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Qian W, Yuan L, Zhuge W, Gu L, Chen Y, Zhuge Q, Ni H, Lv X. Regulating Lars2 in mitochondria: A potential Alzheimer's therapy by inhibiting tau phosphorylation. Neurotherapeutics 2024; 21:e00353. [PMID: 38575503 PMCID: PMC11067343 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurot.2024.e00353] [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: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Driven by the scarcity of effective treatment options in clinical settings, the present study aimed to identify a new potential target for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment. We focused on Lars2, an enzyme synthesizing mitochondrial leucyl-tRNA, and its role in maintaining mitochondrial function. Bioinformatics analysis of human brain transcriptome data revealed downregulation of Lars2 in AD patients compared to healthy controls. During in vitro experiments, the knockdown of Lars2 in mouse neuroblastoma cells (neuro-2a cells) and primary cortical neurons led to morphological changes and decreased density in mouse hippocampal neurons. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we investigated how downregulated Lars2 expression could impede the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT) pathway, thereby mitigating AKT's inhibitory effect on glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β). This led to the activation of GSK3β, causing excessive phosphorylation of Tau protein and subsequent neuronal degeneration. During in vivo experiments, knockout of lars2 in hippocampal neurons confirmed cognitive impairment through the Barnes maze test, the novel object recognition test, and nest-building experiments. Additionally, immunofluorescence assays indicated an increase in p-tau, atrophy in the hippocampal region, and a decrease in neurons following Lars2 knockout. Taken together, our findings indicate that Lars2 represents a promising therapeutic target for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenqi Qian
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disorder Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lin Yuan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036, China
| | - Weishan Zhuge
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disorder Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liuqing Gu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disorder Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yutian Chen
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disorder Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qichuan Zhuge
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disorder Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Haoqi Ni
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disorder Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xinhuang Lv
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disorder Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325000, Zhejiang, China.
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Datta D, Perone I, Wijegunawardana D, Liang F, Morozov YM, Arellano J, Duque A, Xie Z, van Dyck CH, Joyce MKP, Arnsten AFT. Nanoscale imaging of pT217-tau in aged rhesus macaque entorhinal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex: Evidence of interneuronal trafficking and early-stage neurodegeneration. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:2843-2860. [PMID: 38445818 PMCID: PMC11032534 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13737] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tau phosphorylated at threonine-217 (pT217-tau) is a novel fluid-based biomarker that predicts onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) symptoms, but little is known about how pT217-tau arises in the brain, as soluble pT217-tau is dephosphorylated post mortem in humans. METHODS We used multilabel immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy to examine the subcellular localization of early-stage pT217-tau in entorhinal and prefrontal cortices of aged macaques with naturally occurring tau pathology and assayed pT217-tau levels in plasma. RESULTS pT217-tau was aggregated on microtubules within dendrites exhibiting early signs of degeneration, including autophagic vacuoles. It was also seen trafficking between excitatory neurons within synapses on spines, where it was exposed to the extracellular space, and thus accessible to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/blood. Plasma pT217-tau levels increased across the age span and thus can serve as a biomarker in macaques. DISCUSSION These data help to explain why pT217-tau predicts degeneration in AD and how it gains access to CSF and plasma to serve as a fluid biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversitySchool of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of PsychiatryYale UniversitySchool of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Isabella Perone
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversitySchool of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | | | - Feng Liang
- Department of AnesthesiaCritical Care and Pain MedicineMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Yury M. Morozov
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversitySchool of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Jon Arellano
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversitySchool of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Alvaro Duque
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversitySchool of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Zhongcong Xie
- Department of AnesthesiaCritical Care and Pain MedicineMassachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Mary Kate P. Joyce
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversitySchool of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Amy F. T. Arnsten
- Department of NeuroscienceYale UniversitySchool of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
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Iqbal K. Tau and Alzheimer's disease: Past, present and future. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:116-121. [PMID: 38126608 PMCID: PMC10977900 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21822] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
My journey with tau started when in 1974 for the first time I isolated neurofibrillary tangles of paired helical filaments (PHFs) from autopsied Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and discovered that they were made up of a ~50-70 KDa protein on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Subsequently my team discovered that this PHF protein and the microtubule-associated factor called tau were one and the same protein. However, we found that tau in neurofibrillary tangles/PHFs in AD brain was abnormally hyperphosphorylated, and unlike normal tau, which promoted the assembly of tubulin into microtubules, the AD-hyperphosphorylated tau inhibited microtubule assembly. These discoveries of tau pathology in AD opened a new and a major area of research on tau and on the molecular pathology of this major cause of dementia in middle- and old-age individuals. Tau pathology, which without fail is made up of the aggregated hyperphosphorylated state of the protein, is also the hallmark lesion of a family of around 20 related neurodegenerative diseases, called tauopathies. Currently, tau pathology is a major drug target for the treatment of AD and related tauopathies. Both active and passive tau immunization human clinical trials at various stages are underway. Initial results range from negative to partially promising. Future studies will reveal whether tau therapy alone or in combination with drugs targeting Aβ and/or neurodegeneration will be required to achieve the most effective treatment for AD and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, New York, USA
- Phanes Biotech, Inc., Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA
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Thomas S, Prendergast GC. Gut-brain connections in neurodegenerative disease: immunotherapeutic targeting of Bin1 in inflammatory bowel disease and Alzheimer's disease. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1183932. [PMID: 37521457 PMCID: PMC10372349 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1183932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Longer lifespan produces risks of age-associated neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized by declines in memory and cognitive function. The pathogenic causes of AD are thought to reflect a progressive aggregation in the brain of amyloid plaques composed of beta-amyloid (Aß) peptides and neurofibrillary tangles composed of phosphorylated tau protein. Recently, long-standing investigations of the Aß disease hypothesis gained support via a passive immunotherapy targeting soluble Aß protein. Tau-targeting approaches using antibodies are also being pursued as a therapeutic approach to AD. In genome-wide association studies, the disease modifier gene Bin1 has been identified as a top risk factor for late-onset AD in human populations, with recent studies suggesting that Bin1 binds tau and influences its extracellular deposition. Interestingly, before AD emerges in the brain, tau levels rise in the colon, where Bin1-a modifier of tissue barrier function and inflammation-acts to promote inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This connection is provocative given clinical evidence of gut-brain communication in age-associated neurodegenerative disorders, including AD. In this review, we discuss a Bin1-targeting passive immunotherapy developed in our laboratory to treat IBD that may offer a strategy to indirectly reduce tau deposition and limit AD onset or progression.
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Neylan KD, Miller BL. New Approaches to the Treatment of Frontotemporal Dementia. Neurotherapeutics 2023; 20:1055-1065. [PMID: 37157041 PMCID: PMC10457270 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-023-01380-6] [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] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) comprises a diverse group of clinical neurodegenerative syndromes characterized by progressive changes in behavior, personality, executive function, language, and motor function. Approximately 20% of FTD cases have a known genetic cause. The three most common genetic mutations causing FTD are discussed. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration refers to the heterogeneous group of neuropathology underlying FTD clinical syndromes. While there are no current disease-modifying treatments for FTD, management includes off-label pharmacotherapy and non-pharmacological approaches to target symptoms. The utility of several different drug classes is discussed. Medications used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease have no benefit in FTD and can worsen neuropsychiatric symptoms. Non-pharmacological approaches to management include lifestyle modifications, speech-, occupational-, and physical therapy, peer and caregiver support, and safety considerations. Recent developments in the understanding of the genetics, pathophysiology, neuropathology, and neuroimmunology underlying FTD clinical syndromes have expanded possibilities for disease-modifying and symptom-targeted treatments. Different pathogenetic mechanisms are targeted in several active clinical trials, opening up exciting possibilities for breakthrough advances in treatment and management of FTD spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyra D Neylan
- University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center, San Francisco, USA.
| | - Bruce L Miller
- University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center, San Francisco, USA
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Li L, Miao J, Jiang Y, Dai CL, Iqbal K, Liu F, Chu D. Passive immunization inhibits tau phosphorylation and improves recognition learning and memory in 3xTg-AD mice. Exp Neurol 2023; 362:114337. [PMID: 36717015 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Tau pathology is essential in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Tau immunotherapy aimed at reducing the progression of tau pathology provides a potential therapeutic strategy for treating these diseases. By screening monoclonal antibodies 43D, 63B, 39E10, and 77G7 that recognize epitopes ranging from tau's N-terminus to C-terminus, we found the 77G7, which targets the microtubule-binding domain promoted tau clearance in a dose-dependent manner by entering neuronal cells in vitro. Intra-cerebroventricular injection of 77G7 antibody reduced tau levels in the wild-type FVB mouse brain. Without influencing the levels of detergent-insoluble and aggregated tau, intravenous injection of 77G7 reduced tau hyperphosphorylation in the brain and improved novel object recognition but not spatial learning and memory in 15-18-month-old 3xTg-AD mice. These studies suggest that epitopes recognized by tau antibodies are crucial for the efficacy of immunotherapy. Immunization with antibody 77G7 provides a novel potential opportunity for tau-directed immunotherapy of AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Li
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China; Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Jin Miao
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA; Laboratory Animal Center, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China
| | - Yanli Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China; Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Chun-Ling Dai
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, 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, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
| | - Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Tissue Engineering Technology Products, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China; Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA.
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Towards a Mechanistic Model of Tau-Mediated Pathology in Tauopathies: What Can We Learn from Cell-Based In Vitro Assays? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231911527. [PMID: 36232835 PMCID: PMC9570106 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911527] [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: 08/21/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the hyperphosphorylation and deposition of tau proteins in the brain. In Alzheimer’s disease, and other related tauopathies, the pattern of tau deposition follows a stereotypical progression between anatomically connected brain regions. Increasing evidence suggests that tau behaves in a “prion-like” manner, and that seeding and spreading of pathological tau drive progressive neurodegeneration. Although several advances have been made in recent years, the exact cellular and molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. Since there are no effective therapies for any tauopathy, there is a growing need for reliable experimental models that would provide us with better knowledge and understanding of their etiology and identify novel molecular targets. In this review, we will summarize the development of cellular models for modeling tau pathology. We will discuss their different applications and contributions to our current understanding of the “prion-like” nature of pathological tau.
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8
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Bajracharya R, Cruz E, Götz J, Nisbet RM. Ultrasound-mediated delivery of novel tau-specific monoclonal antibody enhances brain uptake but not therapeutic efficacy. J Control Release 2022; 349:634-648. [PMID: 35901857 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Tau-specific immunotherapy is an attractive strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. However, effectively targeting tau in the brain remains a considerable challenge due to the restrictive nature of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which excludes an estimated >99% of peripherally administered antibodies. However, their transport across the BBB can be facilitated by a novel modality, low-intensity scanning ultrasound used in combination with intravenously injected microbubbles (SUS+MB). We have previously shown that SUS+MB-mediated delivery of a tau-specific antibody in a single-chain (scFv) format to tau transgenic mice enhanced brain and neuronal uptake and subsequently, reduced tau pathology and improved behavioural outcomes to a larger extent than either scFv or SUS+MB on its own. Here we generated a novel tau-specific monoclonal antibody, RNF5, and validated it in its IgG format in the presence or absence of SUS+MB by treating K369I tau transgenic K3 mice once weekly for 12 weeks. We found that both RNF5 and SUS+MB treatments on their own significantly reduced tau pathology. In the combination group (RNF5 + SUS+MB), however, despite increased antibody localization in the brain, there were no further reductions in tau pathology when compared to RNF5 treatment alone. Furthermore, following SUS+MB, RNF5 accumulated heavily within cells across the pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus, that were negative for MAP2 and p-tau, suggesting that SUS+MB may not facilitate enhanced RNF5 engagement of intraneuronal tau. Overall, our new findings reveal the complexities of combining tau immunotherapy with SUS+MB and challenge the view that this is a straight-forward approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinie Bajracharya
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Esteban Cruz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jürgen Götz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia.
| | - Rebecca M Nisbet
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Queensland 4072, Australia; Melbourne Dementia Research Centre, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia.
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Huang F. Research Progress of Nanomaterial Mechanics for Targeted Treatment of Muscle Strains in Sports Rehabilitation Training. Appl Bionics Biomech 2022; 2022:8931131. [PMID: 35465182 PMCID: PMC9023226 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8931131] [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: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
More and more people are beginning to recognize the important role of intelligent rehabilitation training equipment in rehabilitation treatment and continue to carry out related researches. The use of intelligent robot technology for rehabilitation treatment has been rapidly developed, and it has achieved rapid progress on a global scale. Especially in some developed countries, this field has also received corresponding attention in some developed cities in China in recent years. Mesoporous nanomaterials have unique physical, chemical, and biological properties. Mesoporous nanomaterials can be combined with chemotherapy drugs to minimize the harm caused by chemotherapy drugs to the human body and improve the therapeutic effect. As a result, the cure rate has been improved, and it has shown deep potential in breast cancer chemotherapy. Fifty breast cancer patients were selected as the research objects and randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, each with 25 cases. The control group was treated with conventional chemotherapeutics, and the experimental group was treated with molecular targeted therapy to compare the treatment effects of the two groups. Studies have shown that the recurrence rate and the occurrence probability of complications in the experimental group are significantly lower than those in the control group. Molecular targeted therapy for breast cancer has obvious effects, which reduces the recurrence rate of complications or diseases, and is less toxic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengping Huang
- Department of Basic Courses, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Jinan, 250031 Shandong, China
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10
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Silvestro S, Valeri A, Mazzon E. Aducanumab and Its Effects on Tau Pathology: Is This the Turning Point of Amyloid Hypothesis? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042011. [PMID: 35216126 PMCID: PMC8880389 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people around the world. The two main pathological mechanisms underlying the disease are beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of Tau proteins in the brain. Their reduction has been associated with slowing of cognitive decline and disease progression. Several antibodies aimed to target Aβ or Tau in order to represent hope for millions of patients, but only a small number managed to be selected to participate in clinical trials. Aducanumab is a monoclonal antibody recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which, targeting (Aβ) oligomers and fibrils, was able to reduce Aβ accumulation and slow the progression of cognitive impairment. It was also claimed to have an effect on the second hallmark of AD, decreasing the level of phospho-Tau evaluated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and by positron emission tomography (PET). This evidence may represent a turning point in the development of AD-efficient drugs.
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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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12
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Congdon EE, Jiang Y, Sigurdsson EM. Targeting tau only extracellularly is likely to be less efficacious than targeting it both intra- and extracellularly. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 126:125-137. [PMID: 34896021 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.12.002] [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] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Aggregation of the tau protein is thought to be responsible for the neurodegeneration and subsequent functional impairments in diseases that are collectively named tauopathies. Alzheimer's disease is the most common tauopathy, but the group consists of over 20 different diseases, many of which have tau pathology as their primary feature. The development of tau therapies has mainly focused on preventing the formation of and/or clearing these aggregates. Of these, immunotherapies that aim to either elicit endogenous tau antibodies or deliver exogenous ones are the most common approach in clinical trials. While their mechanism of action can involve several pathways, both extra- and intracellular, pharmaceutical companies have primarily focused on antibody-mediated clearance of extracellular tau. As we have pointed out over the years, this is rather surprising because it is well known that most of pathological tau protein is found intracellularly. It has been repeatedly shown by several groups over the past decades that antibodies can enter neurons and that their cellular uptake can be enhanced by various means, particularly by altering their charge. Here, we will briefly describe the potential extra- and intracellular mechanisms involved in antibody-mediated clearance of tau pathology, discuss these in the context of recent failures of some of the tau antibody trials, and finally provide a brief overview of how the intracellular efficacy of tau antibodies can potentially be further improved by certain modifications that aim to enhance tau clearance via specific intracellular degradation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Congdon
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States.
| | - Yixiang Jiang
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States
| | - Einar M Sigurdsson
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States.
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Dong LX, Bao HL, Zhang YY, Liu Y, Zhang GW, An FM. RETRACTED: MicroRNA-16-5p/BTG2 axis affects neurological function, autophagy and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Res Bull 2021; 175:254-262. [PMID: 34217799 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief as there are concerns about the reliability of the results. Concerns have been raised about the western blot bands in Figures 6 B + D having the same eyebrow shaped phenotype as found in many other publications as detailed here (https://pubpeer.com/publications/B32F93859FBAA13471ED0FFCA5BCB6). The journal requested the corresponding author to comment on these concerns and send the raw data, however the author was not able to provide uncropped images of the original gels. The Editor-in-Chief therefore no longer has confidence in the data and conclusions of this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Xia Dong
- College of Nursing, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PR China; Institute of Dementia, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028002, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - Hai-Lan Bao
- College of Nursing, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PR China; Institute of Dementia, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028002, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - Yan-Yun Zhang
- College of Nursing, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PR China; Institute of Dementia, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028002, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - Yu Liu
- College of Nursing, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PR China; Institute of Dementia, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028002, Inner Mongolia, PR China
| | - Guo-Wei Zhang
- College of Nursing, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028000, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PR China; Institute of Dementia, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028002, Inner Mongolia, PR China.
| | - Feng-Mao An
- Institute of Dementia, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao, 028002, Inner Mongolia, PR China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Mongolian Medicine Pharmacology for Cardio-Cerebral Vascular System, Tongliao, 028002, Inner Mongolia, PR China.
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Ji C, Sigurdsson EM. Current Status of Clinical Trials on Tau Immunotherapies. Drugs 2021; 81:1135-1152. [PMID: 34101156 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-021-01546-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Tau immunotherapies have advanced from proof-of-concept studies to over a dozen clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies. Mechanistic studies in animal and culture models have provided valuable insight into how these therapies may work but multiple pathways are likely involved. Different groups have emphasized the importance of intracellular vs extracellular antibody-mediated clearance of the tau protein and there is no consensus on which pool of tau should ideally be targeted. Likewise, various normal and disease-selective epitopes are being targeted, and the antibody isotypes either favor phagocytosis of the tau-antibody complex or are neutral in that aspect. Most of the clinical trials are in early stages, thus their efficacy is not yet known, but all have been without any major adverse effects and some have reported target engagement. A few have been discontinued. One in phase I, presumably because of a poor pharmacokinetic profile, and three in phase II for a lack of efficacy although this trial stage is not well powered for efficacy measures. In these phase II studies, trials with two antibodies in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy or other primary tauopathies were halted but are continuing in patients with AD, and one antibody trial was stopped in early-stage AD but is continuing in moderate AD. These three antibodies have been reported to only work extracellularly and tau is not increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of primary tauopathies, which may explain the failures of two of them. In the discontinued AD trial, there are some concerns about how much of extracellular tau contains the N-terminal epitope that is being targeted. In addition, extracellular tau is only a small part of total tau, compared to intracellular tau. Targeting only the former may not be sufficient for functional benefits. Given these outcomes, decision makers within the pharmaceutical companies who green light these trials should attempt to target tau not only extracellularly but also intracellularly to increase their chances of success. Hopefully, some of the ongoing trials will provide some functional benefits to the large number of patients with tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyi Ji
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Science Building, 11th floor, 435 East 30th Street, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Einar M Sigurdsson
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Science Building, 11th floor, 435 East 30th Street, New York, NY, 10016, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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15
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Robert A, Schöll M, Vogels T. Tau Seeding Mouse Models with Patient Brain-Derived Aggregates. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:6132. [PMID: 34200180 PMCID: PMC8201271 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22116132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a heterogeneous class of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by intracellular inclusions of aggregated tau proteins. Tau aggregates in different tauopathies have distinct structural features and can be found in different cell types. Transgenic animal models overexpressing human tau have been used for over two decades in the research of tau pathology. However, these models poorly recapitulate the heterogeneity of tauopathies found in human brains. Recent findings demonstrate that injection of purified tau aggregates from the brains of human tauopathy patients recapitulates both the structural features and cell-type specificity of the tau pathology of the donor tauopathy. These models may therefore have unique translational value in the study of functional consequences of tau pathology, tau-based diagnostics, and tau targeting therapeutics. This review provides an update of the literature relating to seeding-based tauopathy and their potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiko Robert
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (A.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Michael Schöll
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (A.R.); (M.S.)
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Thomas Vogels
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK; (A.R.); (M.S.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Sylics (Synaptologics B.V.), 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
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16
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Zhang J, Hua XF, Gu J, Chen F, Gu J, Gong CX, Liu F, Dai CL. High Mobility Group Box 1 Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment in the 3×Tg-AD Mouse Model. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 74:851-864. [PMID: 32116254 DOI: 10.3233/jad-191110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. Studies indicate that neuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of AD. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is an important chromatin protein. It can be secreted by immune cells and passively released from damaged cells to promote inflammation. HMGB1 also can recruit stem cells and promote their proliferation and tissue repairing. However, the role of HMGB1 in the progression of AD is currently unknown. OBJECTIVE The aims were to investigate the effect of HMGB1 on the AD-related pathologies and cognitive function using 3×Tg-AD mouse model. METHODS Female 5-month-old 3×Tg-AD mice were intracerebroventricularly injected with 4.5 μg of HMGB1 or with saline as a control. The levels of interesting protein were assessed by western blots or immunofluorescence. The effect of HMGB1 on the cognitive function was evaluated by one-trial novel object recognition test and Morris water maze. RESULTS Intracerebroventricular injection of recombinant HMGB1 ameliorated cognitive impairment in 5-6-month-old 3×Tg-AD mice. The levels of synapsin 1, synaptophysin, MAP2, NeuN, and phosphorylated CREB were increased in HMGB1-treated 3×Tg-AD mouse brains. HMGB1 decreased intracellular amyloid-β level but did not affect tau phosphorylation. HMGB1 treatment also promoted neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and increased the level of GFAP in the 3×Tg-AD mouse brains. CONCLUSION These results reveal a novel function of HMGB1 in enhancing neuroplasticity and improving cognitive function in 3×Tg-AD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Xue-Feng Hua
- Department of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jinhua Gu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Feng Chen
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Jianlan Gu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Chun-Ling Dai
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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17
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Gu JL, Liu F. Tau in Alzheimer's Disease: Pathological Alterations and an Attractive Therapeutic Target. Curr Med Sci 2021; 40:1009-1021. [PMID: 33428128 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-020-2282-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease with two major hallmarks: extracellular amyloid plaques made of amyloid-β (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau. The number of NFTs correlates positively with the severity of dementia in AD patients. However, there is still no efficient therapy available for AD treatment and prevention so far. A deeper understanding of AD pathogenesis has identified novel strategies for the generation of specific therapies over the past few decades. Several studies have suggested that the prion-like seeding and spreading of tau pathology in the brain may be a key driver of AD. Tau protein is considered as a promising candidate target for the development of therapeutic interventions due to its considerable pathological role in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders. Abnormal tau hyperphosphorylation plays a detrimental pathological role, eventually leading to neurodegeneration. In the present review, we describe the recent research progresses in the pathological mechanisms of tau protein in AD and briefly discuss tau-based therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Lan Gu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China. .,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration and Ministry of Education of Jiangsu, Nantong, 226001, China.
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, 10314, USA
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18
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Chandupatla RR, Flatley A, Feederle R, Mandelkow E, Kaniyappan S. Novel antibody against low-n oligomers of tau protein promotes clearance of tau in cells via lysosomes. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (NEW YORK, N. Y.) 2020; 6:e12097. [PMID: 33145390 PMCID: PMC7593557 DOI: 10.1002/trc2.12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tau, a natively unfolded soluble protein, forms abnormal oligomers and insoluble filaments in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD). Tau-induced toxicity is mainly due to oligomers rather than monomers or fibrils. METHODS We have developed monoclonal antibodies against purified low-n tau oligomers of the tau repeat domain as a tool to neutralize tau aggregation and toxicity. In vitro aggregation inhibition was tested by thioflavin S, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Using a split-luciferase complementation assay and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), the inhibition of aggregation was analyzed in an N2a cell model of tauopathy. RESULTS Antibodies inhibited tau aggregation in vitro up to ~90% by blocking tau at an oligomeric state. Some antibodies were able to block tau dimerization/oligomerization in cells, as measured by a split-luciferase complementation assay. Antibodies applied extracellularly were internalized and led to sequestration of tau into lysosomes for degradation. DISCUSSION Novel low-n tau oligomer specific monoclonal antibody inhibits Tau oligomerization in cells and promotes toxic tau clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Flatley
- Institute for Diabetes and ObesityMonoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Helmholtz Center MunichGerman Research Center for Environmental HealthNeuherbergGermany
- DZNE–German Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesMunichGermany
| | - Regina Feederle
- Institute for Diabetes and ObesityMonoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Helmholtz Center MunichGerman Research Center for Environmental HealthNeuherbergGermany
- CAESAR–Center of Advanced European Studies and ResearchBonnGermany
| | - Eva‐Maria Mandelkow
- DZNE–German Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesBonnGermany
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric PsychiatryUniversity of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Senthilvelrajan Kaniyappan
- DZNE–German Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesBonnGermany
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Geriatric PsychiatryUniversity of BonnBonnGermany
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19
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Arnsten AFT, Datta D, Tredici KD, Braak H. Hypothesis: Tau pathology is an initiating factor in sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2020; 17:115-124. [PMID: 33075193 PMCID: PMC7983919 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The etiology of the common, sporadic form of Alzheimer's disease (sAD) is unknown. We hypothesize that tau pathology within select projection neurons with susceptible microenvironments can initiate sAD. This postulate rests on extensive data demonstrating that in human brains tau pathology appears about a decade before the formation of Aβ plaques (Aβps), especially targeting glutamate projection neurons in the association cortex. Data from aging rhesus monkeys show abnormal tau phosphorylation within vulnerable neurons, associated with calcium dysregulation. Abnormally phosphorylated tau (pTau) on microtubules traps APP‐containing endosomes, which can increase Aβ production. As Aβ oligomers increase abnormal phosphorylation of tau, this would drive vicious cycles leading to sAD pathology over a long lifespan, with genetic and environmental factors that may accelerate pathological events. This hypothesis could be testable in the aged monkey association cortex that naturally expresses characteristics capable of promoting and sustaining abnormal tau phosphorylation and Aβ production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kelly Del Tredici
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section, Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Heiko Braak
- Clinical Neuroanatomy Section, Department of Neurology, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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20
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Ng PY, Chang IS, Koh RY, Chye SM. Recent advances in tau-directed immunotherapy against Alzheimer's disease: an overview of pre-clinical and clinical development. Metab Brain Dis 2020; 35:1049-1066. [PMID: 32632666 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-020-00591-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been a worldwide concern for many years now. This is due to the fact that AD is an irreversible and progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects quality of life. Failure of some Phase II/III clinical trials in AD targeting accumulation of β-amyloid in the brain has led to an increase in interest in studying alternative treatments against tubulin-associated unit (Tau) pathology. These alternative treatments include active and passive immunisation. Based on numerous studies, Tau is reported as a potential immunotherapeutic target for tauopathy-related diseases including AD. Accumulation and aggregation of hyperphosphorylated Tau as neuropil threads and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are pathological hallmarks of AD. Both active and passive immunisation targeting Tau protein have shown the capabilities to decrease or prevent Tau pathology and improve either motor or cognitive impairment in various animal models. In this review, we summarise recent advances in active and passive immunisation targeting pathological Tau protein, and will discuss with data obtained from both animal and human trials. Together, we give a brief overview about problems being encountered in these immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Ying Ng
- School of Postgraduate, International Medical University, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - I Shuen Chang
- School of Health Science, Division of Biomedical Science and Biotechnology, International Medical University, No. 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rhun Yian Koh
- School of Health Science, Division of Biomedical Science and Biotechnology, International Medical University, No. 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Soi Moi Chye
- School of Health Science, Division of Biomedical Science and Biotechnology, International Medical University, No. 126, Jalan Jalil Perkasa 19, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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21
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Zhao Y, Qian R, Zhang J, Liu F, Iqbal K, Dai CL, Gong CX. Young blood plasma reduces Alzheimer's disease-like brain pathologies and ameliorates cognitive impairment in 3×Tg-AD mice. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2020; 12:70. [PMID: 32513253 PMCID: PMC7278124 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00639-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Background Recent studies indicated that circulatory factors in blood plasma from young animals can reactivate neurogenesis, restore synaptic plasticity, and improve cognitive function in aged animals. Here, we investigated if young plasma could have a possible therapeutic effect for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like pathologies and cognitive impairment in triple-transgenic AD (3×Tg-AD) mice. Methods We intravenously injected plasma from 2- to 3-month-old C57BL/6 J wild-type mice into 16–17-month-old 3×Tg-AD mice twice a week for 8 weeks. The behavioral tests including open field, novel object recognition, Morris water maze, and reversal Morris water maze were conducted after 4-week plasma injections. The effect of young plasma on tau and Aβ pathologies and on the levels of synaptic proteins and neuroinflammation were assessed by Western blots and immunohistochemical staining. Results Young plasma treatment improved short-term memory in the novel object recognition test and enhanced the spatial learning and memory in Morris water maze test and reversal Morris water maze test. Biochemical studies revealed that young plasma treatment reduced both tau and Aβ pathologies, as well as neuroinflammation in the mouse brain. However, we did not detect any significant changes in levels of synaptic proteins or the dentate gyrus neurogenesis in the mouse brain after the treatment with young plasma. Conclusions These data indicate that young blood plasma not only ameliorates tau and Aβ pathologies but also enhances the cognitive function in 3×Tg-AD mice. These findings suggest that transfusion with young blood plasma could be a potentially effective treatment for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhao
- 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.,Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Huai'an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Huai'an, 223001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ran Qian
- 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.,Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, School of Clinical Medicine, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, 437000, Hubei, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- 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.,Department of Rehabilitation, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510180, Guangdong, China
| | - 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
| | - Chun-Ling Dai
- 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.
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- 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.
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22
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Tau immunotherapies: Lessons learned, current status and future considerations. Neuropharmacology 2020; 175:108104. [PMID: 32360477 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The majority of clinical trials targeting the tau protein in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies are tau immunotherapies. Because tau pathology correlates better with the degree of dementia than amyloid-β lesions, targeting tau is likely to be more effective in improving cognition than clearing amyloid-β in Alzheimer's disease. However, the development of tau therapies is in many ways more complex than for amyloid-β therapies as briefly outlined in this review. Most of the trials are on humanized antibodies, which may have very different properties than the original mouse antibodies. The impact of these differences are to a large extent unknown, can be difficult to decipher, and may not always be properly considered. Furthermore, the ideal antibody properties for efficacy are not well established and can depend on several factors. However, considering the varied approaches in clinical trials, there is a general optimism that at least some of these trials may provide functional benefits to patients suffering of various tauopathies. This article is part of the special issue entitled 'The Quest for Disease-Modifying Therapies for Neurodegenerative Disorders'.
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Verelst J, Geukens N, Eddarkaoui S, Vliegen D, De Smidt E, Rosseels J, Franssens V, Molenberghs S, Francois C, Stoops E, Bjerke M, Engelborghs S, Laghmouchi M, Carmans S, Buée L, Vanmechelen E, Winderickx J, Thomas D. A Novel Tau Antibody Detecting the First Amino-Terminal Insert Reveals Conformational Differences Among Tau Isoforms. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:48. [PMID: 32296712 PMCID: PMC7136581 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.00048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
As human Tau undergoes pathologically relevant post-translational modifications when expressed in yeast, the use of humanized yeast models for the generation of novel Tau monoclonal antibodies has previously been proven to be successful. In this study, human Tau2N4R-ΔK280 purified from yeast was used for the immunization of mice and subsequent selection of high affinity Tau-specific monoclonal antibodies. The characterization of four novel antibodies in different Tau model systems yielded a phosphorylation-dependent antibody (15A10), an antibody directed to the first microtubule-binding repeat domain (16B12), a carboxy-terminal antibody (20G10) and an antibody targeting an epitope on the hinge of the first and second amino-terminal insert (18F12). The latter was found to be conformation-dependent, suggesting structural differences between the Tau splicing isoforms and allowing insight in the roles played by the amino-terminal inserts. As this monoclonal antibody also has the capacity to detect tangle-like structures in different transgenic Tau mice and neurofibrillary tangles in brain sections of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, we also tested the diagnostic potential of 18F12 in a pilot study and found this monoclonal antibody to have the ability to discriminate Alzheimer's disease patients from control individuals based on increased Tau levels in the cerebrospinal fluid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joke Verelst
- Functional Biology, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | | | - Sabiha Eddarkaoui
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMRS1172, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, LabEx DISTALZ, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Lille, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Maria Bjerke
- Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Neurology and Center for Neurosciences, UZ Brussel and Vrije Universtieit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Department of Neurology and Center for Neurosciences, UZ Brussel and Vrije Universtieit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | | | | | - Luc Buée
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMRS1172, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, LabEx DISTALZ, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Lille, France
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24
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Corsetti V, Borreca A, Latina V, Giacovazzo G, Pignataro A, Krashia P, Natale F, Cocco S, Rinaudo M, Malerba F, Florio R, Ciarapica R, Coccurello R, D’Amelio M, Ammassari-Teule M, Grassi C, Calissano P, Amadoro G. Passive immunotherapy for N-truncated tau ameliorates the cognitive deficits in two mouse Alzheimer's disease models. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa039. [PMID: 32954296 PMCID: PMC7425324 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical and neuropathological studies have shown that tau pathology better correlates with the severity of dementia than amyloid plaque burden, making tau an attractive target for the cure of Alzheimer's disease. We have explored whether passive immunization with the 12A12 monoclonal antibody (26-36aa of tau protein) could improve the Alzheimer's disease phenotype of two well-established mouse models, Tg2576 and 3xTg mice. 12A12 is a cleavage-specific monoclonal antibody which selectively binds the pathologically relevant neurotoxic NH226-230 fragment (i.e. NH2htau) of tau protein without cross-reacting with its full-length physiological form(s). We found out that intravenous administration of 12A12 monoclonal antibody into symptomatic (6 months old) animals: (i) reaches the hippocampus in its biologically active (antigen-binding competent) form and successfully neutralizes its target; (ii) reduces both pathological tau and amyloid precursor protein/amyloidβ metabolisms involved in early disease-associated synaptic deterioration; (iii) improves episodic-like type of learning/memory skills in hippocampal-based novel object recognition and object place recognition behavioural tasks; (iv) restores the specific up-regulation of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein involved in consolidation of experience-dependent synaptic plasticity; (v) relieves the loss of dendritic spine connectivity in pyramidal hippocampal CA1 neurons; (vi) rescues the Alzheimer's disease-related electrophysiological deficits in hippocampal long-term potentiation at the CA3-CA1 synapses; and (vii) mitigates the neuroinflammatory response (reactive gliosis). These findings indicate that the 20-22 kDa NH2-terminal tau fragment is crucial target for Alzheimer's disease therapy and prospect immunotherapy with 12A12 monoclonal antibody as safe (normal tau-preserving), beneficial approach in contrasting the early Amyloidβ-dependent and independent neuropathological and cognitive alterations in affected subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Antonella Borreca
- Humanitas University Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Pathology, Neuro Center, 20089 Milan, Italy
- Institute of Neuroscience, 20129 Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Paraskevi Krashia
- IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
- Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Department of Science and Technology for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Natale
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Cocco
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Rinaudo
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Rita Florio
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), 00161 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Coccurello
- IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
- Institute for Complex Systems (ISC), CNR, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello D’Amelio
- IRCSS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143 Rome, Italy
- Department of Medicine, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Department of Science and Technology for Humans and Environment, University Campus Bio-medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Claudio Grassi
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
- Institute of Human Physiology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppina Amadoro
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), 00161 Rome, Italy
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT)–National Research Council (CNR), 00133 Rome, Italy
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Development of disease-modifying drugs for frontotemporal dementia spectrum disorders. Nat Rev Neurol 2020; 16:213-228. [PMID: 32203398 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-0330-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) encompasses a spectrum of clinical syndromes characterized by progressive executive, behavioural and language dysfunction. The various FTD spectrum disorders are associated with brain accumulation of different proteins: tau, the transactive response DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP43), or fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein, Ewing sarcoma protein and TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 (TAF15) (collectively known as FET proteins). Approximately 60% of patients with FTD have autosomal dominant mutations in C9orf72, GRN or MAPT genes. Currently available treatments are symptomatic and provide limited benefit. However, the increased understanding of FTD pathogenesis is driving the development of potential disease-modifying therapies. Most of these drugs target pathological tau - this category includes tau phosphorylation inhibitors, tau aggregation inhibitors, active and passive anti-tau immunotherapies, and MAPT-targeted antisense oligonucleotides. Some of these therapeutic approaches are being tested in phase II clinical trials. Pharmacological approaches that target the effects of GRN and C9orf72 mutations are also in development. Key results of large clinical trials will be available in a few years. However, clinical trials in FTD pose several challenges, and the development of specific brain imaging and molecular biomarkers could facilitate the recruitment of clinically homogenous groups to improve the chances of positive clinical trial results.
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26
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Albert M, Mairet-Coello G, Danis C, Lieger S, Caillierez R, Carrier S, Skrobala E, Landrieu I, Michel A, Schmitt M, Citron M, Downey P, Courade JP, Buée L, Colin M. Prevention of tau seeding and propagation by immunotherapy with a central tau epitope antibody. Brain 2020; 142:1736-1750. [PMID: 31038156 PMCID: PMC6536853 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awz100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the intraneuronal accumulation of aggregated tau. The staging of this neurodegenerative process is well established for Alzheimer’s disease as well as for other tauopathies. The stereotypical pattern of tau pathology in these diseases is consistent with the hypothesis that the tau protein can spread in a ‘prion-like’ manner. It proposes that extracellular pathological tau species can transmit pathology from cell to cell. Accordingly, by targeting these spreading species with therapeutic antibodies one should be able to slow or halt the progression of tau pathology. To be effective, antibodies should neutralize the pathological species present in Alzheimer’s disease brains and block their cell-to-cell spread. To evaluate both aspects, tau antibody D, which recognizes an epitope in the central region of tau, and was selected for its outstanding ability to block tau seeding in cell based assays, was used in this study. Here, we addressed two fundamental questions: (i) can this anti-tau antibody neutralize the pathological species present in Alzheimer’s disease brains; and (ii) can it block the cell-to-cell spread of tau seeds in vivo? First, antibody D effectively prevented the induction of tau pathology in the brains of transgenic mice that had been injected with human Alzheimer’s disease brain extracts, showing that it could effectively neutralize the pathological species present in these extracts. Second, by using K18 P301L tau fibrils to induce pathology, we further demonstrated that antibody D was also capable of blocking the progression of tau pathology to distal brain regions. In contrast, an amino-terminal tau antibody, which was less effective at blocking tau seeding in vitro showed less efficacy in reducing Alzheimer’s disease patient tau driven pathology in the transgenic mouse model. We did not address whether the same is true for a spectrum of other amino-terminal antibodies that were tested in vitro. These data highlight important differences between tau antibodies and, when taken together with other recently published data, suggest that epitope may be important for function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Albert
- Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, Lille, France.,Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France
| | | | - Clément Danis
- Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, Lille, France.,Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France.,CNRS, UMR8576, Lille, France
| | - Sarah Lieger
- Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, Lille, France.,Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France
| | - Raphaëlle Caillierez
- Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, Lille, France.,Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France
| | - Sébastien Carrier
- Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, Lille, France.,Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France
| | - Emilie Skrobala
- Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France.,CHU-Lille, CMRR, Lille, France.,CHU-Lille, EA2694, Department of biostatistics, Lille, France
| | - Isabelle Landrieu
- Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France.,CNRS, UMR8576, Lille, France
| | - Anne Michel
- UCB Biopharma, Chemin du Forest, Braine l'Alleud, Belgium
| | | | - Martin Citron
- UCB Biopharma, Chemin du Forest, Braine l'Alleud, Belgium
| | - Patrick Downey
- UCB Biopharma, Chemin du Forest, Braine l'Alleud, Belgium
| | | | - Luc Buée
- Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, Lille, France.,Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France.,CHU-Lille, CMRR, Lille, France
| | - Morvane Colin
- Inserm, UMR-S 1172, Alzheimer and Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, Lille, France.,Université de Lille, Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, Faculté de Médecine, Lille, France.,CHU-Lille, CMRR, Lille, France
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27
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Xie J, Liang R, Wang Y, Huang J, Cao X, Niu B. Progress in Target Drug Molecules for Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Top Med Chem 2020; 20:4-36. [DOI: 10.2174/1568026619666191203113745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that 4 widespread in the elderly.
The etiology of AD is complicated, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. Although there are many
researches on anti-AD drugs, they are limited to reverse relief symptoms and cannot treat diseases.
Therefore, the development of high-efficiency anti-AD drugs with no side effects has become an urgent
need. Based on the published literature, this paper summarizes the main targets of AD and their drugs,
and focuses on the research and development progress of these drugs in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayang Xie
- School of Life Science, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Ruirui Liang
- School of Life Science, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Yajiang Wang
- School of Life Science, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Junyi Huang
- School of Life Science, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
| | - Xin Cao
- Zhongshan Hospital Institute of Clinical Science, Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Niu
- School of Life Science, Shanghai University, 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China
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28
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From the prion-like propagation hypothesis to therapeutic strategies of anti-tau immunotherapy. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:3-25. [PMID: 31686182 PMCID: PMC6942016 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02087-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The term “propagon” is used to define proteins that may transmit misfolding in vitro, in tissues or in organisms. Among propagons, misfolded tau is thought to be involved in the pathogenic mechanisms of various “tauopathies” that include Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and argyrophilic grain disease. Here, we review the available data in the literature and point out how the prion-like tau propagation has been extended from Alzheimer's disease to tauopathies. First, in Alzheimer’s disease, the progression of tau aggregation follows stereotypical anatomical stages which may be considered as spreading. The mechanisms of the propagation are now subject to intensive and controversial research. It has been shown that tau may be secreted in the interstitial fluid in an active manner as reflected by high and constant concentration of extracellular tau during Alzheimer’s pathology. Animal and cell models have been devised to mimic tau seeding and propagation, and despite their limitations, they have further supported to the prion-like propagation hypothesis. Finally, such new ways of thinking have led to different therapeutic strategies in anti-tau immunotherapy among tauopathies and have stimulated new clinical trials. However, it appears that the prion-like propagation hypothesis mainly relies on data obtained in Alzheimer’s disease. From this review, it appears that further studies are needed (1) to characterize extracellular tau species, (2) to find the right pathological tau species to target, (3) to follow in vivo tau pathology by brain imaging and biomarkers and (4) to interpret current clinical trial results aimed at reducing the progression of these pathologies. Such inputs will be essential to have a comprehensive view of these promising therapeutic strategies in tauopathies.
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29
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Bittar A, Bhatt N, Kayed R. Advances and considerations in AD tau-targeted immunotherapy. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 134:104707. [PMID: 31841678 PMCID: PMC6980703 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The multifactorial and complex nature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has made it difficult to identify therapeutic targets that are causally involved in the disease process. However, accumulating evidence from experimental and clinical studies that investigate the early disease process point towards the required role of tau in AD etiology. Importantly, a large number of studies investigate and characterize the plethora of pathological forms of tau protein involved in disease onset and propagation. Immunotherapy is one of the most clinical approaches anticipated to make a difference in the field of AD therapeutics. Tau –targeted immunotherapy is the new direction after the failure of amyloid beta (Aß)-targeted immunotherapy and the growing number of studies that highlight the Aß-independent disease process. It is now well established that immunotherapy alone will most likely be insufficient as a monotherapy. Therefore, this review discusses updates on tau-targeted immunotherapy studies, AD-relevant tau species, updates on promising biomarkers and a prospect on combination therapies to surround the disease propagation in an efficient and timely manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Bittar
- Department of Neurology, The Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, United States of America.
| | - Nemil Bhatt
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, United States of America.
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Department of Neurology, The Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555, United States of America.
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30
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Hong P, Zhang X, Gao S, Wang P. Role of monocarboxylate transporter 4 in Alzheimer disease. Neurotoxicology 2019; 76:191-199. [PMID: 31738978 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The pathological process of Alzheimer disease (AD) is closely related to energy metabolism disorders. In the nervous system, monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) is expressed in the glial cell membrane and is responsible for transporting intracellular lactic acid. In this study, we found that MCT4 expression was elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with mild cognitive impairment. Two- and three-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice and C57 mice were studied. The APP/PS1 mice began to show cognitive decline at 3 months of age and MCT4 in the hippocampus of 2- and 3-month old APP/PS1 mice was higher than that of C57 mice. This change is similar to that in people with mild cognitive impairment. Subsequently, MCT4 overexpression/siRNA lentiviral particles were used to establish stable primary astrocytes. Overexpression and knockdown of MCT4 had no significant effect on glial cell apoptosis. Transfected astrocytes were co-cultured with neurons. Overexpression of cytoplasmic MCT4 increased the expression of Aβ42, γ-secretase, and CD147 in the co-culture system; in addition, the growth ability of primary neurons decreased significantly, extracellular lactic acid increased, and neuronal apoptosis increased. In AD model mice, siMCT4 injection improved cognitive ability, reduced neuronal apoptosis, and reduced γ-secretase expression. Taken together, these results suggest that MCT4 is involved in energy metabolism during early pathological processes in AD, and suppression of MCT4 represents a new potential neuroprotective factor for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Hong
- Clinical Laboratory of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xiaoyi Zhang
- Department of Administration Management, Weifang People's Hospital, Weifang, Shandong Province, 261000, China
| | - Shichao Gao
- Clinical Laboratory of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Peichang Wang
- Clinical Laboratory of Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
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31
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Amadoro G, Latina V, Corsetti V, Calissano P. N-terminal tau truncation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD): Developing a novel diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2019; 1866:165584. [PMID: 31676377 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.165584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Tau truncation occurs at early stages during the development of human Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathy dementias. Tau cleavage, particularly in its N-terminal projection domain, is able to drive per se neurodegeneration, regardless of its pro-aggregative pathway(s) and in fragment(s)-dependent way. In this short review, we highlight the pathological relevance of the 20-22 kDa NH2-truncated tau fragment which is endowed with potent neurotoxic "gain-of-function" action(s), both in vitro and in vivo. An extensive comment on its clinical value as novel progression/diagnostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target in the context of tau-mediated neurodegeneration is also provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Amadoro
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy; Institute of Translational Pharmacology (IFT)-CNR, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy.
| | - V Latina
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - V Corsetti
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - P Calissano
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena 295, 00161 Rome, Italy
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32
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Baazaoui N, Iqbal K. A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Treat Alzheimer's Disease by Neurotrophic Support During the Period of Synaptic Compensation. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 62:1211-1218. [PMID: 29562539 PMCID: PMC5870029 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), at present, is considered an incurable disease and a major dilemma with no drug to stop or slow down its progression. Drugs that are currently available in the market are able to only transiently improve the clinical symptoms. The repeated failures in developing an effective drug has led to the suggestion that the medical intervention was probably too late to be effective since the pathology starts many years before the appearance of the clinical symptoms. Probably, at the time of the appearance of clinical symptoms the brain has undergone major neuronal and synaptic loss. Because of the uncertainty on when to use a prevention therapy, especially targeting amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies, interventions that rely on the regenerative capacity of the brain such as the modulation of the inherent neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity represent a promising therapeutic strategy. Such an approach can act both at early as well as late stages of the disease and remove the barrier of the time of intervention. In this article, we review studies mainly from our laboratory that show the merit of early intervention during the synaptic and neuronal compensation period where the brain still has the capacity to self-repair by offering neurotrophic support in reversing cognitive impairment, neuronal and synaptic deficits, Aβ, and tau pathologies and decreasing mortality in a transgenic mouse model of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Baazaoui
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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33
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Panza F, Imbimbo BP, Lozupone M, Greco A, Seripa D, Logroscino G, Daniele A, Colosimo C. Disease-modifying therapies for tauopathies: agents in the pipeline. Expert Rev Neurother 2019; 19:397-408. [PMID: 30973276 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2019.1606715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tauopathies are heterogeneous clinicopathological entities characterized by abnormal neuronal and/or glial inclusions of the microtubule-binding protein tau. Primary tauopathies considered to be diseases correspond to a major class of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) neuropathology (FTLD-Tau), including several forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) clinical syndromes. Little progress has been made in the past 20 years in developing effective disease-modifying drugs for primary tauopathies and available symptomatic treatments have limited efficacy. Areas covered: Potential disease-modifying drugs in clinical development to slow neuropathological progression of primary tauopathies. Expert opinion: Since the underlying pathology of primary tauopathies consists of abnormal tau protein aggregates, treatments are being developed to interfere with the aggregation process or to promote the clearance of this protein. Unfortunately, disease-modifying treatments remain years away as demonstrated by the recent negative Phase III findings of a tau aggregation inhibitor (LMTM) for treating the behavioral variant of FTD. Further evidence will come from ongoing Phase I/II trials on novel drugs and immunotherapeutics with various targets - prevention of deposition or removal of tau aggregates, inhibition of tau phosphorylation/acetylation, modulation of O-GlcNAcylation, activation of autophagy or ubiquitin-proteasome system pathways, and rescue of selected tau loss of function or suppression of tau gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Panza
- a Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs , University of Bari "Aldo Moro" , Bari , Italy.,b Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain , University of Bari "Aldo Moro", "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico" , Lecce , Italy.,c Geriatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS , "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" , Foggia , Italy
| | - Bruno P Imbimbo
- d Department of Research and Development , Chiesi Farmaceutici , Parma , Italy
| | - Madia Lozupone
- a Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs , University of Bari "Aldo Moro" , Bari , Italy
| | - Antonio Greco
- c Geriatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS , "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" , Foggia , Italy
| | - Davide Seripa
- c Geriatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS , "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" , Foggia , Italy
| | - Giancarlo Logroscino
- a Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs , University of Bari "Aldo Moro" , Bari , Italy.,b Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain , University of Bari "Aldo Moro", "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico" , Lecce , Italy
| | - Antonio Daniele
- e Institute of Neurology , Catholic University of Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy.,f Institute of Neurology , Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS , Rome , Italy
| | - Carlo Colosimo
- g Department of Neurological Sciences , Santa Maria University Hospital , Terni , Italy
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Logroscino G, Imbimbo BP, Lozupone M, Sardone R, Capozzo R, Battista P, Zecca C, Dibello V, Giannelli G, Bellomo A, Greco A, Daniele A, Seripa D, Panza F. Promising therapies for the treatment of frontotemporal dementia clinical phenotypes: from symptomatic to disease-modifying drugs. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2019; 20:1091-1107. [PMID: 31002267 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2019.1598377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a heterogeneous clinical entity that includes several disorders characterized by different cellular mechanisms. Distinctive clinical features in FTD include behavioral, affective, and cognitive symptoms. Unfortunately, little progress has been made over the past 20 years in terms of the development of effective disease-modifying drugs with the currently available symptomatic treatments having limited clinical utility. AREAS COVERED This article reviews the principal pharmacological intervention studies for FTD. These are predominantly randomized clinical trials and include symptomatic treatments and potential disease-modifying drugs. EXPERT OPINION There is insufficient evidence on effective treatments for FTD and studies with better methodological backgrounds are needed. Most studies reporting therapeutic benefits were conducted with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, while anti-dementia drugs have been ineffective in FTD. Since the underlying pathology of FTD mostly consists of abnormal tau protein or TDP-43 aggregates, treatments are being developed to interfere with their aggregation process or with the clearance of these proteins. Furthermore, disease-modifying treatments remain years away as demonstrated by the recent negative Phase III findings of a tau aggregation inhibitor (LMTM) for treating the behavioral variant of FTD. The results from current ongoing Phase I/II trials will hopefully give light to future treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giancarlo Logroscino
- a Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs , University of Bari "Aldo Moro" , Bari , Italy.,b Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain , University of Bari "Aldo Moro", "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico" , Lecce , Italy
| | - Bruno P Imbimbo
- c Department of Research and Development , Chiesi Farmaceutici , Parma , Italy
| | - Madia Lozupone
- a Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs , University of Bari "Aldo Moro" , Bari , Italy
| | - Rodolfo Sardone
- d National Institute of Gastroenterology "Saverio de Bellis" , Research Hospital , Castellana Grotte Bari , Italy
| | - Rosa Capozzo
- b Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain , University of Bari "Aldo Moro", "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico" , Lecce , Italy
| | - Petronilla Battista
- e Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri SPA SB, IRCCS , Institute of Cassano Murge , Bari , Italy
| | - Chiara Zecca
- b Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain , University of Bari "Aldo Moro", "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico" , Lecce , Italy
| | - Vittorio Dibello
- d National Institute of Gastroenterology "Saverio de Bellis" , Research Hospital , Castellana Grotte Bari , Italy.,f Interdisciplinary Department of Medicine (DIM), Section of Dentistry , University of Bari AldoMoro , Bari , Italy
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- d National Institute of Gastroenterology "Saverio de Bellis" , Research Hospital , Castellana Grotte Bari , Italy
| | - Antonello Bellomo
- g Psychiatric Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine , University of Foggia , Foggia , Italy
| | - Antonio Greco
- h Geriatric Unit , Fondazione IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" , Foggia , Italy
| | - Antonio Daniele
- i Institute of Neurology , Catholic University of Sacred Heart , Rome , Italy.,j Institute of Neurology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS , Rome , Italy
| | - Davide Seripa
- h Geriatric Unit , Fondazione IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" , Foggia , Italy
| | - Francesco Panza
- a Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs , University of Bari "Aldo Moro" , Bari , Italy.,b Department of Clinical Research in Neurology, Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the Aging Brain , University of Bari "Aldo Moro", "Pia Fondazione Cardinale G. Panico" , Lecce , Italy.,d National Institute of Gastroenterology "Saverio de Bellis" , Research Hospital , Castellana Grotte Bari , Italy.,h Geriatric Unit , Fondazione IRCCS "Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza" , Foggia , Italy
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is characterized by extracellular β-amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), which are considered as major targets for AD therapies. However, no effective therapy is available to cure or prevent the progression of AD up until now. Accumulation of NFTs, which consist of abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau, is directly correlated with the degree of dementia in AD patients. Emerging evidence indicates that the prion-like seeding and spreading of tau pathology may be the key driver of AD. In the past decades, greater understanding of tau pathway reveals new targets for the development of specific therapies. Here, we review the recent research progress in the mechanism underlying tau pathology in AD and briefly introduce tau-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Chu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education of China, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, PR China
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York 10314, United States
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36
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Jadhav S, Avila J, Schöll M, Kovacs GG, Kövari E, Skrabana R, Evans LD, Kontsekova E, Malawska B, de Silva R, Buee L, Zilka N. A walk through tau therapeutic strategies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:22. [PMID: 30767766 PMCID: PMC6376692 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0664-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau neuronal and glial pathologies drive the clinical presentation of Alzheimer's disease and related human tauopathies. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that pathological tau species can travel from cell to cell and spread the pathology through the brain. Throughout the last decade, physiological and pathological tau have become attractive targets for AD therapies. Several therapeutic approaches have been proposed, including the inhibition of protein kinases or protein-3-O-(N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminyl)-L-serine/threonine Nacetylglucosaminyl hydrolase, the inhibition of tau aggregation, active and passive immunotherapies, and tau silencing by antisense oligonucleotides. New tau therapeutics, across the board, have demonstrated the ability to prevent or reduce tau lesions and improve either cognitive or motor impairment in a variety of animal models developing neurofibrillary pathology. The most advanced strategy for the treatment of human tauopathies remains immunotherapy, which has already reached the clinical stage of drug development. Tau vaccines or humanised antibodies target a variety of tau species either in the intracellular or extracellular spaces. Some of them recognise the amino-terminus or carboxy-terminus, while others display binding abilities to the proline-rich area or microtubule binding domains. The main therapeutic foci in existing clinical trials are on Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy and non-fluent primary progressive aphasia. Tau therapy offers a new hope for the treatment of many fatal brain disorders. First efficacy data from clinical trials will be available by the end of this decade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh Jadhav
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska 9, 845 10, Bratislava, Slovakia
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Jesus Avila
- Centro de Biologia Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones, Cientificas, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, C/ Nicolas Cabrera, 1. Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049, Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative, Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Michael Schöll
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of, Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Dementia Research Centre, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Institute of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, AKH 4J, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1097, Vienna, Austria
| | - Enikö Kövari
- Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rostislav Skrabana
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lewis D Evans
- Gurdon Institute and Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QN, UK
| | - Eva Kontsekova
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Barbara Malawska
- Department of Physicochemical Drug Analysis, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688, Cracow, Poland
| | - Rohan de Silva
- Reta Lila Weston Institute and Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, 1 Wakefield Street, London, WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Luc Buee
- Universite of Lille, Inserm, CHU-Lille, UMRS1172, Alzheimer & Tauopathies, Place de Verdun, 59045, Lille cedex, France.
| | - Norbert Zilka
- AXON Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Dvorakovo nabrezie 10, 811 02, Bratislava, Slovakia.
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Sharma P, Srivastava P, Seth A, Tripathi PN, Banerjee AG, Shrivastava SK. Comprehensive review of mechanisms of pathogenesis involved in Alzheimer's disease and potential therapeutic strategies. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 174:53-89. [PMID: 30599179 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and a leading cause of dementia in an aging population worldwide. The enormous challenge which AD possesses to global healthcare makes it as urgent as ever for the researchers to develop innovative treatment strategies to fight this disease. An in-depth analysis of the extensive available data associated with the AD is needed for a more comprehensive understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms and pathophysiological pathways associated with the onset and progression of the AD. The currently understood pathological and biochemical manifestations include cholinergic, Aβ, tau, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, ApoE, CREB signaling pathways, insulin resistance, etc. However, these hypotheses have been criticized with several conflicting reports for their involvement in the disease progression. Several issues need to be addressed such as benefits to cost ratio with cholinesterase therapy, the dilemma of AChE selectivity over BChE, BBB permeability of peptidic BACE-1 inhibitors, hurdles related to the implementation of vaccination and immunization therapy, and clinical failure of candidates related to newly available targets. The present review provides an insight to the different molecular mechanisms involved in the development and progression of the AD and potential therapeutic strategies, enlightening perceptions into structural information of conventional and novel targets along with the successful applications of computational approaches for the design of target-specific inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piyoosh Sharma
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Pavan Srivastava
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Ankit Seth
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Prabhash Nath Tripathi
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Anupam G Banerjee
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India
| | - Sushant K Shrivastava
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi, India.
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A randomized, single ascending dose study of intravenous BIIB092 in healthy participants. ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA-TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH & CLINICAL INTERVENTIONS 2018; 4:746-755. [PMID: 30581980 PMCID: PMC6298197 DOI: 10.1016/j.trci.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Extracellular tau is hypothesized to mediate the onset and progression of tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and a subset of frontotemporal lobar degenerations. A putative strategy for treating these disorders is to reduce extracellular tau levels using tau-directed immunotherapy. The results of the first-in-human study of BIIB092 (formerly BMS-986168/IPN007), a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to N-terminal tau, are reported here. This randomized, double-blind, single ascending dose study evaluated the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and immunogenicity profile of BIIB092 after a single intravenous infusion in healthy participants. Methods Sixty-five participants were randomized to receive a single intravenous infusion of placebo or BIIB092 at doses of 21, 70, 210, 700, 2100, or 4200 mg (or 700 or 2100 mg for Japanese participants). Serial blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained for assessment of pharmacokinetic parameters and unbound N-terminal tau suppression. Results There were no deaths, serious adverse events (AEs), severe AEs, or discontinuations due to an AE. The majority of AEs were mild. Serum BIIB092 concentrations increased in a dose-proportional manner and suppressed unbound cerebrospinal fluid N-terminal tau by 67%–97% at 28 days after dose, with doses of ≥210 mg producing persistent unbound N-terminal tau suppression over 12 weeks. Levels of cerebrospinal fluid N-terminal tau suppression were similar for Japanese and non-Japanese participants. Discussion BIIB092 was generally safe and well tolerated after a single dose of up to 4200 mg, and up to 2100 mg in Japanese participants. BIIB092 exhibited a dose-dependent increase in the extent and duration of unbound N-terminal tau suppression. BIIB092 was generally safe and well tolerated after a single dose of up to 4200 mg. BIIB092 doses ≥210 mg resulted in persistent CSF N-terminal tau suppression for 12 weeks. Increases in serum concentrations and CSF N-terminal tau suppression were dose proportional.
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Cao J, Hou J, Ping J, Cai D. Advances in developing novel therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2018; 13:64. [PMID: 30541602 PMCID: PMC6291983 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-018-0299-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease of aging, affects one in eight older Americans. Nearly all drug treatments tested for AD today have failed to show any efficacy. There is a great need for therapies to prevent and/or slow the progression of AD. The major challenge in AD drug development is lack of clarity about the mechanisms underlying AD pathogenesis and pathophysiology. Several studies support the notion that AD is a multifactorial disease. While there is abundant evidence that amyloid plays a role in AD pathogenesis, other mechanisms have been implicated in AD such as tangle formation and spread, dysregulated protein degradation pathways, neuroinflammation, and loss of support by neurotrophic factors. Therefore, current paradigms of AD drug design have been shifted from single target approach (primarily amyloid-centric) to developing drugs targeted at multiple disease aspects, and from treating AD at later stages of disease progression to focusing on preventive strategies at early stages of disease development. Here, we summarize current strategies and new trends of AD drug development, including pre-clinical and clinical trials that target different aspects of disease (mechanism-based versus non-mechanism based, e.g. symptomatic treatments, lifestyle modifications and risk factor management).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiqing Cao
- James J Peters VA Medical Center, Research & Development, Bronx, NY 10468 USA
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029 USA
- The Central Hospital of The Hua Zhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jianwei Hou
- James J Peters VA Medical Center, Research & Development, Bronx, NY 10468 USA
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Jing Ping
- The Central Hospital of The Hua Zhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Dongming Cai
- James J Peters VA Medical Center, Research & Development, Bronx, NY 10468 USA
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029 USA
- The Central Hospital of The Hua Zhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Okamoto M, Gray JD, Larson CS, Kazim SF, Soya H, McEwen BS, Pereira AC. Riluzole reduces amyloid beta pathology, improves memory, and restores gene expression changes in a transgenic mouse model of early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:153. [PMID: 30108205 PMCID: PMC6092426 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0201-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents a major healthcare burden with no effective treatment. The glutamate modulator, riluzole, was shown to reverse many AD-related gene expression changes and improve cognition in aged rats. However, riluzole's effect on amyloid beta (Aβ) pathology, a major histopathological hallmark of AD, remains unclear. 5XFAD transgenic mice, which harbor amyloid β precursor protein (APP) and presenilin mutations and exhibit early Aβ accumulation, were treated with riluzole from 1 to 6 months of age. Riluzole significantly enhanced cognition and reduced Aβ42, Aβ40, Aβ oligomers levels, and Aβ plaque load in 5XFAD mice. RNA-Sequencing showed that riluzole reversed many gene expression changes observed in the hippocampus of 5XFAD mice, predominantly in expression of canonical gene markers for microglia, specifically disease-associated microglia (DAM), as well as neurons and astrocytes. Central to the cognitive improvements observed, riluzole reversed alterations in NMDA receptor subunits gene expression, which are essential for learning and memory. These data demonstrate that riluzole exerts a disease modifying effect in an Aβ mouse model of early-onset familial AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Okamoto
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8574, Japan
| | - Jason D Gray
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Chloe S Larson
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Syed Faraz Kazim
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Hideaki Soya
- Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry and Neuroendocrinology, Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8574, Japan
| | - Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Ana C Pereira
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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Herline K, Drummond E, Wisniewski T. Recent advancements toward therapeutic vaccines against Alzheimer's disease. Expert Rev Vaccines 2018; 17:707-721. [PMID: 30005578 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2018.1500905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by protein aggregates of amyloid β (Aβ) and tau. These proteins have normal physiological functions, but in AD, they undergo a conformational change and aggregate as toxic oligomeric and fibrillar species with a high β-sheet content. AREAS COVERED Active and passive immunotherapeutic approaches are among the most attractive methods for targeting misfolded Aβ and tau. Promising preclinical testing of various immunotherapeutic approaches has yet to translate to cognitive benefits in human clinical trials. Knowledge gained from these past failures has led to the development of second-generation Aβ-active immunotherapies, anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies targeting a wide array of Aβ conformations, and to a number of immunotherapies targeting pathological tau. This review covers the more recent advances in vaccine development for AD from 2016 to present. EXPERT COMMENTARY Due to the complex pathophysiology of AD, greatest clinical efficacy will most likely be achieved by concurrently targeting the most toxic forms of both Aβ and tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krystal Herline
- a Center for Cognitive Neurology , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA.,b Departments of Neurology , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA
| | - Eleanor Drummond
- a Center for Cognitive Neurology , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA.,b Departments of Neurology , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- a Center for Cognitive Neurology , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA.,b Departments of Neurology , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA.,c Pathology , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA.,d Psychiatry , New York University School of Medicine , New York , NY , USA
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Huber CM, Yee C, May T, Dhanala A, Mitchell CS. Cognitive Decline in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Amyloid-Beta versus Tauopathy. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 61:265-281. [PMID: 29154274 PMCID: PMC5734131 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We perform a large-scale meta-analysis of 51 peer-reviewed 3xTg-AD mouse publications to compare Alzheimer’s disease (AD) quantitative clinical outcome measures, including amyloid-β (Aβ), total tau, and phosphorylated tau (pTau), with cognitive performance in Morris water maze (MWM) and Novel Object Recognition (NOR). “High” levels of Aβ (Aβ40, Aβ42) showed significant but weak trends with cognitive decline (MWM: slope = 0.336, R2 = 0.149, n = 259, p < 0.001; NOR: slope = 0.156, R2 = 0.064, n = 116, p < 0.05); only soluble Aβ or directly measured Aβ meaningfully contribute. Tau expression in 3xTg-AD mice was within 10–20% of wild type and not associated with cognitive decline. In contrast, increased pTau is directly and significantly correlated with cognitive decline in MWM (slope = 0.408, R2 = 0.275, n = 371, p < < 0.01) and NOR (slope = 0.319, R2 = 0.176, n = 113, p < 0.05). While a variety of pTau epitopes (AT8, AT270, AT180, PHF-1) were examined, AT8 correlated most strongly with cognition (slope = 0.586, R2 = 0.521, n = 185, p < < 0.001). Multiple linear regression confirmed pTau is a stronger predictor of MWM performance than Aβ. Despite pTau’s lower physical concentration than Aβ, pTau levels more directly and quantitatively correlate with 3xTg-AD cognitive decline. pTau’s contribution to neurofibrillary tangles well after Aβ levels plateau makes pTau a viable treatment target even in late-stage clinical AD. Principal component analysis, which included hyperphosphorylation induced by kinases (pGSK3β, GSK3β, CDK5), identified phosphorylated ser9 GSK3β as the primary contributor to MWM variance. In summary, meta-analysis of cognitive decline in preclinical AD finds tauopathy more impactful than Aβ. Nonetheless, complex AD interactions dictate successful therapeutics harness synergy between Aβ and pTau, possibly through the GSK3 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M Huber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Connor Yee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Taylor May
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Apoorva Dhanala
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Cassie S Mitchell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Pathologically, AD is characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, with associated loss of synapses and neurons, resulting in cognitive deficits and eventually dementia. Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and tau protein are the primary components of the plaques and tangles, respectively. In the decades since Aβ and tau were identified, development of therapies for AD has primarily focused on Aβ, but tau has received more attention in recent years, in part because of the failure of various Aβ-targeting treatments in clinical trials. In this article, we review the current status of tau-targeting therapies for AD. Initially, potential anti-tau therapies were based mainly on inhibition of kinases or tau aggregation, or on stabilization of microtubules, but most of these approaches have been discontinued because of toxicity and/or lack of efficacy. Currently, the majority of tau-targeting therapies in clinical trials are immunotherapies, which have shown promise in numerous preclinical studies. Given that tau pathology correlates better with cognitive impairments than do Aβ lesions, targeting of tau is expected to be more effective than Aβ clearance once the clinical symptoms are evident. With future improvements in diagnostics, these two hallmarks of the disease might be targeted prophylactically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Congdon
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Einar M Sigurdsson
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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AD-Related N-Terminal Truncated Tau Is Sufficient to Recapitulate In Vivo the Early Perturbations of Human Neuropathology: Implications for Immunotherapy. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 55:8124-8153. [PMID: 29508283 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-0974-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The NH2tau 26-44 aa (i.e., NH2htau) is the minimal biologically active moiety of longer 20-22-kDa NH2-truncated form of human tau-a neurotoxic fragment mapping between 26 and 230 amino acids of full-length protein (htau40)-which is detectable in presynaptic terminals and peripheral CSF from patients suffering from AD and other non-AD neurodegenerative diseases. Nevertheless, whether its exogenous administration in healthy nontransgenic mice is able to elicit a neuropathological phenotype resembling human tauopathies has not been yet investigated. We explored the in vivo effects evoked by subchronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of NH2htau or its reverse counterpart into two lines of young (2-month-old) wild-type mice (C57BL/6 and B6SJL). Six days after its accumulation into hippocampal parenchyma, significant impairment in memory/learning performance was detected in NH2htau-treated group in association with reduced synaptic connectivity and neuroinflammatory response. Compromised short-term plasticity in paired-pulse facilitation paradigm (PPF) was detected in the CA3/CA1 synapses from NH2htau-impaired animals along with downregulation in calcineurin (CaN)-stimulated pCREB/c-Fos pathway(s). Importantly, these behavioral, synaptotoxic, and neuropathological effects were independent from the genetic background, occurred prior to frank neuronal loss, and were specific because no alterations were detected in the control group infused with its reverse counterpart. Finally, a 2.0-kDa peptide which biochemically and immunologically resembles the injected NH2htau was endogenously detected in vivo, being present in hippocampal synaptosomal preparations from AD subjects. Given that the identification of the neurotoxic tau species is mandatory to develop a more effective tau-based immunological approach, our evidence can have important translational implications for cure of human tauopathies.
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Iqbal K, Liu F, Gong CX. Recent developments with tau-based drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2018; 13:399-410. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2018.1445084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Fei Liu
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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Baazaoui N, Iqbal K. Prevention of Amyloid-β and Tau Pathologies, Associated Neurodegeneration, and Cognitive Deficit by Early Treatment with a Neurotrophic Compound. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 58:215-230. [PMID: 28387677 DOI: 10.3233/jad-170075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
To date, neither any effective treatment nor prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a major dementia causing disorder, are available. Herein, we investigated the secondary prevention of neurodegeneration, amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies with a neurotrophic compound P021 in 3xTg-AD mice. Previous work found that P021 can rescue at mild to moderate stages Aβ and tau pathologies in 3xTg-AD mice. To determine its potential clinical application, we sought to test the preventive effect of P021 on Aβ and tau pathologies by starting the treatment during the period of synaptic compensation several months before the appearance of any overt pathology in 3xTg-AD mice. We started a continuous treatment with P021 in 3-month-old female animals and followed its effect at 9-, 15- and 18-months post-treatment. Neurodegeneration at the above time points was studied using Fluorojade C staining, and tau and Aβ pathologies both immunohistochemically and by Western blots. Cognitive performance was studied by assessing episodic memory with Novel Object Recognition task at 16-17-months post-treatment. We found that P021 treatment initiated during the synaptic compensation period can prevent neurodegeneration, Aβ and tau pathologies, rescue episodic memory impairment, and markedly reduce mortality rate. These findings for the first time show effective prevention of AD changes with a neurotrophic compound that targets neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, suggesting that improving the health of the neuronal network can prevent AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narjes Baazaoui
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA.,Graduate Program in Biology (Neuroscience), College of Staten Island, City University of New York Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Khalid Iqbal
- Department of Neurochemistry, Inge Grundke-Iqbal Research Floor, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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Theunis C, Adolfsson O, Crespo-Biel N, Piorkowska K, Pihlgren M, Hickman DT, Gafner V, Borghgraef P, Devijver H, Pfeifer A, Van Leuven F, Muhs A. Novel Phospho-Tau Monoclonal Antibody Generated Using a Liposomal Vaccine, with Enhanced Recognition of a Conformational Tauopathy Epitope. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 56:585-599. [PMID: 28035925 PMCID: PMC5271481 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The microtubule-associated protein Tau is an intrinsically unfolded, very soluble neuronal protein. Under still unknown circumstances, Tau protein forms soluble oligomers and insoluble aggregates that are closely linked to the cause and progression of various brain pathologies, including Alzheimer's disease. Previously we reported the development of liposome-based vaccines and their efficacy and safety in preclinical mouse models for tauopathy. Here we report the use of a liposomal vaccine for the generation of a monoclonal antibody with particular characteristics that makes it a valuable tool for fundamental studies as well as a candidate antibody for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. The specificity and affinity of antibody ACI-5400 were characterized by a panel of methods: (i) measuring the selectivity for a specific phospho-Tau epitope known to be associated with tauopathy, (ii) performing a combination of peptide and protein binding assays, (iii) staining of brain sections from mouse preclinical tauopathy models and from human subjects representing six different tauopathies, and (iv) evaluating the selective binding to pathological epitopes on extracts from tauopathy brains in non-denaturing sandwich assays. We conclude that the ACI-5400 antibody binds to protein Tau phosphorylated at S396 and favors a conformation that is typically present in the brain of tauopathy patients, including Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Theunis
- Experimental Genetics Group - LEGTEGG, Department of Human Genetics, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Oskar Adolfsson
- AC Immune SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Building B, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Crespo-Biel
- Experimental Genetics Group - LEGTEGG, Department of Human Genetics, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kasia Piorkowska
- AC Immune SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Building B, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maria Pihlgren
- AC Immune SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Building B, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - David T Hickman
- AC Immune SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Building B, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valérie Gafner
- AC Immune SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Building B, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Peter Borghgraef
- Experimental Genetics Group - LEGTEGG, Department of Human Genetics, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Herman Devijver
- Experimental Genetics Group - LEGTEGG, Department of Human Genetics, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andrea Pfeifer
- AC Immune SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Building B, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fred Van Leuven
- Experimental Genetics Group - LEGTEGG, Department of Human Genetics, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andreas Muhs
- AC Immune SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Building B, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Phos-tau peptide immunization of amyloid-tg-mice reduced non-mutant phos-tau pathology, improved cognition and reduced amyloid plaques. Exp Neurol 2018; 303:48-58. [PMID: 29432723 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2017] [Revised: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Tau-immumotherapy has shown promising results in tangle/tauopathy-tg animal models. Here we immunized amyloid-mice (APPSwe/PSEN1dE9-tg, presenting amyloid-plaques, not neurofibrillary-tangles) with phos-tau peptides, previously shown by us to have high efficacy in mutant-tau tauopathy-mice. These amyloid-mice allowed us to test the effect of the vaccine in a model of familial AD patients with mutant amyloid plaque pathology, where tau pathology - once develops - is of non-mutant tau. Fourteen-month-old amyloid-mice were immunized with phos-tau peptides or vehicle. Eight weeks later, amelioration of cognitive impairment was noticed. Histological analysis revealed that the phos (non-mutant)-tau pathology (detected by us in these aged amyloid-mice while not in non-tg-mice), was lower in the phos-tau immunized amyloid-mice than in the non-immunized mice. Interestingly, we detected a decrease in amyloid plaque pathology, probably associated with the increased microglial burden, which surrounded both tau and amyloid pathology. These results point to the added value of immunizing AD-mice with the phos-tau-vaccine, targeting both tau and amyloid pathology, which may have clinical relevance. It also points to the multifaceted interplay between tau/amyloid pathologies.
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Dai CL, Hu W, Tung YC, Liu F, Gong CX, Iqbal K. Tau passive immunization blocks seeding and spread of Alzheimer hyperphosphorylated Tau-induced pathology in 3 × Tg-AD mice. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2018; 10:13. [PMID: 29386065 PMCID: PMC5793372 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-018-0341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Accumulating evidence indicates that Tau pathology can spread from neuron to neuron by intake and coaggregation of the hyperphosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) seeds with the host neuron protein. Thus, clearance of Tau seeds by immunization with Tau antibodies could provide a potential therapeutic opportunity to block the spread of the pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other tauopathies. We report prevention of the seeding and spread of tau pathology with mouse monoclonal antibody 43D against the N-terminal projection domain of Tau (Tau 6–18) in triple-transgenic AD (3 × Tg-AD) mice. Methods Female 11- to 12-month-old 3 × Tg-AD mice were intravenously immunized weekly for 6 weeks with 15 μg/injection of mouse monoclonal antibody 43D or with mouse immunoglobulin G as a control. AD p-Tau isolated from a frozen autopsied AD brain was unilaterally injected into the right hippocampus on the day of the second dose of immunization. Tau pathology and its effect on Aβ pathology were assessed by immunohistochemical staining. Results We found that the injection of AD p-Tau into the hippocampus of 11- to 12-month-old 3 × Tg-AD mice time-dependently induced Tau aggregation in the hippocampus and promoted the spread of Tau pathology to the contralateral hippocampus. Tau pathology was observed as early as 6 weeks after AD p-Tau injection. Tau pathology templated by AD p-Tau was thioflavin-S-positive and was about two-fold greater than that seen in naive 18-month-old 3 × Tg-AD mice; Tau pathology in the latter was thioflavin-S-negative. Immunization with Tau antibody 43D dramatically blocked AD p-Tau seeding in the ipsilateral hippocampus and inhibited its propagation to the contralateral side in 3 × Tg-AD mice. Furthermore, AD p-Tau injection enhanced the amyloid plaque load in the ipsilateral side, and immunization with 43D showed a tendency to attenuate it. Conclusions These findings indicate that AD p-Tau-injected 3 × Tg-AD mice represent a practical model to study the seeding and spread of Tau pathology, their effect on Aβ pathology, and the effect of Tau immunotherapy on both Tau and Aβ pathologies. Immunization with Tau antibody 43D to Tau 6–18 can prevent the seeding and spread of Tau pathology, making it a potential therapeutic treatment for AD and related tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ling Dai
- 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
| | - Wen Hu
- 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
| | - Yunn Chyn Tung
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Cheng-Xin Gong
- 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.
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Zimova I, Brezovakova V, Hromadka T, Weisova P, Cubinkova V, Valachova B, Filipcik P, Jadhav S, Smolek T, Novak M, Zilka N. Human Truncated Tau Induces Mature Neurofibrillary Pathology in a Mouse Model of Human Tauopathy. J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 54:831-43. [PMID: 27567836 DOI: 10.3233/jad-160347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) represents the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Several animal models have been developed in order to test pathophysiological mechanisms of the disease and to predict effects of pharmacological interventions. Here we examine the molecular and behavioral features of R3m/4 transgenic mice expressing human non-mutated truncated tau protein (3R tau, aa151-391) that were previously used for efficacy testing of passive tau vaccine. The mouse model reliably recapitulated crucial histopathological features of human AD, such as pre-tangles, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuropil threads. The pathology was predominantly located in the brain stem. Transgenic mice developed mature sarkosyl insoluble tau complexes consisting of mouse endogenous and human truncated and hyperphosphorylated forms of tau protein. The histopathological and biochemical features were accompanied by significant sensorimotor impairment and reduced lifespan. The sensorimotor impairment was monitored by a highly sensitive, fully-automated tool that allowed us to assess early deficit in gait and locomotion. We suggest that the novel transgenic mouse model can serve as a valuable tool for analysis of the therapeutic efficacy of tau vaccines for AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Zimova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Veronika Brezovakova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Tomas Hromadka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | | | - Veronika Cubinkova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Bernadeta Valachova
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Peter Filipcik
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Santosh Jadhav
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Tomas Smolek
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Michal Novak
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience SE, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Norbert Zilka
- Institute of Neuroimmunology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, AD Centre, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.,Axon Neuroscience R&D Services SE, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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