Project description:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with marked heterogeneity in several aspects including pathological processes. Four histopathological patterns of MS have been described. Pattern II is characterized by antibody and complement deposition. MS is considered a prototypic T cell-mediated disease, but until now the study of pathogenic T cells has encountered major challenges, most importantly the limited access of brain-infiltrating T cells. Here, we used next generation sequencing to identify clonally expanded T cells in demyelinating pattern II brain autopsy lesions and subsequently isolated these as T cell clones from autologous cerebrospinal fluid. The functional characterization shows that T cells releasing Th2 cytokines and able to provide B cell help dominate the T cell infiltrate in pattern II brain lesions. Our data provide the first functional evidence for a role of Th2/Tc2 cells in pattern II MS. Two stimulated CD4+ Th2 brain infiltrating T cell clones compared with stimulated circulaiting memory CD4+ T cells and two stimulated CD8+ T cell clones (one Tc1 and one Tc2) compared with each other.
Project description:Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with marked heterogeneity in several aspects including pathological processes. Four histopathological patterns of MS have been described. Pattern II is characterized by antibody and complement deposition. MS is considered a prototypic T cell-mediated disease, but until now the study of pathogenic T cells has encountered major challenges, most importantly the limited access of brain-infiltrating T cells. Here, we used next generation sequencing to identify clonally expanded T cells in demyelinating pattern II brain autopsy lesions and subsequently isolated these as T cell clones from autologous cerebrospinal fluid. The functional characterization shows that T cells releasing Th2 cytokines and able to provide B cell help dominate the T cell infiltrate in pattern II brain lesions. Our data provide the first functional evidence for a role of Th2/Tc2 cells in pattern II MS.
Project description:Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with marked heterogeneity in several aspects including pathological processes. Four histopathological patterns of MS have been described. Pattern II is characterized by infiltrating macrophages and T-cells and by antibody and complement deposition. Transcriptome analysis of three patern II demyelinating brain lesions from a multiple sclerosis patient using RNA sequencing demonstrated the presence of mRNA transcripts for genes specific of activated macrophages, T and B cells as well as genes coding for immunoglobulins, complement proteins and some pattern II associated proteins, providing additional evidence supporting pattern II demyelination. Examination of 3 different demyelinating lesions identified by Immunohistopathology.
Project description:Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with marked heterogeneity in several aspects including pathological processes. Four histopathological patterns of MS have been described. Pattern II is characterized by infiltrating macrophages and T-cells and by antibody and complement deposition. Transcriptome analysis of three patern II demyelinating brain lesions from a multiple sclerosis patient using RNA sequencing demonstrated the presence of mRNA transcripts for genes specific of activated macrophages, T and B cells as well as genes coding for immunoglobulins, complement proteins and some pattern II associated proteins, providing additional evidence supporting pattern II demyelination.
Project description:Background Although the type 2 biologics mepolizumab and dupilumab show clinical efficacy in severe asthma, their influence on circulating lymphocytes is largely unknown. Here, we studied their impact on type 2 lymphocytes in severe asthma. Methods We performed high-parameter flow cytometry analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 40 patients with severe asthma before, and after 4 and 12 months of mepolizumab (n = 33) or dupilumab (n = 7) treatment, focusing on type 2 lymphocytes. Additionally, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) (n = 3) and stimulation experiments of type 2 lymphocytes (n = 3) to explore transcriptional and functional changes associated with mepolizumab treatment. Results Mepolizumab treatment increased circulating type 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2), type 2 T helper (Th2) and type 2 cytotoxic (Tc2) cell frequencies, skewing ILC2 towards a CD117low signature with high CD62L expression, and Th2/Tc2 cells towards a CD45RA−CD62L+ central memory phenotype. Dupilumab-treated patients also showed increased frequencies of total ILC2 and CD117low ILC2. Mepolizumab treatment reduced the expression of tissue homing receptors CXCR4 in ILC2, and GPR183 in ILC2, Th2, and Tc2 cells while enhancing their type 2 cytokine producing capability in response to alarmins. Conclusion Mepolizumab increases the frequencies of circulating ILC2, Th2, and Tc2 cells, with reduced tissue homing receptor expression but increased type 2 cytokine production potential. This reveals a potentially new mechanism for how mepolizumab reduces airway inflammation by re-directing trafficking of inflammatory type 2 lymphocytes away from airway-homing, with implications for the possibility of achieving biologics-free remission in asthma.
Project description:Canine distemper virus (CDV)-induced demyelinating leukoencephalitis (CDV-DL) in dogs is a translational animal model for human demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis. The aim of this study was to perform an assumption-free microarray analysis of gene expression in different subgroups of CDV-DL as compared to normal controls. Dogs were classified into normal controls (group 1), acute CDV-DL lesions with CDV within the brain but without demyelination and inflammation (group 2), subacute lesions with demyelination but without inflammation (group 3), and subacute to chronic lesions with demyelination and inflammation (group 4).
Project description:Demyelinating disease is a disease of the nervous system in which the nerve demyelinating is the main or primary lesion, and the axon, cell body and glia are relatively lightly damaged. It can occur in the central nervous system or the peripheral nervous system. The demyelinating diseases of central nervous system are represented by multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) while Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a demyelinating disease of the peripheral nervous system. We aimed to identify the key proteins in demyelinating disease and describe the proteomic pattern of MS, GBS and NMO. This study used high-resolution liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), in combination with quantitative 10-plex tandem mass tag labeling, to profile protein changes in MS, GBS and NMO.
Project description:Neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory and remyelinating properties of androgens are well-characterized in demyelinated male mice and men suffering from multiple sclerosis. However, androgen effects mediated by the androgen receptor AR, have been only poorly studied in females who make low androgen levels. Here, we show a predominant microglial AR expression in demyelinated lesions from female mice and women with multiple sclerosis, but virtually undetectable AR expression in lesions from male animals and men with multiple sclerosis. In female mice, androgens and estrogens act in a synergistic way while androgens drive microglia response towards regeneration. Transcriptomic comparisons of demyelinated mouse spinal cords indicate that, regardless of the sex, androgens up-regulate genes related to neuronal function integrity and myelin production. Depending on the sex, androgens down-regulate genes related to the immune system in females and lipid catabolism in males. Thus, androgens are required for proper myelin regeneration in females and therapeutic approaches of demyelinating diseases need to consider male-female differences.