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Markicevic M, Mandino F, Toyonaga T, Cai Z, Fesharaki-Zadeh A, Shen X, Strittmatter SM, Lake E. Repetitive mild closed-head injury induced synapse loss and increased local BOLD-fMRI signal homogeneity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.595651. [PMID: 38826468 PMCID: PMC11142233 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.595651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Repeated mild head injuries due to sports, or domestic violence and military service are increasingly linked to debilitating symptoms in the long term. Although symptoms may take decades to manifest, potentially treatable neurobiological alterations must begin shortly after injury. Better means to diagnose and treat traumatic brain injuries, requires an improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying progression and means through which they can be measured. Here, we employ a repetitive mild closed-head injury (rmTBI) and chronic variable stress (CVS) mouse model to investigate emergent structural and functional brain abnormalities. Brain imaging is achieved with [ 18 F]SynVesT-1 positron emission tomography, with the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A ligand marking synapse density and BOLD (blood-oxygen-level-dependent) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Animals were scanned six weeks after concluding rmTBI/Stress procedures. Injured mice showed widespread decreases in synaptic density coupled with an i ncrease in local BOLD-fMRI synchrony detected as regional homogeneity. Injury-affected regions with higher synapse density showed a greater increase in fMRI regional homogeneity. Taken together, these observations may reflect compensatory mechanisms following injury. Multimodal studies are needed to provide deeper insights into these observations.
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Caneus J, Autar K, Akanda N, Grillo M, Long C, Jackson M, Lindquist S, Guo X, Morgan D, Hickman JJ. Validation of a functional human AD model with four AD therapeutics utilizing patterned iPSC-derived cortical neurons integrated with microelectrode arrays. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4313679. [PMID: 38826367 PMCID: PMC11142300 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4313679/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Preclinical methods are needed for screening potential Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutics that recapitulate phenotypes found in the Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) stage or even before this stage of the disease. This would require a phenotypic system that reproduces cognitive deficits without significant neuronal cell death to mimic the clinical manifestations of AD during these stages. A potential functional parameter to be monitored is long-term potentiation (LTP), which is a correlate of learning and memory, that would be one of the first functions effected by AD onset. Mature human iPSC-derived cortical neurons and primary astrocytes were co-cultured on microelectrode arrays (MEA) where surface chemistry was utilized to create circuit patterns connecting two adjacent electrodes to model LTP function. LTP maintenance was significantly reduced in the presence of Amyloid-Beta 42 (Aβ42) oligomers compared to the controls, however, co-treatment with AD therapeutics (Donepezil, Memantine, Rolipram and Saracatinib) corrected Aβ42 induced LTP impairment. The results presented here illustrate the significance of the system as a validated platform that can be utilized to model and study MCI AD pathology, and potentially for the pre-MCI phase before the occurrence of significant cell death. It also has the potential to become an ideal platform for high content therapeutic screening for other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Patel MA, Daley M, Van Nynatten LR, Slessarev M, Cepinskas G, Fraser DD. A reduced proteomic signature in critically ill Covid-19 patients determined with plasma antibody micro-array and machine learning. Clin Proteomics 2024; 21:33. [PMID: 38760690 PMCID: PMC11100131 DOI: 10.1186/s12014-024-09488-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 is a complex, multi-system disease with varying severity and symptoms. Identifying changes in critically ill COVID-19 patients' proteomes enables a better understanding of markers associated with susceptibility, symptoms, and treatment. We performed plasma antibody microarray and machine learning analyses to identify novel proteins of COVID-19. METHODS A case-control study comparing the concentration of 2000 plasma proteins in age- and sex-matched COVID-19 inpatients, non-COVID-19 sepsis controls, and healthy control subjects. Machine learning was used to identify a unique proteome signature in COVID-19 patients. Protein expression was correlated with clinically relevant variables and analyzed for temporal changes over hospitalization days 1, 3, 7, and 10. Expert-curated protein expression information was analyzed with Natural language processing (NLP) to determine organ- and cell-specific expression. RESULTS Machine learning identified a 28-protein model that accurately differentiated COVID-19 patients from ICU non-COVID-19 patients (accuracy = 0.89, AUC = 1.00, F1 = 0.89) and healthy controls (accuracy = 0.89, AUC = 1.00, F1 = 0.88). An optimal nine-protein model (PF4V1, NUCB1, CrkL, SerpinD1, Fen1, GATA-4, ProSAAS, PARK7, and NET1) maintained high classification ability. Specific proteins correlated with hemoglobin, coagulation factors, hypertension, and high-flow nasal cannula intervention (P < 0.01). Time-course analysis of the 28 leading proteins demonstrated no significant temporal changes within the COVID-19 cohort. NLP analysis identified multi-system expression of the key proteins, with the digestive and nervous systems being the leading systems. CONCLUSIONS The plasma proteome of critically ill COVID-19 patients was distinguishable from that of non-COVID-19 sepsis controls and healthy control subjects. The leading 28 proteins and their subset of 9 proteins yielded accurate classification models and are expressed in multiple organ systems. The identified COVID-19 proteomic signature helps elucidate COVID-19 pathophysiology and may guide future COVID-19 treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maitray A Patel
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Mark Daley
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Computer Science, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | | | - Marat Slessarev
- Medicine, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, N6C 2R5, Canada
| | - Gediminas Cepinskas
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, N6C 2R5, Canada
- Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Douglas D Fraser
- Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, N6C 2R5, Canada.
- Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON, N6C 4V3, Canada.
- Pediatrics, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Clinical Neurological Sciences, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Physiology & Pharmacology, Western University, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
- London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, London, ON, N6A 5W9, Canada.
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Ramos R, Vale N. Dual Drug Repurposing: The Example of Saracatinib. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4565. [PMID: 38674150 PMCID: PMC11050334 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25084565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Saracatinib (AZD0530) is a dual Src/Abl inhibitor initially developed by AstraZeneca for cancer treatment; however, data from 2006 to 2024 reveal that this drug has been tested not only for cancer treatment, but also for the treatment of other diseases. Despite the promising pre-clinical results and the tolerability shown in phase I trials, where a maximum tolerated dose of 175 mg was defined, phase II clinical data demonstrated a low therapeutic action against several cancers and an elevated rate of adverse effects. Recently, pre-clinical research aimed at reducing the toxic effects and enhancing the therapeutic performance of saracatinib using nanoparticles and different pharmacological combinations has shown promising results. Concomitantly, saracatinib was repurposed to treat Alzheimer's disease, targeting Fyn. It showed great clinical results and required a lower daily dose than that defined for cancer treatment, 125 mg and 175 mg, respectively. In addition to Alzheimer's disease, this Src inhibitor has also been studied in relation to other health conditions such as pulmonary and liver fibrosis and even for analgesic and anti-allergic functions. Although saracatinib is still not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the large number of alternative uses for saracatinib and the elevated number of pre-clinical and clinical trials performed suggest the huge potential of this drug for the treatment of different kinds of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Ramos
- PerMed Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- PerMed Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- CINTESIS@RISE, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Department of Community Medicine, Health Information and Decision (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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Das V, Miller JH, Alladi CG, Annadurai N, De Sanctis JB, Hrubá L, Hajdúch M. Antineoplastics for treating Alzheimer's disease and dementia: Evidence from preclinical and observational studies. Med Res Rev 2024. [PMID: 38530106 DOI: 10.1002/med.22033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
As the world population ages, there will be an increasing need for effective therapies for aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders, which remain untreatable. Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading neurological diseases in the aging population. Current therapeutic approaches to treat this disorder are solely symptomatic, making the need for new molecular entities acting on the causes of the disease extremely urgent. One of the potential solutions is to use compounds that are already in the market. The structures have known pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicity profiles, and patient data available in several countries. Several drugs have been used successfully to treat diseases different from their original purposes, such as autoimmunity and peripheral inflammation. Herein, we divulge the repurposing of drugs in the area of neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on the therapeutic potential of antineoplastics to treat dementia due to AD and dementia. We briefly touch upon the shared pathological mechanism between AD and cancer and drug repurposing strategies, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Next, we bring out the current status of research on the development of drugs, provide supporting evidence from retrospective, clinical, and preclinical studies on antineoplastic use, and bring in new areas, such as repurposing drugs for the prion-like spreading of pathologies in treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viswanath Das
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - John H Miller
- School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Charanraj Goud Alladi
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Narendran Annadurai
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Juan Bautista De Sanctis
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Hrubá
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Visser M, O'Brien JT, Mak E. In vivo imaging of synaptic density in neurodegenerative disorders with positron emission tomography: A systematic review. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 94:102197. [PMID: 38266660 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) with radiotracers that bind to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A (SV2A) enables quantification of synaptic density in the living human brain. Assessing the regional distribution and severity of synaptic density loss will contribute to our understanding of the pathological processes that precede atrophy in neurodegeneration. In this systematic review, we provide a discussion of in vivo SV2A PET imaging research for quantitative assessment of synaptic density in various dementia conditions: amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Progressive supranuclear palsy and Corticobasal degeneration, Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies, Huntington's disease, and Spinocerebellar Ataxia. We discuss the main findings concerning group differences and clinical-cognitive correlations, and explore relations between SV2A PET and other markers of pathology. Additionally, we touch upon synaptic density in healthy ageing and outcomes of radiotracer validation studies. Studies were identified on PubMed and Embase between 2018 and 2023; last searched on the 3rd of July 2023. A total of 36 studies were included, comprising 5 on normal ageing, 21 clinical studies, and 10 validation studies. Extracted study characteristics were participant details, methodological aspects, and critical findings. In summary, the small but growing literature on in vivo SV2A PET has revealed different spatial patterns of synaptic density loss among various neurodegenerative disorders that correlate with cognitive functioning, supporting the potential role of SV2A PET imaging for differential diagnosis. SV2A PET imaging shows tremendous capability to provide novel insights into the aetiology of neurodegenerative disorders and great promise as a biomarker for synaptic density reduction. Novel directions for future synaptic density research are proposed, including (a) longitudinal imaging in larger patient cohorts of preclinical dementias, (b) multi-modal mapping of synaptic density loss onto other pathological processes, and (c) monitoring therapeutic responses and assessing drug efficacy in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malouke Visser
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - John T O'Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Elijah Mak
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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Stamenkovic V, Lautz JD, Harsh FM, Smith SEP. SRC family kinase inhibition rescues molecular and behavioral phenotypes, but not protein interaction network dynamics, in a mouse model of Fragile X syndrome. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02418-7. [PMID: 38297084 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02418-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Glutamatergic synapses encode information from extracellular inputs using dynamic protein interaction networks (PINs) that undergo widespread reorganization following synaptic activity, allowing cells to distinguish between signaling inputs and generate coordinated cellular responses. Here, we investigate how Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein (FMRP) deficiency disrupts signal transduction through a glutamatergic synapse PIN downstream of NMDA receptor or metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) stimulation. In cultured cortical neurons or acute cortical slices from P7, P17 and P60 FMR1-/y mice, the unstimulated protein interaction network state resembled that of wildtype littermates stimulated with mGluR agonists, demonstrating resting state pre-activation of mGluR signaling networks. In contrast, interactions downstream of NMDAR stimulation were similar to WT. We identified the Src family kinase (SFK) Fyn as a network hub, because many interactions involving Fyn were pre-activated in FMR1-/y animals. We tested whether targeting SFKs in FMR1-/y mice could modify disease phenotypes, and found that Saracatinib (SCB), an SFK inhibitor, normalized elevated basal protein synthesis, novel object recognition memory and social behavior in FMR1-/y mice. However, SCB treatment did not normalize the PIN to a wild-type-like state in vitro or in vivo, but rather induced extensive changes to protein complexes containing Shank3, NMDARs and Fyn. We conclude that targeting abnormal nodes of a PIN can identify potential disease-modifying drugs, but behavioral rescue does not correlate with PIN normalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Stamenkovic
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jonathan D Lautz
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Felicia M Harsh
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stephen E P Smith
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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8
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van Dyck CH, Mecca AP, O'Dell RS, Bartlett HH, Diepenbrock NG, Huang Y, Hamby ME, Grundman M, Catalano SM, Caggiano AO, Carson RE. A pilot study to evaluate the effect of CT1812 treatment on synaptic density and other biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:20. [PMID: 38273408 PMCID: PMC10809445 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01382-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effective, disease-modifying therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain a large unmet need. Extensive evidence suggests that amyloid beta (Aβ) is central to AD pathophysiology, and Aβ oligomers are among the most toxic forms of Aβ. CT1812 is a novel brain penetrant sigma-2 receptor ligand that interferes with the binding of Aβ oligomers to neurons. Preclinical studies of CT1812 have demonstrated its ability to displace Aβ oligomers from neurons, restore synapses in cell cultures, and improve cognitive measures in mouse models of AD. CT1812 was found to be generally safe and well tolerated in a placebo-controlled phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers and phase 1a/2 clinical trials in patients with mild to moderate dementia due to AD. The unique objective of this study was to incorporate synaptic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging as an outcome measure for CT1812 in AD patients. METHODS The present phase 1/2 study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial conducted in 23 participants with mild to moderate dementia due to AD to primarily evaluate the safety of CT1812 and secondarily its pharmacodynamic effects. Participants received either placebo or 100 mg or 300 mg per day of oral CT1812 for 24 weeks. Pharmacodynamic effects were assessed using the exploratory efficacy endpoints synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) PET, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, volumetric MRI, cognitive clinical measures, as well as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD pathology and synaptic degeneration. RESULTS No treatment differences relative to placebo were observed in the change from baseline at 24 weeks in either SV2A or FDG PET signal, the cognitive clinical rating scales, or in CSF biomarkers. Composite region volumetric MRI revealed a trend towards tissue preservation in participants treated with either dose of CT1812, and nominally significant differences with both doses of CT1812 compared to placebo were found in the pericentral, prefrontal, and hippocampal cortices. CT1812 was safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS The safety findings of this 24-week study and the observed changes on volumetric MRI with CT1812 support its further clinical development. TRIAL REGISTRATION The clinical trial described in this manuscript is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03493282).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H van Dyck
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Adam P Mecca
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ryan S O'Dell
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hugh H Bartlett
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nina G Diepenbrock
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mary E Hamby
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael Grundman
- Global R&D Partners, LLC, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | | | | | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Mandino F, Shen X, Desrosiers-Gregoire G, O'Connor D, Mukherjee B, Owens A, Qu A, Onofrey J, Papademetris X, Chakravarty MM, Strittmatter SM, Lake EM. Aging-Dependent Loss of Connectivity in Alzheimer's Model Mice with Rescue by mGluR5 Modulator. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.15.571715. [PMID: 38260465 PMCID: PMC10802481 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.15.571715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Amyloid accumulation in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with synaptic damage and altered connectivity in brain networks. While measures of amyloid accumulation and biochemical changes in mouse models have utility for translational studies of certain therapeutics, preclinical analysis of altered brain connectivity using clinically relevant fMRI measures has not been well developed for agents intended to improve neural networks. Here, we conduct a longitudinal study in a double knock-in mouse model for AD ( App NL-G-F /hMapt ), monitoring brain connectivity by means of resting-state fMRI. While the 4-month-old AD mice are indistinguishable from wild-type controls (WT), decreased connectivity in the default-mode network is significant for the AD mice relative to WT mice by 6 months of age and is pronounced by 9 months of age. In a second cohort of 20-month-old mice with persistent functional connectivity deficits for AD relative to WT, we assess the impact of two-months of oral treatment with a silent allosteric modulator of mGluR5 (BMS-984923) known to rescue synaptic density. Functional connectivity deficits in the aged AD mice are reversed by the mGluR5-directed treatment. The longitudinal application of fMRI has enabled us to define the preclinical time trajectory of AD-related changes in functional connectivity, and to demonstrate a translatable metric for monitoring disease emergence, progression, and response to synapse-rescuing treatment.
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10
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Li A, Yang B, Naganawa M, Fontaine K, Toyonaga T, Carson RE, Tang J. Dose reduction in dynamic synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A PET imaging using artificial neural networks. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68:245006. [PMID: 37857316 PMCID: PMC10739622 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad0535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Objective. Reducing dose in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging increases noise in reconstructed dynamic frames, which inevitably results in higher noise and possible bias in subsequently estimated images of kinetic parameters than those estimated in the standard dose case. We report the development of a spatiotemporal denoising technique for reduced-count dynamic frames through integrating a cascade artificial neural network (ANN) with the highly constrained back-projection (HYPR) scheme to improve low-dose parametric imaging.Approach. We implemented and assessed the proposed method using imaging data acquired with11C-UCB-J, a PET radioligand bound to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) in the human brain. The patch-based ANN was trained with a reduced-count frame and its full-count correspondence of a subject and was used in cascade to process dynamic frames of other subjects to further take advantage of its denoising capability. The HYPR strategy was then applied to the spatial ANN processed image frames to make use of the temporal information from the entire dynamic scan.Main results. In all the testing subjects including healthy volunteers and Parkinson's disease patients, the proposed method reduced more noise while introducing minimal bias in dynamic frames and the resulting parametric images, as compared with conventional denoising methods.Significance. Achieving 80% noise reduction with a bias of -2% in dynamic frames, which translates into 75% and 70% of noise reduction in the tracer uptake (bias, -2%) and distribution volume (bias, -5%) images, the proposed ANN+HYPR technique demonstrates the denoising capability equivalent to a 11-fold dose increase for dynamic SV2A PET imaging with11C-UCB-J.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andi Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Bao Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Kathryn Fontaine
- Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Richard E Carson
- Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Jing Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
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11
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Majeed J, Sabbagh MN, Kang MH, Lawrence JJ, Pruitt K, Bacus S, Reyna E, Brown M, Decourt B. Cancer drugs with high repositioning potential for Alzheimer's disease. Expert Opin Emerg Drugs 2023; 28:311-332. [PMID: 38100555 PMCID: PMC10877737 DOI: 10.1080/14728214.2023.2296079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite the recent full FDA approval of lecanemab, there is currently no disease modifying therapy (DMT) that can efficiently slow down the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the general population. This statement emphasizes the need to identify novel DMTs in the shortest time possible to prevent a global epidemic of AD cases as the world population experiences an increase in lifespan. AREAS COVERED Here, we review several classes of anti-cancer drugs that have been or are being investigated in Phase II/III clinical trials for AD, including immunomodulatory drugs, RXR agonists, sex hormone therapies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies. EXPERT OPINION Given the overall course of brain pathologies during the progression of AD, we express a great enthusiasm for the repositioning of anti-cancer drugs as possible AD DMTs. We anticipate an increasing number of combinatorial therapy strategies to tackle AD symptoms and their underlying pathologies. However, we strongly encourage improvements in clinical trial study designs to better assess target engagement and possible efficacy over sufficient periods of drug exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jad Majeed
- University of Arizona Honors College, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Marwan N. Sabbagh
- Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders Division, Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Min H. Kang
- Department of Pediatrics, Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - J. Josh Lawrence
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Kevin Pruitt
- Department of Pharmacology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Ellie Reyna
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Maddy Brown
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
| | - Boris Decourt
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, Texas, USA
- Roseman University of Health Sciences, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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Stoner A, Fu L, Nicholson L, Zheng C, Toyonaga T, Spurrier J, Laird W, Cai Z, Strittmatter SM. Neuronal transcriptome, tau and synapse loss in Alzheimer's knock-in mice require prion protein. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:201. [PMID: 37968719 PMCID: PMC10647125 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01345-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Progression of Alzheimer's disease leads to synapse loss, neural network dysfunction and cognitive failure. Accumulation of protein aggregates and brain immune activation have triggering roles in synaptic failure but the neuronal mechanisms underlying synapse loss are unclear. On the neuronal surface, cellular prion protein (PrPC) is known to be a high-affinity binding site for Amyloid-β oligomers (Aβo). However, PrPC's dependence in knock-in AD models for tau accumulation, transcriptomic alterations and imaging biomarkers is unknown. METHODS The necessity of PrPC was examined as a function of age in homozygous AppNL-G-F/hMapt double knock-in mice (DKI). Phenotypes of AppNL-G-F/hMapt mice with a deletion of Prnp expression (DKI; Prnp-/-) were compared with DKI mice with intact Prnp, mice with a targeted deletion of Prnp (Prnp-/-), and mice with intact Prnp (WT). Phenotypes examined included behavioral deficits, synapse loss by PET imaging, synapse loss by immunohistology, tau pathology, gliosis, inflammatory markers, and snRNA-seq transcriptomic profiling. RESULTS By 9 months age, DKI mice showed learning and memory impairment, but DKI; Prnp-/- and Prnp-/- groups were indistinguishable from WT. Synapse loss in DKI brain, measured by [18F]SynVesT-1 SV2A PET or anti-SV2A immunohistology, was prevented by Prnp deletion. Accumulation of Tau phosphorylated at aa 217 and 202/205, C1q tagging of synapses, and dystrophic neurites were all increased in DKI mice but each decreased to WT levels with Prnp deletion. In contrast, astrogliosis, microgliosis and Aβ levels were unchanged between DKI and DKI; Prnp-/- groups. Single-nuclei transcriptomics revealed differential expression in neurons and glia of DKI mice relative to WT. For DKI; Prnp-/- mice, the majority of neuronal genes differentially expressed in DKI mice were no longer significantly altered relative to WT, but most glial DKI-dependent gene expression changes persisted. The DKI-dependent neuronal genes corrected by Prnp deletion associated bioinformatically with synaptic function. Additional genes were uniquely altered only in the Prnp-/- or the DKI; Prnp-/- groups. CONCLUSIONS Thus, PrPC-dependent synapse loss, phospho-tau accumulation and neuronal gene expression in AD mice can be reversed without clearing Aβ plaque or preventing gliotic reaction. This supports targeting the Aβo-PrPC interaction to prevent Aβo-neurotoxicity and pathologic tau accumulation in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin Stoner
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Li Fu
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - LaShae Nicholson
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chao Zheng
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Joshua Spurrier
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Will Laird
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Zhengxin Cai
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Vasanthi SS, Massey N, Nair SN, Mochel JP, Showman L, Thippeswamy T. Exploring the benefits of in-diet versus repeated oral dosing of saracatinib (AZD0530) in chronic studies: insights into pharmacokinetics and animal welfare. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1297221. [PMID: 38026620 PMCID: PMC10666625 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1297221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Saracatinib/AZD0530 (SAR), a Src tyrosine kinase inhibitor, mitigates seizure-induced brain pathology in epilepsy models upon repeated oral dosing. However, repeated dosing is stressful and can be challenging in some seizing animals. To overcome this issue, we have incorporated SAR-in-Diet and compared serum pharmacokinetics (PK) and brain concentrations with conventional repeated oral dosing. Saracatinib in solution or in-diet was stable at room temperature for >4 weeks (97 ± 1.56%). Adult Sprague Dawley rats on SAR-in-Diet consumed ~1.7 g/day less compared to regular diet (16.82 ± 0.6 vs. 18.50 ± 0.5 g/day), but the weight gain/day was unaffected (2.63 ± 0.5 g/day vs. 2.83 ± 0.2 g/day). Importantly, we achieved the anticipated SAR dose range from 2.5-18.7 mg/kg of rat in response to varying concentrations of SAR-in-Diet from 54 to 260 ppm of feed, respectively. There was a strong and significant correlation between SAR-in-Diet dose (mg/kg) and serum saracatinib concentrations (ng/ml). Serum concentrations also did not vary significantly between SAR-in-Diet and repeated oral dosing. The hippocampal saracatinib concentrations derived from SAR-in-Diet treatment were higher than those derived after repeated oral dosing (day 3, 546.8 ± 219.7 ng/g vs. 238.6 ± 143 ng/g; day 7, 300.7 ± 43.4 ng/g vs. 271.1 ± 62.33 ng/g). Saracatinib stability at room temperature and high serum and hippocampal concentrations in animals fed on SAR-in-Diet are useful to titer the saracatinib dose for future animal disease models. Overall, test drugs in the diet is an experimental approach that addresses issues related to handling stress-induced variables in animal experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suraj S. Vasanthi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Nyzil Massey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Suresh N. Nair
- Department of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Thrissur, India
| | - Jonathan P. Mochel
- Precision One Health, Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Lucas Showman
- W.M. Keck Metabolomics Research Laboratory, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Thimmasettappa Thippeswamy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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14
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Yao J, Wang Z, Song W, Zhang Y. Targeting NLRP3 inflammasome for neurodegenerative disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4512-4527. [PMID: 37670126 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02239-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is a key pathological feature in neurological diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat-containing proteins (NLRs) belong to the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) family that sense stress signals, which play an important role in inflammation. As a member of NLRs, the NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) is predominantly expressed in microglia, the principal innate immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Microglia release proinflammatory cytokines to cause pyroptosis through activating NLRP3 inflammasome. The active NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Recent studies also indicate the key role of neuronal NLRP3 in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. In this article, we reviewed the mechanisms of NLRP3 expression and activation and discussed the role of active NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis of NDs, particularly focusing on AD. The studies suggest that targeting NLRP3 inflammasome could be a novel approach for the disease modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yao
- The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100053, Beijing, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100053, Beijing, China
| | - Weihong Song
- The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100053, Beijing, China.
- Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, School of Mental Health and The Affiliated Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Yun Zhang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, 100053, Beijing, China.
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15
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Carroll JA, Striebel JF, Baune C, Chesebro B, Race B. CD11c is not required by microglia to convey neuroprotection after prion infection. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293301. [PMID: 37910561 PMCID: PMC10619787 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are caused by the misfolding of a normal host protein that leads to gliosis, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and death. Microglia have been shown to be critical for neuroprotection during prion infection of the central nervous system (CNS), and their presence extends survival in mice. How microglia impart these benefits to the infected host are unknown. Previous transcriptomics and bioinformatics studies suggested that signaling through the heterodimeric integrin receptor CD11c/CD18, expressed by microglia in the brain, might be important to microglial function during prion disease. Herein, we intracerebrally challenged CD11c-/- mice with prion strain RML and compared them to similarly infected C57BL/6 mice as controls. We initially assessed changes in the brain that are associated with disease such as astrogliosis, microgliosis, prion accumulation, and survival. Targeted qRT-PCR arrays were used to determine alterations in transcription in mice in response to prion infection. We demonstrate that expression of Itgax (CD11c) and Itgb2 (CD18) increases in the CNS in correlation with advancing prion infection. Gliosis, neuropathology, prion deposition, and disease progression in prion infected CD11c deficient mice were comparable to infected C57BL/6 mice. Additionally, both CD11c deficient and C57BL/6 prion-infected mouse cohorts had a similar consortium of inflammatory- and phagocytosis-associated genes that increased as disease progressed to clinical stages. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of upregulated genes in infected C57BL/6 mice suggested numerous cell-surface transmembrane receptors signal through Spleen Tyrosine Kinase, a potential key regulator of phagocytosis and innate immune activation in the prion infected brain. Ultimately, the deletion of CD11c did not influence prion pathogenesis in mice and CD11c signaling is not involved in the neuroprotection provided by microglia, but our analysis identified a conspicuous phagocytosis pathway in the CNS of infected mice that appeared to be activated during prion pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A. Carroll
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - James F. Striebel
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Chase Baune
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Bruce Chesebro
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Brent Race
- Laboratory of Neurological Infections and Immunity, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
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Mota SI, Fão L, Coelho P, Rego AC. Uncovering the Early Events Associated with Oligomeric Aβ-Induced Src Activation. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1770. [PMID: 37760073 PMCID: PMC10525724 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12091770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Soluble Aβ1-42 oligomers (AβO) are formed in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and were previously shown to trigger enhanced Ca2+ levels and mitochondrial dysfunction via the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR). Src kinase is a ubiquitous redox-sensitive non-receptor tyrosine kinase involved in the regulation of several cellular processes, which was demonstrated to have a reciprocal interaction towards NMDAR activation. However, little is known about the early-stage mechanisms associated with AβO-induced neurodysfunction involving Src. Thus, in this work, we analysed the influence of brief exposure to oligomeric Aβ1-42 on Src activation and related mechanisms involving mitochondria and redox changes in mature primary rat hippocampal neurons. Data show that brief exposure to AβO induce H2O2-dependent Src activation involving different cellular events, including NMDAR activation and mediated intracellular Ca2+ rise, enhanced cytosolic and subsequent mitochondrial H2O2 levels, accompanied by mild mitochondrial fragmentation. Interestingly, these effects were prevented by Src inhibition, suggesting a feedforward modulation. The current study supports a relevant role for Src kinase activation in promoting the loss of postsynaptic glutamatergic synapse homeostasis involving cytosolic and mitochondrial ROS generation after brief exposure to AβO. Therefore, restoring Src activity can constitute a protective strategy for mitochondria and related hippocampal glutamatergic synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra I. Mota
- CNC-UC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; (S.I.M.); (L.F.); (P.C.)
- CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- IIIUC-Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Lígia Fão
- CNC-UC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; (S.I.M.); (L.F.); (P.C.)
- CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Coelho
- CNC-UC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; (S.I.M.); (L.F.); (P.C.)
- CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A. Cristina Rego
- CNC-UC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; (S.I.M.); (L.F.); (P.C.)
- CIBB-Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-354 Coimbra, Portugal
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17
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Webber EK, Fivaz M, Stutzmann GE, Griffioen G. Cytosolic calcium: Judge, jury and executioner of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and beyond. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:3701-3717. [PMID: 37132525 PMCID: PMC10490830 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
This review discusses the driving principles that may underlie neurodegeneration in dementia, represented most dominantly by Alzheimer's disease (AD). While a myriad of different disease risk factors contribute to AD, these ultimately converge to a common disease outcome. Based on decades of research, a picture emerges where upstream risk factors combine in a feedforward pathophysiological cycle, culminating in a rise of cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca2+ ]c ) that triggers neurodegeneration. In this framework, positive AD risk factors entail conditions, characteristics, or lifestyles that initiate or accelerate self-reinforcing cycles of pathophysiology, whereas negative risk factors or therapeutic interventions, particularly those mitigating elevated [Ca2+ ]c , oppose these effects and therefore have neuroprotective potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elise K. Webber
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Therapeutics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
- School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
| | - Marc Fivaz
- reMYND, Gaston Geenslaan 1, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Grace E. Stutzmann
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Therapeutics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
- School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA
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18
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Im E, Jiang Y, Stavrides PH, Darji S, Erdjument-Bromage H, Neubert TA, Choi JY, Wegiel J, Lee JH, Nixon RA. Lysosomal dysfunction in Down syndrome and Alzheimer mouse models is caused by v-ATPase inhibition by Tyr 682-phosphorylated APP βCTF. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg1925. [PMID: 37494443 PMCID: PMC10371027 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Lysosome dysfunction arises early and propels Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, we show that amyloid precursor protein (APP), linked to early-onset AD in Down syndrome (DS), acts directly via its β-C-terminal fragment (βCTF) to disrupt lysosomal vacuolar (H+)-adenosine triphosphatase (v-ATPase) and acidification. In human DS fibroblasts, the phosphorylated 682YENPTY internalization motif of APP-βCTF binds selectively within a pocket of the v-ATPase V0a1 subunit cytoplasmic domain and competitively inhibits association of the V1 subcomplex of v-ATPase, thereby reducing its activity. Lowering APP-βCTF Tyr682 phosphorylation restores v-ATPase and lysosome function in DS fibroblasts and in vivo in brains of DS model mice. Notably, lowering APP-βCTF Tyr682 phosphorylation below normal constitutive levels boosts v-ATPase assembly and activity, suggesting that v-ATPase may also be modulated tonically by phospho-APP-βCTF. Elevated APP-βCTF Tyr682 phosphorylation in two mouse AD models similarly disrupts v-ATPase function. These findings offer previously unknown insight into the pathogenic mechanism underlying faulty lysosomes in all forms of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunju Im
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ying Jiang
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Philip H. Stavrides
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Sandipkumar Darji
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Hediye Erdjument-Bromage
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Thomas A. Neubert
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Jun Yong Choi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Queens College, Queens, NY 11367, USA
- Ph.D. Programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Ju-Hyun Lee
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ralph A. Nixon
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
- NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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Zhang Y, Chen H, Li R, Sterling K, Song W. Amyloid β-based therapy for Alzheimer's disease: challenges, successes and future. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:248. [PMID: 37386015 PMCID: PMC10310781 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01484-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid β protein (Aβ) is the main component of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its accumulation has been considered as the molecular driver of Alzheimer's pathogenesis and progression. Aβ has been the prime target for the development of AD therapy. However, the repeated failures of Aβ-targeted clinical trials have cast considerable doubt on the amyloid cascade hypothesis and whether the development of Alzheimer's drug has followed the correct course. However, the recent successes of Aβ targeted trials have assuaged those doubts. In this review, we discussed the evolution of the amyloid cascade hypothesis over the last 30 years and summarized its application in Alzheimer's diagnosis and modification. In particular, we extensively discussed the pitfalls, promises and important unanswered questions regarding the current anti-Aβ therapy, as well as strategies for further study and development of more feasible Aβ-targeted approaches in the optimization of AD prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Huaqiu Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Keenan Sterling
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Weihong Song
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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Basheer N, Smolek T, Hassan I, Liu F, Iqbal K, Zilka N, Novak P. Does modulation of tau hyperphosphorylation represent a reasonable therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer's disease? From preclinical studies to the clinical trials. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2197-2214. [PMID: 37264120 PMCID: PMC10611587 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02113-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Protein kinases (PKs) have emerged as one of the most intensively investigated drug targets in current pharmacological research, with indications ranging from oncology to neurodegeneration. Tau protein hyperphosphorylation was the first pathological post-translational modification of tau protein described in Alzheimer's disease (AD), highlighting the role of PKs in neurodegeneration. The therapeutic potential of protein kinase inhibitors (PKIs)) and protein phosphatase 2 A (PP2A) activators in AD has recently been explored in several preclinical and clinical studies with variable outcomes. Where a number of preclinical studies demonstrate a visible reduction in the levels of phospho-tau in transgenic tauopathy models, no reduction in neurofibrillary lesions is observed. Amongst the few PKIs and PP2A activators that progressed to clinical trials, most failed on the efficacy front, with only a few still unconfirmed and potential positive trends. This suggests that robust preclinical and clinical data is needed to unequivocally evaluate their efficacy. To this end, we take a systematic look at the results of preclinical and clinical studies of PKIs and PP2A activators, and the evidence they provide regarding the utility of this approach to evaluate the potential of targeting tau hyperphosphorylation as a disease modifying therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neha Basheer
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, 845 10, Slovakia
| | - Tomáš Smolek
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, 845 10, Slovakia
| | - Imtaiyaz Hassan
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Basic Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, 110025, India
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 1050 Forest Hill Road, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, 845 10, Slovakia.
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, 811 02, Slovakia.
| | - Petr Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, 845 10, Slovakia.
- AXON Neuroscience CRM Services SE, Bratislava, 811 02, Slovakia.
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21
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Saïd Hassane C, Tintillier F, Campos PE, Herbette G, de Voogd NJ, Ouazzani J, Fouillaud M, Dufossé L, Gauvin-Bialecki A. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers isolated from the marine sponge Lendenfeldia chondrodes collected in Mayotte. Nat Prod Res 2023:1-10. [PMID: 37086477 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2023.2204431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
CDK7 and FynB protein kinases have been recognized as relevant targets for cancer and brain diseases treatment due to their pivotal regulatory roles in cellular functions such as cell cycle and neural signal transduction. Several studies demonstrated that the inhibition of these proteins could be useful in altering the onset or progression of these diseases. Based on bioassay-guided approach, the extract of the marine sponge Lendenfeldia chondrodes (Thorectidae), which exhibited interesting kinase inhibitory activities, was fractionated. The investigation led to the isolation of five known 1-5 and one new 6 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Their structure elucidation was established based on spectroscopic data (NMR and HRMS) and comparison with literature data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charifat Saïd Hassane
- Laboratoire de Chimie et de Biotechnologie des Produits Naturels, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
| | - Florent Tintillier
- Laboratoire de Chimie et de Biotechnologie des Produits Naturels, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
| | - Pierre-Eric Campos
- Laboratoire de Chimie et de Biotechnologie des Produits Naturels, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
- Institut de Chimie Organique et Analytique, Université d'Orléans - Pôle de chimie, Orléans, France
| | - Gaëtan Herbette
- Spectropole, FSCM CNRS, Centrale Marseille, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Nicole J de Voogd
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jamal Ouazzani
- Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles, CNRS UPR 2301, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Mireille Fouillaud
- Laboratoire de Chimie et de Biotechnologie des Produits Naturels, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
| | - Laurent Dufossé
- Laboratoire de Chimie et de Biotechnologie des Produits Naturels, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
| | - Anne Gauvin-Bialecki
- Laboratoire de Chimie et de Biotechnologie des Produits Naturels, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de La Réunion, Saint-Denis, France
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22
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Sulimai N, Brown J, Lominadze D. Vascular Effects on Cerebrovascular Permeability and Neurodegeneration. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13040648. [PMID: 37189395 DOI: 10.3390/biom13040648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons and glial cells in the brain are protected by the blood brain barrier (BBB). The local regulation of blood flow is determined by neurons and signal conducting cells called astrocytes. Although alterations in neurons and glial cells affect the function of neurons, the majority of effects are coming from other cells and organs of the body. Although it seems obvious that effects beginning in brain vasculature would play an important role in the development of various neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative pathologies, significant interest has only been directed to the possible mechanisms involved in the development of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) for the last decade. Presently, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke applies considerable attention toward research related to VCID and vascular impairments during Alzheimer's disease. Thus, any changes in cerebral vessels, such as in blood flow, thrombogenesis, permeability, or others, which affect the proper vasculo-neuronal connection and interaction and result in neuronal degeneration that leads to memory decline should be considered as a subject of investigation under the VCID category. Out of several vascular effects that can trigger neurodegeneration, changes in cerebrovascular permeability seem to result in the most devastating effects. The present review emphasizes the importance of changes in the BBB and possible mechanisms primarily involving fibrinogen in the development and/or progression of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases resulting in memory decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurul Sulimai
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Jason Brown
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - David Lominadze
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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23
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Qiu W, Liu H, Liu Y, Lu X, Wang L, Hu Y, Feng F, Li Q, Sun H. Regulation of beta-amyloid for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: Research progress of therapeutic strategies and bioactive compounds. Med Res Rev 2023. [PMID: 36945751 DOI: 10.1002/med.21947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is difficult to treat. Extracellular amyloid is the principal pathological criterion for the diagnosis of AD. Amyloid β (Aβ) interacts with various receptor molecules on the plasma membrane and mediates a series of signaling pathways that play a vital role in the occurrence and development of AD. Research on receptors that interact with Aβ is currently ongoing. Overall, there are no effective medications to treat AD. In this review, we first discuss the importance of Aβ in the pathogenesis of AD, then summarize the latest progress of Aβ-related targets and compounds. Finally, we put forward the challenges and opportunities in the development of effective AD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Qiu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yijun Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Lu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanyu Hu
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Feng Feng
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceuticals Science College, Institute of Food and Pharmaceuticals Research, Jiangsu, Huaian, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Haopeng Sun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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24
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Guo Y, Sun CK, Tang L, Tan MS. Microglia PTK2B/Pyk2 in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 2023; 20:692-704. [PMID: 38321895 DOI: 10.2174/0115672050299004240129051655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a highly hereditary disease with complex genetic susceptibility factors. Extensive genome-wide association studies have established a distinct susceptibility link between the protein tyrosine kinase 2β (PTK2B) gene and late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), but the specific pathogenic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. PTK2B is known to be expressed in neurons, and recent research has revealed its more important significance in microglia. Elucidating the role of PTK2B high expression in microglia in AD's progression is crucial for uncovering novel pathogenic mechanisms of the disease. Our review of existing studies suggests a close relationship between PTK2B/proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) and tau pathology, and this process might be β-amyloid (Aβ) dependence. Pyk2 is hypothesized as a pivotal target linking Aβ and tau pathologies. Concurrently, Aβ-activated Pyk2 participates in the regulation of microglial activation and its proinflammatory functions. Consequently, it is reasonable to presume that Pyk2 in microglia contributes to amyloid-induced tau pathology in AD via a neuroinflammatory pathway. Furthermore, many things remain unclear, such as identifying the specific pathways that lead to the release of downstream inflammatory factors due to Pyk2 phosphorylation and whether all types of inflammatory factors can activate neuronal kinase pathways. Additionally, further in vivo experiments are essential to validate this hypothesized pathway. Considering PTK2B/Pyk2's potential role in AD pathogenesis, targeting this pathway may offer innovative and promising therapeutic approaches for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Guo
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Cheng-Kun Sun
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lian Tang
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Meng-Shan Tan
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Dalian Medical University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
- Department of Neurology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China
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25
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Fyn nanoclustering requires switching to an open conformation and is enhanced by FTLD-Tau biomolecular condensates. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:946-962. [PMID: 36258016 PMCID: PMC9908554 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01825-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Fyn is a Src kinase that controls critical signalling cascades and has been implicated in learning and memory. Postsynaptic enrichment of Fyn underpins synaptotoxicity in dementias such as Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with Tau pathology (FTLD-Tau). The FLTD P301L mutant Tau is associated with a higher propensity to undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and form biomolecular condensates. Expression of P301L mutant Tau promotes aberrant trapping of Fyn in nanoclusters within hippocampal dendrites by an unknown mechanism. Here, we used single-particle tracking photoactivated localisation microscopy to demonstrate that the opening of Fyn into its primed conformation promotes its nanoclustering in dendrites leading to increased Fyn/ERK/S6 downstream signalling. Preventing the auto-inhibitory closed conformation of Fyn through phospho-inhibition or through perturbation of its SH3 domain increased Fyn's nanoscale trapping, whereas inhibition of the catalytic domain had no impact. By combining pharmacological and genetic approaches, we demonstrate that P301L Tau enhanced both Fyn nanoclustering and Fyn/ERK/S6 signalling via its ability to form biomolecular condensates. Together, our findings demonstrate that Fyn alternates between a closed and an open conformation, the latter being enzymatically active and clustered. Furthermore, pathogenic immobilisation of Fyn relies on the ability of P301L Tau to form biomolecular condensates, thus highlighting the critical importance of LLPS in controlling nanoclustering and downstream intracellular signalling events.
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26
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Tzioras M, McGeachan RI, Durrant CS, Spires-Jones TL. Synaptic degeneration in Alzheimer disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2023; 19:19-38. [PMID: 36513730 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00749-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 68.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive decline in older individuals accompanied by the presence of two pathological protein aggregates - amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau - in the brain. The disease results in brain atrophy caused by neuronal loss and synapse degeneration. Synaptic loss strongly correlates with cognitive decline in both humans and animal models of AD. Indeed, evidence suggests that soluble forms of amyloid-β and tau can cause synaptotoxicity and spread through neural circuits. These pathological changes are accompanied by an altered phenotype in the glial cells of the brain - one hypothesis is that glia excessively ingest synapses and modulate the trans-synaptic spread of pathology. To date, effective therapies for the treatment or prevention of AD are lacking, but understanding how synaptic degeneration occurs will be essential for the development of new interventions. Here, we highlight the mechanisms through which synapses degenerate in the AD brain, and discuss key questions that still need to be answered. We also cover the ways in which our understanding of the mechanisms of synaptic degeneration is leading to new therapeutic approaches for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makis Tzioras
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robert I McGeachan
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,The Hospital for Small Animals, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Claire S Durrant
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tara L Spires-Jones
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. .,UK Dementia Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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27
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Liu YS, Zhao HF, Li Q, Cui HW, Huang GD. Research Progress on the Etiology and Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease from the Perspective of Chronic Stress. Aging Dis 2022:AD.2022.1211. [PMID: 37163426 PMCID: PMC10389837 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2022.1211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to its extremely complex pathogenesis, no effective drugs to prevent, delay progression, or cure Alzheimer's disease (AD) exist at present. The main pathological features of AD are senile plaques composed of β-amyloid, neurofibrillary tangles formed by hyperphosphorylation of the tau protein, and degeneration or loss of neurons in the brain. Many risk factors associated with the onset of AD, including gene mutations, aging, traumatic brain injury, endocrine and cardiovascular diseases, education level, and obesity. Growing evidence points to chronic stress as one of the major risk factors for AD, as it can promote the onset and development of AD-related pathologies via a mechanism that is not well known. The use of murine stress models, including restraint, social isolation, noise, and unpredictable stress, has contributed to improving our understanding of the relationship between chronic stress and AD. This review summarizes the evidence derived from murine models on the pathological features associated with AD and the related molecular mechanisms induced by chronic stress. These results not only provide a retrospective interpretation for understanding the pathogenesis of AD, but also provide a window of opportunity for more effective preventive and identifying therapeutic strategies for stress-induced AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Sheng Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hua-Fu Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Han-Wei Cui
- The Central Laboratory, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
- Central Laboratory, Shenzhen Samii Medical Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guo-Dong Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital/the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, Shenzhen, China
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28
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Identification of Two CDK5R1-Related Subtypes and Characterization of Immune Infiltrates in Alzheimer's Disease Based on an Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2022; 2022:6766460. [PMID: 36561735 PMCID: PMC9767738 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6766460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the major cause of senile dementia. The Reelin pathway has been involved in both learning and AD pathogenesis. However, the specific Reelin-related gene signature during the pathological process remains unknown. Methods Reelin-related gene (CDK5R1) expression was analyzed using the GEO datasets. The relevant genes of CDK5R1 were identified using differential expression analysis and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) based on the GSE43850 dataset. ConsensusClusterPlus analysis was applied to identify subtypes (C1 and C2) of AD. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to assess the immune cell infiltration between the two AD subtypes. Results CDK5R1 was downregulated in AD. 244 differentially expressed CDK5R1-related genes (DECRGs) between the two subgroups were mainly enriched in GABAergic synapse, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, synapse organization, neurotransmitter transport, etc. Furthermore, the GSVA results indicated that immune-related pathways were significantly enriched in the C1 subgroup. Interestingly, 10 Reelin pathway-related genes (CRK, DAB2IP, LRP8, RELN, STAT5A, CDK5, CDK5R1, DAB1, FYN, and SH3KBP1) were abnormally expressed between the two subgroups. The proportion of T cell gamma delta, monocytes, macrophage M2, and dendritic cells activated decreased from C1 to C2, while the proportion of plasma cells, T cell follicular helper, and NK cells activated increased. Conclusion Two CDK5R1-related subtypes of AD were identified, helping us to better understand the role of CDK5R1 in the pathological process of AD.
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29
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Portugal CC, Almeida TO, Socodato R, Relvas JB. Src family kinases (SFKs): critical regulators of microglial homeostatic functions and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. FEBS J 2022; 289:7760-7775. [PMID: 34510775 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
c-Src was the first protein kinase to be described as capable of phosphorylating tyrosine residues. Subsequent identification of other tyrosine-phosphorylating protein kinases with a similar structure to c-Src gave rise to the concept of Src family kinases (SFKs). Microglia are the resident innate immune cell population of the CNS. Under physiological conditions, microglia actively participate in brain tissue homeostasis, continuously patrolling the neuronal parenchyma and exerting neuroprotective actions. Activation of pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) and damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) receptors induces microglial proliferation, migration toward pathological foci, phagocytosis, and changes in gene expression, concurrent with the secretion of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. A significant body of literature shows that SFK stimulation positively associates with microglial activation and neuropathological conditions, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Here, we review essential microglial homeostatic functions regulated by SFKs, including phagocytosis, environmental sensing, and secretion of inflammatory mediators. In addition, we discuss the potential of SFK modulation for microglial homeostasis in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila C Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago O Almeida
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Doutoramento em Ciências Biomédicas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Renato Socodato
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - João B Relvas
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal
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30
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Gray J, Fernández-Suárez ME, Falah M, Smith D, Smith C, Kaya E, Palmer AM, Fog CK, Kirkegaard T, Platt FM. Heat shock protein amplification improves cerebellar myelination in the Npc1 nih mouse model. EBioMedicine 2022; 86:104374. [PMID: 36455410 PMCID: PMC9713282 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a rare prematurely fatal lysosomal lipid storage disease with limited therapeutic options. The prominent neuropathological hallmarks include hypomyelination and cerebellar atrophy. We previously demonstrated the efficacy of recombinant human heat shock protein 70 (rhHSP70) in preclinical models of the disease. It reduced glycosphingolipid levels in the central nervous system (CNS), improving cerebellar myelination and improved behavioural phenotypes in Npc1nih (Npc1-/-) mice. Furthermore, treatment with arimoclomol, a well-characterised HSP amplifier, attenuated lysosomal storage in NPC patient fibroblasts and improved neurological symptoms in Npc1-/- mice. Taken together, these findings prompted the investigation of the effects of HSP amplification on CNS myelination. METHODS We administered bimoclomol daily or rhHSP70 6 times per week to Npc1-/- (BALB/cNctr-Npc1m1N/J, also named Npc1nih) mice by intraperitoneal injection from P7 through P34 to investigate the impact on CNS myelination. The Src-kinase inhibitor saracatinib was administered with/without bimoclomol twice daily to explore the contribution of Fyn kinase to bimoclomol's effects. FINDINGS Treatment with either bimoclomol or rhHSP70 improved myelination and increased the numbers of mature oligodendrocytes (OLs) as well as the ratio of active-to-inactive forms of phosphorylated Fyn kinase in the cerebellum of Npc1-/- mice. Additionally, treatment with bimoclomol preserved cerebellar weight, an effect that was abrogated when co-administered with saracatinib, an inhibitor of Fyn kinase. Bimoclomol-treated mice also exhibited increased numbers of immature OLs within the cortex. INTERPRETATION These data increase our understanding of the mechanisms by which HSP70 regulates myelination and provide further support for the clinical development of HSP-amplifying therapies in the treatment of NPC. FUNDING Funding for this study was provided by Orphazyme A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark) and a Pathfinder Award from The Wellcome Trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Gray
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
| | | | - Maysa Falah
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
| | - David Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
| | - Claire Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
| | - Ecem Kaya
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK
| | - Ashley M Palmer
- Orphazyme A/S, Ole Maaloes Vej 3, Copenhagen DK-2200, Denmark
| | - Cathrine K Fog
- Orphazyme A/S, Ole Maaloes Vej 3, Copenhagen DK-2200, Denmark
| | | | - Frances M Platt
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QT, UK.
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31
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Nie L, Sun K, Gong Z, Li H, Quinn JP, Wang M. Src Family Kinases Facilitate the Crosstalk between CGRP and Cytokines in Sensitizing Trigeminal Ganglion via Transmitting CGRP Receptor/PKA Pathway. Cells 2022; 11:cells11213498. [PMID: 36359895 PMCID: PMC9655983 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The communication between calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and cytokines plays a prominent role in maintaining trigeminal ganglion (TG) and trigeminovascular sensitization. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism is elusive. In this study, we explored the hypothesis that Src family kinases (SFKs) activity facilitates the crosstalk between CGRP and cytokines in sensitizing TG. Mouse TG tissue culture was performed to study CGRP release by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cytokine release by multiplex assay, cytokine gene expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and phosphorylated SFKs level by western blot. The results demonstrated that a SFKs activator, pYEEI (YGRKKRRQRRREPQY(PO3H2)EEIPIYL) alone, did not alter CGRP release or the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) gene expression in the mouse TG. In contrast, a SFKs inhibitor, saracatinib, restored CGRP release, the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, C-X-C motif ligand 1, C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2) release, and IL-1β, CCL2 gene expression when the mouse TG was pre-sensitized with hydrogen peroxide and CGRP respectively. Consistently with this, the phosphorylated SFKs level was increased by both hydrogen peroxide and CGRP in the mouse TG, which was reduced by a CGRP receptor inhibitor BIBN4096 and a protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor PKI (14–22) Amide. The present study demonstrates that SFKs activity plays a pivotal role in facilitating the crosstalk between CGRP and cytokines by transmitting CGRP receptor/PKA signaling to potentiate TG sensitization and ultimately trigeminovascular sensitization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingdi Nie
- Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou 215123, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Kai Sun
- Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ziyang Gong
- Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Haoyang Li
- Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou 215123, China
| | - John P. Quinn
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Minyan Wang
- Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou 215123, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
- Correspondence:
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32
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Piscopo P, Crestini A, Carbone E, Rivabene R, Ancidoni A, Lo Giudice M, Corbo M, Vanacore N, Lacorte E. A systematic review on drugs for synaptic plasticity in the treatment of dementia. Ageing Res Rev 2022; 81:101726. [PMID: 36031056 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2022.101726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present systematic review (SR) was to provide an overview of all published and unpublished clinical trials investigating the safety and efficacy of disease-modifying drugs targeting synaptic plasticity in dementia. Searches on CT.gov and EuCT identified 27 trials (4 phase-1, 1 phase-1/2, 18 phase-2, 1 phase-2/3, 1 phase-3, 1 phase-4, and 1 not reported). Twenty of them completed, and seven are currently active or enrolling. The structured bibliographic searches yielded 3585 records. A total of 12 studies were selected on Levetiracetam, Masitinib, Saracatinib, BI 40930, Bryostatin 1, PF-04447943 and Edonerpic drugs. We used RoB tool for quality analysis of randomized studies. Efficacy was assessed as a primary outcome in all studies except one and the main scale used was ADAS-Cog (7 studies), MMSE and CDR (4 studies). Safety and tolerability were reported in eleven studies. The incidence of SAEs was similar between treatment and placebo. At the moment, only one molecule reached phase-3. This could suggest that research on these drugs is still preliminary. Of all, three studies reported promising results on Levetiracetam, Bryostatin 1 and Masitinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Piscopo
- Department of Neuroscience, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy.
| | - A Crestini
- Department of Neuroscience, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - E Carbone
- Department of Neuroscience, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - R Rivabene
- Department of Neuroscience, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - A Ancidoni
- National Center for Disease Prevention ad Heath Promotion, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - M Lo Giudice
- Need Institute, Foundation for Cure and Rehabilitation of Neurological Diseases, Milan, Italy
| | - M Corbo
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa Cura Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - N Vanacore
- National Center for Disease Prevention ad Heath Promotion, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
| | - E Lacorte
- National Center for Disease Prevention ad Heath Promotion, Italian National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy
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33
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Kumar R, Tiwari V, Dey S. Role of proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 56:5442-5452. [PMID: 34905657 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. Two major pathological hallmarks have been identified for AD: extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Recently, proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2), which belongs to the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) non-receptor tyrosine kinase family, was recognized to contribute significantly towards the pathogenesis of AD. Pyk2 can influence the formation of amyloid plaques as well as NFTs. The kinase can directly phosphorylate tau, which is a significant component of NFTs and enhances tau pathology. Several competitive inhibitors have been developed for Pyk2, tested in several cancer models, as Pyk2 is known to be overexpressed under those conditions. The current review article discusses the possible mechanistic pathways by which Pyk2 can influence the pathogenesis of AD. Besides, it describes various inhibitors for Pyk2 and their potential role as therapeutics for AD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, GITAM Institute of Sciences, GITAM University, Visakhapatnam, India
| | - Vishvanath Tiwari
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India
| | - Sharmistha Dey
- Department of Biophysics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
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Gage M, Vinithakumari AA, Mooyottu S, Thippeswamy T. Gut dysbiosis following organophosphate, diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), intoxication and saracatinib oral administration. FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOMES 2022; 1:1006078. [PMID: 37304619 PMCID: PMC10256240 DOI: 10.3389/frmbi.2022.1006078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Organophosphate nerve agents (OPNAs) act as irreversible inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and can lead to cholinergic crisis including salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, gastrointestinal distress, respiratory distress, and seizures. Although the OPNAs have been studied in the past few decades, little is known about the impact on the gut microbiome which has become of increasing interest across fields. In this study, we challenged animals with the OPNA, diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP, 4mg/kg, s.c.) followed immediately by 2mg/kg atropine sulfate (i.m.) and 25mg/kg 2-pralidoxime (i.m.) and 30 minutes later by 3mg/kg midazolam (i.m.). One hour after midazolam, animals were treated with a dosing regimen of saracatinib (SAR, 20mg/kg, oral), a src family kinase inhibitor, to mitigate DFP-induced neurotoxicity. We collected fecal samples 48 hours, 7 days, and 5 weeks post DFP intoxication. 16S rRNA genes (V4) were amplified to identify the bacterial composition. At 48 hours, a significant increase in the abundance of Proteobacteria and decrease in the abundance of Firmicutes were observed in DFP treated animals. At 7 days there was a significant reduction in Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, but a significant increase in Bacteroidetes in the DFP groups compared to controls. The taxonomic changes at 5 weeks were negligible. There was no impact of SAR administration on microbial composition. There was a significant DFP-induced reduction in alpha diversity at 48 hours but not at 7 days and 5 weeks. There appeared to be an impact of DFP on beta diversity at 48 hours and 7 days but not at 5 weeks. In conclusion, acute doses of DFP lead to short-term gut dysbiosis and SAR had no effect. Understanding the role of gut dysbiosis in long-term toxicity may reveal therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan Gage
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience, The Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Akhil A. Vinithakumari
- Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Shankumar Mooyottu
- Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Thimmasettappa Thippeswamy
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience, The Departments of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
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Sundram S, Malviya R, Awasthi R. Genetic Causes of Alzheimer's Disease and the Neuroprotective Role of Melatonin in its Management. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2022; 22:CNSNDDT-EPUB-126085. [PMID: 36056839 DOI: 10.2174/1871527321666220901125730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Dementia is a global health concern owing to its complexity, which also poses a great challenge to pharmaceutical scientists and neuroscientists. The global dementia prevalence is approximately 47 million, which may increase by three times by 2050. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. AD is a severe age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by short-term memory loss, aphasia, mood imbalance, and executive function. The etiology of AD is still unknown, and the exact origin of the disease is still under investigation. Aggregation of Amyloid β (Aβ) plaques or neurotoxic Aβo oligomers outside the neuron is the most common cause of AD development. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing by β secretase and γ secretase produces abnormal Aβ monomers. This aggregation of Aβ and NFT is promoted by various genes like BACE1, ADAM10, PIN1, GSK-3, APOE, PPARα, etc. Identification of these genes can discover several therapeutic targets that can be useful in studying pathogenesis and underlying treatments. Melatonin modulates the activities of these genes, thereby reducing Aβ production and increasing its clearance. Melatonin also reduces the expression of APP by attenuating cAMP, thereby enhancing the non-amyloidogenic process. Present communication explored and discussed the neuroprotective role of melatonin against Aβ-dependent AD pathogenesis. The manuscript also discussed potential molecular and genetic mechanisms of melatonin in the production and clearance of Aβ that could ameliorate neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali Sundram
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, U.P., India
- Amity Institute of Pharmacy, Amity University Uttar Pradesh, Sector-125, Noida 201313, India
| | - Rishabha Malviya
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, Galgotias University, Greater Noida, U.P., India
| | - Rajendra Awasthi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Health Science and Technology, University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Energy Acres, Bidholi, Via-Prem Nagar, Dehradun - 248 007, Uttarakhand, India
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Wang R, Gao H, Xie H, Jia Z, Chen Q. Molecular imaging biomarkers in familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration: Progress and prospects. Front Neurol 2022; 13:933217. [PMID: 36051222 PMCID: PMC9424494 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.933217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) is a pathologically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative diseases with diverse genotypes and clinical phenotypes. Three major mutations were reported in patients with familial FTLD, namely, progranulin (GRN), microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT), and the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) repeat expansion, which could cause neurodegenerative pathological changes years before symptom onset. Noninvasive quantitative molecular imaging with PET or single-photon emission CT (SPECT) allows for selective visualization of the molecular targets in vivo to investigate brain metabolism, perfusion, neuroinflammation, and pathophysiological changes. There was increasing evidence that several molecular imaging biomarkers tend to serve as biomarkers to reveal the early brain abnormalities in familial FTLD. Tau-PET with 18F-flortaucipir and 11C-PBB3 demonstrated the elevated tau position in patients with FTLD and also showed the ability to differentiate patterns among the different subtypes of the mutations in familial FTLD. Furthermore, dopamine transporter imaging with the 11C-DOPA and 11C-CFT in PET and the 123I-FP-CIT in SPECT revealed the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the asymptomatic and symptomatic patients of familial FTLD. In addition, PET imaging with the 11C-MP4A has demonstrated reduced acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in patients with FTLD, while PET with the 11C-DAA1106 and 11C-PK11195 revealed an increased level of microglial activation associated with neuroinflammation even before the onset of symptoms in familial FTLD. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET indicated hypometabolism in FTLD with different mutations preceded the atrophy on MRI. Identifying molecular imaging biomarkers for familial FTLD is important for the in-vivo assessment of underlying pathophysiological changes with disease progression and future disease-modifying therapy. We review the recent progress of molecular imaging in familial FTLD with focused on the possible implication of these techniques and their prospects in specific mutation types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruihan Wang
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hui Gao
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongsheng Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhiyun Jia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qin Chen
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Qin Chen
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Gutierrez BA, Limon A. Synaptic Disruption by Soluble Oligomers in Patients with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071743. [PMID: 35885050 PMCID: PMC9313353 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are the result of progressive dysfunction of the neuronal activity and subsequent neuronal death. Currently, the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases are by far Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PD) disease, affecting millions of people worldwide. Although amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are the neuropathological hallmarks for AD and Lewy bodies (LB) are the hallmark for PD, current evidence strongly suggests that oligomers seeding the neuropathological hallmarks are more toxic and disease-relevant in both pathologies. The presence of small soluble oligomers is the common bond between AD and PD: amyloid β oligomers (AβOs) and Tau oligomers (TauOs) in AD and α-synuclein oligomers (αSynOs) in PD. Such oligomers appear to be particularly increased during the early pathological stages, targeting synapses at vulnerable brain regions leading to synaptic plasticity disruption, synapse loss, inflammation, excitation to inhibition imbalance and cognitive impairment. Absence of TauOs at synapses in individuals with strong AD disease pathology but preserved cognition suggests that mechanisms of resilience may be dependent on the interactions between soluble oligomers and their synaptic targets. In this review, we will discuss the current knowledge about the interactions between soluble oligomers and synaptic dysfunction in patients diagnosed with AD and PD, how it affects excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission, and the potential mechanisms of synaptic resilience in humans.
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The synapse as a treatment avenue for Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2940-2949. [PMID: 35444256 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01565-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with devastating symptoms, including memory impairments and cognitive deficits. Hallmarks of AD pathology are amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition forming neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). For many years, AD drug development has mainly focused on directly targeting the Aβ aggregation or the formation of tau tangles, but this disease has no cure so far. Other common characteristics of AD are synaptic abnormalities and dysfunctions such as synaptic damage, synaptic loss, and structural changes in the synapse. Those anomalies happen in the early stages of the disease before behavioural symptoms have occurred. Therefore, better understanding the mechanisms underlying the synaptic dysfunction found in AD and targeting the synapse, especially using early treatment windows, can lead to finding novel and more effective treatments that could improve the lives of AD patients. Researchers have recently started developing different disease-modifying treatments targeting the synapse to rescue and prevent synaptic dysfunction in AD. The main objectives of these new strategies are to halt synaptic loss, strengthen synaptic connections, and improve synaptic density, potentially leading to the rescue or prevention of cognitive impairments. This article aims to address the mechanisms of synaptic degeneration in AD and discuss current strategies that focus on the synapse for AD therapy. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that significantly impairs memory and causes cognitive and behavioural deficits. Scientists worldwide have tried to find a treatment that can reverse or rescue AD symptoms, but there is no cure so far. One prominent characteristic of AD is the brain atrophy caused by significant synaptic loss and overall neuronal damage, which starts at the early stages of the disease before other AD hallmarks such as neuritic plaques and NFTs. The present review addresses the underlying mechanisms behind synaptic loss and dysfunction in AD and discusses potential strategies that target the synapse.
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Spurrier J, Nicholson L, Fang XT, Stoner AJ, Toyonaga T, Holden D, Siegert TR, Laird W, Allnutt MA, Chiasseu M, Brody AH, Takahashi H, Nies SH, Pérez-Cañamás A, Sadasivam P, Lee S, Li S, Zhang L, Huang YH, Carson RE, Cai Z, Strittmatter SM. Reversal of synapse loss in Alzheimer mouse models by targeting mGluR5 to prevent synaptic tagging by C1Q. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabi8593. [PMID: 35648810 PMCID: PMC9554345 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi8593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Microglia-mediated synaptic loss contributes to the development of cognitive impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the basis for this immune-mediated attack on synapses remains to be elucidated. Treatment with the metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) silent allosteric modulator (SAM), BMS-984923, prevents β-amyloid oligomer-induced aberrant synaptic signaling while preserving physiological glutamate response. Here, we show that oral BMS-984923 effectively occupies brain mGluR5 sites visualized by [18F]FPEB positron emission tomography (PET) at doses shown to be safe in rodents and nonhuman primates. In aged mouse models of AD (APPswe/PS1ΔE9 overexpressing transgenic and AppNL-G-F/hMapt double knock-in), SAM treatment fully restored synaptic density as measured by [18F]SynVesT-1 PET for SV2A and by histology, and the therapeutic benefit persisted after drug washout. Phospho-TAU accumulation in double knock-in mice was also reduced by SAM treatment. Single-nuclei transcriptomics demonstrated that SAM treatment in both models normalized expression patterns to a far greater extent in neurons than glia. Last, treatment prevented synaptic localization of the complement component C1Q and synaptic engulfment in AD mice. Thus, selective modulation of mGluR5 reversed neuronal gene expression changes to protect synapses from damage by microglial mediators in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Spurrier
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - LaShae Nicholson
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Xiaotian T Fang
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Austin J Stoner
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Daniel Holden
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | | | - William Laird
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Mary Alice Allnutt
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Marius Chiasseu
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - A Harrison Brody
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Hideyuki Takahashi
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sarah Helena Nies
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.,Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72074, Germany
| | - Azucena Pérez-Cañamás
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Pragalath Sadasivam
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Supum Lee
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Songye Li
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Le Zhang
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yiyun H Huang
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Zhengxin Cai
- Yale PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Stephen M Strittmatter
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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Chen B, Marquez-Nostra B, Belitzky E, Toyonaga T, Tong J, Huang Y, Cai Z. PET Imaging in Animal Models of Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:872509. [PMID: 35685772 PMCID: PMC9171374 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.872509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The successful development and translation of PET imaging agents targeting β-amyloid plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau tangles have allowed for in vivo detection of these hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) antemortem. Amyloid and tau PET have been incorporated into the A/T/N scheme for AD characterization and have become an integral part of ongoing clinical trials to screen patients for enrollment, prove drug action mechanisms, and monitor therapeutic effects. Meanwhile, preclinical PET imaging in animal models of AD can provide supportive information for mechanistic studies. With the recent advancement of gene editing technologies and AD animal model development, preclinical PET imaging in AD models will further facilitate our understanding of AD pathogenesis/progression and the development of novel treatments. In this study, we review the current state-of-the-art in preclinical PET imaging using animal models of AD and suggest future research directions.
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Brody AH, Nies SH, Guan F, Smith LM, Mukherjee B, Salazar SA, Lee S, Lam TKT, Strittmatter SM. Alzheimer risk gene product Pyk2 suppresses tau phosphorylation and phenotypic effects of tauopathy. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:32. [PMID: 35501917 PMCID: PMC9063299 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00526-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic variation at the PTK2B locus encoding the protein Pyk2 influences Alzheimer's disease risk. Neurons express Pyk2 and the protein is required for Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide driven deficits of synaptic function and memory in mouse models, but Pyk2 deletion has minimal effect on neuro-inflammation. Previous in vitro data suggested that Pyk2 activity might enhance GSK3β-dependent Tau phosphorylation and be required for tauopathy. Here, we examine the influence of Pyk2 on Tau phosphorylation and associated pathology. METHODS The effect of Pyk2 on Tau phosphorylation was examined in cultured Hek cells through protein over-expression and in iPSC-derived human neurons through pharmacological Pyk2 inhibition. PS19 mice overexpressing the P301S mutant of human Tau were employed as an in vivo model of tauopathy. Phenotypes of PS19 mice with a targeted deletion of Pyk2 expression were compared with PS19 mice with intact Pyk2 expression. Phenotypes examined included Tau phosphorylation, Tau accumulation, synapse loss, gliosis, proteomic profiling and behavior. RESULTS Over-expression experiments from Hek293T cells indicated that Pyk2 contributed to Tau phosphorylation, while iPSC-derived human neuronal cultures with endogenous protein levels supported the opposite conclusion. In vivo, multiple phenotypes of PS19 were exacerbated by Pyk2 deletion. In Pyk2-null PS19 mice, Tau phosphorylation and accumulation increased, mouse survival decreased, spatial memory was impaired and hippocampal C1q deposition increased relative to PS19 littermate controls. Proteomic profiles of Pyk2-null mouse brain revealed that several protein kinases known to interact with Tau are regulated by Pyk2. Endogenous Pyk2 suppresses LKB1 and p38 MAPK activity, validating one potential pathway contributing to increased Tau pathology. CONCLUSIONS The absence of Pyk2 results in greater mutant Tau-dependent phenotypes in PS19 mice, in part via increased LKB1 and MAPK activity. These data suggest that in AD, while Pyk2 activity mediates Aβ-driven deficits, Pyk2 suppresses Tau-related phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Harrison Brody
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sarah Helena Nies
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, D-72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Fulin Guan
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Levi M Smith
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Bandhan Mukherjee
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Santiago A Salazar
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Suho Lee
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tu Kiet T Lam
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Keck MS & Proteomics Resource, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stephen M Strittmatter
- Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair Program, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Wegner CD, Mount BA, Colvis CM. A public-private collaboration model for clinical innovation. Clin Transl Sci 2022; 15:1581-1591. [PMID: 35478436 PMCID: PMC9283745 DOI: 10.1111/cts.13293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Launched in May 2012 as part of the New Therapeutic Uses program, NCATS' NIH-Industry Partnerships initiative fostered collaboration between pharmaceutical companies and the biomedical research community to advance therapeutic development. Over the 10-year life of the initiative, the industry partners included: AstraZeneca; AbbVie (formerly Abbott); Bristol-Myers Squibb; Eli Lilly and Company; GlaxoSmithKline; Janssen Pharmaceutical Research & Development, L.L.C.; Pfizer; Sanofi; and Mereo (out licensed assets). The initiative provided researchers at academic medical centers with a rare opportunity to propose clinical trials to test ideas for new therapeutic uses for a selection of clinic-ready and often previously proprietary experimental pharmaceutical assets that were provided by industry partners. Here we describe the process by which collaborations between pharmaceutical companies with viable experimental assets and academic researchers with ideas for new uses of those assets were established; and how NCATS/NIH funding supported not only phase 1 and 2 clinical trials as well as any non-clinical studies needed before testing in a new patient population, it also provided an opportunity for testing innovative outcome measures for proof of concept trials. While the program did not demonstrate improved success rates for phase 2 clinical trials, this collaboration model leverages the strengths of each party and with a focus toward evaluating innovative outcome measure, could be used to reduce patient burden and trial costs, and improve patient engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig D Wegner
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
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Hasan MF, Trushina E. Advances in Recapitulating Alzheimer's Disease Phenotypes Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based In Vitro Models. Brain Sci 2022; 12:552. [PMID: 35624938 PMCID: PMC9138647 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of death among older individuals. Available treatment strategies only temporarily mitigate symptoms without modifying disease progression. Recent studies revealed the multifaceted neurobiology of AD and shifted the target of drug development. Established animal models of AD are mostly tailored to yield a subset of disease phenotypes, which do not recapitulate the complexity of sporadic late-onset AD, the most common form of the disease. The use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (HiPSCs) offers unique opportunities to fill these gaps. Emerging technology allows the development of disease models that recapitulate a brain-like microenvironment using patient-derived cells. These models retain the individual's unraveled genetic background, yielding clinically relevant disease phenotypes and enabling cost-effective, high-throughput studies for drug discovery. Here, we review the development of various HiPSC-based models to study AD mechanisms and their application in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Fayad Hasan
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
| | - Eugenia Trushina
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA;
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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44
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Kawarabayashi T, Nakamura T, Sato K, Seino Y, Ichii S, Nakahata N, Takatama M, Westaway D, George-Hyslop PS, Shoji M. Lipid Rafts Act as a Common Platform for Amyloid-β Oligomer-Induced Alzheimer’s Disease Pathology. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 87:1189-1203. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-215662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: Amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers induce the overproduction of phosphorylated tau and neurodegeneration. These cascades gradually cause cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). While each pathological event in AD has been studied in detail separately, the spatial and temporal relationships between pathological events in AD remain unclear. Objective: We demonstrated that lipid rafts function as a common platform for the pathological cascades of AD. Methods: Cellular and synaptosomal lipid rafts were prepared from the brains of Aβ amyloid model mice (Tg2576 mice) and double transgenic mice (Tg2576 x TgTauP301L mice) and longitudinally analyzed. Results: Aβ dimers, the cellular prion protein (PrPc), and Aβ dimer/PrPc complexes were detected in the lipid rafts. The levels of Fyn, the phosphorylated NR2B subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, glycogen synthase kinase 3β, total tau, phosphorylated tau, and tau oligomers increased with Aβ dimer accumulation in both the cellular and synaptosomal lipid rafts. Increases in the levels of these molecules were first seen at 6 months of age and corresponded with the early stages of Aβ accumulation in the amyloid model mice. Conclusion: Lipid rafts act as a common platform for the progression of AD pathology. The findings of this study suggest a novel therapeutic approach to AD, involving the modification of lipid raft components and the inhibition of their roles in the sequential pathological events of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Kawarabayashi
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Takumi Nakamura
- Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Kaoru Sato
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
| | - Yusuke Seino
- Department of Neurology, Hirosaki National Hospital, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
| | - Sadanobu Ichii
- Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
| | - Naoko Nakahata
- Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
- Department of Speech and Hearing, Hirosaki University of Health and Welfare/JuniorCollege, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
| | - Masamitsu Takatama
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - David Westaway
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Peter St. George-Hyslop
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Departments of Medicine, Medical Biophysics, and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mikio Shoji
- Department of Neurology, Geriatrics Research Institute and Hospital, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
- Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
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Wu Z, Wei W, Fan H, Gu Y, Li L, Wang H. Integrated Analysis of Competitive Endogenous RNA Networks in Acute Ischemic Stroke. Front Genet 2022; 13:833545. [PMID: 35401659 PMCID: PMC8990852 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.833545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a severe neurological disease with complex pathophysiology, resulting in the disability and death. The goal of this study is to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of AIS and search for new potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Methods: Integrative analysis of mRNA and miRNA profiles downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) was performed. We explored differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMirs) after AIS. Target mRNAs of DEMirs and target miRNAs of DEGs were predicted with target prediction tools, and the intersections between DEGs and target genes were determined. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses, Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), Gene set variation analysis (GSVA), competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) (lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA) network, protein–protein interaction (PPI) network, and gene transcription factors (TFs) network analyses were performed to identify hub genes and associated pathways. Furthermore, we obtained AIS samples with evaluation of immune cell infiltration and used CIBERSORT to determine the relationship between the expression of hub genes and infiltrating immune cells. Finally, we used the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database to predict the effect of the identified targets on drug sensitivity. Result: We identified 293 DEGs and 26 DEMirs associated with AIS. DEGs were found to be mainly enriched in inflammation and immune-related signaling pathways through enrichment analysis. The ceRNA network included nine lncRNAs, 13 miRNAs, and 21 mRNAs. We used the criterion AUC >0.8, to screen a 3-gene signature (FBL, RPS3, and RPS15) and the aberrantly expressed miRNAs (hsa-miR-125a-5p, hsa-miR-125b-5p, hsa-miR-148b-3p, and hsa-miR-143-3p) in AIS, which were verified by a method of quantitative PCR (qPCR) in HT22 cells. T cells CD8, B cells naïve, and activated NK cells had statistical increased in number compared with the acute cerebral infarction group. By predicting the IC50 of the patient to the drug, AZD0530, Z.LLNle.CHO and NSC-87877 with significant differences between the groups were screened out. AIS demonstrated heterogeneity in immune infiltrates that correlated with the occurrence and development of diseases. Conclusion: These findings may contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of AIS and provide the basis for the development of novel treatment targets in AIS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongkai Wu
- Department of Neurology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Wanyi Wei
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Hongzhen Fan
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yongsheng Gu
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Litao Li
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Hebo Wang
- Department of Neurology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Department of Neurology, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, China
- *Correspondence: Hebo Wang, , https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0598-5772
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New Metabolites from the Marine Sponge Scopalina hapalia Collected in Mayotte Lagoon. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20030186. [PMID: 35323485 PMCID: PMC8951328 DOI: 10.3390/md20030186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological screening of 44 marine sponge extracts for the research of bioactive molecules, with potential application in the treatment of age-related diseases (cancer and Alzheimer’s disease) and skin aging, resulted in the selection of Scopalina hapalia extract for chemical study. As no reports of secondary metabolites of S. hapalia were found in the literature, we undertook this research to further extend current knowledge of Scopalina chemistry. The investigation of this species led to the discovery of four new compounds: two butenolides sinularone J (1) and sinularone K (2), one phospholipid 1-O-octadecyl-2-pentanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (3) and one lysophospholipid 1-O-(3-methoxy-tetradecanoyl)-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (4) alongside with known lysophospholipids (5 and 6), alkylglycerols (7–10), epidioxysterols (11 and 12) and diketopiperazines (13 and 14). The structure elucidation of the new metabolites (1–4) was determined by detailed spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR as well as mass spectrometry. Molecular networking was also explored to complement classical investigation and unravel the chemical classes within this species. GNPS analysis provided further information on potential metabolites with additional bioactive natural compounds predicted.
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Islam M, Shen F, Regmi D, Du D. Therapeutic Strategies for Tauopathies and Drug Repurposing as a Potential Approach. Biochem Pharmacol 2022; 198:114979. [PMID: 35219701 PMCID: PMC9159505 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2022.114979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the deposition of abnormal tau in the brain. To date, there are no disease-modifying therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for the treatment of tauopathies. In the past decades, extensive efforts have been provided to develop disease-modifying therapies to treat tauopathies. Specifically, exploring existing drugs with the intent of repurposing for the treatment of tauopathies affords a reasonable alternative to discover potent drugs for treating these formidable diseases. Drug repurposing will not only reduce formulation and development stage effort and cost but will also take a key advantage of the established toxicological studies, which is one of the main causes of clinical trial failure of new molecules. In this review, we provide an overview of the current treatment strategies for tauopathies and the recent progress in drug repurposing as an alternative approach to treat tauopathies.
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Gage M, Putra M, Wachter L, Dishman K, Gard M, Gomez-Estrada C, Thippeswamy T. Saracatinib, a Src Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor, as a Disease Modifier in the Rat DFP Model: Sex Differences, Neurobehavior, Gliosis, Neurodegeneration, and Nitro-Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 11:61. [PMID: 35052568 PMCID: PMC8773289 DOI: 10.3390/antiox11010061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), an organophosphate nerve agent (OPNA), exposure causes status epilepticus (SE) and epileptogenesis. In this study, we tested the protective effects of saracatinib (AZD0530), a Src kinase inhibitor, in mixed-sex or male-only Sprague Dawley rats exposed to 4-5 mg/kg DFP followed by 2 mg/kg atropine and 25 mg/kg 2-pralidoxime. Midazolam (3 mg/kg) was given to the mixed-sex cohort (1 h post-DFP) and male-only cohort (~30 min post-DFP). Saracatinib (20 mg/kg, oral, daily for 7 days) or vehicle was given two hours later and euthanized eight days or ten weeks post-DFP. Brain immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed increased microgliosis, astrogliosis, and neurodegeneration in DFP-treated animals. In the 10-week post-DFP male-only group, there were no significant differences between groups in the novel object recognition, Morris water maze, rotarod, or forced swim test. Brain IHC revealed significant mitigation by saracatinib in contrast to vehicle-treated DFP animals in microgliosis, astrogliosis, neurodegeneration, and nitro-oxidative stressors, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase, GP91phox, and 3-Nitrotyrosine. These findings suggest the protective effects of saracatinib on brain pathology seem to depend on the initial SE severity. Further studies on dose optimization, including extended treatment regimen depending on the SE severity, are required to determine its disease-modifying potential in OPNA models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Thimmasettappa Thippeswamy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (M.G.); (M.P.); (L.W.); (K.D.); (M.G.); (C.G.-E.)
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Marotta G, Basagni F, Rosini M, Minarini A. Role of Fyn Kinase Inhibitors in Switching Neuroinflammatory Pathways. Curr Med Chem 2021; 29:4738-4755. [PMID: 34939537 DOI: 10.2174/0929867329666211221153719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Fyn kinase is a member of the Src non-receptor tyrosine kinase family. Fyn is involved in multiple signaling pathways extending from cell proliferation and differentiation to cell adhesion and cell motility, and it has been found to be overexpressed in various types of cancers. In the central nervous system, Fyn exerts several different functions such as axon-glial signal transduction, oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination, and it is implicated in neuroinflammatory processes. Based on these premises, Fyn emerges as an attractive target in cancer and neurodegenerative disease therapy, particularly Alzheimer disease (AD), based on its activation by Aβ via cellular prion protein and its interaction with tau protein. However, Fyn is also a challenging target since the Fyn inhibitors discovered so far, due to the relevant homology of Fyn with other kinases, suffer from off-target effects. This review covers the efforts performed in the last decade to identify and optimize small molecules that effectively inhibit Fyn, both in enzymatic and in cell assays, including drug repositioning practices, as an opportunity of therapeutic intervention in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giambattista Marotta
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126-Bologna. Italy
| | - Filippo Basagni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126-Bologna. Italy
| | - Michela Rosini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126-Bologna. Italy
| | - Anna Minarini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, Via Belmeloro 6, 40126-Bologna. Italy
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Yuen SC, Lee SMY, Leung SW. Putative Factors Interfering Cell Cycle Re-Entry in Alzheimer's Disease: An Omics Study with Differential Expression Meta-Analytics and Co-Expression Profiling. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 85:1373-1398. [PMID: 34924393 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuronal cell cycle re-entry (CCR) is a mechanism, along with amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins, contributing to toxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the putative factors in CCR based on evidence corroboration by combining meta-analysis and co-expression analysis of omic data. METHODS The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and CCR-related modules were obtained through the differential analysis and co-expression of transcriptomic data, respectively. Differentially expressed microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were extracted from the differential miRNA expression studies. The dysregulations of DEGs and DEmiRNAs as binary outcomes were independently analyzed by meta-analysis based on a random-effects model. The CCR-related modules were mapped to human protein-protein interaction databases to construct a network. The importance score of each node within the network was determined by the PageRank algorithm, and nodes that fit the pre-defined criteria were treated as putative CCR-related factors. RESULTS The meta-analysis identified 18,261 DEGs and 36 DEmiRNAs, including genes in the ubiquitination proteasome system, mitochondrial homeostasis, and CCR, and miRNAs associated with AD pathologies. The co-expression analysis identified 156 CCR-related modules to construct a protein-protein interaction network. Five genes, UBC, ESR1, EGFR, CUL3, and KRAS, were selected as putative CCR-related factors. Their functions suggested that the combined effects of cellular dyshomeostasis and receptors mediating Aβ toxicity from impaired ubiquitination proteasome system are involved in CCR. CONCLUSION This study identified five genes as putative factors and revealed the significance of cellular dyshomeostasis in the CCR of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sze Chung Yuen
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Simon Ming-Yuen Lee
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
| | - Siu-Wai Leung
- Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society, Shenzhen, China.,Edinburgh Bayes Centre for AI Research in Shenzhen, College of Science and Engineering, University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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