Direct effects of prolonged TNF-α and IL-6 exposure on neural activity in human iPSC-derived neuron-astrocyte co-cultures.

ABSTRACT: Cognitive impairment is one of the many symptoms reported by individuals suffering from long-COVID and other post-viral infection disorders such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). A common factor among these conditions is a sustained immune response and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are two such cytokines that are elevated in patients diagnosed with long-COVID and ME/CFS. In this study, we characterized the changes in neural functionality, secreted cytokine profiles, and gene expression in co-cultures of human iPSC-derived neurons and primary astrocytes in response to prolonged exposure to TNF-α and IL-6. We found that exposure to TNF-α produced both a concentration-independent and conce

SUBMITTER: Goshi N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11860967 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature