Neuropathic pain (NP) is 'pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory nervous system'that has certain features of a neuroimmune disorder. In response to peripheral nerve damage, T helper (Th) lymphocyte trafficking and induction of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II (essential to the capture and antigen presentation for Th cell recognition) in the injured nerve and the segmental spinal cord are 'necessary and sufficient'for the development of NP. MHCII has been implicated in differential induction of NP but not inflammatory pain, but the antigens and the processes of their formation remain elusive. Our groundbreaking program centers on the organizing thesis that immunodominant antigens, formed in damaged myelinated nerves, are at the source of low-threshold mechanical hyperpathia. Touch is signaled by non-nociceptive large myelinated (Ab) afferents, which after injury begin interpreting light touch as devastating pain (mechanical allodynia). Our cutting-edge preliminary data have determined a fundamentally novel mechanism explaining this phenomenon: selective proteolysis of myelin basic protein (MBP) by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) releases the cryptic immunodominant epitopes, MBP84-104 and MBP69-86, normally sheltered from immunosurveillance. We clearly demonstrate that immunodominant MBP peptides produce robust allodynia upon injection into intact nerve. An intriguing finding is that endogenous immunodominant MBP69-86 epitope co-localizes with MHCII in antigen-presenting Schwann cells of the injured nerve, in close proximity to the action potential-generating nodes of Ranvier. Using state-of-the-art biochemical and molecular tools (e.g. Illumina BeadChip gene arrays, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, Ingenuity, NextBio, GeneGo and proprietary MMP substrate database) and fundamental (neuropathological, behavioral, systems) approaches, we will characterize the T cell-dependent and -independent actions of MBP residues in nociception (Aim 1). The molecular domains of myelinated fibers responsible for MBP action in T cell homing and locomotion, and also, the receptors for MBP residues in nerve will be determined (Aim 2). Importantly, we determined that voltage gated sodium channel expression and the spinal release of a glutamate receptor subunit depend on MMP activity. The concluding focus of the proposal are the novel catalytic and non- catalytic MMP targets in regulating T cell trafficking and integration into the spinal neuro-glial signaling network, facilitating maladaptive central plasticity and aberrant neuroimmune synaptogenesis (Aim 3). This multi- disciplinary program merges the leading expertise and utmost resources in biochemistry of metalloproteolysis (Alex Strongin, Ph.D., Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Inst.), neurobiology of MMPs in peripheral myelination and neuroinflammation (Veronica Shubayev, M.D., UCSD), and pain pathways (Tony Yaksh, Ph.D., UCSD) with innovative study designs, which we believe are bound to transform our mechanistic understanding diagnostic and therapeutic practices predicting and preventing the transition to the NP state.

Public Health Relevance

Neuropathic pain arises from damage to the sensory nervous system and responds poorly to standard analgesics. Typically, immune response promotes neuronal repair and full recovery of sensory function, such as touch. This program will identify the unique molecular events of immune response that lead to chronic inflammation and aberrant repair of sensory nerves that result in severe chronic pain.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DE022757-02
Application #
8518295
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-IFCN-B (51))
Program Officer
Kusiak, John W
Project Start
2012-07-30
Project End
2017-06-30
Budget Start
2013-07-01
Budget End
2014-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$670,052
Indirect Cost
$119,974
Name
University of California San Diego
Department
Anesthesiology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
804355790
City
La Jolla
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92093
Remacle, Albert G; Dolkas, Jennifer; Angert, Mila et al. (2018) A sensitive and selective ELISA methodology quantifies a demyelination marker in experimental and clinical samples. J Immunol Methods 455:80-87
Shubayev, Veronica I; Strongin, Alex Y; Yaksh, Tony L (2018) Structural homology of myelin basic protein and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor: Significance in the pathogenesis of complex regional pain syndrome. Mol Pain 14:1744806918815005
Chernov, Andrei V; Remacle, Albert G; Hullugundi, Swathi K et al. (2018) Amino acid sequence conservation of the algesic fragment of myelin basic protein is required for its interaction with CDK5 and function in pain. FEBS J 285:3485-3502
Remacle, Albert G; Hullugundi, Swathi K; Dolkas, Jennifer et al. (2018) Acute- and late-phase matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 activity is comparable in female and male rats after peripheral nerve injury. J Neuroinflammation 15:89
Cieplak, Piotr; Strongin, Alex Y (2017) Matrix metalloproteinases - From the cleavage data to the prediction tools and beyond. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Res 1864:1952-1963
Hong, Sanghyun; Remacle, Albert G; Shiryaev, Sergei A et al. (2017) Reciprocal relationship between membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase and the algesic peptides of myelin basic protein contributes to chronic neuropathic pain. Brain Behav Immun 60:282-292
Remacle, Albert G; Cieplak, Piotr; Nam, Dong Hyun et al. (2017) Selective function-blocking monoclonal human antibody highlights the important role of membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) in metastasis. Oncotarget 8:2781-2799
Ko, Justin S; Eddinger, Kelly A; Angert, Mila et al. (2016) Spinal activity of interleukin 6 mediates myelin basic protein-induced allodynia. Brain Behav Immun 56:378-89
Liu, Huaqing; Dolkas, Jennifer; Hoang, Khan et al. (2015) The alternatively spliced fibronectin CS1 isoform regulates IL-17A levels and mechanical allodynia after peripheral nerve injury. J Neuroinflammation 12:158
Remacle, Albert G; Kumar, Sonu; Motamedchaboki, Khatereh et al. (2015) Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMP) Proteolysis of the Extracellular Loop of Voltage-gated Sodium Channels and Potential Alterations in Pain Signaling. J Biol Chem 290:22939-44

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