Spatially-restricted inflammation-induced senescent-like glia in multiple sclerosis and patient-derived organoids

Abstract

In multiple sclerosis (MS), chronic compartmentalized inflammation is thought to drive relentless clinical deterioration. Here, we investigate the link between unresolved parenchymal inflammation and cellular senescence in MS progression. Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of human brain tissue reveals an accumulation of senescent-like glial cells in diseased white matter, especially in chronic active lesions, and to a lesser extent in the cortex. Spatial transcriptomics show gradients of senescence-like signatures extending from lesion cores to periplaque regions, alongside rewired cellular networks. Experimental induction of senescence in MS hiPSC-derived neural organoids demonstrates that microglia are especially vulnerable to inflammation-induced senescence, which can be partially rescued by CNS-penetrant anti-inflammatory drugs. At the patient level (n = 466), increased 3T MRI-estimated brain-age is observed, especially in individuals with more than four chronic active lesions. These findings suggest that chronic inflammation might accelerate senescence-like processes, potentially contributing to disease progression, and that its modulation might help limit further propagation.