1
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Gonzalez D, Cuenca X, Allende ML. Knockdown of tgfb1a partially improves ALS phenotype in a transient zebrafish model. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1384085. [PMID: 38644973 PMCID: PMC11032012 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1384085] [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: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) corresponds to a neurodegenerative disorder marked by the progressive degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons located in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord. ALS can be broadly categorized into two main types: sporadic ALS (sALS), which constitutes approximately 90% of all cases, and familial ALS (fALS), which represents the remaining 10% of cases. Transforming growth factor type-β (TGF-β) is a cytokine involved in various cellular processes and pathological contexts, including inflammation and fibrosis. Elevated levels of TGF-β have been observed in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of both ALS patients and mouse models. In this perspective, we explore the impact of the TGF-β signaling pathway using a transient zebrafish model for ALS. Our findings reveal that the knockdown of tgfb1a lead to a partial prevention of motor axon abnormalities and locomotor deficits in a transient ALS zebrafish model at 48 h post-fertilization (hpf). In this context, we delve into the proposed distinct roles of TGF-β in the progression of ALS. Indeed, some evidence suggests a dual role for TGF-β in ALS progression. Initially, it seems to exert a neuroprotective effect in the early stages, but paradoxically, it may contribute to disease progression in later stages. Consequently, we suggest that the TGF-β signaling pathway emerges as an attractive therapeutic target for treating ALS. Nevertheless, further research is crucial to comprehensively understand the nuanced role of TGF-β in the pathological context.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gonzalez
- Departamento de Ciencias Químicas y Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
- Escuela de Terapia Ocupacional, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Xiomara Cuenca
- Escuela de Terapia Ocupacional, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Miguel L. Allende
- Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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2
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Provenzano F, Torazza C, Bonifacino T, Bonanno G, Milanese M. The Key Role of Astrocytes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Their Commitment to Glutamate Excitotoxicity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15430. [PMID: 37895110 PMCID: PMC10607805 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last two decades, there has been increasing evidence supporting non-neuronal cells as active contributors to neurodegenerative disorders. Among glial cells, astrocytes play a pivotal role in driving amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progression, leading the scientific community to focus on the "astrocytic signature" in ALS. Here, we summarized the main pathological mechanisms characterizing astrocyte contribution to MN damage and ALS progression, such as neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, energy metabolism impairment, miRNAs and extracellular vesicles contribution, autophagy dysfunction, protein misfolding, and altered neurotrophic factor release. Since glutamate excitotoxicity is one of the most relevant ALS features, we focused on the specific contribution of ALS astrocytes in this aspect, highlighting the known or potential molecular mechanisms by which astrocytes participate in increasing the extracellular glutamate level in ALS and, conversely, undergo the toxic effect of the excessive glutamate. In this scenario, astrocytes can behave as "producers" and "targets" of the high extracellular glutamate levels, going through changes that can affect themselves and, in turn, the neuronal and non-neuronal surrounding cells, thus actively impacting the ALS course. Moreover, this review aims to point out knowledge gaps that deserve further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Provenzano
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Carola Torazza
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Tiziana Bonifacino
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giambattista Bonanno
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
| | - Marco Milanese
- Department of Pharmacy (DIFAR), University of Genoa, 16148 Genova, Italy; (F.P.); (C.T.); (G.B.); (M.M.)
- IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16132 Genoa, Italy
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3
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Mahjoub Y, Martino D. Immunology and microbiome: Implications for motor systems. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2023; 195:135-157. [PMID: 37562867 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-98818-6.00001-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Immune-inflammatory mechanisms seem to play a relevant role in neurodegenerative disorders affecting motor systems, particularly Parkinson's disease, where activity changes in inflammatory cells and evidence of neuroinflammation in experimental models and patients is available. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is also characterized by neuroinflammatory changes that involve primarily glial cells, both microglia and astrocytes, as well as systemic immune dysregulation associated with more rapid progression. Similarly, the exploration of gut dysbiosis in these two prototypical neurodegenerative motor disorders is advancing rapidly. Altered composition of gut microbial constituents and related metabolic and putative functional pathways is supporting a pathophysiological link that is currently explored in preclinical, germ-free animal models. Less compelling, but still intriguing, evidence suggests that motor neurodevelopmental disorders, e.g., Tourette syndrome, are associated with abnormal trajectories of maturation that include also immune system development. Microglia has a key role also in these disorders, and new therapeutic avenues aiming at its modulation are exciting prospects. Preclinical and clinical research on the role of gut dysbiosis in Tourette syndrome and related behavioral disorders is still in its infancy, but early findings support the rationale to delve deeper into its contribution to neural and immune maturation abnormalities in its spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasamin Mahjoub
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Davide Martino
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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4
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Cao MC, Cawston EE, Chen G, Brooks C, Douwes J, McLean D, Graham ES, Dragunow M, Scotter EL. Serum biomarkers of neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier leakage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. BMC Neurol 2022; 22:216. [PMID: 35690735 PMCID: PMC9188104 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-022-02730-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable and rapidly progressive neurological disorder. Biomarkers are critical to understanding disease causation, monitoring disease progression and assessing the efficacy of treatments. However, robust peripheral biomarkers are yet to be identified. Neuroinflammation and breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) are common to familial and sporadic ALS and may produce a unique biomarker signature in peripheral blood. Using cytometric bead array (n = 15 participants per group (ALS or control)) and proteome profiling (n = 6 participants per group (ALS or control)), we assessed a total of 106 serum cytokines, growth factors, and BBB breakdown markers in the serum of control and ALS participants. Further, primary human brain pericytes, which maintain the BBB, were used as a biosensor of inflammation following pre-treatment with ALS serum. Principal components analysis of all proteome profile data showed no clustering of control or ALS sera, and no individual serum proteins met the threshold for statistical difference between ALS and controls (adjusted P values). However, the 20 most changed proteins between control and ALS sera showed a medium effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.67) and cluster analysis of their levels together identified three sample subsets; control-only, mixed control-ALS, and ALS-only. These 20 proteins were predominantly pro-angiogenic and growth factors, including fractalkine, BDNF, EGF, PDGF, Dkk-1, MIF and angiopoietin-2. S100β, a protein highly concentrated in glial cells and therefore a marker of BBB leakage when found in blood, was unchanged in ALS serum, suggesting that serum protein profiles were reflective of peripheral rather than CNS biofluids. Finally, primary human brain pericytes remained proliferative and their secretome was unchanged by chronic exposure to ALS serum. Our exploratory study suggests that individual serum cytokine levels may not be robust biomarkers in small studies of ALS, but that larger studies using multiplexed analysis of pro-angiogenic and growth factors may identify a peripheral signature of ALS pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maize C Cao
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Erin E Cawston
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.,Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| | - Grace Chen
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, PO Box 75, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - Collin Brooks
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, PO Box 75, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - Jeroen Douwes
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, PO Box 75, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - Dave McLean
- Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, PO Box 75, Wellington, 6140, New Zealand
| | - E Scott Graham
- Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Mike Dragunow
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand. .,Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Emma L Scotter
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, 85 Park Road, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand. .,Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
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5
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Kreienbaum C, Paasche LW, Hake SB. H2A.Z's 'social' network: functional partners of an enigmatic histone variant. Trends Biochem Sci 2022; 47:909-920. [PMID: 35606214 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.04.014] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The histone variant H2A.Z has been extensively studied to understand its manifold DNA-based functions. In the past years, researchers identified its specific binding partners, the 'H2A.Z interactome', that convey H2A.Z-dependent chromatin changes. Here, we summarize the latest findings regarding vertebrate H2A.Z-associated factors and focus on their roles in gene activation and repression, cell cycle regulation, (neuro)development, and tumorigenesis. Additionally, we demonstrate how protein-protein interactions and post-translational histone modifications can fine-tune the complex interplay of H2A.Z-regulated gene expression. Last, we review the most recent results on interactors of the two isoforms H2A.Z.1 and H2A.Z.2.1, which differ in only three amino acids, and focus on cancer-associated mutations of H2A and H2A.Z, which reveal fascinating insights into the functional importance of such minuscule changes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lena W Paasche
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sandra B Hake
- Institute for Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
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6
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Kannan A, Cuartas J, Gangwani P, Branzei D, Gangwani L. Mutation in senataxin alters the mechanism of R-loop resolution in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 4. Brain 2022; 145:3072-3094. [PMID: 35045161 PMCID: PMC9536298 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutation in the senataxin (SETX) gene causes an autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 4 (ALS4), characterized by degeneration of motor neurons, muscle weakness and atrophy. SETX is an RNA-DNA helicase that mediates resolution of co-transcriptional RNA:DNA hybrids (R-loops). The process of R-loop resolution is essential for the normal functioning of cells, including neurons. The molecular basis of ALS4 pathogenesis and the mechanism of R-loop resolution are unclear. We report that the zinc finger protein ZPR1 binds to RNA:DNA hybrids, recruits SETX onto R-loops and is critical for R-loop resolution. ZPR1 deficiency disrupts the integrity of R-loop resolution complexes containing SETX and causes increased R-loop accumulation throughout gene transcription. We uncover that SETX is a downstream target of ZPR1 and that overexpression of ZPR1 can rescue R-loop resolution complexe assembly in SETX-deficient cells but not vice versa. To uncover the mechanism of R-loop resolution, we examined the function of SETX-ZPR1 complexes using two genetic motor neuron disease models with altered R-loop resolution. Notably, chronic low levels of SETX-ZPR1 complexes onto R-loops result in a decrease of R-loop resolution activity causing an increase in R-loop levels in spinal muscular atrophy. ZPR1 overexpression increases recruitment of SETX onto R-loops, decreases R-loops and rescues the spinal muscular atrophy phenotype in motor neurons and patient cells. Strikingly, interaction of SETX with ZPR1 is disrupted in ALS4 patients that have heterozygous SETX (L389S) mutation. ZPR1 fails to recruit the mutant SETX homodimer but recruits the heterodimer with partially disrupted interaction between SETX and ZPR1. Interestingly, disruption of SETX-ZPR1 complexes causes increase in R-loop resolution activity leading to fewer R-loops in ALS4. Modulation of ZPR1 levels regulates R-loop accumulation and rescues the pathogenic R-loop phenotype in ALS4 patient cells. These findings originate a new concept, ‘opposite alterations in a cell biological activity (R-loop resolution) result in similar pathogenesis (neurodegeneration) in different genetic motor neuron disorders’. We propose that ZPR1 collaborates with SETX and may function as a molecular brake to regulate SETX-dependent R-loop resolution activity critical for the normal functioning of motor neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annapoorna Kannan
- Center of Emphasis in Neurosciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
| | - Juliana Cuartas
- Center of Emphasis in Neurosciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
| | - Pratik Gangwani
- Automated Driving Compute System Architecture, GM Global Technical Center - Sloan Engineering Center, Warren, Michigan 48092, USA
| | - Dana Branzei
- The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology Foundation, IFOM Foundation, Via Adamello 16, Milan 20139, Italy
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (IGM-CNR), Via Abbiategrasso 207, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Laxman Gangwani
- Center of Emphasis in Neurosciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, Texas 79905, USA
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7
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Verma S, Khurana S, Vats A, Sahu B, Ganguly NK, Chakraborti P, Gourie-Devi M, Taneja V. Neuromuscular Junction Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:1502-1527. [PMID: 34997540 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02658-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurological disorder characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons leading to skeletal muscle denervation. Earlier studies have shown that motor neuron degeneration begins in motor cortex and descends to the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in a dying forward fashion. However, accumulating evidences support that ALS is a distal axonopathy where early pathological changes occur at the NMJ, prior to onset of clinical symptoms and propagates towards the motor neuron cell body supporting "dying back" hypothesis. Despite several evidences, series of events triggering NMJ disassembly in ALS are still obscure. Neuromuscular junction is a specialized tripartite chemical synapse which involves a well-coordinated communication among the presynaptic motor neuron, postsynaptic skeletal muscle, and terminal Schwann cells. This review provides comprehensive insight into the role of NMJ in ALS pathogenesis. We have emphasized the molecular alterations in cellular components of NMJ leading to loss of effective neuromuscular transmission in ALS. Further, we provide a preview into research involved in exploring NMJ as potential target for designing effective therapies for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagar Verma
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, India.,Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Hamdard, Delhi, India
| | - Shiffali Khurana
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, India.,Department of Biomedical Science, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Abhishek Vats
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bandana Sahu
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, India
| | | | | | | | - Vibha Taneja
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, India.
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8
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De Marchi F, Munitic I, Amedei A, Berry JD, Feldman EL, Aronica E, Nardo G, Van Weehaeghe D, Niccolai E, Prtenjaca N, Sakowski SA, Bendotti C, Mazzini L. Interplay between immunity and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Clinical impact. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:958-978. [PMID: 34153344 PMCID: PMC8428677 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a debilitating and rapidly fatal neurodegenerative disease. Despite decades of research and many new insights into disease biology over the 150 years since the disease was first described, causative pathogenic mechanisms in ALS remain poorly understood, especially in sporadic cases. Our understanding of the role of the immune system in ALS pathophysiology, however, is rapidly expanding. The aim of this manuscript is to summarize the recent advances regarding the immune system involvement in ALS, with particular attention to clinical translation. We focus on the potential pathophysiologic mechanism of the immune system in ALS, discussing local and systemic factors (blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and microbiota) that influence ALS onset and progression in animal models and people. We also explore the potential of Positron Emission Tomography to detect neuroinflammation in vivo, and discuss ongoing clinical trials of therapies targeting the immune system. With validation in human patients, new evidence in this emerging field will serve to identify novel therapeutic targets and provide realistic hope for personalized treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola De Marchi
- Department of Neurology and ALS Centre, University of Piemonte Orientale, Maggiore Della Carità Hospital, Corso Mazzini 18, Novara, 28100, Italy
| | - Ivana Munitic
- Laboratory for Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, R. Matejcic 2, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Amedeo Amedei
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - James D Berry
- Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Eva L Feldman
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of (Neuro) Pathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Giovanni Nardo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, Milanm, 20156, Italy
| | - Donatienne Van Weehaeghe
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Imaging and Pathology, University Hospitals Leuven, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elena Niccolai
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Nikolina Prtenjaca
- Laboratory for Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, R. Matejcic 2, 51000, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Stacey A Sakowski
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Caterina Bendotti
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, Milanm, 20156, Italy
| | - Letizia Mazzini
- Department of Neurology and ALS Centre, University of Piemonte Orientale, Maggiore Della Carità Hospital, Corso Mazzini 18, Novara, 28100, Italy.
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9
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Jiang H, Yang B, Wang F, Li K, Zhu Y, Liu B, Ren H, Tian S, Xu Y, Pang A, Yang X. Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism at rs2275294 in the ZNF512B Gene with Prognosis in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neuromolecular Med 2021; 23:242-246. [PMID: 33387304 DOI: 10.1007/s12017-020-08634-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore whether the single nucleotide polymorphism rs2275294 in the ZNF512B gene is related to the length of survival of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This prospective study examined 212 patients with ALS, who were genotyped at the rs2275294 locus in ZNF512B using the ligase method. Genotype was compared with clinical data and survival. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox hazard regression were used to identify risk factors of shorter survival. Our results were meta-analyzed together with previous work in order to examine the potential association between the rs2275294-C allele and survival. Of the 212 patients, 166 carried the CC + CT genotype at the rs2275294 locus, while 46 carried the TT genotype. Patients with the C allele showed significantly shorter survival than those without it (34.13 ± 1.9 vs. 45.32 ± 5.7 months, p = 0.036). Cox analysis identified the C allele and time from symptom onset to diagnosis as risk factors for shorter survival. Meta-analysis of 447 patients in China and Japan confirmed the rs2275294-C allele to be an independent risk factor of shorter survival in ALS patients. The C allele at the rs2275294 locus in ZNF512B is a risk factor for shorter survival in patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixia Jiang
- Department of Anesthesia, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Baiyuan Yang
- Department of Neurology, Seventh People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu, 690041, Sichuan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Kelu Li
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongyun Zhu
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Ren
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Sijia Tian
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yanming Xu
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Ailan Pang
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xinglong Yang
- Department of Geriatric Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 650032, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
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10
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Béland LC, Markovinovic A, Jakovac H, De Marchi F, Bilic E, Mazzini L, Kriz J, Munitic I. Immunity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: blurred lines between excessive inflammation and inefficient immune responses. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa124. [PMID: 33134918 PMCID: PMC7585698 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite wide genetic, environmental and clinical heterogeneity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rapidly fatal neurodegenerative disease targeting motoneurons, neuroinflammation is a common finding. It is marked by local glial activation, T cell infiltration and systemic immune system activation. The immune system has a prominent role in the pathogenesis of various chronic diseases, hence some of them, including some types of cancer, are successfully targeted by immunotherapeutic approaches. However, various anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive therapies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have failed. This prompted increased scrutiny over the immune-mediated processes underlying amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Perhaps the biggest conundrum is that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis exhibits features of three otherwise distinct immune dysfunctions-excessive inflammation, autoimmunity and inefficient immune responses. Epidemiological and genome-wide association studies show only minimal overlap between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and autoimmune diseases, so excessive inflammation is usually thought to be secondary to protein aggregation, mitochondrial damage or other stresses. In contrast, several recently characterized amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-linked mutations, including those in TBK1, OPTN, CYLD and C9orf72, could lead to inefficient immune responses and/or damage pile-up, suggesting that an innate immunodeficiency may also be a trigger and/or modifier of this disease. In such cases, non-selective immunosuppression would further restrict neuroprotective immune responses. Here we discuss multiple layers of immune-mediated neuroprotection and neurotoxicity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Particular focus is placed on individual patient mutations that directly or indirectly affect the immune system, and the mechanisms by which these mutations influence disease progression. The topic of immunity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is timely and relevant, because it is one of the few common and potentially malleable denominators in this heterogenous disease. Importantly, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis progression has recently been intricately linked to patient T cell and monocyte profiles, as well as polymorphisms in cytokine and chemokine receptors. For this reason, precise patient stratification based on immunophenotyping will be crucial for efficient therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Markovinovic
- Laboratory for Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
- ENCALS Center Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Hrvoje Jakovac
- Department of Physiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Fabiola De Marchi
- Department of Neurology, ALS Centre, University of Piemonte Orientale, “Maggiore della Carità” Hospital, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Ervina Bilic
- Department of Neurology, Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
- ENCALS Center Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Letizia Mazzini
- Department of Neurology, ALS Centre, University of Piemonte Orientale, “Maggiore della Carità” Hospital, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Jasna Kriz
- CERVO Research Centre, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Ivana Munitic
- Laboratory for Molecular Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
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11
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Aydemir D, Ulusu NN. Importance of the serum biochemical parameters as potential biomarkers for rapid diagnosis and evaluating preclinical stage of ALS. Med Hypotheses 2020; 141:109736. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2020.109736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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12
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Galbiati M, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Cristofani R, Messi E, Piccolella M, Tedesco B, Ferrari V, Casarotto E, Chierichetti M, Poletti A. Multiple Roles of Transforming Growth Factor Beta in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124291. [PMID: 32560258 PMCID: PMC7352289 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor beta (TGFB) is a pleiotropic cytokine known to be dysregulated in many neurodegenerative disorders and particularly in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This motor neuronal disease is non-cell autonomous, as it affects not only motor neurons but also the surrounding glial cells, and the target skeletal muscle fibers. Here, we analyze the multiple roles of TGFB in these cell types, and how TGFB signaling is altered in ALS tissues. Data reported support a crucial involvement of TGFB in the etiology and progression of ALS, leading us to hypothesize that an imbalance of TGFB signaling, diminished at the pre-symptomatic stage and then increased with time, could be linked to ALS progression. A reduced stimulation of the TGFB pathway at the beginning of disease blocks its neuroprotective effects and promotes glutamate excitotoxicity. At later disease stages, the persistent activation of the TGFB pathway promotes an excessive microglial activation and strengthens muscular dysfunction. The therapeutic potential of TGFB is discussed, in order to foster new approaches to treat ALS.
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13
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Transforming growth factor beta 1 signaling is altered in the spinal cord and muscle of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mice and patients. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 82:48-59. [PMID: 31394426 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.07.001] [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] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Gender differences characterize amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Because ALS patients have increased circulating levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1), here we analyzed gender and disease progression-related modification of TGFB1 and its related signaling molecules in the spinal cord and skeletal muscle of ALS mice and in muscle biopsies from sporadic ALS patients. At presymptomatic stage, Tgfb1 mRNA expression is reduced in the mouse spinal cord but is increased selectively in the male skeletal muscle. At symptomatic stage, it is induced both in the mouse spinal cord and muscle, as well as in the muscle of ALS patients. Tgfbr2 levels are induced only in the mouse spinal cord. Smad2 and Smad4 mRNAs are decreased in the mouse spinal cord and muscle, but SMAD2 protein levels are augmented selectively in the male mouse muscle. Smad3 mRNA and SMAD3 protein are increased in the mouse muscle. The expression of genes controlled by TGFB1 in the muscle (Pax7, Collagen1a1, and Fibronectin) are reduced both in male and female ALS mice at symptomatic stage. Thus, TGFB1 modulation may serve as a novel therapeutic target for ALS.
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14
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Zubiri I, Lombardi V, Bremang M, Mitra V, Nardo G, Adiutori R, Lu CH, Leoni E, Yip P, Yildiz O, Ward M, Greensmith L, Bendotti C, Pike I, Malaspina A. Tissue-enhanced plasma proteomic analysis for disease stratification in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mol Neurodegener 2018; 13:60. [PMID: 30404656 PMCID: PMC6223075 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-018-0292-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is unclear to what extent pre-clinical studies in genetically homogeneous animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an invariably fatal neurodegenerative disorder, can be informative of human pathology. The disease modifying effects in animal models of most therapeutic compounds have not been reproduced in patients. To advance therapeutics in ALS, we need easily accessible disease biomarkers which can discriminate across the phenotypic variants observed in ALS patients and can bridge animal and human pathology. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells alterations reflect the rate of progression of the disease representing an ideal biological substrate for biomarkers discovery. Methods We have applied TMTcalibrator™, a novel tissue-enhanced bio fluid mass spectrometry technique, to study the plasma proteome in ALS, using peripheral blood mononuclear cells as tissue calibrator. We have tested slow and fast progressing SOD1G93A mouse models of ALS at a pre-symptomatic and symptomatic stage in parallel with fast and slow progressing ALS patients at an early and late stage of the disease. Immunoassays were used to retest the expression of relevant protein candidates. Results The biological features differentiating fast from slow progressing mouse model plasma proteomes were different from those identified in human pathology, with only processes encompassing membrane trafficking with translocation of GLUT4, innate immunity, acute phase response and cytoskeleton organization showing enrichment in both species. Biological processes associated with senescence, RNA processing, cell stress and metabolism, major histocompatibility complex-II linked immune-reactivity and apoptosis (early stage) were enriched specifically in fast progressing ALS patients. Immunodetection confirmed regulation of the immunosenescence markers Galectin-3, Integrin beta 3 and Transforming growth factor beta-1 in plasma from pre-symptomatic and symptomatic transgenic animals while Apolipoprotein E differential plasma expression provided a good separation between fast and slow progressing ALS patients. Conclusions These findings implicate immunosenescence and metabolism as novel targets for biomarkers and therapeutic discovery and suggest immunomodulation as an early intervention. The variance observed in the plasma proteomes may depend on different biological patterns of disease progression in human and animal model. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13024-018-0292-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Zubiri
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK. .,Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK.
| | - Vittoria Lombardi
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Michael Bremang
- Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Vikram Mitra
- Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Giovanni Nardo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Rocco Adiutori
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Ching-Hua Lu
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK.,Department of Neurology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung City, Taiwan
| | - Emanuela Leoni
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK.,Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Ping Yip
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Ozlem Yildiz
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Malcolm Ward
- Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Linda Greensmith
- Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Caterina Bendotti
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Ian Pike
- Proteome Sciences plc, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London, UK
| | - Andrea Malaspina
- Neuroscience and Trauma Centre, Blizard Institute, Barts and The School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, City of London, Greater London, E1 2AT, UK.
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15
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Taga A, Maragakis NJ. Current and emerging ALS biomarkers: utility and potential in clinical trials. Expert Rev Neurother 2018; 18:871-886. [DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2018.1530987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Arens Taga
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
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16
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Lewczuk P, Riederer P, O’Bryant SE, Verbeek MM, Dubois B, Visser PJ, Jellinger KA, Engelborghs S, Ramirez A, Parnetti L, Jack CR, Teunissen CE, Hampel H, Lleó A, Jessen F, Glodzik L, de Leon MJ, Fagan AM, Molinuevo JL, Jansen WJ, Winblad B, Shaw LM, Andreasson U, Otto M, Mollenhauer B, Wiltfang J, Turner MR, Zerr I, Handels R, Thompson AG, Johansson G, Ermann N, Trojanowski JQ, Karaca I, Wagner H, Oeckl P, van Waalwijk van Doorn L, Bjerke M, Kapogiannis D, Kuiperij HB, Farotti L, Li Y, Gordon BA, Epelbaum S, Vos SJB, Klijn CJM, Van Nostrand WE, Minguillon C, Schmitz M, Gallo C, Mato AL, Thibaut F, Lista S, Alcolea D, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Kornhuber J, Riederer P, Gallo C, Kapogiannis D, Mato AL, Thibaut F. Cerebrospinal fluid and blood biomarkers for neurodegenerative dementias: An update of the Consensus of the Task Force on Biological Markers in Psychiatry of the World Federation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry. World J Biol Psychiatry 2018; 19:244-328. [PMID: 29076399 PMCID: PMC5916324 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2017.1375556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In the 12 years since the publication of the first Consensus Paper of the WFSBP on biomarkers of neurodegenerative dementias, enormous advancement has taken place in the field, and the Task Force takes now the opportunity to extend and update the original paper. New concepts of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the conceptual interactions between AD and dementia due to AD were developed, resulting in two sets for diagnostic/research criteria. Procedures for pre-analytical sample handling, biobanking, analyses and post-analytical interpretation of the results were intensively studied and optimised. A global quality control project was introduced to evaluate and monitor the inter-centre variability in measurements with the goal of harmonisation of results. Contexts of use and how to approach candidate biomarkers in biological specimens other than cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), e.g. blood, were precisely defined. Important development was achieved in neuroimaging techniques, including studies comparing amyloid-β positron emission tomography results to fluid-based modalities. Similarly, development in research laboratory technologies, such as ultra-sensitive methods, raises our hopes to further improve analytical and diagnostic accuracy of classic and novel candidate biomarkers. Synergistically, advancement in clinical trials of anti-dementia therapies energises and motivates the efforts to find and optimise the most reliable early diagnostic modalities. Finally, the first studies were published addressing the potential of cost-effectiveness of the biomarkers-based diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Lewczuk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, and Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Neurodegeneration Diagnostics, Medical University of Białystok, and Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, University Hospital of Białystok, Białystok, Poland
| | - Peter Riederer
- Center of Mental Health, Clinic and Policlinic of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sid E. O’Bryant
- Institute for Healthy Aging, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Marcel M. Verbeek
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bruno Dubois
- Institut de la Mémoire et de la Maladie d’Alzheimer (IM2A), Salpêtrièrie Hospital, INSERM UMR-S 975 (ICM), Paris 6 University, Paris, France
| | - Pieter Jelle Visser
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer Centre, Amsterdam Neuroscience VU University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Sebastiaan Engelborghs
- Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Neurology and Memory Clinic, Hospital Network Antwerp (ZNA) Middelheim and Hoge Beuken, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alfredo Ramirez
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Lucilla Parnetti
- Section of Neurology, Center for Memory Disturbances, Lab of Clinical Neurochemistry, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | | | - Charlotte E. Teunissen
- Neurochemistry Lab and Biobank, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harald Hampel
- AXA Research Fund & UPMC Chair, Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Département de Neurologie, Institut de la Mémoire et de la Maladie d’Alzheimer (IM2A), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Boulevard de l’hôpital, Paris, France
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Department of Neurology, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Spain
| | - Frank Jessen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Disorders (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Lidia Glodzik
- Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mony J. de Leon
- Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne M. Fagan
- Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - José Luis Molinuevo
- Barcelonabeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Hospital Clínic, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Willemijn J. Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Bengt Winblad
- Karolinska Institutet, Department NVS, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Leslie M. Shaw
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ulf Andreasson
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Brit Mollenhauer
- Paracelsus-Elena-Klinik, Kassel and University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Neurology, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jens Wiltfang
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
- iBiMED, Medical Sciences Department, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Martin R. Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Inga Zerr
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
- Clinical Dementia Centre, Department of Neurology, University Medical School, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ron Handels
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Karolinska Institutet, Department NVS, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Huddinge, Sweden
| | | | - Gunilla Johansson
- Karolinska Institutet, Department NVS, Center for Alzheimer Research, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Natalia Ermann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, and Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - John Q. Trojanowski
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ilker Karaca
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Holger Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Patrick Oeckl
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Linda van Waalwijk van Doorn
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Bjerke
- Reference Center for Biological Markers of Dementia (BIODEM), University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Dimitrios Kapogiannis
- Laboratory of Neurosciences, National Institute on Aging/National Institutes of Health (NIA/NIH), Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - H. Bea Kuiperij
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lucia Farotti
- Section of Neurology, Center for Memory Disturbances, Lab of Clinical Neurochemistry, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Yi Li
- Center for Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brian A. Gordon
- Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Stéphane Epelbaum
- Institut de la Mémoire et de la Maladie d’Alzheimer (IM2A), Salpêtrièrie Hospital, INSERM UMR-S 975 (ICM), Paris 6 University, Paris, France
| | - Stephanie J. B. Vos
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Alzheimer Center Limburg, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Catharina J. M. Klijn
- Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud Alzheimer Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Carolina Minguillon
- Barcelonabeta Brain Research Center, Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Göttingen, Germany
- Clinical Dementia Centre, Department of Neurology, University Medical School, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carla Gallo
- Departamento de Ciencias Celulares y Moleculares/Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Andrea Lopez Mato
- Chair of Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology, Maimonides University, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florence Thibaut
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Cochin-Site Tarnier 89 rue d’Assas, INSERM 894, Faculty of Medicine Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Simone Lista
- AXA Research Fund & UPMC Chair, Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) Paris 06, Inserm, CNRS, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Département de Neurologie, Institut de la Mémoire et de la Maladie d’Alzheimer (IM2A), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Boulevard de l’hôpital, Paris, France
| | - Daniel Alcolea
- Department of Neurology, Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques Sant Pau - Hospital de Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Spain
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, and Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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17
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Grunseich C, Wang IX, Watts JA, Burdick JT, Guber RD, Zhu Z, Bruzel A, Lanman T, Chen K, Schindler AB, Edwards N, Ray-Chaudhury A, Yao J, Lehky T, Piszczek G, Crain B, Fischbeck KH, Cheung VG. Senataxin Mutation Reveals How R-Loops Promote Transcription by Blocking DNA Methylation at Gene Promoters. Mol Cell 2018; 69:426-437.e7. [PMID: 29395064 PMCID: PMC5815878 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2017.12.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures found abundantly and yet often viewed as by-products of transcription. Studying cells from patients with a motor neuron disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis 4 [ALS4]) caused by a mutation in senataxin, we uncovered how R-loops promote transcription. In ALS4 patients, the senataxin mutation depletes R-loops with a consequent effect on gene expression. With fewer R-loops in ALS4 cells, the expression of BAMBI, a negative regulator of transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), is reduced; that then leads to the activation of the TGF-β pathway. We uncovered that genome-wide R-loops influence promoter methylation of over 1,200 human genes. DNA methyl-transferase 1 favors binding to double-stranded DNA over R-loops. Thus, in forming R-loops, nascent RNA blocks DNA methylation and promotes further transcription. Hence, our results show that nucleic acid structures, in addition to sequences, influence the binding and activity of regulatory proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Grunseich
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Isabel X Wang
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jason A Watts
- Department of Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Joshua T Burdick
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Robert D Guber
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhengwei Zhu
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alan Bruzel
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tyler Lanman
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kelian Chen
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alice B Schindler
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nancy Edwards
- Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Abhik Ray-Chaudhury
- Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jianhua Yao
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tanya Lehky
- Electromyography Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Grzegorz Piszczek
- Biophysics Core, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Barbara Crain
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth H Fischbeck
- Neurogenetics Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Vivian G Cheung
- Life Sciences Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
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18
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Peters S, Zitzelsperger E, Kuespert S, Iberl S, Heydn R, Johannesen S, Petri S, Aigner L, Thal DR, Hermann A, Weishaupt JH, Bruun TH, Bogdahn U. The TGF-β System As a Potential Pathogenic Player in Disease Modulation of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Front Neurol 2017; 8:669. [PMID: 29326641 PMCID: PMC5736544 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) represents a fatal orphan disease with high unmet medical need, and a life time risk of approx. 1/400 persons per population. Based on increasing knowledge on pathophysiology including genetic and molecular changes, epigenetics, and immune dysfunction, inflammatory as well as fibrotic processes may contribute to the heterogeneity and dynamics of ALS. Animal and human studies indicate dysregulations of the TGF-β system as a common feature of neurodegenerative disorders in general and ALS in particular. The TGF-β system is involved in different essential developmental and physiological processes and regulates immunity and fibrosis, both affecting neurogenesis and neurodegeneration. Therefore, it has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for ALS: a persistent altered TGF-β system might promote disease progression by inducing an imbalance of neurogenesis and neurodegeneration. The current study assessed the activation state of the TGF-β system within the periphery/in life disease stage (serum samples) and a late stage of disease (central nervous system tissue samples), and a potential influence upon neuronal stem cell (NSC) activity, immune activation, and fibrosis. An upregulated TGF-β system was suggested with significantly increased TGF-β1 protein serum levels, enhanced TGF-β2 mRNA and protein levels, and a strong trend toward an increased TGF-β1 protein expression within the spinal cord (SC). Stem cell activity appeared diminished, reflected by reduced mRNA expression of NSC markers Musashi-1 and Nestin within SC—paralleled by enhanced protein contents of Musashi-1. Doublecortin mRNA and protein expression was reduced, suggesting an arrested neurogenesis at late stage ALS. Chemokine/cytokine analyses suggest a shift from a neuroprotective toward a more neurotoxic immune response: anti-inflammatory chemokines/cytokines were unchanged or reduced, expression of proinflammatory chemokines/cytokines were enhanced in ALS sera and SC postmortem tissue. Finally, we observed upregulated mRNA and protein expression for fibronectin in motor cortex of ALS patients which might suggest increased fibrotic changes. These data suggest that there is an upregulated TGF-β system in specific tissues in ALS that might lead to a “neurotoxic” immune response, promoting disease progression and neurodegeneration. The TGF-β system therefore may represent a promising target in treatment of ALS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Peters
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Eva Zitzelsperger
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sabrina Kuespert
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Iberl
- Department of Hematology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rosmarie Heydn
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Siw Johannesen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital MHH, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ludwig Aigner
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Dietmar R Thal
- Department for Neuroscience, Laboratory for Neuropathology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Department of Neurology, Technische Universität Dresden and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Research Site Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Tim-Henrik Bruun
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Ulrich Bogdahn
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Let's make microglia great again in neurodegenerative disorders. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2017; 125:751-770. [PMID: 29027011 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-017-1792-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
All of the common neurodegenerative disorders-Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and prion diseases-are characterized by accumulation of misfolded proteins that trigger activation of microglia; brain-resident mononuclear phagocytes. This chronic form of neuroinflammation is earmarked by increased release of myriad cytokines and chemokines in patient brains and biofluids. Microglial phagocytosis is compromised early in the disease process, obfuscating clearance of abnormal proteins. This review identifies immune pathologies shared by the major neurodegenerative disorders. The overarching concept is that aberrant innate immune pathways can be targeted for return to homeostasis in hopes of coaxing microglia into clearing neurotoxic misfolded proteins.
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Gonzalez D, Contreras O, Rebolledo DL, Espinoza JP, van Zundert B, Brandan E. ALS skeletal muscle shows enhanced TGF-β signaling, fibrosis and induction of fibro/adipogenic progenitor markers. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177649. [PMID: 28520806 PMCID: PMC5433732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in which upper and lower motoneurons degenerate leading to muscle wasting, paralysis and eventually death from respiratory failure. Several studies indicate that skeletal muscle contributes to disease progression; however the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. Fibrosis is a common feature in skeletal muscle under chronic damage conditions such as those caused by muscular dystrophies or denervation. However, the exact mechanisms of fibrosis induction and the cellular bases of this pathological response are unknown. We show that extracellular matrix (ECM) components are augmented in skeletal muscles of symptomatic hSOD1G93A mice, a widely used murine model of ALS. These mice also show increased TGF-β1 mRNA levels, total Smad3 protein levels and p-Smad3 positive nuclei. Furthermore, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRα), Tcf4 and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) levels are augmented in the skeletal muscle of symptomatic hSOD1G93A mice. Additionally, the fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), which are the main producers of ECM constituents, are also increased in these pathogenic conditions. Therefore, FAPs and ECM components are more abundant in symptomatic stages of the disease than in pre-symptomatic stages. We present evidence that fibrosis observed in skeletal muscle of symptomatic hSOD1G93A mice is accompanied with an induction of TGF-β signaling, and also that FAPs might be involved in triggering a fibrotic response. Co-localization of p-Smad3 positive cells together with PDGFRα was observed in the interstitial cells of skeletal muscles from symptomatic hSOD1G93A mice. Finally, the targeting of pro-fibrotic factors such as TGF-β, CTGF/CCN2 and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling pathway might be a suitable therapeutic approach to improve muscle function in several degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gonzalez
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración, CARE Chile UC y Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Osvaldo Contreras
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración, CARE Chile UC y Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniela L. Rebolledo
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración, CARE Chile UC y Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Pablo Espinoza
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración, CARE Chile UC y Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Brigitte van Zundert
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Enrique Brandan
- Centro de Envejecimiento y Regeneración, CARE Chile UC y Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a highly heterogeneous disease with no effective treatment. Drug development has been hampered by the lack of biomarkers that aid in early diagnosis, demonstrate target engagement, monitor disease progression, and can serve as surrogate endpoints to assess the efficacy of treatments. Fluid-based biomarkers may potentially address these issues. An ideal biomarker should exhibit high specificity and sensitivity for distinguishing ALS from control (appropriate disease mimics and other neurologic diseases) populations and monitor disease progression within individual patients. Significant progress has been made using cerebrospinal fluid, serum, and plasma in the search for ALS biomarkers, with urine and saliva biomarkers still in earlier stages of development. A few of these biomarker candidates have demonstrated use in patient stratification, predicting disease course (fast vs slow progression) and severity, or have been used in preclinical and clinical applications. However, while ALS biomarker discovery has seen tremendous advancements in the last decade, validating biomarkers and moving them towards the clinic remains more elusive. In this review, we highlight biomarkers that are moving towards clinical utility and the challenges that remain in order to implement biomarkers at all stages of the ALS drug development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas T Vu
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA
| | - Robert Bowser
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, 350 West Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA.
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Increased serum concentrations of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Clin Chim Acta 2016; 461:8-13. [PMID: 27450064 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2016.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acquired demyelinating peripheral neuropathy. It has shown that macrophage activation contribute to the pathogenesis of GBS. Therefore macrophage-mediated factors could be the potential markers for disease diagnosis and status of GBS. METHODS We measured serum concentrations of 4 macrophage-mediated factors, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in 23 chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP), 28 GBS, 11 Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS), 40 multiple sclerosis (MS), and 12 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, as well as 15 healthy controls. RESULTS Serum TGF-β1 concentration of GBS patients (35.94±2.55ng/ml) was significantly higher compared with CIDP (25.46±1.40ng/ml, P<0.001), MFS (25.32±2.31ng/ml, P=0.010), MS (21.35±0.90ng/ml, P<0.001) and AD patients (22.92±1.82ng/ml, P<0.001), as well as healthy controls (23.12±1.67ng/ml, P<0.001). A positive correlation between serum TGF-β1 concentrations and Hughes' functional grading scales was observed in GBS patients. Serum concentrations of IL-6, VCAM-1 and VEGF were similar between the studied groups. CONCLUSION The high serum concentrations of TGF-β1 and the correlation between serum TGF-β1 concentration and disease severity highlight the potential of TGF-β1 as a biomarker of GBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumito Endo
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology; Research Institute of Environmental Medicine; Nagoya University; Nagoya Japan
| | - Okiru Komine
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology; Research Institute of Environmental Medicine; Nagoya University; Nagoya Japan
| | - Koji Yamanaka
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology; Research Institute of Environmental Medicine; Nagoya University; Nagoya Japan
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Endo F, Komine O, Fujimori-Tonou N, Katsuno M, Jin S, Watanabe S, Sobue G, Dezawa M, Wyss-Coray T, Yamanaka K. Astrocyte-derived TGF-β1 accelerates disease progression in ALS mice by interfering with the neuroprotective functions of microglia and T cells. Cell Rep 2015; 11:592-604. [PMID: 25892237 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.03.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2013] [Revised: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation, which includes both neuroprotective and neurotoxic reactions by activated glial cells and infiltrated immune cells, is involved in the pathomechanism of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, the cytokines that regulate the neuroprotective inflammatory response in ALS are not clear. Here, we identify transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), which is upregulated in astrocytes of murine and human ALS, as a negative regulator of neuroprotective inflammatory response. We demonstrate that astrocyte-specific overproduction of TGF-β1 in SOD1(G93A) mice accelerates disease progression in a non-cell-autonomous manner, with reduced IGF-I production in deactivated microglia and fewer T cells with an IFN-γ-dominant milieu. Moreover, expression levels of endogenous TGF-β1 in SOD1(G93A) mice negatively correlate with lifespan. Furthermore, pharmacological administration of a TGF-β signaling inhibitor after disease onset extends survival time of SOD1(G93A) mice. These findings indicate that astrocytic TGF-β1 determines disease progression and is critical to the pathomechanism of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumito Endo
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 4648601, Japan; Laboratory for Motor Neuron Disease, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 3510198, Japan; Department of Stem Cell Biology and Histology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 9808575, Japan
| | - Okiru Komine
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 4648601, Japan
| | - Noriko Fujimori-Tonou
- Laboratory for Motor Neuron Disease, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 3510198, Japan
| | - Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 4668550, Japan
| | - Shijie Jin
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 4648601, Japan
| | - Seiji Watanabe
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 4648601, Japan
| | - Gen Sobue
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 4668550, Japan; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 3320012, Japan
| | - Mari Dezawa
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Histology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 9808575, Japan
| | - Tony Wyss-Coray
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Koji Yamanaka
- Department of Neuroscience and Pathobiology, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 4648601, Japan; Laboratory for Motor Neuron Disease, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 3510198, Japan; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 3320012, Japan.
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Nayak A, Salt G, Verma SK, Kishore U. Proteomics Approach to Identify Biomarkers in Neurodegenerative Diseases. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2015; 121:59-86. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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26
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Malaspina A, Puentes F, Amor S. Disease origin and progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: an immunology perspective. Int Immunol 2014; 27:117-29. [DOI: 10.1093/intimm/dxu099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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27
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Martínez-Canabal A. Potential neuroprotective role of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) in the brain. Int J Neurosci 2014; 125:1-9. [PMID: 24628581 DOI: 10.3109/00207454.2014.903947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
TGFβ1 is a growth factor that is known to be expressed in most neurodegenerative diseases and after vascular accidents in the brain. TGFβ1 downregulates the activity of activated microglia and promotes astrogliosis. It also prevents cell death by a known mechanism dependant on astrocytes and the secretion of the plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1). This mechanism can provide light on what is the mechanism of action of TGFβ1 as a protective factor and it can provide the pharmacological principles in which this pathway could be used with therapeutic purposes. TGFβ1 is upregulated in most neurodegenerative diseases, however, its expression appears dramatically blocked in Huntington's disease, the fastest of those diseases in progress after the onset. This fact suggests that TGFβ1 slows down the neurodegenerative process, preventing tissue damage and neural apoptotic death. However, the exact details of TGFβ1 action are still unknown and the physiological roles on the diseases are still mysterious. Interestingly, all the data regarding the roles of TGFβ1 in health and disease have been also confirmed with the use of transgenic knockouts and TGFβ1 overexpressing mice. What possibly came as a surprise from the study of TGFβ1 overexpressing models is that combining its neuroprotective and antiproliferative effects, this cytokine generates a significant disruption in the hippocampal circuitry with its consequent learning and memory deficit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alonso Martínez-Canabal
- Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Cell Physiology Institute (IFC), Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Sciences, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Ciudad Universitaria, Circuito exterior S/N, Coyoacan, 04510 Mexico D.F. Mexico
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Krüger T, Lautenschläger J, Grosskreutz J, Rhode H. Proteome analysis of body fluids for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis biomarker discovery. Proteomics Clin Appl 2014; 7:123-35. [PMID: 23129563 DOI: 10.1002/prca.201200067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Revised: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of motor neurons leading to death of the patients, mostly within 2-5 years after disease onset. The pathomechanism of motor neuron degeneration is only partially understood and therapeutic strategies based on mechanistic insights are largely ineffective. The discovery of reliable biomarkers of disease diagnosis and progression is the sine qua non of both the revelation of insights into the ALS pathomechanism and the assessment of treatment efficacies. Proteomic approaches are an important pillar in ALS biomarker discovery. Cerebrospinal fluid is the most promising body fluid for differential proteome analyses, followed by blood (serum, plasma), and even urine and saliva. The present study provides an overview about reported peptide/protein biomarker candidates that showed significantly altered levels in certain body fluids of ALS patients. These findings have to be discussed according to proposed pathomechanisms to identify modifiers of disease progression and to pave the way for the development of potential therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, limitations and advantages of proteomic approaches for ALS biomarker discovery in different body fluids and reliable validation of biomarker candidates have been addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Krüger
- Institute of Biochemistry 1, University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
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29
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Peripheral inflammation in neurodegeneration. J Mol Med (Berl) 2013; 91:673-81. [PMID: 23546523 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-013-1026-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2013] [Revised: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 03/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is now a well-characterised feature of neurodegenerative diseases. Immune dysfunction outside the central nervous system is also increasingly recognised as part of the diseases. Peripheral inflammation has emerged as a modulator of disease progression and neuropathology in several neurodegenerative diseases, making it targetable in new therapeutic approaches. In addition, the easy accessibility of blood immune cells and markers makes them ideal candidates for use as possible biomarkers and a potential model of central immune cells.
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Tetsuka S, Morita M, Iida A, Uehara R, Ikegawa S, Nakano I. ZNF512B gene is a prognostic factor in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Sci 2012; 324:163-6. [PMID: 23168171 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2012.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2012] [Revised: 10/30/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recently, Iida et al. discovered a new single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the ZNF512B gene associated with susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The ZNF512B gene was found to be a transcription factor promoting the expression of a downstream gene in the signal transduction pathway of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), which is essential for the protection and survival of neurons but the influence of the new SNP (rs2275294) in actual ALS patients remained unknown. The objective of our study was to examine whether the new SNP in the ZNF512B gene might influence the phenotype of ALS. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the ZNF512B gene in 176 patients diagnosed as having ALS at our hospital. Evaluation of the prognosis after the onset using Kaplan-Meier survival curves in patients with versus without the risk allele (C allele: CC and CT genotypes) revealed a significantly lower survival probability in those with the risk allele (log-rank test, P<0.01), independent of the other prognostic factors in ALS. Our study revealed the influence of the new SNP in actual ALS patients. It would be clinically reasonable to suggest that the ZNF512B gene is a new prognostic factor in ALS. This study is the first, as per our knowledge, to indicate that the association between the new susceptibility gene for ALS and its pathway could be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syuichi Tetsuka
- Division of Neurology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Yakushiji, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
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Kolarcik C, Bowser R. Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid-Based Protein Biomarkers for Motor Neuron Disease. Mol Diagn Ther 2012; 10:281-92. [PMID: 17022691 DOI: 10.1007/bf03256203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) and, in particular, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are a heterogeneous group of neurologic disorders characterized by the progressive loss of motor function. In ALS, a selective and relentless degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons occurs, culminating in mortality typically within 5 years of symptom onset. However, survival rates vary among individual patients and can be from a few months to >10 years from diagnosis. Inadequacies in disease detection and treatment, along with a lack of diagnostic and prognostic tools, have prompted many to turn to proteomics-based biomarker discovery efforts. Proteomics refers to the study of the proteins expressed by a genome at a particular time, and the proteome can respond to and reflect the status of an organism, including health and disease states. Although an emerging field, proteomic applications promise to uncover biomarkers critical for differentiating patients with ALS and other MNDs from healthy individuals and from patients affected by other diseases. Ideally, these studies will also provide mechanistic information to facilitate identification of new drug targets for subsequent therapeutic development. In addition to proper experimental design, standard operating procedures for sample acquisition, preprocessing, and storage must be developed. Biological samples typically analyzed in proteomic studies of neurologic diseases include both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Recent studies have identified individual proteins and/or protein panels from blood plasma and CSF that represent putative biomarkers for ALS, although many of these proteins are not unique to this disease. Continued investigations are required to validate these initial findings and to further pursue the role of these proteins as diagnostic biomarkers or surrogate markers of disease progression. Protein biomarkers specific to ALS will additionally function to evaluate drug efficacy in clinical trials and to identify novel targets for drug design. It is hoped that proteomic technologies will soon integrate the basic biology of ALS with mechanistic disease information to achieve success in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christi Kolarcik
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, USA
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Galbiati M, Onesto E, Zito A, Crippa V, Rusmini P, Mariotti R, Bentivoglio M, Bendotti C, Poletti A. The anabolic/androgenic steroid nandrolone exacerbates gene expression modifications induced by mutant SOD1 in muscles of mice models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Pharmacol Res 2011; 65:221-30. [PMID: 22178654 PMCID: PMC3272141 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2011.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2011] [Revised: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) are drugs that enhance muscle mass, and are often illegally utilized in athletes to improve their performances. Recent data suggest that the increased risk for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in male soccer and football players could be linked to AAS abuse. ALS is a motor neuron disease mainly occurring in sporadic (sALS) forms, but some familial forms (fALS) exist and have been linked to mutations in different genes. Some of these, in their wild type (wt) form, have been proposed as risk factors for sALS, i.e. superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene, whose mutations are causative of about 20% of fALS. Notably, SOD1 toxicity might occur both in motor neurons and in muscle cells. Using gastrocnemius muscles of mice overexpressing human mutant SOD1 (mutSOD1) at different disease stages, we found that the expression of a selected set of genes associated to muscle atrophy, MyoD, myogenin, atrogin-1, and transforming growth factor (TGF)β1, is up-regulated already at the presymptomatic stage. Atrogin-1 gene expression was increased also in mice overexpressing human wtSOD1. Similar alterations were found in axotomized mouse muscles and in cultured ALS myoblast models. In these ALS models, we then evaluated the pharmacological effects of the synthetic AAS nandrolone on the expression of the genes modified in ALS muscle. Nandrolone administration had no effects on MyoD, myogenin, and atrogin-1 expression, but it significantly increased TGFβ1 expression at disease onset. Altogether, these data suggest that, in fALS, muscle gene expression is altered at early stages, and AAS may exacerbate some of the alterations induced by SOD1 possibly acting as a contributing factor also in sALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariarita Galbiati
- Dipartimento di Endocrinologia, Fisiopatologia e Biologia Applicata, and Centre of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Iida A, Takahashi A, Kubo M, Saito S, Hosono N, Ohnishi Y, Kiyotani K, Mushiroda T, Nakajima M, Ozaki K, Tanaka T, Tsunoda T, Oshima S, Sano M, Kamei T, Tokuda T, Aoki M, Hasegawa K, Mizoguchi K, Morita M, Takahashi Y, Katsuno M, Atsuta N, Watanabe H, Tanaka F, Kaji R, Nakano I, Kamatani N, Tsuji S, Sobue G, Nakamura Y, Ikegawa S. A functional variant in ZNF512B is associated with susceptibility to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Japanese. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20:3684-92. [DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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Burks TN, Cohn RD. Role of TGF-β signaling in inherited and acquired myopathies. Skelet Muscle 2011; 1:19. [PMID: 21798096 PMCID: PMC3156642 DOI: 10.1186/2044-5040-1-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2011] [Accepted: 05/04/2011] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily consists of a variety of cytokines expressed in many different cell types including skeletal muscle. Members of this superfamily that are of particular importance in skeletal muscle are TGF-β1, mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), and myostatin. These signaling molecules play important roles in skeletal muscle homeostasis and in a variety of inherited and acquired neuromuscular disorders. Expression of these molecules is linked to normal processes in skeletal muscle such as growth, differentiation, regeneration, and stress response. However, chronic elevation of TGF-β1, MAPKs, and myostatin is linked to various features of muscle pathology, including impaired regeneration and atrophy. In this review, we focus on the aberrant signaling of TGF-β in various disorders such as Marfan syndrome, muscular dystrophies, sarcopenia, and critical illness myopathy. We also discuss how the inhibition of several members of the TGF-β signaling pathway has been implicated in ameliorating disease phenotypes, opening up novel therapeutic avenues for a large group of neuromuscular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyesha N Burks
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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McCombe PA, Henderson RD. Effects of gender in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 7:557-70. [PMID: 21195356 DOI: 10.1016/j.genm.2010.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 233] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is evidence that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), is more common in men than in women and that gender influences the clinical features of the disease. The causes of this are unknown. OBJECTIVE This review examines the gender differences that are found in ALS and postulates reasons for these differences. METHODS A literature review of PubMed (with no date limits) was performed to find information about gender differences in the incidence, prevalence, and clinical features of ALS, using the search terms ALS or MND and gender or sex, ALS prevalence, and SOD1 mice and gender. Articles were reviewed for information about gender differences, together with other articles that were already known to the authors. RESULTS The incidence and prevalence of ALS are greater in men than in women. This gender difference is seen in large studies that included all ALS patients (sporadic and familial), but is not seen when familial ALS is studied independently. Men predominate in the younger age groups of patients with ALS. Sporadic ALS has different clinical features in men and women, with men having a greater likelihood of onset in the spinal regions, and women tending to have onset in the bulbar region. Gender appears to have no clear effect on survival. In animals with superoxide dismutase 1 (sod1) mutations, sex does affect the clinical course of disease, with earlier onset in males. Possible reasons for the differences in ALS between men and women include different exposures to environmental toxins, different biological responses to exogenous toxins, and possibly underlying differences between the male and female nervous systems and different abilities to repair damage. CONCLUSIONS There is a complex interaction between gender and clinical phenotypes in ALS. Understanding the causes of the gender differences could give clues to processes that modify the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela A McCombe
- The University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Australia.
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Ganesalingam J, Bowser R. The application of biomarkers in clinical trials for motor neuron disease. Biomark Med 2010; 4:281-97. [PMID: 20406070 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.09.71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The interest and research into disease-related biomarkers has greatly accelerated over the last 10 years. The potential clinical benefits for disease-specific biomarkers include a more rapid and accurate disease diagnosis, and potential reduction in size and duration of clinical drug trials, which would speed up drug development. The application of biomarkers into the clinical arena of motor neuron disease should both determine if a drug hits its proposed target and whether the drug alters the course of disease. This article will highlight the progress made in discovering suitable biomarker candidates from a variety of sources, including imaging, neurophysiology and proteomics. For biomarkers to have clinical utility, specific criteria must be satisfied. While there has been tremendous effort to discover biomarkers, very few have been translated to the clinic. The bottlenecks in the biomarker pipeline will be highlighted as well as lessons that can be learned from other disciplines, such as oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeban Ganesalingam
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, UK
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Lanka V, Cudkowicz M. Therapy development for ALS: Lessons learned and path forward. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 9:131-40. [DOI: 10.1080/17482960802112819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin R Turner
- Department of Clinical Neurology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive motor neuron disease with largely unknown pathogenesis that typically results in death within a few years from diagnosis. There are currently no effective therapies for ALS. Clinical diagnosis usually takes several months to complete and the long delay between symptom onset and diagnosis limits the possibilities for effective intervention and clinical trials. The establishment of protein biomarkers for ALS may aid an earlier diagnosis, facilitating the search for effective therapeutic interventions and monitoring drug efficacy during clinical trials. Biomarkers could also be used to discriminate between subtypes of ALS, to measure disease progression and to detect susceptibility for developing ALS or monitor adverse effects of drug treatment. The present review will discuss the opportunities and proteomic platforms used for biomarker discovery efforts in ALS, summarizing putative ALS protein biomarkers identified in different biofluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Ryberg
- Department of Pathology, Center for ALS Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
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Nakamura M, Ito H, Wate R, Nakano S, Hirano A, Kusaka H. Phosphorylated Smad2/3 immunoreactivity in sporadic and familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and its mouse model. Acta Neuropathol 2008; 115:327-34. [PMID: 18210139 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-007-0337-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2007] [Revised: 12/21/2007] [Accepted: 12/21/2007] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorylated Smad2/3 (pSmad2/3), the central mediators of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta signaling, were recently identified in tau-positive inclusions in certain neurodegenerative disorders. To clarify whether the localization of pSmad2/3 is altered in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we immunohistochemically examined spinal cords from sporadic ALS (SALS), from familial ALS (FALS) patients with the A4V mutation in their Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene, and from G93A mutant SOD1 transgenic (mSOD1 Tg) mice. In control spinal cords, pSmad2/3 immunoreactivity was observed exclusively in neuronal and glial nuclei. In SALS and FALS patients the nuclei showed increased immunoreactivity for pSmad2/3. Noticeably, round hyaline inclusions (RHIs) and skein-like inclusions of SALS patients were immunoreactive for pSmad2/3. Double immunofluorescence staining for pSmad2/3 and transactive response-DNA-binding protein (TDP)-43 revealed co-localization of these proteins within RHIs. In contrast, Bunina bodies in SALS and Lewy body-like hyaline inclusions (LBHIs) in FALS were devoid of labeling for pSmad2/3. Similarly, in the mSOD1 Tg mice pSmad2/3 immunoreactivity was increased in the nuclei, while LBHIs were not labeled. These findings suggest increased TGF-beta-Smad signaling in SALS, FALS, and mSOD1 Tg mice, as well as impaired TGF-beta signal transduction in RHI-bearing neurons of SALS patients, presumably at the step of pSmad2/3 translocation into the nucleus. The pathomechanisms, including the process of inclusion development, appears to be different between SALS and mSOD1-related FALS or Tg mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Nakamura
- Department of Neurology, Kansai Medical University, 10-15, Fumizono-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka 570-8507, Japan
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Are multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis autoimmune disorders of endogenous vasoactive neuropeptides? Med Hypotheses 2008; 70:413-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2007.04.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2007] [Accepted: 04/27/2007] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Branch DR, Shabani F, Lund N, Denomme GA. Antenatal administration of Rh-immune globulin causes significant increases in the immunomodulatory cytokines transforming growth factor-β and prostaglandin E2. Transfusion 2006; 46:1316-22. [PMID: 16934066 DOI: 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2006.00898.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Production of specific cytokines in response to administration of Rh-immune globulin (RhIG) was examined to assess the mechanism of inhibition of the anti-D production and prevention of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Plasma levels of 17 different cytokines before and 48 hours after antenatal administration of anti-D were measured in 10 women candidates for prophylaxis with RhIG. RESULTS No striking changes were observed in levels of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 sRII, IL-12 p40, IL-16, or monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Levels of IL-4, -5, -10, -13, and -17; macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha; granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor; tumor necrosis factor-beta; and interferon-gamma remained below detection levels both before and after testing. IL-1ra levels, however, showed a slight to moderate decrease in 7 of 10 women after RhIG administration. In contrast, levels of TGF-beta1 increased more than 1.3-fold in 7 of 10 women and more than 2-fold in 4 of 10 women; in 1 instance the increase was more than 5-fold and this woman also had a significant increase in TGF-beta2. In addition to TGF-beta, 5 of 10 women had a modest increase (>1.5-fold) in prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Analyses of the combined results of the 10 women showed that increases in both TGF-beta1 and PGE2 after RhIG were significant. CONCLUSION These results indicate that RhIG prophylaxis can induce higher than baseline levels of two strongly immunomodulatory cytokines, TGF-beta and PGE2. These findings represent one possible mechanism for the inhibition of the primary immune response to the D antigen in women receiving RhIG prophylaxis for prevention of HDN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald R Branch
- Transfusion Immunology Hub, Research & Development, Canadian Blood Services, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Abstract
Because treatments are not yet powerful enough to reverse the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), randomized placebo-controlled trials remain the gold standard for testing new therapies. To date, only one drug, riluzole, has been shown to slow the course of ALS, albeit in a very modest way. Since the approval of riluzole almost 10 years ago, there have been a number of negative trials, and we still await the discovery of a medication with a truly meaningful effect. With each study, our sophistication in trial design grows, but hurdles remain, including how to use transgenic animal models optimally, which outcome measures most accurately reflect changes in the disease, and how to reduce the often high dropout rates in trials of ALS. This article is devoted to the recent evolution of clinical trials in ALS and discusses specific trials conducted during the past 5 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul H Gordon
- Eleanor and Lou Gehrig MDA/ALS Research Center, Neurological Institute, 9th Floor, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Buckwalter MS, Wyss-Coray T. Modelling neuroinflammatory phenotypes in vivo. J Neuroinflammation 2004; 1:10. [PMID: 15285805 PMCID: PMC500895 DOI: 10.1186/1742-2094-1-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2004] [Accepted: 07/01/2004] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Inflammation of the central nervous system is an important but poorly understood part of neurological disease. After acute brain injury or infection there is a complex inflammatory response that involves activation of microglia and astrocytes and increased production of cytokines, chemokines, acute phase proteins, and complement factors. Antibodies and T lymphocytes may be involved in the response as well. In neurodegenerative disease, where injury is more subtle but consistent, the inflammatory response is continuous. The purpose of this prolonged response is unclear, but it is likely that some of its components are beneficial and others are harmful. Animal models of neurological disease can be used to dissect the specific role of individual mediators of the inflammatory response and assess their potential benefit. To illustrate this approach, we discuss how mutant mice expressing different levels of the cytokine transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1), a major modulator of inflammation, produce important neuroinflammatory phenotypes. We then demonstrate how crosses of TGF-beta1 mutant mice with mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) produced important new information on the role of inflammation in AD and on the expression of different neuropathological phenotypes that characterize this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion S Buckwalter
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305-5235, USA
| | - Tony Wyss-Coray
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, 94305-5235, USA
- Geriatric Research and Education and Clinical Center, Palo Alto Veteran's Medical Center, Palo Alto, California, 94304, USA
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Cudkowicz M, Qureshi M, Shefner J. Measures and markers in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurotherapeutics 2004. [DOI: 10.1007/bf03206611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of spinal and cortical motor neurons, leading to progressive weakness and ultimately, death. Clinically, there appears to be an anatomic focus at disease onset, from which the disease then spreads. Because the focus of initial symptoms and the subsequent direction of spread can vary from patient to patient, disease monitoring is difficult, especially in a clinical trial, in which outcome measures must be identical and able to capture progression of all types. Thus, the search for markers of disease progression is especially important in ALS. Many approaches have been taken, from voluntary strength assessment and functional rating scales to physiological and pathological sampling of affected portions of nervous system. No proposed marker has been demonstrated to meet the desired criteria of biological meaning, sensitivity to disease progression, clear relationship to overall prognosis and survival, and ease of measurement. However, progress is being made in all of these regards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merit Cudkowicz
- Neurology Clinical Trial Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA.
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Lacoste E, Martineau I, Gagnon G. Platelet Concentrates: Effects of Calcium and Thrombin on Endothelial Cell Proliferation and Growth Factor Release. J Periodontol 2003; 74:1498-507. [PMID: 14653397 DOI: 10.1902/jop.2003.74.10.1498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical evidence suggests that platelet concentrate (PC) could have beneficial therapeutic effects on hard and soft tissue healing, due to the contents of growth factors (GFs) stored in the platelets. The objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the concentrations of platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) released from PCs and whole blood (WB), before and after the addition of various concentrations of calcium and thrombin, and 2) to assess the physiological importance of the released GFs on angiogenesis. METHODS WB and PCs were harvested and prepared from three healthy volunteers. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay tests, specific for PDGF-BB, TGF-beta1, VEGF, and bFGF, were performed on WB and PC supernatants, collected before and 30 minutes after the addition of various concentrations of calcium and thrombin. The supernatants were also added to human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) cultures in order to measure their effects on endothelial cell proliferation. RESULTS Growth factor concentrations detected in PC supernatants were significantly greater (280% to 800% increase) than concentrations present in WB supernatants. Calcium and thrombin induced immediate GF release from PCs in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, PC supernatants led to greater HUVEC proliferation rates than WB supernatants. However, there was no correlation between the concentrations of specific GFs and HUVEC proliferation rates. CONCLUSION These results suggest that PCs could stimulate blood vessel formation. They also reinforce the relevance for using PCs in regenerative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Lacoste
- Faculté de Médecine Dentaire and Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Buccale, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
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Iwasaki Y, Ichikawa Y, Igarashi O, Aoyagi J, Konno S, Iguchi H, Fujioka T, Kawabe K. Plasma TGFbeta1 in ALS patients. Acta Neurol Scand 2003; 108:221. [PMID: 12911468 DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0404.2003.00164.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Wang S, Hirschberg R. BMP7 antagonizes TGF-beta -dependent fibrogenesis in mesangial cells. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2003; 284:F1006-13. [PMID: 12676736 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00382.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Exogenous administration of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-7 was recently shown to ameliorate renal glomerular and interstitial fibrosis in rodents with experimental renal diseases. We tested the hypothesis that BMP7 functions by antagonizing profibrogenic events that are induced by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in cultured mesangial cells. Incubation of murine mesangial cells with TGF-beta (50-200 pM) increased cell-associated collagen type IV and fibronectin, soluble collagen type IV, thrombospondin, and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Coincubation with recombinant human BMP7 (200 pM) reduced the increase of these ECM proteins and CTGF. The changes in collagen type IV and fibronectin proteins occurred without concomitant changes in collagen type alpha(1)IV and fibronectin mRNA levels, suggesting that TGF-beta and BMP7 act primarily by affecting ECM protein degradation. Indeed, TGF-beta decreases the levels and activity of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-2, the major metalloprotease that is secreted by mesangial cells. Moreover, BMP7 inhibits TGF-beta-induced activation of MMP2. Because TGF-beta reduces the activity of MMPs through increasing plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1, we tested whether BMP7 interferes with this TGF-beta effect. BMP7 reduces, by about two-thirds, the activation of a PAI-1 promoter/luciferase reporter in cells stably transfected with this construct. The findings from these studies indicate that BMP7 reduces TGF-beta-induced ECM protein accumulation in cultured mesangial cells primarily by maintaining levels and activity of MMP2 partially through prevention of TGF-beta-dependent upregulation of PAI-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinong Wang
- Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Research and Education Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California 90502, USA
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