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Ortiz C, Pearson A, McCartan R, Roche S, Carothers N, Browning M, Perez S, He B, Ginsberg SD, Mullan M, Mufson EJ, Crawford F, Ojo J. Overexpression of pathogenic tau in astrocytes causes a reduction in AQP4 and GLT1, an immunosuppressed phenotype and unique transcriptional responses to repetitive mild TBI without appreciable changes in tauopathy. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:130. [PMID: 38750510 PMCID: PMC11096096 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03117-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have unveiled a robust link between exposure to repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (r-mTBI) and elevated susceptibility to develop neurodegenerative disorders, notably chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The pathogenic lesion in CTE cases is characterized by the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau in neurons around small cerebral blood vessels which can be accompanied by astrocytes that contain phosphorylated tau, the latter termed tau astrogliopathy. However, the contribution of tau astrogliopathy to the pathobiology and functional consequences of r-mTBI/CTE or whether it is merely a consequence of aging remains unclear. We addressed these pivotal questions by utilizing a mouse model harboring tau-bearing astrocytes, GFAPP301L mice, subjected to our r-mTBI paradigm. Despite the fact that r-mTBI did not exacerbate tau astrogliopathy or general tauopathy, it increased phosphorylated tau in the area underneath the impact site. Additionally, gene ontology analysis of tau-bearing astrocytes following r-mTBI revealed profound alterations in key biological processes including immunological and mitochondrial bioenergetics. Moreover, gene array analysis of microdissected astrocytes accrued from stage IV CTE human brains revealed an immunosuppressed astroglial phenotype similar to tau-bearing astrocytes in the GFAPP301L model. Additionally, hippocampal reduction of proteins involved in water transport (AQP4) and glutamate homeostasis (GLT1) was found in the mouse model of tau astrogliopathy. Collectively, these findings reveal the importance of understanding tau astrogliopathy and its role in astroglial pathobiology under normal circumstances and following r-mTBI. The identified mechanisms using this GFAPP301L model may suggest targets for therapeutic interventions in r-mTBI pathogenesis in the context of CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Ortiz
- The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA.
- The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
| | - Andrew Pearson
- The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA
- The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Bin He
- Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Stephen D Ginsberg
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Physiology, and NYU Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Fiona Crawford
- The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA
- The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
- James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Joseph Ojo
- The Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL, USA
- The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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Rinaldi M, Pezone A, Quadrini GI, Abbadessa G, Laezza MP, Passaro ML, Porcellini A, Costagliola C. Targeting shared pathways in tauopathies and age-related macular degeneration: implications for novel therapies. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1371745. [PMID: 38633983 PMCID: PMC11021713 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1371745] [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: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The intricate parallels in structure and function between the human retina and the central nervous system designate the retina as a prospective avenue for understanding brain-related processes. This review extensively explores the shared physiopathological mechanisms connecting age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and proteinopathies, with a specific focus on tauopathies. The pivotal involvement of oxidative stress and cellular senescence emerges as key drivers of pathogenesis in both conditions. Uncovering these shared elements not only has the potential to enhance our understanding of intricate neurodegenerative diseases but also sets the stage for pioneering therapeutic approaches in AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Rinaldi
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Pezone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Gaia Italia Quadrini
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Abbadessa
- Division of Neurology, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Laezza
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “V. Tiberio”, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | - Maria Laura Passaro
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “V. Tiberio”, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | | | - Ciro Costagliola
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Shepherd CE, McCann H, McLean CA, Iverson GL, Gardner AJ. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathologic change in former Australian rugby players. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2024; 50:e12972. [PMID: 38502287 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
AIMS We applied the 2021 consensus criteria for both chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathological change and traumatic encephalopathy syndrome in a small case series of six former elite-level Australian rugby code players. METHODS Neuropathological assessment of these cases was carried out at the Sydney and Victorian Brain Banks. Clinical data were collected via clinical interviews and health questionnaires completed by the participants and/or their next of kin, and neuropsychological testing was conducted with participants who were capable of completing this testing. RESULTS All cases exhibited progressive cognitive impairment during life. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathological change was identified in four out of the six cases. However, coexisting neuropathologies were common, with limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy and ageing-related tau astrogliopathy seen in all cases, intermediate or high Alzheimer's disease neuropathological change seen in four cases and hippocampal sclerosis seen in two of the six cases. CONCLUSION The presence of multiple neuropathologies in these cases complicates clinical diagnostic efforts for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. It will be important for further clinicopathological studies on larger groups to report all neuropathological comorbidities found in cases diagnosed with either chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathological change and/or traumatic encephalopathy syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Shepherd
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Heather McCann
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Catriona A McLean
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Grant L Iverson
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Schoen Adams Research Institute at Spaulding Rehabilitation, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Home Base, A Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA
- Mass General for Children Sports Concussion Program, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew J Gardner
- Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, New South Wales, Australia
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Su Y, Protas H, Luo J, Chen K, Alosco ML, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Au R, Banks SJ, Barr WB, Coleman MJ, Dodick DW, Katz DI, Marek KL, McClean MD, McKee AC, Mez J, Daneshvar DH, Palmisano JN, Peskind ER, Turner RW, Wethe JV, Rabinovici G, Johnson K, Tripodis Y, Cummings JL, Shenton ME, Stern RA, Reiman EM. Flortaucipir tau PET findings from former professional and college American football players in the DIAGNOSE CTE research project. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:1827-1838. [PMID: 38134231 PMCID: PMC10984430 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tau is a key pathology in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Here, we report our findings in tau positron emission tomography (PET) measurements from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. METHOD We compare flortaucipir PET measures from 104 former professional players (PRO), 58 former college football players (COL), and 56 same-age men without exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) or traumatic brain injury (unexposed [UE]); characterize their associations with RHI exposure; and compare players who did or did not meet diagnostic criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES). RESULTS Significantly elevated flortaucipir uptake was observed in former football players (PRO+COL) in prespecified regions (p < 0.05). Association between regional flortaucipir uptake and estimated cumulative head impact exposure was only observed in the superior frontal region in former players over 60 years old. Flortaucipir PET was not able to differentiate TES groups. DISCUSSION Additional studies are needed to further understand tau pathology in CTE and other individuals with a history of RHI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Su
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute and Arizona Alzheimer's ConsortiumPhoenixArizonaUSA
| | - Hillary Protas
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute and Arizona Alzheimer's ConsortiumPhoenixArizonaUSA
| | - Ji Luo
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute and Arizona Alzheimer's ConsortiumPhoenixArizonaUSA
| | - Kewei Chen
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute and Arizona Alzheimer's ConsortiumPhoenixArizonaUSA
| | - Michael L. Alosco
- Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterBoston University CTE CenterBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Charles H. Adler
- Department of NeurologyMayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic ArizonaScottsdaleArizonaUSA
| | - Laura J. Balcer
- Departments of NeurologyNYU Grossman School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Population Health and OphthalmologyNYU Grossman School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Charles Bernick
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain HealthLas VegasNevadaUSA
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Rhoda Au
- Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterBoston University CTE CenterBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Framingham Heart StudyFraminghamMassachusettsUSA
- Slone Epidemiology Center; Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Neurology, and MedicineDepartment of EpidemiologyBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine; Boston University School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Sarah J. Banks
- Departments of Neuroscience and PsychiatryUniversity of CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - William B. Barr
- Departments of NeurologyNYU Grossman School of MedicineNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Michael J. Coleman
- Departments of Psychiatry and RadiologyPsychiatry Neuroimaging LaboratoryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - David W. Dodick
- Department of NeurologyMayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic ArizonaScottsdaleArizonaUSA
| | - Douglas I. Katz
- Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterBoston University CTE CenterBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Encompass Health Braintree Rehabilitation HospitalBraintreeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Kenneth L. Marek
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Invicro, LLCNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Michael D. McClean
- Department of Environmental HealthBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Ann C. McKee
- Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterBoston University CTE CenterBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
- VA Boston Healthcare SystemBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterBoston University CTE CenterBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Framingham Heart StudyFraminghamMassachusettsUSA
| | - Daniel H. Daneshvar
- Department of Physical Medicine & RehabilitationMassachusetts General Hospital, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolCharlestownMassachusettsUSA
| | - Joseph N. Palmisano
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC), Boston University School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Elaine R. Peskind
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesVA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System; University of Washington School of MedicineSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Robert W. Turner
- Department of Clinical Research & LeadershipThe George Washington University School of Medicine & Health SciencesWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Jennifer V. Wethe
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychologyMayo Clinic School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic ArizonaScottsdaleArizonaUSA
| | - Gil Rabinovici
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of California San FranciscoSan FranciscoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Keith Johnson
- Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Mass General Research Institute, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterBoston University CTE CenterBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of BiostatisticsBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jeffrey L. Cummings
- Department of Brain HealthChambers‐Grundy Center for Transformative NeuroscienceSchool of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada Las VegasLas VegasNevadaUSA
| | - Martha E. Shenton
- Departments of Psychiatry and RadiologyPsychiatry Neuroimaging LaboratoryBrigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Robert A. Stern
- Department of NeurologyBoston University Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterBoston University CTE CenterBoston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of MedicineBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Eric M. Reiman
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute and Arizona Alzheimer's ConsortiumPhoenixArizonaUSA
- University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Translational Genomics Research InstitutePhoenixArizonaUSA
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Passaro ML, Matarazzo F, Abbadessa G, Pezone A, Porcellini A, Tranfa F, Rinaldi M, Costagliola C. Glaucoma as a Tauopathy-Is It the Missing Piece in the Glaucoma Puzzle? J Clin Med 2023; 12:6900. [PMID: 37959365 PMCID: PMC10650423 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12216900] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder affecting the visual system which can result in vision loss and blindness. The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying glaucomatous optic neuropathy are ultimately enigmatic, prompting ongoing investigations into its potential shared pathogenesis with other neurodegenerative neurological disorders. Tauopathies represent a subclass of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal deposition of tau protein within the brain and consequent microtubule destabilization. The extended spectrum of tauopathies includes conditions such as frontotemporal dementias, progressive supranuclear palsy, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and Alzheimer's disease. Notably, recent decades have witnessed emerging documentation of tau inclusion among glaucoma patients, providing substantiation that this ocular disease may similarly manifest features of tauopathies. These studies found that: (i) aggregated tau inclusions are present in the somatodendritic compartment of RGCs in glaucoma patients; (ii) the etiology of the disease may affect tau splicing, phosphorylation, oligomerization, and subcellular localization; and (iii) short interfering RNA against tau, administered intraocularly, significantly decreased retinal tau accumulation and enhanced RGC somas and axon survival, demonstrating a crucial role for tau modifications in ocular hypertension-induced neuronal injury. Here, we examine the most recent evidence surrounding the interplay between tau protein dysregulation and glaucomatous neurodegeneration. We explore the novel perspective of glaucoma as a tau-associated disorder and open avenues for cross-disciplinary collaboration and new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Laura Passaro
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | | | - Gianmarco Abbadessa
- Division of Neurology, Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Antonio Pezone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Antonio Porcellini
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.P.); (A.P.)
| | - Fausto Tranfa
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | - Michele Rinaldi
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
| | - Ciro Costagliola
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80131 Naples, Italy; (M.L.P.); (F.T.); (C.C.)
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Fiock KL, Hook JN, Hefti MM. Determinants of astrocytic pathology in stem cell models of primary tauopathies. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:161. [PMID: 37803326 PMCID: PMC10557325 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01655-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytic tau aggregates are seen in several primary and secondary tauopathies, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In all of these diseases, astrocytic tau consists mostly of the longer (4R) tau isoform, even when adjacent neuronal aggregates consist of a mixture of 3- and 4R tau, as in CTE. Even the rare astrocytic tau aggregates seen in Pick's disease appear to contain both 3R and 4R tau. The reasons for this, and the mechanisms by which astrocytic tau aggregates form, remain unclear. We used a combination of RNA in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence in post-mortem human brain tissue, as well as tau uptake studies in human stem cell-derived astrocytes, to determine the origins of astrocytic tau in 4R tauopathies. We found no differences in tau mRNA expression between diseases or between tau positive and negative astrocytes within PSP. We then found that stem cell-derived astrocytes preferentially take up long isoform (4R) recombinant tau and that this uptake is impaired by induction of reactivity with inflammatory stimuli or nutritional stress. Astrocytes exposed to either 3R or 4R tau also showed downregulation of genes related to astrocyte differentiation. Our findings suggest that astrocytes preferentially take up neuronal 4R tau from the extracellular space, potentially explaining why 4R tau is the predominant isoform in astrocytic tau aggregates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L Fiock
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Ave MRC-108-A, Iowa City, IA, 52240, USA
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jordan N Hook
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Ave MRC-108-A, Iowa City, IA, 52240, USA
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Marco M Hefti
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, 25 S Grand Ave MRC-108-A, Iowa City, IA, 52240, USA.
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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7
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Stern RA, Trujillo-Rodriguez D, Tripodis Y, Pulukuri SV, Alosco ML, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Baucom Z, Marek KL, McClean MD, Johnson KA, McKee AC, Stein TD, Mez J, Palmisano JN, Cummings JL, Shenton ME, Reiman EM. Amyloid PET across the cognitive spectrum in former professional and college American football players: findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:166. [PMID: 37798671 PMCID: PMC10552261 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01315-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI) in American football players can lead to cognitive impairment and dementia due to neurodegenerative disease, particularly chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The pathognomonic lesion of CTE consists of perivascular aggregates of hyper-phosphorylated tau in neurons at the depths of cortical sulci. However, it is unclear whether exposure to RHI accelerates amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque formation and increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although the Aβ neuritic plaques characteristic of AD are observed in a minority of later-stage CTE cases, diffuse plaques are more common. This study examined whether former professional and college American football players, including those with cognitive impairment and dementia, have elevated neuritic Aβ plaque density, as measured by florbetapir PET. Regardless of cognitive and functional status, elevated levels of florbetapir uptake were not expected. METHODS We examined 237 men ages 45-74, including 119 former professional (PRO) and 60 former college (COL) football players, with and without cognitive impairment and dementia, and 58 same-age men without a history of contact sports or TBI (unexposed; UE) and who denied cognitive or behavioral symptoms at telephone screening. Former players were categorized into four diagnostic groups: normal cognition, subjective memory impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia. Positive florbetapir PET was defined by cortical-cerebellar average SUVR of ≥ 1.10. Multivariable linear regression and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) compared florbetapir average SUVR across diagnostic and exposure groups. Multivariable logistic regression compared florbetapir positivity. Race, education, age, and APOE4 were covariates. RESULTS There were no diagnostic group differences either in florbetapir average SUVR or the proportion of elevated florbetapir uptake. Average SUVR means also did not differ between exposure groups: PRO-COL (p = 0.94, 95% C.I. = [- 0.033, 0.025]), PRO-UE (p = 0.40, 95% C.I. = [- 0.010, 0.029]), COL-UE (p = 0.36, 95% CI = [0.0004, 0.039]). Florbetapir was not significantly associated with years of football exposure, cognition, or daily functioning. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive impairment in former American football players is not associated with PET imaging of neuritic Aβ plaque deposition. These findings are inconsistent with a neuropathological diagnosis of AD in individuals with substantial RHI exposure and have both clinical and medico-legal implications. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02798185.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Stern
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Departments of Neurosurgery, and Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Diana Trujillo-Rodriguez
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Surya V Pulukuri
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
| | - Michael L Alosco
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles H Adler
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Laura J Balcer
- Departments of Neurology, Population Health and Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charles Bernick
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Zachary Baucom
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kenneth L Marek
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Invicro, LLC, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael D McClean
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Keith A Johnson
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E. Concord Street, Boston, MA, L525, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Framingham Heart Study, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph N Palmisano
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC), Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Cummings
- Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric M Reiman
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Translational Genomics Research Institute, and Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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Sorrentino ZA, Paterno G, Giasson BI, Bailes JE, Lee JM, Lucke-Wold B. Differentiating pathologic tau in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from other tauopathies: A potential antibody panel assessment. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2023; 82:876-879. [PMID: 37639632 PMCID: PMC10516455 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlad069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A Sorrentino
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Giavanna Paterno
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Julian E Bailes
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - John M Lee
- University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Pathology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Brandon Lucke-Wold
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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9
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Fiock KL, Hook J, Hefti MM. Determinants of Astrocytic Pathology in Stem Cell Models of Primary Tauopathies. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.18.549558. [PMID: 37546981 PMCID: PMC10401936 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.18.549558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Astrocytic tau aggregates are seen in several primary and secondary tauopathies, including progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In all cases, astrocytic tau consists exclusively of the longer (4R) tau isoform, even when adjacent neuronal aggregates consist of a mixture of 3- and 4R tau, as in CTE. The reasons for this and the mechanisms by which astrocytic tau aggregates form remain unclear. We used a combination of RNA in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence in post-mortem human brain tissue, as well as tau uptake studies in human stem cell-derived astrocytes, to determine the origins of astrocytic tau in 4R tauopathies. We found that astrocytes across tauopathies do not upregulate tau mRNA expression between diseases or between tau-positive and -negative astrocytes within PSP. We then found that stem cell-derived astrocytes preferentially take up long isoform (4R) labeled recombinant tau and that this uptake is impaired by induction of reactivity with inflammatory stimuli or nutritional stress. Astrocytes exposed to either 3R or 4R tau also showed downregulation of genes related to astrocyte differentiation. Our findings suggest that astrocytes preferentially take up neuronal 4R tau from the extracellular space, which potentially explains why astrocytic tau aggregates contain only 4R tau, and that tau uptake is impaired by decreased nutrient availability or neuroinflammation, both of which are common in the aging brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L. Fiock
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Jordan Hook
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
| | - Marco M. Hefti
- Department of Pathology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Experimental Pathology Graduate Program, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
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10
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Holden MR, Krzesinski BJ, Weismiller HA, Shady JR, Margittai M. MAP2 caps tau fibrils and inhibits aggregation. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:104891. [PMID: 37286038 PMCID: PMC10404690 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrils of the microtubule-associated protein tau are intimately linked to the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative disorders. A current paradigm for pathology spreading in the human brain is that short tau fibrils transfer between neurons and then recruit naive tau monomers onto their tips, perpetuating the fibrillar conformation with high fidelity and speed. Although it is known that the propagation could be modulated in a cell-specific manner and thereby contribute to phenotypic diversity, there is still limited understanding of how select molecules are involved in this process. MAP2 is a neuronal protein that shares significant sequence homology with the repeat-bearing amyloid core region of tau. There is discrepancy about MAP2's involvement in pathology and its relationship with tau fibrillization. Here, we employed the entire repeat regions of 3R and 4R MAP2, to investigate their modulatory role in tau fibrillization. We find that both proteins block the spontaneous and seeded aggregation of 4R tau, with 4R MAP2 being slightly more potent. The inhibition of tau seeding is observed in vitro, in HEK293 cells, and in AD brain extracts, underscoring its broader scope. MAP2 monomers specifically bind to the end of tau fibrils, preventing recruitment of further tau and MAP2 monomers onto the fibril tip. The findings uncover a new function for MAP2 as a tau fibril cap that could play a significant role in modulating tau propagation in disease and may hold promise as a potential intrinsic protein inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Holden
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Brad J Krzesinski
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Hilary A Weismiller
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Justin R Shady
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Martin Margittai
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA.
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11
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van Amerongen S, Kamps S, Kaijser KKM, Pijnenburg YAL, Scheltens P, Teunissen CE, Barkhof F, Ossenkoppele R, Rozemuller AJM, Stern RA, Hoozemans JJM, Vijverberg EGB. Severe CTE and TDP-43 pathology in a former professional soccer player with dementia: a clinicopathological case report and review of the literature. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:77. [PMID: 37161501 PMCID: PMC10169296 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01572-3] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, numerous post-mortem case series have documented chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in former contact-sport athletes, though reports of CTE pathology in former soccer players are scarce. This study presents a clinicopathological case of a former professional soccer player with young-onset dementia. The patient experienced early onset progressive cognitive decline and developed dementia in his mid-50 s, after playing soccer for 12 years at a professional level. While the clinical picture mimicked Alzheimer's disease, amyloid PET imaging did not provide evidence of elevated beta-amyloid plaque density. After he died in his mid-60 s, brain autopsy showed severe phosphorylated tau (p-tau) abnormalities fulfilling the neuropathological criteria for high-stage CTE, as well as astrocytic and oligodendroglial tau pathology in terms of tufted astrocytes, thorn-shaped astrocytes, and coiled bodies. Additionally, there were TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) positive cytoplasmic inclusions in the frontal lobe and hippocampus, and Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) positivity in the axons of the white matter. A systematic review of the literature revealed only 13 other soccer players with postmortem diagnosis of CTE. Our report illustrates the complex clinicopathological correlation of CTE and the need for disease-specific biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzan van Amerongen
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Suzie Kamps
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Kyra K M Kaijser
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yolande A L Pijnenburg
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Philip Scheltens
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- EQT Life Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Charlotte E Teunissen
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Neurochemistry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Frederik Barkhof
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology and Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rik Ossenkoppele
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Annemieke J M Rozemuller
- Amsterdam Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert A Stern
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Neurosurgery, and Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Everard G B Vijverberg
- Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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12
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McKee AC, Stein TD, Huber BR, Crary JF, Bieniek K, Dickson D, Alvarez VE, Cherry JD, Farrell K, Butler M, Uretsky M, Abdolmohammadi B, Alosco ML, Tripodis Y, Mez J, Daneshvar DH. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE): criteria for neuropathological diagnosis and relationship to repetitive head impacts. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 145:371-394. [PMID: 36759368 PMCID: PMC10020327 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02540-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Over the last 17 years, there has been a remarkable increase in scientific research concerning chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Since the publication of NINDS-NIBIB criteria for the neuropathological diagnosis of CTE in 2016, and diagnostic refinements in 2021, hundreds of contact sport athletes and others have been diagnosed at postmortem examination with CTE. CTE has been reported in amateur and professional athletes, including a bull rider, boxers, wrestlers, and American, Canadian, and Australian rules football, rugby union, rugby league, soccer, and ice hockey players. The pathology of CTE is unique, characterized by a pathognomonic lesion consisting of a perivascular accumulation of neuronal phosphorylated tau (p-tau) variably alongside astrocytic aggregates at the depths of the cortical sulci, and a distinctive molecular structural configuration of p-tau fibrils that is unlike the changes observed with aging, Alzheimer's disease, or any other tauopathy. Computational 3-D and finite element models predict the perivascular and sulcal location of p-tau pathology as these brain regions undergo the greatest mechanical deformation during head impact injury. Presently, CTE can be definitively diagnosed only by postmortem neuropathological examination; the corresponding clinical condition is known as traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES). Over 97% of CTE cases published have been reported in individuals with known exposure to repetitive head impacts (RHI), including concussions and nonconcussive impacts, most often experienced through participation in contact sports. While some suggest there is uncertainty whether a causal relationship exists between RHI and CTE, the preponderance of the evidence suggests a high likelihood of a causal relationship, a conclusion that is strengthened by the absence of any evidence for plausible alternative hypotheses. There is a robust dose-response relationship between CTE and years of American football play, a relationship that remains consistent even when rigorously accounting for selection bias. Furthermore, a recent study suggests that selection bias underestimates the observed risk. Here, we present the advances in the neuropathological diagnosis of CTE culminating with the development of the NINDS-NIBIB criteria, the multiple international studies that have used these criteria to report CTE in hundreds of contact sports players and others, and the evidence for a robust dose-response relationship between RHI and CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann C McKee
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Boston, MA, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA.
| | - Thor D Stein
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Bertrand R Huber
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John F Crary
- Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research Core, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin Bieniek
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Dennis Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan D Cherry
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kurt Farrell
- Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience, and Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research Core, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Morgane Butler
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Madeline Uretsky
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Bobak Abdolmohammadi
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Michael L Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel H Daneshvar
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and CTE Centers, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 150 S Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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13
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Varlow C, Vasdev N. Evaluation of Tau Radiotracers in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. J Nucl Med 2023; 64:460-465. [PMID: 36109185 PMCID: PMC10071800 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.122.264404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurologic disorder associated with head injuries, diagnosed by the perivascular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein (phospho-tau) identified at autopsy. Tau PET radiopharmaceuticals developed for imaging Alzheimer disease are under evaluation for brain injuries. The goal of this study was to conduct a head-to-head in vitro evaluation of 5 tau PET radiotracers in subjects pathologically diagnosed with CTE. Methods: Autoradiography was used to assess the specific binding and distribution of 3H-flortaucipir (also known as Tauvid, AV-1451, and T807), 3H-MK-6240 (also known as florquinitau), 3H-PI-2620, 3H-APN-1607 (also known as PM-PBB3 and florzolotau), and 3H-CBD-2115 (also known as 3H-OXD-2115) in fresh-frozen human postmortem CTE brain tissue (stages I-IV). Immunohistochemistry was performed for phospho-tau with AT8, 3R tau with RD3, 4R tau with RD4 and amyloid-β with 6F/3D antibodies. Tau target density (maximum specific binding) was quantified by saturation analysis with 3H-flortaucipir in tissue sections. Results: 3H-flortaucipir demonstrated a positive signal in all CTE cases examined, with varying degrees of specific binding (68.7% ± 10.5%; n = 12) defined by homologous blockade and to a lesser extent by heterologous blockade with MK-6240 (27.3% ± 13.6%; n = 12). The 3H-flortaucipir signal was also displaced by the monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A inhibitor clorgyline (43.9% ± 4.6%; n = 3), indicating off-target binding to MAO-A. 3H-APN-1607 was moderately displaced in homologous blocking studies and was not displaced by 3H-flortaucipir; however, substantial displacement was observed when blocking with the β-amyloid-targeting compound NAV-4694. 3H-MK-6240 and 3H-PI-2620 had negligible binding in all but 2 CTE IV cases, and binding may be attributed to pathology severity or mixed Alzheimer disease/CTE pathology. 3H-CBD-2115 showed moderate binding, displaced under homologous blockade, and aligned with 4R-tau immunostaining. Conclusion: In human CTE tissues, 3H-flortaucipir and 3H-APN-1607 revealed off-target binding to MAO-A and amyloid-β, respectively, and should be considered if these radiotracers are used in PET imaging studies of patients with brain injuries. 3H-MK-6240 and 3H-PI-2620 bind to CTE tau in severe- or mixed-pathology cases, and their respective 18F PET radiotracers warrant further evaluation in patients with severe suspected CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassis Varlow
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Neil Vasdev
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Kirsch D, Shah A, Dixon E, Kelley H, Cherry JD, Xia W, Daley S, Aytan N, Cormier K, Kubilus C, Mathias R, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, McKee AC, Stein TD. Vascular injury is associated with repetitive head impacts and tau pathology in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2023; 82:127-139. [PMID: 36617181 PMCID: PMC9852946 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlac122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repetitive head impacts (RHI) and characterized by perivascular hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) deposits. The role of vascular injury, blood-brain barrier leakage, and neuroinflammation in CTE pathogenesis is not well understood. We performed quantitative immunoassays for intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM1), vascular cellular adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1), and C-reactive protein (CRP) within the postmortem dorsolateral frontal cortex of participants with and without a history of RHI and CTE (n = 156), and tested for associations with RHI, microgliosis, and tau pathology measures. Levels of vascular injury-associated markers ICAM1, VCAM1, and CRP were increased in CTE compared to RHI-exposed and -naïve controls. ICAM1 and CRP increased with RHI exposure duration (p < 0.01) and were associated with increased microglial density (p < 0.001) and tau pathology (AT8, p-tau396, p-tau202; p < 0.05). Histologically, there was significantly increased ICAM1 staining of the microvasculature, extracellular space, and astrocytes at the sulcal depths in high stage CTE compared to both low stage CTE and controls. Multifocal perivascular immunoreactivity for serum albumin was present in all RHI-exposed individuals. These findings demonstrate that vascular injury markers are associated with RHI exposure, duration, and microgliosis, are elevated in CTE, and increase with disease severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kirsch
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arsal Shah
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erin Dixon
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hunter Kelley
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jonathan D Cherry
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Weiming Xia
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sarah Daley
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nurgul Aytan
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kerry Cormier
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Carol Kubilus
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rebecca Mathias
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bertrand R Huber
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
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15
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Wu L, Madhavan SS, Tan C, Xu B. Hexameric Aggregation Nucleation Core Sequences and Diversity of Pathogenic Tau Strains. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121559. [PMID: 36558893 PMCID: PMC9784471 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Tau aggregation associates with multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and rare tauopathies such as Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration. The molecular and structural basis of tau aggregation and related diverse misfolded tau strains are not fully understood. To further understand tau-protein aggregation mechanisms, we performed systematic truncation mutagenesis and mapped key segments of tau proteins that contribute to tau aggregation, where it was determined that microtubule binding domains R2 and R3 play critical roles. We validated that R2- or R3-related hexameric PHF6 and PHF6* peptide sequences are necessary sequences that render tau amyloidogenicity. We also determined that the consensus VQI peptide sequence is not sufficient for amyloidogenicity. We further proposed single- and dual-nucleation core-based strain classifications based on recent cryo-EM structures. We analyzed the structural environment of the hexameric peptide sequences in diverse tau strains in tauopathies that, in part, explains why the VQI consensus core sequence is not sufficient to induce tau aggregation. Our experimental work and complementary structural analysis highlighted the indispensible roles of the hexameric core sequences, and shed light on how the interaction environment of these core sequences contributes to diverse pathogenic tau-strains formation in various tauopathy brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wu
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA
- Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Sidharth S. Madhavan
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Christopher Tan
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Bin Xu
- Biomanufacturing Research Institute and Technology Enterprise (BRITE), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707, USA
- Duke/UNC Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- School of Neuroscience, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- Correspondence:
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16
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Cherry JD, Baucom ZH, Eppich KG, Kirsch D, Dixon ER, Tripodis Y, Bieniek KF, Farrell K, Whitney K, Uretsky M, Crary JF, Dickson D, McKee AC. Neuroimmune proteins can differentiate between tauopathies. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:278. [PMID: 36403052 PMCID: PMC9675129 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02640-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tauopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases where there is pathologic accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein (ptau). The most common tauopathy is Alzheimer's disease (AD), but chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and argyrophilic grain disease (AGD) are significant health risks as well. Currently, it is unclear what specific molecular factors might drive each distinct disease and represent therapeutic targets. Additionally, there is a lack of biomarkers that can differentiate each disease in life. Recent work has suggested that neuroinflammatory changes might be specific among distinct diseases and offers a novel resource for mechanistic targets and biomarker candidates. METHODS To better examine each tauopathy, a 71 immune-related protein multiplex ELISA panel was utilized to analyze anterior cingulate grey matter from 127 individuals neuropathologically diagnosed with AD, CTE, PSP, CBD, and AGD. A partial least square regression analysis was carried out to perform unbiased clustering and identify proteins that are distinctly correlated with each tauopathy correcting for age and gender. Receiver operator characteristic and binary logistic regression analyses were then used to examine the ability of each candidate protein to distinguish diseases. Validation in postmortem cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 15 AD and 14 CTE cases was performed to determine if candidate proteins could act as possible novel biomarkers. RESULTS Five clusters of immune proteins were identified and compared to each tauopathy to determine if clusters were specific to distinct disease. Each cluster was found to correlate with either CTE, AD, PSP, CBD, or AGD. When examining which proteins were the strongest driver of each cluster, it was observed the most distinctive protein for CTE was CCL21, AD was FLT3L, and PSP was IL13. Individual proteins that were specific to CBD and AGD were not observed. CCL21 was observed to be elevated in CTE CSF compared to AD cases (p = 0.02), further validating the use as possible biomarkers. Sub-analyses for male only cases confirmed the results were not skewed by gender differences. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results highlight that different neuroinflammatory responses might underlie unique mechanisms in related neurodegenerative pathologies. Additionally, the use of distinct neuroinflammatory signatures could help differentiate between tauopathies and act as novel biomarker candidate to increase specificity for in-life diagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Cherry
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA , USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Zach H Baucom
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaleb G Eppich
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel Kirsch
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA , USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin R Dixon
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kevin F Bieniek
- Department of Pathology, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Gleen Biggs Institute for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, UT Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Kurt Farrell
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research CoRE, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristen Whitney
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research CoRE, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madeline Uretsky
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John F Crary
- Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank and Research CoRE, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dennis Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA , USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Butler MLMD, Dixon E, Stein TD, Alvarez VE, Huber B, Buckland ME, McKee AC, Cherry JD. Tau Pathology in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is Primarily Neuronal. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2022; 81:773-780. [PMID: 35903039 PMCID: PMC9487650 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlac065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Millions of individuals are exposed to repetitive head impacts (RHI) each year through contact sports, military blast, and interpersonal violence. RHI is the major risk factor for developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative tauopathy. Recent consensus criteria defined the pathognomonic lesion in CTE as perivascular, hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) in neuronal aggregates. Astroglial p-tau is an inconsistent supporting feature and not in itself diagnostic of CTE. This study quantitated the spatial and cellular distribution of p-tau pathology in postmortem dorsolateral frontal cortex of 150 individuals with CTE, from ages 21 to 80 years old, without comorbid pathology. p-Tau-immunoreactive cells were quantitated in the gray matter sulcus, crest, subpial region, and within pathognomonic CTE lesions. Significantly more neuronal p-tau than astrocytic p-tau was found across all cortical regions (p < 0.0001). Sulcal astrocytic p-tau was primarily (75%, p < 0.0001) localized to subpial regions as thorn-shaped astrocytes, a form of age-related tau astrogliopathy. Neuronal p-tau was significantly associated with age, years of RHI exposure, and CTE severity; astrocytic p-tau pathology was only significantly associated with age. These findings strongly support neuronal degeneration as a driving feature of CTE and will help inform future research and the development of fluid biomarkers for the detection of neuronal degeneration in CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane L M D Butler
- From the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Erin Dixon
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bertrand Huber
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Michael E Buckland
- Department of Neuropathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Ann C McKee
- From the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jonathan D Cherry
- Send correspondence to: Jonathan D. Cherry, PhD, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130, USA; E-mail:
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18
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Asken BM, Tanner JA, VandeVrede L, Casaletto KB, Staffaroni AM, Mundada N, Fonseca C, Iaccarino L, La Joie R, Tsuei T, Mladinov M, Grant H, Shankar R, Wang KKW, Xu H, Cobigo Y, Rosen H, Gardner RC, Perry DC, Miller BL, Spina S, Seeley WW, Kramer JH, Grinberg LT, Rabinovici GD. Multi-Modal Biomarkers of Repetitive Head Impacts and Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome: A Clinicopathological Case Series. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:1195-1213. [PMID: 35481808 PMCID: PMC9422800 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) criteria were developed to aid diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) pathology during life. Interpreting clinical and biomarker findings in patients with TES during life necessitates autopsy-based determination of the neuropathological profile. We report a clinicopathological series of nine patients with previous repetitive head impacts (RHI) classified retrospectively using the recent TES research framework (100% male and white/Caucasian, age at death 49-84) who completed antemortem neuropsychological evaluations, T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging (n = 6), (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (n = 5), and plasma measurement of neurofilament light (NfL), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and total tau (n = 8). Autopsies were performed on all patients. Cognitively, low test scores and longitudinal decline were relatively consistent for memory and executive function. Medial temporal lobe atrophy was observed in all nine patients. Poor white matter integrity was consistently found in the fornix. Glucose hypometabolism was most common in the medial temporal lobe and thalamus. Most patients had elevated plasma GFAP, NfL, and total tau at their initial visit and a subset showed longitudinally increasing concentrations. Neuropathologically, five of the nine patients had CTE pathology (n = 4 "High CTE"/McKee Stage III-IV, n = 1 "Low CTE"/McKee Stage I). Primary neuropathological diagnoses (i.e., the disease considered most responsible for observed symptoms) were frontotemporal lobar degeneration (n = 2 FTLD-TDP, n = 1 FTLD-tau), Alzheimer disease (n = 3), CTE (n = 2), and primary age-related tauopathy (n = 1). In addition, hippocampal sclerosis was a common neuropathological comorbidity (n = 5) and associated with limbic-predominant TDP-43 proteinopathy (n = 4) or FTLD-TDP (n = 1). Memory and executive function decline, limbic system brain changes (atrophy, decreased white matter integrity, hypometabolism), and plasma biomarker alterations are common in RHI and TES but may reflect multiple neuropathologies. In particular, the neuropathological differential for patients with RHI or TES presenting with medial temporal atrophy and memory loss should include limbic TDP-43. Researchers and clinicians should be cautious in attributing cognitive, neuroimaging, or other biomarker changes solely to CTE tau pathology based on previous RHI or a TES diagnosis alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breton M. Asken
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jeremy A. Tanner
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lawren VandeVrede
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kaitlin B. Casaletto
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Adam M. Staffaroni
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Nidhi Mundada
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Corrina Fonseca
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Leonardo Iaccarino
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Renaud La Joie
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Torie Tsuei
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Miho Mladinov
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Harli Grant
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ranjani Shankar
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kevin K. W. Wang
- Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics & Biomarkers Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Chemistry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Program for Neurotrauma, Neuroproteomics & Biomarkers Research, Department of Emergency Medicine, Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Chemistry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
- Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Yann Cobigo
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Howie Rosen
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Raquel C. Gardner
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - David C. Perry
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Bruce L. Miller
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - William W. Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joel H. Kramer
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Gil D. Rabinovici
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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19
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Murray HC, Osterman C, Bell P, Vinnell L, Curtis MA. Neuropathology in chronic traumatic encephalopathy: a systematic review of comparative post-mortem histology literature. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2022; 10:108. [PMID: 35933388 PMCID: PMC9356428 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-022-01413-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with repetitive head trauma and is characterised by the perivascular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) in the depths of cortical sulci. CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem and the cellular mechanisms of disease causation remain to be elucidated. Understanding the full scope of the pathological changes currently identified in CTE is necessary to identify areas requiring further research. This systematic review summarises the current literature on CTE pathology from postmortem human tissue histology studies published until 31 December 2021. Publications were included if they quantitively or qualitatively compared postmortem human tissue pathology in CTE to neuropathologically normal cases or other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Pathological entities investigated included p-tau, beta-amyloid, TDP-43, Lewy bodies, astrogliosis, microgliosis, axonopathy, vascular dysfunction, and cell stress. Of these pathologies, p-tau was the most frequently investigated, with limited reports on other pathological features such as vascular dysfunction, astrogliosis, and microgliosis. Consistent increases in p-tau, TDP-43, microgliosis, axonopathy, and cell stress were reported in CTE cases compared to neuropathologically normal cases. However, there was no clear consensus on how these pathologies compared to AD. The CTE cases used for these studies were predominantly from the VA-BU-CLF brain bank, with American football and boxing as the most frequent sources of repetitive head injury exposure. Overall, this systematic review highlights gaps in the literature and proposes three priorities for future research including: 1. The need for studies of CTE cases with more diverse head injury exposure profiles to understand the consistency of pathology changes between different populations. 2. The need for more studies that compare CTE with normal ageing and AD to further clarify the pathological signature of CTE for diagnostic purposes and to understand the disease process. 3. Further research on non-aggregate pathologies in CTE, such as vascular dysfunction and neuroinflammation. These are some of the least investigated features of CTE pathology despite being implicated in the acute phase response following traumatic head injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen C Murray
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand.
| | - Chelsie Osterman
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Paige Bell
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Luca Vinnell
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
| | - Maurice A Curtis
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging and Centre for Brain Research, Faculty of Medical and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1023, New Zealand
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20
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Stathas S, Alvarez VE, Xia W, Nicks R, Meng G, Daley S, Pothast M, Shah A, Kelley H, Esnault C, McCormack R, Dixon E, Fishbein L, Cherry JD, Huber BR, Tripodis Y, Alosco ML, Mez J, McKee AC, Stein TD. Tau phosphorylation sites serine202 and serine396 are differently altered in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:1511-1522. [PMID: 34854540 PMCID: PMC9160206 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative tauopathy associated with repetitive head impacts (RHI) typically sustained by contact sport athletes. Post-translation modifications to tau in CTE have not been well delineated or compared to Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS We measured phosphorylated tau epitopes within dorsolateral frontal cortex from post mortem brains with neither CTE nor AD (n = 108), CTE (n = 109), AD (n = 223), and both CTE and AD (n = 33). RESULTS Levels of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau)202 , p-tau231 , and p-tau396 were significantly increased in CTE. Total years of RHI exposure was significantly associated with increased p-tau202 levels (P = .001), but not p-tau396 . Instead, p-tau396 was most closely related to amyloid beta (Aβ)1-42 levels (P < .001). The p-tau202 :p-tau396 ratio was significantly increased in early and late CTE compared to AD. DISCUSSION In frontal cortex, p-tau202 is the most upregulated p-tau species in CTE, while p-tau396 is most increased in AD. p-tau202 and p-tau396 measurements may aid in developing biomarkers for disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- SpiroAnthony Stathas
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Victor E. Alvarez
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Weiming Xia
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Raymond Nicks
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Gaoyuan Meng
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Sarah Daley
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Morgan Pothast
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Arsal Shah
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Hunter Kelley
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Camille Esnault
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Robert McCormack
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Erin Dixon
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Lucas Fishbein
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Jonathan D. Cherry
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Bertrand R. Huber
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Michael L. Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Ann C. McKee
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Thor D. Stein
- Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord Street, B7800, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
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21
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McCann H, Bahar AY, Burkhardt K, Gardner AJ, Halliday GM, Iverson GL, Shepherd CE. Prevalence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy in the Sydney Brain Bank. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac189. [PMID: 35950093 PMCID: PMC9356727 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathologic change can only be definitively diagnosed post-mortem. It has been associated with repetitive mild neurotrauma sustained in amateur and professional contact, collision and combat sports, although it has also been documented in people with a single severe traumatic brain injury and in some people with no known history of brain injury. The characteristic neuropathology is an accumulation of perivascular neuronal and astrocytic phosphorylated tau in the depths of the cortical sulci. The tau-immunopositive neurons and astrocytes that are considered pathognomonic for chronic traumatic encephalopathy are morphologically indistinguishable from Alzheimer-related neurofibrillary tangles and ageing-related tau astrogliopathy, respectively, although they are found in different spatial distributions throughout the cortex. The Sydney Brain Bank collection consists of neurodegenerative diseases and neurologically normal controls. We screened 636 of these cases for chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathologic change. A subset of 109 cases had a known history of traumatic brain injury. Three cortical regions were screened for the presence of neuronal and astrocytic phosphorylated tau according to the current 2021 National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering consensus criteria for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Five cases (0.79%) showed pathological evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy and three of these had a history of traumatic brain injury. Three cases had coexisting Alzheimer’s and/or Lewy body disease pathology meeting criteria for neurodegenerative disease. Another eight cases almost met criteria for chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathological change except for an absence of neuronal tau or a strict perivascular arrangement. Ageing-related tau astrogliopathy was found in all eight cases as a coexisting neuropathology. Traumatic brain injury was associated with increased odds ratio [1.79, confidence interval 1.18–2.72] of having a higher neurofibrillary tangle stage and phosphorylated TAR DNA binding protein 43 (OR 2.48, confidence interval 1.35–4.54). Our study shows a very low rate of chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathological change in brains with or without neurodegenerative disease from the Sydney Brain Bank. Our evidence suggests that isolated traumatic brain injury in the general population is unlikely to cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy neuropathologic change but may be associated with increased brain ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather McCann
- Neuroscience Research Australia , Randwick, NSW 2031 , Australia
| | - Anita Y Bahar
- Neuroscience Research Australia , Randwick, NSW 2031 , Australia
| | - Karim Burkhardt
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales , Kensington, NSW 2052 , Australia
| | - Andrew J Gardner
- School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle , Callaghan, NSW 2308 , Australia
| | - Glenda M Halliday
- Neuroscience Research Australia , Randwick, NSW 2031 , Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney Brain and Mind Centre , Camperdown, NSW 2050 , Australia
| | - Grant L Iverson
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA 02114 , USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital , Charlestown, MA 02114 , USA
- Home Base, A Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program , Charlestown, MA 02114 , USA
- MassGeneral Hospital for Children Sports Concussion Program , Boston, MA 02114 , USA
| | - Claire E Shepherd
- Neuroscience Research Australia , Randwick, NSW 2031 , Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales , Kensington, NSW 2052 , Australia
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22
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Ackermans NL, Varghese M, Williams TM, Grimaldi N, Selmanovic E, Alipour A, Balchandani P, Reidenberg JS, Hof PR. Evidence of traumatic brain injury in headbutting bovids. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:5-26. [PMID: 35579705 PMCID: PMC9217783 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02427-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of neurologic impairment and death that remains poorly understood. Rodent models have yet to produce clinical therapies, and the exploration of larger and more diverse models remains relatively scarce. We investigated the potential for brain injury after headbutting in two combative bovid species by assessing neuromorphology and neuropathology through immunohistochemistry and stereological quantification. Postmortem brains of muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus, n = 3) and bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis, n = 4) were analyzed by high-resolution MRI and processed histologically for evidence of TBI. Exploratory histological protocols investigated potential abnormalities in neurons, microglia, and astrocytes in the prefrontal and parietal cortex. Phosphorylated tau protein, a TBI biomarker found in the cerebrospinal fluid and in neurodegenerative lesions, was used to detect possible cellular consequences of chronic or acute TBI. MRI revealed no abnormal neuropathological changes; however, high amounts of tau-immunoreactive neuritic thread clusters, neurites, and neurons were concentrated in the superficial layers of the neocortex, preferentially at the bottom of the sulci in the muskoxen and occasionally around blood vessels. Tau-immunoreactive lesions were rare in the bighorn sheep. Additionally, microglia and astrocytes showed no grouping around tau-immunoreactive cells in either species. Our preliminary findings indicate that muskoxen and possibly other headbutting bovids suffer from chronic or acute brain trauma and that the males' thicker skulls may protect them to a certain extent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. Ackermans
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
- Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Mail Box 1007, New York, NY 10029-6574 USA
- University of Zurich, Rämistrasse 71, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Merina Varghese
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Terrie M. Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA
| | - Nicholas Grimaldi
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Enna Selmanovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Akbar Alipour
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Priti Balchandani
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
- BioMedical Engineering and Imaging Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Joy S. Reidenberg
- Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, Mail Box 1007, New York, NY 10029-6574 USA
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer’s Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
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23
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Zhang Y, Wu KM, Yang L, Dong Q, Yu JT. Tauopathies: new perspectives and challenges. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:28. [PMID: 35392986 PMCID: PMC8991707 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00533-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by neuronal and/or glial tau-positive inclusions. MAIN BODY Clinically, tauopathies can present with a range of phenotypes that include cognitive/behavioral-disorders, movement disorders, language disorders and non-specific amnestic symptoms in advanced age. Pathologically, tauopathies can be classified based on the predominant tau isoforms that are present in the inclusion bodies (i.e., 3R, 4R or equal 3R:4R ratio). Imaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood-based tau biomarkers have the potential to be used as a routine diagnostic strategy and in the evaluation of patients with tauopathies. As tauopathies are strongly linked neuropathologically and genetically to tau protein abnormalities, there is a growing interest in pursuing of tau-directed therapeutics for the disorders. Here we synthesize emerging lessons on tauopathies from clinical, pathological, genetic, and experimental studies toward a unified concept of these disorders that may accelerate the therapeutics. CONCLUSIONS Since tauopathies are still untreatable diseases, efforts have been made to depict clinical and pathological characteristics, identify biomarkers, elucidate underlying pathogenesis to achieve early diagnosis and develop disease-modifying therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Kai-Min Wu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Qiang Dong
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Jin-Tai Yu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
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24
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Mayer AR, Quinn DK. Neuroimaging Biomarkers of New-Onset Psychiatric Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:459-469. [PMID: 34334188 PMCID: PMC8665933 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has traditionally been associated with cognitive and behavioral changes during both the acute and chronic phases of injury. Because of its noninvasive nature, neuroimaging has the potential to provide unique information on underlying macroscopic and microscopic biological mechanisms that may serve as causative agents for these neuropsychiatric sequelae. This broad scoping review identifies at least 4 common macroscopic pathways that exist between TBI and new-onset psychiatric disorders, as well as several examples of how neuroimaging is currently being utilized in clinical research. The review then critically examines the strengths and limitations of neuroimaging for elucidating TBI-related microscopic pathology, such as microstructural changes, neuroinflammation, proteinopathies, blood-brain barrier damage, and disruptions in cellular signaling. A summary is then provided for how neuroimaging is currently being used to investigate TBI-related pathology in new-onset neurocognitive disorders, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Identified gaps in the literature include a lack of prospective studies to definitively associate imaging findings with the development of new-onset psychiatric disorders, as well as antemortem imaging studies subsequently confirmed with postmortem correlates in the same study cohort. Although the spatial resolution and specificity of imaging biomarkers has greatly improved over the last 2 decades, we conclude that neuroimaging biomarkers do not yet exist for the definitive in vivo diagnosis of cellular pathology. This represents a necessary next step for further elucidating causal relationships between TBI and new-onset psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R. Mayer
- The Mind Research Network/Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM 87106,Department of Neurology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131,Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131,Corresponding author: Andrew Mayer, Ph.D., The Mind Research Network, Pete & Nancy Domenici Hall, 1101 Yale Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106 USA; Tel: 505-272-0769; Fax: 505-272-8002;
| | - Davin K. Quinn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131
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25
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Turk KW, Geada A, Alvarez VE, Xia W, Cherry JD, Nicks R, Meng G, Daley S, Tripodis Y, Huber BR, Budson AE, Dwyer B, Kowall NW, Cantu RC, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Stern RA, Alosco ML, Mez J, McKee AC, Stein TD. A comparison between tau and amyloid-β cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2022; 14:28. [PMID: 35139894 PMCID: PMC8830027 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-022-00976-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tau and beta-amyloid levels in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease which can be clinically indistinguishable from Alzheimer's disease (AD), are largely unknown. We examined postmortem CSF analytes among participants with autopsy confirmed CTE and AD. METHODS In this cross-sectional study 192 participants from the Boston University AD Research Center, VA-BU-CLF Center, and Framingham Heart Study (FHS) had post-mortem CSF collected at autopsy. Participants were divided into pathological groups based on AD and CTE criteria, with 61 CTE participants (18 low, 43 high stage), 79 AD participants (23 low, 56 intermediate to high), 11 participants with CTE combined with AD, and 41 participants lacking both CTE and AD neuropathology. The Meso Scale Discovery immunoassay system was utilized to measure amyloid-beta (Aβ1-40, Aβ1-42), total tau (t-tau), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau181 and p-tau231). CSF analytes were then compared across the pathological groups: no CTE/no AD (control), Low CTE, Low AD, High CTE, Intermediate/High AD, and AD+CTE. RESULTS Among the Low disease state groups, the Low CTE group had significantly higher levels of p-tau231 versus the control group and compared to the Low AD group. The Low CTE group was also found to have significantly lower levels of Aβ1-42 compared to the control group. The high CTE group had higher levels of p-tau231 and lower levels of Aβ1-42 compared to Intermediate/High AD group. CONCLUSIONS Importantly, p-tau231 and Aβ1-42 were predictors of diagnosis of CTE vs. control and CTE vs. AD. Increased CSF p-tau231 is a promising potentially sensitive biomarker of CTE, and CSF Aβ1-42 needs further investigation in CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine W Turk
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Alexandra Geada
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Weiming Xia
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Jonathan D Cherry
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Raymond Nicks
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Gaoyuan Meng
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Sarah Daley
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Bertrand R Huber
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Andrew E Budson
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Brigid Dwyer
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Neil W Kowall
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Robert C Cantu
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20119, USA
- Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emerson Hospital, Concord, MA, 01742, USA
| | - Lee E Goldstein
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Departments of Biomedical, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering, Boston, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Douglas I Katz
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Robert A Stern
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20119, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Michael L Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
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26
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Tau seeding in chronic traumatic encephalopathy parallels disease severity. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:951-960. [PMID: 34626223 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02373-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative tauopathy, is associated with behavioral, mood and cognitive impairment, including dementia. Tauopathies are neurodegenerative diseases whose neuropathological phenotypes are characterized by distinct histopathologic features of tau pathology, which progressively deposit throughout the brain. In certain tauopathies, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD), tau deposition appears to follow brain network connections. Experimental evidence suggests that the progression of tau pathology in humans, mouse and cell models could be explained by tau seeds that adopt distinct conformations and serve as templates for their own amplification to mediate transcellular propagation of pathology. Tau seeds are efficiently detected by the induction of aggregation in cell-based "biosensors" that express tau repeat domain (RD) with a disease-associated mutation (P301S) fused to complementary fluorescent protein tags (cyan and yellow fluorescent protein). Biosensors enable quantification of tau seeding in fixed and fresh-frozen brain tissue. Phospho-tau deposition in CTE follows progressive stages (I-IV), but the relationship of seeding to this deposition is unclear. We have used an established biosensor assay to independently quantify tau seeding as compared to AT8 phospho-tau histopathology in thin sections of fixed tissues of 11 brain regions from 27 patients with CTE, 5 with other tauopathies, and 5 negative controls. In contrast to prior studies of AD, we detected tau seeding late in the course of CTE (predominantly stages III and IV). It was less anatomically prevalent than AT8-positive inclusions, which were relatively widespread. We especially observed seeding in the limbic system (amygdala, thalamus, basal ganglia), which may explain the dominant cognitive and behavior impairments that characterize CTE.
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27
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Muraoka S, DeLeo AM, Yang Z, Tatebe H, Yukawa-Takamatsu K, Ikezu S, Tokuda T, Issadore D, Stern RA, Ikezu T. Proteomic Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles Separated from Plasma of Former National Football League Players at Risk for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Aging Dis 2021; 12:1363-1375. [PMID: 34527415 PMCID: PMC8407879 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2020.0908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a tauopathy that affects individuals with a history of exposure to repetitive head impacts, including National Football League (NFL) players. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are known to carry tau in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. We examined protein profiles of EVs separated from the plasma of former NFL players at risk for CTE. EVs were separated from the plasma from former NFL players and age-matched controls using size-exclusion chromatography. Label-free quantitative proteomic analysis identified 675 proteins in plasma EVs, and 17 proteins were significantly differentially expressed between former NFL players and controls. Total tau (t-tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonie181 (p-tau181) in plasma-derived EVs were measured by ultrasensitive immunoassay. Level of t-tau and p-tau181 in EVs were significantly different, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of t-tau and p-tau181 showed 0.736 and 0.715, respectively. Machine learning analysis indicated that a combination of collagen type VI alpha 3 and 1 chain (COL6A3 and COL6A1) and reelin (RELN) can distinguish former NFL players from controls with 85% accuracy (AUC = 0.85). Based on the plasma EV proteomics, these data provide protein profiling of plasma EVs for CTE, and indicate combination of COL6A3, RELN and COL6A1 in plasma EVs may serve as the potential diagnostic biomarkers for CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Muraoka
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Annina M DeLeo
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Zijian Yang
- Deprtment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Harutsugu Tatebe
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, JAPAN.
| | - Kayo Yukawa-Takamatsu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Seiko Ikezu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Takahiko Tokuda
- Department of Functional Brain Imaging Research, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Chiba, JAPAN.
| | - David Issadore
- Deprtment of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Robert A Stern
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Tsuneya Ikezu
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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28
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Alosco ML, Mariani ML, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Au R, Banks SJ, Barr WB, Bouix S, Cantu RC, Coleman MJ, Dodick DW, Farrer LA, Geda YE, Katz DI, Koerte IK, Kowall NW, Lin AP, Marcus DS, Marek KL, McClean MD, McKee AC, Mez J, Palmisano JN, Peskind ER, Tripodis Y, Turner RW, Wethe JV, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Stern RA. Developing methods to detect and diagnose chronic traumatic encephalopathy during life: rationale, design, and methodology for the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Alzheimers Res Ther 2021; 13:136. [PMID: 34384490 PMCID: PMC8357968 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-021-00872-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease that has been neuropathologically diagnosed in brain donors exposed to repetitive head impacts, including boxers and American football, soccer, ice hockey, and rugby players. CTE cannot yet be diagnosed during life. In December 2015, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke awarded a seven-year grant (U01NS093334) to fund the "Diagnostics, Imaging, and Genetics Network for the Objective Study and Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (DIAGNOSE CTE) Research Project." The objectives of this multicenter project are to: develop in vivo fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers for CTE; characterize its clinical presentation; refine and validate clinical research diagnostic criteria (i.e., traumatic encephalopathy syndrome [TES]); examine repetitive head impact exposure, genetic, and other risk factors; and provide shared resources of anonymized data and biological samples to the research community. In this paper, we provide a detailed overview of the rationale, design, and methods for the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. METHODS The targeted sample and sample size was 240 male participants, ages 45-74, including 120 former professional football players, 60 former collegiate football players, and 60 asymptomatic participants without a history of head trauma or participation in organized contact sports. Participants were evaluated at one of four U.S. sites and underwent the following baseline procedures: neurological and neuropsychological examinations; tau and amyloid positron emission tomography; magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy; lumbar puncture; blood and saliva collection; and standardized self-report measures of neuropsychiatric, cognitive, and daily functioning. Study partners completed similar informant-report measures. Follow-up evaluations were intended to be in-person and at 3 years post-baseline. Multidisciplinary diagnostic consensus conferences are held, and the reliability and validity of TES diagnostic criteria are examined. RESULTS Participant enrollment and all baseline evaluations were completed in February 2020. Three-year follow-up evaluations began in October 2019. However, in-person evaluation ceased with the COVID-19 pandemic, and resumed as remote, 4-year follow-up evaluations (including telephone-, online-, and videoconference-based cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and neurologic examinations, as well as in-home blood draw) in February 2021. CONCLUSIONS Findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project should facilitate detection and diagnosis of CTE during life, and thereby accelerate research on risk factors, mechanisms, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of CTE. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT02798185.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Alosco
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Megan L Mariani
- Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles H Adler
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Laura J Balcer
- Departments of Neurology, Population Health and Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charles Bernick
- Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Las Vegas, NV, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rhoda Au
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Framingham Heart Study, and Slone Epidemiology Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarah J Banks
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - William B Barr
- Department of Neurology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sylvain Bouix
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert C Cantu
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael J Coleman
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David W Dodick
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Neurology, Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, BU Schools of Medicine and Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yonas E Geda
- Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Program, Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Douglas I Katz
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Encompass Health Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, USA
| | - Inga K Koerte
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- cBRAIN, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Neil W Kowall
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander P Lin
- Center for Clinical Spectroscopy, Department of Radiology, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel S Marcus
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Kenneth L Marek
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Invicro, LLC, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael D McClean
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Framingham Heart Study, Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph N Palmisano
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center (BEDAC), Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elaine R Peskind
- VA Northwest Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert W Turner
- Department of Clinical Research & Leadership, The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jennifer V Wethe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Cummings
- Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Eric M Reiman
- Banner Alzheimer's Institute, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Translational Genomics Research Institute, and Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Martha E Shenton
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert A Stern
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Departments of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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Kim SH, Farrell K, Cosentino S, Vonsattel JPG, Faust PL, Cortes EP, Bennet DA, Louis ED, Crary JF. Tau Isoform Profile in Essential Tremor Diverges From Other Tauopathies. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 80:835-843. [PMID: 34363663 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlab073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with essential tremor (ET) frequently develop concurrent dementia, which is often assumed to represent co-morbid Alzheimer disease (AD). Autopsy studies have identified a spectrum of tau pathologies in ET and tau isoforms have not been examined in ET. We performed immunoblotting using autopsy cerebral cortical tissue from patients with ET (n = 13), progressive supranuclear palsy ([PSP], n = 10), Pick disease ([PiD], n = 2), and AD (n = 7). Total tau in ET samples was similar to that in PSP and PiD but was significantly lower than that in AD. Abnormal tau levels measured using the AT8 phospho-tau specific (S202/T205/S208) monoclonal antibody in ET were similar to those in PSP but were lower than in PiD and AD. In aggregates, tau with 3 microtubule-binding domain repeats (3R) was significantly higher in AD than ET, while tau with 4 repeats (4R) was significantly higher in PSP. Strikingly, the total tau without N-terminal inserts in ET was significantly lower than in PSP, PiD, and AD, but total tau with other N-terminal inserts was not. Monomeric tau with one insert in ET was similar to that in PSP and PiD was lower than in AD. Thus, ET brains exhibit an expression profile of tau protein isoforms that diverges from that of other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soong Ho Kim
- From the Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, JFC).,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC)
| | - Kurt Farrell
- From the Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC)
| | - Stephanie Cosentino
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA (SC); G.H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA (SC, JPV).,Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA (SC, JPV)
| | - Jean-Paul G Vonsattel
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA (SC); G.H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA (SC, JPV).,Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA (SC, JPV).,Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA (JPV, PLF)
| | - Phyllis L Faust
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Columbia University Medical Center and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York, USA (JPV, PLF)
| | - Etty P Cortes
- From the Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research CoRE, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (EC, JFC)
| | - David A Bennet
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA (DAB)
| | - Elan D Louis
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, USA (EDL)
| | - John F Crary
- From the Department of Pathology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, JFC).,Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (SHK, KF, EC, JFC).,Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research CoRE, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA (EC, JFC)
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30
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Schwerin SC, Chatterjee M, Hutchinson EB, Djankpa FT, Armstrong RC, McCabe JT, Perl DP, Juliano SL. Expression of GFAP and Tau Following Blast Exposure in the Cerebral Cortex of Ferrets. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2021; 80:112-128. [PMID: 33421075 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlaa157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Blast exposures are a hallmark of contemporary military conflicts. We need improved preclinical models of blast traumatic brain injury for translation of pharmaceutical and therapeutic protocols. Compared with rodents, the ferret brain is larger, has substantial sulci, gyri, a higher white to gray matter ratio, and the hippocampus in a ventral position; these attributes facilitate comparison with the human brain. In this study, ferrets received compressed air shock waves and subsequent evaluation of glia and forms of tau following survival of up to 12 weeks. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot demonstrated altered distributions of astrogliosis and tau expression after blast exposure. Many aspects of the astrogliosis corresponded to human pathology: increased subpial reactivity, gliosis at gray-white matter interfaces, and extensive outlining of blood vessels. MRI analysis showed numerous hypointensities occurring in the 12-week survival animals, appearing to correspond to luminal expansions of blood vessels. Changes in forms of tau, including phosphorylated tau, and the isoforms 3R and 4R were noted using immunohistochemistry and Western blot in specific regions of the cerebral cortex. Of particular interest were the 3R and 4R isoforms, which modified their ratio after blast. Our data strongly support the ferret as an animal model with highly translational features to study blast injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Schwerin
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth B Hutchinson
- Quantitative Medical Imaging Section, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Francis T Djankpa
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Regina C Armstrong
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joseph T McCabe
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel P Perl
- Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Sharon L Juliano
- From the Department of Anatomy Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.,Program in Neuroscience, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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31
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Asken BM, Rabinovici GD. Identifying degenerative effects of repetitive head trauma with neuroimaging: a clinically-oriented review. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:96. [PMID: 34022959 PMCID: PMC8141132 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01197-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF REVIEW Varying severities and frequencies of head trauma may result in dynamic acute and chronic pathophysiologic responses in the brain. Heightened attention to long-term effects of head trauma, particularly repetitive head trauma, has sparked recent efforts to identify neuroimaging biomarkers of underlying disease processes. Imaging modalities like structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) are the most clinically applicable given their use in neurodegenerative disease diagnosis and differentiation. In recent years, researchers have targeted repetitive head trauma cohorts in hopes of identifying in vivo biomarkers for underlying biologic changes that might ultimately improve diagnosis of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in living persons. These populations most often include collision sport athletes (e.g., American football, boxing) and military veterans with repetitive low-level blast exposure. We provide a clinically-oriented review of neuroimaging data from repetitive head trauma cohorts based on structural MRI, FDG-PET, Aβ-PET, and tau-PET. We supplement the review with two patient reports of neuropathology-confirmed, clinically impaired adults with prior repetitive head trauma who underwent structural MRI, FDG-PET, Aβ-PET, and tau-PET in addition to comprehensive clinical examinations before death. REVIEW CONCLUSIONS Group-level comparisons to controls without known head trauma have revealed inconsistent regional volume differences, with possible propensity for medial temporal, limbic, and subcortical (thalamus, corpus callosum) structures. Greater frequency and severity (i.e., length) of cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is observed in repetitive head trauma cohorts compared to unexposed controls. It remains unclear whether CSP predicts a particular neurodegenerative process, but CSP presence should increase suspicion that clinical impairment is at least partly attributable to the individual's head trauma exposure (regardless of underlying disease). PET imaging similarly has not revealed a prototypical metabolic or molecular pattern associated with repetitive head trauma or predictive of CTE based on the most widely studied radiotracers. Given the range of clinical syndromes and neurodegenerative pathologies observed in a subset of adults with prior repetitive head trauma, structural MRI and PET imaging may still be useful for differential diagnosis (e.g., assessing suspected Alzheimer's disease).
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Affiliation(s)
- Breton M. Asken
- Department of Neurology, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
| | - Gil D. Rabinovici
- Departments of Neurology, Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, Suite 190, San Francisco, CA 94143 USA
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32
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Cherry JD, Esnault CD, Baucom ZH, Tripodis Y, Huber BR, Alvarez VE, Stein TD, Dickson DW, McKee AC. Tau isoforms are differentially expressed across the hippocampus in chronic traumatic encephalopathy and Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:86. [PMID: 33980303 PMCID: PMC8114683 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01189-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by hyperphosphorylated tau, found in individuals with a history of exposure to repetitive head impacts. While the neuropathologic hallmark of CTE is found in the cortex, hippocampal tau has proven to be an important neuropathologic feature to examine the extent of disease severity. However, the hippocampus is also heavily affected in many other tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). How CTE and AD differentially affect the hippocampus is unclear. Using immunofluorescent analysis, a detailed histologic characterization of 3R and 4R tau isoforms and their differential accumulation in the temporal cortex in CTE and AD was performed. CTE and AD were both observed to contain mixed 3R and 4R tau isoforms, with 4R predominating in mild disease and 3R increasing proportionally as pathological severity increased. CTE demonstrated high levels of tau in hippocampal subfields CA2 and CA3 compared to CA1. There were also low levels of tau in the subiculum compared to CA1 in CTE. In contrast, AD had higher levels of tau in CA1 and subiculum compared to CA2/3. Direct comparison of the tau burden between AD and CTE demonstrated that CTE had higher tau densities in CA4 and CA2/3, while AD had elevated tau in the subiculum. Amyloid beta pathology did not contribute to tau isoform levels. Finally, it was demonstrated that higher levels of 3R tau correlated to more severe extracellular tau (ghost tangles) pathology. These findings suggest that mixed 3R/4R tauopathies begin as 4R predominant then transition to 3R predominant as pathological severity increases and ghost tangles develop. Overall, this work demonstrates that the relative deposition of tau isoforms among hippocampal subfields can aid in differential diagnosis of AD and CTE, and might help improve specificity of biomarkers for in vivo diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Cherry
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
| | - Camille D Esnault
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Zachary H Baucom
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
| | - Bertrand R Huber
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA
| | - Dennis W Dickson
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research and CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 20118, USA.
- VA Bedford Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, 01730, USA.
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Alosco ML, Culhane J, Mez J. Neuroimaging Biomarkers of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: Targets for the Academic Memory Disorders Clinic. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:772-791. [PMID: 33847906 PMCID: PMC8423967 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01028-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease associated with exposure to repetitive head impacts, such as those from contact sports. The pathognomonic lesion for CTE is the perivascular accumulation of hyper-phosphorylated tau in neurons and other cell process at the depths of sulci. CTE cannot be diagnosed during life at this time, limiting research on risk factors, mechanisms, epidemiology, and treatment. There is an urgent need for in vivo biomarkers that can accurately detect CTE and differentiate it from other neurological disorders. Neuroimaging is an integral component of the clinical evaluation of neurodegenerative diseases and will likely aid in diagnosing CTE during life. In this qualitative review, we present the current evidence on neuroimaging biomarkers for CTE with a focus on molecular, structural, and functional modalities routinely used as part of a dementia evaluation. Supporting imaging-pathological correlation studies are also presented. We targeted neuroimaging studies of living participants at high risk for CTE (e.g., aging former elite American football players, fighters). We conclude that an optimal tau PET radiotracer with high affinity for the 3R/4R neurofibrillary tangles in CTE has not yet been identified. Amyloid PET scans have tended to be negative. Converging structural and functional imaging evidence together with neuropathological evidence show frontotemporal and medial temporal lobe neurodegeneration, and increased likelihood for a cavum septum pellucidum. The literature offers promising neuroimaging biomarker targets of CTE, but it is limited by cross-sectional studies of small samples where the presence of underlying CTE is unknown. Imaging-pathological correlation studies will be important for the development and validation of neuroimaging biomarkers of CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Alosco
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Suite B7800, MA, 02118, Boston, USA.
| | - Julia Culhane
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Suite B7800, MA, 02118, Boston, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Boston University CTE Center, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St, Suite B7800, MA, 02118, Boston, USA
- Framingham Heart Study, Boston University School of Medicine, MA, Boston, USA
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34
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Bachstetter AD, Garrett FG, Jicha GA, Nelson PT. Space-occupying brain lesions, trauma-related tau astrogliopathy, and ARTAG: a report of two cases and a literature review. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2021; 9:49. [PMID: 33757579 PMCID: PMC7986305 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-021-01152-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes with intracellular accumulations of misfolded phosphorylated tau protein have been observed in advanced-stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and in other neurodegenerative conditions. There is a growing awareness that astrocytic tau inclusions are also relatively common in the brains of persons over 70 years of age-affecting approximately one-third of autopsied individuals. The pathologic hallmarks of aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) include phosphorylated tau protein within thorn-shaped astrocytes (TSA) in subpial, subependymal, perivascular, and white matter regions, whereas granular-fuzzy astrocytes are often seen in gray matter. CTE and ARTAG share molecular and histopathologic characteristics, suggesting that trauma-related mechanism(s) may predispose to the development of tau astrogliopathy. There are presently few experimental systems to study the pathobiology of astrocytic-tau aggregation, but human studies have made recent progress. For example, leucotomy (also referred to as lobotomy) is associated with a localized ARTAG-like neuropathology decades after the surgical brain injury, suggesting that chronic brain injury of any type may predispose to later life ARTAG. To examine this idea in a different context, we report clinical and pathologic features of two middle-aged men who came to autopsy with large (> 6 cm in greatest dimension) arachnoid cysts that had physically displaced and injured the subjects' left temporal lobes through chronic mechanical stress. Despite the similarity of the size and location of the arachnoid cysts, these individuals had dissimilar neurologic outcomes and neuropathologic findings. We review the evidence for ARTAG in response to brain injury, and discuss how the location and molecular properties of astroglial tau inclusions might alter the physiology of resident astrocytes. These cases and literature review point toward possible mechanism(s) of tau aggregation in astrocytes in response to chronic brain trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Bachstetter
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky, 741 S. Limestone St., Lexington, KY, 40536, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.
| | - Filip G Garrett
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Gregory A Jicha
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Peter T Nelson
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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35
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Alosco ML, Cherry JD, Huber BR, Tripodis Y, Baucom Z, Kowall NW, Saltiel N, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Palmisano JN, Martin B, Cantu RC, Stern RA, Alvarez VE, Mez J, Stein TD, McKee AC. Characterizing tau deposition in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE): utility of the McKee CTE staging scheme. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 140:495-512. [PMID: 32778942 PMCID: PMC7914059 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-020-02197-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a tauopathy associated with repetitive head impacts (RHI) that has been neuropathologically diagnosed in American football players and other contact sport athletes. In 2013, McKee and colleagues proposed a staging scheme for characterizing the severity of the hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) pathology, the McKee CTE staging scheme. The staging scheme defined four pathological stages of CTE, stages I(mild)-IV(severe), based on the density and regional deposition of p-tau. The objective of this study was to test the utility of the McKee CTE staging scheme, and provide a detailed examination of the regional distribution of p-tau in CTE. We examined the relationship between the McKee CTE staging scheme and semi-quantitative and quantitative assessments of regional p-tau pathology, age at death, dementia, and years of American football play among 366 male brain donors neuropathologically diagnosed with CTE (mean age 61.86, SD 18.90). Spearman's rho correlations showed that higher CTE stage was associated with higher scores on all semi-quantitative and quantitative assessments of p-tau severity and density (p's < 0.001). The severity and distribution of CTE p-tau followed an age-dependent progression: older age was associated with increased odds for having a higher CTE stage (p < 0.001). CTE stage was independently associated with increased odds for dementia (p < 0.001). K-medoids cluster analysis of the semi-quantitative scales of p-tau across 14 regions identified 5 clusters of p-tau that conformed to increasing CTE stage (stage IV had 2 slightly different clusters), age at death, dementia, and years of American football play. There was a predilection for p-tau pathology in five regions: dorsolateral frontal cortex (DLF), superior temporal cortex, entorhinal cortex, amygdala, and locus coeruleus (LC), with CTE in the youngest brain donors and lowest CTE stage restricted to DLF and LC. These findings support the usefulness of the McKee CTE staging scheme and demonstrate the regional distribution of p-tau in CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Alosco
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
| | - Jonathan D Cherry
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
| | - Bertrand Russell Huber
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare, Boston, USA
| | - Yorghos Tripodis
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Zachary Baucom
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Neil W Kowall
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
| | - Nicole Saltiel
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
| | - Lee E Goldstein
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering, Boston, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering, Boston, USA
| | - Douglas I Katz
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, USA
| | - Brigid Dwyer
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, Braintree, MA, USA
| | - Daniel H Daneshvar
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
| | - Joseph N Palmisano
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Brett Martin
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Data Analytics Center, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Robert C Cantu
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Concussion Legacy Foundation, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Emerson Hospital, Concord, USA
| | - Robert A Stern
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
| | - Victor E Alvarez
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Jesse Mez
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
| | - Thor D Stein
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Ann C McKee
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Alzheimer's Disease and CTE Centers, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA.
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, USA.
- VA Boston Healthcare System, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA.
- Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bedford, MA, USA.
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36
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Goedert M. Tau proteinopathies and the prion concept. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:239-259. [PMID: 32958235 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The ordered assembly of a small number of proteins into amyloid filaments is central to age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Tau is the most commonly affected of these proteins. In sporadic diseases, assemblies of tau form in a stochastic manner in certain brain regions, from where they appear to spread in a deterministic way, giving rise to disease symptoms. Over the past decade, multiple lines of evidence have shown that assembled tau behaves like a prion. More recently, electron cryo-microscopy of tau filaments has shown that distinct conformers are present in different diseases, with no inter-individual variation for a given disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Goedert
- MRC Laboratory Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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