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Tanaka M, Vécsei L. A Decade of Dedication: Pioneering Perspectives on Neurological Diseases and Mental Illnesses. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1083. [PMID: 38791045 PMCID: PMC11117868 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12051083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Welcome to Biomedicines' 10th Anniversary Special Issue, a journey through the human mind's labyrinth and complex neurological pathways [...].
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaru Tanaka
- HUN-REN-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Research Network, University of Szeged, Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Tisza Lajos krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary;
| | - László Vécsei
- HUN-REN-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Research Network, University of Szeged, Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Tisza Lajos krt. 113, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary;
- Department of Neurology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, Semmelweis u. 6, H-6725 Szeged, Hungary
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Zhu X, Schrader JM, Irizarry BA, Smith SO, Van Nostrand WE. Impact of Aβ40 and Aβ42 Fibrils on the Transcriptome of Primary Astrocytes and Microglia. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10112982. [PMID: 36428550 PMCID: PMC9688026 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10112982] [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: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrillar amyloid β-protein (Aβ) deposits in the brain, which are primarily composed of Aβ40 or Aβ42 peptides, are key pathological features of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related disorders. Although the underlying mechanisms are still not clear, the Aβ fibrils can trigger a number of cellular responses, including activation of astrocytes and microglia. In addition, fibril structures of the Aβ40 and Aβ42 peptides are known to be polymorphic, which poses a challenge for attributing the contribution of different Aβ sequences and structures to brain pathology. Here, we systematically treated primary astrocytes and microglia with single, well-characterized polymorphs of Aβ40 or Aβ42 fibrils, and performed bulk RNA sequencing to assess cell-specific changes in gene expression. A greater number of genes were up-regulated by Aβ42 fibril-treated glial cells (251 and 2133 genes in astrocyte and microglia, respectively) compared with the Aβ40 fibril-treated glial cells (191 and 251 genes in astrocytes and microglia, respectively). Immunolabeling studies in an AD rat model with parenchymal fibrillar Aβ42 plaques confirmed the expression of PAI-1, MMP9, MMP12, CCL2, and C1r in plaque-associated microglia, and iNOS, GBP2, and C3D in plaque-associated astrocytes, validating markers from the RNA sequence data. In order to better understand these Aβ fibril-induced gene changes, we analyzed gene expression patterns using the Ingenuity pathway analysis program. These analyses further highlighted that Aβ42 fibril treatment up-regulated cellular activation pathways and immune response pathways in glial cells, including IL1β and TNFα in astrocytes, and microglial activation and TGFβ1 in microglia. Further analysis revealed that a number of disease-associated microglial (DAM) genes were surprisingly suppressed in Aβ40 fibril treated microglia. Together, the present findings indicate that Aβ42 fibrils generally show similar, but stronger, stimulating activity of glial cells compared with Aβ40 fibril treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyue Zhu
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Joseph M. Schrader
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Brandon A. Irizarry
- Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Steven O. Smith
- Center for Structural Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - William E. Van Nostrand
- George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-401-874-2363
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Denecke KM, McBain CA, Hermes BG, Teertam SK, Farooqui M, Virumbrales-Muñoz M, Panackal J, Beebe DJ, Famakin B, Ayuso JM. Microfluidic Model to Evaluate Astrocyte Activation in Penumbral Region following Ischemic Stroke. Cells 2022; 11:cells11152356. [PMID: 35954200 PMCID: PMC9367413 DOI: 10.3390/cells11152356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Stroke is one of the main causes of death in the US and post-stroke treatment options remain limited. Ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot that compromises blood supply to the brain, rapidly leading to tissue death at the core of the infarcted area surrounded by a hypoxic and nutrient-starved region known as the penumbra. Recent evidence suggests that astrocytes in the penumbral region play a dual role in stroke response, promoting further neural and tissue damage or improving tissue repair depending on the microenvironment. Thus, astrocyte response in the hypoxic penumbra could promote tissue repair after stroke, salvaging neurons in the affected area and contributing to cognitive recovery. However, the complex microenvironment of ischemic stroke, characterized by gradients of hypoxia and nutrients, poses a unique challenge for traditional in vitro models, which in turn hinders the development of novel therapies. To address this challenge, we have developed a novel, polystyrene-based microfluidic device to model the necrotic and penumbral region induced by an ischemic stroke. We demonstrated that when subjected to hypoxia, and nutrient starvation, astrocytes within the penumbral region generated in the microdevice exhibited long-lasting, significantly altered signaling capacity including calcium signaling impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Denecke
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (K.M.D.); (B.G.H.); (M.F.); (M.V.-M.); (D.J.B.)
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (S.K.T.); (J.P.)
| | - Catherine A. McBain
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA;
| | - Brock G. Hermes
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (K.M.D.); (B.G.H.); (M.F.); (M.V.-M.); (D.J.B.)
| | - Sireesh Kumar Teertam
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (S.K.T.); (J.P.)
| | - Mehtab Farooqui
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (K.M.D.); (B.G.H.); (M.F.); (M.V.-M.); (D.J.B.)
| | - María Virumbrales-Muñoz
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (K.M.D.); (B.G.H.); (M.F.); (M.V.-M.); (D.J.B.)
| | - Jennifer Panackal
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (S.K.T.); (J.P.)
| | - David J. Beebe
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (K.M.D.); (B.G.H.); (M.F.); (M.V.-M.); (D.J.B.)
- UW Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Bolanle Famakin
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; (S.K.T.); (J.P.)
- Correspondence: (B.F.); (J.M.A.)
| | - Jose M. Ayuso
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA;
- UW Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Correspondence: (B.F.); (J.M.A.)
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Fluid Biomarkers in Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders: Toward Integrative Diagnostic Frameworks and Tailored Treatments. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12040796. [PMID: 35453843 PMCID: PMC9029739 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12040796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) represents an increasing social burden, with the unsolved issue of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs). The failure of clinical trials treating Alzheimer′s Disease (AD) so far highlighted the need for a different approach in drug design and patient selection. Identifying subjects in the prodromal or early symptomatic phase is critical to slow down neurodegeneration, but the implementation of screening programs with this aim will have an ethical and social aftermath. Novel minimally invasive candidate biomarkers (derived from blood, saliva, olfactory brush) or classical cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers have been developed in research settings to stratify patients with NDDs. Misfolded protein accumulation, neuroinflammation, and synaptic loss are the pathophysiological hallmarks detected by these biomarkers to refine diagnosis, prognosis, and target engagement of drugs in clinical trials. We reviewed fluid biomarkers of NDDs, considering their potential role as screening, diagnostic, or prognostic tool, and their present-day use in clinical trials (phase II and III). A special focus will be dedicated to novel techniques for the detection of misfolded proteins. Eventually, an applicative diagnostic algorithm will be proposed to translate the research data in clinical practice and select prodromal or early patients to be enrolled in the appropriate DMTs trials for NDDs.
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De Luca C, Virtuoso A, Cerasuolo M, Gargano F, Colangelo AM, Lavitrano M, Cirillo G, Papa M. Matrix metalloproteinases, purinergic signaling, and epigenetics: hubs in the spinal neuroglial network following peripheral nerve injury. Histochem Cell Biol 2022; 157:557-567. [PMID: 35175413 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-022-02082-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Activation of glial cells (reactive gliosis) and the purinergic pathway, together with metalloproteinase (MMP)-induced remodeling of the neural extracellular matrix (nECM), drive maladaptive changes in the spinal cord following peripheral nerve injury (PNI). We evaluated the effects on spinal maladaptive plasticity through administration of oxidized ATP (oxATP), an antagonist of P2X receptors (P2XR), and/or GM6001, an inhibitor of MMPs, in rats following spared nerve injury (SNI) of the sciatic nerve. With morpho-molecular techniques, we demonstrated a reduction in spinal reactive gliosis and changes in the neuro-glial-nECM crosstalk via expression remodeling of P2XR, nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors (TrkA and p75), and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) after treatments with oxATP/GM6001. Altogether, our data suggest that MMPs and purinergic inhibition have a modulatory impact on key proteins in the neuro-glial-nECM network, acting at different levels from intracellular signaling to epigenetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciro De Luca
- Neuronal Network Morphology and Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Assunta Virtuoso
- Neuronal Network Morphology and Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.,School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Michele Cerasuolo
- Neuronal Network Morphology and Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Gargano
- Neuronal Network Morphology and Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Colangelo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience "R. Levi-Montalcini", Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology ISBE-IT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Giovanni Cirillo
- Neuronal Network Morphology and Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.
| | - Michele Papa
- Neuronal Network Morphology and Systems Biology Lab, Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.,SYSBIO Centre of Systems Biology ISBE-IT, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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