Early-Onset Parkinson's Disease: Creating the Right Environment for a Genetic Disorder

Ubiquitin E3 ligases assisted technologies in protein degradation: Sharing pathways in neurodegenerative disorders and cancer

E3 ligases, essential components of the ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated protein degradation system, play a critical role in cellular regulation. By covalently attaching ubiquitin (Ub) molecules to target proteins, these ligases mark them for degradation, influencing various bioprocesses. With over 600 E3 ligases identified, there is a growing realization of their potential as therapeutic candidates for addressing proteinopathies in cancer and neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). Recent research has highlighted the need to delve deeper into the intricate roles of E3 ligases as nexus points in the pathogenesis of both cancer and NDDs. Their dysregulation is emerging as a common thread linking these seemingly disparate diseases, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of their molecular intricacies. Herein, we have discussed (i) the fundamental mechanisms through which different types of E3 ligases actively participate in selective protein degradation in cancer and NDDs, followed by an examination of common E3 ligases playing pivotal roles in both situations, emphasising common players. Moving to, (ii) the functional domains and motifs of E3 ligases involved in ubiquitination, we have explored their interactions with specific substrates in NDDs and cancer. Additionally, (iii) we have explored techniques like PROTAC, molecular glues, and other state-of-the-art methods for hijacking neurotoxic and oncoproteins. Lastly, (iv) we have provided insights into ongoing clinical trials, offering a glimpse into the evolving landscape of E3-based therapeutics for cancer and NDDs. Unravelling the intricate network of E3 ligase-mediated regulation holds the key to unlocking targeted therapies that address the specific molecular signatures of individual patients, heralding a new era in personalized medicines.

Toxicological Effects of Inhaled Crude Oil Vapor

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to assess the toxicological consequences of crude oil vapor (COV) exposure in the workplace through evaluation of the most current epidemiologic and laboratory-based studies in the literature.

RECENT FINDINGS

Crude oil is a naturally occuring mixture of hydrocarbon deposits, inorganic and organic chemical compounds. Workers engaged in upstream processes of oil extraction are exposed to a number of risks and hazards, including getting crude oil on their skin or inhaling crude oil vapor. There have been several reports of workers who died as a result of inhalation of high levels of COV released upon opening thief hatches atop oil storage tanks. Although many investigations into the toxicity of specific hydrocarbons following inhalation during downstream oil processing have been conducted, there is a paucity of information on the potential toxicity of COV exposure itself. This review assesses current knowledge of the toxicological consequences of exposures to COV in the workplace.

Botulinum Toxin for the Management of Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a terminal, debilitating neurodegenerative disorder typically affecting individuals over 60. It is associated with various conditions that drastically affect the patient's quality of life (QoL). Although there is no cure for PD, its symptoms can be significantly improved and even resolved through different treatments. Mainstay treatments for PD include levodopa combined with carbidopa, dopamine agonists, and even deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus. New treatment methods have emerged, such as botulinum toxin (BoNT), which further improve symptoms and, thus, the QoL of patients with PD. Botulinum toxin is a potent neurotoxin produced by Clostridium botulinum that typically causes descending paralysis by suppressing acetylcholine secretion. Serotypes used to treat various disorders include serotype A (BoNT-A) and serotype B (BoNT-B). This paper aims to evaluate the outcomes of BoNT injection on different symptoms associated with PD. An extensive review using PubMed, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest articles concerning 'botulinum toxin and Parkinson's disease' was done per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, resulting in 23,803 articles. After applying strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, the total number of articles was finally 41. The results showed that movement disorders were a common occurrence in PD, consisting of tremors, dystonia, and freezing of gait (FOG), with tremors being the most common symptom. Tremors and dystonia were significantly improved following BoNT-A, correlating with significant improvements in various scales subjectively and objectively evaluating the symptoms and QoL. In contrast, FOG was not significantly improved by either BoNT-A or BoNT-B. Pain is associated with movement disorders such as PD and was the primary indication for the administration of BoNT; studies found pain and QoL were significantly improved following BoNT injection. Quality of life can also be affected by sialorrhea and overactive bladder, which often occur as the disease progresses. Injections of BoNT-A and BoNT-B were shown to significantly improve saliva production, flow rate, drooling frequency, voiding frequency, and urinary urge incontinence. Across all studies analyzed, it is evident that BoNT may have a significant effect on improving the QoL of patients suffering from PD. While research continues to find a cure or stop the progression of PD, it remains critical to continue focusing on improving patients' QoL. Future research should evaluate whether BoNT can be used to successfully treat other symptoms of PD, such as epiphora or constipation.

Sink or swim: Does a worm paralysis phenotype hold clues to neurodegenerative disease?

Receiving a neurodegenerative disease (NDD) diagnosis, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is devastating, particularly given the limited options for treatment. Advances in genetic technologies have allowed for efficient modeling of NDDs in animals and brought hope for new disease-modifying medications. The complexity of the mammalian brain and the costs and time needed to identify and develop therapeutic leads limits progress. Modeling NDDs in invertebrates, such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, offers orders of magnitude increases in speed of genetic analysis and manipulation, and can be pursued at substantially reduced cost, providing an important, platform complement and inform research with mammalian NDD models. In this review, we describe how our efforts to exploit C. elegans for the study of neural signaling and health led to the discovery of a paralytic phenotype (swimming-induced paralysis) associated with altered dopamine signaling and, surprisingly, to the discovery of a novel gene and pathway whose dysfunction in glial cells triggers neurodegeneration. Research to date on swip-10 and its putative mammalian ortholog MBLAC1, suggests that a tandem analysis will offer insights into NDD mechanisms and insights into novel, disease-modifying therapeutics.

Interaction of Mitochondrial Polygenic Score and Lifestyle Factors in LRRK2 p.Gly2019Ser Parkinsonism

BACKGROUND

A mitochondrial polygenic score (MGS) is composed of genes related to mitochondrial function and found to be associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) risk.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of the MGS and lifestyle/environment on age at onset (AAO) in LRRK2 p.Gly2019Ser parkinsonism (LRRK2-PD) and idiopathic PD (iPD).

METHODS

We included N = 486 patients with LRRK2-PD and N = 9259 with iPD from the Accelerating Medicines Partnership® Parkinson's Disease Knowledge Platform (AMP-PD), Fox Insight, and a Tunisian Arab-Berber founder population. Genotyping data were used to perform the MGS analysis. Additionally, lifestyle/environmental data were obtained from the PD Risk Factor Questionnaire (PD-RFQ). Linear regression models were used to assess the relationship between MGS, lifestyle/environment, and AAO.

RESULTS

Our derived MGS was significantly higher in PD cases compared with controls (P = 1.1 × 10-8 ). We observed that higher MGS was significantly associated with earlier AAO in LRRK2-PD (P = 0.047, β = -1.40) and there was the same trend with a smaller effect size in iPD (P = 0.231, β = 0.22). There was a correlation between MGS and AAO in LRRK2-PD patients of European descent (P = 0.049, r = -0.12) that was visibly less pronounced in Tunisians (P = 0.449, r = -0.05). We found that the MGS interacted with caffeinated soda consumption (P = 0.003, β = -5.65) in LRRK2-PD and with tobacco use (P = 0.010, β = 1.32) in iPD. Thus, patients with a high MGS had an earlier AAO only if they consumed caffeinated soda or were non-smokers.

CONCLUSIONS

The MGS was more strongly associated with earlier AAO in LRRK2-PD compared with iPD. Caffeinated soda consumption or tobacco use interacted with MGS to predict AAO. Our study suggests gene-environment interactions as modifiers of AAO in LRRK2-PD. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Lifestyle factors and clinical severity of Parkinson's disease

Genetic factors, environmental factors, and gene-environment interactions have been found to modify PD risk, age at onset (AAO), and disease progression. The objective of this study was to explore the association of coffee drinking, aspirin intake, and smoking, with motor and non-motor symptoms in a cohort of 35,959 American patients with PD from the Fox Insight Study using generalized linear models. Coffee drinkers had fewer problems swallowing but dosage and duration of coffee intake were not associated with motor or non-motor symptoms. Aspirin intake correlated with more tremor (p = 0.0026), problems getting up (p = 0.0185), light-headedness (p = 0.0043), and problems remembering (p = 1 × 10^-5). Smoking was directly associated with symptoms: smokers had more problems with drooling (p = 0.0106), swallowing (p = 0.0002), and freezing (p < 1 × 10^-5). Additionally, smokers had more possibly mood-related symptoms: unexplained pains (p < 1 × 10^-5), problems remembering (p = 0.0001), and feeling sad (p < 1 × 10^-5). Confirmatory and longitudinal studies are warranted to investigate the clinical correlation over time.