Maria Grazia Piras

@article{Pintori2024-na,

title = {Immune and glial cell alterations in the rat brain after  repeated exposure to the synthetic cannabinoid JWH-018},

author = {Nicholas Pintori and Rafaela Mostallino and Enrica Spano and Valeria Orr`u and Maria Grazia Piras and Maria Paola Castelli and Maria Antonietta De Luca},

doi = {10.1016/j.jneuroim.2024.578325},

year  = {2024},

date = {2024-04-01},

urldate = {2024-04-01},

journal = {J. Neuroimmunol.},

volume = {389},

number = {578325},

pages = {578325},

publisher = {Elsevier BV},

abstract = {The use of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) poses 

 major psychiatric risks. We previously showed that repeated 

 exposure to the prototypical SCRA JWH-018 induces alterations in 

 dopamine (DA) transmission, abnormalities in the emotional 

 state, and glial cell activation in the mesocorticolimbic DA 

 circuits of rats. Despite growing evidence suggesting the 

 relationship between substance use disorders (SUD) and 

 neuroinflammation, little is known about the impact of SCRAs on 

 the neuroimmune system. Here, we investigated whether repeated 

 JWH-018 exposure altered neuroimmune signaling, which could be 

 linked with previously reported central effects. Adult male 

 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to JWH-018 (0.25 mg/kg, 

 i.p.) for fourteen consecutive days, and the expression of 

 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors was measured seven 

 days after treatment discontinuation in the striatum, cortex, 

 and hippocampus. Moreover, microglial (ionized calcium-binding 

 adaptor molecule 1, IBA-1) and astrocyte (glial fibrillary 

 acidic protein, GFAP) activation markers were evaluated in the 

 caudate-putamen (CPu). Repeated JWH-018 exposure induces a 

 perturbation of neuroimmune signaling specifically in the 

 striatum, as shown by increased levels of cytokines 

 [interleukins (IL) -2, -4, -12p70, -13, interferon (IFN) 

 $gamma$], chemokines [macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP) 

 -1$alpha$, -3$alpha$], and growth factors [macrophage 

 colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF), vascular endothelial growth 

 factor (VEGF)], together with increased IBA-1 and GFAP 

 expression in the CPu. JWH-018 exposure induces persistant brain 

 region-specific immune alterations up to seven days after drug 

 discontinuation, which may contribute to the behavioral and 

 neurochemical dysregulations in striatal areas that play a role 

 in the reward-related processes that are frequently impaired in 

 SUD.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pmid32929287,

title = {Complex genetic signatures in immune cells underlie autoimmunity and inform therapy},

author = {V Orrù and M Steri and C Sidore and M Marongiu and V Serra and S Olla and G Sole and S Lai and M Dei and A Mulas and F Virdis and MG Piras and M Lobina and M Marongiu and M Pitzalis and F Deidda and A Loizedda and S Onano and M Zoledziewska and S Sawcer and M Devoto and M Gorospe and GR Abecasis and M Floris and M Pala and D Schlessinger and E Fiorillo and F Cucca},

doi = {10.1038/s41588-020-0684-4},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

urldate = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Nat Genet},

volume = {52},

number = {10},

pages = {1036--1045},

abstract = {We report on the influence of ~22 million variants on 731 immune cell traits in a cohort of 3,757 Sardinians. We detected 122 significant (P < 1.28 × 10-11) independent association signals for 459 cell traits at 70 loci (53 of them novel) identifying several molecules and mechanisms involved in cell regulation. Furthermore, 53 signals at 36 loci overlapped with previously reported disease-associated signals, predominantly for autoimmune disorders, highlighting intermediate phenotypes in pathogenesis. Collectively, our findings illustrate complex genetic regulation of immune cells with highly selective effects on autoimmune disease risk at the cell-subtype level. These results identify drug-targetable pathways informing the design of more specific treatments for autoimmune diseases.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{pala_population-_2017,

title = {Population- and individual-specific regulatory variation in Sardinia},

author = {Mauro Pala and Zachary Zappala and Mara Marongiu and Xin Li and Joe R Davis and Roberto Cusano and Francesca Crobu and Kimberly R Kukurba and Michael J Gloudemans and Frederic Reinier and Riccardo Berutti and Maria G Piras and Antonella Mulas and Magdalena Zoledziewska and Michele Marongiu and Elena P Sorokin and Gaelen T Hess and Kevin S Smith and Fabio Busonero and Andrea Maschio and Maristella Steri and Carlo Sidore and Serena Sanna and Edoardo Fiorillo and Michael C Bassik and Stephen J Sawcer and Alexis Battle and John Novembre and Chris Jones and Andrea Angius and Gon{ç}alo R Abecasis and David Schlessinger and Francesco Cucca and Stephen B Montgomery},

doi = {10.1038/ng.3840},

issn = {1546-1718},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-05-01},

journal = {Nature Genetics},

volume = {49},

number = {5},

pages = {700--707},

abstract = {Genetic studies of complex traits have mainly identified associations with noncoding variants. To further determine the contribution of regulatory variation, we combined whole-genome and transcriptome data for 624 individuals from Sardinia to identify common and rare variants that influence gene expression and splicing. We identified 21,183 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and 6,768 splicing quantitative trait loci (sQTLs), including 619 new QTLs. We identified high-frequency QTLs and found evidence of selection near genes involved in malarial resistance and increased multiple sclerosis risk, reflecting the epidemiological history of Sardinia. Using family relationships, we identified 809 segregating expression outliers (median z score of 2.97), averaging 13.3 genes per individual. Outlier genes were enriched for proximal rare variants, providing a new approach to study large-effect regulatory variants and their relevance to traits. Our results provide insight into the effects of regulatory variants and their relationship to population history and individual genetic risk.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{steri_overexpression_2017,

title = {Overexpression of the Cytokine BAFF and Autoimmunity Risk},

author = {Maristella Steri and Valeria Orrù and Laura M Idda and Maristella Pitzalis and Mauro Pala and Ilenia Zara and Carlo Sidore and Valeria Faà and Matteo Floris and Manila Deiana and Isadora Asunis and Eleonora Porcu and Antonella Mulas and Maria G Piras and Monia Lobina and Sandra Lai and Mara Marongiu and Valentina Serra and Michele Marongiu and Gabriella Sole and Fabio Busonero and Andrea Maschio and Roberto Cusano and Gianmauro Cuccuru and Francesca Deidda and Fausto Poddie and Gabriele Farina and Mariano Dei and Francesca Virdis and Stefania Olla and Maria A Satta and Mario Pani and Alessandro Delitala and Eleonora Cocco and Jessica Frau and Giancarlo Coghe and Lorena Lorefice and Giuseppe Fenu and Paola Ferrigno and Maria Ban and Nadia Barizzone and Maurizio Leone and Franca R Guerini and Matteo Piga and Davide Firinu and Ingrid Kockum and Izaura {Lima Bomfim} and Tomas Olsson and Lars Alfredsson and Ana Suarez and Patricia E Carreira and Maria J Castillo-Palma and Joseph H Marcus and Mauro Congia and Andrea Angius and Maurizio Melis and Antonio Gonzalez and Marta E {Alarc{ó}n Riquelme} and Berta M da Silva and Maurizio Marchini and Maria G Danieli and Stefano {Del Giacco} and Alessandro Mathieu and Antonello Pani and Stephen B Montgomery and Giulio Rosati and Jan Hillert and Stephen Sawcer and Sandra D'Alfonso and John A Todd and John Novembre and Gon{ç}alo R Abecasis and Michael B Whalen and Maria G Marrosu and Alessandra Meloni and Serena Sanna and Myriam Gorospe and David Schlessinger and Edoardo Fiorillo and Magdalena Zoledziewska and Francesco Cucca},

doi = {10.1056/NEJMoa1610528},

issn = {1533-4406},

year  = {2017},

date = {2017-01-01},

journal = {The New England Journal of Medicine},

volume = {376},

number = {17},

pages = {1615--1626},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Genomewide association studies of autoimmune diseases have mapped hundreds of susceptibility regions in the genome. However, only for a few association signals has the causal gene been identified, and for even fewer have the causal variant and underlying mechanism been defined. Coincident associations of DNA variants affecting both the risk of autoimmune disease and quantitative immune variables provide an informative route to explore disease mechanisms and drug-targetable pathways. 

METHODS: Using case-control samples from Sardinia, Italy, we performed a genomewide association study in multiple sclerosis followed by TNFSF13B locus-specific association testing in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Extensive phenotyping of quantitative immune variables, sequence-based fine mapping, cross-population and cross-phenotype analyses, and gene-expression studies were used to identify the causal variant and elucidate its mechanism of action. Signatures of positive selection were also investigated. 

RESULTS: A variant in TNFSF13B, encoding the cytokine and drug target B-cell activating factor (BAFF), was associated with multiple sclerosis as well as SLE. The disease-risk allele was also associated with up-regulated humoral immunity through increased levels of soluble BAFF, B lymphocytes, and immunoglobulins. The causal variant was identified: an insertion-deletion variant, GCTGT→A (in which A is the risk allele), yielded a shorter transcript that escaped microRNA inhibition and increased production of soluble BAFF, which in turn up-regulated humoral immunity. Population genetic signatures indicated that this autoimmunity variant has been evolutionarily advantageous, most likely by augmenting resistance to malaria. 

CONCLUSIONS: A TNFSF13B variant was associated with multiple sclerosis and SLE, and its effects were clarified at the population, cellular, and molecular levels. (Funded by the Italian Foundation for Multiple Sclerosis and others.).},

note = {See Editorials, Korn T, Oukka M. A BAFFling Association between Malaria Resistance and the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2017 Apr 27;376(17):1680-1681. doi: 10.1056/NEJMe1700720.; Stohl W., Systemic lupus erythematosus: BAFF emerges from the genetic shadows. Nat Rev Rheumatol. 2017 Jun 15. doi: 10.1038/nrrheum.2017.99; Comabella M. Neuroimmunology: B cells and variant BAFF in autoimmune disease. Nat Rev Neurol. 2017 Jun 16. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2017.87.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{orru_genetic_2013,

title = {Genetic variants regulating immune cell levels in health and disease.},

author = {Valeria Orrù and Maristella Steri and Gabriella Sole and Carlo Sidore and Francesca Virdis and Mariano Dei and Sandra Lai and Magdalena Zoledziewska and Fabio Busonero and Antonella Mulas and Matteo Floris and Wieslawa I Mentzen and Silvana A M Urru and Stefania Olla and Michele Marongiu and Maria G Piras and Monia Lobina and Andrea Maschio and Maristella Pitzalis and Maria F Urru and Marco Marcelli and Roberto Cusano and Francesca Deidda and Valentina Serra and Manuela Oppo and Rosella Pilu and Frederic Reinier and Riccardo Berutti and Luca Pireddu and Ilenia Zara and Eleonora Porcu and Alan Kwong and Christine Brennan and Brendan Tarrier and Robert Lyons and Hyun M Kang and Sergio Uzzau and Rossano Atzeni and Maria Valentini and Davide Firinu and Lidia Leoni and Gianluca Rotta and Silvia Naitza and Andrea Angius and Mauro Congia and Michael B Whalen and Chris M Jones and David Schlessinger and Gon{ç}alo R Abecasis and Edoardo Fiorillo and Serena Sanna and Francesco Cucca},

doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2013.08.041},

issn = {1097-4172},

year  = {2013},

date = {2013-09-01},

journal = {Cell},

volume = {155},

number = {1},

pages = {242--56},

abstract = {The complex network of specialized cells and molecules in the immune system has evolved to defend against pathogens, but inadvertent immune system attacks on "self" result in autoimmune disease. Both genetic regulation of immune cell levels and their relationships with autoimmunity are largely undetermined. Here, we report genetic contributions to quantitative levels of 95 cell types encompassing 272 immune traits, in a cohort of 1,629 individuals from four clustered Sardinian villages. We first estimated trait heritability, showing that it can be substantial, accounting for up to 87% of the variance (mean 41%). Next, by assessing ∼8.2 million variants that we identified and confirmed in an extended set of 2,870 individuals, 23 independent variants at 13 loci associated with at least one trait. Notably, variants at three loci (HLA, IL2RA, and SH2B3/ATXN2) overlap with known autoimmune disease associations. These results connect specific cellular phenotypes to specific genetic variants, helping to explicate their involvement in disease.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}