1
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Glaesser D, Iwig M. Increased molar ratio of free fatty acids to albumin in blood as cause and early biomarker for the development of cataracts and Alzheimer's disease. Exp Eye Res 2024; 243:109888. [PMID: 38583754 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109888] [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] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Cataracts and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are closely linked and are associated with aging and with systemic diseases that increase the molar ratio of free fatty acids to albumin (mFAR) in the blood. From the results of our earlier studies on the development of senile cataracts and from results recently published in the literature on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, we suggest that there is a common lipotoxic cascade for both diseases, explaining the strong connection between aging, an elevated mFAR in the blood, cataract formation, and AD. Long-chain free fatty acids (FFA) are transported in the blood as FFA/albumin complexes. In young people, vascular albumin barriers in the eyes and brain, very similar in their structure and effect, reduce the FFA/albumin complex concentration from around 650 μmol/l in the blood to 1-3 μmol/l in the aqueous humour of the eyes as well as in the cerebrospinal fluid of the brain. At such low concentrations the fatty acid uptake of the target cells - lens epithelial and brain cells - rises with increasing FFA/albumin complex concentrations, especially when the fatty acid load of albumin molecules is mFAR>1. At higher albumin concentrations, for instance in blood plasma or the interstitial tissue spaces, the fatty acid uptake of the target cells becomes increasingly independent of the FFA/albumin complex concentration and is mainly a function of the mFAR (Richieri et al., 1993). In the blood plasma of young people, the mFAR is normally below 1.0. In people over 40 years old, aging increases the mFAR by decreasing the plasma concentration of albumin and enhancing the plasma concentrations of FFA. The increase in the mFAR in association with C6-unsaturated FFA are risk factors for the vascular albumin barriers (Hennig et al., 1984). Damage to the vascular albumin barrier in the eyes and brain increases the concentration of FFA/albumin complex in the aqueous humour as well as in the cerebrospinal fluid, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and the death of lens epithelial and brain cells, the development of cataracts, and AD. An age-dependent increase in the concentration of FFA/albumin complex has been found in the aqueous humour of 177 cataract patients, correlating with the mitochondria-mediated apoptotic death of lens epithelial cells, lens opacification and cataracts (Iwig et al., 2004). Mitochondrial dysfunction is also an early crucial event in Alzheimer's pathology, closely connected with the generation of amyloid beta peptides (Leuner et al., 2012). Very recently, amyloid beta production has also been confirmed in the lenses of Alzheimer's patients, causing cataracts (Moncaster et al., 2022). In view of this, we propose that there is a common lipotoxic cascade for senile cataract formation and senile AD, initiated by aging and/or systemic diseases, leading to an mFAR>1 in the blood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietmar Glaesser
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06097, Halle, Germany.
| | - Martin Iwig
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, D-06097, Halle, Germany
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2
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Cantero-Fortiz Y, Cano A, Boada M. Unraveling the Tau Puzzle: A Brief Discussion on Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2024:JAD240055. [PMID: 38848184 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240055] [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: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
This commentary provides an in-depth analysis of a recently published systematic review on 'Biomarkers of Tau Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease', elucidating insights into its implications for the field. This meta-analysis highlights the potential of plasma and CSF p-tau 181/231 as promising, non-invasive, and cost-effective diagnostic tools for patients suffering from AD continuum. The study comprehensively reviews the diagnostic potential of these p-tau isoforms, shedding light on their role in the precision diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Here we discuss the significance of these findings and the methodological nuances, emphasizing broader implications for advancing personalized medicine in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahveth Cantero-Fortiz
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona - Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Amanda Cano
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona - Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercè Boada
- Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona - Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Research Center on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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3
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Reid GA, Darvesh S. Interaction of exogenous acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase with amyloid-β plaques in human brain tissue. Chem Biol Interact 2024; 395:111012. [PMID: 38648920 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2024.111012] [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] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) are associated with amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and exhibit altered biochemical properties in human Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as in the transgenic 5XFAD mouse model of AD amyloidosis. In the brains of the 5XFAD mouse model devoid of BChE enzyme (5XFAD/BChE-KO), incubation of tissue sections with exogenous BChE purified from human plasma (pl-BChE) leads to its association with Aβ plaques and its biochemical properties are comparable to those reported for endogenous BChE associated with plaques in both human AD and in 5XFAD mouse brain tissue. We sought to determine whether these observations in 5XFAD/BChE-KO mice also apply to human brain tissues. To do so, endogenous ChE activity in human AD brain tissue sections was quenched with 50 % aqueous acetonitrile (MeCNaq) leaving the tissue suitable for further studies. Quenched sections were then incubated with recombinant AChE (r-AChE) or pl-BChE and stained for each enzymes' activity. Exogenous r-AChE or pl-BChE became associated with Aβ plaques, and when bound, had properties that were comparable to the endogenous ChE enzymes associated with plaques in AD brain tissues without acetonitrile treatment. These findings in human AD brain tissue extend previous observations in the 5XFAD/BChE-KO mouse model and demonstrate that exogenously applied r-AChE and pl-BChE have high affinity for Aβ plaques in human brain tissues. This association alters the biochemical properties of these enzymes, most likely due a conformational change. If incorporation of AChE and BChE in Aβ plaques facilitates AD pathogenesis, blocking this association could lead to disease-modifying approaches to AD. This work provides a method to study the mechanism of AChE and BChE interaction with Aβ plaque pathology in post-mortem human brain tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- G A Reid
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - S Darvesh
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada; Department of Medicine (Geriatric Medicine and Neurology), Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
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4
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Chandel P, Thapa K, Kanojia N, Rani L, Singh TG, Rohilla P. Exploring Therapeutic Potential of Phytoconstituents as a Gut Microbiota Modulator in the Management of Neurological and Psychological Disorders. Neuroscience 2024; 551:69-78. [PMID: 38754721 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The functioning of the brain and its impact on behavior, emotions, and cognition can be affected by both neurological and psychiatric disorders that impose a significant burden on global health. Phytochemicals are helpful in the treatment of several neurological and psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, Huntington's disease (HD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), because they have symptomatic benefits with few adverse reactions. Changes in gut microbiota have been associated with many neurological and psychiatric conditions. This review focuses on the potential efficacy of phytochemicals such as flavonoids, terpenoids, and polyphenols in regulating gut flora and providing symptomatic relief for a range of neurological and psychological conditions. Evidence-based research has shown the medicinal potentials of these phytochemicals, but additional study is required to determine whether altering gut microbiota might slow the advancement of neurological and psychological problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prarit Chandel
- Chitkara University, School of Pharmacy, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Komal Thapa
- Chitkara University, School of Pharmacy, Himachal Pradesh, India.
| | - Neha Kanojia
- Chitkara University, School of Pharmacy, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Lata Rani
- Chitkara University, School of Pharmacy, Himachal Pradesh, India
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Aghamoosa S, Lopez J, Rbeiz K, Fleischmann HH, Horn O, Madden K, Caulfield KA, Antonucci MU, Revuelta G, McTeague LM, Benitez A. A phase I trial of accelerated intermittent theta burst rTMS for amnestic MCI. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2024:jnnp-2023-332680. [PMID: 38719432 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2023-332680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emerging evidence suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) enhances cognition in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) rTMS protocols are promising as they substantially reduce burden by shortening the treatment course, but the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of iTBS have not been established in MCI. METHODS 24 older adults with amnestic MCI (aMCI) due to possible Alzheimer's disease enrolled in a phase I trial of open-label accelerated iTBS to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (8 stimulation sessions of 600 pulses of iTBS/day for 3 days). Participants rated common side effects during and after each session and retrospectively (at post-treatment and 4-week follow-up). They completed brain MRI (for safety assessments and electric field modeling), neuropsychiatric evaluations, and neuropsychological testing before and after treatment; a subset of measures was administered at follow-up. RESULTS Retention was high (95%) and there were no adverse neuroradiological, neuropsychiatric, or neurocognitive effects of treatment. Participants reported high acceptability, minimal side effects, and low desire to quit despite some rating the treatment as tiring. Electric field modeling data suggest that all participants received safe and therapeutic cortical stimulation intensities. We observed a significant, large effect size (d=0.98) improvement in fluid cognition using the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery from pre-treatment to post-treatment. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of accelerated iTBS in aMCI. In addition, we provide evidence of target engagement in the form of improved cognition following treatment. These promising results directly inform future trials aimed at optimizing treatment parameters. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT04503096.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Aghamoosa
- Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - James Lopez
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Katrina Rbeiz
- Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Holly H Fleischmann
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Olivia Horn
- Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Katrina Madden
- Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Kevin A Caulfield
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Michael U Antonucci
- Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Gonzalo Revuelta
- Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Lisa M McTeague
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Andreana Benitez
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Ma X, Kim JK, Shin YJ, Park HS, Lee DY, Yim SV, Kim DH. Lipopolysaccharide-producing Veillonella infantium and Escherichia fergusonii cause vagus nerve-mediated cognitive impairment in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 118:136-148. [PMID: 38428648 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Gut microbiota communicates bidirectionally with the brain through the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems of the gut. In our preliminary study, the fecal microbiota of volunteers with mild cognitive impairment (Fmci) exhibited a higher abundance of Escherichia fergusonii (NK2001), Veillonella infantium (NK2002), and Enterococcus faecium (NK2003) populations compared with those of healthy volunteers. Therefore, we examined the effects of Fmci, NK2001 (gram-negative), NK2002 (gram-negative-like), and NK2003 (gram-positive) on cognitive impairment-like behavior, neuroinflammation, and colitis in mice with or without antibiotics. Fmci transplantation increased cognitive impairment-like behavior, hippocampal tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression, and the size of toll-like receptor (TLR)4+Iba1+, TLR2+Iba1+, and NF-κB+Iba1+ cell populations independent of antibiotic treatment. Oral gavage of NK2001, NK2002, or NK2003, which induced TNF-α expression in Caco-2 cells, significantly increased cognitive impairment-like behavior and hippocampal TNF-α expression and Iba1-positive cell populations and decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in mice. Celiac vagotomy significantly decreased NK2001- or NK2002-induced cognitive impairment-like behavior and hippocampal Iba1+ cell population and TNF-α expression and increased NK2001- or NK2002-suppressed hippocampal BDNF expression. However, NK2003-induced cognitive impairment-like behavior and hippocampal Iba1+ cell population and TNF-α expression were partially, but not significantly, attenuated by celiac vagotomy. Furthermore, celiac vagotomy did not affect NK2001-, NK2002-, or NK2003-induced lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels in the blood and feces and TNF-α expression and NF-κB-positive cell population in the colon. In conclusion, LPS-producing NK2001 and NK2002 and LPS-nonproducing NK2003 may induce NF-κB-mediated neuroinflammation through the translocation of byproducts such as LPS and peptidoglycan into the brain through gut-blood/vagus nerve-brain and gut-blood-brain pathways, respectively, resulting in cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyang Ma
- Neurobiota Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeon-Kyung Kim
- Neurobiota Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea; School of Pharmacy, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju-si, Korea.
| | - Yoon-Jung Shin
- Neurobiota Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Hee-Seo Park
- Neurobiota Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Dong-Yun Lee
- Neurobiota Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Sung-Vin Yim
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Dong-Hyun Kim
- Neurobiota Research Center, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
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Machado Reyes D, Chao H, Hahn J, Shen L, Yan P. Identifying Progression-Specific Alzheimer's Subtypes Using Multimodal Transformer. J Pers Med 2024; 14:421. [PMID: 38673048 PMCID: PMC11051083 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14040421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, yet its current treatments are limited to stopping disease progression. Moreover, the effectiveness of these treatments remains uncertain due to the heterogeneity of the disease. Therefore, it is essential to identify disease subtypes at a very early stage. Current data-driven approaches can be used to classify subtypes during later stages of AD or related disorders, but making predictions in the asymptomatic or prodromal stage is challenging. Furthermore, the classifications of most existing models lack explainability, and these models rely solely on a single modality for assessment, limiting the scope of their analysis. Thus, we propose a multimodal framework that utilizes early-stage indicators, including imaging, genetics, and clinical assessments, to classify AD patients into progression-specific subtypes at an early stage. In our framework, we introduce a tri-modal co-attention mechanism (Tri-COAT) to explicitly capture cross-modal feature associations. Data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) (slow progressing = 177, intermediate = 302, and fast = 15) were used to train and evaluate Tri-COAT using a 10-fold stratified cross-testing approach. Our proposed model outperforms baseline models and sheds light on essential associations across multimodal features supported by known biological mechanisms. The multimodal design behind Tri-COAT allows it to achieve the highest classification area under the receiver operating characteristic curve while simultaneously providing interpretability to the model predictions through the co-attention mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Machado Reyes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (D.M.R.); (H.C.); (J.H.)
| | - Hanqing Chao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (D.M.R.); (H.C.); (J.H.)
| | - Juergen Hahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (D.M.R.); (H.C.); (J.H.)
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Pingkun Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (D.M.R.); (H.C.); (J.H.)
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8
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Zhang X, Zhu Z, Huang Y, Shang X, O'Brien TJ, Kwan P, Ha J, Wang W, Liu S, Zhang X, Kiburg K, Bao Y, Wang J, Yu H, He M, Zhang L. Shared genetic aetiology of Alzheimer's disease and age-related macular degeneration by APOC1 and APOE genes. BMJ Neurol Open 2024; 6:e000570. [PMID: 38646507 PMCID: PMC11029327 DOI: 10.1136/bmjno-2023-000570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) share similar pathological features, suggesting common genetic aetiologies between the two. Investigating gene associations between AD and AMD may provide useful insights into the underlying pathogenesis and inform integrated prevention and treatment for both diseases. Methods A stratified quantile-quantile (QQ) plot was constructed to detect the pleiotropy among AD and AMD based on genome-wide association studies data from 17 008 patients with AD and 30 178 patients with AMD. A Bayesian conditional false discovery rate-based (cFDR) method was used to identify pleiotropic genes. UK Biobank was used to verify the pleiotropy analysis. Biological network and enrichment analysis were conducted to explain the biological reason for pleiotropy phenomena. A diagnostic test based on gene expression data was used to predict biomarkers for AD and AMD based on pleiotropic genes and their regulators. Results Significant pleiotropy was found between AD and AMD (significant leftward shift on QQ plots). APOC1 and APOE were identified as pleiotropic genes for AD-AMD (cFDR <0.01). Network analysis revealed that APOC1 and APOE occupied borderline positions on the gene co-expression networks. Both APOC1 and APOE genes were enriched on the herpes simplex virus 1 infection pathway. Further, machine learning-based diagnostic tests identified that APOC1, APOE (areas under the curve (AUCs) >0.65) and their upstream regulators, especially ZNF131, ADNP2 and HINFP, could be potential biomarkers for both AD and AMD (AUCs >0.8). Conclusion In this study, we confirmed the genetic pleiotropy between AD and AMD and identified APOC1 and APOE as pleiotropic genes. Further, the integration of multiomics data identified ZNF131, ADNP2 and HINFP as novel diagnostic biomarkers for AD and AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueli Zhang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuoting Zhu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu Huang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xianwen Shang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Terence J O'Brien
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patrick Kwan
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jason Ha
- Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shunming Liu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiayin Zhang
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Katerina Kiburg
- Centre for Eye Research, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yining Bao
- China-Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Wang
- China-Australia Joint Research Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, China
| | - Honghua Yu
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mingguang He
- Guangdong Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lei Zhang
- Clinical Medical Research Center, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
- School of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Artificial Intelligence and Modelling in Epidemiology Program, Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Roghani AK, Garcia RI, Roghani A, Reddy A, Khemka S, Reddy RP, Pattoor V, Jacob M, Reddy PH, Sehar U. Treating Alzheimer's disease using nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery strategies/systems. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 97:102291. [PMID: 38614367 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102291] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
The administration of promising medications for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs), such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), Huntington's disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is significantly hampered by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Nanotechnology has recently come to light as a viable strategy for overcoming this obstacle and improving drug delivery to the brain. With a focus on current developments and prospects, this review article examines the use of nanoparticles to overcome the BBB constraints to improve drug therapy for AD The potential for several nanoparticle-based approaches, such as those utilizing lipid-based, polymeric, and inorganic nanoparticles, to enhance drug transport across the BBB are highlighted. To shed insight on their involvement in aiding effective drug transport to the brain, methods of nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery, such as surface modifications, functionalization, and particular targeting ligands, are also investigated. The article also discusses the most recent findings on innovative medication formulations encapsulated within nanoparticles and the therapeutic effects they have shown in both preclinical and clinical testing. This sector has difficulties and restrictions, such as the need for increased safety, scalability, and translation to clinical applications. However, the major emphasis of this review aims to provide insight and contribute to the knowledge of how nanotechnology can potentially revolutionize the worldwide treatment of NDDs, particularly AD, to enhance clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Kia Roghani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Frenship High School, Lubbock, TX 79382, USA.
| | - Ricardo Isaiah Garcia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Ali Roghani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Aananya Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Lubbock High School, Lubbock, TX 79401, USA.
| | - Sachi Khemka
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Ruhananhad P Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Lubbock High School, Lubbock, TX 79401, USA.
| | - Vasanthkumar Pattoor
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
| | - Michael Jacob
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA.
| | - P Hemachandra Reddy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Nutritional Sciences Department, College of Human Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Public Health Department of Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Services, School Health Professions, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
| | - Ujala Sehar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
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10
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Ingannato A, Bagnoli S, Mazzeo S, Giacomucci G, Bessi V, Ferrari C, Sorbi S, Nacmias B. Plasma GFAP, NfL and pTau 181 detect preclinical stages of dementia. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1375302. [PMID: 38654932 PMCID: PMC11035722 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1375302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Plasma biomarkers are preferable to invasive and expensive diagnostic tools, such as neuroimaging and lumbar puncture that are gold standard in the clinical management of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Here, we investigated plasma Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL) and Phosphorylated-tau-181 (pTau 181) in AD and in its early stages: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and Mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Material and methods This study included 152 patients (42 SCD, 74 MCI and 36 AD). All patients underwent comprehensive clinical and neurological assessment. Blood samples were collected for Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotyping and plasma biomarker (GFAP, NfL, and pTau 181) measurements. Forty-three patients (7 SCD, 27 MCI, and 9 AD) underwent a follow-up (FU) visit after 2 years, and a second plasma sample was collected. Plasma biomarker levels were detected using the Simoa SR-X technology (Quanterix Corp.). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 28 (IBM SPSS Statistics). Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results GFAP, NfL and pTau 181 levels in plasma were lower in SCD and MCI than in AD patients. In particular, plasma GFAP levels were statistically significant different between SCD and AD (p=0.003), and between MCI and AD (p=0.032). Plasma NfL was different in SCD vs MCI (p=0.026), SCD vs AD (p<0.001), SCD vs AD FU (p<0.001), SCD FU vs AD (p=0.033), SCD FU vs AD FU (p=0.011), MCI vs AD (p=0.002), MCI FU vs AD (p=0.003), MCI FU vs AD FU (p=0.003) and MCI vs AD FU (p=0.003). Plasma pTau 181 concentration was significantly different between SCD and AD (p=0.001), MCI and AD (p=0.026), MCI FU and AD (p=0.020). In APOE ϵ4 carriers, a statistically significant increase in plasma NfL (p<0.001) and pTau 181 levels was found (p=0.014). Moreover, an association emerged between age at disease onset and plasma GFAP (p = 0.021) and pTau181 (p < 0.001) levels. Discussion and conclusions Plasma GFAP, NfL and pTau 181 are promising biomarkers in the diagnosis of the prodromic stages and prognosis of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assunta Ingannato
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Silvia Bagnoli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Salvatore Mazzeo
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Donato, San Donato Milanese, Italy
| | - Giulia Giacomucci
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Valentina Bessi
- Research and Innovation Centre for Dementia-CRIDEM, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy
| | - Camilla Ferrari
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sandro Sorbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
| | - Benedetta Nacmias
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Florence, Italy
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Young T, Kumar VJ, Saranathan M. Normative modeling of thalamic nuclear volumes. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.03.06.24303871. [PMID: 38496426 PMCID: PMC10942522 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.06.24303871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Thalamic nuclei have been implicated in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Normative models for thalamic nuclear volumes have not been proposed thus far. The aim of this work was to establish normative models of thalamic nuclear volumes and subsequently investigate changes in thalamic nuclei in cognitive and psychiatric disorders. Volumes of the bilateral thalami and 12 nuclear regions were generated from T1 MRI data using a novel segmentation method (HIPS-THOMAS) in healthy control subjects (n=2374) and non-control subjects (n=695) with early and late mild cognitive impairment (EMCI, LMCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Early psychosis and Schizophrenia, Bipolar disorder, and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Three different normative modelling methods were evaluated while controlling for sex, intracranial volume, and site. Z-scores and extreme z-score deviations were calculated and compared across phenotypes. GAMLSS models performed the best. Statistically significant shifts in z-score distributions consistent with atrophy were observed for most phenotypes. Shifts of progressively increasing magnitude were observed bilaterally from EMCI to AD with larger shifts in the left thalamic regions. Heterogeneous shifts were observed in psychiatric diagnoses with a predilection for the right thalamic regions. Here we present the first normative models of thalamic nuclear volumes and highlight their utility in evaluating heterogenous disorders such as Schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
| | | | - Manojkumar Saranathan
- Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA
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Huang X, Yuan S, Ling Y, Tan S, Cheng H, Xu A, Lyu J. Association of birthweight and risk of incident dementia: a prospective cohort study. GeroScience 2024:10.1007/s11357-024-01105-3. [PMID: 38436791 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-024-01105-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Given the epidemiological studies investigating the relationship between birthweight and dementia are limited. Our study aimed to explore the association between birthweight and the risk of dementia, cognitive function, and brain structure. We included 275,648 participants from the UK Biobank, categorizing birthweight into quartiles (Q1 ≤ 2.95 kg; Q2 > 2.95 kg, ≤ 3.32 kg; Q3 > 3.32 kg, ≤ 3.66 kg; Q4 > 3.66 kg), with Q3 as the reference. Cox regression models and restricted cubic splines estimated the relationship between birthweight and the risk of all causes of dementia (ACD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and vascular dementia (VD). Multivariable linear regression models assessed the relationship between birthweight, cognitive function, and MRI biomarkers. Over a median follow-up of 13.0 years, 3103 incident dementia cases were recorded. In the fully adjusted model, compared to Q3 (> 3.32 kg, ≤ 3.66 kg), lower birthweight in Q1 (≤ 2.95 kg) was significantly associated with increased risk of ACD (HR = 1.18, 95%CI 1.06-1.30, P = 0.001) and VD (HR = 1.32, 95%CI 1.07-1.62, P = 0.010), but no significant association with AD was found. Continuous birthweight showed a U-shaped nonlinear association with dementia. Lower birthweight was associated with worse performance in cognitive tasks, including reaction time, fluid intelligence, numeric, and prospective memory. Additionally, certain brain structure indices were identified, including brain atrophy and reductions in area, thickness, and volume of regional subcortical areas. Our study emphasizes the association between lower birthweight and increased dementia risk, correlating cognitive function and MRI biomarkers of brain structure, suggesting that in utero or early-life exposures might impact cognitive health in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaxuan Huang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Shiqi Yuan
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Yitong Ling
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Shanyuan Tan
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Hongtao Cheng
- School of Nursing, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China
| | - Anding Xu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
| | - Jun Lyu
- Department of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Informatization, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
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Wang S, Deng R, Chen Z, Huang L, Song Y, Yuan D, Li Y, Liu H, Yang F, Fan B, Xu Y, Zhao Z, Li Y, Zhang Y. High-Performance Plasma Biomarker Panel for Alzheimer's Disease Screening Using a Femtomolar-Level Label-Free Biosensing System. ACS NANO 2024; 18:2117-2130. [PMID: 38117205 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in older people. However, diagnosing AD through noncognitive methods, such as invasive cerebrospinal fluid sampling or radioactive positron emission tomography, has limited applications. Herein, the femtomolar levels of AD biomarkers amyloid β 40 (Aβ40), amyloid β 42 (Aβ42), phosphorylated tau 181 (P-tau181), phosphorylated tau 217 (P-tau217), and neurofilament light chain (NfL) were determined in human plasma in multicenter clinical cohorts using an ultrasensitive graphene field-effect transistor sensor. A machine-learning algorithm was also used to assemble these plasma biomarkers and optimize their performance in discriminating individual stages of Alzheimer's dementia progression. The "composite-info" biomarker panel, which combines these biomarkers and clinical information, considerably improved the staging performance in AD progression. It achieved an area under the curve of >0.94 in the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. In addition, the panel demonstrated an advantage in the individual-based stage assessment compared with that of the Mini-Mental State Examination/Montreal Cognitive Assessment and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. This study provides a composite biomarker panel for the screening and early diagnosis of AD using a rapid detection system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shicai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Ruijun Deng
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Zhiya Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Yiwu Boya Rehabilitation Hospital, Yiwu 322006, China
| | - Lili Huang
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yang Song
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Dan Yuan
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Yu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haonan Liu
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Beiyuan Fan
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Yun Xu
- Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zijian Zhao
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Yanzhao Li
- Central Research Institute, BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing 1000176, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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