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Isolating Central Nervous System Tissues and Associated Meninges for the Downstream Analysis of Immune cells
09:35

Isolating Central Nervous System Tissues and Associated Meninges for the Downstream Analysis of Immune cells

Published on: May 19, 2020

Infectious inflammation of the CNS involves activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and AKT proteins in CSF in

L Pollak1, T Hanoch, M J Rabey

  • 1Department of Neurology, The Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, affiliated to the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, University of Tel-Aviv, Zerifin, Israel. lpollak@asaf.health.gov.il

Neurological Sciences : Official Journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
|January 3, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and AKT signaling pathways are present in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with viral central nervous system (CNS) infections. Their presence correlates with increased inflammation, suggesting a role in CNS inflammatory diseases.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and AKT are crucial signaling proteins regulating cellular processes.
  • Their specific roles in human central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory diseases remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the involvement of MAPK and AKT signaling cascades in human CNS inflammatory conditions.
  • To determine the presence of these signaling molecules in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) during viral CNS infections.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 12 patients with viral CNS infections and 18 controls.
  • Detection of MAPK (ERK, p38MAPK, JNK) and AKT components using biochemical assays.
  • Assessment of CSF cellularity, age, and gender demographics.

Main Results:

  • Activated ERK, p38MAPK, and AKT were detected in the CSF of patients with viral CNS infections, but not in controls.
  • JNK was not detected in any samples.
  • MAPK-positive patients exhibited higher CSF cellularity compared to MAPK-negative patients.

Conclusions:

  • MAPK and AKT signaling cascades are implicated in the inflammatory processes of the human CNS during viral infections.
  • The findings suggest potential therapeutic targets for mitigating CNS inflammation and damage in conditions like meningoencephalitis.

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