Bacteriophage DNA induces an interrupted immune response during phage therapy in a chicken model

One of the hopes for overcoming the antibiotic resistance crisis is the use of bacteriophages to combat bacterial infections, the so-called phage therapy. This therapeutic approach is generally believed to be safe for humans and animals as phages should infect only prokaryotic cells. Nevertheless, recent studies suggested that bacteriophages might be recognized by eukaryotic cells, inducing specific cellular responses. Here we show that in chickens infected with Salmonella enterica and treated with a phage cocktail, bacteriophages are initially recognized by animal cells as viruses, however, the cGAS-STING pathway (one of two major pathways of the innate antiviral response) is blocked at the stage of the IRF3 transcription factor phosphorylation. This inhibition is due to the inability of RNA polymerase III to recognize phage DNA and to produce dsRNA molecules which are necessary to stimulate a large protein complex indispensable for IRF3 phosphorylation, indicating the mechanism of the antiviral response impairment.

Diverse Efficacy of Dimethyl Fumarate in Alleviating the Late Streptozotocin-Induced Cognitive Impairment and Neuropathological Features in Rat

Our previous study showed that dimethyl fumarate (DMF) treatment performed within three weeks after intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of streptozotocin (STZ) attenuated spatial memory impairment, hippocampal neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation in rats. The present study is aimed at verifying the hypothesis that DMF alleviates late effects of STZ (6 months after ICV injection) which reflects advanced stage of the Alzheimer's disease (AD) in human patients. Spatial memory was assessed with Morris water maze (MWM), general brain level of amyloid β (Aβ) and p-tau was measured by western blot, immunofluorescent labelling of active microglia (IBA1), Aβ and p-tau and histological assay of neurodegeneration (Fluoro-Jade C) were performed in hippocampus and cortex. Two-week oral therapy with DMF normalized spatial memory disrupted by STZ but had no influence on general brain level of Aβ and p-tau. However, immunofluorescence showed local reduction of Aβ aggregates number in parietal cortex and p-tau+ cells in CA2 hippocampal area. Microgliosis was alleviated by DMF in CA1 area and parietal cortex. DMF-treated STZ injected rats showed higher number of Aβ containing microglia than untreated group in CA2 and frontal cortex, which may be the result of increased phagocytic activity in these areas after DMF treatment. STZ-induced neurodegeneration was alleviated by DMF in dentate gyrus and frontal cortex. In conclusion DMF treatment exerts beneficial effect on spatial memory in the rat model of late stage of AD, but weakly influences neuropathological features, as only local reduction in number of Aβ aggregates, p-tau containing cells, neurodegeneration, and microgliosis was found.

Propagation, Purification, and Characterization of Bacteriophages for Phage Therapy

Phage therapy is an alternative approach to combat bacterial infections. In this approach, bacteriophages are used as antimicrobial agents due to their properties to infect specific bacterial cells, to propagate inside their hosts, and to lyse host cell to release progeny phages. However, to introduce bacteriophages to clinical or veterinary practice, it is necessary to construct a large library of precisely characterized phages. Therefore, in this chapter, methods for propagation, purification, and microbiological characterization of bacteriophages are presented in the light of their potential use in phage therapy. Isolation of newly discovered bacteriophages from different habitats is also described as it is a preliminary assessment of their efficacy in combating bacterial biofilms and in the treatment of bacterial infections in a simple insect model-Galleria mellonella.

Biological aspects of phage therapy versus antibiotics against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection of chickens

Phage therapy is a promising alternative treatment of bacterial infections in human and animals. Nevertheless, despite the appearance of many bacterial strains resistant to antibiotics, these drugs still remain important therapeutics used in human and veterinary medicine. Although experimental phage therapy of infections caused by Salmonella enterica was described previously by many groups, those studies focused solely on effects caused by bacteriophages. Here, we compared the use of phage therapy (employing a cocktail composed of two previously isolated and characterized bacteriophages, vB_SenM-2 and vB_Sen-TO17) and antibiotics (enrofloxacin and colistin) in chickens infected experimentally with S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. We found that the efficacies of both types of therapies (i.e. the use of antibiotics and phage cocktail) were high and very similar to one another when the treatment was applied shortly (one day) after the infection. Under these conditions, S. Typhimurium was quickly eliminated from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), to the amount not detectable by the used methods. However, later treatment (2 or 4 days after detection of S. Typhimurium in chicken feces) with the phage cocktail was significantly less effective. Bacteriophages remained in the GIT for up to 2-3 weeks, and then were absent in feces and cloaca swabs. Interestingly, both phages could be found in various organs of chickens though with a relatively low abundance. No development of resistance of S. Typhimurium to phages or antibiotics was detected during the experiment. Importantly, although antibiotics significantly changed the GIT microbiome of chickens in a long-term manner, analogous changes caused by phages were transient, and the microbiome normalized a few weeks after the treatment. In conclusion, phage therapy against S. Typhimurium infection in chickens appeared as effective as antibiotic therapy (with either enrofloxacin or colistin), and less invasive than the use the antibiotics as fewer changes in the microbiome were observed.

Pathological Relevance of Anti-Hsp70 IgG Autoantibodies in Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita

Stress-induced heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a key intra- and extracellular molecular chaperone implicated in autoimmune processes. Highly immunogenic extracellular Hsp70 can activate innate and acquired (adaptive) immune responses driving the generation of anti-Hsp70 autoantibodies that are frequently observed in inflammatory/autoimmune disorders. We recently described the direct pathological role of extracellular Hsp70 in epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), an anti-type VII collagen autoantibody-mediated autoimmune blistering skin disease. Here, we determined the role of anti-Hsp70 autoantibodies in EBA. We observed that circulating anti-Hsp70 IgG autoantibodies were significantly elevated in EBA patients compared to healthy individuals and positively correlated with serum levels of pro-inflammatory interferon gamma (IFN-γ). The pathophysiological relevance of anti-Hsp70 IgG autoantibodies was demonstrated in an antibody transfer-induced EBA mouse model in which elevated serum levels of anti-Hsp70 IgG were found. In addition, anti-Hsp70 IgG-treated animals had a more intense clinical and histological disease activity, as well as upregulated nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activation in skin biopsies compared to isotype-treated animals. Our results suggest that autoantibodies to Hsp70 may contribute to EBA development via enhanced neutrophil infiltration to the skin and activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in an IFN-γ-associated manner.

Impaired ion homeostasis as a possible associate factor in mucopolysaccharidosis pathogenesis: transcriptomic, cellular and animal studies

Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a group of diseases caused by mutations resulting in deficiencies of lysosomal enzymes which lead to the accumulation of partially undegraded glycosaminoglycans (GAG). This phenomenon causes severe and chronic disturbances in the functioning of the organism, and leads to premature death. The metabolic defects affect also functions of the brain in most MPS types (except types IV, VI, and IX). The variety of symptoms, as well as the ineffectiveness of GAG-lowering therapies, question the early theory that GAG storage is the only cause of these diseases. As disorders of ion homeostasis increasingly turn out to be co-causes of the pathogenesis of various human diseases, the aim of this work was to determine the perturbations related to the maintenance of the ion balance at both the transcriptome and cellular levels in MPS. Transcriptomic studies, performed with fibroblasts derived from patients with all types/subtypes of MPS, showed extensive changes in the expression of genes involved in processes related to ion binding, transport and homeostasis. Detailed analysis of these data indicated specific changes in the expression of genes coding for proteins participating in the metabolism of Ca2+, Fe2+ and Zn2+. The results of tests carried out with the mouse MPS I model (Idua-/-) showed reductions in concentrations of these 3 ions in the liver and spleen. The results of these studies indicate for the first time ionic concentration disorders as possible factors influencing the course of MPS and show them as hypothetical, additional therapeutic targets for this rare disease.

Evidence for a role of extracellular heat shock protein 70 in epidermolysis bullosa acquisita

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and Hsp70 are chaperones implicated in different inflammatory disorders, given their property to impact innate and adaptive immune responses. Here, we determined the so far unknown role of extracellular Hsp70 in epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), an anti-type VII collagen autoantibody-mediated blistering dermatosis. The in vivo pathophysiological relevance of extracellular Hsp70 was demonstrated in an anti-type VII collagen antibody transfer-induced EBA mouse model in which elevated blood levels of this chaperone were recorded. We found that Hsp70-treated mice had a more intense clinical disease severity compared to controls that were paralleled by increased levels of cutaneous matrix metalloproteinase 9 and plasma hydrogen peroxide. The latter finding was confirmed in an independent reactive oxygen species release assay using EBA-specific immune complexes combined with recombinant Hsp70. Finally, cell culture experiments using human naive peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) revealed that extracellular Hsp70 stimulated the secretion of the T cell-derived pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8. This work extends knowledge about the role of Hsps in autoimmune bullous diseases, suggesting that extracellular Hsp70 represents a pathophysiological factor and potential treatment target in EBA.

Circulating heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) and autoantibodies to Hsp90 are increased in patients with atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common chronic inflammatory dermatoses characterized by persistent itching and recurrent eczematous lesions. While the primary events and key drivers of AD are topics of ongoing debate, cutaneous inflammation due to inappropriate IgE (auto)antibody-related immune reactions is frequently considered. Highly conserved and immunogenic heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), a key intra- and extracellular chaperone, can activate the immune response driving the generation of circulating anti-Hsp90 autoantibodies that are found to be elevated in several autoimmune disorders. Here, for the first time, we observed that serum levels of Hsp90 and anti-Hsp90 IgE autoantibodies are significantly elevated (p < 0.0001) in AD patients (n = 29) when compared to age- and gender-matched healthy controls (n = 70). We revealed a positive correlation (0.378, p = 0.042) between serum levels of Hsp90 and the severity of AD assessed by Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD). In addition, seropositivity for anti-Hsp90 IgE has been found in 48.27% of AD patients and in 2.85% of healthy controls. Although further studies on a larger group of patients are needed to confirm presented data, our results suggest that extracellular Hsp90 and autoantibodies to Hsp90 deserve attention in the study of the mechanisms that promote the development and/or maintenance of atopic dermatitis.

Autoantibodies to heat shock protein 60, 70, and 90 are not altered in the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG-seropositive humans without or with mild symptoms

Highly conserved heat shock proteins (Hsps) are localized in the cytoplasm and cellular organelles, and act as molecular chaperones or proteases. Members of Hsp families are released into the extracellular milieu under both normal and stress conditions. It is hypothesized that the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has the potential to elicit autoimmunity due to molecular mimicry between human extracellular Hsps and immunogenic proteins of the virus. To confirm the above hypothesis, levels of circulating autoantibodies directed to the key human chaperones i.e., Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsp90 in the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG-seropositive participants have been evaluated. Twenty-six healthy volunteers who got two doses of the mRNA vaccine encoding the viral spike protein, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG-positive participants (n = 15), and healthy naïve (anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG-negative) volunteers (n = 51) have been included in this study. We found that the serum levels of anti-Hsp60, anti-Hsp70, and anti-Hsp90 autoantibodies of the IgG, IgM, or IgA isotype remained unchanged in either the anti-COVID-19-immunized humans or the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG-positive participants when compared to healthy naïve volunteers, as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Our results showing that the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 did not include the production of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies that also recognized extracellular heat shock protein 60, 70, and 90 represent a partial evaluation of the autoimmunity hypothesis stated above. Further testing for cell-based immunity will be necessary to fully evaluate this hypothesis.

Dosage Compensation in Females with X-Linked Metabolic Disorders

Through the use of new genomic and metabolomic technologies, our comprehension of the molecular and biochemical etiologies of genetic disorders is rapidly expanding, and so are insights into their varying phenotypes. Dosage compensation (lyonization) is an epigenetic mechanism that balances the expression of genes on heteromorphic sex chromosomes. Many studies in the literature have suggested a profound influence of this phenomenon on the manifestation of X-linked disorders in females. In this review, we summarize the clinical and genetic findings in female heterozygotic carriers of a pathogenic variant in one of ten selected X-linked genes whose defects result in metabolic disorders.

Potential of genistein-induced autophagy in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Development of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, disorders characterized by progressing loss of neurons, is a great challenge for current medicine. Searching for drugs for these diseases is being proceeded in many laboratories in the world. To date, several therapeutical strategies have been proposed which, however, are either of insufficient efficacy or at the early preclinical stages. One of the newest concepts is elevated efficiency of degradation of protein aggregates which are causes of 70% of these diseases. Autophagy, i.e. lysosomal degradation of macromolecules, is a process which could be employed in such a strategy Searching for a compound which would not only stimulate autophagy but also reveal safety in a long-term usage and be able to cross the blood-brain-barrier led to studies on one of flavonoids, genistein which occurs at high concentrations in soy. Experiments with this compound indicated its enormous efficiency in removing protein aggregated formed by beta-amyloid, hyperphosphorylated tau protein, and mutant huntingtin. Moreover, using animal models of these diseases, correction of cognitive and motoric symptoms was demonstrated. Considering safety of genistein as well as its ability to crossing the blood-brain-barrier, one may assume that this molecule is a candidate for an effective drug in therapies of not only Alzheimer disease and Huntington disease, but also other disorders caused be protein aggregates. In this article, recent results of studies on the use of genistein in different models of neurodegenerative diseases are summarized, with special emphasis on its autophagy-dependent action.

Therapeutic Implications of Targeting Heat Shock Protein 70 by Immunization or Antibodies in Experimental Skin Inflammation

Heat shock proteins (Hsp) are constitutive and stress-induced molecules which have been reported to impact innate and adaptive immune responses. Here, we evaluated the role of Hsp70 as a treatment target in the imiquimod-induced, psoriasis-like skin inflammation mouse model and related in vitro assays. We found that immunization of mice with Hsp70 resulted in decreased clinical and histological disease severity associated with expansion of T cells in favor of regulatory subtypes (CD4⁺FoxP3⁺/CD4⁺CD25⁺ cells). Similarly, anti-Hsp70 antibody treatment led to lowered disease activity associated with down-regulation of pro-inflammatory Th17 cells. A direct stimulating action of Hsp70 on regulatory T cells and its anti-proliferative effects on keratinocytes were confirmed in cell culture experiments. Our observations suggest that Hsp70 may be a promising therapeutic target in psoriasis and potentially other autoimmune dermatoses.

Autologous extracellular Hsp70 exerts a dual role in rheumatoid arthritis

Extracellular heat shock proteins (Hsp) influence the adaptive immune response and may ameliorate pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. While some preclinical observations suggest that highly conserved bacterial and/or murine Hsp70 peptides have potential utility in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) via induction of T regulatory cells (Treg), the role of extracellular inducible human Hsp70 in adaptive immune processes requires further investigation. The present study evaluated Hsp70 influence on inflammatory cytokine-mediated modulation of T cell immunophenotype in ways that influence RA onset and severity. Initial experiments in the present investigation revealed that serum levels of Hsp70 are approximately 2-fold higher in RA patients versus healthy control subjects. To explore the effect of extracellular Hsp70 on key processes underlying the adaptive immune system, the effects of a highly pure, substrate-, and endotoxin-free human Hsp70 on polarization of the T helper cell subpopulations, including CD4+IL-17+ (Th17), CD4+FoxP3+ (Treg), CD4+IFN-γ+ (Th1), and CD4+IL-4+ (Th2), were studied in naïve human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures stimulated with anti-CD3/28 mAb. Major findings included an observation that while Hsp70 treatment increased Th17 frequencies and Th17/Treg ratio, the frequency of Th1 cells and the Th1/Th2 ratio were significantly decreased in the Hsp70-treated PBMC cultures. Moreover, data shown here provides preliminary suggestion that major contributing Hsp70-mediated immunomodulation includes interleukin 6 (IL-6) influence on Th17/Treg and Th1/Th2, since expression of this inflammatory cytokine is enhanced by in vitro Hsp70 treatment. These results are nevertheless preliminary and require further investigation to validate the above model.

Autophagy-dependent mechanism of genistein-mediated elimination of behavioral and biochemical defects in the rat model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is one of severe neurological diseases for which no effective treatment is currently available. The use of genistein (5,7-dihydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one) has been proposed previously as one of approaches to improve the disease symptoms, as some positive effects of this compound in cellular and animal models were reported. Inhibition of apoptosis and antioxidative functions were suggested as causes of these effects. Here, we demonstrate that high genistein dose (150 mg/kg/day; the dose significantly higher than those used previously in AD studies by others) can activate autophagy in the streptozotocin-induced rat model of the sporadic form of AD. We found that this dose of genistein led to complete degradation of β-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the brain, while experiments with cell cultures demonstrated that these effects require autophagy stimulation, which has never been shown before. Importantly, behavior of high dose genistein-treated AD rats was completely corrected, i.e. it was indistinguishable from that of healthy animals. This was observed in all performed behavioral tests: Morris water maze test, elevated plus-maze test, open field test, and locomotor measurements in an actometer. We conclude that autophagy-dependent mechanism is responsible for genistein-mediated correction of AD when this isoflavone is used at the high dose.

Autoantibodies to heat shock proteins 60, 70, and 90 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Heat shock proteins (HSP) have been reported to impact immune responses and to be associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recently, we provided evidence for a role of autoantibodies to Hsp40 in patients with RA. In this study, we aimed at investigating the humoral autoimmune response to Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsp90 in RA patients (n = 39). In comparison with healthy controls (n = 40), circulating IgG, IgM, and IgA autoantibodies against Hsp60, Hsp70, and Hsp90 were significantly increased in RA patients. Non-parametric statistical analysis, however, revealed no significant association between anti-HSP and disease activity or disease progression. On the other hand, positive correlations between serum levels of anti-Hsp60 IgG and IL-4 (Th2-like cytokine) or between serum levels of anti-Hsp90 IgG and IFN-ɣ (Th1-like cytokine) were found to be statistically significant in RA. In addition, a significant inverse correlation was found for serum levels of anti-Hsp70 IgM and TNF-α (Th1-like cytokine) in RA. Our results suggest a pronounced anti-Hsp60, anti-Hsp70, and anti-Hsp90 humoral autoimmune response in RA patients that seems not to be directly linked to RA pathophysiology, however, may have a potential modulatory impact on inflammatory status in this disease. Further investigations are needed to clarify the role of anti-HSP autoantibodies in RA.

[Molecular mechanisms of genistein action in the light of therapies for genetic and immunological diseases]

Genetic and immunological diseases, despite many attempts to develop effective treatments, still remain a great challenge for medicine. Current therapies of these diseases consist of pharmacological alleviation of symptoms, rehabilitation and psychological help which, although very important, are not sufficient. Therefore, searching for new therapeutics which could remove the major causes of these diseases is of particular importance for the society. Natural compounds reveal many biological activities which makes them candidates for drugs in such diseases. One of them is genistein, a compound from the group of flavonoids. As it affects multiple processes, genistein has become in the center of interest of many scientists working on diseases of various etiology, course and inheritance. It was used in experimental therapies of some genetic diseases (Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Parkinson disease, cystic fibrosis), as well as autoimmunological diseases and allergies. Clinical trials with the use of genistein in treatment of patients suffering from Alzheimer's diseases and mucopolysaccharidosis type III are ongoing. The employment of differential properties of genistein in attempts to treat each of these diseases is of special interest. In this review, detailed molecular mechanisms of genistein action are summarized in the light of therapies of the above mentioned genetic and immunological diseases, including description of therapeutic potentials of each activity of this isoflavone, efficiency of its action, and its potential use as a drug in the future.

Autophagy stimulation as a promising approach in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Autophagy is a process of degradation of macromolecules in the cytoplasm, particularly proteins of a long half-life, as well as whole organelles, in eukaryotic cells. Lysosomes play crucial roles during this degradation. Autophagy is a phylogenetically old, and evolutionarily conserved phenomenon which occurs in all eukaryotic cells. It can be found in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, insect Drosophila melanogaster, and mammals, including humans. Its high importance for cell physiology has been recognized, and in fact, dysfunctions causing impaired autophagy are associated with many severe disorders, including cancer and metabolic brain diseases. The types and molecular mechanisms of autophagy have been reviewed recently by others, and in this paper they will be summarized only briefly. Regulatory networks controlling the autophagy process are usually described as negative regulations. In contrast, here, we focus on different ways by which autophagy can be stimulated. In fact, activation of this process by different factors or processes can be considered as a therapeutic strategy in metabolic neurodegenerative diseases. These aspects are reviewed and discussed in this article.

Correction of Huntington's Disease Phenotype by Genistein-Induced Autophagy in the Cellular Model

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a monogenic disorder, caused by mutations in the HTT gene which result in expansion of CAG triplets. The product of the mutated gene is misfolded huntingtin protein that forms aggregates leading to impairment of neuronal function, neurodegeneration, motor abnormalities and cognitive deficits. No effective cure is currently available for HD. Here we studied effects of genistein (trihydroxyisoflavone) on a HD cellular model consisting of HEK-293 cells transfected with a plasmid bearing mutated HTT gene. Both level of mutated huntingtin and number of aggregates were significantly decreased in genistein-treated HD cell model. This led to increased viability of the cells. Autophagy was up-regulated while inhibition of lysosomal functions by chloroquine impaired the genistein-mediated degradation of the mutated huntingtin aggregates. Hence, we conclude that through stimulating autophagy, genistein removes the major pathogenic factor of HD. Prolonged induction of autophagy was suspected previously to be risky for patients due to putative adverse effects; however, genistein has been demonstrated recently to be safe and suitable for long-term therapies even at doses as high as 150 mg/kg/day. Therefore, results presented in this report provide a basis for the use of genistein in further studies on development of the potential treatment of HD.