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Raffaele S, Thougaard E, Laursen CCH, Gao H, Andersen KM, Nielsen PV, Ortí-Casañ N, Blichfeldt-Eckhardt M, Koch S, Deb-Chatterji M, Magnus T, Stubbe J, Madsen K, Meyer M, Degn M, Eisel ULM, Wlodarczyk A, Fumagalli M, Clausen BH, Brambilla R, Lambertsen KL. Microglial TNFR2 signaling regulates the inflammatory response after CNS injury in a sex-specific fashion. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 116:269-285. [PMID: 38142915 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), play a major role in damage progression and tissue remodeling after acute CNS injury, including ischemic stroke (IS) and spinal cord injury (SCI). Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating microglial responses to injury may thus reveal novel therapeutic targets to promote CNS repair. Here, we investigated the role of microglial tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2), a transmembrane receptor previously associated with pro-survival and neuroprotective responses, in shaping the neuroinflammatory environment after CNS injury. By inducing experimental IS and SCI in Cx3cr1CreER:Tnfrsf1bfl/fl mice, selectively lacking TNFR2 in microglia, and corresponding Tnfrsf1bfl/fl littermate controls, we found that ablation of microglial TNFR2 significantly reduces lesion size and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and favors infiltration of leukocytes after injury. Interestingly, these effects were paralleled by opposite sex-specific modifications of microglial reactivity, which was found to be limited in female TNFR2-ablated mice compared to controls, whereas it was enhanced in males. In addition, we show that TNFR2 protein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of human subjects affected by IS and SCI, as well as healthy donors, significantly correlate with disease stage and severity, representing a valuable tool to monitor the inflammatory response after acute CNS injury. Hence, these results advance our understanding of the mechanisms regulating microglia reactivity after acute CNS injury, aiding the development of sex- and microglia-specific, personalized neuroregenerative strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Raffaele
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Estrid Thougaard
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Cathrine C H Laursen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; BRIDGE-Brain Research Inter Disciplinary Guided Excellence, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Han Gao
- Department of Spine Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, 510630 Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Provincial Center for Engineering and Technology Research of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, 510630 Guangzhou, China
| | - Katrine M Andersen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Pernille V Nielsen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Natalia Ortí-Casañ
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9713 AV, Netherlands
| | - Morten Blichfeldt-Eckhardt
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Vejle Hospital, 7100 Vejle, Denmark; Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Simon Koch
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Milani Deb-Chatterji
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tim Magnus
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jane Stubbe
- Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Kirsten Madsen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Renal Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Morten Meyer
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; BRIDGE-Brain Research Inter Disciplinary Guided Excellence, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | | | - Ulrich L M Eisel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9713 AV, Netherlands
| | - Agnieszka Wlodarczyk
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; BRIDGE-Brain Research Inter Disciplinary Guided Excellence, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Marta Fumagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Bettina H Clausen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; BRIDGE-Brain Research Inter Disciplinary Guided Excellence, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark
| | - Roberta Brambilla
- BRIDGE-Brain Research Inter Disciplinary Guided Excellence, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami FL, USA.
| | - Kate L Lambertsen
- Department of Neurobiology Research, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; BRIDGE-Brain Research Inter Disciplinary Guided Excellence, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense M, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, 5000 Odense C, Denmark.
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Ortí-Casañ N, Boerema AS, Köpke K, Ebskamp A, Keijser J, Zhang Y, Chen T, Dolga AM, Broersen K, Fischer R, Pfizenmaier K, Kontermann RE, Eisel ULM. The TNFR1 antagonist Atrosimab reduces neuronal loss, glial activation and memory deficits in an acute mouse model of neurodegeneration. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10622. [PMID: 37391534 PMCID: PMC10313728 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36846-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and its key role in modulating immune responses has been widely recognized as a therapeutic target for inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. Even though inhibition of TNF-α is beneficial for the treatment of certain inflammatory diseases, total neutralization of TNF-α largely failed in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. TNF-α exerts distinct functions depending on interaction with its two TNF receptors, whereby TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) is associated with neuroinflammation and apoptosis and TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2) with neuroprotection and immune regulation. Here, we investigated the effect of administering the TNFR1-specific antagonist Atrosimab, as strategy to block TNFR1 signaling while maintaining TNFR2 signaling unaltered, in an acute mouse model for neurodegeneration. In this model, a NMDA-induced lesion that mimics various hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases, such as memory loss and cell death, was created in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis and Atrosimab or control protein was administered centrally. We showed that Atrosimab attenuated cognitive impairments and reduced neuroinflammation and neuronal cell death. Our results demonstrate that Atrosimab is effective in ameliorating disease symptoms in an acute neurodegenerative mouse model. Altogether, our study indicates that Atrosimab may be a promising candidate for the development of a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ortí-Casañ
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Ate S Boerema
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Applied Research Center, Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Science, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - Karina Köpke
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Amber Ebskamp
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Keijser
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yuequ Zhang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Tingting Chen
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Amalia M Dolga
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kerensa Broersen
- Applied Stem Cell Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Roman Fischer
- Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Klaus Pfizenmaier
- Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Roland E Kontermann
- Stuttgart Research Center Systems Biology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Ulrich L M Eisel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Ortí-Casañ N, Wajant H, Kuiperij HB, Hooijsma A, Tromp L, Poortman IL, Tadema N, de Lange JH, Verbeek MM, De Deyn PP, Naudé PJ, Eisel UL. Activation of TNF Receptor 2 Improves Synaptic Plasticity and Enhances Amyloid-β Clearance in an Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model with Humanized TNF Receptor 2. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:977-991. [PMID: 37355890 PMCID: PMC10578215 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) is a master cytokine involved in a variety of inflammatory and neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Therapies that block TNF-α proved ineffective as therapeutic for neurodegenerative diseases, which might be explained by the opposing functions of the two receptors of TNF (TNFRs): while TNFR1 stimulation mediates inflammatory and apoptotic pathways, activation of TNFR2 is related to neuroprotection. Despite the success of targeting TNFR2 in a transgenic AD mouse model, research that better mimics the human context is lacking. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to investigate whether stimulation of TNFR2 with a TNFR2 agonist is effective in activating human TNFR2 and attenuating AD neuropathology in the J20xhuTNFR2-k/i mouse model. METHODS Transgenic amyloid-β (Aβ)-overexpressing mice containing a human extracellular TNFR2 domain (J20xhuTNFR2-k/i) were treated with a TNFR2 agonist (NewStar2). After treatment, different behavioral tests and immunohistochemical analysis were performed to assess different parameters, such as cognitive functions, plaque deposition, synaptic plasticity, or microglial phagocytosis. RESULTS Treatment with NewStar2 in J20xhuTNFR2-k/i mice resulted in a drastic decrease in plaque load and beta-secretase 1 (BACE-1) compared to controls. Moreover, TNFR2 stimulation increased microglial phagocytic activity, leading to enhanced Aβ clearance. Finally, activation of TNFR2 rescued cognitive impairments and improved synaptic plasticity. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that activation of human TNFR2 ameliorates neuropathology and improves cognitive functions in an AD mouse model. Moreover, our study confirms that the J20xhuTNFR2-k/i mouse model is suitable for testing human TNFR2-specific compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ortí-Casañ
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Harald Wajant
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - H. Bea Kuiperij
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Annelien Hooijsma
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Leon Tromp
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Isabelle L. Poortman
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Norick Tadema
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julia H.E. de Lange
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel M. Verbeek
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter P. De Deyn
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Petrus J.W. Naudé
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L.M. Eisel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Ortí-Casañ N, Zuhorn IS, Naudé PJW, De Deyn PP, van Schaik PEM, Wajant H, Eisel ULM. A TNF receptor 2 agonist ameliorates neuropathology and improves cognition in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2201137119. [PMID: 36037389 PMCID: PMC9482428 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2201137119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) is a pleiotropic, proinflammatory cytokine related to different neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the linkage between increased TNF-α levels and AD is widely recognized, TNF-α-neutralizing therapies have failed to treat AD. Previous research has associated this with the antithetic functions of the two TNF receptors, TNF receptor 1, associated with inflammation and apoptosis, and TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2), associated with neuroprotection. In our study, we investigated the effects of specifically stimulating TNFR2 with a TNFR2 agonist (NewStar2) in a transgenic Aβ-overexpressing mouse model of AD by administering NewStar2 in two different ways: centrally, via implantation of osmotic pumps, or systemically by intraperitoneal injections. We found that both centrally and systemically administered NewStar2 resulted in a drastic reduction in amyloid β deposition and β-secretase 1 expression levels. Moreover, activation of TNFR2 increased microglial and astrocytic activation and promoted the uptake and degradation of Aβ. Finally, cognitive functions were also improved after NewStar2 treatment. Our results demonstrate that activation of TNFR2 mitigates Aβ-induced cognitive deficits and neuropathology in an AD mouse model and indicates that TNFR2 stimulation might be a potential treatment for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ortí-Casañ
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, Netherlands
| | - Inge S. Zuhorn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9713 AV, Netherlands
| | - Petrus J. W. Naudé
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, Netherlands
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9713 AV, Netherlands
| | - Peter P. De Deyn
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9713 AV, Netherlands
| | - Pauline E. M. van Schaik
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Molecular Neurobiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen 9713 AV, Netherlands
| | - Harald Wajant
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University of Würzburg, Würzburg 97070, Germany
| | - Ulrich L. M. Eisel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen 9747 AG, Netherlands
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Ortí-Casañ N, Wu Y, Naudé PJW, De Deyn PP, Zuhorn IS, Eisel ULM. Targeting TNFR2 as a Novel Therapeutic Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:49. [PMID: 30778285 PMCID: PMC6369349 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia. Accumulating experimental evidence shows the important linkage between tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) and AD, but the exact role of TNF in AD is still not completely understood. Although TNF-inhibitors are successfully used for treating several diseases, total inhibition of TNF can cause side effects, particularly in neurological diseases. This is attributed to the opposing roles of the two TNF receptors. TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) predominantly mediates inflammatory and pro-apoptotic signaling pathways, whereas TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2) is neuroprotective and promotes tissue regeneration. Therefore, the specific activation of TNFR2 signaling, either by directly targeting TNFR2 via TNFR2 agonists or by blocking TNFR1 signaling with TNFR1-selective antagonists, seems a promising strategy for AD therapy. This mini-review discusses the involvement of TNFR2 and its signaling pathway in AD and outlines its potential application as therapeutic target. A better understanding of the function of TNFR2 may lead to the development of a treatment for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Ortí-Casañ
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Yingying Wu
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Petrus J W Naudé
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Peter P De Deyn
- Department of Neurology and Alzheimer Center, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Inge S Zuhorn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Ulrich L M Eisel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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