Stroke is a significant neurological illness with few effective treatments. Understanding mechanisms underlying stroke pathophysiology may help identify appropriate treatments. Inflammation following stroke is now recognized to potentiate ischemic injury at least acutely, but may be important in clearing necrotic debris and initiating regenerative processes. Triggering receptor expressed by myeloid cells-2 (TREM2) is a recently discovered receptor involved in the innate immune system. TREM2 binds to both bacteria and eukaryotic cells, as well as injured neurons. TREM2 is also expressed on microglia, where it appears to promote the phagocytosis of injured neurons. We have preliminarily found that expression of TREM2 on microglia is upregulated following brain ischemia, and its ligands are present on neurons and astrocytes. TREM2 also appears to have anti- inflammatory properties, which could limit some of the damaging effects of stroke. We propose that TREM2 limits injury due to stroke by promoting the phagocytosis of ischemic brain cells and reduces immune molecule expression.
In Aim 1, we will determine whether TREM2 deficiency leads to worsened injury following experimental stroke and ischemia-like insults, and whether TREM2 signaling occurs in ischemic tissue.
In Aim 2, we will determine whether and how TREM2 is involved in mediating microglial functions such as phagocytosing injured neurons following ischemia like insults. Using in vitro models of ischemia-like injury, we will determine whether TREM2 is involved in the phagocytosis of injured neurons, and whether TREM2 knockdown or its inhibition will prevent this.
In Aim 3, we will determine the contributions of TREM2 functions due to brain resident (microglia) or circulating (macrophages) myeloid cells by utilizing a bone marrow chimera model of stroke. Our overarching hypothesis is thatTREM2 is essential for phagocytosis of injured brain cells, and the clearance of injured tissue is essential to improved outcome from stroke. We hope that our studies will build on our knowledge of the significance of the inflammatory brain response to ischemia.
Stroke is a significant neurological illness with few effective treatments. Inflammation following stroke is thought to increase damage due to non specific immune reactions causing injury to adjacent healthy brain tissue. However, inflammation may also be important in removing dead tissue and aiding in recovery. How this occurs is not well known, but a new receptor, TREM2 may be important in this process. TREM2 seems to reduce inflammatory proteins, but also encourage phagocytosis, or the process where immune cells remove cellular debris. Understanding how TREM2 affects inflammation during stroke could lead to the identification of appropriate treatments.
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