. Microglia pack a toolbox for life. Trends Immunol 2024; 45:338-345. [PMID: 38616144 PMCID: PMC11088496 DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2024.03.010] [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: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
After decades of being overlooked, a recent wave of studies have explored the roles of microglia in brain health and disease. Microglia perform important physiological functions to set up and maintain proper neural network functions, as well as orchestrate responses to toxic stimuli to limit harm. Many microglial transcriptional programs, extracellular sensing molecules, and functional outputs are seen throughout life. A stark example is the similarity of microglial responses to stressors during neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration. The same themes often match that of other tissue-resident macrophages, presenting an opportunity to apply known concepts as therapeutics develop. We argue that microglial signaling during development and neurologic disease overlap with one another and with other tissue-resident macrophage pathways, in part due to similar sensed stimuli and a conserved sensome of receptors and signaling molecules, akin to a toolkit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine E Zengeler
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
| | - John R Lukens
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia (BIG), Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
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Kovacs MA, Babcock IW, Royo Marco A, Sibley LA, Kelly AG, Harris TH. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-C Treatment Enhances Cerebrospinal Fluid Outflow during Toxoplasma gondii Brain Infection but Does Not Improve Cerebral Edema. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2024; 194:225-237. [PMID: 38065361 PMCID: PMC10835445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2023.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Cerebral edema frequently develops in the setting of brain infection and can contribute to elevated intracranial pressure, a medical emergency. How excess fluid is cleared from the brain is not well understood. Previous studies have shown that interstitial fluid is transported out of the brain along perivascular channels that collect into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled subarachnoid space. CSF is then removed from the central nervous system through venous and lymphatic routes. The current study tested the hypothesis that increasing lymphatic drainage of CSF would promote clearance of cerebral edema fluid during infection with the neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Fluorescent microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging was used to show that C57BL/6 mice develop vasogenic edema 4 to 5 weeks after infection with T. gondii. Tracer experiments were used to evaluate how brain infection affects meningeal lymphatic function, which demonstrated a decreased rate in CSF outflow in T. gondii-infected mice. Next, mice were treated with a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-C-expressing viral vector, which induced meningeal lymphangiogenesis and improved CSF outflow in chronically infected mice. No difference in cerebral edema was observed between mice that received VEGF-C and those that rececived sham treatment. Therefore, although VEGF-C treatment can improve lymphatic outflow in mice infected with T. gondii, this effect does not lead to increased clearance of edema fluid from the brains of these mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Kovacs
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Isaac W Babcock
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Ana Royo Marco
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Lydia A Sibley
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Abigail G Kelly
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Tajie H Harris
- Center for Brain Immunology and Glia, Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
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Rao A, Chen N, Kim MJ, Blumenfeld J, Yip O, Hao Y, Liang Z, Nelson MR, Koutsodendris N, Grone B, Ding L, Yoon SY, Arriola P, Huang Y. Microglia Depletion Reduces Human Neuronal APOE4-Driven Pathologies in a Chimeric Alzheimer's Disease Model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.10.566510. [PMID: 38014339 PMCID: PMC10680610 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.10.566510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite strong evidence supporting the involvement of both apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) and microglia in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathogenesis, the effects of microglia on neuronal APOE4-driven AD pathogenesis remain elusive. Here, we examined such effects utilizing microglial depletion in a chimeric model with human neurons in mouse hippocampus. Specifically, we transplanted homozygous APOE4, isogenic APOE3, and APOE-knockout (APOE-KO) induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human neurons into the hippocampus of human APOE3 or APOE4 knock-in mice, and depleted microglia in half the chimeric mice. We found that both neuronal APOE and microglial presence were important for the formation of Aβ and tau pathologies in an APOE isoform-dependent manner (APOE4 > APOE3). Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis identified two pro-inflammatory microglial subtypes with high MHC-II gene expression that are enriched in chimeric mice with human APOE4 neuron transplants. These findings highlight the concerted roles of neuronal APOE, especially APOE4, and microglia in AD pathogenesis. HIGHLIGHTS Transplanted human APOE4 neurons generate Aβ and p-tau aggregates in APOE4-KI mouse hippocampus.Human neuronal APOE4 promotes the formation of dense-core Aβ plaques and p-tau aggregates.Microglia is required for human neuronal APOE4-driven formation of p-tau aggregates.scRNA-seq reveals enrichment of MHC-II microglia in mice with human APOE4 neuron transplants.
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Arutyunov A, Klein RS. Microglia at the scene of the crime: what their transcriptomics reveal about brain health. Curr Opin Neurol 2023; 36:207-213. [PMID: 37078646 PMCID: PMC10867866 DOI: 10.1097/wco.0000000000001151] [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: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Microglia, which arise from primitive myeloid precursors that enter the central nervous system (CNS) during early development, are the first responders to any perturbance of homeostasis. Although their activation has become synonymous with neurologic disease, it remains unclear whether microglial responses are the cause of or response to neuropathology. Here, we review new insights in the roles of microglia during CNS health and disease, including preclinical studies that transcriptionally profile microglia to define their functional states. RECENT FINDINGS Converging evidence suggests that innate immune activation of microglia is associated with overlapping alterations in their gene expression profiles regardless of the trigger. Thus, recent studies examining neuroprotective microglial responses during infections and aging mirror those observed during chronic neurologic diseases, including neurodegeneration and stroke. Many of these insights derive from studies of microglial transcriptomes and function in preclinical models, some of which have been validated in human samples. During immune activation, microglia dismantle their homeostatic functions and transition into subsets capable of antigen presentation, phagocytosis of debris, and management of lipid homeostasis. These subsets can be identified during both normal and aberrant microglial responses, the latter of which may persist long-term. The loss of neuroprotective microglia, which maintain a variety of essential CNS functions, may therefore, in part, underlie the development of neurodegenerative diseases. SUMMARY Microglia exhibit a high level of plasticity, transforming into numerous subsets as they respond to innate immune triggers. Chronic loss of microglial homeostatic functions may underlie the development of diseases with pathological forgetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Arutyunov
- Center for Neuroimmunology & Neuroinfectious Diseases
- Departments of Medicine
| | - Robyn S. Klein
- Center for Neuroimmunology & Neuroinfectious Diseases
- Departments of Medicine
- Departments of Pathology & Immunology
- Departments of Neurosciences
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Figueiredo CA, Dunay IR. IFN-γ-mediated neuronal defense mechanism targets Toxoplasma. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:1023-1025. [PMID: 36280528 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.10.001] [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: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii encysts preferentially within neurons in the central nervous system, establishing lifelong persistence. Despite recent discoveries, this neuronal preference was thought, in part, to be secondary to a lack of neuronal cell-autonomous immunity. By showing that neurons can mount interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)-mediated cell-autonomous anti-T. gondii defenses, Chandrasekaran et al. have challenged long held assumptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio Andreeta Figueiredo
- Institute of Inflammation and Neurodegeneration, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I3), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Ildiko Rita Dunay
- Institute of Inflammation and Neurodegeneration, Health Campus Immunology, Infectiology and Inflammation (GC-I3), Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany.
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