@article{RuckBittnerAfzalietal.2015, author = {Ruck, Tobias and Bittner, Stefan and Afzali, Ali Maisam and G{\"o}bel, Kerstin and Glumm, Sarah and Kraft, Peter and Sommer, Claudia and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Preusse, Corinna and Stenzel, Werner and Wiendl, Heinz and Meuth, Sven G.}, title = {The NKG2D-IL-15 signaling pathway contributes to T-cell mediated pathology in inflammatory myopathies}, series = {Oncotarget}, volume = {6}, journal = {Oncotarget}, number = {41}, doi = {10.18632/oncotarget.6462}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-136047}, year = {2015}, abstract = {NKG2D is an activating receptor on T cells, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. T cells are critically involved in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and have been proposed as specific therapeutic targets. However, the mechanisms underlying T cell-mediated progressive muscle destruction in IIM remain to be elucidated. We here determined the involvement of the NKG2D - IL-15 signaling pathway. Primary human myoblasts expressed NKG2D ligands, which were further upregulated upon inflammatory stimuli. In parallel, shedding of the soluble NKG2D ligand MICA (sMICA) decreased upon inflammation potentially diminishing inhibition of NKG2D signaling. Membrane-related expression of IL-15 by myoblasts induced differentiation of naive CD8\(^+\) T cells into highly activated, cytotoxic \(CD8^+NKG2D^{high}\) T cells demonstrating NKG2D-dependent lysis of myoblasts in vitro. \(CD8^+NKG2D^{high}\) T cell frequencies were increased in the peripheral blood of polymyositis (PM) patients and correlated with serum creatinine kinase concentrations, while serum sMICA levels were not significantly changed. In muscle biopsy specimens from PM patients expression of the NKG2D ligand MICA/B was upregulated, IL-15 was expressed by muscle cells, CD68\(^+\) macrophages as well as CD4\(^+\) T cells, and \(CD8^+NKG2D^+\) cells were frequently detected within inflammatory infiltrates arguing for a local signaling circuit in the inflammatory muscle milieu. In conclusion, the NKG2D - IL-15 signaling pathway contributes to progressive muscle destruction in IIM potentially opening new therapeutic avenues.}, language = {en} } @article{RaynerColemanPurvesetal.2019, author = {Rayner, Christopher and Coleman, Jonathan R. I. and Purves, Kirstin L. and Hodsoll, John and Goldsmith, Kimberley and Alpers, Georg W. and Andersson, Evelyn and Arolt, Volker and Boberg, Julia and B{\"o}gels, Susan and Creswell, Cathy and Cooper, Peter and Curtis, Charles and Deckert, J{\"u}rgen and Domschke, Katharina and El Alaoui, Samir and Fehm, Lydia and Fydrich, Thomas and Gerlach, Alexander L. and Grocholewski, Anja and Hahlweg, Kurt and Hamm, Alfons and Hedman, Erik and Heiervang, Einar R. and Hudson, Jennifer L. and J{\"o}hren, Peter and Keers, Robert and Kircher, Tilo and Lang, Thomas and Lavebratt, Catharina and Lee, Sang-hyuck and Lester, Kathryn J. and Lindefors, Nils and Margraf, J{\"u}rgen and Nauta, Maaike and Pan{\´e}-Farr{\´e}, Christiane A. and Pauli, Paul and Rapee, Ronald M. and Reif, Andreas and Rief, Winfried and Roberts, Susanna and Schalling, Martin and Schneider, Silvia and Silverman, Wendy K. and Str{\"o}hle, Andreas and Teismann, Tobias and Thastum, Mikael and Wannem{\"u}ller, Andre and Weber, Heike and Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich and Wolf, Christiane and R{\"u}ck, Christian and Breen, Gerome and Eley, Thalia C.}, title = {A genome-wide association meta-analysis of prognostic outcomes following cognitive behavioural therapy in individuals with anxiety and depressive disorders}, series = {Translational Psychiatry}, volume = {9}, journal = {Translational Psychiatry}, number = {150}, doi = {10.1038/s41398-019-0481-y}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225048}, pages = {1-13}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Major depressive disorder and the anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, disabling and moderately heritable. Depression and anxiety are also highly comorbid and have a strong genetic correlation (r(g) approximate to 1). Cognitive behavioural therapy is a leading evidence-based treatment but has variable outcomes. Currently, there are no strong predictors of outcome. Therapygenetics research aims to identify genetic predictors of prognosis following therapy. We performed genome-wide association meta-analyses of symptoms following cognitive behavioural therapy in adults with anxiety disorders (n = 972), adults with major depressive disorder (n = 832) and children with anxiety disorders (n = 920; meta-analysis n = 2724). We (h(SNP)(2)) and polygenic scoring was used to examine genetic associations between therapy outcomes and psychopathology, personality and estimated the variance in therapy outcomes that could be explained by common genetic variants learning. No single nucleotide polymorphisms were strongly associated with treatment outcomes. No significant estimate of h(SNP)(2) could be obtained, suggesting the heritability of therapy outcome is smaller than our analysis was powered to detect. Polygenic scoring failed to detect genetic overlap between therapy outcome and psychopathology, personality or learning. This study is the largest therapygenetics study to date. Results are consistent with previous, similarly powered genome-wide association studies of complex traits.}, language = {en} } @article{GoebelPankratzAsaridouetal.2016, author = {G{\"o}bel, Kerstin and Pankratz, Susann and Asaridou, Chloi-Magdalini and Herrmann, Alexander M. and Bittner, Stefan and Merker, Monika and Ruck, Tobias and Glumm, Sarah and Langhauser, Friederike and Kraft, Peter and Krug, Thorsten F. and Breuer, Johanna and Herold, Martin and Gross, Catharina C. and Beckmann, Denise and Korb-Pap, Adelheid and Schuhmann, Michael K. and Kuerten, Stefanie and Mitroulis, Ioannis and Ruppert, Clemens and Nolte, Marc W. and Panousis, Con and Klotz, Luisa and Kehrel, Beate and Korn, Thomas and Langer, Harald F. and Pap, Thomas and Nieswandt, Bernhard and Wiendl, Heinz and Chavakis, Triantafyllos and Kleinschnitz, Christoph and Meuth, Sven G.}, title = {Blood coagulation factor XII drives adaptive immunity during neuroinflammation via CD87-mediated modulation of dendritic cells}, series = {Nature Communications}, volume = {7}, journal = {Nature Communications}, number = {11626}, doi = {10.1038/ncomms11626}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-165503}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Aberrant immune responses represent the underlying cause of central nervous system (CNS) autoimmunity, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent evidence implicated the crosstalk between coagulation and immunity in CNS autoimmunity. Here we identify coagulation factor XII (FXII), the initiator of the intrinsic coagulation cascade and the kallikrein-kinin system, as a specific immune cell modulator. High levels of FXII activity are present in the plasma of MS patients during relapse. Deficiency or pharmacologic blockade of FXII renders mice less susceptible to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (a model of MS) and is accompanied by reduced numbers of interleukin-17A-producing T cells. Immune activation by FXII is mediated by dendritic cells in a CD87-dependent manner and involves alterations in intracellular cyclic AMP formation. Our study demonstrates that a member of the plasmatic coagulation cascade is a key mediator of autoimmunity. FXII inhibition may provide a strategy to combat MS and other immune-related disorders.}, language = {en} } @article{BittnerBobakHofmannetal.2015, author = {Bittner, Stefan and Bobak, Nicole and Hofmann, Majella-Sophie and Schuhmann, Michael K. and Ruck, Tobias and G{\"o}bel, Kerstin and Br{\"u}ck, Wolfgang and Wiendl, Heinz and Meuth, Sven G.}, title = {Murine K\(_{2P}\)5.1 Deficiency Has No Impact on Autoimmune Neuroinflammation due to Compensatory K\(_{2P}\)3.1-and K\(_{V}\)1.3-Dependent Mechanisms}, series = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, volume = {16}, journal = {International Journal of Molecular Sciences}, doi = {10.3390/ijms160816880}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-151454}, pages = {16880 -- 16896}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Lymphocytes express potassium channels that regulate physiological cell functions, such as activation, proliferation and migration. Expression levels of K\(_{2P}\)5.1(TASK2; KCNK5) channels belonging to the family of two-pore domain potassium channels have previously been correlated to the activity of autoreactive T lymphocytes in patients with multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. In humans, K\(_{2P}\)5.1 channels are upregulated upon T cell stimulation and influence T cell effector functions. However, a further clinical translation of targeting K\(_{2P}\)5.1 is currently hampered by a lack of highly selective inhibitors, making it necessary to evaluate the impact of KCNK5 in established preclinical animal disease models. We here demonstrate that K\(_{2P}\)5.1 knockout (K\(_{2P}\)5.1\(^{-/-}\) mice display no significant alterations concerning T cell cytokine production, proliferation rates, surface marker molecules or signaling pathways. In an experimental model of autoimmune neuroinflammation, K\(_{2P}\)5.1\(^{-/-}\) mice show a comparable disease course to wild-type animals and no major changes in the peripheral immune system or CNS compartment. A compensatory upregulation of the potassium channels K\(_{2P}\)3.1 and K\(_{V}\)1.3 seems to counterbalance the deletion of K\(_{2P}\)5.1. As an alternative model mimicking autoimmune neuroinflammation, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in the common marmoset has been proposed, especially for testing the efficacy of new potential drugs. Initial experiments show that K\(_{2P}\)5.1 is functionally expressed on marmoset T lymphocytes, opening up the possibility for assessing future K\(_{2P}\)5.1-targeting drugs.}, language = {en} }