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Harbuzariu A, Nti A, Harp KO, Cespedes JC, Driss A, Stiles JK. Neuregulin-1/ErbB4 signaling modulates Plasmodium falciparum HRP2-induced damage to brain cortical organoids. iScience 2022; 25:104407. [PMID: 35663028 PMCID: PMC9157207 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cerebral malaria (HCM) is a severe complication of Plasmodium falciparum (P.f.) infection that is characterized by capillary occlusions, rupture of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), perivascular cellular injury, and brain swelling. P.f.histidine-rich protein 2 (HRP2), a byproduct of parasitized red blood cell (pRBC) lysis, crosses the BBB when compromised to cause brain injury. We hypothesized that HRP2-induced neuronal damage can be attenuated by Neuregulin-1 (NRG1), an anti-inflammatory neuroprotective factor. Using brain cortical organoids, we determined that HRP2 upregulated cell death and inflammatory markers and disorganized brain organoid tissue. We identified toll-like receptors (TLR1 and 2) as potential mediators of HRP2-induced cellular damage and inflammation. Exogenous acute treatment of organoids with NRG1 attenuated HRP2 effects. The results indicate that HRP2 mediates malaria-associated HRP2-induced brain injury and inflammation and that NRG1 may be an effective therapy against HRP2 effects in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Harbuzariu
- Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
| | - Annette Nti
- Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
| | - Keri Oxendine Harp
- Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
| | - Juan C. Cespedes
- Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
| | - Adel Driss
- Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
| | - Jonathan K. Stiles
- Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
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Chambliss C, Richardson T, Onyekaba J, Cespedes J, Nti A, Harp KO, Buchanan-Perry I, Stiles JK, Gee BE. Elevated neuregulin-1 β levels correlate with plasma biomarkers of cerebral injury and high stroke risk in children with sickle cell anemia. Endocr Metab Sci 2021; 3:100088. [PMID: 35935682 PMCID: PMC9351492 DOI: 10.1016/j.endmts.2021.100088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Stroke, or cerebral infarction, is one of the most serious complications of sickle cell anemia (SCA) in childhood, potentially leading to impaired development and life-long physical and cognitive disabilities. About one in ten children with SCA are at risk for developing overt stroke and an additional 25% may develop silent cerebral infarcts. This is largely due to underlying cerebral injury caused by chronic cerebral ischemia and vascular insult associated with SCA. We previously identified two elevated markers of cerebral injury, plasma brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AA, in children with SCA and high stroke risk. The objective of this study was to investigate whether neuregulin-1β (NRG-1), an endogenous neuroprotective polypeptide may also be elevated in children with SCA. Neuregulin-1β is involved in the preservation of blood brain barrier integrity and brain microvascular cell viability and is cytoprotective in conditions of heme-induced injury and ischemia. Since elevated plasma heme and ischemia are signature characteristics of SCA, we hypothesized that NRG-1 would be elevated in children with SCA, and that NRG-1 levels would also correlate with our biomarkers of cerebral injury. Plasma NRG-1, BDNF and PDGF-AA levels were measured in children with SCA and healthy Controls. Plasma NRG-1 was found to be nearly five-fold higher in those children with SCA compared to Controls. Neuregulin-1β was also positively correlated with both BDNF and PDGF-AA concentrations, but was not associated with degree of anemia, suggesting that NRG-1 production may be an endogenous response to subclinical cerebral ischemia in SCA warranting further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Chambliss
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine; 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA,Corresponding author. (C. Chambliss)
| | | | - John Onyekaba
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine; 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Juan Cespedes
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine; 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Annette Nti
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine; 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Keri Oxendine Harp
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine; 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Iris Buchanan-Perry
- Department of Pediatrics, Morehouse School of Medicine; 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA,Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; 35 Jesse Hill Jr Drive SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Jonathan K. Stiles
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine; 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Beatrice E. Gee
- Department of Pediatrics, Morehouse School of Medicine; 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA,Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; 35 Jesse Hill Jr Drive SE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA,Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center; 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA,Pediatrics Institute, Emory University School of Medicine; 2015 Uppergate Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
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Harbuzariu A, Pitts S, Cespedes JC, Harp KO, Nti A, Shaw AP, Liu M, Stiles JK. Modelling heme-mediated brain injury associated with cerebral malaria in human brain cortical organoids. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19162. [PMID: 31844087 PMCID: PMC6914785 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55631-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cerebral malaria (HCM), a severe encephalopathy associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection, has a 20-30% mortality rate and predominantly affects African children. The mechanisms mediating HCM-associated brain injury are difficult to study in human subjects, highlighting the urgent need for non-invasive ex vivo human models. HCM elevates the systemic levels of free heme, which damages the blood-brain barrier and neurons in distinct regions of the brain. We determined the effects of heme on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and a three-dimensional cortical organoid system and assessed apoptosis and differentiation. We evaluated biomarkers associated with heme-induced brain injury, including a pro-inflammatory chemokine, CXCL-10, and its receptor, CXCR3, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and a receptor tyrosine-protein kinase, ERBB4, in the organoids. We then tested the neuroprotective effect of neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) against heme treatment in organoids. Neural stem and mature cells differentially expressed CXCL-10, CXCR3, BDNF and ERBB4 in the developing organoids and in response to heme-induced neuronal injury. The organoids underwent apoptosis and structural changes that were attenuated by NRG-1. Thus, cortical organoids can be used to model heme-induced cortical brain injury associated with HCM pathogenesis as well as for testing agents that reduce brain injury and neurological sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Harbuzariu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA.
| | - Sidney Pitts
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Juan Carlos Cespedes
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Keri Oxendine Harp
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Annette Nti
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Andrew P Shaw
- Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, 315 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Mingli Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA
| | - Jonathan K Stiles
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr, Atlanta, GA, 30310, USA.
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Cespedes JC, Liu M, Harbuzariu A, Nti A, Onyekaba J, Cespedes HW, Bharti PK, Solomon W, Anyaoha P, Krishna S, Adjei A, Botchway F, Ford B, Stiles JK. Neuregulin in Health and Disease. Int J Brain Disord Treat 2018; 4:024. [PMID: 31032468 PMCID: PMC6483402 DOI: 10.23937/2469-5866/1410024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Cespedes
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Mingli Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Adriana Harbuzariu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Annette Nti
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - John Onyekaba
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Hanna Watson Cespedes
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | | | - Wesley Solomon
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Precious Anyaoha
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
| | - Sri Krishna
- ICMR-National Institute for Research in Tribal Health, India
| | - Andrew Adjei
- Department of Pathology, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
| | - Felix Botchway
- Department of Pathology, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, University of Ghana Medical School, Ghana
| | - Byron Ford
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, University of California-Riverside School of Medicine, USA
| | - Jonathan K Stiles
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Immunology, Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
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