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30 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 30
Single Cell Deletion of the Transcription Factors Trps1 and Sox9 in Astrocytes Reveals Novel Functions in the Adult Cerebral Cortex.

Abstract (Expand)

Astrocytes play key roles in brain function, but how these are orchestrated by transcription factors (TFs) in the adult brain and aligned with astrocyte heterogeneity is largely unknown. Here we examined … the localization and function of the novel astrocyte TF Trps1 (Transcriptional Repressor GATA Binding 1) and the well-known astrocyte TF Sox9 by Cas9-mediated deletion using Mokola-pseudotyped lentiviral delivery into the adult cerebral cortex. Trps1 and Sox9 levels showed heterogeneity among adult cortical astrocytes, which prompted us to explore the effects of deleting either Sox9 or Trps1 alone or simultaneously at the single-cell (by patch-based single-cell transcriptomics) and tissue levels (by spatial transcriptomics). This revealed TF-specific functions in astrocytes, such as synapse maintenance with the strongest effects on synapse number achieved by Trps1 deletion and a common effect on immune response. In addition, spatial transcriptomics showed non-cell-autonomous effects on the surrounding cells, such as oligodendrocytes and other immune cells with TF-specific differences on the type of immune cells: Trps1 deletion affecting monocytes specifically, while Sox9 deletion acting mostly on microglia and deletion of both TF affecting mostly B cells. Taken together, this study reveals novel roles of Trps1 and Sox9 in adult astrocytes and their communication with other glial and immune cells.

Authors: Poornemaa Natarajan, Christina Koupourtidou, Thibault de Resseguier, Manja Thorwirth, Riccardo Bocchi, Judith Fischer-Sternjak, Sarah Gleiss, Diana Rodrigues, Michael H Myoga, Jovica Ninkovic, Giacomo Masserdotti, Magdalena Götz

Date Published: 28th Nov 2024

Publication Type: Journal

Twin study identifies early immunological and metabolic dysregulation of CD8+ T cells in multiple sclerosis.

Abstract (Expand)

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory neurological disease of the central nervous system with a subclinical phase preceding frank neuroinflammation. CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells are abundant … within MS lesions, but their potential role in disease pathology remains unclear. Using high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing and single-cell T cell receptor analysis, we compared CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell clones from the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of monozygotic twin pairs in which the cotwin had either no or subclinical neuroinflammation (SCNI). We identified peripheral MS-associated immunological and metabolic alterations indicative of an enhanced migratory, proinflammatory, and activated CD8<sup>+</sup> T cell phenotype, which was also evident in cotwins with SCNI and in an independent validation cohort of people with MS. Together, our in-depth single-cell analysis indicates a disease-driving proinflammatory role of infiltrating CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells and identifies potential immunological and metabolic therapeutic targets in both prodromal and definitive stages of the disease.

Authors: Vladyslav Kavaka, Luisa Mutschler, Clara de la Rosa Del Val, Klara Eglseer, Ana M Gómez Martínez, Andrea Flierl-Hecht, Birgit Ertl-Wagner, Daniel Keeser, Martin Mortazavi, Klaus Seelos, Hanna Zimmermann, Jürgen Haas, Brigitte Wildemann, Tania Kümpfel, Klaus Dornmair, Thomas Korn, Reinhard Hohlfeld, Martin Kerschensteiner, Lisa Ann Gerdes, Eduardo Beltrán

Date Published: 27th Sep 2024

Publication Type: Journal

Innate immune memory after brain injury drives inflammatory cardiac dysfunction.

Abstract (Expand)

The medical burden of stroke extends beyond the brain injury itself and is largely determined by chronic comorbidities that develop secondarily. We hypothesized that these comorbidities might share a … common immunological cause, yet chronic effects post-stroke on systemic immunity are underexplored. Here, we identify myeloid innate immune memory as a cause of remote organ dysfunction after stroke. Single-cell sequencing revealed persistent pro-inflammatory changes in monocytes/macrophages in multiple organs up to 3 months after brain injury, notably in the heart, leading to cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction in both mice and stroke patients. IL-1β was identified as a key driver of epigenetic changes in innate immune memory. These changes could be transplanted to naive mice, inducing cardiac dysfunction. By neutralizing post-stroke IL-1β or blocking pro-inflammatory monocyte trafficking with a CCR2/5 inhibitor, we prevented post-stroke cardiac dysfunction. Such immune-targeted therapies could potentially prevent various IL-1β-mediated comorbidities, offering a framework for secondary prevention immunotherapy.

Authors: Alba Simats, Sijia Zhang, Denise Messerer, Faye Chong, Sude Beşkardeş, Aparna Sharma Chivukula, Jiayu Cao, Simon Besson-Girard, Felipe A Montellano, Caroline Morbach, Olga Carofiglio, Alessio Ricci, Stefan Roth, Gemma Llovera, Rashween Singh, Yiming Chen, Severin Filser, Nikolaus Plesnila, Christian Braun, Hannah Spitzer, Özgün Gökçe, Martin Dichgans, Peter U Heuschmann, Kinta Hatakeyama, Eduardo Beltrán, Sebastian Clauss, Boyan Bonev, Christian Schulz, Arthur Liesz

Date Published: 22nd Jul 2024

Publication Type: Journal

Multiomic ALS signatures highlight subclusters and sex differences suggesting the MAPK pathway as therapeutic target.

Abstract (Expand)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating motor neuron disease and lacks effective disease-modifying treatments. This study utilizes a comprehensive multiomic approach to investigate the … early and sex-specific molecular mechanisms underlying ALS. By analyzing the prefrontal cortex of 51 patients with sporadic ALS and 50 control subjects, alongside four transgenic mouse models (C9orf72-, SOD1-, TDP-43-, and FUS-ALS), we have uncovered significant molecular alterations associated with the disease. Here, we show that males exhibit more pronounced changes in molecular pathways compared to females. Our integrated analysis of transcriptomes, (phospho)proteomes, and miRNAomes also identified distinct ALS subclusters in humans, characterized by variations in immune response, extracellular matrix composition, mitochondrial function, and RNA processing. The molecular signatures of human subclusters were reflected in specific mouse models. Our study highlighted the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway as an early disease mechanism. We further demonstrate that trametinib, a MAPK inhibitor, has potential therapeutic benefits in vitro and in vivo, particularly in females, suggesting a direction for developing targeted ALS treatments.

Authors: Lucas Caldi Gomes, Sonja Hänzelmann, Fabian Hausmann, Robin Khatri, Sergio Oller, Mojan Parvaz, Laura Tzeplaeff, Laura Pasetto, Marie Gebelin, Melanie Ebbing, Constantin Holzapfel, Stefano Fabrizio Columbro, Serena Scozzari, Johanna Knöferle, Isabell Cordts, Antonia F Demleitner, Marcus Deschauer, Claudia Dufke, Marc Sturm, Qihui Zhou, Pavol Zelina, Emma Sudria-Lopez, Tobias B Haack, Sebastian Streb, Magdalena Kuzma-Kozakiewicz, Dieter Edbauer, R Jeroen Pasterkamp, Endre Laczko, Hubert Rehrauer, Ralph Schlapbach, Christine Carapito, Valentina Bonetto, Stefan Bonn, Paul Lingor

Date Published: 1st Jul 2024

Publication Type: Journal

T cell-mediated microglial activation triggers myelin pathology in a mouse model of amyloidosis.

Abstract (Expand)

Age-related myelin damage induces inflammatory responses, yet its involvement in Alzheimer's disease remains uncertain, despite age being a major risk factor. Using a mouse model of Alzheimer's … disease, we found that amyloidosis itself triggers age-related oligodendrocyte and myelin damage. Mechanistically, CD8<sup>+</sup> T cells promote the progressive accumulation of abnormally interferon-activated microglia that display myelin-damaging activity. Thus, our data suggest that immune responses against myelinating oligodendrocytes may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases with amyloidosis.

Authors: Shreeya Kedia, Hao Ji, Ruoqing Feng, Peter Androvic, Lena Spieth, Lu Liu, Jonas Franz, Hanna Zdiarstek, Katrin Perez Anderson, Cem Kaboglu, Qian Liu, Nicola Mattugini, Fatma Cherif, Danilo Prtvar, Ludovico Cantuti-Castelvetri, Arthur Liesz, Martina Schifferer, Christine Stadelmann, Sabina Tahirovic, Özgün Gökçe, Mikael Simons

Date Published: 27th Jun 2024

Publication Type: Journal

Peripheral expression of brain-penetrant progranulin rescues pathologies in mouse models of frontotemporal lobar degeneration.

Abstract (Expand)

Progranulin (PGRN) haploinsufficiency is a major risk factor for frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) pathology (FTLD-<i>GRN</i>). Multiple therapeutic … strategies are in clinical development to restore PGRN in the CNS, including gene therapy. However, a limitation of current gene therapy approaches aimed to alleviate FTLD-associated pathologies may be their inefficient brain exposure and biodistribution. We therefore developed an adeno-associated virus (AAV) targeting the liver (L) to achieve sustained peripheral expression of a transferrin receptor (TfR) binding, brain-penetrant (b) PGRN variant [AAV(L):bPGRN] in two mouse models of FTLD-<i>GRN</i>, namely, <i>Grn</i> knockout and <i>GrnxTmem106b</i> double knockout mice. This therapeutic strategy avoids potential safety and biodistribution issues of CNS-administered AAVs and maintains sustained concentrations of PGRN in the brain after a single dose. AAV(L):bPGRN treatment reduced several FTLD-<i>GRN</i>-associated pathologies including severe motor function deficits, aberrant TDP-43 phosphorylation, dysfunctional protein degradation, lipid metabolism, gliosis, and neurodegeneration in the brain. The potential translatability of our findings was tested in an in vitro model using cocultured human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived microglia lacking PGRN and TMEM106B and wild-type hiPSC-derived neurons. As in mice, aberrant TDP-43, lysosomal dysfunction, and neuronal loss were ameliorated after treatment with exogenous TfR-binding protein transport vehicle fused to PGRN (PTV:PGRN). Together, our studies suggest that peripherally administered brain-penetrant PGRN replacement strategies ameliorate FTLD-<i>GRN</i> relevant phenotypes including TDP-43 pathology, neurodegeneration, and behavioral deficits. Our data provide preclinical proof of concept for the use of this AAV platform for treatment of FTLD-<i>GRN</i> and potentially other CNS disorders.

Authors: Marvin Reich, Matthew J Simon, Beate Polke, Iñaki Paris, Georg Werner, Christian Schrader, Lena Spieth, Sonnet S Davis, Sophie Robinson, Gabrielly Lunkes de Melo, Lennart Schlaphoff, Katrin Buschmann, Stefan Berghoff, Todd Logan, Brigitte Nuscher, Lis de Weerd, Dieter Edbauer, Mikael Simons, Jung H Suh, Thomas Sandmann, Mihalis S Kariolis, Sarah L DeVos, Joseph W Lewcock, Dominik Paquet, Anja Capell, Gilbert Di Paolo, Christian Haass

Date Published: 5th Jun 2024

Publication Type: Journal

Direct neuronal reprogramming of NDUFS4 patient cells identifies the unfolded protein response as a novel general reprogramming hurdle.

Abstract (Expand)

Mitochondria account for essential cellular pathways, from ATP production to nucleotide metabolism, and their deficits lead to neurological disorders and contribute to the onset of age-related diseases. … Direct neuronal reprogramming aims at replacing neurons lost in such conditions, but very little is known about the impact of mitochondrial dysfunction on the direct reprogramming of human cells. Here, we explore the effects of mitochondrial dysfunction on the neuronal reprogramming of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived astrocytes carrying mutations in the NDUFS4 gene, important for Complex I and associated with Leigh syndrome. This led to the identification of the unfolded protein response as a major hurdle in the direct neuronal conversion of not only astrocytes and fibroblasts from patients but also control human astrocytes and fibroblasts. Its transient inhibition potently improves reprogramming by influencing the mitochondria-endoplasmic-reticulum-stress-mediated pathways. Taken together, disease modeling using patient cells unraveled novel general hurdles and ways to overcome these in human astrocyte-to-neuron reprogramming.

Authors: G. Sonsalla, A. B. Malpartida, T. Riedemann, M. Gusic, E. Rusha, G. Bulli, S. Najas, A. Janjic, B. A. Hersbach, P. Smialowski, M. Drukker, W. Enard, J. H. M. Prehn, H. Prokisch, M. Gotz, G. Masserdotti

Date Published: 3rd Apr 2024

Publication Type: Journal

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