Project description:Stroke is still a major cause of death and disability worldwide. A better comprehension of stroke pathophysiology is fundamental to reduce its dramatic outcome. Our aim was to identify and verify gene expression changes that occur in the human brain after ischemia.
Project description:We have used microarrays to investigate the changes in gene expression at various times after stroke. Our findings reported that gene expression screening can detect known and unknown transcriptional features of stroke. Brain samples were obtained from 9 patients who died from stroke, with the approval of the local Ethics Committee. The patients were aged between 51 and 86 years and had survived between 2-37 days following stroke. Tissue samples were taken from infarct and peri-infarcted zones while controls were obtained from the contralateral hemisphere. We established mRNA expression profiles of the damaged brain tissues between 2 to 6 days, 9 to 20 days, and 26 to 37 days after stroke. RNA from three stroke patients was pooled for each patient survival group.
Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of normal and ischemic stroke patients blood samples. The Illumina Infinium 850k Human DNA methylation Beadchip was used to obtain DNA methylation profiles across approximately 850,000 CpGs in liquid. Samples included 3 healthy people blood samples, 3 ischemic stroke patients blood samples.
Project description:Ischemic stroke can be classified depending on its etiology as cardioembolic (CE), large-vessel atheroesclerotic (LAA), lacunar, other or cryptogenic. Our aim was to identify gene expression changes that could differentiate CE and LAA stroke in order to guide the optimal secondary treatment .
Project description:Although it is well known that stroke and head trauma are one of the high risk factors for the development of acquired epilepsy, the cellular mechanisms underlying the epileptogenesis is not well understood. Using rodent models of ischemic stroke and head trauma (partial cortical isolation, undercut), we comparatively analyzed transcription profiles between two different models to explore the commonality. Despite well-known risk factors such as stroke and head trauma, it has not been clinically effective to prevent acquired epilepsy. To do so, it is crucial to understand what commonly drives neural hyperexcitability. Using comparative transcriptome analyses with different models of acquired epilepsy including stroke and head trauma (the present GEO case), as well as blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, albumin, and TGFβ application (GEO accession number: GSE12304), we show that TGFβ signaling activation following BBB disruption commonly occurs regardless of brain region and insult types, accompanied by the strong upregulation of genes relevant to inflammation and extracellular matrix (ECM) modulation.
Project description:Purpose: Signaling pathways mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs) represent one of the mechanisms that regulate stroke progression and recovery. The goal of this study is to investigate miRNA expression signatures in freshly removed human stroke brain tissue. Methods: Human brain samples (5 stroke and 3 non-stroke samples) obtained at 48-72 hours after stroke onset during craniectomy and stroke-ectomy, were subjected to histopathological and immunofluorescence microscopy analyses. NGS sequencing was performed by Qiagen company and analyses were carried out using QIAseq miRNA Quantification workflow and RNA-seq Analysis tools within CLC Genomics Workbench (version 20.0.2). Reads were normalized for expression analysis using trimmed mean of M-values method (TMM). miRNA profiling was performed using the EdgeR in Bioconductor package. Whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing Analysis: The unmapped reads from the NGS miRNA analysis were extracted, deduplicated and mapped to the genome. Gene expressions were calculated by counting number of reads mapping to the annotated gene loci. Human miR-155 Targets RT2 Profiler PCR Array (Qiagen) was performed using 3 RNA samples per stroke and control groups. The PCR Array Data analysis was performed using an automated PCR Analysis Web Portal and GeneGlobe Data Analysis (Qiagen). Results: Human stroke brain tissue was characterized by classic ischemic changes, including significant neuronal and vascular damage, and prominent edema. The absence of monocytes and notable neutrophil infiltration indicated the early stage of leukocyte response to ischemia. miRNA NGS analysis detected 36 miRNAs with significantly aberrant expression in stroke tissue, as compared to non-stroke samples. Of these miRNAs, 19 were previously identified in stroke patient blood and CSF, while dysregulation of 16 miRNAs was newly detected in this study. Bioinformatics pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated a strong association of the identified miRNAs with stroke-related biological processes and signaling pathways Conclusions: Dysregulated miRNAs detected in our study could be regarded as potential candidates for biomarkers and/or targets for therapeutic intervention. The obtained data will serve for better understanding of the molecular basis of stroke and provide valuable information for the future functional studies in the experimental models of stroke.
Project description:This program addresses the gene signature associated with brain (cortex) in the tMCAO rat model for stroke. The tMCAO stroke model profiling data was analyzed by identifying genes that were up- and down-regulated at selected p value and fold change in brain cortex of the Sprague Dawley rats following middle cerebral artery occlusion compared to the sham-operated controls.
Project description:Acute stroke triggers extensive changes to myeloid immune cell populations in the brain that may be targets for limiting brain damage and enhancing repair. Immunomodulatory approaches will be most effective with precise manipulation of discrete myeloid cell phenotypes in time and space. Here, we investigate how stroke alters mononuclear myeloid cell composition and phenotypes at single-cell resolution and key spatial patterns. Our results show that multiple reactive microglial states and monocyte-derived populations contribute to an extensive myeloid cell repertoire in post-stroke brains. We identify important overlaps and distinctions among different cell types/states that involve ontogeny- and spatial-related properties. Notably, brain connectivity with infarcted tissue underpins the pattern of local and remote altered cell accumulation and reactivity. Our discoveries suggest a global but anatomically governed brain myeloid cell response to stroke that comprises diverse phenotypes arising through intrinsic cell ontogeny factors interacting with exposure to spatially organized brain damage and neuro-axonal cues.