Neuroimmunological Research Research Articles

Biomarker-based diagnosis of cognitive disorders in a case series

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

Microbiome meets microglia in neuroinflammation and neurological disorders

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

Microglial contributions to aberrant neurogenesis and pathophysiology of epilepsy.

Microglia are dynamic cells that constitute the brain’s innate immune system. Recently, research has demonstrated microglial roles beyond immunity, which include homeostatic roles in the central nervous system. The function of microglia is an active area of study, with insights into changes in neurogenesis and synaptic pruning being discovered in both health and disease. In epilepsy, activated microglia contribute to several changes that occur during epileptogenesis. In this review, we focus on the effects of microglia on neurogenesis and synaptic pruning, and discuss the current state of anti-seizure drugs and how they affect microglia during these processes. Our understanding of the role of microglia post-seizure is still limited and may be pivotal in recognizing new therapeutic targets for seizure intervention.

Brain motor control assessment post intensive whole-body exercise <i>vs.</i> upper body exercise after spinal cord injury

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

Murine iPSC-derived microglia and macrophage cell culture models recapitulate distinct phenotypical and functional properties of classical and alternative neuro-immune polarisation

The establishment and validation of reliable induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived in vitro models to study microglia and monocyte/macrophage immune function holds great potential for fundamental and translational neuro-immunology research. In this study, we first demonstrate that ramified CX3CR1+ iPSC-microglia (cultured within a neural environment) and round-shaped CX3CR1− iPSC-macrophages can easily be differentiated from newly established murine CX3CR1eGFP/+CCR2RFP/+ iPSC lines. Furthermore, we show that obtained murine iPSC-microglia and iPSC-macrophages are distinct cell populations, even though iPSC-macrophages may upregulate CX3CR1 expression when cultured within a neural environment. Next, we characterized the phenotypical and functional properties of murine iPSC-microglia and iPSC-macrophages following classical and alternative immune polarisation. While iPSC-macrophages could easily be triggered to adopt a classically-activated or alternatively-activated phenotype following, respectively, lipopolysaccharide + interferon γ or interleukin 13 (IL13) stimulation, iPSC-microglia and iPSC-macrophages cultured within a neural environment displayed a more moderate activation profile as characterised by the absence of MHCII expression upon classical immune polarisation and the absence of Ym1 expression upon alternative immune polarisation. Finally, extending our preceding in vivo studies, this striking phenotypical divergence was also observed for resident microglia and infiltrating monocytes within highly inflammatory cortical lesions in CX3CR1eGFP/+CCR2RFP/+ mice subjected to middle cerebral arterial occlusion (MCAO) stroke and following IL13-mediated therapeutic intervention thereon. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the applied murine iPSC-microglia and iPSC-macrophage culture models are able to recapitulate in vivo microglia and monocyte/macrophage ontogeny and corresponding phenotypical/functional properties upon classical and alternative immune polarisation, and therefore represent a valuable in vitro platform to further study and modulate microglia and (infiltrating) monocyte immune responses under neuro-inflammatory conditions within a neural environment.

Neuroinflammation in the central nervous system: Symphony of glial cells.

Neuroinflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) is an important subject of neuroimmunological research. Emerging evidence suggests that neuroinflammation is a key player in various neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases and CNS injury. Neuroinflammation is a complex and well-orchestrated process by various groups of glial cells in CNS and peripheral immune cells. The cross-talks between various groups of glial cells in CNS neuroinflammation is an extremely complex and dynamic process which resembles a well-orchestrated symphony. However, the understanding of how glial cells interact with each other to shape the distinctive immune responses of the CNS remains limited. In this review, we will discuss the joint actions of glial cells in three phases of neuroinflammation, including initiation, progression, and prognosis, the three movements of the symphony, as the role of each type of glial cells in neuroinflammation depends on the nature of inflammatory cues and specific course of diseases. This perspective of glial cells in neuroinflammation might provide helpful clues to the development of the early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention of the various CNS diseases.

Correction: In silico design of novel gold-phosphate containing compounds as selective inhibitors of cathepsin B in neuroinflammation

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

CAR-T cell therapy in neuro-oncology: applications and toxicity

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

Cerebral fat embolism syndrome after long bone fracture due to traffic accident: a case report

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

Therapeutic approach targeting apolipoprotein E binding region and low-density lipoprotein receptor for Alzheimer��s disease

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

Neuroimmunology Research. A Report from the Cuban Network of Neuroimmunology.

Neuroimmunology can be traced back to the XIX century through the descriptions of some of the disease’s models (e.g., multiple sclerosis and Guillain Barret syndrome, amongst others). The diagnostic tools are based in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis developed by Quincke or in the development of neuroimmunotherapy with the earlier expression in Pasteur’s vaccine for rabies. Nevertheless, this field, which began to become delineated as an independent research area in the 1940s, has evolved as an innovative and integrative field at the shared edges of neurosciences, immunology, and related clinical and research areas, which are currently becoming a major concern for neuroscience and indeed for all of the scientific community linked to it. The workshop focused on several topics: (1) the molecular mechanisms of immunoregulation in health and neurological diseases, (like multiple sclerosis, autism, ataxias, epilepsy, Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease); (2) the use of animal models for neurodegenerative diseases (ataxia, fronto-temporal dementia/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ataxia-telangiectasia); (3) the results of new interventional technologies in neurology, with a special interest in the implementation of surgical techniques and the management of drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy; (4) the use of non-invasive brain stimulation in neurodevelopmental disorders; as well as (5) the efficacy of neuroprotective molecules in neurodegenerative diseases. This paper summarizes the highlights of the symposium.

Very rare upperdorsal intramedullary epidermoid with paraplegia: a case report

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

Emerging importance of big data in neuroimmunological research

This Editorial introduces the three invited review articles on “Big Data in Neuroimmunology”.

Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis: A review of the 2017 revisions of the McDonald criteria

The revolutionary progress of research in neuroimmu-nology has led to the introduction of disease modifying therapies in multiple sclerosis at the end of the last century. The International Panel on Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis originally proposed the 2001 McDonald criteria to facilitate the diagnosis of MS in patients with the first objective neurological symptom(s) suggesting demyelinating event, when magnetic resonance imaging is integrated with clinical and other paraclinical diagnostic methods. New terms have been introduced to substitute clinical information by MRI: dissemination in space - indicating a multifocal central demyelinating process and dissemination in time - indicating the development of new CNS lesions over time. The criteria for diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis have continuously evolved, they were modified in 2005 and 2010 allowing for an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of MS over time, and they provided the most up-to-date guidance for clinicians and researchers. The last recommended revisions relied entirely on available evidence, and not on expert opinion thereby reducing the risk of the misdiagnosis. The 2017 McDonald criteria continue to apply primarily to patients experiencing a typical, clinically isolated syndrome. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent 2017 revisions to the criteria of dissemination in space and time with the importance of the presence of CSF-specific oligoclonal bands; keeping fully in mind that there is no better explanation for symptoms than diagnosis of MS. In the future, validation of the 2017 McDonald criteria will be needed in diverse populations. Further investigations are required on the value of new MRI approaches, on optic nerve involvement, on evoked potential and optical coherence tomography, in order to assess their possible contribution to diagnostic criteria.

LPS-induced TLR4 neuroinflammatory signaling in CHME-5 microglial cells

Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation is an open access journal, with focuses on neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation research, and coverage extending to other basic and clinical studies related to neuroscience.

Severe Acneiform Facial Eruption: An Updated Prevention, Pathogenesis and Management

Acne scarrings and papulopustular rosacea (PPR) are well documented cutaneous condition associated with major psychosocial morbidity. The burden of disease to the family and society is significant. A positive family history is a predictor. Inflammation involved an interplay of body inmate immunity and pro-inflammatory mediators, cytokines, neuropeptides and defence immune response to microbiomes results acneiform eruption. Modern research in molecular biology, neuroimmunology and clinical science enable the practicing physician to understand more about the pathogenesis of this complex skin disease and hence better therapeutic measures and management of the disease.

Guillain–Barré Syndrome Associated with Zika Virus Infection in Colombia

BackgroundZika virus (ZIKV) infection has been linked to the Guillain–Barré syndrome. From November 2015 through March 2016, clusters of cases of the Guillain–Barré syndrome were observed during the outbreak of ZIKV infection in Colombia. We characterized the clinical features of cases of Guillain–Barré syndrome in the context of this ZIKV infection outbreak and investigated their relationship with ZIKV infection.MethodsA total of 68 patients with the Guillain–Barré syndrome at six Colombian hospitals were evaluated clinically, and virologic studies were completed for 42 of the patients. We performed reverse-transcriptase–polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-PCR) assays for ZIKV in blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and urine, as well as antiflavivirus antibody assays.ResultsA total of 66 patients (97%) had symptoms compatible with ZIKV infection before the onset of the Guillain–Barré syndrome. The median period between the onset of symptoms of ZIKV infection and symptoms of the Guillain–Barré syndrome was 7 days (interquartile range, 3 to 10). Among the 68 patients with the Guillain–Barré syndrome, 50% were found to have bilateral facial paralysis on examination. Among 46 patients in whom nerve-conduction studies and electromyography were performed, the results in 36 patients (78%) were consistent with the acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy subtype of the Guillain–Barré syndrome. Among the 42 patients who had samples tested for ZIKV by RT-PCR, the results were positive in 17 patients (40%). Most of the positive RT-PCR results were in urine samples (in 16 of the 17 patients with positive RT-PCR results), although 3 samples of cerebrospinal fluid were also positive. In 18 of 42 patients (43%) with the Guillain–Barré syndrome who underwent laboratory testing, the presence of ZIKV infection was supported by clinical and immunologic findings. In 20 of these 42 patients (48%), the Guillain–Barré syndrome had a parainfectious onset. All patients tested were negative for dengue virus infection as assessed by RT-PCR.ConclusionsThe evidence of ZIKV infection documented by RT-PCR among patients with the Guillain–Barré syndrome during the outbreak of ZIKV infection in Colombia lends support to the role of the infection in the development of the Guillain–Barré syndrome. (Funded by the Bart McLean Fund for Neuroimmunology Research and others.)

Report on the 7th scientific meeting of the Association for the Advancement of Young Academics in Neurology (NEUROWIND e.V.) held in Motzen, Germany, October 30–November 1, 2015

From October 30–November 1, 2015, the 7th NEUROWIND e.V. meeting was held in Motzen, Brandenburg, Germany. Seventy doctoral students and postdocs from over 25 different groups working in German and Swiss University Hospitals or Research Institutes attended the meeting to discuss their latest experiments and findings in the fields of neuroimmunology, neurodegeneration and neurovascular research. This meeting report summarizes the many diverse presentations and the new preclinical to clinical neurology research data that were shared by the participants at the meeting.

The Cholinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway: A Novel Paradigm for Translational Research in Neuroimmunology

Inflammation is a complex biologic response to gross traumatic injury, endogenous ligands, or exogenous ligands. The inflammatory response is essential for reestablishing organismal homeostasis. It must be meticulously monitored and tightly regulated as over- or under activation of the inflammatory response can cause morbidity and even mortality. Emerging evidence has begun to depict the molecular mechanisms by which inflammation is regulated via the nervous system; that is, inflammation is controlled by neuroimmunologic circuitry operating in a reflexive continuum. Known as the inflammatory reflex arc, this pathway exhibits an afferent and efferent arc: both of which derive from vagal nerve fibers. The afferent arc is comprised of vagal receptors detecting specific ligands indicating injury. An activated afferent arc will initiate the efferent arc, the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, which regulates immunologically-mediated inflammation. Recent research has demonstrated that this pathway can be modulated with vagus nerve stimulation, providing a potential therapeutic option for a variety of inflammatory conditions. Here, we review the neuroimmunological mechanisms of the inflammatory reflex arc. Furthermore, we analyze current research and discuss potential therapeutic implications of the cholinergic antiinflammatory pathway.

New development of immune–brain interaction research: A new opportunity for improving our research and clinical practice in neuroimmunology through the Asia‐Pacific School of Neuroimmunology

New development of immune–brain interaction research: A new opportunity for improving our research and clinical practice in neuroimmunology through the Asia‐Pacific School of Neuroimmunology