Hellen C. Greenblatt

The brain fires up immune cells when sick people are nearby When people viewed virtual avatars with coughs or rashes, their brains triggered an immune response.

At the mere sight of a sick person, the brain activates front-line immune cells in mimicking the body’s response to an actual infection → cascade of #neuro–immune mediators→ activation of innate #lymphoid cells. go.nature.com/46u1v2t
bit.ly/3Ha2drc [open access]

Obesity-driven inflammation and cancer risk: a comprehensive review Obesity is a growing global health challenge, significantly increasing the risk of metabolic diseases and cancer. This review explores the link betwee…

Review: “Chronic low-grade #inflammation in #obesity, mediated by dysfunctional adipose tissue, promotes a pro-tumorigenic microenvironment through increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines…” →# tumorigenesis. bit.ly/3IP8b1q

Frontiers | Inflammatory state moderates response to cannabis on negative affect and sleep quality in individuals with anxiety IntroductionInflammation has been implicated as an underlying pathology in negative affect and sleep disruption. Cannabinoids like delta-9-tetrahydrocannabin...

#CBD → ↆ anxiety, ↑ sleep quality. Greater improvements in those w higher baseline #inflammation vs. lower. No reduction in inflammatory #cytokines. #THC inconsistent results. bit.ly/4mbVyvC [open access]

Whole-body MRI in patients with arthralgia or inflammatory arthritis after exposure to immune checkpoint inhibitors: a single-centre prospective imaging study MRI inflammation and erosions are as prevalent in patients with arthralgia exposed to an immune checkpoint inhibitor as in those with inflammatory arthritis. This finding suggests that the overall bur...

Immune #checkpoint inhibitor → polymyalgia rheumatica and #inflammatory #arthritis phenotype → joint erosion and hand tenosynovitis. bit.ly/414jskt bit.ly/4lR8TJZ [open access]

Inflammatory markers including NLR, AFR and SII as prognostic factors in neuroblastoma - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Inflammatory markers including NLR, AFR and SII as prognostic factors in neuroblastoma

Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (#NLR) and systemic immune-#inflammation index (#SII), inflammatory markers, can effectively predict mortality and recurrence risk in #neuroblastoma. bit.ly/4lD6v99 [open access]

Factor-H-related protein 1 (FHR1), a promotor of para-inflammation in age-related macular degeneration - Journal of Neuroinflammation Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a multifactorial type of retinal degeneration represents the most common cause for blindness in elderly. Polymorphisms in complement factor-H increase, while ab...

In age-related #macular degeneration, #FHR1 accumulates below the retinal pigment epithelium, stabilizes and activates mononuclear #phagocytes → degeneration. bit.ly/4lwjXfD [open access]

Nonuniversality of inflammaging across human populations - Nature Aging Analyzing readouts of inflammaging across four cohorts, Franck and colleagues identify strong variation and observe that inflammaging, in its known form, primarily emerges in industrialized—but not no...

“#Inflammation, thought to be a driver of age-related disease, does not worsen with #age in some Indigenous communities.” bit.ly/3Tjmmxy bit.ly/4lclvuW

Genetic link found between instant coffee consumption and dry AMD A study reveals a genetic link between instant coffee consumption and increased risk of dry age-related macular degeneration, urging caution for high-risk individuals.

Genetics and drinking instant #coffee ↑ dry #AMD (age-related #macular degeneration) 7x (but not wet AMD). bit.ly/4kfzbUH bit.ly/4l4EtUl [open access]

Nerve-to-cancer transfer of mitochondria during cancer metastasis - Nature A study reports the development of a method to trace intercellular transfer of mitochondria, and demonstrates that cancer cells that receive mitochondria from neurons have enhanced metastatic capabili...

During #cancer metastasis, neurons transfer #mitochondria → cancer cells. Cancer cell acquisition of neuron-derived mitochondria → adequate metabolic arsenal to survive and successfully proliferate in the brain environment. bit.ly/3GfnCyR [open access]

Gut Microbiome May Influence Bipolar Medication Response - Neuroscience News A new review has examined how bipolar disorder medications interact with the gut microbiome, revealing important links between treatment response and gut microbial composition.

The #gut-brain axis → medication effects and mood regulation in #bipolar individuals. Psychotropics alter gut #microbiome. Patients who responded to treatment → markedly different microbiome populations vs. non-responders. bit.ly/44m2gbf bit.ly/4karXkX [open access]

Pro-inflammatory signaling in #adipocytes essential for adipose expansion, remodeling, and tissue integrity. Counterintuitive? Suppression of adipocyte #inflammation →tumor-friendly microenvironment →mammary #cancer progression. bit.ly/4k7kKCc

Mitochondria in oxidative stress, inflammation and aging: from mechanisms to therapeutic advances - Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy - Mitochondria in oxidative stress, inflammation and aging: from mechanisms to therapeutic advances

#Mitochondria serve as hubs regulating oxidative stress, #inflammation, and #aging, and their dysfunction contributes to cancer, CVD, neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic diseases, sepsis, ocular pathologies, autoimmune conditions. Review [open access ] go.nature.com/45gSzNf

#Inflammation in #Respiratory and #Neurological Diseases- Multiple open access papers. bit.ly/45y8A1j

Immunotherapy-related cognitive impairment after CAR T cell therapy in mice CAR T cell therapy can cause cognitive impairment in mouse models with central nervous system (CNS) and non-CNS cancers by inducing persistent neuroinflammation, thereby disrupting oligodendroglial ho...

#CAR T cell therapy →white matter #microglial reactivity, chemokine expression → neurological #inflammation→ↆ #cognition in vivo. bit.ly/4kekKRI go.nature.com/3FpFp5Z

Inflammation is associated with avolition and reduced resting state functional connectivity in corticostriatal reward circuitry in patients with schizophrenia - Neuropsychopharmacology Neuropsychopharmacology - Inflammation is associated with avolition and reduced resting state functional connectivity in corticostriatal reward circuitry in patients with schizophrenia

Linkage between #inflammation and motivational deficits in people with #schizophrenia. No association with hallucinations, delusions or #depression. go.nature.com/4k1kANl bit.ly/4mnOo8j

Psychedelic control of neuroimmune interactions governing fear - Nature Inflammatory monocytes in the brain meninges promote stress-induced fear behaviour, and the pathways involved can be modulated using psychedelic compounds.

#Psychedelics ↆ #inflammation and reset brain-immune responses. During chronic #stress, monocytes, inflammatory immune cells, migrate from to the brain meninges. go.nature.com/42V5hhG
bit.ly/3YBzy41

Diet outperforms microbial transplant to drive microbiome recovery in mice Nature - Experiments in mouse models show that proper recovery of the intestinal microbiota following depletion, with or without faecal microbiota transplant therapy, is dependent on syntrophic...

#Antibiotics → gut dysbiosis. ↑ #fiber and ↆ fat → ↑ #microbiome homeostasis. More effective than fecal transplants. bit.ly/3SgGuQe [open access] go.nature.com/433jAkF

Chronic IL-21 drives neuroinflammation and promotes lipid accumulation in microglia - Immunity & Ageing Neuroinflammation is a key contributor to the onset and progression of neurodegenerative diseases, driven by factors such as viral infections, autoimmune disorders, and peripheral inflammation. Howeve...

IL-21→ #microglia → accumulation of lipids in microglia → dysfunction→neuro #inflammation. Reminiscent of levels seen in aged mice and humans. bit.ly/4iHoTvM [open access]

The fermented cabbage metabolome and its protection against cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption of Caco-2 monolayers | Applied and Environmental Microbiology Fermented vegetables are increasingly associated with health benefits. However, the importance of microbial transformations to foods during the fermentation process remains to be determined. We found ...

#Fermented cabbage → intestinal barrier protective effects→ↆ #gut #inflammation and cytokine-induced intestinal barrier disruption. [open access] bit.ly/4cIkTtC

A neuroimmune circuit mediates cancer cachexia-associated apathy Cachexia, a severe wasting syndrome associated with inflammatory conditions, often leads to multiorgan failure and death. Patients with cachexia experience extreme fatigue, apathy, and clinical depres...

#Inflammation in advanced cancer→ ↆ dopamine → apathy and ↆmotivation. Reversed by blocking pathway. In vivo #IL-6 antibody similar to an approved drug for rheumatoid arthritis ↑ motivation. bit.ly/3XVKTvq [open access] bit.ly/3GhJBoh

Benefits of equilibrium between microbiota- and host-derived ligands of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor after stroke in aged male mice - Nature Communications Peesh et al. show that ischemic stroke reduces microbiota-derived and increases host-derived aryl (AHR) hydrocarbon ligands. Post-stroke treatment with indole-based AHR ligands improved microglia-medi...

In vivo, gut #microbiome + #microglia → #inflammation and #neurological outcomes post-stroke outcomes. bit.ly/4iSumAN [ open access]

Immune and metabolic effects of African heritage diets versus Western diets in men: a randomized controlled trial - Nature Medicine A randomized crossover trial showed that transition to a Western diet resulted in pro-inflammatory changes, whereas transition to an African heritage diet rich in fruits and vegetables, legumes and fe...

Switching from heritage-style to #Western-style diet affected metabolic pathways, ↑ pro-#inflammatory state and ↆ cytokine responses to #microbes. go.nature.com/42h5FXA [open access]

Dietary broccoli alleviates intestinal inflammation in mice by mitigating ferroptosis induced through activating AhR The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a versatile transcription factor, that responds to a diverse array of both exogenous and endogenous ligands. Br…

#Broccoli consumption was shown to alter the #microbiota, and attenuate chemically induced #colitis in mice. bit.ly/4iQ7T7h [open access]

Potential benefits of kefir and its compounds on Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review Alzheimer's disease, characterized by the progressive loss of cognitive functions of the brain, is still an incurable pathology. Current treatments pr…

The #gut-brain system shows an important role in #Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. #Kefir→ ↆ of #inflammatory cytokines, reactive oxygen species (ROS),↑ memory and #cognition. [open access] bit.ly/41ISxeW

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Plasma Phosphorylated Tau 217 Immunoassay for Alzheimer Disease Pathology This cohort study examines data from 3 single-center observational cohorts to test the capabilities of a commercially available plasma phosphorylated tau 217 immunoassay to identify Alzheimer disease ...

…commercially available plasma #p-tau217 assay accurately identified #Alzheimer disease comparable with results using CSF biomarkers, with reproducible cut-offs across cohorts. It detected longitudinal changes, including at the preclinical stage. bit.ly/4c2Pp0V [open access]

Powerful interplay between the gut and the immune system? #Gut microbiome via #fecal transplant + #PD-1 inhibitor may activate immune system to infiltrate tumors. Different microbial features appear to define treatment responders from nonresponders. 41IMiXl bit.ly/4imZmsv nbcnews.to/41IMiXl

Uric Acid Stroke Cerebroprotection Transcended Sex, Age, and Comorbidities in a Multicenter Preclinical Trial | Stroke BACKGROUND: Past failures in translating stroke cerebroprotection provoked calls for a more rigorous methodological approach, leading to the stroke preclinical assessment network SPAN (Stroke Preclini...

Counterintuitive? In vivo, intravenous #uric acid (16 mg/kg) → ischemic #stroke cerebroprotection, improving functional outcomes. bit.ly/4iWN1Li

Proteins and pathways involved in inflammation are longitudinally associated with total body bone mineral density among primarily Hispanic overweight/obese adolescents and young adults Abstract. BMD, an important marker of bone health, is regulated by a complex interaction of proteins. Plasma proteomic analyses can contribute to identific

In #overweight/obese adolescents, chronic #inflammation disrupts normal bone metabolism →ↆ BMD over time. bit.ly/4iyqyUT [open access]

Evidence of blood–brain barrier dysfunction and CSF immunoglobulin synthesis in Down Syndrome Regression Disorder Objectives This study sought to evaluate proteomic, metabolomic, and immune signatures in the cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with Down Syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD). Methods A prospectiv.....

“…dysfunction of the #blood–brain barrier and #inflammation in the central nervous system in individuals with #Down syndrome regression disorder (DSRD).” #DSRD could be an inflammatory condition affecting the brain. bit.ly/4bSbL51 [open access] bit.ly/4kQKCDA

We've known about the gut-brain axis.
Now we're learning about the gut-brain-lung axis whereby food intake can trigger an immune response in the airway. www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...