neural immunity

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, relapsing inflammatory disorder of the colonic mucosa. Pyroptosis contributes significantly to UC. However, the molecular mechanisms of UC remain unexplained. Herein, using transcriptome data and animal experimental validation, we sought to explore pyroptosis-related molecular mechanisms, signature genes, and potential drugs in UC. Gene profiles (GSE48959, GSE59071, GSE53306, and GSE94648) were selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, which contained samples derived from patients with active and inactive UC, as well as health controls...

BACKGROUND: Despite the recognized roles of Sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectins (SIGLECs) in endocytosis and immune regulation across cancers, their molecular intricacies in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) are underexplored. Meanwhile, the complicated interactions between different SIGLECs are also crucial but open questions. METHODS: We investigate the correlation between SIGLECs and various properties, including cancer status, prognosis, clinical features, functional enrichment, immune cell abundances, immune checkpoints, pathways, etc...

INTRODUCTION: Demyelination is a key factor in axonal degeneration and neural loss, leading to disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Transforming growth factor beta activated kinase 1 (TAK1) is a critical molecule involved in immune and inflammatory signaling pathways. Knockout of microglia TAK1 can inhibit autoimmune inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and improve the outcome of MS. However, it is unclear whether inhibiting TAK1 can alleviate demyelination. METHODS: Eight-week-old male c57bl/6j mice were randomly divided into five groups: (a) the control group, (b) the group treated with cuprizone (CPZ) only, (c) the group treated with 5Z-7-Oxozaenol (OZ) only, and (d) the group treated with both cuprizone and 15 μg/30 μg OZ...

HIV infection is an ongoing global health issue despite increased access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). People living with HIV (PLWH) who are virally suppressed through ART still experience negative health outcomes, including neurocognitive impairment. It is increasingly evident that ART may act independently or in combination with HIV infection to alter immune state, though this is difficult to disentangle in the clinical population. Thus, these experiments used multiplexed chemokine/cytokine arrays to assess peripheral (plasma) and brain (nucleus accumbens; NAc) expression of immune targets in the presence and absence of ART treatment in the EcoHIV mouse model...

Interferons and central nervous system resident macrophages, microglia, are well-known for their respective roles in antiviral defense and phagocytosis. Using a classic experimental paradigm for examining activity-dependent neural plasticity, Escoubas, Dorman, et al. recently identified a role for microglial type I interferon signaling in the clearance of unwanted neurons during mouse brain development.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a primary microvascular complication of diabetes with limited therapeutic effects. Delving into the pathogenic mechanisms of DKD and identifying new therapeutic targets is crucial. Emerging studies reveal the implication of ferroptosis and immune dysregulation in the pathogenesis of DKD, however, the precise relationship between them remains not fully elucidated. Investigating their interplay is pivotal to unraveling the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease, offering insights crucial for targeted interventions and improved patient outcomes...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study is to explore the transcriptional and microbial characteristics of head and neck cancer's immune phenotypes using a multi-omics approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Employing TCGA data, we analyzed head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) immune cells with CIBERSORT and identified differentially expressed genes using DESeq2. Microbial profiles, obtained from the TCMA database, were analyzed using LEfSe algorithm to identify differential microbes in immune cell infiltration (ICI) subgroups...

The lungs are a key organ in the respiratory system. They are regulated by a complex network of nerves that control their development, structure, function, and response to various pathological stimuli. Accumulating evidence suggests the involvement of a neural mechanism in different pathophysiological conditions in the lungs and the development and progression of common respiratory diseases. Lung diseases are the chief source of death globally. For instance, lung cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed malignancy, after prostate cancer in men and breast cancer in women, and is the most lethal cancer worldwide...

Breast cancer is a significant global health concern, with the overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/ERBB2) being a driver oncogene in 20%-30% of cases. Indeed, HER2/ERBB2 plays a crucial role in regulating cell growth, differentiation, and survival via a complex signaling network. Overexpression of HER2/ERBB2 is associated with more aggressive behavior and increased risk of brain metastases, which remains a significant clinical challenge for treatment. Recent research has highlighted the role of breast cancer secretomes in promoting tumor progression, including excessive proliferation, immune invasion, and resistance to anti-cancer therapy, and their potential as cancer biomarkers...

BACKGROUND: We investigated the effects of combination therapy albendazole and doxycycline in Angiostrongylus cantonensis-infected mice during early and late treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice were divided into five groups: (i) uninfected, (ii) infected with A. cantonensis, (iii) infected + 10 mg/kg albendazole, (iv) infected + 25mg/kg doxycycline, and (v) infected + 10 mg/kg albendazole + 25 mg/kg doxycycline. We administered drugs in both early treatments started at 7-day post infections (dpi) and late treatments (14 dpi) to A...

Collagen is a major component of the tissue matrix, and soybean can regulate the tissue immune response. Both materials have been used to fabricate biomaterials for tissue repair. In this study, adult and fetal human astrocytes were grown in a soy protein isolate (SPI)-collagen hybrid gel or on the surface of a cross-linked SPI-collagen membrane. Hybrid materials reduced the cell proliferation rate compared to materials generated by collagen alone. However, the hybrid materials did not significantly change the cell motility compared to the control collagen material...

Diagnosing and treating chronic orofacial pain is challenging due to its complex structure and limited understanding of its causes and mechanisms. In this study, we used RNA sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the rostral ventral medulla (RVM) and thalamus of rats with persistent orofacial pain, aiming to explore its development. DEGs were functionally analyzed using gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Results showed a significant association between immune response and pain in this model...

The human gut microbiome plays an important role in the maturation of the neural, immune, and endocrine systems. Research data from animal models shows that gut microbiota communicate with the host's brain in an elaborate network of signaling pathways, including the vagus nerve. Part of the microbiome's influence extends to the behavioral and social development of its host. As a social species, a human's ability to communicate with others is imperative to their survival and quality of life. Current research explores the gut microbiota's developmental influence as well as how these gut-brain pathways can be leveraged to alleviate the social symptoms associated with various neurodevelopmental and psychiatric diseases...

Ammonia-N, as the most toxic nitrogenous waste, has high toxicity to marine animals. However, the interplay between ammonia-induced neuroendocrine toxicity and intestinal immune homeostasis has been largely overlooked. Here, a significant concordance of metabolome and transcriptome-based "cholinergic synapse" supports that plasma metabolites acetylcholine (ACh) plays an important role during NH4 Cl exposure. After blocking the ACh signal transduction, the release of dopamine (DA) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the cerebral ganglia increased, while the release of NPF in the thoracic ganglia and NE in the abdominal ganglia, and crustacean hyperglycemic hormone (CHH) and neuropeptide F (NPF) in the eyestalk decreased, finally the intestinal immunity was enhanced...

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a common respiratory pathogen and a global cause of significant and often severe morbidity. Although inflammatory immune responses to IAV infections are well described, little is known about how neuroimmune processes contribute to IAV pathogenesis. In the present study, we employed surgical, genetic, and pharmacological approaches to manipulate pulmonary vagal sensory neuron innervation and activity in the lungs to explore potential crosstalk between pulmonary sensory neurons and immune processes...

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a dose-limiting toxicity for cancer patients receiving thoracic radiotherapy. As such, it is important to characterize metabolic associations with the early and late stages of RILI, namely pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis. Recently, Raman spectroscopy has shown utility for the differentiation of pneumonitic and fibrotic tissue states in a mouse model; however, the specific metabolite-disease associations remain relatively unexplored from a Raman perspective. This work harnesses Raman spectroscopy and supervised machine learning to investigate metabolic associations with radiation pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis in a mouse model...

In this paper we synthesize an expansive body of literature examining the multifaceted influence of chiropractic care on processes within and modulators of the neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) system, for the purpose of generating an inductive hypothesis regarding the potential impacts of chiropractic care on integrated physiology. Taking a broad, interdisciplinary, and integrative view of two decades of research-documented outcomes of chiropractic care, inclusive of reports ranging from systematic and meta-analysis and randomized and observational trials to case and cohort studies, this review encapsulates a rigorous analysis of research and suggests the appropriateness of a more integrative perspective on the impact of chiropractic care on systemic physiology...

BACKGROUND: Non-enhancing (NE) infiltrating tumor cells beyond the contrast-enhancing (CE) bulk of tumor are potential propagators of recurrence after gross total resection of high-grade glioma. METHODS: We leveraged single-nucleus RNA sequencing on 15 specimens from recurrent high-grade gliomas ( n  = 5) to compare prospectively identified biopsy specimens acquired from CE and NE regions. Additionally, 24 CE and 22 NE biopsies had immunohistochemical staining to validate RNA findings...

After decades of being overlooked, a recent wave of studies have explored the roles of microglia in brain health and disease. Microglia perform important physiological functions to set up and maintain proper neural network functions, as well as orchestrate responses to toxic stimuli to limit harm. Many microglial transcriptional programs, extracellular sensing molecules, and functional outputs are seen throughout life. A stark example is the similarity of microglial responses to stressors during neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration...

The experience of itch often poses a burden on patient quality of life and has the capacity to inflict significant suffering. Topical therapies are a mainstay of treatment for many cutaneous and systemic diseases and afford patients the opportunity to manage their conditions without many of the systemic side effects of non-topical therapies. We review a multitude of new topical medications targeting the skin, immune system, and neural receptors. The list includes Janus kinase inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, phosphodiesterase inhibitors, transient receptor vanilloid inhibitors, topical cannabinoids, and topical acetaminophen...