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Wu Y, Lam JYL, Pitoulias M, Böken D, Zhang Z, Chintapalli R, Fertan E, Xia Z, Danial JSH, Tsang-Pells G, Fysh E, Julian L, Brindle KM, Mair R, Klenerman D. Detection of p53 aggregates in plasma of glioma patients. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2025; 5:195. [PMID: 40410530 PMCID: PMC12102397 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-025-00918-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2025] [Indexed: 05/25/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tumour-suppressor protein p53 can form amyloid aggregates resulting in loss of tumour-suppressing functions and leading to tumour formation. The detection of p53 aggregates in cancer cells has been demonstrated but these aggregates have not been detected in liquid biopsies to date, due to the lack of sufficiently sensitive methods. METHODS We developed an ultrasensitive immunoassay based on the single-molecule array (SiMoA) technology to detect p53 aggregates in plasma, based on antibody capture of the aggregates. We confirmed that the assay detects p53 aggregates using super-resolution imaging. We then investigated the p53 aggregate concentrations in the plasma of 190 pre-surgery glioblastoma (GB) patients and 22 controls using this assay. RESULTS We found that the plasma p53 aggregate levels are significantly elevated in pre-surgery GB patients' plasma compared to controls. Longitudinal study further reveals that p53 aggregate levels may increase before GB recurrence and decrease following treatment. We also observed raised p53 aggregate concentrations in the plasma of cancer patients with brain metastases. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the detection of p53 aggregates in liquid biopsies. Our findings highlight the potential of p53 aggregates as a novel biomarker for glioblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunzhao Wu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jeff Y L Lam
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Matthaios Pitoulias
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dorothea Böken
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ziwei Zhang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Renuka Chintapalli
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Zengjie Xia
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John S H Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gemma Tsang-Pells
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Emily Fysh
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Linda Julian
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Kevin M Brindle
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard Mair
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Fertan E, Lam JYL, Albertini G, Dewilde M, Wu Y, Akingbade OES, Böken D, English EA, De Strooper B, Klenerman D. Lecanemab preferentially binds to smaller aggregates present at early Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2025; 21:e70086. [PMID: 40237235 PMCID: PMC12001052 DOI: 10.1002/alz.70086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2025] [Revised: 02/11/2025] [Accepted: 02/11/2025] [Indexed: 04/18/2025]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The monoclonal antibodies Aducanumab, Lecanemab, Gantenerumab, and Donanemab were developed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS We used single-molecule detection and super-resolution imaging to characterize the binding of these antibodies to diffusible amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregates generated in-vitro and harvested from human brains. RESULTS Lecanemab showed the best performance in terms of binding to the small-diffusible Aβ aggregates, affinity, aggregate coating, and the ability to bind to post-translationally modified species, providing an explanation for its therapeutic success. We observed a Braak stage-dependent increase in small-diffusible aggregate quantity and size, which was detectable with Aducanumab and Gantenerumab, but not Lecanemab, showing that the diffusible Aβ aggregates change with disease progression and the smaller aggregates to which Lecanemab preferably binds exist at higher quantities during earlier stages. DISCUSSION These findings provide an explanation for the success of Lecanemab in clinical trials and suggests that Lecanemab will be more effective when used in early-stage AD. HIGHLIGHTS Anti amyloid beta therapeutics are compared by their diffusible aggregate binding characteristics. In-vitro and brain-derived aggregates are tested using single-molecule detection. Lecanemab shows therapeutic success by binding to aggregates formed in early disease. Lecanemab binds to these aggregates with high affinity and coats them better.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Jeff Y. L. Lam
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong Kong
| | - Giulia Albertini
- Department of NeurosciencesVIB‐KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
| | - Maarten Dewilde
- Laboraory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic AntibodiesKU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
- The KU Leuven Antibody CentrePharmABSLeuvenBelgium
| | - Yunzhao Wu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Oluwatomi E. S. Akingbade
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Dorothea Böken
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Elizabeth A. English
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Department of NeurosciencesVIB‐KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease ResearchLeuvenBelgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College LondonLondonUK
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of ChemistryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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Fertan E, Hung C, Danial JSH, Lam JYL, Preman P, Albertini G, English EA, Böken D, Livesey FJ, De Strooper B, Patani R, Klenerman D. Clearance of beta-amyloid and tau aggregates is size dependent and altered by an inflammatory challenge. Brain Commun 2024; 7:fcae454. [PMID: 39749010 PMCID: PMC11694676 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2024] [Revised: 11/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/04/2025] Open
Abstract
Extracellular beta-amyloid aggregation and inflammation are in a complex and not fully understood interplay during hyperphosphorylated tau aggregation and pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Our group has previously shown that an immune challenge with tumour necrosis factor alpha can alter extracellular beta-sheet containing aggregates in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons carrying familial Alzheimer's disease-related presenilin 1 mutations. Here, using single-molecule detection and super-resolution imaging techniques, we quantified and characterized the intra- and extracellular beta-amyloid and AT8-positive tau aggregates. Our results indicate a pre-existing Alzheimer's disease-like pathology caused by the presenilin 1 mutation, with increased beta-amyloid aggregates in both the cell lysate and conditioned media compared to isogenic controls and also increased intracellular tau aggregates. The main effect of tumour necrosis factor alpha treatment on presenilin 1 neurons was the formation of larger intracellular beta-amyloid aggregates. In contrast, isogenic controls showed more significant changes with tumour necrosis factor alpha treatment with an increase in beta-amyloid aggregates in the media but not intracellularly and an increase in tau aggregates in both the media and cell lysate, suggesting a chronic inflammation-driven mechanism for the development of sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Remarkably, we also found significant morphological differences between intra- and extracellular beta-amyloid and tau aggregates in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical neurons, suggesting these neurons can only clear aggregates when small, and that larger aggregates stay inside the neurons. While majority of the beta-amyloid aggregates were cleared into the media, a greater portion of the tau aggregates remained intracellular. This size-dependent aggregate clearance was also shown to be conserved in vivo, using soaked and homogenized mouse and human post-mortem Alzheimer's disease brain samples. As such, our results are proposing a previously unknown, size-dependent aggregate clearance mechanism, which can possibly explain the intracellular aggregation of tau and extracellular aggregation of beta-amyloid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Christy Hung
- The Francis Crick Institute, University College London, London NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon 999007, Hong Kong SAR
| | - John S H Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Jeff Y L Lam
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Pranav Preman
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 0N5 box 602, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Giulia Albertini
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 0N5 box 602, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elizabeth A English
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Dorothea Böken
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
| | - Frederick J Livesey
- Zayed Centre for Research into Rare Disease in Children, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1DZ, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Herestraat 49, 0N5 box 602, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, University College London, London NW1 1AT, UK
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK
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Rajani RM, Ellingford R, Hellmuth M, Harris SS, Taso OS, Graykowski D, Lam FKW, Arber C, Fertan E, Danial JSH, Swire M, Lloyd M, Giovannucci TA, Bourdenx M, Klenerman D, Vassar R, Wray S, Sala Frigerio C, Busche MA. Selective suppression of oligodendrocyte-derived amyloid beta rescues neuronal dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002727. [PMID: 39042667 PMCID: PMC11265669 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Reduction of amyloid beta (Aβ) has been shown to be effective in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying assumption that neurons are the main source of pathogenic Aβ is untested. Here, we challenge this prevailing belief by demonstrating that oligodendrocytes are an important source of Aβ in the human brain and play a key role in promoting abnormal neuronal hyperactivity in an AD knock-in mouse model. We show that selectively suppressing oligodendrocyte Aβ production improves AD brain pathology and restores neuronal function in the mouse model in vivo. Our findings suggest that targeting oligodendrocyte Aβ production could be a promising therapeutic strategy for treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rikesh M. Rajani
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Ellingford
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mariam Hellmuth
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Samuel S. Harris
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Orjona S. Taso
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Graykowski
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Francesca Kar Wey Lam
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Charles Arber
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John S. H. Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Swire
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus Lloyd
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tatiana A. Giovannucci
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mathieu Bourdenx
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Vassar
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Selina Wray
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Carlo Sala Frigerio
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marc Aurel Busche
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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5
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Fertan E, Böken D, Murray A, Danial JSH, Lam JYL, Wu Y, Goh PA, Alić I, Cheetham MR, Lobanova E, Zhang YP, Nižetić D, Klenerman D. Cerebral organoids with chromosome 21 trisomy secrete Alzheimer's disease-related soluble aggregates detectable by single-molecule-fluorescence and super-resolution microscopy. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:369-386. [PMID: 38102482 PMCID: PMC11116105 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02333-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the role of small, soluble aggregates of beta-amyloid (Aβ) and tau in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is of great importance for the rational design of preventative therapies. Here we report a set of methods for the detection, quantification, and characterisation of soluble aggregates in conditioned media of cerebral organoids derived from human iPSCs with trisomy 21, thus containing an extra copy of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene. We detected soluble beta-amyloid (Aβ) and tau aggregates secreted by cerebral organoids from both control and the isogenic trisomy 21 (T21) genotype. We developed a novel method to normalise measurements to the number of live neurons within organoid-conditioned media based on glucose consumption. Thus normalised, T21 organoids produced 2.5-fold more Aβ aggregates with a higher proportion of larger (300-2000 nm2) and more fibrillary-shaped aggregates than controls, along with 1.3-fold more soluble phosphorylated tau (pTau) aggregates, increased inflammasome ASC-specks, and a higher level of oxidative stress inducing thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). Importantly, all this was detectable prior to the appearance of histological amyloid plaques or intraneuronal tau-pathology in organoid slices, demonstrating the feasibility to model the initial pathogenic mechanisms for AD in-vitro using cells from live genetically pre-disposed donors before the onset of clinical disease. Then, using different iPSC clones generated from the same donor at different times in two independent experiments, we tested the reproducibility of findings in organoids. While there were differences in rates of disease progression between the experiments, the disease mechanisms were conserved. Overall, our results show that it is possible to non-invasively follow the development of pathology in organoid models of AD over time, by monitoring changes in the aggregates and proteins in the conditioned media, and open possibilities to study the time-course of the key pathogenic processes taking place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Fertan
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Dorothea Böken
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Aoife Murray
- The Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - John S H Danial
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Jeff Y L Lam
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Yunzhao Wu
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Pollyanna A Goh
- The Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Ivan Alić
- The Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Matthew R Cheetham
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Evgeniia Lobanova
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Yu P Zhang
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK
| | - Dean Nižetić
- The Blizard Institute, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - David Klenerman
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AH, UK.
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