Calcium channel blockers' contribution to overcoming Current drug discovery challenges in Alzheimer's disease

Untangling the complex mechanisms associated with Alzheimer's disease in elderly patients using high-throughput RNA sequencing data and next-generation knowledge discovery methods: Focus on potential gene signatures and drugs for dementia

Objectives

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects elderly individuals. This study aimed to elucidate the intricate mechanisms underlying AD in elderly patients compared with healthy aged individuals using high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data and next-generation knowledge discovery methods (NGKD), with a focus on identifying potential therapeutic agents.

Methods

High-throughput RNA-seq data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (accession number: GSE104704). These data were derived from healthy and diseased human brains (eight young healthy brains [young], 10 aged healthy brains [Old], and 12 aged diseased brains [AD]). We used NGKD tools such as GEO RNA-seq Experiments Interactive Navigator (GREIN) to obtain differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by comparing the AD versus Old RNA-seq data and further filtered and normalized to obtain differentially regulated Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Reactome and Panther pathways using ExpressAnalyst tool. Besides, WebGestalt was used to identify differentially regulated Gene Ontologies (GO) and the pre-ranked Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was performed using GSEA software. The X2K web tool was used to infer upstream regulator networks and X2K Appyter tool for obtaining transcription factors (TFs) and kinase network information. LFW1000 and L1000CDS2 tools were used to identify specific drugs that reverse AD-associated gene signatures in elderly patients.

Results

Our study revealed significant downregulation of pathways related to neuroactive receptor-ligand interaction, synaptic vesicle cycle, and neuronal system in elderly individuals with AD. GO analysis showed negative enrichment of functions related to cognition, potassium ion transport, receptor-ligand activity, SNARE binding, and primary lysosomes. The transcription factors SUZ12 and REST, along with increased MAPK signaling, were identified as key regulators of downregulated genes. Several drugs and natural products, including dihydroergocristine, mepacrine, gedunin, amlodipine, and disulfiram have been identified as potential therapeutic agents for reversing AD-associated gene signatures.

Conclusions

This comprehensive analysis of AD in elderly individuals using RNA-seq data and NGKD tools revealed multiple differentially regulated pathways, gene signatures, and potential drugs for dementia treatment. These findings highlight the complex molecular mechanisms underlying AD and provide insights into potential therapeutic strategies. Further research is needed to validate these findings and to develop personalized treatment approaches for AD in elderly patients.

Novel Far-Red Fluorescent 1,4-Dihydropyridines for L-Type Calcium Channel Imaging

Upregulation of L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) is implicated in a range of cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Therefore, the development of toolboxes that unlock fast imaging protocols in live cells is coveted. Herein, we report a library of first-in-class far-red small-molecule-based fluorescent ligands (FluoDiPines), able to target LTCCs. All fluorescent ligands were evaluated in whole-cell patch-clamp and live-cell Ca2+ imaging whereby FluoDiPine 6 was found to be the best candidate for live-cell fluorescence imaging. Low concentration of FluoDiPine 6 (50 nM) and a quick labeling protocol (5 min) are successfully applied to fixed and live cells to image LTCCs with good specificity.

Evolving therapeutic interventions for the management and treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients experience diverse symptoms, including memory loss, cognitive impairment, behavioral abnormalities, mood changes, and mental issues. The fundamental objective of this review is to discuss novel therapeutic approaches, with special emphasis on recently approved marketed formulations for the treatment of AD, especially Aducanumab, the first FDA approved moiety that surpasses the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reduces amyloid plaques in the brain, thereby reducing associated cognitive decline. However, it is still in the phase IV trial and is to be completed by 2030. Other drugs such as lecanemab are also under clinical trial and has recently been approved by the FDA and is also discussed here. In this review, we also focus on active and passive immunotherapy for AD as well as several vaccines, such as amyloid-beta epitope-based vaccines, amyloid-beta DNA vaccines, and stem cell therapy for AD, which are in clinical trials. Furthermore, ongoing pre-clinical trials associated with AD and other novel strategies such as curcumin-loaded nanoparticles, Crispr/ cas9, precision medicine, as well as some emerging therapies like anti-sense therapy are also highlighted. Additionally, we discuss some off-labeled drugs like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), anti-diabetic drugs, and lithium, which can manage symptoms of AD and different non-pharmacological approaches are also covered which can help to manage AD. In summary, we have tried to cover all the therapeutic interventions which are available for the treatment and management of AD under sections approved, clinical phase, pre-clinical phase or futuristic interventions, off-labelled drugs, and non-pharmacological interventions for AD, offering positive findings and well as challenges that remain.