Project description:This study investigates the roles of neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in the pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive impairment, focusing on a dysregulated glia-neuron cycle. We utilized 18-month male C57BL/6 mice to model this condition, conducting single-cell RNA sequencing in the hippocampus to explore the neuroglial interactions and their implications in neuroinflammation, synaptic dysfunction, and myelin loss. This dataset includes transcriptomic profiles aimed at decoding the cellular communication in aged hippocampal cells and assessing the impact of therapeutic interventions on postoperative cognitive decline.
Project description:Persistent central nervous system (CNS) immune dysregulation and consequent dysfunction of multiple neural cell types is central to the neurobiological underpinnings of a cognitive impairment syndrome, colloquially referred to as “brain fog”, that can occur following traditional cancer therapies or certain infections. Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer care for many tumor types, but the potential long-term cognitive sequelae are incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate in mouse models that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for both CNS and non-CNS cancers can impair cognitive function and induce a persistent CNS immune response characterized by white matter microglial reactivity, microglial chemokine expression, and elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokines and chemokines. Consequently, oligodendroglial homeostasis and hippocampal neurogenesis are disrupted. Single nucleus sequencing studies of human frontal cortex and subcortical white matter from brain tumor patients with or without previous CAR T-cell therapy confirm reactive states of microglia and oligodendrocytes in patients treated with CAR T cell therapy. In mice, transient microglial depletion or CCR3 chemokine receptor blockade rescues oligodendroglial deficits and cognitive performance in a behavioral test of attention and short-term memory function following CAR T-cell therapy. Taken together, these findings illustrate similar mechanisms underlying immunotherapy-related cognitive impairment (IRCI) and cognitive impairment following traditional cancer therapies and other immune challenges.
Project description:Glia-neuron interaction is a crucial feature in aged hippocampus during the occurrence of postoperative cognitive impairment. However, the regulatory effects of microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in this glia-neuron interaction, the potential mechanisms and gene targets are still to be elucidated. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing was performed to detect the perioperative genomic expression characteristics of neuroglial system in the hippocampus of aged mice, and to investigate the potential cross-cellular mechanisms and valuable treatment options for glia-neuron interaction-related cognitive impairment. We found that postoperative neurons and glia cells exhibited protein dysmetabolism and mitochondrial electron misrouting. Impaired autophagy and circadian rhythm worsened microglia activation/neuroinflammation, and exacerbated these metabolic alterations. Reactive microglia also aggravated astrocyte and oligodendrocyte cytotoxicity through the PGD2/DP and complement pathways, altering glutamate level and synaptic function via the "tripartite synapses" model, and affecting neuronal myelination. Ligand-receptor communication also indicated these synaptic and axonal dysfunctions via enhanced MDK and PTN pathways. Additionally, we found that anesthetic dexmedetomidine hold therapeutic potential within the disrupted neuroglial system. It enhanced neuronal metabolic rebalance (Atf3-related) and reduced neuroinflammation from a multicellular perspective, therefore improving postoperative cognitive impairment. Together, our study proposes an aged hippocampal cell atlas and provides insights into the role of disrupted glia-neuron cycle in postoperative cognitive impairment. Our findings also elucidate the therapeutic potential and mechanism of dexmedetomidine intervention.
Project description:Persistent central nervous system (CNS) immune dysregulation and consequent dysfunction of multiple neural cell types is central to the neurobiological underpinnings of a cognitive impairment syndrome, colloquially referred to as “brain fog”, that can occur following traditional cancer therapies or certain infections. Immunotherapies have revolutionized cancer care for many tumor types, but the potential long-term cognitive sequelae are incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate in mouse models that chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for both CNS and non-CNS cancers can impair cognitive function and induce a persistent CNS immune response characterized by white matter microglial reactivity, microglial chemokine expression, and elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokines and chemokines. Consequently, oligodendroglial homeostasis and hippocampal neurogenesis are disrupted. Single nucleus sequencing studies of human frontal cortex and subcortical white matter from brain tumor patients with or without previous CAR T-cell therapy confirm reactive states of microglia and oligodendrocytes in patients treated with CAR T cell therapy. In mice, transient microglial depletion or CCR3 chemokine receptor blockade rescues oligodendroglial deficits and cognitive performance in a behavioral test of attention and short-term memory function following CAR T-cell therapy. Taken together, these findings illustrate similar mechanisms underlying immunotherapy-related cognitive impairment (IRCI) and cognitive impairment following traditional cancer therapies and other immune challenges.
Project description:Perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PNDs) can commonly occur after major surgery in at risk patients and its occurrence increases medical healthcare burdens and even mortality. Accumulating evidence points to neuroinflammation being pivotal to the pathogenesis of these conditions. The complement cascade contributes to neuroinflammatory responses in the central nervous system (CNS) and complement C3 has been implicated in the manifestation of cognitive deficits in several neurological conditions. Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes function differently to their non-activated counterparts and release complement components in response to pathological triggers. We observed previously that surgery induces a rapid rise and then fall in cytokines but a more sustained glial activation response that coincided with postoperative cognitive impairment. In this study, we explored the relationship between the expression of complement C3, glial activation, and cognitive deficits. Using a murine model of surgery, we characterized the transcriptional profiles of hippocampal astrocytes after surgery and examined the effects of C3 suppression on the neuroinflammatory response and cognitive performance. There was a delayed but sustained rise in hippocampal C3 of astrocytic in origin after surgery which corresponded with the onset of cognitive decline. Furthermore, the A1 or the neurotoxic phenotype predominated in this postoperative astrocytic activation, and these cells have a distinct transcriptional profile including C3 upregulation. Suppression of C3 inhibited synaptic phagocytosis by microglia and attenuated postoperative cognitive impairment. Therefore, C3 from reactive astrocytes appear central to the development of cognitive dysfunction associated with postoperative neuroinflammation.
Project description:Alzheimer case-control samples originate from the EU funded AddNeuroMed Cohort, which is a large cross-European AD biomarker study relying on human blood as the source of RNA. The design is case-control. Cases are either Alzheimer's disease patients, subjects with mild cognitive impairment or age and gender matched controls.
Project description:Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is one of the severe complications inducing low life quality and high mortality after surgery, especially in elderly patients.Here we probed differentially expressed circRNAs using microarray assay in POCD patients, aiming to find potential key circRNAs related to the occurrence of POCD. Subsequently, ten dysregulated circRNAs were confirmed via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in 10 paired samples. Then, Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to probe the vital functions of dysregulated genes.
Project description:It is important to maintain cognitive integrity during underwater operations, which may also trigger cognitive alterations. Cognitive effect of underwater operations and the underlying mechanism remain elusive. Here, we found a single underwater operation affects cognition in a time-dependent model. Prolonged exposure elicits significant cognitive impairment and hippocampal dysfunction, which was accompanied by activation of microglia and upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines. RNA-sequencing supported the involvement of neuroinflammation and indicated the critical role of CCR3. Knockdown of CCR3 significantly rescued cognitive impairment and hippocampal dysfunction. Furthermore, the upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines was also reversed. Mechanistically, CCR3 knockdown switched the activated microglia from a pro-inflammatory to neuroprotective phenotype. Taken together, these results highlighted the time-dependent effects of a single underwater operation on cognitive function. Knocking down CCR3 can attenuate neuroinflammation by regulating polarization of activated microglia, thereby alleviating prolonged underwater operation-induced cognitive impairment.