EBI2-oxysterol signalling regulates VE-cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis CD4+ T cell attachment to a human tri-cell spheroid blood-brain barrier model

Changes in the function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are one of the hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS) and are observed at very early stages of the disease. Several disease-modifying therapies for MS regulate tight junction and adherence junction proteins in the BBB thus limiting the entry of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Fionä Caratis, Inez Mruk, Klaudia Konieczna-Wolska, Bartłomiej Rojek, Marek Hałas, Paulina Czaplewska, Bartosz Karaszewski, Tomomi Furihata, Aleksandra Rutkowska
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-08-01
Series:Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625001036
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849421040691707904
author Fionä Caratis
Inez Mruk
Klaudia Konieczna-Wolska
Bartłomiej Rojek
Marek Hałas
Paulina Czaplewska
Bartosz Karaszewski
Tomomi Furihata
Aleksandra Rutkowska
author_facet Fionä Caratis
Inez Mruk
Klaudia Konieczna-Wolska
Bartłomiej Rojek
Marek Hałas
Paulina Czaplewska
Bartosz Karaszewski
Tomomi Furihata
Aleksandra Rutkowska
author_sort Fionä Caratis
collection DOAJ
description Changes in the function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are one of the hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS) and are observed at very early stages of the disease. Several disease-modifying therapies for MS regulate tight junction and adherence junction proteins in the BBB thus limiting the entry of peripheral immune cells into the central nervous system (CNS). The Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2) was shown to drive immune cell migration towards high concentration of its endogenous ligand, oxysterol 7α,25OHC, which concentrations increase during inflammation in the CNS. Here, the data showed upregulated transcripts of EBI2 and CH25H, the first enzyme in 7α, 25OHC synthesis pathway, in MS brain lesions. In vitro, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with MS downregulated HSD3B7, the 7α, 25OHC degrading enzyme, and VE-cadherin levels in the tri-cell human BBB spheroid model. Importantly, EBI2 signalling mediated the attachment of MS patient-derived CD4+ T cells to the BBB spheroids. The data raises the possibility that elevated oxysterol levels in an inflamed brain might trigger a downregulation of VE-cadherin in endothelial cells, potentially easing the CNS infiltration of EBI2-expressing immune cells. This process can be modulated through the use of EBI2 ligands, suggesting a potential pathway for therapeutic intervention.
format Article
id doaj-art-cc43b7f03ee74fecb2cee51641d9c810
institution Kabale University
issn 2666-3546
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health
spelling doaj-art-cc43b7f03ee74fecb2cee51641d9c8102025-08-20T03:31:34ZengElsevierBrain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health2666-35462025-08-014710104510.1016/j.bbih.2025.101045EBI2-oxysterol signalling regulates VE-cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis CD4+ T cell attachment to a human tri-cell spheroid blood-brain barrier modelFionä Caratis0Inez Mruk1Klaudia Konieczna-Wolska2Bartłomiej Rojek3Marek Hałas4Paulina Czaplewska5Bartosz Karaszewski6Tomomi Furihata7Aleksandra Rutkowska8Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandLaboratory of Mass Spectrometry-Core Facility Laboratories, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland; Tri-City Central Animal Laboratory Research and Service Center, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Adult Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk and University Clinical Center, Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Adult Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk and University Clinical Center, Gdańsk, PolandLaboratory of Mass Spectrometry-Core Facility Laboratories, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology UG and MUG, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandDepartment of Adult Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk and University Clinical Center, Gdańsk, Poland; Brain Diseases Centre, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, PolandLaboratory of Clinical Pharmacy and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Hachioji, Tokyo, JapanDepartment of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland; Corresponding author.Changes in the function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are one of the hallmarks of multiple sclerosis (MS) and are observed at very early stages of the disease. Several disease-modifying therapies for MS regulate tight junction and adherence junction proteins in the BBB thus limiting the entry of peripheral immune cells into the central nervous system (CNS). The Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 2 (EBI2) was shown to drive immune cell migration towards high concentration of its endogenous ligand, oxysterol 7α,25OHC, which concentrations increase during inflammation in the CNS. Here, the data showed upregulated transcripts of EBI2 and CH25H, the first enzyme in 7α, 25OHC synthesis pathway, in MS brain lesions. In vitro, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with MS downregulated HSD3B7, the 7α, 25OHC degrading enzyme, and VE-cadherin levels in the tri-cell human BBB spheroid model. Importantly, EBI2 signalling mediated the attachment of MS patient-derived CD4+ T cells to the BBB spheroids. The data raises the possibility that elevated oxysterol levels in an inflamed brain might trigger a downregulation of VE-cadherin in endothelial cells, potentially easing the CNS infiltration of EBI2-expressing immune cells. This process can be modulated through the use of EBI2 ligands, suggesting a potential pathway for therapeutic intervention.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625001036Multiple sclerosisNeuroinflammationOxysterolsEBI2Blood-brain barrierCerebrospinal fluid
spellingShingle Fionä Caratis
Inez Mruk
Klaudia Konieczna-Wolska
Bartłomiej Rojek
Marek Hałas
Paulina Czaplewska
Bartosz Karaszewski
Tomomi Furihata
Aleksandra Rutkowska
EBI2-oxysterol signalling regulates VE-cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis CD4+ T cell attachment to a human tri-cell spheroid blood-brain barrier model
Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health
Multiple sclerosis
Neuroinflammation
Oxysterols
EBI2
Blood-brain barrier
Cerebrospinal fluid
title EBI2-oxysterol signalling regulates VE-cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis CD4+ T cell attachment to a human tri-cell spheroid blood-brain barrier model
title_full EBI2-oxysterol signalling regulates VE-cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis CD4+ T cell attachment to a human tri-cell spheroid blood-brain barrier model
title_fullStr EBI2-oxysterol signalling regulates VE-cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis CD4+ T cell attachment to a human tri-cell spheroid blood-brain barrier model
title_full_unstemmed EBI2-oxysterol signalling regulates VE-cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis CD4+ T cell attachment to a human tri-cell spheroid blood-brain barrier model
title_short EBI2-oxysterol signalling regulates VE-cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis CD4+ T cell attachment to a human tri-cell spheroid blood-brain barrier model
title_sort ebi2 oxysterol signalling regulates ve cadherin expression and multiple sclerosis cd4 t cell attachment to a human tri cell spheroid blood brain barrier model
topic Multiple sclerosis
Neuroinflammation
Oxysterols
EBI2
Blood-brain barrier
Cerebrospinal fluid
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354625001036
work_keys_str_mv AT fionacaratis ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel
AT inezmruk ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel
AT klaudiakoniecznawolska ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel
AT bartłomiejrojek ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel
AT marekhałas ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel
AT paulinaczaplewska ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel
AT bartoszkaraszewski ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel
AT tomomifurihata ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel
AT aleksandrarutkowska ebi2oxysterolsignallingregulatesvecadherinexpressionandmultiplesclerosiscd4tcellattachmenttoahumantricellspheroidbloodbrainbarriermodel