Project description:Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and is the most common form of dementia, cognitive dysfunction is a pre-AD manifestation, followed by progressive deterioration in behavior and mood, CK has good pharmacological activity, inhibit neuronal damage associated with Aβ and improve learning memory in mice through its antioxidative properties. We used microarrays to detail the regulation of brain tissue genes in cognitively impaired mice by ginsenoside CK.
Project description:We investigated mRNA expression levels in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, after no treatment, or after ginsenoside CK or dexamethasone treatment. The aim of the study was to determine the differences in the effects of ginsenoside CK and dexamethasone on mRNA levels in RA-FLS. Both ginsenoside CK and dexamethasone regulate some of the same inflammatory genes.
Project description:We studied hepatic mRNA expression levels in normal Wistar rats, adjuvant arthritic (AA) rats, and AA rats administered by gavage (ginsenoside CK or dexamethasone). The aim of the study was to determine the differences in the effects of ginsenoside CK and dexamethasone on hepatic mRNA levels in AA rats. The dexamethasone group may have a greater effect on mRNA in the liver.
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: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.
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:The presence of an extra whole or part of chromosome 21 in people with Down syndrome (DS) is associated with multiple neurological changes, including pathological aging that often meets the criteria for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). While the mechanism underlying these changes is unknown, it has been hypothesized that the presence of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) on chromosome 21 may contribute to the phenotype. Genome-wide DNA methylation abnormalities have been shown in neural tissue of patients with AD, and cells may respond to changes in gene dosage with altered DNA methylation. We therefore examined whole-genome DNA methylation in buccal epithelial cells of adults with DS to determine whether patterns of DNA methylation correlated with DS and/or cognitive impairment. In addition we examined DNA methylation at the APP gene itself, to see whether there were changes in DNA methylation in this population. Using the Illumina 450K Human Methylation Array, we examined more than 485,000 CpG sites distributed across the genome in buccal epithelial cells. We found 297 CpGs to be differentially methylated between the groups, including 26 genes that were represented by more than one CpG. In addition, we found 331 probes that were correlated with cognitive function including 23 genes represented by more than one probe. We found no enrichment on chromosome 21 and targeted analysis of the APP gene revealed weak evidence for epigenetic impacts related to the AD phenotype. Overall, our results indicate that both Trisomy 21 and cognitive impairment are associated with distinct patterns of DNA methylation. This cohort consist of genomic DNA extracted from 20 buccal swabs, bisulphite converted and hybridized to the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 Beadchip for genome wide DNA methylation profiling.
Project description:Although immediate early genes (IEGs) such as Bdnf, Arc and Egr1, have been implicated in plasticity, the larger pathways related to memory and memory disorders are not well understood. Here, we combined statistical Affymetrix microarray and behavioral analyses to identify key genes and pathways associated with aging-related cognitive impairment. Aged rats were separated into cognitively unimpaired (AU) or impaired (AI) groups, based on their Morris water maze performance relative to young-adult (Y) animals. Hippocampal gene expression was assessed in Y, AU and AI on the fifth (last) day of maze training or 21 days posttraining, and in non-trained aged and young animals (eight groups, overall n = 78, one chip/animal). ANOVA, linear contrasts, and overrepresentation analyses identified genes and pathways that differed from Y generally with aging (in both AU and AI) or selectively with cognitive status (only in AI or AU). Plasticity pathways, including insulin/cAMP/IEG signaling, and glycogenolytic and lipogenic pathways, were selectively downregulated (5 days) in AI, whereas Notch2 (regulating oligodendrocyte differentiation) and myelination pathways were upregulated (particularly at 21 days). Downregulation with general aging occurred in signal transduction and axonal growth/transport pathways, whereas upegulation occurred in immune/inflammatory, lipid metabolism/transport (e.g., Lxr-Srebf1), and lysosomal pathways. In AU, receptor/signal transduction genes were selectively upregulated, suggesting possible compensatory mechanisms. Immunohistochemistry confirmed and extended results to the protein level. Thus, this study identified novel cognition-linked processes, suggesting a new model in which energy-intensive, plasticity/lipogenic processes and energy-generating pathways necessary for learning are coordinately downregulated during training, while myelinogenic programs that impair cognition are concurrently activated. Keywords: Immediate Early Genes, Insulin Signaling, Cholesterol, Myelination, Glia, Inflammation, Young and Old comparaison, behavioral-characterization, Aging-related cognitive impairment.
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:The goal of this research study is to test the feasibility of an intervention programme to reduce cognitive impairment due to cancer treatment. The investigators want to find out how acceptable the intervention and procedures are for cancer patients.