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Zerr I, Ladogana A, Mead S, Hermann P, Forloni G, Appleby BS. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other prion diseases. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2024; 10:14. [PMID: 38424082 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-024-00497-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Prion diseases share common clinical and pathological characteristics such as spongiform neuronal degeneration and deposition of an abnormal form of a host-derived protein, termed prion protein. The characteristic features of prion diseases are long incubation times, short clinical courses, extreme resistance of the transmissible agent to degradation and lack of nucleic acid involvement. Sporadic and genetic forms of prion diseases occur worldwide, of which genetic forms are associated with mutations in PRNP. Human to human transmission of these diseases has occurred due to iatrogenic exposure, and zoonotic forms of prion diseases are linked to bovine disease. Significant progress has been made in the diagnosis of these disorders. Clinical tools for diagnosis comprise brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid tests. Aggregation assays for detection of the abnormally folded prion protein have a clear potential to diagnose the disease in peripherally accessible biofluids. After decades of therapeutic nihilism, new treatment strategies and clinical trials are on the horizon. Although prion diseases are relatively rare disorders, understanding their pathogenesis and mechanisms of prion protein misfolding has significantly enhanced the field in research of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Zerr
- National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Peter Hermann
- National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Brian S Appleby
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Suárez-Rivero JM, López-Pérez J, Muela-Zarzuela I, Pastor-Maldonado C, Cilleros-Holgado P, Gómez-Fernández D, Álvarez-Córdoba M, Munuera-Cabeza M, Talaverón-Rey M, Povea-Cabello S, Suárez-Carrillo A, Piñero-Pérez R, Reche-López D, Romero-Domínguez JM, Sánchez-Alcázar JA. Neurodegeneration, Mitochondria, and Antibiotics. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13030416. [PMID: 36984858 PMCID: PMC10056573 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13030416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the progressive loss of neurons, synapses, dendrites, and myelin in the central and/or peripheral nervous system. Actual therapeutic options for patients are scarce and merely palliative. Although they affect millions of patients worldwide, the molecular mechanisms underlying these conditions remain unclear. Mitochondrial dysfunction is generally found in neurodegenerative diseases and is believed to be involved in the pathomechanisms of these disorders. Therefore, therapies aiming to improve mitochondrial function are promising approaches for neurodegeneration. Although mitochondrial-targeted treatments are limited, new research findings have unraveled the therapeutic potential of several groups of antibiotics. These drugs possess pleiotropic effects beyond their anti-microbial activity, such as anti-inflammatory or mitochondrial enhancer function. In this review, we will discuss the controversial use of antibiotics as potential therapies in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M. Suárez-Rivero
- Institute for Biomedical Researching and Innovation of Cádiz (INiBICA) University Hospital Puerta del Mar, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Juan López-Pérez
- Institute for Biomedical Researching and Innovation of Cádiz (INiBICA) University Hospital Puerta del Mar, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Inés Muela-Zarzuela
- Institute for Biomedical Researching and Innovation of Cádiz (INiBICA) University Hospital Puerta del Mar, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Carmen Pastor-Maldonado
- Department of Molecular Biology Interfaculty Institute for Cell Biology, University of Tuebingen, D-72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Paula Cilleros-Holgado
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - David Gómez-Fernández
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Mónica Álvarez-Córdoba
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Manuel Munuera-Cabeza
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Marta Talaverón-Rey
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Suleva Povea-Cabello
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Alejandra Suárez-Carrillo
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Rocío Piñero-Pérez
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Diana Reche-López
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - José M. Romero-Domínguez
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - José Antonio Sánchez-Alcázar
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology (CABD-CSIC-Pablo de Olavide-University), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-954978071
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Nikolić L, Ferracin C, Legname G. Recent advances in cellular models for discovering prion disease therapeutics. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2022; 17:985-996. [PMID: 35983689 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2113773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prion diseases are a group of rare and lethal rapidly progressive neurodegenerative diseases arising due to conversion of the physiological cellular prion protein into its pathological counterparts, denoted as "prions". These agents are resistant to inactivation by standard decontamination procedures and can be transmitted between individuals, consequently driving the irreversible brain damage typical of the diseases. AREAS COVERED Since its infancy, prion research has mainly depended on animal models for untangling the pathogenesis of the disease as well as for the drug development studies. With the advent of prion-infected cell lines, relevant animal models have been complemented by a variety of cell-based models presenting a much faster, ethically acceptable alternative. EXPERT OPINION To date, there are still either no effective prophylactic regimens or therapies for human prion diseases. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more relevant cellular models that best approximate in vivo models. Each cellular model presented and discussed in detail in this review has its own benefits and limitations. Once embarking in a drug screening campaign for the identification of molecules that could interfere with prion conversion and replication, one should carefully consider the ideal cellular model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Nikolić
- PhD Student in Functional and Structural Genomics, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy,
| | - Chiara Ferracin
- PhD Student in Functional and Structural Genomics, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- D.Phil., Full Professor of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
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Arshad H, Watts JC. Genetically engineered cellular models of prion propagation. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:63-80. [PMID: 35581386 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03630-z] [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: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
For over three decades, cultured cells have been a useful tool for dissecting the molecular details of prion replication and the identification of candidate therapeutics for prion disease. A major issue limiting the translatability of these studies has been the inability to reliably propagate disease-relevant, non-mouse strains of prions in cells relevant to prion pathogenesis. In recent years, fueled by advances in gene editing technology, it has become possible to propagate prions from hamsters, cervids, and sheep in immortalized cell lines originating from the central nervous system. In particular, the use of CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing to generate versions of prion-permissive cell lines that lack endogenous PrP expression has provided a blank canvas upon which re-expression of PrP leads to species-matched susceptibility to prion infection. When coupled with the ability to propagate prions in cells or organoids derived from stem cells, these next-generation cellular models should provide an ideal paradigm for identifying small molecules and other biological therapeutics capable of interfering with prion replication in animal and human prion disorders. In this review, we summarize recent advances that have widened the spectrum of prion strains that can be propagated in cultured cells and cutting-edge tissue-based models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamza Arshad
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building Rm. 5207, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Krembil Discovery Tower Rm. 4KD481, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada. .,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Medical Sciences Building Rm. 5207, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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Heumüller SE, Hornberger AC, Hebestreit AS, Hossinger A, Vorberg IM. Propagation and Dissemination Strategies of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Agents in Mammalian Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23062909. [PMID: 35328330 PMCID: PMC8949484 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23062909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion disorders are fatal infectious diseases that cause characteristic spongiform degeneration in the central nervous system. The causative agent, the so-called prion, is an unconventional infectious agent that propagates by converting the host-encoded cellular prion protein PrP into ordered protein aggregates with infectious properties. Prions are devoid of coding nucleic acid and thus rely on the host cell machinery for propagation. While it is now established that, in addition to PrP, other cellular factors or processes determine the susceptibility of cell lines to prion infection, exact factors and cellular processes remain broadly obscure. Still, cellular models have uncovered important aspects of prion propagation and revealed intercellular dissemination strategies shared with other intracellular pathogens. Here, we summarize what we learned about the processes of prion invasion, intracellular replication and subsequent dissemination from ex vivo cell models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie-Elisabeth Heumüller
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Annika C. Hornberger
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Alina S. Hebestreit
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - André Hossinger
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
| | - Ina M. Vorberg
- Laboratory of Prion Cell Biology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Bonn (DZNE e.V.), Venusberg-Campus 1/99, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (S.-E.H.); (A.C.H.); (A.S.H.); (A.H.)
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Siegmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
Prion diseases are infectious protein misfolding disorders of the central nervous system that result from misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the pathologic isoform PrPSc. Pathologic hallmarks of prion disease are depositions of pathological prion protein PrPSc, neuronal loss, spongiform degeneration and astrogliosis in the brain. Prion diseases affect human and animals, there is no effective therapy, and they invariably remain fatal. For a long time, neuronal loss was considered the sole reason for neurodegeneration in prion pathogenesis, and the contribution of non-neuronal cells like microglia and astrocytes was considered less important. Recent evidence suggests that neurodegeneration during prion pathogenesis is a consequence of a complex interplay between neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the brain, but the exact role of these non-neuronal cells during prion pathology is still elusive. Astrocytes are non-neuronal cells that regulate brain homeostasis under physiological conditions. However, astrocytes can deposit PrPSc aggregates and propagate prions in prion-infected brains. Additionally, sub-populations of reactive astrocytes that include neurotrophic and neurotoxic species have been identified, differentially expressed in the brain during prion infection. Revealing the exact role of astrocytes in prion disease is hampered by the lack of in vitro models of prion-infected astrocytes. Recently, we established a murine astrocyte cell line persistently infected with mouse-adapted prions, and showed how such astrocytes differentially process various prion strains. Considering the complexity of the role of astrocytes in prion pathogenesis, we need more in vitro and in vivo models for exploring the contribution of sub-populations of reactive astrocytes, their differential regulation of signaling cascades, and the interaction with neurons and microglia during prion pathogenesis. This will help to establish novel in vivo models and define new therapeutic targets against prion diseases. In this review, we will discuss the complex role of astrocytes in prion disease, the existing experimental resources, the challenges to analyze the contribution of astrocytes in prion disease pathogenesis, and future strategies to improve the understanding of their role in prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waqas Tahir
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Calgary Prion Research Unit; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Simrika Thapa
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Calgary Prion Research Unit; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Hermann M Schatzl
- Department of Comparative Biology & Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Calgary Prion Research Unit; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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7
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Mitochondria and Antibiotics: For Good or for Evil? Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11071050. [PMID: 34356674 PMCID: PMC8301944 DOI: 10.3390/biom11071050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery and application of antibiotics in the common clinical practice has undeniably been one of the major medical advances in our times. Their use meant a drastic drop in infectious diseases-related mortality and contributed to prolonging human life expectancy worldwide. Nevertheless, antibiotics are considered by many a double-edged sword. Their extensive use in the past few years has given rise to a global problem: antibiotic resistance. This factor and the increasing evidence that a wide range of antibiotics can damage mammalian mitochondria, have driven a significant sector of the medical and scientific communities to advise against the use of antibiotics for purposes other to treating severe infections. Notwithstanding, a notorious number of recent studies support the use of these drugs to treat very diverse conditions, ranging from cancer to neurodegenerative or mitochondrial diseases. In this context, there is great controversy on whether the risks associated to antibiotics outweigh their promising beneficial features. The aim of this review is to provide insight in the topic, purpose for which the most relevant findings regarding antibiotic therapies have been discussed.
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8
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Brandel JP. [Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies]. Rev Med Interne 2021; 43:106-115. [PMID: 34148672 DOI: 10.1016/j.revmed.2021.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are human and animal diseases naturally or experimentally transmissible with a long incubation period and a fatal course without remission. The nature of the transmissible agent remains debated but the absence of a structure evoking a conventional microorganism led Stanley B. Prusiner to hypothesize that it could be an infectious protein (proteinaceous infectious particle or prion). The prion would be the abnormal form of a normal protein, cellular PrP (PrPc) which will change its spatial conformation and be converted into scrapie prion protein (PrPsc) with properties of partial resistance to proteases, aggregation and insolubility in detergents. No inflammatory or immune response are detected in TSEs which are characterized by brain damage combining spongiosis, neuronal loss, astrocytic gliosis, and deposits of PrPsc that may appear as amyloid plaques. Although the link between the accumulation of PrPsc and the appearance of lesions remains debated, the presence of PrPsc is constant during TSE and necessary for a definitive diagnosis. Even if they remain rare diseases (2 cases per million), the identification of kuru, at the end of the 1950s, of iatrogenic cases in the course of the 1970s and of the variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in the mid-1990s explain the interest in these diseases but also the fears they can raise for public health. They remain an exciting research model because they belong both to the group of neurodegenerative diseases with protein accumulation (sporadic CJD), to the group of communicable diseases (iatrogenic CJD, variant of CJD) but also to the group of genetic diseases with a transmission Mendelian dominant (genetic CJD, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome, fatal familial insomnia).
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Affiliation(s)
- J-P Brandel
- Cellule nationale de référence des maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, 47-83, boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris cedex 13, France; Inserm U1127/Institut du cerveau et de la moelle épinière (ICM), Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Centre national de référence des agents transmissibles non conventionnels, 47-83, boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris cedex 13, France.
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9
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Bélondrade M, Nicot S, Mayran C, Bruyere-Ostells L, Almela F, Di Bari MA, Levavasseur E, Watts JC, Fournier-Wirth C, Lehmann S, Haïk S, Nonno R, Bougard D. Sensitive protein misfolding cyclic amplification of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease prions is strongly seed and substrate dependent. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4058. [PMID: 33603091 PMCID: PMC7893054 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83630-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Unlike variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease prions, sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease prions have been shown to be difficult to amplify in vitro by protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). We assessed PMCA of pathological prion protein (PrPTSE) from 14 human sCJD brain samples in 3 substrates: 2 from transgenic mice expressing human prion protein (PrP) with either methionine (M) or valine (V) at position 129, and 1 from bank voles. Brain extracts representing the 5 major clinicopathological sCJD subtypes (MM1/MV1, MM2, MV2, VV1, and VV2) all triggered seeded PrPTSE amplification during serial PMCA with strong seed- and substrate-dependence. Remarkably, bank vole PrP substrate allowed the propagation of all sCJD subtypes with preservation of the initial molecular PrPTSE type. In contrast, PMCA in human PrP substrates was accompanied by a PrPTSE molecular shift during heterologous (M/V129) PMCA reactions, with increased permissiveness of V129 PrP substrate to in vitro sCJD prion amplification compared to M129 PrP substrate. Combining PMCA amplification sensitivities with PrPTSE electrophoretic profiles obtained in the different substrates confirmed the classification of 4 distinct major sCJD prion strains (M1, M2, V1, and V2). Finally, the level of sensitivity required to detect VV2 sCJD prions in cerebrospinal fluid was achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Bélondrade
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections, Etablissement Français du Sang, Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Simon Nicot
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections, Etablissement Français du Sang, Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Charly Mayran
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections, Etablissement Français du Sang, Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Lilian Bruyere-Ostells
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections, Etablissement Français du Sang, Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Florian Almela
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections, Etablissement Français du Sang, Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Michele A Di Bari
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy
| | - Etienne Levavasseur
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Université Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Chantal Fournier-Wirth
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections, Etablissement Français du Sang, Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Sylvain Lehmann
- IRMB, INM, INSERM, CHU Montpellier, (LBPC-PPC), Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Stéphane Haïk
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, UPMC Université Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Romolo Nonno
- Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Rome, Italy
| | - Daisy Bougard
- Pathogenesis and Control of Chronic Infections, Etablissement Français du Sang, Inserm, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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10
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Pineau H, Sim VL. From Cell Culture to Organoids-Model Systems for Investigating Prion Strain Characteristics. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11010106. [PMID: 33466947 PMCID: PMC7830147 DOI: 10.3390/biom11010106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are the hallmark protein folding neurodegenerative disease. Their transmissible nature has allowed for the development of many different cellular models of disease where prion propagation and sometimes pathology can be induced. This review examines the range of simple cell cultures to more complex neurospheres, organoid, and organotypic slice cultures that have been used to study prion disease pathogenesis and to test therapeutics. We highlight the advantages and disadvantages of each system, giving special consideration to the importance of strains when choosing a model and when interpreting results, as not all systems propagate all strains, and in some cases, the technique used, or treatment applied, can alter the very strain properties being studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailey Pineau
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada;
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Valerie L. Sim
- Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2B7, Canada;
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
- Correspondence:
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11
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Dominguez-Meijide A, Parrales V, Vasili E, González-Lizárraga F, König A, Lázaro DF, Lannuzel A, Haik S, Del Bel E, Chehín R, Raisman-Vozari R, Michel PP, Bizat N, Outeiro TF. Doxycycline inhibits α-synuclein-associated pathologies in vitro and in vivo. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 151:105256. [PMID: 33429042 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the misfolding and aggregation of alpha-synuclein (aSyn). Doxycycline, a tetracyclic antibiotic shows neuroprotective effects, initially proposed to be due to its anti-inflammatory properties. More recently, an additional mechanism by which doxycycline may exert its neuroprotective effects has been proposed as it has been shown that it inhibits amyloid aggregation. Here, we studied the effects of doxycycline on aSyn aggregation in vivo, in vitro and in a cell free system using real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuiC). Using H4, SH-SY5Y and HEK293 cells, we found that doxycycline decreases the number and size of aSyn aggregates in cells. In addition, doxycycline inhibits the aggregation and seeding of recombinant aSyn, and attenuates the production of mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species. Finally, we found that doxycycline induces a cellular redistribution of aggregates in a C.elegans animal model of PD, an effect that is associated with a recovery of dopaminergic function. In summary, we provide strong evidence that doxycycline treatment may be an effective strategy against synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Dominguez-Meijide
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Experimental Neurology, Dept. of Morphological Sciences, CIMUS, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Valeria Parrales
- Paris Brain Institute, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Eftychia Vasili
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | | | - Annekatrin König
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Diana F Lázaro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Annie Lannuzel
- Paris Brain Institute, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013 Paris, France; University Hospital of Pointe-à-Pitre, Neurology Department, route de Chauvel, 97139 Abymes, Guadeloupe
| | - Stéphane Haik
- Paris Brain Institute, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013 Paris, France; AP-HP, Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, University Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris F-75013, France
| | - Elaine Del Bel
- Department of Basic and Oral Biology, Faculty of Odontology of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Av do Café s/n, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosana Chehín
- Instituto de Investigación en Medicina Molecular y Celular Aplicada (IMMCA) (CONICET-UNT-SIPROSA), Argentina
| | - Rita Raisman-Vozari
- Paris Brain Institute, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Patrick P Michel
- Paris Brain Institute, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013 Paris, France
| | - Nicolas Bizat
- Paris Brain Institute, Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Université, F-75013 Paris, France; Faculté de Pharmacie de Paris, Paris University, 4 avenue de l'Observatoire, Paris F-75006, France.
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Goettingen, Germany; Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK.
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12
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Krance SH, Luke R, Shenouda M, Israwi AR, Colpitts SJ, Darwish L, Strauss M, Watts JC. Cellular models for discovering prion disease therapeutics: Progress and challenges. J Neurochem 2020; 153:150-172. [PMID: 31943194 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Prions, which cause fatal neurodegenerative disorders such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, are misfolded and infectious protein aggregates. Currently, there are no treatments available to halt or even delay the progression of prion disease in the brain. The infectious nature of prions has resulted in animal paradigms that accurately recapitulate all aspects of prion disease, and these have proven to be instrumental for testing the efficacy of candidate therapeutics. Nonetheless, infection of cultured cells with prions provides a much more powerful system for identifying molecules capable of interfering with prion propagation. Certain lines of cultured cells can be chronically infected with various types of mouse prions, and these models have been used to unearth candidate anti-prion drugs that are at least partially efficacious when administered to prion-infected rodents. However, these studies have also revealed that not all types of prions are equal, and that drugs active against mouse prions are not necessarily effective against prions from other species. Despite some recent progress, the number of cellular models available for studying non-mouse prions remains limited. In particular, human prions have proven to be particularly challenging to propagate in cultured cells, which has severely hindered the discovery of drugs for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In this review, we summarize the cellular models that are presently available for discovering and testing drugs capable of blocking the propagation of prions and highlight challenges that remain on the path towards developing therapies for prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saffire H Krance
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Russell Luke
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marc Shenouda
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ahmad R Israwi
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah J Colpitts
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lina Darwish
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maximilian Strauss
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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13
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Holec SA, Block AJ, Bartz JC. The role of prion strain diversity in the development of successful therapeutic treatments. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:77-119. [PMID: 32958242 PMCID: PMC8939712 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prions are a self-propagating misfolded conformation of a cellular protein. Prions are found in several eukaryotic organisms with mammalian prion diseases encompassing a wide range of disorders. The first recognized prion disease, the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), affect several species including humans. Alzheimer's disease, synucleinopathies, and tauopathies share a similar mechanism of self-propagation of the prion form of the disease-specific protein reminiscent of the infection process of TSEs. Strain diversity in prion disease is characterized by differences in the phenotype of disease that is hypothesized to be encoded by strain-specific conformations of the prion form of the disease-specific protein. Prion therapeutics that target the prion form of the disease-specific protein can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of prions, consistent with the hypothesis that prion strains exist as a dynamic mixture of a dominant strain in combination with minor substrains. To overcome this obstacle, therapies that reduce or eliminate the template of conversion are efficacious, may reverse neuropathology, and do not result in the emergence of drug resistance. Recent advancements in preclinical diagnosis of prion infection may allow for a combinational approach that treats the prion form and the precursor protein to effectively treat prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A.M. Holec
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Alyssa J. Block
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States,Corresponding author:
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14
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Ellett LJ, Revill ZT, Koo YQ, Lawson VA. Strain variation in treatment and prevention of human prion diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:121-145. [PMID: 32958230 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.006] [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: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases describe a number of different human disorders that differ in their clinical phenotypes, which are nonetheless united by their transmissible nature and common pathology. Clinical variation in the absence of a conventional infectious agent is believed to be encoded by different conformations of the misfolded prion protein. This misfolded protein is the target of methods designed to prevent disease transmission in a surgical setting and reduction of the misfolded seed or preventing its continued propagation have been the focus of therapeutic strategies. It is therefore possible that strain variation may influence the efficacy of prevention and treatment approaches. Historically, an understanding of prion disease transmission and pathogenesis has been focused on research tools developed using agriculturally relevant strains of prion disease. However, an increased understanding of the molecular biology of human prion disorders has highlighted differences not only between different forms of the disease affecting humans and animals but also within diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which is represented by several sporadic CJD specific conformations and an additional conformation associated with variant CJD. In this chapter we will discuss whether prion strain variation can affect the efficacy of methods used to decontaminate prions and whether strain variation in pre-clinical models of prion disease can be used to identify therapeutic strategies that have the best possible chance of success in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Ellett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Zoe T Revill
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Yong Qian Koo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Victoria A Lawson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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15
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Hannaoui S, Arifin MI, Chang SC, Yu J, Gopalakrishnan P, Doh-Ura K, Schatzl HM, Gilch S. Cellulose ether treatment in vivo generates chronic wasting disease prions with reduced protease resistance and delayed disease progression. J Neurochem 2019; 152:727-740. [PMID: 31553058 PMCID: PMC7078990 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease of free-ranging and farmed cervids that is highly contagious because of extensive prion shedding and prion persistence in the environment. Previously, cellulose ether compounds (CEs) have been shown to significantly extend the survival of mice inoculated with mouse-adapted prion strains. In this study, we used CEs, TC-5RW, and 60SH-50, in vitro and in vivo to assess their efficacy to interfere with CWD prion propagation. In vitro, CEs inhibited CWD prion amplification in a dose-dependent manner. Transgenic mice over-expressing elk PrPC (tgElk) were injected subcutaneously with a single dose of either of the CEs, followed by intracerebral inoculation with different CWD isolates from white tailed deer, mule deer, or elk. All treated groups showed a prolonged survival of up to more than 30 % when compared to the control group regardless of the CWD isolate used for infection. The extended survival in the treated groups correlated with reduced proteinase K resistance of prions. Remarkably, passage of brain homogenates from treated or untreated animals in tgElk mice resulted in a prolonged life span of mice inoculated with homogenates from CE-treated mice (of + 17%) even in the absence of further treatment. Besides the delayed disease onset upon passage in TgElk mice, the reduced proteinase K resistance was maintained but less pronounced. Therefore, these compounds can be very useful in limiting the spread of CWD in captive and wild-ranging cervids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Hannaoui
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Maria Immaculata Arifin
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Sheng Chun Chang
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Preetha Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Hermann M Schatzl
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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16
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Vorberg IM. All the Same? The Secret Life of Prion Strains within Their Target Cells. Viruses 2019; 11:v11040334. [PMID: 30970585 DOI: 10.3390/v11040334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Prions are infectious β-sheet-rich protein aggregates composed of misfolded prion protein (PrPSc) that do not possess coding nucleic acid. Prions replicate by recruiting and converting normal cellular PrPC into infectious isoforms. In the same host species, prion strains target distinct brain regions and cause different disease phenotypes. Prion strains are associated with biophysically distinct PrPSc conformers, suggesting that strain properties are enciphered within alternative PrPSc quaternary structures. So far it is unknown how prion strains target specific cells and initiate productive infections. Deeper mechanistic insight into the prion life cycle came from cell lines permissive to a range of different prion strains. Still, it is unknown why certain cell lines are refractory to infection by one strain but permissive to another. While pharmacologic and genetic manipulations revealed subcellular compartments involved in prion replication, little is known about strain-specific requirements for endocytic trafficking pathways. This review summarizes our knowledge on how prions replicate within their target cells and on strain-specific differences in prion cell biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina M Vorberg
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE e.V.), Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 27, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
- Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
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17
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Vorberg I, Chiesa R. Experimental models to study prion disease pathogenesis and identify potential therapeutic compounds. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2019; 44:28-38. [PMID: 30878006 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are devastating neurodegenerative disorders for which no drugs are available. The successful development of therapeutics depends on drug screening platforms and preclinical models that recapitulate key molecular and pathological features of the disease. Innovative experimental tools have been developed over the last few years that might facilitate drug discovery, including cell-free prion replication assays and prion-infected flies. However, there is still room for improvement. Animal models of genetic prion disease are few, and only partially recapitulate the complexity of the human disorder. Moreover, we still lack a human cell culture model suitable for high-content anti-prion drug screening. This review provides an overview of the models currently used in prion research, and discusses their promise and limitations for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ina Vorberg
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany; Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Roberto Chiesa
- Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, 20156 Milan, Italy.
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18
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In vitro Modeling of Prion Strain Tropism. Viruses 2019; 11:v11030236. [PMID: 30857283 PMCID: PMC6466166 DOI: 10.3390/v11030236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Prions are atypical infectious agents lacking genetic material. Yet, various strains have been isolated from animals and humans using experimental models. They are distinguished by the resulting pattern of disease, including the localization of PrPsc deposits and the spongiform changes they induce in the brain of affected individuals. In this paper, we discuss the emerging use of cellular and acellular models to decipher the mechanisms involved in the strain-specific targeting of distinct brain regions. Recent studies suggest that neuronal cultures, protein misfolding cyclic amplification, and combination of both approaches may be useful to explore this under-investigated but central domain of the prion field.
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19
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Abstract
Recent advances in understanding of the molecular biology of prion diseases and improved clinical diagnostic techniques might allow researchers to think about therapeutic trials in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) patients. Some attempts have been made in the past and various compounds have been tested in single case reports and patient series. Controlled trials are rare. However, in the past few years, it has been demonstrated that clinical trials are feasible. The clinicians might face several specific problems when evaluating the efficacy of the drug in CJD, such as rareness of the disease, lack of appropriate preclinical tests and heterogeneous clinical presentation in humans. These problems have to be carefully addressed in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Zafar
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Department, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Aneeqa Noor
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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20
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Krejciova Z, Alibhai J, Zhao C, Krencik R, Rzechorzek NM, Ullian EM, Manson J, Ironside JW, Head MW, Chandran S. Human stem cell-derived astrocytes replicate human prions in a PRNP genotype-dependent manner. J Exp Med 2017; 214:3481-3495. [PMID: 29141869 PMCID: PMC5716027 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20161547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Prions are infectious agents that cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The absence of a human cell culture model that replicates human prions has hampered prion disease research for decades. In this paper, we show that astrocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) support the replication of prions from brain samples of CJD patients. For experimental exposure of astrocytes to variant CJD (vCJD), the kinetics of prion replication occur in a prion protein codon 129 genotype-dependent manner, reflecting the genotype-dependent susceptibility to clinical vCJD found in patients. Furthermore, iPSC-derived astrocytes can replicate prions associated with the major sporadic CJD strains found in human patients. Lastly, we demonstrate the subpassage of prions from infected to naive astrocyte cultures, indicating the generation of prion infectivity in vitro. Our study addresses a long-standing gap in the repertoire of human prion disease research, providing a new in vitro system for accelerated mechanistic studies and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzana Krejciova
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - James Alibhai
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Chen Zhao
- Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Robert Krencik
- Department of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX
| | - Nina M. Rzechorzek
- Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Erik M. Ullian
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
| | - Jean Manson
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - James W. Ironside
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Mark W. Head
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,Centre for Brain Development and Repair, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India,Correspondence to Siddharthan Chandran:
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21
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Hannaoui S, Amidian S, Cheng YC, Duque Velásquez C, Dorosh L, Law S, Telling G, Stepanova M, McKenzie D, Wille H, Gilch S. Destabilizing polymorphism in cervid prion protein hydrophobic core determines prion conformation and conversion efficiency. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006553. [PMID: 28800624 PMCID: PMC5568445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are infectious neurodegenerative disorders of humans and animals caused by misfolded forms of the cellular prion protein PrPC. Prions cause disease by converting PrPC into aggregation-prone PrPSc. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the most contagious prion disease with substantial lateral transmission, affecting free-ranging and farmed cervids. Although the PrP primary structure is highly conserved among cervids, the disease phenotype can be modulated by species-specific polymorphisms in the prion protein gene. How the resulting amino-acid substitutions impact PrPC and PrPSc structure and propagation is poorly understood. We investigated the effects of the cervid 116A>G substitution, located in the most conserved PrP domain, on PrPC structure and conversion and on 116AG-prion conformation and infectivity. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed structural de-stabilization of 116G-PrP, which enhanced its in vitro conversion efficiency when used as recombinant PrP substrate in real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC). We demonstrate that 116AG-prions are conformationally less stable, show lower activity as a seed in RT-QuIC and exhibit reduced infectivity in vitro and in vivo. Infectivity of 116AG-prions was significantly enhanced upon secondary passage in mice, yet conformational features were retained. These findings indicate that structurally de-stabilized PrPC is readily convertible by cervid prions of different genetic background and results in a prion conformation adaptable to cervid wild-type PrP. Conformation is an important criterion when assessing transmission barrier, and conformational variants can target a different host range. Therefore, a thorough analysis of CWD isolates and re-assessment of species-barriers is important in order to fully exclude a zoonotic potential of CWD. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease which affects wild and captive cervids. Prion diseases are infectious neurodegenerative disorders, and the causative agent consists of abnormally folded prion protein termed PrPSc. Prions replicate without genetic information, and their three-dimensional structure is thought to encode heritable information necessary to propagate using the cellular prion protein PrPC as a substrate for conversion. In this study, we use in vitro and in vivo techniques to analyze the effect of a polymorphism at codon 116 (A>G) of the white-tailed deer prion protein on CWD prion conformation, propagation and pathogenesis. We observed differences in conformation, infectivity and seeding activity in vitro between CWD prions isolated from white-tailed deer encoding wild-type (116AA) PrPC or 116AG-PrPC. In mouse bioassays conformational differences are retained, however, 116AG CWD prions resulted in significantly shortened incubation times upon passages. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the structure of 116G-PrPC is more flexible, which is supported by an improved convertibility in an in vitro conversion assay. Altogether these data indicate the importance of a variation in the most conserved PrP domain, and highlight the relationship between PrPC structural flexibility, prion conformation and conversion, and pathogenesis of prion disease in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samia Hannaoui
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sara Amidian
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yo Ching Cheng
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Camilo Duque Velásquez
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lyudmyla Dorosh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sampson Law
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Glenn Telling
- Prion Research Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Maria Stepanova
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Debbie McKenzie
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Holger Wille
- Center for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Sabine Gilch
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
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22
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Brandel JP, Haïk S. Malattie da prioni o encefalopatie spongiformi trasmissibili. Neurologia 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/s1634-7072(16)77562-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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23
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Vetrugno V, Puopolo M, Cardone F, Capozzoli F, Ladogana A, Pocchiari M. The future for treating Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2014. [DOI: 10.1517/21678707.2015.994605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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24
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Haïk S, Brandel JP. Infectious prion diseases in humans: cannibalism, iatrogenicity and zoonoses. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2014; 26:303-12. [PMID: 24956437 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Revised: 06/10/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In contrast with other neurodegenerative disorders associated to protein misfolding, human prion diseases include infectious forms (also called transmitted forms) such as kuru, iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The transmissible agent is thought to be solely composed of the abnormal isoform (PrP(Sc)) of the host-encoded prion protein that accumulated in the central nervous system of affected individuals. Compared to its normal counterpart, PrP(Sc) is β-sheet enriched and aggregated and its propagation is based on an autocatalytic conversion process. Increasing evidence supports the view that conformational variations of PrP(Sc) encoded the biological properties of the various prion strains that have been isolated by transmission studies in experimental models. Infectious forms of human prion diseases played a pivotal role in the emergence of the prion concept and in the characterization of the very unconventional properties of prions. They provide a unique model to understand how prion strains are selected and propagate in humans. Here, we review and discuss how genetic factors interplay with strain properties and route of transmission to influence disease susceptibility, incubation period and phenotypic expression in the light of the kuru epidemics due to ritual endocannibalism, the various series iatrogenic diseases secondary to extractive growth hormone treatment or dura mater graft and the epidemics of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease linked to dietary exposure to the agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Haïk
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Inserm, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, F-75013 Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, F-75013 Paris, France; Centre National de Référence des Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, F-75013 Paris, France.
| | - Jean-Philippe Brandel
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Inserm, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, ICM, F-75013 Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, F-75013 Paris, France; Centre National de Référence des Agents Transmissibles Non Conventionnels, F-75013 Paris, France
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Haïk S, Marcon G, Mallet A, Tettamanti M, Welaratne A, Giaccone G, Azimi S, Pietrini V, Fabreguettes JR, Imperiale D, Cesaro P, Buffa C, Aucan C, Lucca U, Peckeu L, Suardi S, Tranchant C, Zerr I, Houillier C, Redaelli V, Vespignani H, Campanella A, Sellal F, Krasnianski A, Seilhean D, Heinemann U, Sedel F, Canovi M, Gobbi M, Di Fede G, Laplanche JL, Pocchiari M, Salmona M, Forloni G, Brandel JP, Tagliavini F. Doxycycline in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 2014; 13:150-8. [DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(13)70307-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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