Project description:Sterile neuroinflammation is a major driver of multiple neurological diseases. Myelin debris, which is released from the damaged myelin sheaths during demyelination, can act as an inflammatory stimulus to promote sterile inflammation and neurological pathologies, but the mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we show that lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS)-GPR34 axis plays a critical role in microglia-mediated myelin debris sensing and the subsequent neuroinflammation. Myelin debris-induced microglia activation and proinflammatory cytokine expression relied on its lipid component LysoPS. Both myelin debris and LysoPS promoted microglia to produce IL-1and IL-6 via GPR34 and its downstream PI3K-AKT and ERK signaling. In vivo, LysoPS production and GPR34 signaling were found to be essential for neuroinflammation and pathologies in the mouse models of multiple sclerosis and stroke. Importantly, pharmacologic blockade of GPR34 showed potential therapeutic effects on these disease models. Thus, our results identify GPR34 as a key receptor to sense myelin debris and promote neuroinflammation, and suggest it as a potential target for demyelination-associated diseases.
Project description:Study objective was to investigate the molecular underpinnings of how Pex5 and peroxisome integrity facilitated the demyelination response in myeloid cells. We investigated the transcriptomic changes related to myelin debris uptake in the context of disrupted peroxisome integrity using Pex5 deficient bone marrow derived macrophages.
Project description:The efficiency of central nervous system (CNS) remyelination declines with age. This is in part due to an age-associated decline in the phagocytic removal of myelin debris, which contains inhibitors of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation. In this study we show that expression of genes involved in the retinoid X receptor (RXR) pathway are decreased with aging in myelin-phagocytosing cells. Loss of RXR function in young macrophages mimics aging by delaying remyelination after experimentally-induced demyelination, while RXR agonists partially restore myelin debris phagocytosis in aged macrophages. The FDA-approved RXR agonist bexarotene, when used in concentrations achievable in human subjects, caused a reversion of the gene expression profile in aging human monocytes to a more youthful profile. These results reveal the RXR pathway as a positive regulator of myelin debris clearance and a key player in the age-related decline in remyelination that may be targeted by available or newly-developed therapeutics. 24 Human CD14+ monocyte-sorted PBMC samples representing 4 Healthy Volunteers (HV) and 4 Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients under 3 different treatment conditions. Condition 1 = (-) Phagocystosis (-) Bexarotene. Condition 2 = (+) Phagocystosis (-) Bexarotene. Condition 3 = (+) Phagocystosis (+) Bexarotene.
Project description:The efficiency of central nervous system (CNS) remyelination declines with age. This is in part due to an age-associated decline in the phagocytic removal of myelin debris, which contains inhibitors of oligodendrocyte progenitor cell differentiation. In this study we show that expression of genes involved in the retinoid X receptor (RXR) pathway are decreased with aging in myelin-phagocytosing cells. Loss of RXR function in young macrophages mimics aging by delaying remyelination after experimentally-induced demyelination, while RXR agonists partially restore myelin debris phagocytosis in aged macrophages. The FDA-approved RXR agonist bexarotene, when used in concentrations achievable in human subjects, caused a reversion of the gene expression profile in aging human monocytes to a more youthful profile. These results reveal the RXR pathway as a positive regulator of myelin debris clearance and a key player in the age-related decline in remyelination that may be targeted by available or newly-developed therapeutics.
Project description:Axon degeneration and neurological dysfunction in myelin diseases is often attributed to loss of myelin. Perturbed myelinating glia can instigate chronic neuroinflammation and contribute to demyelination and axonal damage. We have previously shown in mice that distinct defects in the proteolipid protein 1 gene result in axonal damage which is largely driven by cytotoxic T cells targeting myelinating oligodendrocytes. Here we show in these mutants that persistent ensheathment with perturbed myelin poses a risk for axon degeneration, neuron loss, and behavioral decline. We demonstrate that CD8+ T cell-driven axonal damage is less likely to progress towards degeneration when axons are efficiently demyelinated by activated microglia. Mechanistically, we show that cytotoxic T cell effector molecules induce aberrant cytoskeletal plasticity within myelinating glial processes and constriction of axons at paranodal domains. Our study identifies detrimental axon-glia interactions which promote neurodegeneration and possible therapeutic targets for disorders associated with myelin defects and neuroinflammation.
Project description:Microglial activation during neuroinflammation is crucial for coordinating the immune response against neuronal tissue and the initial response of microglia determines the severity of neuroinflammatory diseases. CD83 has been associated with early activation of microglia in various disease settings albeit its functional relevance for microglial biology was still elusive. Thus, we conducted a thorough assessment of CD83 regulation in microglia as well as its impact on microglial mediated neuroinflammation. Here, we describe for the first time that CD83 expression in microglia is not only associated with cellular activation but also with pro-resolving functions. Conditional deletion of CD83 causes malfunctioning responses to myelin debris, which results in an over-activated state during autoimmune neuroinflammation. Subsequently, CD83-deficient microglia recruit more pathogenic immune cells to the central nervous system and deteriorate resolving mechanism, which exacerbates the disease. Thus, CD83 in microglia orchestrates cellular activation and consequently, also resolution of neuroinflammation.
Project description:Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (LOAD), leading to earlier age of clinical onset and exacerbating pathologies. There is a critical need to identify protective targets. Recently, a rare APOE variant, APOE3-R136S (Christchurch), was found to protect against early-onset AD in a PSEN1-E280A carrier. We sought to determine if the R136S mutation also protects against APOE4-driven effects in LOAD. We generated tauopathy mouse and human iPSC-derived neuron models carrying human APOE4 with the homozygous or heterozygous R136S mutation. We found that the homozygous R136S mutation rescued APOE4-driven Tau pathology, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation. The heterozygous R136S mutation partially protected against APOE4-driven neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation, but not Tau pathology. Single-nucleus RNA-sequencing revealed that the APOE4-R136S mutation increased disease-protective and diminished disease-associated cell populations in a gene dose-dependent manner. Thus, the APOE-R136S mutation protects against APOE4-driven AD pathologies, providing a target for therapeutic development against AD.
Project description:BackgroundThe presence of foamy macrophages and microglia containing intracellular myelin remnants is a pathological hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Despite the importance of myelin internalization in affecting both central nervous system repair and neuroinflammation, the receptors involved in myelin clearance and their impact on the phagocyte phenotype and lesion progression remain to be clarified.MethodsFlow cytometry, quantitative PCR, and immunohistochemistry were used to define the mRNA and protein abundance of CD36 in myelin-containing phagocytes. The impact of CD36 and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) on the phagocytic and inflammatory features of macrophages and microglia was assessed using a pharmacological CD36 inhibitor (sulfo-N-succinimidyl oleate) and Nrf2-/- bone marrow-derived macrophages. Finally, the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model was used to establish the impact of CD36 inhibition on neuroinflammation and myelin phagocytosis in vivo.ResultsHere, we show that the fatty acid translocase CD36 is required for the uptake of myelin debris by macrophages and microglia, and that myelin internalization increased CD36 expression through NRF2. Pharmacological inhibition of CD36 promoted the inflammatory properties of myelin-containing macrophages and microglia in vitro, which was paralleled by a reduced activity of the anti-inflammatory lipid-sensing liver X receptors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors. By using the EAE model, we provide evidence that CD36 is essential for myelin debris clearance in vivo. Importantly, CD36 inhibition markedly increased the neuroinflammatory burden and disease severity in the EAE model.ConclusionAltogether, we show for the first time that CD36 is crucial for clearing myelin debris and suppressing neuroinflammation in demyelinating disorders such as MS.