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Vollmuth N, Bridgers BE, Armstrong ML, Wood JF, Gildea AR, Espinal ER, Hooven TA, Barbieri G, Westermann AJ, Sauerwein T, Foerstner KU, Schubert-Unkmeir A, Kim BJ. Group B Streptococcus transcriptome when interacting with brain endothelial cells. J Bacteriol 2024; 206:e0008724. [PMID: 38771039 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00087-24] [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: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening infection of the central nervous system (CNS) that occurs when bacteria are able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or the meningeal-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (mBCSFB). The BBB and mBCSFB comprise highly specialized brain endothelial cells (BECs) that typically restrict pathogen entry. Group B Streptococcus (GBS or Streptococcus agalactiae) is the leading cause of neonatal meningitis. Until recently, identification of GBS virulence factors has relied on genetic screening approaches. Instead, we here conducted RNA-seq analysis on GBS when interacting with induced pluripotent stem cell-derived BECs (iBECs) to pinpoint virulence-associated genes. Of the 2,068 annotated protein-coding genes of GBS, 430 transcripts displayed significant changes in expression after interacting with BECs. Notably, we found that the majority of differentially expressed GBS transcripts were downregulated (360 genes) during infection of iBECs. Interestingly, codY, encoding a pleiotropic transcriptional repressor in low-G + C Gram-positive bacteria, was identified as being highly downregulated. We conducted qPCR to confirm the codY downregulation observed via RNA-seq during the GBS-iBEC interaction and obtained codY mutants in three different GBS background parental strains. As anticipated from the RNA-seq results, the [Formula: see text]codY strains were more adherent and invasive in two in vitro BEC models. Together, this demonstrates the utility of RNA-seq during the BEC interaction to identify GBS virulence modulators. IMPORTANCE Group B Streptococcus (GBS) meningitis remains the leading cause of neonatal meningitis. Research work has identified surface factors and two-component systems that contribute to GBS disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). These discoveries often relied on genetic screening approaches. Here, we provide transcriptomic data describing how GBS changes its transcriptome when interacting with brain endothelial cells. Additionally, we have phenotypically validated these data by obtaining mutants of a select regulator that is highly down-regulated during infection and testing on our BBB model. This work provides the research field with a validated data set that can provide an insight into potential pathways that GBS requires to interact with the BBB and open the door to new discoveries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Vollmuth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Bailey E Bridgers
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Madelyn L Armstrong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Jacob F Wood
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Abigail R Gildea
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Eric R Espinal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Thomas A Hooven
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Richard King Mellon Institute for Pediatric Research, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Giulia Barbieri
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alexander J Westermann
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Till Sauerwein
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- ZB MED, Information Centre for Life Sciences, Cologne, Germany
| | - Konrad U Foerstner
- Institute of Molecular Infection Biology (IMIB), University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
- ZB MED, Information Centre for Life Sciences, Cologne, Germany
- TH Koeln, University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Brandon J Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heesink School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- University of Alabama Center of Convergent Biosciences and Medicine, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- University of Alabama Life Research, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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Stevens J, Tezel O, Bonnefil V, Hapstack M, Atreya MR. Biological basis of critical illness subclasses: from the bedside to the bench and back again. Crit Care 2024; 28:186. [PMID: 38812006 PMCID: PMC11137966 DOI: 10.1186/s13054-024-04959-3] [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: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Critical illness syndromes including sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and acute kidney injury (AKI) are associated with high in-hospital mortality and long-term adverse health outcomes among survivors. Despite advancements in care, clinical and biological heterogeneity among patients continues to hamper identification of efficacious therapies. Precision medicine offers hope by identifying patient subclasses based on clinical, laboratory, biomarker and 'omic' data and potentially facilitating better alignment of interventions. Within the previous two decades, numerous studies have made strides in identifying gene-expression based endotypes and clinico-biomarker based phenotypes among critically ill patients associated with differential outcomes and responses to treatment. In this state-of-the-art review, we summarize the biological similarities and differences across the various subclassification schemes among critically ill patients. In addition, we highlight current translational gaps, the need for advanced scientific tools, human-relevant disease models, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying critical illness subclasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Stevens
- Division of Immunobiology, Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Oğuzhan Tezel
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Valentina Bonnefil
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45627, USA
| | - Matthew Hapstack
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Mihir R Atreya
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45627, USA.
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Peters S, Mohort K, Claus H, Stigloher C, Schubert-Unkmeir A. Interaction of Neisseria meningitidis carrier and disease isolates of MenB cc32 and MenW cc22 with epithelial cells of the nasopharyngeal barrier. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1389527. [PMID: 38756230 PMCID: PMC11096551 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1389527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis (Nm, the meningococcus) is considered an asymptomatic colonizer of the upper respiratory tract and a transient member of its microbiome. It is assumed that the spread of N. meningitidis into the bloodstream occurs via transcytosis of the nasopharyngeal epithelial barrier without destroying the barrier layer. Here, we used Calu-3 respiratory epithelial cells that were grown under air-liquid-interface conditions to induce formation of pseudostratified layers and mucus production. The number of bacterial localizations in the outer mucus, as well as cellular adhesion, invasion and transmigration of different carrier and disease N. meningitidis isolates belonging to MenB:cc32 and MenW:cc22 lineages was assessed. In addition, the effect on barrier integrity and cytokine release was determined. Our findings showed that all strains tested resided primarily in the outer mucus layer after 24 h of infection (>80%). Nonetheless, both MenB:cc32 and MenW:cc22 carrier and disease isolates reached the surface of the epithelial cells and overcame the barrier. Interestingly, we observed a significant difference in the number of bacteria transmigrating the epithelial cell barrier, with the representative disease isolates being more efficient to transmigrate compared to carrier isolates. This could be attributed to the capacity of the disease isolates to invade, however could not be assigned to expression of the outer membrane protein Opc. Moreover, we found that the representative meningococcal isolates tested in this study did not damage the epithelial barrier, as shown by TEER measurement, FITC-dextran permeability assays, and expression of cell-junction components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Peters
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Katherina Mohort
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Heike Claus
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Stigloher
- Imaging Core Facility, Biocenter, Julius-Maximilian University Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
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Watson BE, Miles JA, Moss MA. Human in vitro blood barrier models: architectures and applications. Tissue Barriers 2024; 12:2222628. [PMID: 37339009 PMCID: PMC11042067 DOI: 10.1080/21688370.2023.2222628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood barriers serve as key points of transport for essential molecules as well as lines of defense to protect against toxins. In vitro modeling of these barriers is common practice in the study of their physiology and related diseases. This review describes a common method of using an adaptable, low cost, semipermeable, suspended membrane to experimentally model three blood barriers in the human body: the blood-brain barrier (BBB), the gut-blood barrier (GBB), and the air-blood barrier (ABB). The GBB and ABB both protect from the outside environment, while the BBB protects the central nervous system from potential neurotoxic agents in the blood. These barriers share several commonalities, including the formation of tight junctions, polarized cellular monolayers, and circulatory system contact. Cell architectures used to mimic barrier anatomy as well as applications to study function, dysfunction, and response provide an overview of the versatility enabled by these cultural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia A. Miles
- Biomedical Engineering Program, Univ of South Carolina, Columbia, SCUSA
| | - Melissa A. Moss
- Biomedical Engineering Program, Univ of South Carolina, Columbia, SCUSA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Univ of South Carolina, Columbia, SCUSA
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Vollmuth N, Sin J, Kim BJ. Host-microbe interactions at the blood-brain barrier through the lens of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain-like endothelial cells. mBio 2024; 15:e0286223. [PMID: 38193670 PMCID: PMC10865987 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02862-23] [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: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbe-induced meningoencephalitis/meningitis is a life-threatening infection of the central nervous system (CNS) that occurs when pathogens are able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and gain access to the CNS. The BBB consists of highly specialized brain endothelial cells that exhibit specific properties to allow tight regulation of CNS homeostasis and prevent pathogen crossing. However, during meningoencephalitis/meningitis, the BBB fails to protect the CNS. Modeling the BBB remains a challenge due to the specialized characteristics of these cells. In this review, we cover the induced pluripotent stem cell-derived, brain-like endothelial cell model during host-pathogen interaction, highlighting the strengths and recent work on various pathogens known to interact with the BBB. As stem cell technologies are becoming more prominent, the stem cell-derived, brain-like endothelial cell model has been able to reveal new insights in vitro, which remain challenging with other in vitro cell-based models consisting of primary human brain endothelial cells and immortalized human brain endothelial cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Vollmuth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Jon Sin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
| | - Brandon J. Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Center for Convergent Biosciences and Medicine, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
- Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA
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Kulkarni A, Jozefiaková J, Bhide K, Mochnaćová E, Bhide M. Differential transcriptome response of blood brain barrier spheroids to neuroinvasive Neisseria and Borrelia. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1326578. [PMID: 38179419 PMCID: PMC10766361 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1326578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The blood-brain barrier (BBB), a highly regulated interface between the blood and the brain, prevents blood-borne substances and pathogens from entering the CNS. Nevertheless, pathogens like Neisseria meningitidis and Borrelia bavariensis can breach the BBB and infect the brain parenchyma. The self-assembling BBB-spheroids can simulate the cross talk occurring between the cells of the barrier and neuroinvasive pathogens. Methods BBB spheroids were generated by co-culturing human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs), pericytes and astrocytes. The BBB attributes of spheroids were confirmed by mapping the localization of cells, observing permeability of angiopep2 and non-permeability of dextran. Fluorescent Neisseria, Borrelia or E. coli (non-neuroinvasive) were incubated with spheroids to observe the adherence, invasion and spheroid integrity. Transcriptome analysis with NGS was employed to investigate the response of BBB cells to infections. Results hBMECs were localized throughout the spheroids, whereas pericytes and astrocytes were concentrated around the core. Within 1 hr of exposure, Neisseria and Borrelia adhered to spheroids, and their microcolonization increased from 5 to 24 hrs. Integrity of spheroids was compromised by both Neisseria and Borrelia, but not by E. coli infection. Transcriptome analysis revealed a significant change in the expression of 781 genes (467 up and 314 down regulated) in spheroids infected with Neisseria, while Borrelia altered the expression of 621 genes (225 up and 396 down regulated). The differentially expressed genes could be clustered into various biological pathways like cell adhesion, extracellular matrix related, metallothionines, members of TGF beta, WNT signaling, and immune response. Among the differentially expressed genes, 455 (48%) genes were inversely expressed during Neisseria and Borrelia infection. Conclusion The self-assembling spheroids were used to perceive the BBB response to neuroinvasive pathogens - Neisseria and Borrelia. Compromised integrity of spheroids during Neisseria and Borrelia infection as opposed to its intactness and non-adherence of E. coli (non-neuroinvasive) denotes the pathogen dependent fate of BBB. Genes categorized into various biological functions indicated weakened barrier properties of BBB and heightened innate immune response. Inverse expression of 48% genes commonly identified during Neisseria and Borrelia infection exemplifies unique response of BBB to varying neuropathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amod Kulkarni
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Kosice, Slovakia
- Institute of Neuroimmunology of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jana Jozefiaková
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Katarína Bhide
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Evelína Mochnaćová
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Kosice, Slovakia
| | - Mangesh Bhide
- Laboratory of Biomedical Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Kosice, Slovakia
- Institute of Neuroimmunology of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Yang Z, Zhang Y, Du S, Zhao Q, Huang X, Wu R, Yan Q, Han X, Cao S, Chang YF, Wen Y. Upregulation of occludin by cytolethal distending toxin facilitates Glaesserella parasuis adhesion to respiratory tract cells. Infect Immun 2023; 91:e0035123. [PMID: 37930004 PMCID: PMC10715221 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00351-23] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Virulent Glaesserella parasuis may engender systemic infection characterized by fibrinous polyserositis and pneumonia. G. parasuis causes systemic disease through upper respiratory tract infection, but the mechanism has not been fully characterized. Tight junction (TJ) proteins maintain the integrity and impermeability of the epithelial barriers. In this work, we applied the recombinant cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) holotoxin and cdt-deficient mutants to assess whether CDT interacted with TJ proteins of airway tract cells. Our results indicated that CDT induced the TJ occludin (OCLN) expression in newborn pig tracheal epithelial cells within the first 3 hours of bacterial infection, followed by a significant decrease. Overexpression of OCLN in target cells made them more susceptible to G. parasuis adhesion, whereas ablation of OCLN expression by CRISPR/Cas 9 gene editing technology in target cells decreased their susceptibility to bacterial adhesion. In addition, CDT treatment could upregulate the OCLN levels in the lung tissue of C57/BL6 mice. In summary, highly virulent G. parasuis strain SC1401 stimulated the tight junction expression, resulting in higher bacterial adhesion to respiratory tract cells, and this process is closely related to CDT. Our results may provide novel insights into G. parasuis infection and CDT-mediated pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Yang
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yiwen Zhang
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Senyan Du
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qin Zhao
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaobo Huang
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Rui Wu
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qigui Yan
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinfeng Han
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sanjie Cao
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yung-Fu Chang
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Yiping Wen
- Research Center of Swine Disease, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
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Waugh S, Ranasinghe A, Gomez A, Houston S, Lithgow KV, Eshghi A, Fleetwood J, Conway KME, Reynolds LA, Cameron CE. Syphilis and the host: multi-omic analysis of host cellular responses to Treponema pallidum provides novel insight into syphilis pathogenesis. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1254342. [PMID: 37795301 PMCID: PMC10546344 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1254342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Syphilis is a chronic, multi-stage infection caused by the extracellular bacterium Treponema pallidum ssp. pallidum. Treponema pallidum widely disseminates through the vasculature, crosses endothelial, blood-brain and placental barriers, and establishes systemic infection. Although the capacity of T. pallidum to traverse the endothelium is well-described, the response of endothelial cells to T. pallidum exposure, and the contribution of this response to treponemal traversal, is poorly understood. Methods To address this knowledge gap, we used quantitative proteomics and cytokine profiling to characterize endothelial responses to T. pallidum. Results Proteomic analyses detected altered host pathways controlling extracellular matrix organization, necroptosis and cell death, and innate immune signaling. Cytokine analyses of endothelial cells exposed to T. pallidum revealed increased secretion of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and decreased secretion of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Discussion This study provides insight into the molecular basis of syphilis disease symptoms and the enhanced susceptibility of individuals infected with syphilis to HIV co-infection. These investigations also enhance understanding of the host response to T. pallidum exposure and the pathogenic strategies used by T. pallidum to disseminate and persist within the host. Furthermore, our findings highlight the critical need for inclusion of appropriate controls when conducting T. pallidum-host cell interactions using in vitro- and in vivo-grown T. pallidum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean Waugh
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Akash Ranasinghe
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Alloysius Gomez
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Simon Houston
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Karen V. Lithgow
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Azad Eshghi
- University of Victoria-Genome BC Proteomics Centre, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Jenna Fleetwood
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Kate M. E. Conway
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Lisa A. Reynolds
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Caroline E. Cameron
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Mamana J, Humber GM, Espinal ER, Seo S, Vollmuth N, Sin J, Kim BJ. Coxsackievirus B3 infects and disrupts human induced-pluripotent stem cell derived brain-like endothelial cells. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1171275. [PMID: 37139492 PMCID: PMC10149843 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1171275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) is a significant human pathogen that is commonly found worldwide. CVB3 among other enteroviruses, are the leading causes of aseptic meningo-encephalitis which can be fatal especially in young children. How the virus gains access to the brain is poorly-understood, and the host-virus interactions that occur at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is even less-characterized. The BBB is a highly specialized biological barrier consisting primarily of brain endothelial cells which possess unique barrier properties and facilitate the passage of nutrients into the brain while restricting access to toxins and pathogens including viruses. To determine the effects of CVB3 infection on the BBB, we utilized a model of human induced-pluripotent stem cell-derived brain-like endothelial cells (iBECs) to ascertain if CVB3 infection may alter barrier cell function and overall survival. In this study, we determined that these iBECs indeed are susceptible to CVB3 infection and release high titers of extracellular virus. We also determined that infected iBECs maintain high transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) during early infection despite possessing high viral load. TEER progressively declines at later stages of infection. Interestingly, despite the high viral burden and TEER disruptions at later timepoints, infected iBEC monolayers remain intact, indicating a low degree of late-stage virally-mediated cell death, which may contribute to prolonged viral shedding. We had previously reported that CVB3 infections rely on the activation of transient receptor vanilloid potential 1 (TRPV1) and found that inhibiting TRPV1 activity with SB-366791 significantly limited CVB3 infection of HeLa cervical cancer cells. Similarly in this study, we observed that treating iBECs with SB-366791 significantly reduced CVB3 infection, which suggests that not only can this drug potentially limit viral entry into the brain, but also demonstrates that this infection model could be a valuable platform for testing antiviral treatments of neurotropic viruses. In all, our findings elucidate the unique effects of CVB3 infection on the BBB and shed light on potential mechanisms by which the virus can initiate infections in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Mamana
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Gabrielle M. Humber
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Eric R. Espinal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Soojung Seo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Nadine Vollmuth
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
| | - Jon Sin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
- *Correspondence: Jon Sin, ; Brandon J. Kim,
| | - Brandon J. Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
- Department of Microbiology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
- Center for Convergent Biosciences and Medicine, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
- Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, United States
- *Correspondence: Jon Sin, ; Brandon J. Kim,
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Al-Ahmad AJ. Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Model of the Blood-Brain at 10 Years: A Retrospective on Past and Current Disease Models. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2023; 281:141-156. [PMID: 36943490 DOI: 10.1007/164_2023_645] [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] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
The initial discovery and derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) by Yamanaka and colleagues in 2006 revolutionized the field of personalized medicine, as it opened the possibility to model diseases using patient-derived stem cells. A decade of adoption of iPSCs within the community of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) significantly opened the door for modeling diseases at the BBB, a task until then considered challenging, if not impossible.In this book chapter, we provided an extensive review of the literature on the use of iPSC-based models of the human BBB to model neurological diseases including infectious diseases (COVID-19, Streptococcus, Neisseria) neurodevelopmental diseases (adrenoleukodystrophy, Allan-Herndon-Dudley Syndrome, Batten's disease, GLUT1 deficiency syndrome), and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease, the current findings and observations, but also the challenges and limitations inherent to the use of iPSC-based models in reproducing the human BBB during health and diseases in a Petri dish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham J Al-Ahmad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Amarillo, TX, USA.
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11
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Kim H, Leng K, Park J, Sorets AG, Kim S, Shostak A, Embalabala RJ, Mlouk K, Katdare KA, Rose IVL, Sturgeon SM, Neal EH, Ao Y, Wang S, Sofroniew MV, Brunger JM, McMahon DG, Schrag MS, Kampmann M, Lippmann ES. Reactive astrocytes transduce inflammation in a blood-brain barrier model through a TNF-STAT3 signaling axis and secretion of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6581. [PMID: 36323693 PMCID: PMC9630454 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34412-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are critical components of the neurovascular unit that support blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. Pathological transformation of astrocytes to reactive states can be protective or harmful to BBB function. Here, using a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived BBB co-culture model, we show that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) transitions astrocytes to an inflammatory reactive state that causes BBB dysfunction through activation of STAT3 and increased expression of SERPINA3, which encodes alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (α1ACT). To contextualize these findings, we correlated astrocytic STAT3 activation to vascular inflammation in postmortem human tissue. Further, in murine brain organotypic cultures, astrocyte-specific silencing of Serpina3n reduced vascular inflammation after TNF challenge. Last, treatment with recombinant Serpina3n in both ex vivo explant cultures and in vivo was sufficient to induce BBB dysfunction-related molecular changes. Overall, our results define the TNF-STAT3-α1ACT signaling axis as a driver of an inflammatory reactive astrocyte signature that contributes to BBB dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyosung Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Kun Leng
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jinhee Park
- Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alexander G Sorets
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Suil Kim
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alena Shostak
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Kate Mlouk
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ketaki A Katdare
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Indigo V L Rose
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sarah M Sturgeon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Emma H Neal
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Yan Ao
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shinong Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Michael V Sofroniew
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan M Brunger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Douglas G McMahon
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Matthew S Schrag
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Martin Kampmann
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Ethan S Lippmann
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer's Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
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12
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Endres LM, Jungblut M, Divyapicigil M, Sauer M, Stigloher C, Christodoulides M, Kim BJ, Schubert-Unkmeir A. Development of a multicellular in vitro model of the meningeal blood-CSF barrier to study Neisseria meningitidis infection. Fluids Barriers CNS 2022; 19:81. [PMID: 36289516 PMCID: PMC9597984 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-022-00379-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening disease that occurs when pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis cross the meningeal blood cerebrospinal fluid barrier (mBCSFB) and infect the meninges. Due to the human-specific nature of N. meningitidis, previous research investigating this complex host–pathogen interaction has mostly been done in vitro using immortalized brain endothelial cells (BECs) alone, which often do not retain relevant barrier properties in culture. Here, we developed physiologically relevant mBCSFB models using BECs in co-culture with leptomeningeal cells (LMCs) to examine N. meningitidis interaction. Methods We used BEC-like cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iBECs) or hCMEC/D3 cells in co-culture with LMCs derived from tumor biopsies. We employed TEM and structured illumination microscopy to characterize the models as well as bacterial interaction. We measured TEER and sodium fluorescein (NaF) permeability to determine barrier tightness and integrity. We then analyzed bacterial adherence and penetration of the cell barrier and examined changes in host gene expression of tight junctions as well as chemokines and cytokines in response to infection. Results Both cell types remained distinct in co-culture and iBECs showed characteristic expression of BEC markers including tight junction proteins and endothelial markers. iBEC barrier function as determined by TEER and NaF permeability was improved by LMC co-culture and remained stable for seven days. BEC response to N. meningitidis infection was not affected by LMC co-culture. We detected considerable amounts of BEC-adherent meningococci and a relatively small number of intracellular bacteria. Interestingly, we discovered bacteria traversing the BEC-LMC barrier within the first 24 h post-infection, when barrier integrity was still high, suggesting a transcellular route for N. meningitidis into the CNS. Finally, we observed deterioration of barrier properties including loss of TEER and reduced expression of cell-junction components at late time points of infection. Conclusions Here, we report, for the first time, on co-culture of human iPSC derived BECs or hCMEC/D3 with meningioma derived LMCs and find that LMC co-culture improves barrier properties of iBECs. These novel models allow for a better understanding of N. meningitidis interaction at the mBCSFB in a physiologically relevant setting. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12987-022-00379-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo M. Endres
- grid.8379.50000 0001 1958 8658Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marvin Jungblut
- grid.8379.50000 0001 1958 8658Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mustafa Divyapicigil
- grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL USA ,grid.265892.20000000106344187Department of Microbiology Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA ,grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Center for Convergent Biosciences & Medicine, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL USA ,grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL USA
| | - Markus Sauer
- grid.8379.50000 0001 1958 8658Department of Biotechnology and Biophysics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Christian Stigloher
- grid.8379.50000 0001 1958 8658Imaging Core Facility, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- grid.5491.90000 0004 1936 9297Molecular Microbiology, School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK
| | - Brandon J. Kim
- grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL USA ,grid.265892.20000000106344187Department of Microbiology Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL USA ,grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Center for Convergent Biosciences & Medicine, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL USA ,grid.411015.00000 0001 0727 7545Alabama Life Research Institute, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL USA
| | - Alexandra Schubert-Unkmeir
- grid.8379.50000 0001 1958 8658Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Josef-Schneider-Strasse 2, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
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13
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Meng X, Chen Y, Wang P, Xia P, Wang J, He M, Zhu C, Wang H, Zhu G. Phosphopantetheinyl transferase ClbA contributes to the virulence of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli in meningitis infection of mice. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269102. [PMID: 35900973 PMCID: PMC9333332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC), which has potential zoonotic risk, can cause severe systemic infections such as septicemia and meningitis in poultry. Colibactin is a hybrid non-ribosomal peptide/polyketide secondary metabolite produced by bacteria, which induces double-strand DNA breaks and chromosome instability in eukaryotic cells. ClbA is a 4’-phosphopantetheinyl transferase (PPTase) that is essential for colibactin and plays a role in siderophore synthesis. However, whether ClbA is associated with meningitis development in APEC is unclear. In this study, we abolished the clbA gene in the APEC XM strain, investigated the effect of clbA on colibactin synthesis and evaluated the pathogenic capacity of colibactin on meningitis development. Deletion of clbA reduced DNA damage to cells and hindered the normal synthesis of colibactin. Compared with the mice infected by wild-type APEC XM, the clbA deletion mutant infected mice had significant reduction in a series of characteristics associated with meningitis including clinical symptoms, bacterial loads of blood and brain, disruption of the blood brain barrier and the expression of inflammatory factors in the brain tissue. Complementation of ClbA recovered some APEC XM virulence. We conclude that ClbA is obligatory for the synthesis of colibactin and is responsible for the development of meningitis in mice infected by APEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Meng
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Important Animal infectious Diseases and Zoonotic Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Yanfei Chen
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Important Animal infectious Diseases and Zoonotic Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peili Wang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Important Animal infectious Diseases and Zoonotic Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Pengpeng Xia
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Important Animal infectious Diseases and Zoonotic Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jinqiu Wang
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Agricultural Vocational College, Beijing, China
| | - Mengping He
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Important Animal infectious Diseases and Zoonotic Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chunhong Zhu
- Jiangsu Institute of Poultry Science, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Heng Wang
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Important Animal infectious Diseases and Zoonotic Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhu
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Important Animal infectious Diseases and Zoonotic Diseases, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China
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Adams Y, Jensen AR. Cerebral malaria - modelling interactions at the blood-brain barrier in vitro. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:275963. [PMID: 35815443 PMCID: PMC9302004 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a continuous endothelial barrier that is supported by pericytes and astrocytes and regulates the passage of solutes between the bloodstream and the brain. This structure is called the neurovascular unit and serves to protect the brain from blood-borne disease-causing agents and other risk factors. In the past decade, great strides have been made to investigate the neurovascular unit for delivery of chemotherapeutics and for understanding how pathogens can circumvent the barrier, leading to severe and, at times, fatal complications. One such complication is cerebral malaria, in which Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells disrupt the barrier function of the BBB, causing severe brain swelling. Multiple in vitro models of the BBB are available to investigate the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria and other diseases. These range from single-cell monolayer cultures to multicellular BBB organoids and highly complex cerebral organoids. Here, we review the technologies available in malaria research to investigate the interaction between P. falciparum-infected red blood cells and the BBB, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each model. Summary: This Review discusses the available in vitro models to investigate the impact of adhesion of Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells on the blood–brain barrier, a process associated with cerebral malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne Adams
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anja Ramstedt Jensen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
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15
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Mikucki A, McCluskey NR, Kahler CM. The Host-Pathogen Interactions and Epicellular Lifestyle of Neisseria meningitidis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:862935. [PMID: 35531336 PMCID: PMC9072670 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.862935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neisseria meningitidis is a gram-negative diplococcus and a transient commensal of the human nasopharynx. It shares and competes for this niche with a number of other Neisseria species including N. lactamica, N. cinerea and N. mucosa. Unlike these other members of the genus, N. meningitidis may become invasive, crossing the epithelium of the nasopharynx and entering the bloodstream, where it rapidly proliferates causing a syndrome known as Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD). IMD progresses rapidly to cause septic shock and meningitis and is often fatal despite aggressive antibiotic therapy. While many of the ways in which meningococci survive in the host environment have been well studied, recent insights into the interactions between N. meningitidis and the epithelial, serum, and endothelial environments have expanded our understanding of how IMD develops. This review seeks to incorporate recent work into the established model of pathogenesis. In particular, we focus on the competition that N. meningitidis faces in the nasopharynx from other Neisseria species, and how the genetic diversity of the meningococcus contributes to the wide range of inflammatory and pathogenic potentials observed among different lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- August Mikucki
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Nicolie R. McCluskey
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- College of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Telethon Kids Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Charlene M. Kahler
- Marshall Centre for Infectious Diseases Research and Training, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- *Correspondence: Charlene M. Kahler,
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16
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Group B Streptococcus-Induced Macropinocytosis Contributes to Bacterial Invasion of Brain Endothelial Cells. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11040474. [PMID: 35456149 PMCID: PMC9028350 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11040474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial meningitis is defined as serious inflammation of the central nervous system (CNS) in which bacteria infect the blood–brain barrier (BBB), a network of highly specialized brain endothelial cells (BECs). Dysfunction of the BBB is a hallmark of bacterial meningitis. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) is one of the leading organisms that cause bacterial meningitis, especially in neonates. Macropinocytosis is an actin-dependent form of endocytosis that is also tightly regulated at the BBB. Previous studies have shown that inhibition of actin-dependent processes decreases bacterial invasion, suggesting that pathogens can utilize macropinocytotic pathways for invasion. The purpose of this project is to study the factors that lead to dysfunction of the BBB. We demonstrate that infection with GBS increases rates of endocytosis in BECs. We identified a potential pathway, PLC-PKC-Nox2, in BECs that contributes to macropinocytosis regulation. Here we demonstrate that downstream inhibition of PLC, PKC, or Nox2 significantly blocks GBS invasion of BECs. Additionally, we show that pharmacological activation of PKC can turn on macropinocytosis and increase bacterial invasion of nonpathogenic yet genetically similar Lactococcus lactis. Our results suggest that GBS activates BEC signaling pathways that increase rates of macropinocytosis and subsequently the invasion of GBS.
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17
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Heydarian M, Rühl E, Rawal R, Kozjak-Pavlovic V. Tissue Models for Neisseria gonorrhoeae Research—From 2D to 3D. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:840122. [PMID: 35223556 PMCID: PMC8873371 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.840122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a human-specific pathogen that causes gonorrhea, the second most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide. Disease progression, drug discovery, and basic host-pathogen interactions are studied using different approaches, which rely on models ranging from 2D cell culture to complex 3D tissues and animals. In this review, we discuss the models used in N. gonorrhoeae research. We address both in vivo (animal) and in vitro cell culture models, discussing the pros and cons of each and outlining the recent advancements in the field of three-dimensional tissue models. From simple 2D monoculture to complex advanced 3D tissue models, we provide an overview of the relevant methodology and its application. Finally, we discuss future directions in the exciting field of 3D tissue models and how they can be applied for studying the interaction of N. gonorrhoeae with host cells under conditions closely resembling those found at the native sites of infection.
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18
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Cader Z. Human Blood-Brain-Barrier In Vitro Models: Overview and Applications. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2022; 273:205-222. [PMID: 34935086 DOI: 10.1007/164_2021_562] [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] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The human blood-brain-barrier (BBB) is a vital structure for brain health. Conversely it represents a challenge in drug development programmes that require breaching of the barrier in order to access the central nervous system. Very often brain disorders have early dysfunction of the BBB implicating an important role in pathogenesis and disease progression. The development of human in vitro models is a major advance to allow experimental studies and screening assays, although there remain outstanding questions for the field. In this chapter, the current state of the art will be reviewed, with the complementary innovative approaches to in vitro modelling described, from simple 2D-cultures to more complex multi-cell type micro-physiological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zameel Cader
- Translational Molecular Neuroscience Group, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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19
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Espinal ER, Sharp SJ, Kim BJ. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC)-Derived Endothelial Cells to Study Bacterial-Brain Endothelial Cell Interactions. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2492:73-101. [PMID: 35733039 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2289-6_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection of the central nervous system (CNS) that occurs when blood-borne bacteria are able to exit the cerebral vasculature and cause inflammation. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the meningeal blood-CSF barrier (mBCSFB) are composed of highly specialized brain endothelial cells (BECs) that possess unique phenotypes when compared to their peripheral endothelial counterparts. To cause meningitis, bacterial pathogens must be able to interact and penetrate these specialized BECs to gain access to the CNS. In vitro models have been employed to study bacterial-BEC interactions; however, many lack BEC phenotypes. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technologies have enabled the derivation of brain endothelial-like cells that phenocopy BECs in culture. Recently, these iPSC-BECs have been employed to examine the host-pathogen interaction at the endothelial brain barriers. Using two clinically relevant human meningeal pathogens, this chapter describes the use of iPSC-BECs to study various aspects of BEC-bacterial interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R Espinal
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - S Jerod Sharp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
- Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL, USA
| | - Brandon J Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
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Krasemann S, Haferkamp U, Pfefferle S, Woo MS, Heinrich F, Schweizer M, Appelt-Menzel A, Cubukova A, Barenberg J, Leu J, Hartmann K, Thies E, Littau JL, Sepulveda-Falla D, Zhang L, Ton K, Liang Y, Matschke J, Ricklefs F, Sauvigny T, Sperhake J, Fitzek A, Gerhartl A, Brachner A, Geiger N, König EM, Bodem J, Franzenburg S, Franke A, Moese S, Müller FJ, Geisslinger G, Claussen C, Kannt A, Zaliani A, Gribbon P, Ondruschka B, Neuhaus W, Friese MA, Glatzel M, Pless O. The blood-brain barrier is dysregulated in COVID-19 and serves as a CNS entry route for SARS-CoV-2. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:307-320. [PMID: 35063125 PMCID: PMC8772030 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurological complications are common in COVID-19. Although SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in patients’ brain tissues, its entry routes and resulting consequences are not well understood. Here, we show a pronounced upregulation of interferon signaling pathways of the neurovascular unit in fatal COVID-19. By investigating the susceptibility of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived brain capillary endothelial-like cells (BCECs) to SARS-CoV-2 infection, we found that BCECs were infected and recapitulated transcriptional changes detected in vivo. While BCECs were not compromised in their paracellular tightness, we found SARS-CoV-2 in the basolateral compartment in transwell assays after apical infection, suggesting active replication and transcellular transport of virus across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in vitro. Moreover, entry of SARS-CoV-2 into BCECs could be reduced by anti-spike-, anti-angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)-, and anti-neuropilin-1 (NRP1)-specific antibodies or the transmembrane protease serine subtype 2 (TMPRSS2) inhibitor nafamostat. Together, our data provide strong support for SARS-CoV-2 brain entry across the BBB resulting in increased interferon signaling. IFNγ signaling is upregulated in COVID-19 human neurovascular unit SARS-CoV-2-infected hiPS-BCECs display similar upregulation of IFNγ signaling SARS-CoV-2 replicates in hiPS-BCECs and is released while barrier remains intact SARS-CoV-2 infection of hiPS-BCECs is decreased by antibodies and protease inhibitors
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21
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Long RKM, Piatti L, Korbmacher F, Bernabeu M. Understanding parasite-brain microvascular interactions with engineered 3D blood-brain barrier models. Mol Microbiol 2021; 117:693-704. [PMID: 34837419 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Microbial interactions with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be highly pathogenic and are still not well understood. Among these, parasites present complex interactions with the brain microvasculature that are difficult to decipher using experimental animal models or reductionist 2D in vitro cultures. Novel 3D engineered blood-brain barrier models hold great promise to overcome limitations in traditional research approaches. These models better mimic the intricate 3D architecture of the brain microvasculature and recapitulate several aspects of BBB properties, physiology, and function. Moreover, they provide improved control over biophysical and biochemical experimental parameters and are compatible with advanced imaging and molecular biology techniques. Here, we review design considerations and methodologies utilized to successfully engineer BBB microvessels. Finally, we highlight the advantages and limitations of existing engineered models and propose applications to study parasite interactions with the BBB, including mechanisms of barrier disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory K M Long
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Livia Piatti
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Maria Bernabeu
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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22
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Sharma N, Zahoor I, Sachdeva M, Subramaniyan V, Fuloria S, Fuloria NK, Naved T, Bhatia S, Al-Harrasi A, Aleya L, Bungau S, Behl T, Singh S. Deciphering the role of nanoparticles for management of bacterial meningitis: an update on recent studies. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:60459-60476. [PMID: 34545518 PMCID: PMC8452126 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16570-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Meningitis is an inflammation of the protective membranes called meninges and fluid adjacent the brain and spinal cord. The inflammatory progression expands all through subarachnoid space of the brain and spinal cord and occupies the ventricles. The pathogens like bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites are main sources of infection causing meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is a life-threatening health problem that which needs instantaneous apprehension and treatment. Nesseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus flu are major widespread factors causing bacterial meningitis. The conventional drug delivery approaches encounter difficulty in crossing this blood-brain barrier (BBB) and therefore are insufficient to elicit the desired pharmacological effect as required for treatment of meningitis. Therefore, application of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems has become imperative for successful dealing with this deadly disease. The nanoparticles have ability to across BBB via four important transport mechanisms, i.e., paracellular transport, transcellular (transcytosis), endocytosis (adsorptive transcytosis), and receptor-mediated transcytosis. In this review, we reminisce distinctive symptoms of meningitis, and provide an overview of various types of bacterial meningitis, with a focus on its epidemiology, pathogenesis, and pathophysiology. This review describes conventional therapeutic approaches for treatment of meningitis and the problems encountered by them while transmitting across tight junctions of BBB. The nanotechnology approaches like functionalized polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carrier, nanoemulsion, liposomes, transferosomes, and carbon nanotubes which have been recently evaluated for treatment or detection of bacterial meningitis have been focused. This review has also briefly summarized the recent patents and clinical status of therapeutic modalities for meningitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelam Sharma
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Ishrat Zahoor
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
| | - Monika Sachdeva
- Fatima College of Health Sciences, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | | | | | | | - Tanveer Naved
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Noida, India
| | - Saurabh Bhatia
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University, Haryana, India
| | - Ahmed Al-Harrasi
- Natural & Medical Sciences Research Centre, University of Nizwa, Nizwa, Oman
| | - Lotfi Aleya
- Chrono-Environment Laboratory, UMR CNRS 6249, Bourgogne Franche-Comté University, Besancon, France
| | - Simona Bungau
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, Oradea, Romania
| | - Tapan Behl
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
| | - Sukhbir Singh
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
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23
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Wang P, Zhang J, Chen Y, Zhong H, Wang H, Li J, Zhu G, Xia P, Cui L, Li J, Dong J, Gao Q, Meng X. Colibactin in avian pathogenic Escherichia coli contributes to the development of meningitis in a mouse model. Virulence 2021; 12:2382-2399. [PMID: 34529552 PMCID: PMC8451452 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1972538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Colibactin is synthesized by a 54-kb genomic island, leads to toxicity in eukaryotic cells, and plays a vital role in many diseases, including neonatal sepsis and meningitis. Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is speculated to be an armory of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli and can be a potential zoonotic bacterium that threatens human and animal health. In this study, the APEC XM meningitis mouse model was successfully established to investigate the effect of colibactin in in vivo infection. The clbH-deletion mutant strain induced lower γ-H2AX expression, no megalocytosis, and no cell cycle arrest in bEnd.3 cells, which showed that the deletion of clbH decreased the production of colibactin in the APEC XM strain. The deletion of clbH did not affect the APEC XM strain’s ability of adhering to and invading bEnd.3 cells. In vitro, the non-colibactin-producing strain displayed significantly lower serum resistance and it also induced a lower level of cytokine mRNA and few disruptions of tight junction proteins in infected bEnd.3 cells. Meningitis did not occur in APEC ΔclbH-infected mice in vivo, who showed fewer clinical symptoms and fewer lesions on radiological and histopathological analyses. Compared with the APEX XM strain, APEC ΔclbH induced lower bacterial colonization in tissues, lower mRNA expression of cytokines in brain tissues, and slight destruction of the brain blood barrier. These results indicate that clbH is a necessary component for the synthesis of genotoxic colibactin, and colibactin is related to the development of meningitis induced by APEC XM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peili Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Jiaxiang Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Yanfei Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Haoran Zhong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Heng Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Jianji Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Guoqiang Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Pengpeng Xia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Luying Cui
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Jun Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Junsheng Dong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Qingqing Gao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
| | - Xia Meng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for the Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou.,Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, The Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou
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24
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Wang P, Zhang J, Chen Y, Zhong H, Wang H, Li J, Zhu G, Xia P, Cui L, Li J, Dong J, Gao Q, Meng X. ClbG in Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli Contributes to Meningitis Development in a Mouse Model. Toxins (Basel) 2021; 13:546. [PMID: 34437417 PMCID: PMC8402462 DOI: 10.3390/toxins13080546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Colibactin is a complex secondary metabolite that leads to genotoxicity that interferes with the eukaryotic cell cycle. It plays an important role in many diseases, including neonatal mouse sepsis and meningitis. Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is responsible for several diseases in the poultry industry and may threaten human health due to its potential zoonosis. In this study, we confirmed that clbG was necessary for the APEC XM strain to produce colibactin. The deletion of clbG on APEC XM contributed to lowered γH2AX expression, no megalocytosis, and no cell cycle arrest in vitro. None of the 4-week Institute of Cancer Research mice infected with the APEC XM ΔclbG contracted meningitis or displayed weakened clinical symptoms. Fewer histopathological lesions were observed in the APEC XM ΔclbG group. The bacterial colonization of tissues and the relative expression of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) in the brains decreased significantly in the APEC XM ΔclbG group compared to those in the APEC XM group. The tight junction proteins (claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1) were not significantly destroyed in APEC XM ΔclbG group in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, clbG is necessary for the synthesis of the genotoxin colibactin and affects the development of APEC meningitis in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peili Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jiaxiang Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yanfei Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Haoran Zhong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Heng Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jianji Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Guoqiang Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Pengpeng Xia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Luying Cui
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Jun Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Junsheng Dong
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Qingqing Gao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Xia Meng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; (P.W.); (J.Z.); (Y.C.); (H.Z.); (H.W.); (J.L.); (G.Z.); (P.X.); (L.C.); (J.L.); (J.D.); (Q.G.)
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou 225009, China
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25
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Pellegrino E, Gutierrez MG. Human stem cell-based models for studying host-pathogen interactions. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13335. [PMID: 33792137 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The use of human cell lines and primary cells as in vitro models represents a valuable approach to study cellular responses to infection. However, with the advent of new molecular technologies and tools available, there is a growing need to develop more physiologically relevant systems to overcome cell line model limitations and better mimic human disease. Since the discovery of human stem cells, its use has revolutionised the development of in vitro models. This is because after differentiation, these cells have the potential to reflect in vivo cell phenotypes and allow for probing questions in numerous fields of the biological sciences. Moreover, the possibility to combine the advantages of stem cell-derived cell types with genome editing technologies and engineered 3D microenvironments, provides enormous potential for producing in vitro systems to investigate cellular responses to infection that are both relevant and predictive. Here, we discuss recent advances in the use of human stem cells to model host-pathogen interactions, highlighting emerging technologies in the field of stem cell biology that can be exploited to investigate the fundamental biology of infection. TAKE AWAYS: hPSC overcome current limitations to study host-pathogen interactions in vitro. Genome editing can be used in hPSC to study cellular responses to infection. hPSC, 3D models and genome editing can recreate physiological in vitro systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Pellegrino
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Maximiliano G Gutierrez
- Host-Pathogen Interactions in Tuberculosis Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
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26
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Lu TM, Barcia Durán JG, Houghton S, Rafii S, Redmond D, Lis R. Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Brain Endothelial Cells: Current Controversies. Front Physiol 2021; 12:642812. [PMID: 33868008 PMCID: PMC8044318 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.642812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) possess unique properties that are crucial for many functions of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) including maintenance of brain homeostasis and regulation of interactions between the brain and immune system. The generation of a pure population of putative brain microvascular endothelial cells from human pluripotent stem cell sources (iBMECs) has been described to meet the need for reliable and reproducible brain endothelial cells in vitro. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), embryonic or induced, can be differentiated into large quantities of specialized cells in order to study development and model disease. These hPSC-derived iBMECs display endothelial-like properties, such as tube formation and low-density lipoprotein uptake, high transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER), and barrier-like efflux transporter activities. Over time, the de novo generation of an organotypic endothelial cell from hPSCs has aroused controversies. This perspective article highlights the developments made in the field of hPSC derived brain endothelial cells as well as where experimental data are lacking, and what concerns have emerged since their initial description.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler M Lu
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States.,Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - José Gabriel Barcia Durán
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sean Houghton
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Shahin Rafii
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - David Redmond
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Raphaël Lis
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States.,Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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27
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Lu TM, Houghton S, Magdeldin T, Durán JGB, Minotti AP, Snead A, Sproul A, Nguyen DHT, Xiang J, Fine HA, Rosenwaks Z, Studer L, Rafii S, Agalliu D, Redmond D, Lis R. Pluripotent stem cell-derived epithelium misidentified as brain microvascular endothelium requires ETS factors to acquire vascular fate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2016950118. [PMID: 33542154 PMCID: PMC7923590 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016950118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells derived from pluripotent sources in vitro must resemble those found in vivo as closely as possible at both transcriptional and functional levels in order to be a useful tool for studying diseases and developing therapeutics. Recently, differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into brain microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) with blood-brain barrier (BBB)-like properties has been reported. These cells have since been used as a robust in vitro BBB model for drug delivery and mechanistic understanding of neurological diseases. However, the precise cellular identity of these induced brain microvascular endothelial cells (iBMECs) has not been well described. Employing a comprehensive transcriptomic metaanalysis of previously published hPSC-derived cells validated by physiological assays, we demonstrate that iBMECs lack functional attributes of ECs since they are deficient in vascular lineage genes while expressing clusters of genes related to the neuroectodermal epithelial lineage (Epi-iBMEC). Overexpression of key endothelial ETS transcription factors (ETV2, ERG, and FLI1) reprograms Epi-iBMECs into authentic endothelial cells that are congruent with bona fide endothelium at both transcriptomic as well as some functional levels. This approach could eventually be used to develop a robust human BBB model in vitro that resembles the human brain EC in vivo for functional studies and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler M Lu
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
- Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Sean Houghton
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Tarig Magdeldin
- Department of Neurology and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10065
| | - José Gabriel Barcia Durán
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Andrew P Minotti
- Developmental Biology, the Center for Stem Cell Biology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065
- The Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology and Molecular Biology Allied Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065
| | - Amanda Snead
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Andrew Sproul
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - Duc-Huy T Nguyen
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Jenny Xiang
- Genomics Resources Core Facility, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Howard A Fine
- Department of Neurology and the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine-New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY 10065
| | - Zev Rosenwaks
- Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Lorenz Studer
- The Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology and Molecular Biology Allied Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065
| | - Shahin Rafii
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
| | - Dritan Agalliu
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032
| | - David Redmond
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065;
| | - Raphaël Lis
- Ansary Stem Cell Institute, Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065;
- Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065
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28
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Sun Q, Li N, Jia L, Guo W, Jiang H, Liu B, Bao C, Liu M, Huang J, Lei L. Ribosomal Protein SA-Positive Neutrophil Elicits Stronger Phagocytosis and Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation and Subdues Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion Against Streptococcus suis Serotype 2 Infection. Front Immunol 2021; 11:585399. [PMID: 33603733 PMCID: PMC7884477 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.585399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2), an important zoonotic pathogen that causes septicemia, arthritis, and irreversible meningitis in pigs and humans, can be transmitted to humans from pigs. S. suis causes huge economic losses to the swine industry and poses a serious threat to public health. Previously, we found that the brain tissues of mice with SS2-induced meningitis showed disrupted structural integrity and significantly enhanced polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltration. We showed that the brain tissues of SS2-infected mice had increased ribosomal protein SA (RPSA)-positive PMN counts. However, the inflammatory responses of RPSA+ PMNs to SS2 and their effects on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) remain unclear. Therefore, in studying the pathogenesis of SS2-induced meningitis, it is essential that we explore the functions of RPSA+ PMNs and their effects on the BBB. Herein, using flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses, we found that RPSA expression enhances PMN-induced phagocytosis and PMN-induced formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which facilitate further elimination of bacteria. PMN surface expression of RPSA also alleviates local inflammation and tissue injuries by inhibiting secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-6. Moreover, the single-cell BBB model showed that RPSA disrupts BBB integrity by downregulating expression of tight junction-associated membrane proteins on PMNs. Taken together, our data suggest that PMN-surface expression of RPSA is a double-edged sword. RPSA+ PMN owns a stronger ability of bacterial cleaning and weakens inflammatory cytokines release which are useful to anti-infection, but does hurt BBB. Partly, RPSA+ PMN may be extremely useful to control the infection as a therapeutic cellular population, following novel insights into the special PMN population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Sun
- The Laboratory Department of First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Na Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Li Jia
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wenfei Guo
- The Laboratory Department of First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Hexiang Jiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Baijun Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Chuntong Bao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mengmeng Liu
- The Laboratory Department of First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Jing Huang
- The Laboratory Department of First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Liancheng Lei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,College of Animal Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China
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Nikolakopoulou P, Rauti R, Voulgaris D, Shlomy I, Maoz BM, Herland A. Recent progress in translational engineered in vitro models of the central nervous system. Brain 2020; 143:3181-3213. [PMID: 33020798 PMCID: PMC7719033 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The complexity of the human brain poses a substantial challenge for the development of models of the CNS. Current animal models lack many essential human characteristics (in addition to raising operational challenges and ethical concerns), and conventional in vitro models, in turn, are limited in their capacity to provide information regarding many functional and systemic responses. Indeed, these challenges may underlie the notoriously low success rates of CNS drug development efforts. During the past 5 years, there has been a leap in the complexity and functionality of in vitro systems of the CNS, which have the potential to overcome many of the limitations of traditional model systems. The availability of human-derived induced pluripotent stem cell technology has further increased the translational potential of these systems. Yet, the adoption of state-of-the-art in vitro platforms within the CNS research community is limited. This may be attributable to the high costs or the immaturity of the systems. Nevertheless, the costs of fabrication have decreased, and there are tremendous ongoing efforts to improve the quality of cell differentiation. Herein, we aim to raise awareness of the capabilities and accessibility of advanced in vitro CNS technologies. We provide an overview of some of the main recent developments (since 2015) in in vitro CNS models. In particular, we focus on engineered in vitro models based on cell culture systems combined with microfluidic platforms (e.g. 'organ-on-a-chip' systems). We delve into the fundamental principles underlying these systems and review several applications of these platforms for the study of the CNS in health and disease. Our discussion further addresses the challenges that hinder the implementation of advanced in vitro platforms in personalized medicine or in large-scale industrial settings, and outlines the existing differentiation protocols and industrial cell sources. We conclude by providing practical guidelines for laboratories that are considering adopting organ-on-a-chip technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polyxeni Nikolakopoulou
- AIMES, Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rossana Rauti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dimitrios Voulgaris
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Iftach Shlomy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ben M Maoz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anna Herland
- AIMES, Center for the Advancement of Integrated Medical and Engineering Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Micro and Nanosystems, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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Pang LK, Pena M, Zhao R, Lee DF. Modeling of osteosarcoma with induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Res 2020; 49:102006. [PMID: 33022533 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2020.102006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer. Osteosarcoma is commonly associated with TP53 inactivation (around 95% of cases) and RB1 inactivation (around 28% of cases). With the discovery of reprogramming factors to induce pluripotency even in terminally differentiated cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as a promising disease model. iPSC-based disease modeling uniquely recapitulates disease phenotypes and can support discoveries into disease etiology and is used extensively today to study a variety of diseases, including cancers. This paper focuses on iPSC-based modeling of Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS), an autosomal dominant disorder commonly associated with TP53 mutation and high osteosarcoma incidence. As iPSCs are increasingly utilized as a platform for cancer modeling, the experimental approaches that we discuss here may serve as a guide for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lon Kai Pang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Mezthly Pena
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Ruiying Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dung-Fang Lee
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Interactions and Signal Transduction Pathways Involved during Central Nervous System Entry by Neisseria meningitidis across the Blood-Brain Barriers. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228788. [PMID: 33233688 PMCID: PMC7699760 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Gram-negative diplococcus Neisseria meningitidis, also called meningococcus, exclusively infects humans and can cause meningitis, a severe disease that can lead to the death of the afflicted individuals. To cause meningitis, the bacteria have to enter the central nervous system (CNS) by crossing one of the barriers protecting the CNS from entry by pathogens. These barriers are represented by the blood–brain barrier separating the blood from the brain parenchyma and the blood–cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barriers at the choroid plexus and the meninges. During the course of meningococcal disease resulting in meningitis, the bacteria undergo several interactions with host cells, including the pharyngeal epithelium and the cells constituting the barriers between the blood and the CSF. These interactions are required to initiate signal transduction pathways that are involved during the crossing of the meningococci into the blood stream and CNS entry, as well as in the host cell response to infection. In this review we summarize the interactions and pathways involved in these processes, whose understanding could help to better understand the pathogenesis of meningococcal meningitis.
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Pong S, Karmacharya R, Sofman M, Bishop JR, Lizano P. The Role of Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell and Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction in Schizophrenia. Complex Psychiatry 2020; 6:30-46. [PMID: 34883503 PMCID: PMC7673590 DOI: 10.1159/000511552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite decades of research, little clarity exists regarding pathogenic mechanisms related to schizophrenia. Investigations on the disease biology of schizophrenia have primarily focused on neuronal alterations. However, there is substantial evidence pointing to a significant role for the brain's microvasculature in mediating neuroinflammation in schizophrenia. SUMMARY Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC) are a central element of the microvasculature that forms the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and shields the brain against toxins and immune cells via paracellular, transcellular, transporter, and extracellular matrix proteins. While evidence for BBB dysfunction exists in brain disorders, including schizophrenia, it is not known if BMEC themselves are functionally compromised and lead to BBB dysfunction. KEY MESSAGES Genome-wide association studies, postmortem investigations, and gene expression analyses have provided some insights into the role of the BBB in schizophrenia pathophysiology. However, there is a significant gap in our understanding of the role that BMEC play in BBB dysfunction. Recent advances differentiating human BMEC from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) provide new avenues to examine the role of BMEC in BBB dysfunction in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sovannarath Pong
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rakesh Karmacharya
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marianna Sofman
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Bishop
- Departments of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Paulo Lizano
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Recent advances in human iPSC-derived models of the blood-brain barrier. Fluids Barriers CNS 2020; 17:30. [PMID: 32321511 PMCID: PMC7178976 DOI: 10.1186/s12987-020-00191-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a critical component of the central nervous system that protects neurons and other cells of the brain parenchyma from potentially harmful substances found in peripheral circulation. Gaining a thorough understanding of the development and function of the human BBB has been hindered by a lack of relevant models given significant species differences and limited access to in vivo tissue. However, advances in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and organ-chip technologies now allow us to improve our knowledge of the human BBB in both health and disease. This review focuses on the recent progress in modeling the BBB in vitro using human iPSCs.
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Tarakanchikova Y, Alzubi J, Pennucci V, Follo M, Kochergin B, Muslimov A, Skovorodkin I, Vainio S, Antipina MN, Atkin V, Popov A, Meglinski I, Cathomen T, Cornu TI, Gorin DA, Sukhorukov GB, Nazarenko I. Biodegradable Nanocarriers Resembling Extracellular Vesicles Deliver Genetic Material with the Highest Efficiency to Various Cell Types. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1904880. [PMID: 31840408 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201904880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of genetic material to primary cells remains challenging. Here, efficient transfer of genetic material is presented using synthetic biodegradable nanocarriers, resembling extracellular vesicles in their biomechanical properties. This is based on two main technological achievements: generation of soft biodegradable polyelectrolyte capsules in nanosize and efficient application of the nanocapsules for co-transfer of different RNAs to tumor cell lines and primary cells, including hematopoietic progenitor cells and primary T cells. Near to 100% efficiency is reached using only 2.5 × 10-4 pmol of siRNA, and 1 × 10-3 nmol of mRNA per cell, which is several magnitude orders below the amounts reported for any of methods published so far. The data show that biodegradable nanocapsules represent a universal and highly efficient biomimetic platform for the transfer of genetic material with the utmost potential to revolutionize gene transfer technology in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Tarakanchikova
- Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Opto-Electronics and Measurement Techniques Research Unit, P.O. Box 4500, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, St. Petersburg Academic University, St. Petersburg, 194021, Russia
- RASA center in St. Petersburg, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, 195251, Russia
| | - Jamal Alzubi
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Valentina Pennucci
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marie Follo
- Department of Medicine I, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, 153000, Germany
| | - Boris Kochergin
- Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology, Sheremetievskiy Avenue 7, 153000, Ivanovo, Russia
| | - Albert Muslimov
- Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, St. Petersburg Academic University, St. Petersburg, 194021, Russia
| | - Ilya Skovorodkin
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Infotech Oulu, University of Oulu, Borealis Biobank of Northern Finland, 138634, Oulu, Finland
| | - Seppo Vainio
- Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Biocenter Oulu, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Infotech Oulu, University of Oulu, Borealis Biobank of Northern Finland, 138634, Oulu, Finland
| | - Maria N Antipina
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR, Singapore, 138634, Singapore
| | - Vsevolod Atkin
- Educational Research Institute of Nanostructures and Biosystems, Saratov State University, Saratov, Astrakhanskaya 83, 410012, Saratov, Russia
| | - Alexey Popov
- Opto-Electronics and Measurement Techniques Research Unit, P.O. Box 4500, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Igor Meglinski
- Opto-Electronics and Measurement Techniques Research Unit, P.O. Box 4500, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland
- Aston Institute of Materials Research, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - Toni Cathomen
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tatjana I Cornu
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- Center for Chronic Immunodeficiency, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Dmitry A Gorin
- Skoltech center of Photonics & Quantum Materials, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Skolkovo Innovation Center, Building 3, Moscow, 143026, Russia
| | - Gleb B Sukhorukov
- Educational Research Institute of Nanostructures and Biosystems, Saratov State University, Saratov, Astrakhanskaya 83, 410012, Saratov, Russia
- School of Engineering and Material Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, B47ET, UK
| | - Irina Nazarenko
- Institute for Infection Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, B47ET, Germany
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Abstract
Knowledge about the transport of active compounds across the blood-brain barrier is of essential importance for drug development. Systemically applied drugs for the central nervous system (CNS) must be able to cross the blood-brain barrier in order to reach their target sites, whereas drugs that are supposed to act in the periphery should not permeate the blood-brain barrier so that they do not trigger any adverse central adverse effects. A number of approaches have been pursued, and manifold in silico, in vitro, and in vivo animal models were developed in order to be able to make a better prediction for humans about the possible penetration of active substances into the CNS. In this particular case, however, in vitro models play a special role, since the data basis for in silico models is usually in need of improvement, and the predictive power of in vivo animal models has to be checked for possible species differences. The blood-brain barrier is a dynamic, highly selective barrier formed by brain capillary endothelial cells. One of its main tasks is the maintenance of homeostasis in the CNS. The function of the barrier is regulated by cells of the microenvironment and the shear stress mediated by the blood flow, which makes the model development most complex. In general, one could follow the credo "as easy as possible, as complex as necessary" for the usage of in vitro BBB models for drug development. In addition to the description of the classical cell culture models (transwell, hollow fiber) and guidance how to apply them, the latest developments (spheroids, microfluidic models) will be introduced in this chapter, as it is attempted to get more in vivo-like and to be applicable for high-throughput usage with these models. Moreover, details about the development of models based on stem cells derived from different sources with a special focus on human induced pluripotent stem cells are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winfried Neuhaus
- Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics, Center Health and Bioresources, AIT - Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Vienna, Austria.
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Virulence Factors of Meningitis-Causing Bacteria: Enabling Brain Entry across the Blood-Brain Barrier. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20215393. [PMID: 31671896 PMCID: PMC6862235 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections of the central nervous system (CNS) are still a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Traversal of the barriers protecting the brain by pathogens is a prerequisite for the development of meningitis. Bacteria have developed a variety of different strategies to cross these barriers and reach the CNS. To this end, they use a variety of different virulence factors that enable them to attach to and traverse these barriers. These virulence factors mediate adhesion to and invasion into host cells, intracellular survival, induction of host cell signaling and inflammatory response, and affect barrier function. While some of these mechanisms differ, others are shared by multiple pathogens. Further understanding of these processes, with special emphasis on the difference between the blood-brain barrier and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier, as well as virulence factors used by the pathogens, is still needed.
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A Yersinia ruckeri TIR Domain-Containing Protein (STIR-2) Mediates Immune Evasion by Targeting the MyD88 Adaptor. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184409. [PMID: 31500298 PMCID: PMC6769684 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
TIR domain-containing proteins are essential for bacterial pathogens to subvert host defenses. This study describes a fish pathogen, Yersinia ruckeri SC09 strain, with a novel TIR domain-containing protein (STIR-2) that affects Toll-like receptor (TLR) function. STIR-2 was identified in Y. ruckeri by bioinformatics analysis. The toxic effects of this gene on fish were determined by in vivo challenge experiments in knockout mutants and complement mutants of the stir-2 gene. In vitro, STIR-2 downregulated the expression and secretion of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. Furthermore, the results of NF-κB-dependent luciferase reporter system, co-immunoprecipitation, GST pull-down assays, and yeast two-hybrid assay indicated that STIR-2 inhibited the TLR signaling pathway by interacting with myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88). In addition, STIR-2 promoted the intracellular survival of pathogenic Yersinia ruckeri SC09 strain by binding to the TIR adaptor protein MyD88 and inhibiting the pre-inflammatory signal of immune cells. These results showed that STIR-2 increased virulence in Y. ruckeri and suppressed the innate immune response by inhibiting TLR and MyD88-mediated signaling, serving as a novel strategy for innate immune evasion.
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Kim BJ, Shusta EV, Doran KS. Past and Current Perspectives in Modeling Bacteria and Blood-Brain Barrier Interactions. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1336. [PMID: 31263460 PMCID: PMC6585309 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) barriers are highly specialized cellular barriers that promote brain homeostasis while restricting pathogen and toxin entry. The primary cellular constituent regulating pathogen entry in most of these brain barriers is the brain endothelial cell (BEC) that exhibits properties that allow for tight regulation of CNS entry. Bacterial meningoencephalitis is a serious infection of the CNS and occurs when bacteria can cross specialized brain barriers and cause inflammation. Models have been developed to understand the bacterial - BEC interaction that lead to pathogen crossing into the CNS, however, these have been met with challenges due to these highly specialized BEC phenotypes. This perspective provides a brief overview and outlook of the in vivo and in vitro models currently being used to study bacterial brain penetration, and opinion on improved models for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J Kim
- Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eric V Shusta
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Kelly S Doran
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
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