1
|
Bergersen KV, Kavvathas B, Ford BD, Wilson EH. Toxoplasma infection induces an aged neutrophil population in the CNS that is associated with neuronal protection. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:189. [PMID: 39095837 PMCID: PMC11297776 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03176-7] [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: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii leads to the formation of lifelong cysts in neurons that can have devastating consequences in the immunocompromised. In the immunocompetent individual, anti-parasitic effector mechanisms and a balanced immune response characterized by pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine production establishes an asymptomatic infection that rarely leads to neurological symptoms. Several mechanisms are known to play a role in this successful immune response in the brain including T cell production of IFNγ and IL-10 and the involvement of CNS resident cells. This limitation of clinical neuropathology during chronic infection suggests a balance between immune response and neuroprotective mechanisms that collectively prevent clinical manifestations of disease. However, how these two vital mechanisms of protection interact during chronic Toxoplasma infection remains poorly understood. MAIN TEXT This study demonstrates a previously undescribed connection between innate neutrophils found chronically in the brain, termed "chronic brain neutrophils" (CBNeuts), and neuroprotective mechanisms during Toxoplasma infection. Lack of CBNeuts during chronic infection, accomplished via systemic neutrophil depletion, led to enhanced infection and deleterious effects on neuronal regeneration and repair mechanisms in the brain. Phenotypic and transcriptomic analysis of CBNeuts identified them as distinct from peripheral neutrophils and revealed two main subsets of CBNeuts that display heterogeneity towards both classical effector and neuroprotective functions in an age-dependent manner. Further phenotypic profiling defined expression of the neuroprotective molecules NRG-1 andErbB4 by these cells, and the importance of this signaling pathway during chronic infection was demonstrated via NRG-1 treatment studies. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, this work identifies CBNeuts as a heterogenous population geared towards both classical immune responses and neuroprotection during chronic Toxoplasma infection and provides the foundation for future mechanistic studies of these cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristina V Bergersen
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Bill Kavvathas
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Byron D Ford
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
- College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Emma H Wilson
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Wellford SA, Moseman EA. Olfactory immunology: the missing piece in airway and CNS defence. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:381-398. [PMID: 38097777 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00972-9] [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] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
The olfactory mucosa is a component of the nasal airway that mediates the sense of smell. Recent studies point to an important role for the olfactory mucosa as a barrier to both respiratory pathogens and to neuroinvasive pathogens that hijack the olfactory nerve and invade the CNS. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that the olfactory mucosa is an integral part of a heterogeneous nasal mucosal barrier critical to upper airway immunity. However, our insufficient knowledge of olfactory mucosal immunity hinders attempts to protect this tissue from infection and other diseases. This Review summarizes the state of olfactory immunology by highlighting the unique immunologically relevant anatomy of the olfactory mucosa, describing what is known of olfactory immune cells, and considering the impact of common infectious diseases and inflammatory disorders at this site. We will offer our perspective on the future of the field and the many unresolved questions pertaining to olfactory immunity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A Wellford
- Department of Integrative Immunobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - E Ashley Moseman
- Department of Integrative Immunobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ruqa WA, Pennacchia F, Rusi E, Zoccali F, Bruno G, Talarico G, Barbato C, Minni A. Smelling TNT: Trends of the Terminal Nerve. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3920. [PMID: 38612730 PMCID: PMC11011448 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073920] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
There is very little knowledge regarding the terminal nerve, from its implications in the involvement and pathogenesis of certain conditions, to its embryological origin. With this review, we try to summarize the most important evidence on the terminal nerve, aiming to clarify its anatomy and the various functions attributed to it, to better interpret its potential involvement in pathological processes. Recent studies have also suggested its potential role in the control of human reproductive functions and behaviors. It has been hypothesized that it plays a role in the unconscious perception of specific odors that influence autonomic and reproductive hormonal systems through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. We used the PubMed database and found different articles which were then selected independently by three authors. We found 166 articles, of which, after careful selection, only 21 were analyzed. The terminal nerve was always thought to be unimportant in our body. It was well studied in different types of animals, but few studies have been completed in humans. For this reason, its function remains unknown. Studies suggest a possible implication in olfaction due to the anatomical proximity with the olfactive nerve. Others suggest a more important role in reproduction and sexual behaviors. New emerging information suggests a possible role in Kallmann syndrome and COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wael Abu Ruqa
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Roma, Italy; (W.A.R.); (F.P.); (F.Z.)
| | - Fiorenza Pennacchia
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Roma, Italy; (W.A.R.); (F.P.); (F.Z.)
| | - Eqrem Rusi
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.R.); (G.B.); (G.T.)
| | - Federica Zoccali
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Roma, Italy; (W.A.R.); (F.P.); (F.Z.)
| | - Giuseppe Bruno
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.R.); (G.B.); (G.T.)
| | - Giuseppina Talarico
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (E.R.); (G.B.); (G.T.)
| | - Christian Barbato
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC-CNR), Sapienza University Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Roma, Italy
| | - Antonio Minni
- Department of Sense Organs, Sapienza University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Roma, Italy; (W.A.R.); (F.P.); (F.Z.)
- Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, ASL Rieti-Sapienza University, Ospedale San Camillo de Lellis, 02100 Rieti, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Yang K, Ayala-Grosso C, Bhattarai JP, Sheriff A, Takahashi T, Cristino AS, Zelano C, Ma M. Unraveling the Link between Olfactory Deficits and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7501-7510. [PMID: 37940584 PMCID: PMC10634556 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1380-23.2023] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Smell loss has caught public attention during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Research on olfactory function in health and disease gains new momentum. Smell deficits have long been recognized as an early clinical sign associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we review research on the associations between olfactory deficits and neuropathological conditions, focusing on recent progress in four areas: (1) human clinical studies of the correlations between smell deficits and neuropsychiatric disorders; (2) development of olfactory mucosa-derived tissue and cell models for studying the molecular pathologic mechanisms; (3) recent findings in brain imaging studies of structural and functional connectivity changes in olfactory pathways in neuropsychiatric disorders; and (4) application of preclinical animal models to validate and extend the findings from human subjects. Together, these studies have provided strong evidence of the link between the olfactory system and neuropsychiatric disorders, highlighting the relevance of deepening our understanding of the role of the olfactory system in pathophysiological processes. Following the lead of studies reviewed here, future research in this field may open the door to the early detection of neuropsychiatric disorders, personalized treatment approaches, and potential therapeutic interventions through nasal administration techniques, such as nasal brush or nasal spray.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Carlos Ayala-Grosso
- Unit of Cellular Therapy, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Caracas, 1020-A, Venezuela
- Unit of Advanced Therapies, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, Bogotá, Colombia 111-611
| | - Janardhan P Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Andrew Sheriff
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Tsutomu Takahashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Alexandre S Cristino
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Christina Zelano
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Morikawa A, Li J, Ulintz P, Cheng X, Apfel A, Robinson D, Hopkins A, Kumar-Sinha C, Wu YM, Serhan H, Verbal K, Thomas D, Hayes DF, Chinnaiyan AM, Baladandayuthapani V, Heth J, Soellner MB, Merajver SD, Merrill N. Optimizing Precision Medicine for Breast Cancer Brain Metastases with Functional Drug Response Assessment. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:1093-1103. [PMID: 37377606 PMCID: PMC10284082 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
The development of novel therapies for brain metastases is an unmet need. Brain metastases may have unique molecular features that could be explored as therapeutic targets. A better understanding of the drug sensitivity of live cells coupled to molecular analyses will lead to a rational prioritization of therapeutic candidates. We evaluated the molecular profiles of 12 breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) and matched primary breast tumors to identify potential therapeutic targets. We established six novel patient-derived xenograft (PDX) from BCBM from patients undergoing clinically indicated surgical resection of BCBM and used the PDXs as a drug screening platform to interrogate potential molecular targets. Many of the alterations were conserved in brain metastases compared with the matched primary. We observed differential expressions in the immune-related and metabolism pathways. The PDXs from BCBM captured the potentially targetable molecular alterations in the source brain metastases tumor. The alterations in the PI3K pathway were the most predictive for drug efficacy in the PDXs. The PDXs were also treated with a panel of over 350 drugs and demonstrated high sensitivity to histone deacetylase and proteasome inhibitors. Our study revealed significant differences between the paired BCBM and primary breast tumors with the pathways involved in metabolisms and immune functions. While molecular targeted drug therapy based on genomic profiling of tumors is currently evaluated in clinical trials for patients with brain metastases, a functional precision medicine strategy may complement such an approach by expanding potential therapeutic options, even for BCBM without known targetable molecular alterations. Significance Examining genomic alterations and differentially expressed pathways in brain metastases may inform future therapeutic strategies. This study supports genomically-guided therapy for BCBM and further investigation into incorporating real-time functional evaluation will increase confidence in efficacy estimations during drug development and predictive biomarker assessment for BCBM.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aki Morikawa
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Jinju Li
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Peter Ulintz
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Xu Cheng
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Athena Apfel
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Dan Robinson
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Alex Hopkins
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Yi-Mi Wu
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Habib Serhan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Kait Verbal
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Dafydd Thomas
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Daniel F. Hayes
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | - Jason Heth
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | - Sofia D. Merajver
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Nathan Merrill
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chen CW, Moseman EA. Pro-inflammatory cytokine responses to Naegleria fowleri infection. FRONTIERS IN TROPICAL DISEASES 2023; 3. [PMID: 37065537 PMCID: PMC10104475 DOI: 10.3389/fitd.2022.1082334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Naegleria fowleri, or the “brain-eating amoeba,” is responsible for a rare, but lethal, infection known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Confirmed PAM cases have seen both a rise in numbers, as well as expansion of geographic range over the past several decades. There is no effective therapy for PAM and the clinical prognosis remains grim with a mortality rate over 95%. The role of the immune response in disease prevention and disease severity remains unclear. In this review, we explore potential roles of inflammatory immune responses to N. fowleri in disease pathogenesis with a primary focus on pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, and TNFα. We also discuss modulating proinflammatory cytokines as an additional immune therapy in PAM treatment.
Collapse
|
7
|
Lakshmanan HG, Miller E, White-Canale A, McCluskey LP. Immune responses in the injured olfactory and gustatory systems: a role in olfactory receptor neuron and taste bud regeneration? Chem Senses 2022; 47:bjac024. [PMID: 36152297 PMCID: PMC9508897 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjac024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory cells that specialize in transducing olfactory and gustatory stimuli are renewed throughout life and can regenerate after injury unlike their counterparts in the mammalian retina and auditory epithelium. This uncommon capacity for regeneration offers an opportunity to understand mechanisms that promote the recovery of sensory function after taste and smell loss. Immune responses appear to influence degeneration and later regeneration of olfactory sensory neurons and taste receptor cells. Here we review surgical, chemical, and inflammatory injury models and evidence that immune responses promote or deter chemosensory cell regeneration. Macrophage and neutrophil responses to chemosensory receptor injury have been the most widely studied without consensus on their net effects on regeneration. We discuss possible technical and biological reasons for the discrepancy, such as the difference between peripheral and central structures, and suggest directions for progress in understanding immune regulation of chemosensory regeneration. Our mechanistic understanding of immune-chemosensory cell interactions must be expanded before therapies can be developed for recovering the sensation of taste and smell after head injury from traumatic nerve damage and infection. Chemosensory loss leads to decreased quality of life, depression, nutritional challenges, and exposure to environmental dangers highlighting the need for further studies in this area.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hari G Lakshmanan
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Elayna Miller
- Department of Medical Illustration, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - AnnElizabeth White-Canale
- Department of Medical Illustration, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Lynnette P McCluskey
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|