Nogo-A-targeting antibody promotes visual recovery and inhibits neuroinflammation after retinal injury

Cell Death Dis. 2020 Feb 6;11(2):101. doi: 10.1038/s41419-020-2302-x.

Abstract

N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced neuronal cell death is involved in a large spectrum of diseases affecting the brain and the retina such as Alzheimer's disease and diabetic retinopathy. Associated neurological impairments may result from the inhibition of neuronal plasticity by Nogo-A. The objective of the current study was to determine the contribution of Nogo-A to NMDA excitotoxicity in the mouse retina. We observed that Nogo-A is upregulated in the mouse vitreous during NMDA-induced inflammation. Intraocular injection of a function-blocking antibody specific to Nogo-A (11C7) was carried out 2 days after NMDA-induced injury. This treatment significantly enhanced visual function recovery in injured animals. Strikingly, the expression of potent pro-inflammatory molecules was downregulated by 11C7, among which TNFα was the most durably decreased cytokine in microglia/macrophages. Additional analyses suggest that TNFα downregulation may stem from cofilin inactivation in microglia/macrophages. 11C7 also limited gliosis presumably via P.Stat3 downregulation. Diabetic retinopathy was associated with increased levels of Nogo-A in the eyes of donors. In summary, our results reveal that Nogo-A-targeting antibody can stimulate visual recovery after retinal injury and that Nogo-A is a potent modulator of excitotoxicity-induced neuroinflammation. These data may be used to design treatments against inflammatory eye diseases.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Amacrine Cells / drug effects*
  • Amacrine Cells / metabolism
  • Amacrine Cells / pathology
  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / pharmacology*
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / pharmacology*
  • Diabetic Retinopathy / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Macrophages / drug effects
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Microglia / drug effects
  • Microglia / metabolism
  • N-Methylaspartate
  • Neuronal Plasticity / drug effects
  • Nogo Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Nogo Proteins / metabolism
  • Phosphorylation
  • Recovery of Function
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / drug effects*
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / metabolism
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / pathology
  • Retinitis / chemically induced
  • Retinitis / metabolism
  • Retinitis / physiopathology
  • Retinitis / prevention & control*
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • Vision, Ocular / drug effects*

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Nogo Proteins
  • STAT3 Transcription Factor
  • Stat3 protein, mouse
  • Tnf protein, mouse
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • N-Methylaspartate

Grants and funding