1
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Clark PJ, Brodnik ZD, España RA. Chemogenetic Signaling in Space and Time: Considerations for Designing Neuroscience Experiments Using DREADDs. Neuroscientist 2024; 30:328-346. [PMID: 36408535 DOI: 10.1177/10738584221134587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The use of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) has led to significant advances in our understanding of the neural circuits that govern behavior. By allowing selective control over cellular activity and signaling, DREADDs have become an integral tool for defining the pathways and cellular phenotypes that regulate sleep, pain, motor activity, goal-directed behaviors, and a variety of other processes. In this review, we provide a brief overview of DREADDs and discuss notable discoveries in the neurosciences with an emphasis on circuit mechanisms. We then highlight methodological approaches to achieve pathway specific activation of DREADDs. Finally, we discuss spatial and temporal constraints of DREADDs signaling and how these features can be incorporated into experimental designs to precisely dissect circuits of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Clark
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zachary D Brodnik
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rodrigo A España
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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2
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Leonard AC, Friedman AJ, Chayer R, Petersen BM, Kaar J, Shirts MR, Whitehead TA. Rationalizing diverse binding mechanisms to the same protein fold: insights for ligand recognition and biosensor design. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.25.586677. [PMID: 38586024 PMCID: PMC10996623 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.25.586677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The engineering of novel protein-ligand binding interactions, particularly for complex drug-like molecules, is an unsolved problem which could enable many practical applications of protein biosensors. In this work, we analyzed two engineer ed biosensors, derived from the plant hormone sensor PYR1, to recognize either the agrochemical mandipropamid or the synthetic cannabinoid WIN55,212-2. Using a combination of quantitative deep mutational scanning experiments and molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrated that mutations at common positions can promote protein-ligand shape complementarity and revealed prominent differences in the electrostatic networks needed to complement diverse ligands. MD simulations indicate that both PYR1 protein-ligand complexes bind a single conformer of their target ligand that is close to the lowest free energy conformer. Computational design using a fixed conformer and rigid body orientation led to new WIN55,212-2 sensors with nanomolar limits of detection. This work reveals mechanisms by which the versatile PYR1 biosensor scaffold can bind diverse ligands. This work also provides computational methods to sample realistic ligand conformers and rigid body alignments that simplify the computational design of biosensors for novel ligands of interest.
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3
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Chen D, Lou Q, Song XJ, Kang F, Liu A, Zheng C, Li Y, Wang D, Qun S, Zhang Z, Cao P, Jin Y. Microglia govern the extinction of acute stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in male mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:449. [PMID: 38200023 PMCID: PMC10781988 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44704-6] [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: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Anxiety-associated symptoms following acute stress usually become extinct gradually within a period of time. However, the mechanisms underlying how individuals cope with stress to achieve the extinction of anxiety are not clear. Here we show that acute restraint stress causes an increase in the activity of GABAergic neurons in the CeA (GABACeA) in male mice, resulting in anxiety-like behaviors within 12 hours; meanwhile, elevated GABACeA neuronal CX3CL1 secretion via MST4 (mammalian sterile-20-like kinase 4)-NF-κB-CX3CL1 signaling consequently activates microglia in the CeA. Activated microglia in turn inhibit GABACeA neuronal activity via the engulfment of their dendritic spines, ultimately leading to the extinction of anxiety-like behaviors induced by restraint stress. These findings reveal a dynamic molecular and cellular mechanism in which microglia drive a negative feedback to inhibit GABACeA neuronal activity, thus facilitating maintenance of brain homeostasis in response to acute stress.
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Grants
- 32025017 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- 32121002 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- 82101300 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- U22A20305 National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- the National Key Research and Development Program of China (STI2030-Major Projects 2021ZD0203100), Plans for Major Provincial Science & Technology Projects (202303a07020002), the CAS Project for Young Scientists in Basic Research (YSBR-013), the Innovative Research Team of High-level Local Universities in Shanghai (SHSMU-ZDCX20211902), the Institute of Health and Medicine (OYZD20220007)
- the China National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents (BX20220283), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2023M733395)
- Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS, CAS Collaborative Innovation Program of Hefei Science Center (2021HSC-CIP013), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (WK9100000030), USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative (YD9100002018), the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province (2208085J30), and USTC Tang Scholar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danyang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Qianqian Lou
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Xiang-Jie Song
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Fang Kang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - An Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
| | - Changjian Zheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241002, China
| | - Yanhua Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Di Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Sen Qun
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
- The Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine, Institute of Health and Medicine, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Peng Cao
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Yan Jin
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
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4
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Robinson HL, Nicholson KL, Shelton KL, Hamilton PJ, Banks ML. Comparison of three DREADD agonists acting on Gq-DREADDs in the ventral tegmental area to alter locomotor activity in tyrosine hydroxylase:Cre male and female rats. Behav Brain Res 2023; 455:114674. [PMID: 37722510 PMCID: PMC10918529 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114674] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Despite the increasingly pervasive use of chemogenetic tools in preclinical neuroscience research, the in vivo pharmacology of DREADD agonists remains poorly understood. The pharmacological effects of any ligand acting at receptors, engineered or endogenous, are influenced by numerous factors including potency, time course, and receptor selectivity. Thus, rigorous comparison of the potency and time course of available DREADD ligands may provide an empirical foundation for ligand selection. OBJECTIVES Compare the behavioral pharmacology of three different DREADD ligands clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), compound 21 (C21), and deschloroclozapine (DCZ) in a locomotor activity assay in tyrosine hydroxylase:cre recombinase (TH:Cre) male and female rats. METHODS Locomotor activity in nine adult TH:Cre Sprague-Dawley rats (5 female, 4 male) was monitored for two hours following administration of d-amphetamine (vehicle, 0.1-3.2 mg/kg, IP), DCZ (vehicle, 0.32-320 µg/kg, IP), CNO (vehicle, 0.32-10 mg/kg), and C21 (vehicle, 0.1-3.2 mg/kg, IP). Behavioral sessions were conducted twice per week prior to and starting three weeks after bilateral intra-VTA hM3Dq DREADD virus injection. RESULTS d-Amphetamine significantly increased locomotor activity pre- and post-DREADD virus injection. DCZ, CNO, and C21 did not alter locomotor activity pre-DREADD virus injection. There was no significant effect of DCZ, CNO, and C21 on locomotor activity post-DREADD virus injection; however, large individual differences in both behavioral response and receptor expression were observed. CONCLUSIONS Large individual variability was observed in both DREADD agonist behavioral effects and receptor expression. These results suggest further basic research would facilitate the utility of these chemogenetic tools for behavioral neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Robinson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Katherine L Nicholson
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Keith L Shelton
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Peter J Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Matthew L Banks
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
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5
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Lawson KA, Ruiz CM, Mahler SV. A head-to-head comparison of two DREADD agonists for suppressing operant behavior in rats via VTA dopamine neuron inhibition. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2101-2110. [PMID: 37530882 PMCID: PMC10794001 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06429-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) are a tool for "remote control" of defined neuronal populations during behavior. These receptors are inert unless bound by an experimenter-administered designer drug, commonly clozapine-n-oxide (CNO). However, questions have emerged about the suitability of CNO as a systemically administered DREADD agonist. OBJECTIVES Second-generation agonists such as JHU37160 (J60) have been developed, which may have more favorable properties than CNO. Here we sought to directly compare effects of CNO (0, 1, 5, & 10 mg/kg, i.p.) and J60 (0, 0.03, 0.3, & 3 mg/kg, i.p.) on operant food pursuit. METHODS Male and female TH:Cre + rats and their wildtype (WT) littermates received cre-dependent hM4Di-mCherry vector injections into ventral tegmental area (VTA), causing inhibitory DREADD expression in VTA dopamine neurons of TH:Cre + rats. All rats were trained to stably lever press for palatable food on a fixed ratio 10 schedule, and doses of both agonists were tested on separate days in counterbalanced order. RESULTS All three CNO doses reduced operant rewards earned in rats with DREADDs, and no CNO dose had behavioral effects in WT controls. The highest J60 dose tested significantly reduced responding in DREADD rats, but this dose also increased responding in WTs, indicating non-specific effects. The magnitude of CNO and J60 effects in TH:Cre + rats were correlated and were present in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS Findings demonstrate the usefulness of directly comparing DREADD agonists when optimizing behavioral chemogenetics, and highlight the importance of proper controls, regardless of the DREADD agonist employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate A Lawson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, 1132 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
| | - Christina M Ruiz
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, 1132 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Stephen V Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, 1132 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
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6
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Balouek JA, Mclain CA, Minerva AR, Rashford RL, Bennett SN, Rogers FD, Peña CJ. Reactivation of Early-Life Stress-Sensitive Neuronal Ensembles Contributes to Lifelong Stress Hypersensitivity. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5996-6009. [PMID: 37429717 PMCID: PMC10451005 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0016-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) is one of the strongest lifetime risk factors for depression, anxiety, suicide, and other psychiatric disorders, particularly after facing additional stressful events later in life. Human and animal studies demonstrate that ELS sensitizes individuals to subsequent stress. However, the neurobiological basis of such stress sensitization remains largely unexplored. We hypothesized that ELS-induced stress sensitization would be detectable at the level of neuronal ensembles, such that cells activated by ELS would be more reactive to adult stress. To test this, we leveraged transgenic mice to genetically tag, track, and manipulate experience-activated neurons. We found that in both male and female mice, ELS-activated neurons within the nucleus accumbens (NAc), and to a lesser extent the medial prefrontal cortex, were preferentially reactivated by adult stress. To test whether reactivation of ELS-activated ensembles in the NAc contributes to stress hypersensitivity, we expressed hM4Dis receptor in control or ELS-activated neurons of pups and chemogenetically inhibited their activity during experience of adult stress. Inhibition of ELS-activated NAc neurons, but not control-tagged neurons, ameliorated social avoidance behavior following chronic social defeat stress in males. These data provide evidence that ELS-induced stress hypersensitivity is encoded at the level of corticolimbic neuronal ensembles.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Early-life stress enhances sensitivity to stress later in life, yet the mechanisms of such stress sensitization are largely unknown. Here, we show that neuronal ensembles in corticolimbic brain regions remain hypersensitive to stress across the life span, and quieting these ensembles during experience of adult stress rescues stress hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie-Anne Balouek
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Christabel A Mclain
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Adelaide R Minerva
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Rebekah L Rashford
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Shannon N Bennett
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
| | - Forrest D Rogers
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544
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7
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Abstract
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in preclinical studies to test genetic therapies for epilepsy. Some of these therapies have advanced to clinical trials and are being tested in patients with monogenetic or focal refractory epilepsy. This article provides an overview of the current state of preclinical studies that show potential for clinical translation. Specifically, we focus on genetic therapies that have demonstrated a clear effect on seizures in animal models and have the potential to be translated to clinical settings. Both therapies targeting the cause of the disease and those that treat symptoms are discussed. We believe that the next few years will be crucial in determining the potential of genetic therapies for treating patients with epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S. Street
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yichen Qiu
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gabriele Lignani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom
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8
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Lawson KA, Ruiz CM, Mahler SV. A head-to-head comparison of two DREADD agonists for suppressing operant behavior in rats via VTA dopamine neuron inhibition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.27.534429. [PMID: 37034819 PMCID: PMC10081263 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.27.534429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Rationale Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) are a tool for "remote control" of defined neuronal populations during behavior. These receptors are inert unless bound by an experimenter-administered designer drug, most commonly clozapine-n-oxide (CNO). However, questions have emerged about the suitability of CNO as a systemically administered DREADD agonist. Objectives Second-generation agonists such as JHU37160 (J60) have been developed, which may have more favorable properties than CNO. Here we sought to directly compare effects of CNO (0, 1, 5, & 10 mg/kg, i.p.) and J60 (0, 0.03, 0.3, & 3 mg/kg, i.p.) on operant food pursuit. Methods Male and female TH:Cre+ rats and their wildtype (WT) littermates received cre-dependent hM4Di-mCherry vector injections into ventral tegmental area (VTA), causing inhibitory DREADD expression in VTA dopamine neurons in TH:Cre+ rats. Rats were trained to stably lever press for palatable food on a fixed ratio 10 schedule, and doses of both agonists were tested on separate days in a counterbalanced order. Results All three CNO doses reduced operant food seeking in rats with DREADDs, and no CNO dose had behavioral effects in WT controls. The highest tested J60 dose significantly reduced responding in DREADD rats, but this dose also increased responding in WTs, indicating non-specific effects. The magnitude of CNO and J60 effects in TH:Cre+ rats were correlated and were present in both sexes. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the usefulness of directly comparing DREADD agonists when optimizing behavioral chemogenetics, and highlight the importance of proper controls, regardless of the DREADD agonist employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate A Lawson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Christina M Ruiz
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
| | - Stephen V Mahler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
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9
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Leonard AC, Whitehead TA. Design and engineering of genetically encoded protein biosensors for small molecules. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 78:102787. [PMID: 36058141 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Genetically encoded protein biosensors controlled by small organic molecules are valuable tools for many biotechnology applications, including control of cellular decisions in living cells. Here, we review recent advances in protein biosensor design and engineering for binding to novel ligands. We categorize sensor architecture as either integrated or portable, where portable biosensors uncouple molecular recognition from signal transduction. Proposed advances to improve portable biosensor development include standardizing a limited set of protein scaffolds, and automating ligand-compatibility screening and ligand-protein-interface design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison C Leonard
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80305, USA
| | - Timothy A Whitehead
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80305, USA.
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10
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Zhang S, Gumpper RH, Huang XP, Liu Y, Krumm BE, Cao C, Fay JF, Roth BL. Molecular basis for selective activation of DREADD-based chemogenetics. Nature 2022; 612:354-362. [PMID: 36450989 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05489-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) represent a powerful chemogenetic technology for the remote control of neuronal activity and cellular signalling1-4. The muscarinic receptor-based DREADDs are the most widely used chemogenetic tools in neuroscience research. The Gq-coupled DREADD (hM3Dq) is used to enhance neuronal activity, whereas the Gi/o-coupled DREADD (hM4Di) is utilized to inhibit neuronal activity5. Here we report four DREADD-related cryogenic electron microscopy high-resolution structures: a hM3Dq-miniGq complex and a hM4Di-miniGo complex bound to deschloroclozapine; a hM3Dq-miniGq complex bound to clozapine-N-oxide; and a hM3R-miniGq complex bound to iperoxo. Complemented with mutagenesis, functional and computational simulation data, our structures reveal key details of the recognition of DREADD chemogenetic actuators and the molecular basis for activation. These findings should accelerate the structure-guided discovery of next-generation chemogenetic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shicheng Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ryan H Gumpper
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Xi-Ping Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- National Institute of Mental Health Psychoactive Drug Screening Program (NIMH PDSP), School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Yongfeng Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- National Institute of Mental Health Psychoactive Drug Screening Program (NIMH PDSP), School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Brian E Krumm
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Can Cao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jonathan F Fay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Bryan L Roth
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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11
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Maghsoudi S, Taghavi Shahraki B, Rameh F, Nazarabi M, Fatahi Y, Akhavan O, Rabiee M, Mostafavi E, Lima EC, Saeb MR, Rabiee N. A review on computer-aided chemogenomics and drug repositioning for rational COVID-19 drug discovery. Chem Biol Drug Des 2022; 100:699-721. [PMID: 36002440 PMCID: PMC9539342 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.14136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Application of materials capable of energy harvesting to increase the efficiency and environmental adaptability is sometimes reflected in the ability of discovery of some traces in an environment-either experimentally or computationally-to enlarge practical application window. The emergence of computational methods, particularly computer-aided drug discovery (CADD), provides ample opportunities for the rapid discovery and development of unprecedented drugs. The expensive and time-consuming process of traditional drug discovery is no longer feasible, for nowadays the identification of potential drug candidates is much easier for therapeutic targets through elaborate in silico approaches, allowing the prediction of the toxicity of drugs, such as drug repositioning (DR) and chemical genomics (chemogenomics). Coronaviruses (CoVs) are cross-species viruses that are able to spread expeditiously from the into new host species, which in turn cause epidemic diseases. In this sense, this review furnishes an outline of computational strategies and their applications in drug discovery. A special focus is placed on chemogenomics and DR as unique and emerging system-based disciplines on CoV drug and target discovery to model protein networks against a library of compounds. Furthermore, to demonstrate the special advantages of CADD methods in rapidly finding a drug for this deadly virus, numerous examples of the recent achievements grounded on molecular docking, chemogenomics, and DR are reported, analyzed, and interpreted in detail. It is believed that the outcome of this review assists developers of energy harvesting materials and systems for detection of future unexpected kinds of CoVs or other variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeid Maghsoudi
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology and PathophysiologyUniversity of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
- Biology of Breathing Group, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), University of ManitobaWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | | | | | - Masoomeh Nazarabi
- Faculty of Organic Chemistry, Department of ChemistryUniversity of KashanKashanIran
| | - Yousef Fatahi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Faculty of PharmacyTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of PharmacyTehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Omid Akhavan
- Department of PhysicsSharif University of TechnologyTehranIran
| | - Mohammad Rabiee
- Biomaterials Group, Department of Biomedical EngineeringAmirkabir University of TechnologyTehranIran
| | - Ebrahim Mostafavi
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
- Department of MedicineStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCaliforniaUSA
| | - Eder C. Lima
- Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS)Porto AlegreBrazil
| | - Mohammad Reza Saeb
- Department of Polymer Technology, Faculty of ChemistryGdańsk University of TechnologyGdańskPoland
| | - Navid Rabiee
- Department of PhysicsSharif University of TechnologyTehranIran
- School of EngineeringMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringPohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangSouth Korea
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12
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Abstract
The fundamental commonality across pharmacotherapies for the epilepsies
is the modulation of neuronal excitability. This poses a clear
challenge—patterned neuronal excitation is essential to normal
function, thus disrupting this activity leads to side effects.
Moreover, the efficacy of current pharmacotherapy remains incomplete
despite decades of drug development. Approaches that allow for the
selective targeting of critical populations of cells and particular
pathways in the brain have the potential to both avoid side effects
and improve efficacy. Chemogenetic methods, which combine the
selective expression of designer receptors with designer drugs, have
rapidly grown in use in the neurosciences, including in epilepsy. This
review will briefly highlight the history of chemogenetics, their
applications to date in epilepsy, and the potential (and potential
hurdles to overcome) for future translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick A. Forcelli
- Department of Pharmacology & Physiology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
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13
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Swanson JL, Chin PS, Romero JM, Srivastava S, Ortiz-Guzman J, Hunt PJ, Arenkiel BR. Advancements in the Quest to Map, Monitor, and Manipulate Neural Circuitry. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:886302. [PMID: 35719420 PMCID: PMC9204427 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.886302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural circuits and the cells that comprise them represent the functional units of the brain. Circuits relay and process sensory information, maintain homeostasis, drive behaviors, and facilitate cognitive functions such as learning and memory. Creating a functionally-precise map of the mammalian brain requires anatomically tracing neural circuits, monitoring their activity patterns, and manipulating their activity to infer function. Advancements in cell-type-specific genetic tools allow interrogation of neural circuits with increased precision. This review provides a broad overview of recombination-based and activity-driven genetic targeting approaches, contemporary viral tracing strategies, electrophysiological recording methods, newly developed calcium, and voltage indicators, and neurotransmitter/neuropeptide biosensors currently being used to investigate circuit architecture and function. Finally, it discusses methods for acute or chronic manipulation of neural activity, including genetically-targeted cellular ablation, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and over-expression of ion channels. With this ever-evolving genetic toolbox, scientists are continuing to probe neural circuits with increasing resolution, elucidating the structure and function of the incredibly complex mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Swanson
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Pey-Shyuan Chin
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Juan M. Romero
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Snigdha Srivastava
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Joshua Ortiz-Guzman
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Patrick J. Hunt
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Benjamin R. Arenkiel
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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14
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Morris G, Schorge S. Gene Therapy for Neurological Disease: State of the Art and Opportunities for Next-generation Approaches. Neuroscience 2022; 490:309-314. [PMID: 35304290 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy for rare monogenetic neurological disorders is reaching clinics and offering hope to families affected by these diseases. There is also potential for gene therapy to offer new and effective treatments for common, non-genetic disorders. Treatments for Parkinson's Disease are in clinical trials, and treatments for refractory epilepsies are due to enter first-in-human clinical trials in 2022. Gene therapies for these disorders are based on delivering genes that address the mechanism of the disease, not repairing a mutated gene. Similar 'mechanistic' gene therapies could offer treatments to a wide range of neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases where there is a known mechanism that could be restored using gene therapy. However, the permanent nature of most gene therapies is a serious drawback for translation of gene therapies to a wide-range of diseases because it could present risk of irreversible adverse effects. Several lines of research are aimed at developing gene therapy approaches that allow for the treatment to be turned on and off, including: using proteins activated by exogenous ligands, and promoters turned on by activators. We review these approaches and propose an overall de-risking strategy for gene therapy for common neurological and psychiatric diseases. This approach is based on using a temporary mRNA-based treatment to initially assess efficacy and safety of the planned manipulation, and only following with permanent, virally-delivered treatment if the approach appears safe and effective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Morris
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie Schorge
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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15
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Mueller JS, Tescarollo FC, Sun H. DREADDs in Epilepsy Research: Network-Based Review. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:863003. [PMID: 35465094 PMCID: PMC9021489 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.863003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy can be interpreted as altered brain rhythms from overexcitation or insufficient inhibition. Chemogenetic tools have revolutionized neuroscience research because they allow “on demand” excitation or inhibition of neurons with high cellular specificity. Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) are the most frequently used chemogenetic techniques in epilepsy research. These engineered muscarinic receptors allow researchers to excite or inhibit targeted neurons with exogenous ligands. As a result, DREADDs have been applied to investigate the underlying cellular and network mechanisms of epilepsy. Here, we review the existing literature that has applied DREADDs to understand the pathophysiology of epilepsy. The aim of this review is to provide a general introduction to DREADDs with a focus on summarizing the current main findings in experimental epilepsy research using these techniques. Furthermore, we explore how DREADDs may be applied therapeutically as highly innovative treatments for epilepsy.
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16
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The DREADDful Hurdles and Opportunities of the Chronic Chemogenetic Toolbox. Cells 2022; 11:cells11071110. [PMID: 35406674 PMCID: PMC8998042 DOI: 10.3390/cells11071110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The chronic character of chemogenetics has been put forward as one of the assets of the technique, particularly in comparison to optogenetics. Yet, the vast majority of chemogenetic studies have focused on acute applications, while repeated, long-term neuromodulation has only been booming in the past few years. Unfortunately, together with the rising number of studies, various hurdles have also been uncovered, especially in relation to its chronic application. It becomes increasingly clear that chronic neuromodulation warrants caution and that the effects of acute neuromodulation cannot be extrapolated towards chronic experiments. Deciphering the underlying cellular and molecular causes of these discrepancies could truly unlock the chronic chemogenetic toolbox and possibly even pave the way for chemogenetics towards clinical application. Indeed, we are only scratching the surface of what is possible with chemogenetic research. For example, most investigations are concentrated on behavioral read-outs, whereas dissecting the underlying molecular signature after (chronic) neuromodulation could reveal novel insights in terms of basic neuroscience and deregulated neural circuits. In this review, we highlight the hurdles associated with the use of chemogenetic experiments, as well as the unexplored research questions for which chemogenetics offers the ideal research platform, with a particular focus on its long-term application.
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17
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Miura Y, Senoo A, Doura T, Kiyonaka S. Chemogenetics of cell surface receptors: beyond genetic and pharmacological approaches. RSC Chem Biol 2022; 3:269-287. [PMID: 35359495 PMCID: PMC8905536 DOI: 10.1039/d1cb00195g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell surface receptors transmit extracellular information into cells. Spatiotemporal regulation of receptor signaling is crucial for cellular functions, and dysregulation of signaling causes various diseases. Thus, it is highly desired to control receptor functions with high spatial and/or temporal resolution. Conventionally, genetic engineering or chemical ligands have been used to control receptor functions in cells. As the alternative, chemogenetics has been proposed, in which target proteins are genetically engineered to interact with a designed chemical partner with high selectivity. The engineered receptor dissects the function of one receptor member among a highly homologous receptor family in a cell-specific manner. Notably, some chemogenetic strategies have been used to reveal the receptor signaling of target cells in living animals. In this review, we summarize the developing chemogenetic methods of transmembrane receptors for cell-specific regulation of receptor signaling. We also discuss the prospects of chemogenetics for clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Miura
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya 464-8603 Japan
| | - Akinobu Senoo
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya 464-8603 Japan
| | - Tomohiro Doura
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya 464-8603 Japan
| | - Shigeki Kiyonaka
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University Nagoya 464-8603 Japan
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18
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Chemogenetics as a neuromodulatory approach to treating neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders. Mol Ther 2022; 30:990-1005. [PMID: 34861415 PMCID: PMC8899595 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemogenetics enables precise, non-invasive, and reversible modulation of neural activity via the activation of engineered receptors that are pharmacologically selective to endogenous or exogenous ligands. With recent advances in therapeutic gene delivery, chemogenetics is poised to support novel interventions against neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders. To evaluate its translational potential, we performed a scoping review of applications of chemogenetics that led to the reversal of molecular and behavioral deficits in studies relevant to neuropsychiatric diseases and disorders. In this review, we present these findings and discuss the potential and challenges for using chemogenetics as a precision medicine-based neuromodulation strategy.
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19
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Pan TT, Gao W, Song ZH, Long DD, Cao P, Hu R, Chen DY, Zhou WJ, Jin Y, Hu SS, Wei W, Chai XQ, Zhang Z, Wang D. Glutamatergic neurons and myeloid cells in the anterior cingulate cortex mediate secondary hyperalgesia in chronic joint inflammatory pain. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 101:62-77. [PMID: 34973395 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Ting Pan
- Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Zi-Hua Song
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China; Innovation Laboratory of Terahertz Biophysics, National Innovation Institute of Defense Technology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Dan-Dan Long
- Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Rui Hu
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Dan-Yang Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Wen-Jie Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Yan Jin
- Department of Neurobiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Shan-Shan Hu
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Chai
- Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China; Department of Neurobiology, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Di Wang
- Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230001, China.
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20
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Desloovere J, Boon P, Larsen LE, Goossens MG, Delbeke J, Carrette E, Wadman W, Vonck K, Raedt R. Chemogenetic Seizure Control with Clozapine and the Novel Ligand JHU37160 Outperforms the Effects of Levetiracetam in the Intrahippocampal Kainic Acid Mouse Model. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:342-351. [PMID: 34862591 PMCID: PMC9130374 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01160-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression of inhibitory designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) on excitatory hippocampal neurons in the hippocampus represents a potential new therapeutic strategy for drug-resistant epilepsy. To overcome the limitations of the commonly used DREADD agonist clozapine, we investigated the efficacy of the novel DREADD ligand JHU37160 in chemogenetic seizure suppression in the intrahippocampal kainic acid (IHKA) mouse model for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In addition, seizure-suppressing effects of chemogenetics were compared to the commonly used anti-epileptic drug (AED), levetiracetam (LEV). Therefore, an adeno-associated viral vector was injected in the sclerotic hippocampus of IHKA mice to induce expression of a tagged inhibitory DREADD hM4Di or only a tag (control) specifically in excitatory neurons using the CamKIIα promoter. Subsequently, animals were treated with LEV (800 mg/kg), clozapine (0.1 mg/kg), and DREADD ligand JHU37160 (0.1 mg/kg) and the effect on spontaneous seizures was investigated. Clozapine and JHU37160-mediated chemogenetic treatment both suppressed seizures in DREADD-expressing IHKA mice. Clozapine treatment suppressed seizures up to 34 h after treatment, and JHU37160 effects lasted for 26 h after injection. Moreover, both compounds reduced the length of seizures that did occur after treatment up to 28 h and 18 h after clozapine and JHU37160, respectively. No seizure-suppressing effects were found in control animals using these ligands. Chemogenetic seizure treatment suppressed seizures during the first 30 min after injection, and seizures remained suppressed during 8 h following treatment. Chemogenetics thus outperformed effects of levetiracetam (p < 0.001), which suppressed seizure frequency with a maximum of 55 ± 9% for up to 1.5 h (p < 0.05). Only chemogenetic and not levetiracetam treatment affected the length of seizures after treatment (p < 0.001). These results show that the chemogenetic therapeutic strategy with either clozapine or JHU37160 effectively suppresses spontaneous seizures in the IHKA mouse model, confirming JHU37160 as an effective DREADD ligand. Moreover, chemogenetic therapy outperforms the effects of levetiracetam, indicating its potential to suppress drug-resistant seizures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Desloovere
- 4BRAIN, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Paul Boon
- 4BRAIN, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lars Emil Larsen
- 4BRAIN, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Medical Image and Signal Processing, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Jean Delbeke
- 4BRAIN, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Evelien Carrette
- 4BRAIN, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wytse Wadman
- 4BRAIN, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristl Vonck
- 4BRAIN, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Robrecht Raedt
- 4BRAIN, Department of Neurology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
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21
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Oguchi M, Tanaka S, Pan X, Kikusui T, Moriya-Ito K, Kato S, Kobayashi K, Sakagami M. Chemogenetic inactivation reveals the inhibitory control function of the prefronto-striatal pathway in the macaque brain. Commun Biol 2021; 4:1088. [PMID: 34531520 PMCID: PMC8446038 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02623-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) has a strong monosynaptic connection with the caudate nucleus (CdN) of the striatum. Previous human MRI studies have suggested that this LPFC-CdN pathway plays an important role in inhibitory control and working memory. We aimed to validate the function of this pathway at a causal level by pathway-selective manipulation of neural activity in non-human primates. To this end, we trained macaque monkeys on a delayed oculomotor response task with reward asymmetry and expressed an inhibitory type of chemogenetic receptors selectively to LPFC neurons that project to the CdN. Ligand administration reduced the inhibitory control of impulsive behavior, as well as the task-related neuronal responses observed in the local field potentials from the LPFC and CdN. These results show that we successfully suppressed pathway-selective neural activity in the macaque brain, and the resulting behavioral changes suggest that the LPFC-CdN pathway is involved in inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mineki Oguchi
- grid.412905.b0000 0000 9745 9416Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan ,grid.252643.40000 0001 0029 6233School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shingo Tanaka
- grid.412905.b0000 0000 9745 9416Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan ,grid.260975.f0000 0001 0671 5144Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Xiaochuan Pan
- grid.28056.390000 0001 2163 4895Institute for Cognitive Neurodynamics, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- grid.252643.40000 0001 0029 6233School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Keiko Moriya-Ito
- grid.272456.0Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shigeki Kato
- grid.411582.b0000 0001 1017 9540Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kazuto Kobayashi
- grid.411582.b0000 0001 1017 9540Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Masamichi Sakagami
- grid.412905.b0000 0000 9745 9416Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, Tokyo, Japan
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22
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Sternson SM, Bleakman D. Chemogenetics: drug-controlled gene therapies for neural circuit disorders. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 6:1079-1094. [PMID: 34422319 PMCID: PMC8376173 DOI: 10.18609/cgti.2020.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Many patients with nervous system disorders have considerable unmet clinical needs or suffer debilitating drug side effects. A major limitation of exiting treatment approaches is that traditional small molecule pharmacotherapy lacks sufficient specificity to effectively treat many neurological diseases. Chemogenetics is a new gene therapy technology that targets an engineered receptor to cell types involved in nervous system dysfunction, enabling highly selective drug-controlled neuromodulation. Here, we discuss chemogenetic platforms and considerations for their potential application as human nervous system therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott M Sternson
- Janelia Research Campus, HHMI, 19700 Helix Dr. Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - David Bleakman
- Redpin Therapeutics, 1329, Madison Avenue, Suite 125, New York, NY 10029, USA
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23
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An inventory of basic research in temporal lobe epilepsy. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2021; 177:1069-1081. [PMID: 34176659 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2021.02.390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Temporal lobe epilepsy is a severe neurological disease, characterized by seizure occurrence and invalidating cognitive co-morbidities, which affects up to 1% of the adults. Roughly one third of the patients are resistant to any conventional pharmacological treatments. The last option in that case is the surgical removal of the epileptic focus, with no guarantee for clinical symptom alleviation. This state of affairs requests the identification of cellular or molecular targets for novel therapeutic approaches with limited side effects. Here we review some generalities about the disease as well as some of the most recent discoveries about the cellular and molecular mechanisms of TLE, and the latest perspectives for novel treatments.
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24
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Pickering CA, Mazarakis ND. Viral Vector Delivery of DREADDs for CNS Therapy. Curr Gene Ther 2021; 21:191-206. [PMID: 33573551 DOI: 10.2174/1566523221666210211102435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) are genetically modified G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), that can be activated by a synthetic ligand which is otherwise inert at endogenous receptors. DREADDs can be expressed in cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and subsequently offer the opportunity for remote and reversible silencing or activation of the target cells when the synthetic ligand is systemically administered. In neuroscience, DREADDs have thus far shown to be useful tools for several areas of research and offer considerable potential for the development of gene therapy strategies for neurological disorders. However, in order to design a DREADD-based gene therapy, it is necessary to first evaluate the viral vector delivery methods utilised in the literature to deliver these chemogenetic tools. This review evaluates each of the prominent strategies currently utilised for DREADD delivery, discussing their respective advantages and limitations. We focus on adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based and lentivirus-based systems, and the manipulation of these through cell-type specific promoters and pseudotyping. Furthermore, we address how virally mediated DREADD delivery could be improved in order to make it a viable gene therapy strategy and thus expand its translational potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceri A Pickering
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas D Mazarakis
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Norman KJ, Koike H, McCraney SE, Garkun Y, Bateh J, Falk EN, Im S, Caro K, Demars MP, Morishita H. Chemogenetic suppression of anterior cingulate cortical neurons projecting to the visual cortex disrupts attentional behavior in mice. Neuropsychopharmacol Rep 2021; 41:207-214. [PMID: 33955711 PMCID: PMC8340833 DOI: 10.1002/npr2.12176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Attention is a goal-directed cognitive process that facilitates the detection of task-relevant sensory stimuli from dynamic environments. Anterior cingulate cortical area (ACA) is known to play a key role in attentional behavior, but the specific circuits mediating attention remain largely unknown. As ACA modulates sensory processing in the visual cortex (VIS), we aim to test a hypothesis that frontal top-down neurons projecting from ACA to VIS (ACAVIS ) contributes to visual attention behavior through chemogenetic approach. METHODS Adult, male mice were trained to perform the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) using a touchscreen system. An intersectional viral approach was used to selectively express inhibitory designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (iDREADD) or a static fluorophore (mCherry) in ACAVIS neurons. Mice received counterbalanced injections (i.p.) of the iDREADD ligand (clozapine-N-oxide; CNO) or vehicle (saline) prior to 5CSRTT testing. Finally, mice underwent progressive ratio testing and open field testing following CNO or saline administration. RESULTS Chemogenetic suppression of ACAVIS neuron activity decreased correct task performance during the 5CSRTT mainly driven by an increase in omission and a trending decrease in accuracy with no change in behavioral outcomes associated with motivation, impulsivity, or compulsivity. Breakpoint during the progressive ratio task and distance moved in the open field test were unaffected by ACAVIS neuron suppression. CNO administration itself had no effect on task performance in mCherry-expressing mice. CONCLUSION These results identify long-range frontal-sensory ACAVIS projection neurons as a key enactor of top-down attentional behavior and may serve as a beneficial therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Norman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Hiroyuki Koike
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Sarah E McCraney
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Yury Garkun
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Julia Bateh
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Elisa N Falk
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Susanna Im
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Keaven Caro
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Michael P Demars
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
| | - Hirofumi Morishita
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.,Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, 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
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Boehm MA, Bonaventura J, Gomez JL, Solís O, Stein EA, Bradberry CW, Michaelides M. Translational PET applications for brain circuit mapping with transgenic neuromodulation tools. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 204:173147. [PMID: 33549570 PMCID: PMC8297666 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic neuromodulation tools have transformed the field of neuroscience over the past two decades by enabling targeted manipulation of neuronal populations and circuits with unprecedented specificity. Chemogenetic and optogenetic neuromodulation systems are among the most widely used and allow targeted control of neuronal activity through the administration of a selective compound or light, respectively. Innovative genetic targeting strategies are utilized to transduce specific cells to express transgenic receptors and opsins capable of manipulating neuronal activity. These allow mapping of neuroanatomical projection sites and link cellular manipulations with brain circuit functions and behavior. As these tools continue to expand knowledge of the nervous system in preclinical models, developing translational applications for human therapies is becoming increasingly possible. However, new strategies for implementing and monitoring transgenic tools are needed for safe and effective use in translational research and potential clinical applications. A major challenge for such applications is the need to track the location and function of chemogenetic receptors and opsins in vivo, and new developments in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging techniques offer promising solutions. The goal of this review is to summarize current research combining transgenic tools with PET for in vivo mapping and manipulation of brain circuits and to propose future directions for translational applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Boehm
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI 02906, United States.
| | - Jordi Bonaventura
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States.
| | - Juan L Gomez
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States.
| | - Oscar Solís
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States.
| | - Elliot A Stein
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States.
| | - Charles W Bradberry
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States.
| | - Michael Michaelides
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21224, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, United States.
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27
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Goossens MG, Boon P, Wadman W, Van den Haute C, Baekelandt V, Verstraete AG, Vonck K, Larsen LE, Sprengers M, Carrette E, Desloovere J, Meurs A, Delbeke J, Vanhove C, Raedt R. Long-term chemogenetic suppression of seizures in a multifocal rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia 2021; 62:659-670. [PMID: 33570167 DOI: 10.1111/epi.16840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE One third of epilepsy patients do not become seizure-free using conventional medication. Therefore, there is a need for alternative treatments. Preclinical research using designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) has demonstrated initial success in suppressing epileptic activity. Here, we evaluated whether long-term chemogenetic seizure suppression could be obtained in the intraperitoneal kainic acid rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy, when DREADDs were selectively expressed in excitatory hippocampal neurons. METHODS Epileptic male Sprague Dawley rats received unilateral hippocampal injections of adeno-associated viral vector encoding the inhibitory DREADD hM4D(Gi), preceded by a cell-specific promotor targeting excitatory neurons. The effect of clozapine-mediated DREADD activation on dentate gyrus evoked potentials and spontaneous electrographic seizures was evaluated. Animals were systemically treated with single (.1 mg/kg/24 h) or repeated (.1 mg/kg/6 h) injections of clozapine. In addition, long-term continuous release of clozapine and olanzapine (2.8 mg/kg/7 days) using implantable minipumps was evaluated. All treatments were administered during the chronic epileptic phase and between 1.5 and 13.5 months after viral transduction. RESULTS In the DREADD group, dentate gyrus evoked potentials were inhibited after clozapine treatment. Only in DREADD-expressing animals, clozapine reduced seizure frequency during the first 6 h postinjection. When administered repeatedly, seizures were suppressed during the entire day. Long-term treatment with clozapine and olanzapine both resulted in significant seizure-suppressing effects for multiple days. Histological analysis revealed DREADD expression in both hippocampi and some cortical regions. However, lesions were also detected at the site of vector injection. SIGNIFICANCE This study shows that inhibition of the hippocampus using chemogenetics results in potent seizure-suppressing effects in the intraperitoneal kainic acid rat model, even 1 year after viral transduction. Despite a need for further optimization, chemogenetic neuromodulation represents a promising treatment prospect for temporal lobe epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul Boon
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wytse Wadman
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Chris Van den Haute
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Center for Molecular Medicine and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Leuven Viral Vector Core, Center for Molecular Medicine, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Veerle Baekelandt
- Laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy, Center for Molecular Medicine and Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Alain G Verstraete
- Department of Diagnostic Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kristl Vonck
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lars E Larsen
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Sprengers
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Evelien Carrette
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jana Desloovere
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alfred Meurs
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jean Delbeke
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Christian Vanhove
- IBiTech, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Robrecht Raedt
- 4BRAIN, Department of Head and Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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28
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Yi MH, Liu YU, Liu K, Chen T, Bosco DB, Zheng J, Xie M, Zhou L, Qu W, Wu LJ. Chemogenetic manipulation of microglia inhibits neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 92:78-89. [PMID: 33221486 PMCID: PMC7897256 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia play an important role in the central sensitization and chronic pain. However, a direct connection between microglial function and pain development in vivo remains incompletely understood. To address this issue, we applied chemogenetic approach by using CX3CR1creER/+:R26LSL-hM4Di/+ transgenic mice to enable expression of inhibitory Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (Gi DREADD) in microglia. We found that microglial Gi DREADD activation inhibited spinal nerve transection (SNT)-induced microglial reactivity as well as chronic pain in both male and female mice. Gi DREADD activation downregulated the transcription factor interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) and its downstream target pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β). Using in vivo spinal cord recording, we found that activation of microglial Gi DREADD attenuated synaptic transmission following SNT. Our results demonstrate that microglial Gi DREADD reduces neuroinflammation, synaptic function and neuropathic pain after SNT. Thus, chemogenetic approaches provide a potential opportunity for interrogating microglial function and neuropathic pain treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Hee Yi
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Yong U. Liu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Kevin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA,Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08854 USA
| | - Tingjun Chen
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Dale B. Bosco
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jiaying Zheng
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Manling Xie
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Lijun Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Pain Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Wenchun Qu
- Department of Pain Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Long-Jun Wu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA; Departments of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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29
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Szczygieł JA, Danielsen KI, Melin E, Rosenkranz SH, Pankratova S, Ericsson A, Agerman K, Kokaia M, Woldbye DPD. Gene Therapy Vector Encoding Neuropeptide Y and Its Receptor Y2 for Future Treatment of Epilepsy: Preclinical Data in Rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:232. [PMID: 33343295 PMCID: PMC7746806 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.603409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy to treat pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy in humans is now being developed using an AAV vector (CG01) that encodes the combination of neuropeptide Y and its antiepileptic receptor Y2. With this in mind, the present study aimed to provide important preclinical data on the effects of CG01 on the duration of transgene expression, cellular tropism, and potential side effects on body weight and cognitive function. The CG01 vector was administered unilaterally into the dorsal and ventral hippocampus of adult male rats and expression of both transgenes was found to remain elevated without a sign of decline at 6 months post-injection. CG01 appeared to mediate expression selectively in hippocampal neurons, without expression in astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. No effects were seen on body weight as well as on short- or long-term memory as revealed by testing in the Y-maze or Morris water maze tests. Thus these data show that unilateral CG01 vector treatment as future gene therapy in pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy patients should result in stable and long-term expression predominantly in neurons and be well tolerated without side effects on body weight and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kira Iben Danielsen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Esbjörn Melin
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Merab Kokaia
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
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30
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Yu X, Nagai J, Marti-Solano M, Soto JS, Coppola G, Babu MM, Khakh BS. Context-Specific Striatal Astrocyte Molecular Responses Are Phenotypically Exploitable. Neuron 2020; 108:1146-1162.e10. [PMID: 33086039 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.09.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes tile the central nervous system and are widely implicated in brain diseases, but the molecular mechanisms by which astrocytes contribute to brain disorders remain incompletely explored. By performing astrocyte gene expression analyses following 14 experimental perturbations of relevance to the striatum, we discovered that striatal astrocytes mount context-specific molecular responses at the level of genes, pathways, and upstream regulators. Through data mining, we also identified astrocyte pathways in Huntington's disease (HD) that were reciprocally altered with respect to the activation of striatal astrocyte G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. Furthermore, selective striatal astrocyte stimulation of the Gi-GPCR pathway in vivo corrected several HD-associated astrocytic, synaptic, and behavioral phenotypes, with accompanying improvement of HD-associated astrocyte signaling pathways, including those related to synaptogenesis and neuroimmune functions. Overall, our data show that astrocytes are malleable, using context-specific responses that can be dissected molecularly and used for phenotypic benefit in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinzhu Yu
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Jun Nagai
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Maria Marti-Solano
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Joselyn S Soto
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA
| | - M Madan Babu
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK; Department of Structural Biology and Center for Data Driven Discovery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105-3678, USA
| | - Baljit S Khakh
- Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA; Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1751, USA.
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31
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Abstract
Long-Term Chemogenetic Suppression of Spontaneous Seizures in a Mouse Model for
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Desloovere J, Boon P, Larsen LE, et al. Epilepsia.
2019;60(11):2314-2324. doi:10.1111/epi.16368. Objective: More than one-third of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) continue to have
seizures despite treatment with antiepileptic drugs, and many experience severe
drug-related side effects, illustrating the need for novel therapies. Selective
expression of inhibitory Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs
(DREADDs) allows cell-type-specific reduction of neuronal excitability. In this
study, we evaluated the effect of chemogenetic suppression of excitatory pyramidal
and granule cell neurons of the sclerotic hippocampus in the intrahippocampal mouse
model (IHKA) for TLE. Methods: Intrahippocampal IHKA mice were injected with an adeno-associated viral vector
carrying the genes for an inhibitory DREADD hM4Di in the sclerotic hippocampus or
control vector. Next, animals were treated systemically with different single doses
of clozapine-N-oxide (CNO; 1, 3, and 10 mg/kg) and clozapine (0.03 and 0.1 mg/kg),
and the effect on spontaneous hippocampal seizures, hippocampal
electroencephalography (EEG) power, fast ripples (FRs), and behavior in the open
field test was evaluated. Finally, animals received prolonged treatment with
clozapine for 3 days, and the effect on seizures was monitored. Results: Treatment with both CNO and clozapine resulted in a robust suppression of
hippocampal seizures for at least 15 hours only in DREADD-expressing animals.
Moreover, total EEG power and the number of FRs were significantly reduced.
Clozapine-N-oxide and/or clozapine had no effects on interictal hippocampal EEG,
seizures, or locomotion/anxiety in the open field test in non-DREADD epileptic IHKA
mice. Repeated clozapine treatment every 8 hours for 3 days resulted in almost
complete seizure suppression in DREADD animals. Significance: This study shows the potency of chemogenetics to robustly and sustainably suppress
spontaneous epileptic seizures and pave the way for an epilepsy therapy in which a
systemically administered exogenous drug selectively modulates specific cell types
in a seizure network, leading to a potent seizure suppression devoid of the typical
drug-related side effects.
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32
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Optimizing clozapine for chemogenetic neuromodulation of somatosensory cortex. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6001. [PMID: 32265461 PMCID: PMC7138833 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62923-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Clozapine (CLZ) has been proposed as an agonist for Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs), to replace Clozapine-N-oxide (CNO); however, there are no reliable guidelines for the use of CLZ for chemogenetic neuromodulation. We titrated the optimal dose of CLZ required to evoke changes in neural activity whilst avoiding off-target effects. We also performed [18F]Fluoro-deoxy-glucose micro positron emission tomography (FDG-microPET) scans to determine the global effect of CLZ-induced hM3D(Gq) DREADD activation in the rat brain. Our results show that low doses of CLZ (0.1 and 0.01 mg/kg) successfully induced neural responses without off-target effects. CLZ at 1 mg/kg evoked a stronger and longer-lasting neural response but produced off-target effects, observed as changes in locomotor behavior and FDG-microPET imaging. Unexpectedly, FDG-microPET imaging failed to demonstrate an increase in regional glucose metabolism in the stimulated cortex during CLZ chemogenetic neuromodulation. Therefore, caution should be used when interpreting FDG-PET images in the context of cortical chemogenetic activation.
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33
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Next-generation stem cells - ushering in a new era of cell-based therapies. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2020; 19:463-479. [PMID: 32612263 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-020-0064-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Naturally occurring stem cells isolated from humans have been used therapeutically for decades. This has primarily involved the transplantation of primary cells such as haematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells and, more recently, derivatives of pluripotent stem cells. However, the advent of cell-engineering approaches is ushering in a new generation of stem cell-based therapies, greatly expanding their therapeutic utility. These next-generation stem cells are being used as 'Trojan horses' to improve the delivery of drugs and oncolytic viruses to intractable tumours and are also being engineered with angiogenic, neurotrophic and anti-inflammatory molecules to accelerate the repair of injured or diseased tissues. Moreover, gene therapy and gene editing technologies are being used to create stem cell derivatives with improved functionality, specificity and responsiveness compared with their natural counterparts. Here, we review these engineering approaches and areas in which they will help broaden the utility and clinical applicability of stem cells.
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34
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Won SM, Song E, Reeder JT, Rogers JA. Emerging Modalities and Implantable Technologies for Neuromodulation. Cell 2020; 181:115-135. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.02.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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35
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Peeters LM, Missault S, Keliris AJ, Keliris GA. Combining designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs and neuroimaging in experimental models: A powerful approach towards neurotheranostic applications. Br J Pharmacol 2020; 177:992-1002. [PMID: 31658365 PMCID: PMC7042113 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination of chemogenetics targeting specific brain cell populations with in vivo imaging techniques provides scientists with a powerful new tool to study functional neural networks at the whole-brain scale. A number of recent studies indicate the potential of this approach to increase our understanding of brain function in health and disease. In this review, we discuss the employment of a specific chemogenetic tool, designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs, in conjunction with non-invasive neuroimaging techniques such as PET and MRI. We highlight the utility of using this multiscale approach in longitudinal studies and its ability to identify novel brain circuits relevant to behaviour that can be monitored in parallel. In addition, some identified shortcomings in this technique and more recent efforts to overcome them are also presented. Finally, we discuss the translational potential of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs in neuroimaging and the promise it holds for future neurotheranostic applications.
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36
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Walker MC, Kullmann DM. Optogenetic and chemogenetic therapies for epilepsy. Neuropharmacology 2019; 168:107751. [PMID: 31494141 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Drug-resistant epilepsy remains a significant health-care burden. The most effective treatment is surgery, but this is suitable for very few patients because of the unacceptable consequences of removing brain tissue. In contrast, gene therapy can regulate neuronal excitability in the epileptic focus whilst preserving function. Optogenetics and chemogenetics have the advantage that they are titratable therapies. Optogenetics uses light to control the excitability of specific neuronal populations. Optogenetics can be used in a closed-loop paradigm in which the light source is activated only when seizures are detected. However, expression of foreign proteins raises concerns about immunogenicity. Chemogenetics relies on the modification of an endogenous receptor or the production of a modified chimeric receptor that responds to an exogenous ligand. The main chemogenetic approach applied to epilepsy is to use designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs), which have been mainly modified muscarinic receptors or kappa-opioid receptors. Genetically modified human muscarinic receptor DREADDs are activated not by acetylcholine but by specific drugs such as clozapine-n-oxide or olanzepine. The dose of the drugs can be titrated in order to suppress seizures without adverse effects. Lastly, there is a chemogenetic approach that is activated by an endogenous ligand, glutamate. This takes advantage of invertebrate glutamate receptors that are chloride permeable. These bind glutamate released during seizure activity, and the resultant chloride current inhibits neuronal activity. The exogenous ligand, ivermectin, can also be given to reduce neuronal activity either chronically or as a rescue medication. The translation of this technology is hampered by the expression of a foreign protein. This article is part of the special issue entitled 'New Epilepsy Therapies for the 21st Century - From Antiseizure Drugs to Prevention, Modification and Cure of Epilepsy'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Walker
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Dimitri M Kullmann
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
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37
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Mondoloni S, Durand-de Cuttoli R, Mourot A. Cell-Specific Neuropharmacology. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2019; 40:696-710. [PMID: 31400823 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal communication involves a multitude of neurotransmitters and an outstanding diversity of receptors and ion channels. Linking the activity of cell surface receptors and ion channels in defined neural circuits to brain states and behaviors has been a key challenge in neuroscience, since cell targeting is not possible with traditional neuropharmacology. We review here recent technologies that enable the effect of drugs to be restricted to specific cell types, thereby allowing acute manipulation of the brain's own proteins with circuit specificity. We highlight the importance of developing cell-specific neuropharmacology strategies for decoding the nervous system with molecular and circuit precision, and for developing future therapeutics with reduced side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Mondoloni
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Center for Affective Neuroscience, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexandre Mourot
- Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), CNRS, INSERM, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
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Lieb A, Weston M, Kullmann DM. Designer receptor technology for the treatment of epilepsy. EBioMedicine 2019; 43:641-649. [PMID: 31078519 PMCID: PMC6558262 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.04.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy remains refractory to medical treatment in ~30% of patients despite decades of new drug development. Neurosurgery to remove or disconnect the seizure focus is often curative but frequently contraindicated by risks of irreversible impairment to brain function. Novel therapies are therefore required that better balance seizure suppression against the risks of side effects. Among experimental gene therapies, chemogenetics has the major advantage that the action on the epileptogenic zone can be modulated on demand. Two broad approaches are to use a designer G-protein-coupled receptor or a modified ligand gated ion channel, targeted to specific neurons in the epileptogenic zone using viral vectors and cell-type selective promoters. The receptor can be activated on demand by either an exogenous compound or by pathological levels of extracellular glutamate that occur in epileptogenic tissue. We review the principal designer receptor technologies and their modes of action. We compare the drawbacks and benefits of each designer receptor with particular focus on the drug activators and the potential for clinical translation in epilepsy. Inhibitory designer receptors (DRs) allow on-demand suppression of seizures upon activation by exogenous drugs or endogenous neurotransmitters. DRs include modified G-protein coupled receptors, chimaeric ligand-gated ion channels, and mutated non-mammalian channels. Identification of drug activators of DRs that are already approved for use in humans significantly accelerates clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Lieb
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Mikail Weston
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Dimitri M Kullmann
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK.
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