isolation-live-myeloid-epithelial-cell-populations-from-mouse

Isolation of Live Myeloid and Epithelial Cell Populations from the Mouse Lung

The lung is continuously exposed to pathogens and other noxious environmental stimuli, rendering it vulnerable to damage, dysfunction, and the development ...

Harvard Medical School

Harvard University

The host response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can result in prolonged pathologies collectively referred to as post-acute sequalae of COVID-19 (PASC) or long COVID. To better understand the mechanism underlying long COVID biology, we compared the short- and long-term systemic responses in the golden hamster after either SARS-CoV-2 or influenza A virus (IAV) infection. Results demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2 exceeded IAV in its capacity to cause permanent injury to the lung and kidney and uniquely affected the olfactory bulb (OB) and olfactory epithelium (OE). Despite a lack of detectable infectious virus, the OB and OE demonstrated myeloid and T cell activation, proinflammatory cytokine production, and an interferon response that correlated with behavioral changes extending a month after viral clearance. These sustained transcriptional changes could also be corroborated from tissue isolated from individuals who recovered from COVID-19. These data highlight a molecular mechanism for persistent COVID-19 symptomology and provide a small animal model to explore future therapeutics.

SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters and humans results in lasting and unique systemic perturbations after recovery.

Antiviral immune mediators, including interferons and their downstream effectors, are critical for host defense yet can become detrimental when uncontrolled. Here, we identify a macrophage-mediated anti-inflammatory mechanism that limits type I interferon (IFN-I) responses. Specifically, we found that cellular stress and pathogen recognition induce Oncostatin M (OSM) production by macrophages. OSM-deficient mice succumbed to challenge with influenza or a viral mimic due to heightened IFN-I activation. Macrophage-derived OSM restricted excessive IFN-I production by lung epithelial cells following viral stimulation. Furthermore, reconstitution of OSM in the respiratory tract was sufficient to protect mice lacking macrophage-derived OSM against morbidity, indicating the importance of local OSM production. This work reveals a host strategy to dampen inflammation in the lung through the negative regulation of IFN-I by macrophages.

Daisy A. Hoagland

Department of Immunology

Harvard Medical School

Isolation of Live Myeloid and Epithelial Cell Populations from the Mouse Lung

Daisy A. Hoagland

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}Department of Immunology

Harvard Medical School

Isolation of Live Myeloid and Epithelial Cell Populations from the Mouse Lung

Department of Immunology