RESUMO
Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay is a rare neurodegenerative disease caused by biallelic variants in the SACS gene encoding for sacsin. More than 200 pathogenic variants have been identified to date, most of which are missense. It is likely that the prevalence of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay is underestimated due to the lack of an efficient diagnostic tool able to validate variants of uncertain significance. We have previously shown that sacsin is almost absent in fibroblasts of patients with autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay regardless of the type of SACS variant, because sacsin carrying missense variants is cotranslationally degraded. In this work, we aimed to establish the pathogenicity of SACS variants by quantifying sacsin protein in blood samples, with relevant implications for autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay diagnosis. We developed a protocol to assess sacsin protein levels by western blot using small amounts of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which can be propagated in culture and cryopreserved. The study involves eight patients with autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (including a novel case) carrying variants of different types and positions along the SACS gene and two parents who are carriers of heterozygous missense variants. We show that patients with autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (carrying either missense or truncating variants) almost completely lacked sacsin in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Moreover, both carriers of a SACS missense variant showed 50% reduction in sacsin protein levels compared to controls. We also describe a patient with uniparental isodisomy carrying a homozygous nonsense variant near the 3' end of the SACS gene. This resulted in a stable sacsin protein lacking the last 202 amino acids, probably due to escape of nonsense-mediated decay of mRNA. In conclusion, we have optimized a minimally invasive diagnostic tool for autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay in blood samples based on sacsin protein level assessment. Indeed, our results provide definite evidence that sacsin carrying missense pathogenic variants undergoes cotranslational degradation. The quantitative reduction in sacsin levels in the case of missense variants of uncertain significance allows defining them as pathogenic variants, something which cannot be predicted bioinformatically with high certainty.
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Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is an early-onset neurodegenerative disease mainly characterized by spasticity in the lower limbs and poor muscle control. The disease is caused by mutations in the SACS gene leading in most cases to a loss of function of the sacsin protein, which is highly expressed in motor neurons and Purkinje cells. To investigate the impact of the mutated sacsin protein in these cells in vitro, induced pluripotent stem cell- (iPSC-) derived motor neurons and iPSC-derived Purkinje cells were generated from three ARSACS patients. Both types of iPSC-derived neurons expressed the characteristic neuronal markers ß3-tubulin, neurofilaments M and H, as well as specific markers like Islet-1 for motor neurons, and parvalbumin or calbindin for Purkinje cells. Compared to controls, iPSC-derived mutated SACS neurons expressed lower amounts of sacsin. In addition, characteristic neurofilament aggregates were detected along the neurites of both iPSC-derived neurons. These results indicate that it is possible to recapitulate in vitro, at least in part, the ARSACS pathological signature in vitro using patient-derived motor neurons and Purkinje cells differentiated from iPSCs. Such an in vitro personalized model of the disease could be useful for the screening of new drugs for the treatment of ARSACS.
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The absence of disease modifying treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is in large part a consequence of its complexity and heterogeneity. Deep clinical and biological phenotyping of people living with ALS would assist in the development of effective treatments and target specific biomarkers to monitor disease progression and inform on treatment efficacy. The objective of this paper is to present the Comprehensive Analysis Platform To Understand Remedy and Eliminate ALS (CAPTURE ALS), an open and translational platform for the scientific community currently in development. CAPTURE ALS is a Canadian-based platform designed to include participants' voices in its development and through execution. Standardized methods will be used to longitudinally characterize ALS patients and healthy controls through deep clinical phenotyping, neuroimaging, neurocognitive and speech assessments, genotyping and multisource biospecimen collection. This effort plugs into complementary Canadian and international initiatives to share common resources. Here, we describe in detail the infrastructure, operating procedures, and long-term vision of CAPTURE ALS to facilitate and accelerate translational ALS research in Canada and beyond.
Assuntos
Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica , Humanos , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/tratamento farmacológico , Canadá , Biomarcadores , Progressão da Doença , NeuroimagemRESUMO
Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions (OD, GD) are prevalent symptoms following COVID-19 and persist in 6%-44% of individuals post-infection. As only few reports have described their prognosis after 6 months, our main objective was to assess the prevalence of OD and GD 11-month post-COVID-19. We also aimed to determine intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of chemosensory self-ratings for the follow-up of chemosensory sensitivity. We designed an observational study and distributed an online questionnaire assessing chemosensory function to healthcare workers with a RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection 5- and 11-month post-COVID-19. Specifically, we assessed olfaction, gustation, and trigeminal sensitivity (10-point visual analog scale) and function (4-point Likert scale). We further measured clinically relevant OD using the Chemosensory Perception Test, a psychophysical test designed to provide a reliable remote olfactory evaluation. We included a total of 366 participants (mean [SD] age of 44.8 (11.7) years old). They completed the last online questionnaire 10.6 months (0.7) after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. Of all participants, 307 (83.9%) and 301 (82.2%) individuals retrospectively reported lower olfactory or gustatory sensitivity during the acute phase of COVID-19. At the time of evaluation, 184 (50.3%) and 163 (44.5%) indicated reduced chemosensory sensitivity, 32.2% reported impairment of olfactory function while 24.9% exhibited clinically relevant OD. Olfactory sensitivity had a high test-retest reliability (ICC: 0.818; 95% CI: 0.760-0.860). This study suggests that chemosensory dysfunctions persist in a third of COVID-19 patients 11 months after COVID-19. OD appears to be a common symptom of post-COVID-19 important to consider when treating patients.
Assuntos
COVID-19 , Transtornos do Olfato , Adulto , COVID-19/epidemiologia , Seguimentos , Pessoal de Saúde , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Transtornos do Olfato/diagnóstico , Transtornos do Olfato/epidemiologia , Transtornos do Olfato/etiologia , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Estudos Retrospectivos , SARS-CoV-2 , Distúrbios do Paladar/diagnóstico , Distúrbios do Paladar/epidemiologia , Distúrbios do Paladar/etiologiaRESUMO
Several studies have revealed either self-reported chemosensory alterations in large groups or objective quantified chemosensory impairments in smaller populations of patients diagnosed with COVID-19. However, due to the great variability in published results regarding COVID-19-induced chemosensory impairments and their follow-up, prognosis for chemosensory functions in patients with such complaints remains unclear. Our objective is to describe the various chemosensory alterations associated with COVID-19 and their prevalence and evolution after infection. A cross-sectional study of 704 healthcare workers with a RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between 2020 February 28 and 2020 June 14 was conducted 3-7 months after onset of symptoms. Data were collected with an online questionnaire. Outcomes included differences in reported chemosensory self-assessment of olfactory, gustatory, and trigeminal functions across time points and Chemosensory Perception Test scores from an easy-to-use at-home self-administered chemosensory test. Among the 704 participants, 593 (84.2%) were women, the mean (SD) age was 42 (12) years, and the questionnaire was answered on average 4.8 (0.8) months after COVID-19. During COVID-19, a decrease in olfactory, gustatory, and trigeminal sensitivities was reported by 81.3%, 81.5%, and 48.0%, respectively. Three to 7 months later, reduced sensitivity was still reported by 52.0%, 41.9%, and 23.3%, respectively. Chemosensory Perception Test scores indicate that 19.5% of participants had objective olfactory impairment. These data suggest a significant proportion of COVID-19 cases have persistent chemosensory impairments at 3-7 months after their infection, but the majority of those who had completely lost their olfactory, gustatory, and trigeminal sensitivities have improved.
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COVID-19/complicações , Transtornos do Olfato/etiologia , Distúrbios do Paladar/etiologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , COVID-19/epidemiologia , COVID-19/etiologia , Pessoal de Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Transtornos do Olfato/diagnóstico , Transtornos do Olfato/epidemiologia , Prevalência , Autorrelato , Inquéritos e Questionários , Distúrbios do Paladar/epidemiologia , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Cancer research has considerably progressed with the improvement of in vitro study models, helping to understand the key role of the tumor microenvironment in cancer development and progression. Over the last few years, complex 3D human cell culture systems have gained much popularity over in vivo models, as they accurately mimic the tumor microenvironment and allow high-throughput drug screening. Of particular interest, in vitrohuman 3D tissue constructs, produced by the self-assembly method of tissue engineering, have been successfully used to model the tumor microenvironment and now represent a very promising approach to further develop diverse cancer models. In this review, we describe the importance of the tumor microenvironment and present the existing in vitro cancer models generated through the self-assembly method of tissue engineering. Lastly, we highlight the relevance of this approach to mimic various and complex tumors, including basal cell carcinoma, cutaneous neurofibroma, skin melanoma, bladder cancer, and uveal melanoma.
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Modelos Biológicos , Neoplasias , Esferoides Celulares , Engenharia Tecidual , Alicerces Teciduais/química , Microambiente Tumoral , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Humanos , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Neoplasias/patologia , Esferoides Celulares/metabolismo , Esferoides Celulares/patologiaRESUMO
Extraction of mouse spinal motor neurons from transgenic mouse embryos recapitulating some aspects of neurodegenerative diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has met with limited success. Furthermore, extraction and long-term culture of adult mouse spinal motor neurons and glia remain also challenging. We present here a protocol designed to extract and purify high yields of motor neurons and glia from individual spinal cords collected on embryos and adult (5-month-old) normal or transgenic mice. This method is based on mild digestion of tissue followed by gradient density separation allowing to obtain two millions motor neurons over 92% pure from one E14.5 single embryo and more than 30,000 from an adult mouse. These cells can be cultured more than 14 days in vitro at a density of 100,000 cells/cm(2) to maintain optimal viability. Functional astrocytes and microglia and small gamma motor neurons can be purified at the same time. This protocol will be a powerful and reliable method to obtain motor neurons and glia to better understand mechanisms underlying spinal cord diseases.
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Astrócitos/citologia , Embrião de Mamíferos/citologia , Microglia/citologia , Neurônios Motores/citologia , Medula Espinal/citologia , Animais , Astrócitos/metabolismo , Biomarcadores , Separação Celular , Sobrevivência Celular , Células Cultivadas , Embrião de Mamíferos/metabolismo , Expressão Gênica , Camundongos , Camundongos Transgênicos , Microglia/metabolismo , Neurônios Motores/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Medula Espinal/metabolismoRESUMO
Keratinocytes are responsible for reepithelialization and restoration of the epidermal barrier during wound healing. The influence of sensory neurons on this mechanism is not fully understood. We tested whether sensory neurons influence wound closure via the secretion of the neuropeptide substance P (SP) with a new tissue-engineered wound healing model made of an upper-perforated epidermal compartment reconstructed with human keratinocytes expressing green fluorescent protein, stacked over a dermal compartment, innervated or not with sensory neurons. We showed that sensory neurons secreted SP in the construct and induced a two times faster wound closure in vitro. This effect was partially reproduced by addition of SP in the model without neurons, and completely blocked by a treatment with a specific antagonist of the SP receptor neurokinin-1 expressed by keratinocytes. However, this antagonist did not compromise wound closure compared with the control. Similar results were obtained when the model with or without neurons was transplanted on CD1 mice, while wound closure occurred faster. We conclude that sensory neurons play an important, but not essential, role in wound healing, even in absence of the immune system. This model is promising to study the influence of the nervous system on reepithelialization in normal and pathological conditions.
Assuntos
Epitélio/patologia , Células Receptoras Sensoriais/metabolismo , Pele/inervação , Pele/patologia , Substância P/metabolismo , Engenharia Tecidual/métodos , Cicatrização , Células 3T3 , Animais , Capilares/efeitos dos fármacos , Capilares/metabolismo , Movimento Celular/efeitos dos fármacos , Epiderme/efeitos dos fármacos , Epiderme/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Epitélio/efeitos dos fármacos , Células Endoteliais da Veia Umbilical Humana , Humanos , Queratinócitos/efeitos dos fármacos , Queratinócitos/patologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Modelos Biológicos , Fibras Nervosas/efeitos dos fármacos , Neuritos/efeitos dos fármacos , Neuritos/metabolismo , Neuropeptídeos/metabolismo , Células Receptoras Sensoriais/efeitos dos fármacos , Pele/efeitos dos fármacos , Substância P/análogos & derivados , Substância P/farmacologia , Cicatrização/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
Burns not only destroy the barrier function of the skin but also alter the perceptions of pain, temperature, and touch. Different strategies have been developed over the years to cover deep and extensive burns with the ultimate goal of regenerating the barrier function of the epidermis while recovering an acceptable aesthetic aspect. However, patients often complain about a loss of skin sensation and even cutaneous chronic pain. Cutaneous nerve regeneration can occur from the nerve endings of the wound bed, but it is often compromised by scar formation or anarchic wound healing. Restoration of pain, temperature, and touch perceptions should now be a major challenge to solve in order to improve patients' quality of life. In addition, the cutaneous nerve network has been recently highlighted to play an important role in epidermal homeostasis and may be essential at least in the early phase of wound healing through the induction of neurogenic inflammation. Although the nerve regeneration process was studied largely in the context of nerve transections, very few studies have been aimed at developing strategies to improve it in the context of cutaneous wound healing. In this concise review, we provide a description of the characteristics of and current treatments for extensive burns, including tissue-engineered skin approaches to improve cutaneous nerve regeneration, and describe prospective uses for autologous skin-derived adult stem cells to enhance recovery of the skin's sense of touch.
Assuntos
Queimaduras/terapia , Regeneração Nervosa/fisiologia , Fenômenos Fisiológicos da Pele , Engenharia Tecidual/métodos , Cicatrização/fisiologia , Queimaduras/patologia , Queimaduras/fisiopatologia , Humanos , Regeneração/fisiologiaRESUMO
Skin is a major source of secretion of the neurotrophic factors nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) controlling cutaneous sensory innervation. Beside their neuronal contribution, we hypothesized that neurotrophic factors also modulate the cutaneous microvascular network. First, we showed that NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and GDNF were all expressed in the epidermis, while only NGF and NT-3 were expressed by cultured fibroblasts, and BDNF by human endothelial cells. We demonstrated that these peptides are highly potent angiogenic factors using a human tissue-engineered angiogenesis model. A 40% to 80% increase in the number of capillary-like tubes was observed after the addition of 10 ng/mL of NGF, 0.1 ng/mL of BDNF, 15 ng/mL of NT-3, and 50 ng/mL of GDNF. This is the first characterization of the direct angiogenic effect of NT-3 and GDNF. This angiogenic effect was mediated directly through binding with the neurotrophic factor receptors tropomyosin-receptor kinase A (TrkA), TrkB, GFRα-1 and c-ret that were all expressed by human endothelial cells, while this effect was blocked by addition of the Trk inhibitor K252a. Thus, if NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and GDNF may only moderately regulate the microvascular network in normal skin, they might have the potential to greatly increase angiogenesis in pathological situations.
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Fator Neurotrófico Derivado do Encéfalo/farmacologia , Fator Neurotrófico Derivado de Linhagem de Célula Glial/farmacologia , Neovascularização Fisiológica/efeitos dos fármacos , Fatores de Crescimento Neural/farmacologia , Neurotrofina 3/farmacologia , Células Cultivadas , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Fibroblastos , Técnica Indireta de Fluorescência para Anticorpo , Humanos , Engenharia TecidualRESUMO
The incorporation of Schwann cells in reconstructed skin (RS) could have a major role in achieving functional recovery of cutaneous sensory perception. We showed with a unique in vitro model of a tissue-engineered innervated reconstructed dermis that Schwann cells promoted a twofold increase in the number of sensory neurites migrating in the three-dimensional tissue as compared with the control. In addition, Schwann cells spontaneously colocalized along neurites and achieved the formation of myelin sheaths in vitro as assessed by transmission electron microscopy. We prepared RS samples enriched or not with Schwann cells and transplanted them on nude mice for 60-90 days. We demonstrated that Schwann cells induced a 1.8- and 1.7-fold increase in the number of nerve fibers migrating in the graft 60 and 90 days after transplantation, respectively. In addition, the RS sample enriched with Schwann cells had a current perception threshold similar to that of normal skin for the large and myelinated Abeta-sensory fibers, in contrast with the control. Thus, we showed that the addition of Schwann cells to tissue-engineered skin not only enhanced nerve migration but also promoted myelin sheath formation in vitro and nerve function recovery in vivo.
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Derme/citologia , Derme/inervação , Regeneração Nervosa , Células de Schwann/citologia , Engenharia Tecidual/métodos , Animais , Células Cultivadas , Estimulação Elétrica , Células Endoteliais/citologia , Feminino , Fibroblastos/citologia , Gânglios Espinais/citologia , Humanos , Queratinócitos/citologia , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Nus , Bainha de Mielina/fisiologia , Fibras Nervosas Mielinizadas/fisiologia , Gravidez , Recuperação de Função Fisiológica/fisiologia , Células Receptoras Sensoriais/citologia , Células Receptoras Sensoriais/fisiologia , Veias Umbilicais/citologiaRESUMO
Adult neuronal precursors retain the remarkable capacity to migrate long distances from the posterior (subventricular zone) to the most anterior [olfactory bulb (OB)] parts of the brain. The knowledge about the mechanisms that keep neuronal precursors in the migratory stream and organize this long-distance migration is incomplete. Here we show that blood vessels precisely outline the migratory stream for new neurons in the adult mammalian forebrain. Real-time video imaging of cell migration in the acute slices demonstrate that neuronal precursors are retained in the migratory stream and guided into the OB by blood vessels that serve as a physical substrate for migrating neuroblasts. Our data suggest that endothelial cells of blood vessels synthesize brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that fosters neuronal migration via p75NTR expressed on neuroblasts. Interestingly, GABA released from neuroblasts induces Ca(2+)-dependent insertion of high-affinity TrkB receptors on the plasma membrane of astrocytes that trap extracellular BDNF. We hypothesize that this renders BDNF unavailable for p75NTR-expressing migrating cells and leads to their entrance into the stationary period. Our findings provide new insights into the functional organization of substrates that facilitate the long-distance journey of adult neuronal precursors.