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Tan S, Kelty E, Page A, Etherton-Beer C, Sanfilippo F, Almeida OP. Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Treatment for Herpes Virus Infection and the Dispensing of Antidementia Medicines: An Analysis of the Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Database. J Alzheimers Dis 2024:JAD240391. [PMID: 38905050 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Background Evidence from previous observational studies suggest that infection by herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) increase the risk of dementia. Objective To investigate if older adults exposed to HSV treatment have lower risk of dementia than the rest of the population. Methods We used the 10% Australian Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) database from 2013 to 2022 to ascertain the cross-sectional, time-series and longitudinal association between exposure to HSV treatment and the dispensing of antidementia medicines. Participants were men and women aged 60 years or older. We used Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes to identify medicines dispensed for the treatment of HSV and dementia. Results During the year 2022 6,868 (1.2%) of 559,561 of participants aged 60 years or over were dispensed antidementia agent. The odds ratio (OR) of being dispensed an antidementia agent among individuals dispensed treatment for HSV was 0.73 (99% CI = 0.56-0.95). Multilevel logistic regression for the 2013-2022 period for those dispensed HSV treatment was 0.87 (99% CI = 0.75-1.00). Split-time span series from 2013 was associated with hazard ratio of 0.98 (99% CI = 0.89-1.07) for individuals dispensed relative to those not dispensed HSV treatment. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and the dispensing of medicines for the treatment of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and ischemic heart disease. Conclusions The dispensing of antiviral medicines for the treatment of HSV and VZV is consistently, but not conclusively, associated with decreased dispensing of antidementia medicines. This suggests that treatment of HSV and VZV infections may contribute to reduce the risk of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Tan
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia
| | - Erin Kelty
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Amy Page
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- School of Allied Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | | | - Frank Sanfilippo
- School of Population and Global Health, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Osvaldo P Almeida
- Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
- Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia
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Kettunen P, Koistinaho J, Rolova T. Contribution of CNS and extra-CNS infections to neurodegeneration: a narrative review. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:152. [PMID: 38845026 PMCID: PMC11157808 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03139-y] [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: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Central nervous system infections have been suggested as a possible cause for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly sporadic cases. They trigger neuroinflammation which is considered integrally involved in neurodegenerative processes. In this review, we will look at data linking a variety of viral, bacterial, fungal, and protozoan infections to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis and unspecified dementia. This narrative review aims to bring together a broad range of data currently supporting the involvement of central nervous system infections in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. The idea that no single pathogen or pathogen group is responsible for neurodegenerative diseases will be discussed. Instead, we suggest that a wide range of susceptibility factors may make individuals differentially vulnerable to different infectious pathogens and subsequent pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinja Kettunen
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Koistinaho
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Taisia Rolova
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Petit P, Gondard E, Gandon G, Moreaud O, Sauvée M, Bonneterre V. Agricultural activities and risk of Alzheimer's disease: the TRACTOR project, a nationwide retrospective cohort study. Eur J Epidemiol 2024; 39:271-287. [PMID: 38195954 PMCID: PMC10995077 DOI: 10.1007/s10654-023-01079-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Data regarding Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurrence in farming populations is lacking. This study aimed to investigate whether, among the entire French farm manager (FM) workforce, certain agricultural activities are more strongly associated with AD than others, using nationwide data from the TRACTOR (Tracking and monitoring occupational risks in agriculture) project. Administrative health insurance data (digital electronic health/medical records and insurance claims) for the entire French agricultural workforce, over the period 2002-2016, on the entire mainland France were used to estimate the risk of AD for 26 agricultural activities with Cox proportional hazards model. For each analysis (one for each activity), the exposed group included all FMs that performed the activity of interest (e.g. crop farming), while the reference group included all FMs who did not carry out the activity of interest (e.g. FMs that never farmed crops between 2002 and 2016). There were 5067 cases among 1,036,069 FMs who worked at least one year between 2002 and 2016. Analyses showed higher risks of AD for crop farming (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.72 [3.47-3.98]), viticulture (HR = 1.29 [1.18-1.42]), and fruit arboriculture (HR = 1.36 [1.15-1.62]). By contrast, lower risks of AD were found for several animal farming types, in particular for poultry and rabbit farming (HR = 0.29 [0.20-0.44]), ovine and caprine farming (HR = 0.50 [0.41-0.61]), mixed dairy and cow farming (HR = 0.46 [0.37-0.57]), dairy farming (HR = 0.67 [0.61-0.73]), and pig farming (HR = 0.30 [0.18-0.52]). This study shed some light on the association between a wide range of agricultural activities and AD in the entire French FMs population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Petit
- CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgro Sup, Grenoble INP, CHU Grenoble Alpes, TIMC, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France.
- Centre Régional de Pathologies Professionnelles et Environnementales, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France.
- AGEIS, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France.
| | - Elise Gondard
- CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgro Sup, Grenoble INP, CHU Grenoble Alpes, TIMC, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Gérald Gandon
- Centre Régional de Pathologies Professionnelles et Environnementales, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Olivier Moreaud
- Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, UMR 5105, CNRS, LPNC, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Mathilde Sauvée
- Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et Neurocognition, UMR 5105, CNRS, LPNC, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - Vincent Bonneterre
- CNRS, UMR 5525, VetAgro Sup, Grenoble INP, CHU Grenoble Alpes, TIMC, Univ. Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
- Centre Régional de Pathologies Professionnelles et Environnementales, CHU Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France
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Vestin E, Boström G, Olsson J, Elgh F, Lind L, Kilander L, Lövheim H, Weidung B. Herpes Simplex Viral Infection Doubles the Risk of Dementia in a Contemporary Cohort of Older Adults: A Prospective Study. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:1841-1850. [PMID: 38306033 PMCID: PMC10894565 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Evidence indicates that herpes simplex virus (HSV) participates in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective We investigated AD and dementia risks according to the presence of herpesvirus antibodies in relation to anti-herpesvirus treatment and potential APOE ɛ4 carriership interaction. Methods This study was conducted with 1002 dementia-free 70-year-olds living in Sweden in 2001-2005 who were followed for 15 years. Serum samples were analyzed to detect anti-HSV and anti-HSV-1 immunoglobulin (Ig) G, anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) IgG, anti-HSV IgM, and anti-HSV and anti-CMV IgG levels. Diagnoses and drug prescriptions were collected from medical records. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were applied. Results Cumulative AD and all-cause dementia incidences were 4% and 7%, respectively. Eighty-two percent of participants were anti-HSV IgG carriers, of whom 6% received anti-herpesvirus treatment. Anti-HSV IgG was associated with a more than doubled dementia risk (fully adjusted hazard ratio = 2.26, p = 0.031). No significant association was found with AD, but the hazard ratio was of the same magnitude as for dementia. Anti-HSV IgM and anti-CMV IgG prevalence, anti-herpesvirus treatment, and anti-HSV and -CMV IgG levels were not associated with AD or dementia, nor were interactions between anti-HSV IgG and APOE ɛ4 or anti-CMV IgG. Similar results were obtained for HSV-1. Conclusions HSV (but not CMV) infection may be indicative of doubled dementia risk. The low AD incidence in this cohort may have impaired the statistical power to detect associations with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Vestin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Clinical Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gustaf Boström
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Clinical Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Centre for Clinical Research, Västmanland and County Hospital, Uppsala University, Västerås, Sweden
| | - Jan Olsson
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Elgh
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Acute and Internal Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lena Kilander
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Clinical Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hugo Lövheim
- Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Bodil Weidung
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Clinical Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Fulop T, Ramassamy C, Lévesque S, Frost EH, Laurent B, Lacombe G, Khalil A, Larbi A, Hirokawa K, Desroches M, Rodrigues S, Bourgade K, Cohen AA, Witkowski JM. Viruses - a major cause of amyloid deposition in the brain. Expert Rev Neurother 2023; 23:775-790. [PMID: 37551672 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2023.2244162] [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: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Clinically, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a syndrome with a spectrum of various cognitive disorders. There is a complete dissociation between the pathology and the clinical presentation. Therefore, we need a disruptive new approach to be able to prevent and treat AD. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors extensively discuss the evidence why the amyloid beta is not the pathological cause of AD which makes therefore the amyloid hypothesis not sustainable anymore. They review the experimental evidence underlying the role of microbes, especially that of viruses, as a trigger/cause for the production of amyloid beta leading to the establishment of a chronic neuroinflammation as the mediator manifesting decades later by AD as a clinical spectrum. In this context, the emergence and consequences of the infection/antimicrobial protection hypothesis are described. The epidemiological and clinical data supporting this hypothesis are also analyzed. EXPERT OPINION For decades, we have known that viruses are involved in the pathogenesis of AD. This discovery was ignored and discarded for a long time. Now we should accept this fact, which is not a hypothesis anymore, and stimulate the research community to come up with new ideas, new treatments, and new concepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamas Fulop
- Research Center on Aging, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé Et Services Sociaux de l'Estrie-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | | | - Simon Lévesque
- CIUSSS de l'Estrie - CHUS, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Département de Microbiologie Et Infectiologie, Faculté de Médecine Et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Eric H Frost
- Département de Microbiologie Et Infectiologie, Faculté de Médecine Et des Sciences de la santé, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Benoit Laurent
- Research Center on Aging, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé Et Services Sociaux de l'Estrie-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Guy Lacombe
- Research Center on Aging, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé Et Services Sociaux de l'Estrie-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Abedelouahed Khalil
- Research Center on Aging, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé Et Services Sociaux de l'Estrie-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Anis Larbi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Katsuiku Hirokawa
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Health and Life Science, Tokyo Medical Dental University, Tokyo and Nito-Memory Nakanosogo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mathieu Desroches
- MathNeuro Team, Inria Sophia Antipolis Méditerranée, Biot, France
- Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Serafim Rodrigues
- Ikerbasque, BCAM, the Basque Foundation for Science and BCAM - The Basque Center for Applied Mathematics, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Karine Bourgade
- Research Center on Aging, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé Et Services Sociaux de l'Estrie-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Alan A Cohen
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Butler Columbia Aging Center, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacek M Witkowski
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
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Weidung B, Josefsson M, Lyttkens P, Olsson J, Elgh F, Lind L, Kilander L, Lövheim H. Longitudinal Effects of Herpesviruses on Multiple Cognitive Outcomes in Healthy Elderly Adults. J Alzheimers Dis 2023:JAD221116. [PMID: 37334589 PMCID: PMC10357165 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Herpesviruses have been proposed to be involved in Alzheimer's disease development as potentially modifiable pathology triggers. OBJECTIVE To investigate associations of serum antibodies for herpes simplex virus (HSV)-1 and cytomegalovirus (CMV) and anti-herpesvirus treatment with cognitive outcomes in relation to interactions with APOE ɛ4. METHODS The study included 849 participants in the population-based Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors study. Cognitive performance at the ages of 75 and 80 years was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), trail-making test (TMT) A and B, and 7-minute screening test (7MS). RESULTS Anti- HSV-1 IgG positivity was associated cross-sectionally with worse performance on the MMSE, TMT-A, TMT-B, 7MS, enhanced free recall, and verbal fluency tests (p = 0.016, p = 0.016, p < 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.033, and p < 0.001, respectively), but not orientation or clock drawing. Cognitive scores did not decline over time and longitudinal changes did not differ according to HSV-1 positivity. Anti- CMV IgG positivity was not associated cross-sectionally with cognition, but TMT-B scores declined more in anti- CMV IgG carriers. Anti- HSV-1 IgG interacted with APOE ɛ4 in association with worse TMT-A and better enhanced cued recall. Anti- HSV IgM interacted with APOE ɛ4 and anti-herpesvirus treatment in association with worse TMT-A and clock drawing, respectively. CONCLUSION These findings indicate that HSV-1 is linked to poorer cognition in cognitively healthy elderly adults, including impairments in executive function, memory, and expressive language. Cognitive performance did not decline over time, nor was longitudinal decline associated with HSV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bodil Weidung
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Section of Clinical Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Maria Josefsson
- Department of Statistics, Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Peter Lyttkens
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jan Olsson
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Elgh
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Lind
- Department of Medical Sciences, Acute and Internal Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lena Kilander
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Section of Clinical Geriatrics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hugo Lövheim
- Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division of Geriatic Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå university, Umeå, Sweden
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Malec SA, Taneja SB, Albert SM, Elizabeth Shaaban C, Karim HT, Levine AS, Munro P, Callahan TJ, Boyce RD. Causal feature selection using a knowledge graph combining structured knowledge from the biomedical literature and ontologies: A use case studying depression as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. J Biomed Inform 2023; 142:104368. [PMID: 37086959 PMCID: PMC10355339 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbi.2023.104368] [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: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Causal feature selection is essential for estimating effects from observational data. Identifying confounders is a crucial step in this process. Traditionally, researchers employ content-matter expertise and literature review to identify confounders. Uncontrolled confounding from unidentified confounders threatens validity, conditioning on intermediate variables (mediators) weakens estimates, and conditioning on common effects (colliders) induces bias. Additionally, without special treatment, erroneous conditioning on variables combining roles introduces bias. However, the vast literature is growing exponentially, making it infeasible to assimilate this knowledge. To address these challenges, we introduce a novel knowledge graph (KG) application enabling causal feature selection by combining computable literature-derived knowledge with biomedical ontologies. We present a use case of our approach specifying a causal model for estimating the total causal effect of depression on the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) from observational data. METHODS We extracted computable knowledge from a literature corpus using three machine reading systems and inferred missing knowledge using logical closure operations. Using a KG framework, we mapped the output to target terminologies and combined it with ontology-grounded resources. We translated epidemiological definitions of confounder, collider, and mediator into queries for searching the KG and summarized the roles played by the identified variables. We compared the results with output from a complementary method and published observational studies and examined a selection of confounding and combined role variables in-depth. RESULTS Our search identified 128 confounders, including 58 phenotypes, 47 drugs, 35 genes, 23 collider, and 16 mediator phenotypes. However, only 31 of the 58 confounder phenotypes were found to behave exclusively as confounders, while the remaining 27 phenotypes played other roles. Obstructive sleep apnea emerged as a potential novel confounder for depression and AD. Anemia exemplified a variable playing combined roles. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest combining machine reading and KG could augment human expertise for causal feature selection. However, the complexity of causal feature selection for depression with AD highlights the need for standardized field-specific databases of causal variables. Further work is needed to optimize KG search and transform the output for human consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Malec
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Sanya B Taneja
- Intelligent Systems Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Steven M Albert
- Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - C Elizabeth Shaaban
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Helmet T Karim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Arthur S Levine
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; The Brain Institute, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Paul Munro
- School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tiffany J Callahan
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard D Boyce
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Intelligent Systems Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Arbez-Gindre C, Steele BR, Micha-Screttas M. Dendrimers in Alzheimer’s Disease: Recent Approaches in Multi-Targeting Strategies. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15030898. [PMID: 36986759 PMCID: PMC10059864 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15030898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanomaterials play an increasingly important role in current medicinal practice. As one of the most significant causes of human mortality, and one that is increasing year by year, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been the subject of a very great body of research and is an area in which nanomedicinal approaches show great promise. Dendrimers are a class of multivalent nanomaterials which can accommodate a wide range of modifications that enable them to be used as drug delivery systems. By means of suitable design, they can incorporate multiple functionalities to enable transport across the blood–brain barrier and subsequently target the diseased areas of the brain. In addition, a number of dendrimers by themselves often display therapeutic potential for AD. In this review, the various hypotheses relating to the development of AD and the proposed therapeutic interventions involving dendrimer–base systems are outlined. Special attention is focused on more recent results and on the importance of aspects such as oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction in approaches to the design of new treatments.
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Patel P, Faldu K, Borisa A, Bhatt H, Shah J. Insights of Valacyclovir in Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease: Computational Docking Studies and Scopolamine Rat Model. Curr Neurovasc Res 2022; 19:344-357. [PMID: 36089794 DOI: 10.2174/1567202619666220908125125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's Disease (AD) impairs memory and cognitive functions in the geriatric population and is characterized by intracellular deposition of neurofibrillary tangles, extracellular deposition of amyloid plaques, and neuronal degeneration. Literature suggests that latent viral infections in the brain act as prions and promote neurodegeneration. Memantine possesses both anti-viral and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonistic activity. OBJECTIVES This research was designed to evaluate the efficacy of antiviral agents, especially valacyclovir, a prodrug of acyclovir in ameliorating the pathology of AD based on the presumption that anti-viral agents targeting the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) can have a protective effect on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease. METHODS Thus, we evaluated acyclovir's potential activity by in-silico computational docking studies against acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), and beta-secretase 1 (BACE-1). These findings were further evaluated by in-vivo scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in rats. Two doses of valacyclovir, a prodrug of acyclovir (100 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg orally) were tested. RESULTS Genetic Optimisation for Ligand Docking scores and fitness scores of acyclovir were comparable to donepezil. Valacyclovir improved neurobehavioral markers. It inhibited AChE and BuChE (p<0.001) enzymes. It also possessed disease-modifying efficacy as it decreased the levels of BACE-1 (p<0.001), amyloid beta 1-42 (p<0.001), amyloid beta 1-40 (p<0.001), phosphorylatedtau (p<0.001), neprilysin (p<0.01), and insulin-degrading enzyme. It ameliorated neuroinflammation through decreased levels of tumour necrosis factor α (p<0.001), nuclear factor-kappa B (p<0.001), interleukin 6 (p<0.001), interleukin 1 beta (p<0.001), and interferon-gamma (p<0.001). It also maintained synaptic plasticity and consolidated memory. Histopathology showed that valacyclovir could restore cellular density and also preserve the dentate gyrus. CONCLUSION Valacyclovir showed comparable activity to donepezil and thus can be further researched for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parmi Patel
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Khushboo Faldu
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Ankit Borisa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Hardik Bhatt
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Jigna Shah
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
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10
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Wright LR, Wright DL, Weller SK. Viral Nucleases from Herpesviruses and Coronavirus in Recombination and Proofreading: Potential Targets for Antiviral Drug Discovery. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071557. [PMID: 35891537 PMCID: PMC9324378 DOI: 10.3390/v14071557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we explore recombination in two very different virus families that have become major threats to human health. The Herpesviridae are a large family of pathogenic double-stranded DNA viruses involved in a range of diseases affecting both people and animals. Coronaviridae are positive-strand RNA viruses (CoVs) that have also become major threats to global health and economic stability, especially in the last two decades. Despite many differences, such as the make-up of their genetic material (DNA vs. RNA) and overall mechanisms of genome replication, both human herpes viruses (HHVs) and CoVs have evolved to rely heavily on recombination for viral genome replication, adaptation to new hosts and evasion of host immune regulation. In this review, we will focus on the roles of three viral exonucleases: two HHV exonucleases (alkaline nuclease and PolExo) and one CoV exonuclease (ExoN). We will review the roles of these three nucleases in their respective life cycles and discuss the state of drug discovery efforts against these targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee R. Wright
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.R.W.); (D.L.W.)
| | - Dennis L. Wright
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (L.R.W.); (D.L.W.)
| | - Sandra K. Weller
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(860)-679-2310; Fax: +1-(860)-679-1239
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Cairns DM, Itzhaki RF, Kaplan DL. Potential Involvement of Varicella Zoster Virus in Alzheimer's Disease via Reactivation of Quiescent Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 88:1189-1200. [PMID: 35754275 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Varicella zoster virus (VZV) has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vaccination against shingles, caused by VZV, has been found to decrease the risk of AD/dementia. VZV might reside latently in brain, and on reactivation might cause direct damage leading to AD, as proposed for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), a virus strongly implicated in AD. Alternatively, shingles could induce neuroinflammation and thence, reactivation of HSV-1 in brain. OBJECTIVE To investigate these possibilities by comparing the effects of VZV and HSV-1 infection of cultured cells, and the action of VZV infection on cells quiescently infected with HSV-1. METHODS We infected human-induced neural stem cell (hiNSC) cultures with HSV-1 and/or VZV and sought the presence of AD-related phenotypes such as amyloid-β (Aβ) and P-tau accumulation, gliosis, and neuroinflammation. RESULTS Cells infected with VZV did not show the main AD characteristics, Aβ and P-tau accumulation, which HSV-1 does cause, but did show gliosis and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that VZV's action relating to AD/dementia is indirect. Strikingly, we found that VZV infection of cells quiescently infected with HSV-1 causes reactivation of HSV-1 and consequent AD-like changes, including Aβ and P-tau accumulation. CONCLUSION Our results are consistent with the suggestion that shingles causes reactivation of HSV1 in brain and with the protective effects against AD of various vaccines, as well as the decrease in herpes labialis reported after certain types of vaccination. They support an indirect role for VZV in AD/dementia via reactivation of HSV-1 in brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana M Cairns
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Ruth F Itzhaki
- Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David L Kaplan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
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