Publications by authors named "Nico Andreas"

Article Synopsis
  • Microglia are crucial immune cells in the brain that help regulate brain development, synaptic plasticity, and neuronal networks, but may contribute to synaptic loss during diseases.
  • A study assessed the effects of long-term and short-term microglia depletion on dendritic spine density, finding long-term depletion increased spine density, whereas short-term depletion with repopulation led to decreased spine density and excitatory neurotransmission.
  • Long-term microglia depletion shows potential as a treatment for diseases with harmful microglial activity, but repopulation appears to worsen synaptic health, suggesting ongoing regulation of microglial activity might be a better strategy.
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The Beige and Chediak-Higashi (BEACH) domain-containing, Neurobeachin-like 2 (NBEAL2) protein is a molecule with a molecular weight of 300 kDa. Inactivation of NBEAL2 by loss-of-function mutations in humans as well as deletion of the Nbeal2 gene in mice results in functional defects in cells of the innate immune system such as neutrophils, NK-cells, megakaryocytes, platelets and of mast cells (MCs). To investigate the detailed function of NBEAL2 in murine MCs we generated MCs from wild type (wt) and Nbeal2 mice, and deleted Nbeal2 by CRISPR/Cas9 technology in the murine mast cell line MC/9.

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Although tonsillectomy is performed frequently, the role of palatine tonsils in life long immune protection or tolerance is still debated and the consequences of their removal for the immune system are of general interest. We analysed the tonsillar myeloid compartment in healthy subjects across a wide range of age (64% male; age range: 3 - 85 years) and compared its composition to the peripheral blood. We could observe a strong accumulation of all granulocyte subsets in the aging tonsil, which was most pronounced for basophils and mast cells.

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Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a severe and frequent complication of sepsis causing delirium, coma, and long-term cognitive dysfunction. We identified microglia and C1q complement activation in hippocampal autopsy tissue of patients with sepsis and increased C1q-mediated synaptic pruning in a murine polymicrobial sepsis model. Unbiased transcriptomics of hippocampal tissue and isolated microglia derived from septic mice revealed an involvement of the innate immune system, complement activation, and up-regulation of lysosomal pathways during SAE in parallel to neuronal and synaptic damage.

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Unlabelled: Understanding persistent cellular and humoral immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 will be of major importance to terminate the ongoing pandemic. Here, we assessed long-term immunity in individuals with mild COVID-19 up to 1 year after a localized SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. CoNAN was a longitudinal population-based cohort study performed 1.

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Interleukin (IL)-4 signals can modulate mast cells, which express the IL-4Rα chain. The IL-4Rα can heterodimerise with the common γ-chain and utilizes JAK1 and JAK2 for signal transduction, while complexes of IL-4Rα with IL-13Rα1 subunit mediates signals via JAK2 and Tyk2. Here, we report that IL-3 is an essential factor for the continuous expression of the IL-4Rα chain on mast cells, which did not express the IL-13Rα1 chain.

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Aim: Therapeutic modulation of bacterial-induced inflammatory host response is being investigated in gingival inflammation and periodontal disease pathology. Therefore, dietary intake of the monounsaturated fatty acid (FA) oleic acid (OA (C18:1)), which is the main component of Mediterranean-style diets, and saturated FA palmitic acid (PA (C16:0)), which is a component of Western-style diets, was investigated for their modifying potential in an oral inoculation model of Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Materials And Methods: Normal-weight C57BL/6-mice received OA- or PA-enriched diets (PA-ED, OA-ED, PA/OA-ED) or normal standard diet for 16 weeks and were inoculated with P.

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Specific functions of the immune system are essential to protect us from infections caused by pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. However, as we age, the immune system shows a functional decline that can be attributed in large part to age-associated defects in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)-the cells at the apex of the immune cell hierarchy. Here, we find that the Hippo pathway coactivator TAZ is potently induced in old HSCs and protects these cells from functional decline.

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We present here a 64-year-old male participant of the CoNAN study who experienced a PCR-confirmed mild SARS-CoV-2 infection but did not develop any measurable antibody response. Additionally, after vaccination with ChAdOx1 (AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK) 11 months later, no antibodies were detected in six serological tests three weeks after the vaccination. When we assessed T-helper (Th) cell immunity, SARS-CoV-2-specific Th cells produced detectable amounts of IFNγ and TNF six weeks after the infection.

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Background: The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis is correlated with age. In this study, we analyzed the association of the incidence and severity of glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (G6PI)-induced arthritis with age in two different mouse strains.

Methods: Young and very old mice from two different arthritis-susceptible wild-type mouse strains were analyzed after a single subcutaneous injection of G6PI s.

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IL-33 and ATP are alarmins, which are released upon damage of cellular barriers or are actively secreted upon cell stress. Due to high-density expression of the IL-33 receptor T1/ST2 (IL-33R), and the ATP receptor P2X7, mast cells (MCs) are one of the first highly sensitive sentinels recognizing released IL-33 or ATP in damaged peripheral tissues. Whereas IL-33 induces the MyD88-dependent activation of the TAK1-IKK2-NF-κB signalling, ATP induces the Ca -dependent activation of NFAT.

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The lack of accurate and easily applicable methods for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis, a disease characterized by an accumulation of the extracellular matrix released by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), has been a major limitation for the clinical management of liver diseases. The identification of biomarkers specific to liver microstructure alterations, combined with a non-invasive optical imaging modality, could guide clinicians towards a therapeutic strategy. In this study, structural information of the insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R), an overexpressed protein on activated HSCs, was used for in silico screening of novel IGF2R-specific peptide ligands.

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IL-33 is a member of the IL-1 family. By binding to its receptor ST2 (IL-33R) on mast cells, IL-33 induces the MyD88-dependent activation of the TAK1-IKK2 signalling module resulting in activation of the MAP kinases p38, JNK1/2 and ERK1/2, and of NFκB. Depending on the kinases activated in these pathways, the IL-33-induced signalling is essential for production of IL-6 or IL-2.

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IL-33, an IL-1 cytokine superfamily member, induces the activation of the canonical NF-κB signaling, and of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinases (MAPKs). In dendritic cells (DCs) IL-33 induces the production of IL-6, IL-13 and TNFα. Thereby, the production of IL-6 depends on RelA whereas the production of IL-13 depends on the p38-MK2/3 signaling module.

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Background: Noncanonical NF-κB signaling through activation of the transcription factor RelB acts as key regulator of cell lineage determination and differentiation in various tissues including the immune system. To elucidate temporospatial aspects of Relb expression, we generated a BAC transgenic knock-in mouse expressing the fluorescent protein Katushka and the enzyme Cre recombinase under control of the murine Relb promoter (Relb mice).

Results: Co-expression of Katushka and Relb in fibroblast cultures and tissues of transgenic mice revealed highly specific reporter functions of the transgene.

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Foxp3 regulatory T cells are well-known immune suppressor cells in various settings. In this study, we provide evidence that knockout of the gene in dendritic cells (DCs) of C57BL/6 mice results in a spontaneous and systemic accumulation of Foxp3 T regulatory T cells (Tregs) partially at the expense of microbiota-reactive Tregs. Deletion of does not fully recapitulate this phenotype, indicating that alternative NF-κB activation via the RelB/p52 complex is not solely responsible for Treg accumulation.

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In mast cells, IL-33 typically induces the activation of NF-κB, which results in the production of cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-2. Here, we demonstrate that the IL-33-induced IL-6 production in murine mast cells and the formation of RORγt T essentially depends on the MAPKAPs, MK2, and MK3 (MK2/3) downstream of MyD88. In contrast to this, the IL-33-induced and MyD88-dependent IL-2 production in mast cells contributes to the maintenance of Helios T .

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Alternative (M2)-polarized macrophages possess high capacities to produce specialized proresolving mediators (SPM; i.e., resolvins, protectins, and maresins) that play key roles in resolution of inflammation and tissue regeneration.

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Regulatory T cells (Tregs) maintain immune homeostasis and play an important role in tissue regeneration after injury. Mutations affecting development or homeostasis of Tregs lead to immune pathologies in humans and are often fatal in mouse models. Although the pathways required for Treg development are being increasingly characterized, factors crucial for Treg homeostasis are not completely understood.

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Massive apoptosis of lymphocytes is a hallmark of sepsis. The resulting immunosuppression is associated with secondary infections, which are often lethal. Moreover, sepsis-survivors are burdened with increased morbidity and mortality for several years after the sepsis episode.

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Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) were detected in the peripheral blood and the joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, serum-induced arthritis (SIA), and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) using flow cytometry. Circulating ILC2s were significantly increased in RA patients compared with healthy controls and inversely correlated with disease activity. Induction of arthritis in mice led to a fast increase in ILC2 number.

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The NF-κB transcription factor subunit RelB is important for the full activation of conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) during T-cell-dependent immune responses. Although the number of splenic DCs is greatly reduced in RelB mice, the cause and consequences of this deficiency are currently unknown. To circumvent the impact of the pleiotropic defects in RelB mice we used a reporter model for RelB expression (RelB mice) and conditionally deleted RelB in DCs (RelB mice).

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IL-33 is an IL-1 cytokine superfamily member. Binding of IL-33 to the IL-33R induces activation of the canonical NF-κB signaling and activation of MAPKs. In bone marrow-derived dendritic cells, IL-33 induces the production of IL-6, IL-13, and TNF-α.

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The proliferative niches in the subpallium generate a rich cellular variety fated for diverse telencephalic regions. The embryonic preoptic area (POA) represents one of these domains giving rise to the pool of cortical GABAergic interneurons and glial cells, in addition to striatal and residual POA cells. The migration from sites of origin within the subpallium to the distant targets like the cerebral cortex, accomplished by the adoption and maintenance of a particular migratory morphology, is a critical step during interneuron development.

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