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ABSTRACT: Objective
Astrocytes play a significant role in the pathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Nevertheless, for ethical reasons, most studies in these cells were performed using the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis model. As there are significant differences between human and mouse cells, we aimed here to better characterize astrocytes from patients with MS (PwMS), focusing mainly on mitochondrial function and cell metabolism.Methods
We obtained and characterized induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived astrocytes from three PwMS and three unaffected controls, and performed electron microscopy, flow cytometry, cytokine and glutamate measurements, gene expression, in situ respiration, and metabolomics. We validated our findings using a single-nuclei RNA sequencing dataset.Results
We detected several differences in MS astrocytes including: (i) enrichment of genes associated with neurodegeneration, (ii) increased mitochondrial fission, (iii) increased production of superoxide and MS-related proinflammatory chemokines, (iv) impaired uptake and enhanced release of glutamate, (v) increased electron transport capacity and proton leak, in line with the increased oxidative stress, and (vi) a distinct metabolic profile, with a deficiency in amino acid catabolism and increased sphingolipid metabolism, which have already been linked to MS.Interpretation
Here we describe the metabolic profile of iPSC-derived astrocytes from PwMS and validate this model as a very powerful tool to study disease mechanisms and to perform non-invasive drug targeting assays in vitro. Our findings recapitulate several disease features described in patients and provide new mechanistic insights into the metabolic rewiring of astrocytes in MS, which could be targeted in future therapeutic studies. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:652-669.
SUBMITTER: Ghirotto B
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9310856 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Ghirotto Bruno B Oliveira Danyllo F DF Cipelli Marcella M Basso Paulo J PJ de Lima Jean J de Lima Jean J Breda Cristiane N S CNS Ribeiro Henrique C HC Silva Camille C C CCC Sertié Andrea L AL Oliveira Antonio Edson R AER Hiyane Meire I MI Caldini Elia G EG Sussulini Alessandra A Nakaya Helder I HI Kowaltowski Alicia J AJ Oliveira Enedina M L EML Zatz Mayana M Câmara Niels O S NOS
Annals of neurology 20220317 5
<h4>Objective</h4>Astrocytes play a significant role in the pathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). Nevertheless, for ethical reasons, most studies in these cells were performed using the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis model. As there are significant differences between human and mouse cells, we aimed here to better characterize astrocytes from patients with MS (PwMS), focusing mainly on mitochondrial function and cell metabolism.<h4>Methods</h4>We obtained and characterized induced plu ...[more]