Publications [#355545] of Emily R. Derbyshire

Journal Articles

1. Bang, S; Donnelly, CR; Luo, X; Toro-Moreno, M; Tao, X; Wang, Z; Chandra, S; Bortsov, AV; Derbyshire, ER; Ji, R-R, Activation of GPR37 in macrophages confers protection against infection-induced sepsis and pain-like behaviour in mice., Nat Commun, vol. 12 no. 1 (March, 2021), pp. 1704 [doi]
   (last updated on 2024/12/31)

   Abstract:
   GPR37 was discovered more than two decades ago, but its biological functions remain poorly understood. Here we report a protective role of GPR37 in multiple models of infection and sepsis. Mice lacking Gpr37 exhibited increased death and/or hypothermia following challenge by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Listeria bacteria, and the mouse malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. Sepsis induced by LPS and Listeria in wild-type mice is protected by artesunate (ARU) and neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), but the protective actions of these agents are lost in Gpr37-/- mice. Notably, we found that ARU binds to GPR37 in macrophages and promotes phagocytosis and clearance of pathogens. Moreover, ablation of macrophages potentiated infection, sepsis, and their sequelae, whereas adoptive transfer of NPD1- or ARU-primed macrophages reduced infection, sepsis, and pain-like behaviors. Our findings reveal physiological actions of ARU in host cells by activating macrophages and suggest that GPR37 agonists may help to treat sepsis, bacterial infections, and malaria.