Biology subjects

Ewing-Crystal, N. A.

Publications and source records attributed to Ewing-Crystal, N. A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Lung adventitial fibroblasts support type 2 Tregs to shape the response to influenza infection

Viral pneumonias are lung infections that lead to both short- and long-term complications, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis. Lung stromal-immune interactions balance pathogen clearance with excessive immune-mediated injury, and healthy lung repair with necessary scarring. Here, we define the lung spatiotemporal stromal-immune response to Influenza A virus (IAV) infection, focusing on the underappreciated role of fibroblasts and their dynamic states. We used 3D quantitative microscopy and scRNAseq to identify IAV-driven fibroblast states, including inflammatory fibroblasts, profibrotic fibroblasts, and adventitial fibroblasts (AFs). Unexpectedly, loss of fibroblast TGF{beta} signaling led to early enhancement of immuno-modulatory AFs, driving activation of tissue-resident type 2 regulatory T cells (T2-Tregs) and ultimately improving lung functional outcomes. In vitro co-culture systems additionally revealed that AFs act as a niche to support T2-Tregs. Our data suggest an intimate fibroblast-immune crosstalk is required to temporally and spatially balance lung tissue inflammation and repair.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

Type 1 lymphocytes and interferon-γ accumulate in the thalamus and restrict seizure susceptibility after traumatic brain injury

Chronic neural circuit hyperexcitability frequently emerges after brain injury, but endogenous mechanisms constraining runaway activity remain poorly understood. Here, we reveal that the adaptive immune system acts as a homeostatic brake on network excitability following traumatic brain injury (TBI). In mice, cortical trauma triggered a delayed infiltration of interferon-{gamma} (IFN{gamma})-producing type 1 lymphocytes into the sensory thalamus. Rather than driving pathology, IFN{gamma} signaling directly in neurons restricted thalamocortical network hyperexcitability. This protective axis was tonically regulated; depleting CD4 T cells de-repressed local non-CD4 type 1 lymphocytes, elevating IFN{gamma} signaling and protecting from seizures. A single dose of exogenous IFN{gamma} abolished hypersynchronous circuit bursting and rescued injury-induced seizure incidence, severity, and mortality, establishing a therapeutic framework for safeguarding circuit stability after brain injury.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2024

Dynamic fibroblast-immune interactions shape wound healing after brain injury

Fibroblasts coordinate the response to tissue injury, directing organ regeneration versus scarring. In the central nervous system (CNS), fibroblasts are uncommon cells enriched at tissue borders, and their molecular, cellular, and functional interactions after brain injury are poorly understood. Here we define the fibroblast response to sterile brain damage across time and space. Early pro-fibrotic myofibroblasts infiltrated CNS lesions and were functionally and spatially organized by fibroblast TGF{beta} signaling, pro-fibrotic macrophages and microglia, and perilesional brain glia that activated TGF{beta} via integrin v{beta}8. Early myofibroblasts subsequently transitioned into a variety of late states, including meningeal and lymphocyte-interactive fibroblasts that persisted long term. Interruption of this dynamic fibroblast-macrophage-glial coordination impaired brain wound healing and the resolution of neuroinflammation, disrupted generation of late de novo CNS lymphocyte niches, and increased mortality in a stroke model. This work highlights an unexpected role of fibroblasts as coordinate regulators of CNS healing and neuroinflammation after brain injury.

immunology↗