Resolution of inflammation: a new therapeutic frontier

Dysregulated inflammation is a central pathological process in diverse disease states. Traditionally, therapeutic approaches have sought to modulate the pro- or anti-inflammatory limbs of inflammation, with mixed success. However, insight into the pathways by which inflammation is resolved has highlighted novel opportunities to pharmacologically manipulate these processes — a strategy that might represent a complementary (and perhaps even superior) therapeutic approach. This Review discusses the state of the art in the biology of resolution of inflammation, highlighting the opportunities and challenges for translational research in this field

Cochlin Deficiency Protects Against Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Cochlin is the most abundant protein in the inner ear. To study its function in response to noise trauma, we exposed adolescent wild-type (Coch(+/+)) and cochlin knock-out (Coch(–/–)) mice to noise (8–16 kHz, 103 dB SPL, 2 h) that causes a permanent threshold shift and hair cell loss. Two weeks after noise exposure, Coch(–/–) mice had substantially less elevation in noise-induced auditory thresholds and hair cell loss than Coch(+)(/)(+) mice, consistent with cochlin deficiency providing protection from noise trauma. Comparison of pre-noise exposure thresholds of auditory brain stem responses (ABRs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) in Coch(–/–) mice and Coch(+)(/)(+) littermates revealed a small and significant elevation in thresholds of Coch(–/–) mice, overall consistent with a small conductive hearing loss in Coch(–/–) mice. We show quantitatively that the pro-inflammatory component of cochlin, LCCL, is upregulated after noise exposure in perilymph of wild-type mice compared to unexposed mice, as is the enzyme catalyzing LCCL release, aggrecanase1, encoded by Adamts4. We further show that upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in perilymph and cochlear soft-tissue after noise exposure is lower in cochlin knock-out than wild-type mice. Taken together, our data demonstrate for the first time that cochlin deficiency results in conductive hearing loss that protects against physiologic and molecular effects of noise trauma

Insolation of Novel and Known Genes from a Human Fetal Cochlear cDNA Library Using Subtractive Hybridization and Differential Screening

Artículo científico -- Universidad de Costa Rica. Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud, 1994. Este documento es privado debido a las políticas de la revista en la que fue publicado.We used a combination of subtractive hybridization and differential screening strategies to identify genes that may function normally in hearing and, when mutated, result in deafness. A human fetal cochlear (membranous labyrinth) cDNA library was subtracted against total human fetal brain RNAs by an avidin-biotin-based procedure to enrich for cochlear transcripts. Subtracted cochlear clones were differentially screened with 32P-labeled total cochlear and total brain cDNA probes. Sequence analysis of clones that hybridized more intensely with cochlear than with brain cDNA probes revealed some previously characterized genes, including mitochondrial sequences, collagen type I alpha-2 (COL1A2), collagen type II alpha-1 (COL2A1), collagen type III alpha-1 (COL3A1), spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SAT), osteonectin (SPARC), and peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22). Also identified were clones that are potential novel cochlear genes. Northern blots of cochlear and brain RNAs probed with COL1A2, COL2A1, COL3A1, SAT, SPARC, PMP22, and a novel sequence, designated Coch-5B2, confirm results of the subtractive procedure by showing preferential cochlear expression. A number of these genes serve structural or regulatory functions in extracellular matrix or neural conduction; defects in some of these genes are associated with disorders involving hearing loss. Partial sequence analysis of Coch-5B2 reveals a von Willebrand factor type A-like domain in this cDNA. To assess the cochlear specificity of Coch-5B2, a Northern blot panel of 14 human fetal tissue RNAs was probed with Coch-5B2, showing differential expression of this novel gene in the cochlea.Universidad de Costa Rica, Instituto de Investigaciones en SaludUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto de Investigaciones en Salud (INISA

Gene Discovery in the Auditory System: Characterization of Additional Cochlear-Expressed Sequences

To identify genes involved in hearing, 8494 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated from a human fetal cochlear cDNA library in two distinct sequencing projects. Analysis of the first set of 4304 ESTs revealed clones representing 517 known human genes, 41 mammalian genes not previously detected in human tissues, 487 ESTs from other human tissues, and 541 cochlear-specific ESTs (http://hearing.bwh.harvard.edu ). We now report results of a DNA sequence similarity (BLAST) analysis of an additional 4190 cochlear ESTs and a comparison to the first set. Among the 4190 new cochlear ESTs, 959 known human genes were identified; 594 were found only among the new ESTs and 365 were found among ESTs from both sequencing projects. COL1A2 was the most abundant transcript among both sets of ESTs, followed in order by COL3A1, SPARC, EEF1A1, and TPTI. An additional 22 human homologs of known nonhuman mammalian genes and 1595 clusters of ESTs, of which 333 are cochlear-specific, were identified among the new cochlear ESTs. Map positions were determined for 373 of the new cochlear ESTs and revealed 318 additional loci. Forty-nine of the mapped ESTs are located within the genetic interval of 23 deafness loci. Reanalysis of unassigned ESTs from the prior study revealed 338 additional known human genes. The total number of known human genes identified from 8494 cochlear ESTs is 1449 and is represented by 4040 ESTs. Among the known human genes are 14 deafness-associated genes, including GJB2 (connexin 26) and KVLQT1. The total number of nonhuman mammalian genes identified is 43 and is represented by 58 ESTs. The total number of ESTs without sequence similarity to known genes is 4055. Of these, 778 also do not have sequence similarity to any other ESTs, are categorized into 700 clusters, and may represent genes uniquely or preferentially expressed in the cochlea. Identification of additional known genes, ESTs, and cochlear-specific ESTs provides new candidate genes for both syndromic and nonsyndromic deafness disorders

Hearing and vestibular deficits in the Coch(-/-) null mouse model: comparison to the Coch(G88E/G88E) mouse and to DFNA9 hearing and balance disorder.

Two mouse models, the Coch(G88E/G88E) or “knock-in” and the Coch(−/−) or “knock-out” (Coch null), have been developed to study the human late-onset, progressive, sensorineural hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction known as DFNA9. This disorder results from missense and in-frame deletion mutations in COCH (coagulation factor C homology), encoding cochlin, the most abundantly detected protein in the inner ear. We have performed hearing and vestibular analyses by auditory brainstem response (ABR) and vestibular-evoked potential (VsEP) testing of the Coch(−/−) and Coch(G88E/G88E) mouse models. Both Coch(−/−) and Coch(G88E/G88E) mice show substantially elevated ABRs at 21 months of age, but only at the highest frequency tested for the former and all frequencies for the latter. At 21 months, 9 of 11 Coch(−/−) mice and 4 of 8 Coch(G88E/G88E) mice have absent ABRs. Interestingly Coch(−/+) mice do not show hearing deficits, in contrast to Coch(G88E/+), which demonstrate elevated ABR thresholds similar to homozyotes. These results corroborate the DFNA9 autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, in addition to the observation that haploinsufficiency of Coch does not result in impaired hearing. Vestibular evoked potential (VsEP) thresholds were analyzed using a two factor ANOVA (Age X Genotype). Elevated VsEP thresholds are detected in Coch(−/−) mice at 13 and 21 months, the two ages tested, and as early as seven months in the Coch(G88E/G88E) mice. These results indicate that in both mouse models, vestibular function is compromised before cochlear function. Analysis and comparison of hearing and vestibular function in these two DFNA9 mouse models, where deficits occur at such an advanced age, provide insight into the pathology of DFNA9 and age-related hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction as well as an opportunity to investigate potential interventional therapies