Atlas for Perinatal Brain Injuries Unveil New Verdicts

First comprehensive transcriptional atlas of neonatal mouse meningeal leukocytes have been generated under normal conditions and after perinatal brain injuries.

First comprehensive transcriptional atlas of neonatal mouse meningeal leukocytes has been generated under normal conditions and after perinatal brain injuries per a study at the University of Gothenburg, published in Genes & Development.

This highlights the importance of meninges (outer protective 3-layered membrane of the central nervous system (CNS)) for brain development and pathology. One of the most complex organs is the brain as it controls almost every function of the body.

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‘First comprehensive transcriptional atlas of neonatal mouse meningeal leukocytes have been generated under normal conditions and after perinatal brain injuries. This highlights the importance of meninges (outer protective 3-layered membrane) for brain development and pathology. ’

Hence any harm or injury to the brain can result in lasting fatal effects, especially in preterm infants. The meningeal layer of the brain help in keeping the CNS under surveillance by certain immune cells.

It also restricts the access of blood-derived immune cells and molecules to specific compartments at the border of the CNS.

Neonatal Meninges and Immune Response

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The study team utilized an experimental model to provide a detailed immune landscape of meningeal tissue at early stages of development under both physiological and pathological conditions.

“We showed that the neonatal meninges contain almost all known types of immune cells, along with novel immune cell subtypes in the developing meninges that we have characterized for the first time,” says Xiaoyang Wang, Professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg.

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It was found that among the seven main immune cell populations in the neonatal meninges, two immune cell subtypes – border-associated macrophages and the newly defined meningeal microglia-like cells are considered to be involved in brain development.

Further to this, analysis of gene expression and other features of the individual immune cell types (including pathological early immune cell response) were also characterized in the neonatal meninges.

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New Avenues

Thus the study suggests that after insult to the preterm brain, one of the earliest inflammatory response in the neonatal meninges, is by the immune cells called neutrophils. The result was validated using a in a Vivo mouse model of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and single-cell RNA-sequencing.

“The finding opens a new avenue and offers a critical framework for us to better understand the interaction between brain and peripheral immune system for children even at very young age. To further study how the meningeal immune cells contribute to early brain development and disease pathology, will provide exciting new possibilities for identifying attractive therapeutic targets for brain disease in children”, says, Xiaoyang Wang.

Source-Medindia