ApoE Mimetic Peptides to Improve the Vicious Cycle of Malnutrition and Enteric Infections by Targeting the Intestinal and Blood-Brain Barriers
Reinaldo B. Oriá,
Raul S. Freitas,
Cássia R. Roque,
José Carlos R. Nascimento,
Ana Paula Silva,
João O. Malva,
Richard L. Guerrant,
Michael P. Vitek
Affiliations
Reinaldo B. Oriá
Laboratory of Tissue Healing, Ontogeny and Nutrition, Department of Morphology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
Raul S. Freitas
Laboratory of Tissue Healing, Ontogeny and Nutrition, Department of Morphology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
Cássia R. Roque
Laboratory of Tissue Healing, Ontogeny and Nutrition, Department of Morphology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
José Carlos R. Nascimento
Laboratory of Tissue Healing, Ontogeny and Nutrition, Department of Morphology, School of Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza 60430-270, Brazil
Ana Paula Silva
Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine and Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
João O. Malva
Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine and Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
Richard L. Guerrant
Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
Michael P. Vitek
Division of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
Apolipoprotein E (apoE) mimetic peptides are engineered fragments of the native apoE protein’s LDL-receptor binding site that improve the outcomes following a brain injury and intestinal inflammation in a variety of models. The vicious cycle of enteric infections and malnutrition is closely related to environmental-driven enteric dysfunction early in life, and such chronic inflammatory conditions may blunt the developmental trajectories of children with worrisome and often irreversible physical and cognitive faltering. This window of time for microbiota maturation and brain plasticity is key to protecting cognitive domains, brain health, and achieving optimal/full developmental potential. This review summarizes the potential role of promising apoE mimetic peptides to improve the function of the gut-brain axis, including targeting the blood-brain barrier in children afflicted with malnutrition and enteric infections.
