1
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Brown RE. Measuring the replicability of our own research. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 406:110111. [PMID: 38521128 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110111] [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: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
In the study of transgenic mouse models of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, we use batteries of tests to measure deficits in behaviour and from the results of these tests, we make inferences about the mental states of the mice that we interpret as deficits in "learning", "memory", "anxiety", "depression", etc. This paper discusses the problems of determining whether a particular transgenic mouse is a valid mouse model of disease X, the problem of background strains, and the question of whether our behavioural tests are measuring what we say they are. The problem of the reliability of results is then discussed: are they replicable between labs and can we replicate our results in our own lab? This involves the study of intra- and inter- experimenter reliability. The variables that influence replicability and the importance of conducting a complete behavioural phenotype: sensory, motor, cognitive and social emotional behaviour are discussed. Then the thorny question of failure to replicate is examined: Is it a curse or a blessing? Finally, the role of failure in research and what it tells us about our research paradigms is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Brown
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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2
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Tan LY, Cunliffe G, Hogan MP, Yeo XY, Oh C, Jin B, Kang J, Park J, Kwon MS, Kim M, Jung S. Emergence of the brain-border immune niches and their contribution to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1380063. [PMID: 38863704 PMCID: PMC11165048 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1380063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Historically, the central nervous system (CNS) was regarded as 'immune-privileged', possessing its own distinct immune cell population. This immune privilege was thought to be established by a tight blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal-fluid barrier (BCSFB), which prevented the crossing of peripheral immune cells and their secreted factors into the CNS parenchyma. However, recent studies have revealed the presence of peripheral immune cells in proximity to various brain-border niches such as the choroid plexus, cranial bone marrow (CBM), meninges, and perivascular spaces. Furthermore, emerging evidence suggests that peripheral immune cells may be able to infiltrate the brain through these sites and play significant roles in driving neuronal cell death and pathology progression in neurodegenerative disease. Thus, in this review, we explore how the brain-border immune niches may contribute to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). We then discuss several emerging options for harnessing the neuroimmune potential of these niches to improve the prognosis and treatment of these debilitative disorders using novel insights from recent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Yang Tan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Grace Cunliffe
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Patrick Hogan
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Xin Yi Yeo
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Chansik Oh
- Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Bohwan Jin
- Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Junmo Kang
- Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Junho Park
- Department of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Basic Medical Science, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Soo Kwon
- Department of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Basic Medical Science, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - MinYoung Kim
- Rehabilitation and Regeneration Research Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangyong Jung
- Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
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3
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Svensson E, von Mentzer U, Stubelius A. Achieving Precision Healthcare through Nanomedicine and Enhanced Model Systems. ACS MATERIALS AU 2024; 4:162-173. [PMID: 38496040 PMCID: PMC10941278 DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialsau.3c00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The ability to customize medical choices according to an individual's genetic makeup and biomarker patterns marks a significant advancement toward overall improved healthcare for both individuals and society at large. By transitioning from the conventional one-size-fits-all approach to tailored treatments that can account for predispositions of different patient populations, nanomedicines can be customized to target the specific molecular underpinnings of a patient's disease, thus mitigating the risk of collateral damage. However, for these systems to reach their full potential, our understanding of how nano-based therapeutics behave within the intricate human body is necessary. Effective drug administration to the targeted organ or pathological niche is dictated by properties such as nanocarrier (NC) size, shape, and targeting abilities, where understanding how NCs change their properties when they encounter biomolecules and phenomena such as shear stress in flow remains a major challenge. This Review specifically focuses on vessel-on-a-chip technology that can provide increased understanding of NC behavior in blood and summarizes the specialized environment of the joint to showcase advanced tissue models as approaches to address translational challenges. Compared to conventional cell studies or animal models, these advanced models can integrate patient material for full customization. Combining such models with nanomedicine can contribute to making personalized medicine achievable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alexandra Stubelius
- Division of Chemical Biology,
Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University
of Technology, Gothenburg 412 96, Sweden
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4
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Tawade P, Mastrangeli M. Integrated Electrochemical and Optical Biosensing in Organs-on-Chip. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300560. [PMID: 37966365 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300560] [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: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Demand for biocompatible, non-invasive, and continuous real-time monitoring of organs-on-chip has driven the development of a variety of novel sensors. However, highest accuracy and sensitivity can arguably be achieved by integrated biosensing, which enables in situ monitoring of the in vitro microenvironment and dynamic responses of tissues and miniature organs recapitulated in organs-on-chip. This paper reviews integrated electrical, electrochemical, and optical sensing methods within organ-on-chip devices and platforms. By affording precise detection of analytes and biochemical reactions, these methods expand and advance the monitoring capabilities and reproducibility of organ-on-chip technology. The integration of these sensing techniques allows a deeper understanding of organ functions, and paves the way for important applications such as drug testing, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. By consolidating recent advancements and highlighting challenges in the field, this review aims to foster further research and innovation in the integration of biosensing in organs-on-chip.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratik Tawade
- Electronic Components, Technology and Materials, Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 4, 2628CD, Delft, Netherlands
| | - Massimo Mastrangeli
- Electronic Components, Technology and Materials, Department of Microelectronics, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 4, 2628CD, Delft, Netherlands
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5
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Bruter AV, Varlamova EA, Okulova YD, Tatarskiy VV, Silaeva YY, Filatov MA. Genetically modified mice as a tool for the study of human diseases. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:135. [PMID: 38236499 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-09066-0] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Modeling a human disease is an essential part of biomedical research. The recent advances in the field of molecular genetics made it possible to obtain genetically modified animals for the study of various diseases. Not only monogenic disorders but also chromosomal and multifactorial disorders can be mimicked in lab animals due to genetic modification. Even human infectious diseases can be studied in genetically modified animals. An animal model of a disease enables the tracking of its pathogenesis and, more importantly, to test new therapies. In the first part of this paper, we review the most common DNA modification technologies and provide key ideas on specific technology choices according to the task at hand. In the second part, we focus on the application of genetically modified mice in studying human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra V Bruter
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119334
- Federal State Budgetary Institution "National Medical Research Center of Oncology Named After N.N. Blokhin" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Research Institute of Carcinogenesis, Moscow, Russia, 115478
| | - Ekaterina A Varlamova
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119334
- Federal State Budgetary Institution "National Medical Research Center of Oncology Named After N.N. Blokhin" of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Research Institute of Carcinogenesis, Moscow, Russia, 115478
| | - Yulia D Okulova
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119334
| | - Victor V Tatarskiy
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119334
| | - Yulia Y Silaeva
- Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119334
| | - Maxim A Filatov
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, 119334.
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6
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Zielinski M, Peralta Reyes FS, Gremer L, Schemmert S, Frieg B, Schäfer LU, Willuweit A, Donner L, Elvers M, Nilsson LNG, Syvänen S, Sehlin D, Ingelsson M, Willbold D, Schröder GF. Cryo-EM of Aβ fibrils from mouse models find tg-APP ArcSwe fibrils resemble those found in patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:2073-2080. [PMID: 37973869 PMCID: PMC10689242 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01484-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The use of transgenic mice displaying amyloid-β (Aβ) brain pathology has been essential for the preclinical assessment of new treatment strategies for Alzheimer's disease. However, the properties of Aβ in such mice have not been systematically compared to Aβ in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Here, we determined the structures of nine ex vivo Aβ fibrils from six different mouse models by cryogenic-electron microscopy. We found novel Aβ fibril structures in the APP/PS1, ARTE10 and tg-SwDI models, whereas the human type II filament fold was found in the ARTE10, tg-APPSwe and APP23 models. The tg-APPArcSwe mice showed an Aβ fibril whose structure resembles the human type I filament found in patients with sporadic Alzheimer's disease. A detailed assessment of the Aβ fibril structure is key to the selection of adequate mouse models for the preclinical development of novel plaque-targeting therapeutics and positron emission tomography imaging tracers in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Zielinski
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | | | - Lothar Gremer
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Sarah Schemmert
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Benedikt Frieg
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Luisa U Schäfer
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Life and Medical Sciences (LIMES) Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Antje Willuweit
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Medical Imaging Physics (INM-4), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Lili Donner
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Margitta Elvers
- Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Lars N G Nilsson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stina Syvänen
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Molecular Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dag Sehlin
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Molecular Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Martin Ingelsson
- Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Molecular Geriatrics, Rudbeck Laboratory, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine & Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Gunnar F Schröder
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- JuStruct, Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
- Physics Department, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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7
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Iqbal W, Wang Y, Sun P, Zhou X. Modeling Liver Development and Disease in a Dish. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15921. [PMID: 37958904 PMCID: PMC10650907 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115921] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Historically, biological research has relied primarily on animal models. While this led to the understanding of numerous human biological processes, inherent species-specific differences make it difficult to answer certain liver-related developmental and disease-specific questions. The advent of 3D organoid models that are either derived from pluripotent stem cells or generated from healthy or diseased tissue-derived stem cells have made it possible to recapitulate the biological aspects of human organs. Organoid technology has been instrumental in understanding the disease mechanism and complements animal models. This review underscores the advances in organoid technology and specifically how liver organoids are used to better understand human-specific biological processes in development and disease. We also discuss advances made in the application of organoid models in drug screening and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waqas Iqbal
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; (W.I.); (Y.W.); (P.S.)
- Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Yaru Wang
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; (W.I.); (Y.W.); (P.S.)
- Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Pingnan Sun
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; (W.I.); (Y.W.); (P.S.)
- Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Xiaoling Zhou
- Stem Cell Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China; (W.I.); (Y.W.); (P.S.)
- Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Immunopathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
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8
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Matysek A, Sun L, Kimmantudawage SP, Feng L, Maier AB. Targeting impaired nutrient sensing via the sirtuin pathway with novel compounds to prevent or treat dementia: A systematic review. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 90:102029. [PMID: 37549873 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.102029] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dementia is prevalent in aged populations and is associated with disability and distress for those affected. Therapeutic benefits of drugs targeting dementia are small. Impaired nutrient sensing pathways have been implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia and may offer a novel treatment target. AIMS This systematic review collated evidence for novel therapeutic compounds that modify nutrient sensing pathways, particularly the sirtuin pathway, in preventing cognitive decline or improving cognition in normal ageing, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia. METHODS PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched using key search terms. Articles were screened using Covidence systematic review software. The risk of bias was assessed using the Systematic Review Center for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE)'s risk of bias tool for animal studies and Cochrane Risk of Bias tool v 2.0 for human studies. RESULTS Out of 3841 articles, 68 were included describing 38 different novel therapeutic compounds that modulate the nutrient sensing pathway via the sirtuin pathway. In animal models (58 studies), all investigated novel therapeutic compounds showed cognitive benefits. Ten studies were human intervention trials targeting normal ageing (1 study) and dementia populations (9 studies). Direct sirtuin (silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog) 1 (SIRT1) activators Resveratrol and Nicotinamide derivatives improved cognitive outcomes among human subjects with normal cognition and MCI. CONCLUSION Animal studies support that modulation of the sirtuin pathway has the potential to improve cognitive outcomes. Overall, there is a clear lack of translation from animal models to human populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Matysek
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Centre for Healthy Longevity, @AgeSingapore, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Lina Sun
- School of Anesthesiology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | | | - Lei Feng
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Centre for Healthy Longevity, @AgeSingapore, National University Health System, Singapore; Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrea B Maier
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Centre for Healthy Longevity, @AgeSingapore, National University Health System, Singapore; Department of Human Movement Sciences, @AgeAmsterdam, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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9
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Kim J, Kim J, Jin Y, Cho SW. In situbiosensing technologies for an organ-on-a-chip. Biofabrication 2023; 15:042002. [PMID: 37587753 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/aceaae] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Thein vitrosimulation of organs resolves the accuracy, ethical, and cost challenges accompanyingin vivoexperiments. Organoids and organs-on-chips have been developed to model thein vitro, real-time biological and physiological features of organs. Numerous studies have deployed these systems to assess thein vitro, real-time responses of an organ to external stimuli. Particularly, organs-on-chips can be most efficiently employed in pharmaceutical drug development to predict the responses of organs before approving such drugs. Furthermore, multi-organ-on-a-chip systems facilitate the close representations of thein vivoenvironment. In this review, we discuss the biosensing technology that facilitates thein situ, real-time measurements of organ responses as readouts on organ-on-a-chip systems, including multi-organ models. Notably, a human-on-a-chip system integrated with automated multi-sensing will be established by further advancing the development of chips, as well as their assessment techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyoung Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghoon Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonhee Jin
- Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Woo Cho
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Center for Nanomedicine, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
- Graduate Program of Nano Biomedical Engineering (NanoBME), Advanced Science Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
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10
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Tian CM, Yang MF, Xu HM, Zhu MZ, Yue NN, Zhang Y, Shi RY, Yao J, Wang LS, Liang YJ, Li DF. Stem cell-derived intestinal organoids: a novel modality for IBD. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:255. [PMID: 37479716 PMCID: PMC10362068 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01556-1] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The organoids represent one of the greatest revolutions in the biomedical field in the past decade. This three-dimensional (3D) micro-organ cultured in vitro has a structure highly similar to that of the tissue and organ. Using the regeneration ability of stem cells, a 3D organ-like structure called intestinal organoids is established, which can mimic the characteristics of real intestinal organs, including morphology, function, and personalized response to specific stimuli. Here, we discuss current stem cell-based organ-like 3D intestinal models, including understanding the molecular pathophysiology, high-throughput screening drugs, drug efficacy testing, toxicological evaluation, and organ-based regeneration of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We summarize the advances and limitations of the state-of-the-art reconstruction platforms for intestinal organoids. The challenges, advantages, and prospects of intestinal organs as an in vitro model system for precision medicine are also discussed. Key applications of stem cell-derived intestinal organoids. Intestinal organoids can be used to model infectious diseases, develop new treatments, drug screens, precision medicine, and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Mei Tian
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
- Department of Emergency, Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Mei-Feng Yang
- Department of Hematology, Yantian District People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Hao-Ming Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 51000, China
| | - Min-Zheng Zhu
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 51000, China
| | - Ning-Ning Yue
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Medical Administration, Huizhou Institute of Occupational Diseases Control and Prevention, Huizhou, 516000, Guangdong, China
| | - Rui-Yue Shi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China.
| | - Jun Yao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China.
| | - Li-Sheng Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yu-Jie Liang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China.
| | - De-Feng Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University; The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518020, Guangdong, China.
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11
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Zhang Y, Chen H, Li R, Sterling K, Song W. Amyloid β-based therapy for Alzheimer's disease: challenges, successes and future. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:248. [PMID: 37386015 PMCID: PMC10310781 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01484-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid β protein (Aβ) is the main component of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its accumulation has been considered as the molecular driver of Alzheimer's pathogenesis and progression. Aβ has been the prime target for the development of AD therapy. However, the repeated failures of Aβ-targeted clinical trials have cast considerable doubt on the amyloid cascade hypothesis and whether the development of Alzheimer's drug has followed the correct course. However, the recent successes of Aβ targeted trials have assuaged those doubts. In this review, we discussed the evolution of the amyloid cascade hypothesis over the last 30 years and summarized its application in Alzheimer's diagnosis and modification. In particular, we extensively discussed the pitfalls, promises and important unanswered questions regarding the current anti-Aβ therapy, as well as strategies for further study and development of more feasible Aβ-targeted approaches in the optimization of AD prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Huaqiu Chen
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ran Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Keenan Sterling
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Weihong Song
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Townsend Family Laboratories, Department of Psychiatry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
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12
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Loewa A, Feng JJ, Hedtrich S. Human disease models in drug development. NATURE REVIEWS BIOENGINEERING 2023; 1:1-15. [PMID: 37359774 PMCID: PMC10173243 DOI: 10.1038/s44222-023-00063-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Biomedical research is undergoing a paradigm shift towards approaches centred on human disease models owing to the notoriously high failure rates of the current drug development process. Major drivers for this transition are the limitations of animal models, which, despite remaining the gold standard in basic and preclinical research, suffer from interspecies differences and poor prediction of human physiological and pathological conditions. To bridge this translational gap, bioengineered human disease models with high clinical mimicry are being developed. In this Review, we discuss preclinical and clinical studies that benefited from these models, focusing on organoids, bioengineered tissue models and organs-on-chips. Furthermore, we provide a high-level design framework to facilitate clinical translation and accelerate drug development using bioengineered human disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Loewa
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - James J. Feng
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Sarah Hedtrich
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Center of Biological Design, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC Canada
- Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MCD), Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
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13
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Dong Y, Lu J, Zhang S, Chen L, Wen J, Wang F, Mao Y, Li L, Zhang J, Liao S, Dong L. Design, synthesis and bioevaluation of 1,2,4-thiadiazolidine-3,5-dione derivatives as potential GSK-3β inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Bioorg Chem 2023; 134:106446. [PMID: 36868127 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
Tideglusib is a non-competitive GSK-3β inhibitor which contain 1,2,4-thiadiazolidine-3,5-dione moiety, and now mainly used for progressive supranuclear palsy due to the lack of some primary cognitive endpoints and secondary endpoints in a phase IIb trail for Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, insufficient evidence exists to support that there are obvious covalent bonds between Tideglusib and GSK-3β. Targeted covalent inhibition strategy could improve the binding efficiency, selectivity and duration of kinase inhibitors. Based on the above premise, two series of targeted compounds with acryloyl warheads were designed and synthesized. The kinase inhibitory activity of the selected compound 10a with better neuroprotective effect improved 2.7 fold than that of Tideglusib. After the preliminary screening of GSK-3β inhibition and neuroprotective activity, the mechanism action of the selected compound 10a was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The results confirmed that 10a with excellent selectivity among the whole tested kinases could significantly reduce the expressions of APP and p-Tau via increasing the level of p-GSK-3β. The pharmacodynamic assay in vivo showed that 10a could markedly improve the learning and memory functions in AD mice induced by AlCl3 combined with d-galactose. At the same time, the damage of hippocampal neurons in AD mice was obviously reduced. Accordingly, the introduction of acryloyl warheads could increase the GSK-3β inhibitory activity of 1,2,4-thiadiazolidine-3,5-dione derivatives, and the selected compound 10a deserves further research as an effective GSK-3β inhibitor for the potential treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongxi Dong
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China.
| | - Jun Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China
| | - Shanhui Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China
| | - Lina Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China
| | - Jinlan Wen
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China
| | - Fang Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China
| | - Yongqing Mao
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China
| | - Lei Li
- Guizhou provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Jiquan Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China
| | - Shanggao Liao
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China.
| | - Li Dong
- School of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guian New District 550025, China.
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14
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Ong LJY, Fan X, Rujia Sun A, Mei L, Toh YC, Prasadam I. Controlling Microenvironments with Organs-on-Chips for Osteoarthritis Modelling. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040579. [PMID: 36831245 PMCID: PMC9954502 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) remains a prevalent disease affecting more than 20% of the global population, resulting in morbidity and lower quality of life for patients. The study of OA pathophysiology remains predominantly in animal models due to the complexities of mimicking the physiological environment surrounding the joint tissue. Recent development in microfluidic organ-on-chip (OoC) systems have demonstrated various techniques to mimic and modulate tissue physiological environments. Adaptations of these techniques have demonstrated success in capturing a joint tissue's tissue physiology for studying the mechanism of OA. Adapting these techniques and strategies can help create human-specific in vitro models that recapitulate the cellular processes involved in OA. This review aims to comprehensively summarise various demonstrations of microfluidic platforms in mimicking joint microenvironments for future platform design iterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Jun Ye Ong
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
- Center for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia
- Max Planck Queensland Centre (MPQC) for the Materials Science of Extracellular Matrices, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
- Correspondence: (L.J.Y.O.); (I.P.)
| | - Xiwei Fan
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
- Center for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia
| | - Antonia Rujia Sun
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
- Center for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia
| | - Lin Mei
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
- Center for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia
| | - Yi-Chin Toh
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
- Center for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia
- Max Planck Queensland Centre (MPQC) for the Materials Science of Extracellular Matrices, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
- Centre for Microbiome Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Indira Prasadam
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane City, QLD 4000, Australia
- Center for Biomedical Technologies, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia
- Correspondence: (L.J.Y.O.); (I.P.)
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Catania M, Colombo L, Sorrentino S, Cagnotto A, Lucchetti J, Barbagallo MC, Vannetiello I, Vecchi ER, Favagrossa M, Costanza M, Giaccone G, Salmona M, Tagliavini F, Di Fede G. A novel bio-inspired strategy to prevent amyloidogenesis and synaptic damage in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:5227-5234. [PMID: 36028569 PMCID: PMC9763104 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01745-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. AD pathogenesis is intricate. It primarily involves two main molecular players-amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau-which actually have an intrinsic trend to generate molecular assemblies that are toxic to neurons. Incomplete knowledge of the molecular mechanisms inducing the onset and sustaining the progression of the disease, as well as the lack of valid models to fully recapitulate the pathogenesis of human disease, have until now hampered the development of a successful therapy for AD. The overall experience with clinical trials with a number of potential drugs-including the recent outcomes of studies with monoclonal antibodies against Aβ-seems to indicate that Aβ-targeting is not effective if it is not accompanied by an efficient challenge of Aβ neurotoxic properties. We took advantage from the discovery of a naturally-occurring variant of Aβ (AβA2V) that has anti-amyloidogenic properties, and designed a novel bio-inspired strategy for AD based on the intranasal delivery of a six-mer peptide (Aβ1-6A2V) retaining the anti-amyloidogenic abilities of the full-length AβA2V variant. This approach turned out to be effective in preventing the aggregation of wild type Aβ and averting the synaptic damage associated with amyloidogenesis in a mouse model of AD. The results of our preclinical studies inspired by a protective model already existing in nature, that is the human heterozygous AβA2V carriers which seem to be protected from AD, open the way to an unprecedented and promising approach for the prevention of the disease in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Catania
- Neurology V - Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Colombo
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Sorrentino
- Neurology V - Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Alfredo Cagnotto
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo Lucchetti
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Barbagallo
- Neurology V - Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Vannetiello
- Neurology V - Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Rita Vecchi
- Neurology V - Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Favagrossa
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Costanza
- Molecular Neuro-Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Giaccone
- Neurology V - Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Salmona
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, IRCCS Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Tagliavini
- Neurology V - Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Di Fede
- Neurology V - Neuropathology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Via Celoria 11, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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16
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Novel Anti-Neuroinflammatory Properties of a Thiosemicarbazone–Pyridylhydrazone Copper(II) Complex. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810722. [PMID: 36142627 PMCID: PMC9505367 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation has a major role in several brain disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet at present there are no effective anti-neuroinflammatory therapeutics available. Copper(II) complexes of bis(thiosemicarbazones) (CuII(gtsm) and CuII(atsm)) have broad therapeutic actions in preclinical models of neurodegeneration, with CuII(atsm) demonstrating beneficial outcomes on neuroinflammatory markers in vitro and in vivo. These findings suggest that copper(II) complexes could be harnessed as a new approach to modulate immune function in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we examined the anti-neuroinflammatory action of several low-molecular-weight, charge-neutral and lipophilic copper(II) complexes. Our analysis revealed that one compound, a thiosemicarbazone–pyridylhydrazone copper(II) complex (CuL5), delivered copper into cells in vitro and increased the concentration of copper in the brain in vivo. In a primary murine microglia culture, CuL5 was shown to decrease secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine macrophage chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (Tnf), increase expression of metallothionein (Mt1), and modulate expression of Alzheimer’s disease-associated risk genes, Trem2 and Cd33. CuL5 also improved the phagocytic function of microglia in vitro. In 5xFAD model AD mice, treatment with CuL5 led to an improved performance in a spatial working memory test, while, interestingly, increased accumulation of amyloid plaques in treated mice. These findings demonstrate that CuL5 can induce anti-neuroinflammatory effects in vitro and provide selective benefit in vivo. The outcomes provide further support for the development of copper-based compounds to modulate neuroinflammation in brain diseases.
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Oh E, Kang JH, Jo KW, Shin WS, Jeong YH, Kang B, Rho TY, Jeon SY, Lee J, Song IS, Kim KT. Synthetic PPAR Agonist DTMB Alleviates Alzheimer's Disease Pathology by Inhibition of Chronic Microglial Inflammation in 5xFAD Mice. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:1546-1565. [PMID: 35917087 PMCID: PMC9606171 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01275-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal productions of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaque and chronic neuroinflammation are commonly observed in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease, and both of which induce neuronal cell death, loss of memory, and cognitive dysfunction. However, many of the drugs targeting the production of Aβ peptides have been unsuccessful in treating Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we identified synthetic novel peroxisome proliferator-activating receptor (PPAR) agonist, DTMB, which can ameliorate the chronic inflammation and Aβ pathological progression of Alzheimer's disease. We discovered that DTMB attenuated the proinflammatory cytokine production of microglia by reducing the protein level of NF-κB. DTMB also improved the learning and memory defects and reduced the amount of Aβ plaque in the brain of 5xFAD mice. This reduction in Aβ pathology was attributed to the changes in gliosis and chronic inflammation level. Additionally, bulk RNA-sequencing showed that genes related to inflammation and cognitive function were changed in the hippocampus and cortex of DTMB-treated mice. Our findings demonstrate that DTMB has the potential to be a novel therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunji Oh
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 790-784 Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong-Hwa Kang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 790-784 Republic of Korea
| | - Kyung Won Jo
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 790-784 Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Sik Shin
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 790-784 Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Hun Jeong
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 790-784 Republic of Korea
| | - Byunghee Kang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 790-784 Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Young Rho
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 790-784 Republic of Korea
| | - So Yeon Jeon
- College of Pharmacy, Dankook University, Cheonan, 31116 Republic of Korea
| | - Jihoon Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566 Republic of Korea
| | - Im-Sook Song
- College of Pharmacy, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566 Republic of Korea
| | - Kyong-Tai Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, 790-784 Republic of Korea
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18
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The Role of the NRF2 Pathway in Maintaining and Improving Cognitive Function. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10082043. [PMID: 36009590 PMCID: PMC9405981 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10082043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) is a redox-sensitive transcription factor that binds to the antioxidant response element consensus sequence, decreasing reactive oxygen species and regulating the transcription of a wide array of genes, including antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes, regulating genes involved in mitochondrial function and biogenesis. Moreover, NRF2 has been shown to directly regulate the expression of anti-inflammatory mediators reducing the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. In recent years, attention has turned to the role NRF2 plays in the brain in different diseases such Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and others. This review focused on the evidence, derived in vitro, in vivo and from clinical trials, supporting a role for NRF2 activation in maintaining and improving cognitive function and how its activation can be used to elicit neuroprotection and lead to cognitive enhancement. The review also brings a critical discussion concerning the possible prophylactic and/or therapeutic use of NRF2 activators in treating cognitive impairment-related conditions.
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Abstract
The failure of animal models to predict therapeutic responses in humans is a major problem that also brings into question their use for basic research. Organ-on-a-chip (organ chip) microfluidic devices lined with living cells cultured under fluid flow can recapitulate organ-level physiology and pathophysiology with high fidelity. Here, I review how single and multiple human organ chip systems have been used to model complex diseases and rare genetic disorders, to study host-microbiome interactions, to recapitulate whole-body inter-organ physiology and to reproduce human clinical responses to drugs, radiation, toxins and infectious pathogens. I also address the challenges that must be overcome for organ chips to be accepted by the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory agencies, as well as discuss recent advances in the field. It is evident that the use of human organ chips instead of animal models for drug development and as living avatars for personalized medicine is ever closer to realization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald E Ingber
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Vascular Biology Program, Department of Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Matysek A, Kimmantudawage SP, Feng L, Maier AB. Targeting Impaired Nutrient Sensing via the Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Pathway With Therapeutic Compounds to Prevent or Treat Dementia: A Systematic Review. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:898853. [PMID: 35923682 PMCID: PMC9341294 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.898853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background: Dementia is a global challenge with 10 million individuals being diagnosed every year. Currently, there are no established disease-modifying treatments for dementia. Impaired nutrient sensing has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia. Compounds that inhibit the glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) pathway have been investigated as a possible treatment to attenuate the progression of the disease, particularly the suppression of the hyper-phosphorylation process of the tau protein. Aims: Systematically summarizing compounds which have been tested to inhibit the GSK3 pathway to treat cognitive impairment and dementia. Methods: PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched from inception until 28 July 2021 for articles published in English. Interventional animal studies inhibiting the GSK3 pathway in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s dementia, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal cognitive ageing investigating the change in cognition as the outcome were included. The Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation’s risk of bias tool for animal studies was applied. Results: Out of 4,154 articles, 29 described compounds inhibiting the GSK3 pathway. All studies were based on animal models of MCI, AD or normal cognitive ageing. Thirteen out of 21 natural compounds and five out of nine synthetic compounds tested in MCI and dementia animal models showed an overall positive effect on cognition. No articles reported human studies. The risk of bias was largely unclear. Conclusion: Novel therapeutics involved in the modulation of the GSK3 nutrient sensing pathway have the potential to improve cognitive function. Overall, there is a clear lack of translation from animal models to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Matysek
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Sumudu Perera Kimmantudawage
- Department of Medicine and Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Lei Feng
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrea B. Maier
- Department of Medicine and Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Healthy Longevity, National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Andrea B. Maier,
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21
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Shenoy A, Banerjee M, Upadhya A, Bagwe-Parab S, Kaur G. The Brilliance of the Zebrafish Model: Perception on Behavior and Alzheimer’s Disease. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:861155. [PMID: 35769627 PMCID: PMC9234549 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.861155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has become increasingly prevalent in the elderly population across the world. It’s pathophysiological markers such as overproduction along with the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) are posing a serious challenge to novel drug development processes. A model which simulates the human neurodegenerative mechanism will be beneficial for rapid screening of potential drug candidates. Due to the comparable neurological network with humans, zebrafish has emerged as a promising AD model. This model has been thoroughly validated through research in aspects of neuronal pathways analogous to the human brain. The cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic pathways, which play a role in the manifested behavior of the zebrafish, are well defined. There are several behavioral models in both adult zebrafish and larvae to establish various aspects of cognitive impairment including spatial memory, associative memory, anxiety, and other such features that are manifested in AD. The zebrafish model eliminates the shortcomings of previously recognized mammalian models, in terms of expense, extensive assessment durations, and the complexity of imaging the brain to test the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. This review highlights the various models that analyze the changes in the normal behavioral patterns of the zebrafish when exposed to AD inducing agents. The mechanistic pathway adopted by drugs and novel therapeutic strategies can be explored via these behavioral models and their efficacy to slow the progression of AD can be evaluated.
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22
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Tello JA, Williams HE, Eppler RM, Steinhilb ML, Khanna M. Animal Models of Neurodegenerative Disease: Recent Advances in Fly Highlight Innovative Approaches to Drug Discovery. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:883358. [PMID: 35514431 PMCID: PMC9063566 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.883358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases represent a formidable challenge to global health. As advances in other areas of medicine grant healthy living into later decades of life, aging diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders can diminish the quality of these additional years, owed largely to the lack of efficacious treatments and the absence of durable cures. Alzheimer's disease prevalence is predicted to more than double in the next 30 years, affecting nearly 15 million Americans, with AD-associated costs exceeding $1 billion by 2050. Delaying onset of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases is critical to improving the quality of life for patients and reducing the burden of disease on caregivers and healthcare systems. Significant progress has been made to model disease pathogenesis and identify points of therapeutic intervention. While some researchers have contributed to our understanding of the proteins and pathways that drive biological dysfunction in disease using in vitro and in vivo models, others have provided mathematical, biophysical, and computational technologies to identify potential therapeutic compounds using in silico modeling. The most exciting phase of the drug discovery process is now: by applying a target-directed approach that leverages the strengths of multiple techniques and validates lead hits using Drosophila as an animal model of disease, we are on the fast-track to identifying novel therapeutics to restore health to those impacted by neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith A. Tello
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Center of Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Haley E. Williams
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Center of Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Robert M. Eppler
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - Michelle L. Steinhilb
- Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, United States
| | - May Khanna
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Center of Innovation in Brain Science, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
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23
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Expression of the Adenosine A2A-A3 Receptor Heteromer in Different Brain Regions and Marked Upregulation in the Microglia of the Transgenic APPSw,Ind Alzheimer’s Disease Model. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10020214. [PMID: 35203424 PMCID: PMC8869194 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10020214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenosine (Ado) receptors have been instrumental in the detection of heteromers and other higher-order receptor structures, mainly via interactions with other cell surface G-protein-coupled receptors. Apart from the first report of the A1 Ado receptor interacting with the A2A Ado receptor, there has been more recent data on the possibility that every Ado receptor type, A1, A2A, A2B, and A3, may interact with each other. The aim of this paper was to look for the expression and function of the A2A/A3 receptor heteromer (A2AA3Het) in neurons and microglia. In situ proximity ligation assays (PLA), performed in primary cells, showed that A2AA3Het expression was markedly higher in striatal than in cortical and hippocampal neurons, whereas it was similar in resting and activated microglia. Signaling assays demonstrated that the effect of the A2AR agonist, PSB 777, was reduced in the presence of the A3R agonist, 2-Cl-IB-MECA, whereas the effect of the A3R agonist was potentiated by the A2AR antagonist, SCH 58261. Interestingly, the expression of the heteromer was markedly enhanced in microglia from the APPSw,Ind model of Alzheimer’s disease. The functionality of the heteromer in primary microglia from APPSw,Ind mice was more similar to that found in resting microglia from control mice.
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24
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Pursuit of precision medicine: Systems biology approaches in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 161:105558. [PMID: 34767943 PMCID: PMC10112395 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex disease that is mediated by numerous factors and manifests in various forms. A systems biology approach to studying AD involves analyses of various body systems, biological scales, environmental elements, and clinical outcomes to understand the genotype to phenotype relationship that potentially drives AD development. Currently, there are many research investigations probing how modifiable and nonmodifiable factors impact AD symptom presentation. This review specifically focuses on how imaging modalities can be integrated into systems biology approaches using model mouse populations to link brain level functional and structural changes to disease onset and progression. Combining imaging and omics data promotes the classification of AD into subtypes and paves the way for precision medicine solutions to prevent and treat AD.
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25
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Wang X, Zhou X, Uberseder B, Lee J, Latimer CS, Furdui CM, Keene CD, Montine TJ, Register TC, Craft S, Shively CA, Ma T. Isoform-specific dysregulation of AMP-activated protein kinase signaling in a non-human primate model of Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 158:105463. [PMID: 34363967 PMCID: PMC8440492 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a molecular sensor that is critical for the maintenance of cellular energy homeostasis, disruption of which has been indicated in multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mammalian AMPK is a heterotrimeric complex and its enzymatic α subunit exists in two isoforms: AMPKα1 and AMPKα2. Here we took advantage of a recently characterized non-human primate (NHP) model with sporadic AD-like neuropathology to explore potential relationships between AMPK signaling and AD-like neuropathology. Subjects were nine female vervet monkeys aged 19.5 to 23.4 years old. Subjects were classified into three groups, control lacking AD pathology (n = 3), moderate AD pathology (n = 3), and more severe AD Pathology (n = 3). We found increased activity (assessed by phosphorylation) of AMPKα2 in hippocampi of NHP with AD-like neuropathology, compared to the subjects without AD pathology, with no alterations of AMPKα1 activity. Across all subjects, CSF Abeta42 was inversely associated with cerebral amyloid plaque density. Further, Aβ plaque burden is correlated with levels of either soluble or insoluble brain Aβ measurement. Unbiased mass spectrometry based proteomics studies combined with bioinformatics analysis revealed that many of the dysregulated proteins characteristic of AD neuropathology are associated with AMPK signaling. Our findings on the AMPK molecular signaling cascades provide further support for use of the NHP model to investigate new therapeutic strategies and development of novel biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Xueyan Zhou
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Beth Uberseder
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Jingyun Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine-Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Caitlin S Latimer
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cristina M Furdui
- Department of Internal Medicine-Section on Molecular Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Thomas C Register
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Suzanne Craft
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Carol A Shively
- Department of Pathology/Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Tao Ma
- Department of Internal Medicine, Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
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26
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Dejakaisaya H, Kwan P, Jones NC. Astrocyte and glutamate involvement in the pathogenesis of epilepsy in Alzheimer's disease. Epilepsia 2021; 62:1485-1493. [PMID: 33971019 DOI: 10.1111/epi.16918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) can increase the risk of epilepsy by up to 10-fold compared to healthy age-matched controls. However, the pathological mechanisms that underlie this increased risk are poorly understood. Because disruption in brain glutamate homeostasis has been implicated in both AD and epilepsy, this might play a mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of epilepsy in AD. Prior to the formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, the brain can undergo pathological changes as a result of increased production of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Aβ oligomers. Impairments in the glutamate uptake ability of astrocytes due to astrogliosis are hypothesized to be an early event occurring before Aβ plaque formation. Astrogliosis may increase the susceptibility to epileptogenesis of the brain via accumulation of extracellular glutamate and resulting excitotoxicity. Here we hypothesize that Aβ oligomers and proinflammatory cytokines can cause astrogliosis and accumulation of extracellular glutamate, which then contribute to the pathogenesis of epilepsy in AD. In this review article, we consider the evidence supporting a potential role of dysfunction of the glutamate-glutamine cycle and the astrocyte in the pathogenesis of epilepsy in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hattapark Dejakaisaya
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, The Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Public Health, HRH Princess Chulabhorn College of Medical Science, Chulabhorn Royal Academy, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Patrick Kwan
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, The Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
| | - Nigel C Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, The Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia
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27
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Zhao D, Lei W, Hu S. Cardiac organoid - a promising perspective of preclinical model. Stem Cell Res Ther 2021; 12:272. [PMID: 33957972 PMCID: PMC8100358 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-021-02340-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cardiac organoids (hCOs), three-dimensional (3D) cellular constructs similar to in vivo organ, are new-generation models. To a large extent, a hCO retains the biological characteristics and functions of cells in vivo more accurately than previous models. With the continuous development of biotechnology, the hCO model is becoming increasingly complex and mature. High-fidelity hCOs help us better explore the mysteries of human physiology and integrate phenotypes with living functions into models. Here, we discuss recent advances in the methods of constructing human cardiac organoids and introduce applications of hCOs, especially in modeling cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction, heart failure, genetic cardiac diseases, and arrhythmia. In addition, we propose the prospects for and the limitations of hCOs. In conclusion, a greater understanding of hCOs will provide ways to improve hCO construction and make these models useful for future preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Zhao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Wei Lei
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China
| | - Shijun Hu
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital & Institute for Cardiovascular Science, Collaborative Innovation Center of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
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28
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Targeting impaired nutrient sensing with repurposed therapeutics to prevent or treat age-related cognitive decline and dementia: A systematic review. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 67:101302. [PMID: 33609776 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dementia is a debilitating syndrome that significantly impacts individuals over the age of 65 years. There are currently no disease-modifying treatments for dementia. Impairment of nutrient sensing pathways has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dementia, and may offer a novel treatment approach for dementia. AIMS This systematic review collates all available evidence for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapeutics that modify nutrient sensing in the context of preventing cognitive decline or improving cognition in ageing, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia populations. METHODS PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were searched using key search terms focusing on available therapeutics such as 'metformin', 'GLP1', 'insulin' and the dementias including 'Alzheimer's disease' and 'Parkinson's disease'. Articles were screened using Covidence systematic review software (Veritas Health Innovation, Melbourne, Australia). The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool v 2.0 for human studies and SYRCLE's risk of bias tool for animal studies. RESULTS Out of 2619 articles, 114 were included describing 31 different 'modulation of nutrient sensing pathway' therapeutics, 13 of which specifically were utilized in human interventional trials for normal ageing or dementia. Growth hormone secretagogues improved cognitive outcomes in human mild cognitive impairment, and potentially normal ageing populations. In animals, all investigated therapeutic classes exhibited some cognitive benefits in dementia models. While the risk of bias was relatively low in human studies, this risk in animal studies was largely unclear. CONCLUSIONS Modulation of nutrient sensing pathway therapeutics, particularly growth hormone secretagogues, have the potential to improve cognitive outcomes. Overall, there is a clear lack of translation from animal models to human populations.
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29
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Banerjee A, Lu Y, Do K, Mize T, Wu X, Chen X, Chen J. Validation of Induced Microglia-Like Cells (iMG Cells) for Future Studies of Brain Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:629279. [PMID: 33897370 PMCID: PMC8063054 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.629279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the primary resident immune cells of the central nervous system that maintain physiological homeostasis in the brain and contribute to the pathogenesis of many psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the lack of appropriate human cellular models, it is difficult to study the basic pathophysiological processes linking microglia to brain diseases. In this study, we adopted a microglia-like cellular model derived from peripheral blood monocytes with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-34 (IL-34). We characterized and validated this in vitro cellular model by morphology, immunocytochemistry, gene expression profiles, and functional study. Our results indicated that the iMG cells developed typical microglial ramified morphology, expressed microglial specific surface markers (P2RY12 and TMEM119), and possessed phagocytic activity. Principal component analyses and multidimensional scaling analyses of RNA-seq data showed that iMG cells were distinct from monocytes and induced macrophages (iMacs) but clustered closer to human microglia and hiPSC-induced microglia. Heatmap analyses also found that iMG cells, but not monocytes, were closely clustered with human primary microglia. Further pathway and relative expression analysis indicated that unique genes from iMG cells were involved in the regulation of the complement system, especially in the synapse and ion transport. Overall, our data demonstrated that the iMG model mimicked many features of the brain resident microglia, highlighting its utility in the study of microglial function in many brain diseases, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Atoshi Banerjee
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Yimei Lu
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Kenny Do
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Travis Mize
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Psychology, Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Xiaogang Wu
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
- Department of Genomic Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | | | - Jingchun Chen
- Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, United States
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30
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Fleeman RM, Proctor EA. Astrocytic Propagation of Tau in the Context of Alzheimer's Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:645233. [PMID: 33815065 PMCID: PMC8010320 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.645233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
More than 6 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the incidence is growing rapidly with our aging population. Numerous therapeutics have failed to make it to the clinic, potentially due to a focus on presumptive pathogenic proteins instead of cell-type-specific signaling mechanisms. The tau propagation hypothesis that inter-neuronal tau transfer drives AD pathology has recently garnered attention, as accumulation of pathological tau in the brain has high clinical significance in correlating with progression of cognitive AD symptoms. However, studies on tau pathology in AD are classically neuron-centric and have greatly overlooked cell-type specific effects of tau internalization, degradation, and propagation. While the contribution of microglia to tau processing and propagation is beginning to be recognized and understood, astrocytes, glial cells in the brain important for maintaining neuronal metabolic, synaptic, trophic, and immune function which can produce, internalize, degrade, and propagate tau are understudied in their ability to affect AD progression through tau pathology. Here, we showcase evidence for whether tau uptake by astrocytes may be beneficial or detrimental to neuronal health and how astrocytes and their immunometabolic functions may be key targets for future successful AD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Fleeman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University (PSU), Hershey, PA, United States.,Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University Park, PA, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Proctor
- Department of Neurosurgery, Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University (PSU), Hershey, PA, United States.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University Park, PA, United States
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31
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High levels of 27-hydroxycholesterol results in synaptic plasticity alterations in the hippocampus. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3736. [PMID: 33580102 PMCID: PMC7881004 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83008-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in brain cholesterol homeostasis in midlife are correlated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, global cholesterol-lowering therapies have yielded mixed results when it comes to slowing down or preventing cognitive decline in AD. We used the transgenic mouse model Cyp27Tg, with systemically high levels of 27-hydroxycholesterol (27-OH) to examine long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampal CA1 region, combined with dendritic spine reconstruction of CA1 pyramidal neurons to detect morphological and functional synaptic alterations induced by 27-OH high levels. Our results show that elevated 27-OH levels lead to enhanced LTP in the Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapses. This increase is correlated with abnormally large dendritic spines in the stratum radiatum. Using immunohistochemistry for synaptopodin (actin-binding protein involved in the recruitment of the spine apparatus), we found a significantly higher density of synaptopodin-positive puncta in CA1 in Cyp27Tg mice. We hypothesize that high 27-OH levels alter synaptic potentiation and could lead to dysfunction of fine-tuned processing of information in hippocampal circuits resulting in cognitive impairment. We suggest that these alterations could be detrimental for synaptic function and cognition later in life, representing a potential mechanism by which hypercholesterolemia could lead to alterations in memory function in neurodegenerative diseases.
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32
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Agrawal G, Ramesh A, Aishwarya P, Sally J, Ravi M. Devices and techniques used to obtain and analyze three-dimensional cell cultures. Biotechnol Prog 2021; 37:e3126. [PMID: 33460298 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cell cultures are indispensable for both basic and applied research. Advancements in cell culture and analysis increase their utility for basic research and translational applications. A marked development in this direction is advent of three-dimensional (3D) cultures. The extent of advancement in 3D cell culture methods over the past decade has warranted referring to a single cell type being cultured as an aggregate or spheroid using simple scaffolds as "traditional." In recent years, the development of "next-generation" devices has enabled cultured cells to mimic their natural environments much better than the traditional 3D culture systems. Automated platforms like chip-based devices, magnetic- and acoustics-based assembly devices, di-electrophoresis (DEP), micro pocket cultures (MPoC), and 3D bio-printing provide a dynamic environment compared to the rather static conditions of the traditional simple scaffold-based 3D cultures. Chip-based technologies, which are centered on principles of microfluidics, are revolutionizing the ways in which cell culture and analysis can be compacted into table-top instruments. A parallel evolution in analytical devices enabled efficient assessment of various complex physiological and pathological endpoints. This is augmented by concurrent development of software enabling rapid large-scale automated data acquisition and analysis like image cytometry, elastography, optical coherence tomography, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and biosensors. The techniques and devices utilized for the purpose of 3D cell culture and subsequent analysis depend primarily on the requirement of the study. We present here an in-depth account of the devices for obtaining and analyzing 3D cell cultures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gatika Agrawal
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Science, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Anuradha Ramesh
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Science, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Pargaonkar Aishwarya
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Science, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Jennifer Sally
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Science, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
| | - Maddaly Ravi
- Department of Human Genetics, Faculty of Biomedical Science, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, India
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33
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Pérez-Olives C, Rivas-Santisteban R, Lillo J, Navarro G, Franco R. Recent Advances in the Potential of Cannabinoids for Neuroprotection in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1264:81-92. [PMID: 33332005 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-57369-0_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Three prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's are in need of symptomatic relief of slowing disease progression or both. This chapter focuses on the potential of cannabinoids to afford neuroprotection, i.e. avoid or retard neuronal death. The neuroprotective potential of cannabinoids is known from the work in animal models and is mediated by the two cannabinoid receptors (CB1/CB2) and eventually, by their heteromers, GPR55, orphan receptors (GPR3/GPR6/GPR12/GPR18), or PPARγ. Now, there is the time to translate the findings into patients. The chapter takes primarily into account advances since 2016 and addresses the issue of proving neuroprotection in humans. One recent discovery is the existence of activated microglia with neuroprotective phenotype; cannabinoids are good candidates to skew phenotype, especially via glial CB2 receptors (CB2R), whose targeting has, a priori, less side effects those targeting the CBs1 receptor (CB1R), which are expressed in both neurons and glia. The fact that a cannabis extract (SativexTM) is approved for human therapy, such that cannabis use will likely be legalized in many countries and different possibilities that cannabinoid pharmacology suggests a successful route of cannabinoids (natural or synthetic) all the way to be approved and used in the treatment of neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina Pérez-Olives
- Molecular Neurobiology laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Rivas-Santisteban
- Molecular Neurobiology laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED). Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaume Lillo
- Molecular Neurobiology laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED). Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gemma Navarro
- Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED). Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. .,Department Biochemistry and Physiology. Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Rafael Franco
- Molecular Neurobiology laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Centro de Investigación en Red, Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED). Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
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34
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Zadik-Weiss L, Ritter S, Hermush V, Asher N, Avital A, Or R. Feline cognitive dysfunction as a model for Alzheimer's disease in the research of CBD as a potential treatment-a narrative review. J Cannabis Res 2020; 2:43. [PMID: 33526138 PMCID: PMC7819322 DOI: 10.1186/s42238-020-00054-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
With the improvement in modern medicine, the world's human and feline (Felis catus, the domestic cat) population is aging. As the population grows older, there is an increase of age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease in humans and feline cognitive dysfunction in felines, which shares many similarities with Alzheimer's disease. They both result in cognitive decline and lack effective treatments. In light of their pathological similarities, both occur at old age, and as domestic cats share the human environment and risk factors (cats are considered an indicator to the effect of environmental contaminants on humans as they share exposures and diseases), cats have the potential to be a spontaneous model for Alzheimer's disease. Classic animal models in many cases fail to predict the results in humans, and a natural model can lead to better prediction of results, thus being both time and cost-effective. The feline disease can be researched in trials that could be simultaneously clinical trials for cats and preclinical trials for humans, also referred to as reverse translational medicine. As both maladies lack effective medical intervention, new potential treatments are merited. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a promising agent that may improve the life of these patients, as it was shown to potentially treat several of the pathologies found in both conditions. yet there is a need for further research in order to establish the benefits and safety of CBD to both human and feline patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Vered Hermush
- Department of Geriatrics and Skilled Nursing, Laniado Medical Center, Netanya, Israel
- Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Nethanel Asher
- The Ella Lemelbaum Institute for Immuno-Oncology, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Avi Avital
- Behavioral Neuroscience Lab, Department of Neuroscience, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Reuven Or
- Bone Marrow Transplantation, Cancer Immunotherapy & Immunobiology Research Center, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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35
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Calvo-Flores Guzmán B, Elizabeth Chaffey T, Hansika Palpagama T, Waters S, Boix J, Tate WP, Peppercorn K, Dragunow M, Waldvogel HJ, Faull RLM, Kwakowsky A. The Interplay Between Beta-Amyloid 1-42 (Aβ 1-42)-Induced Hippocampal Inflammatory Response, p-tau, Vascular Pathology, and Their Synergistic Contributions to Neuronal Death and Behavioral Deficits. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:522073. [PMID: 33224025 PMCID: PMC7667153 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.552073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common chronic neurodegenerative disorder, has complex neuropathology. The principal neuropathological hallmarks of the disease are the deposition of extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) comprised of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) protein. These changes occur with neuroinflammation, a compromised blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, and neuronal synaptic dysfunction, all of which ultimately lead to neuronal cell loss and cognitive deficits in AD. Aβ1-42 was stereotaxically administered bilaterally into the CA1 region of the hippocampi of 18-month-old male C57BL/6 mice. This study aimed to characterize, utilizing immunohistochemistry and behavioral testing, the spatial and temporal effects of Aβ1-42 on a broad set of parameters characteristic of AD: p-tau, neuroinflammation, vascular pathology, pyramidal cell survival, and behavior. Three days after Aβ1-42 injection and before significant neuronal cell loss was detected, acute neuroinflammatory and vascular responses were observed. These responses included the up-regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1, also known as CD31), fibrinogen labeling, and an increased number of activated astrocytes and microglia in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. From day 7, there was significant pyramidal cell loss in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, and by 30 days, significant localized up-regulation of p-tau, GFAP, Iba-1, CD31, and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in the Aβ1-42-injected mice compared with controls. These molecular changes in Aβ1-42-injected mice were accompanied by cognitive deterioration, as demonstrated by long-term spatial memory impairment. This study is reporting a comprehensive examination of a complex set of parameters associated with intrahippocampal administration of Aβ1-42 in mice, their spatiotemporal interactions and combined contribution to the disease progression. We show that a single Aβ injection can reproduce aspects of the inflammatory, vascular, and p-tau induced pathology occurring in the AD human brain that lead to cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Calvo-Flores Guzmán
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tessa Elizabeth Chaffey
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Thulani Hansika Palpagama
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Sarah Waters
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jordi Boix
- Centre for Brain Research, NeuroDiscovery Behavioural Unit, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Warren Perry Tate
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Katie Peppercorn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Michael Dragunow
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Henry John Waldvogel
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard Lewis Maxwell Faull
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Andrea Kwakowsky
- Centre for Brain Research, Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Ingber DE. Is it Time for Reviewer 3 to Request Human Organ Chip Experiments Instead of Animal Validation Studies? ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2020; 7:2002030. [PMID: 33240763 PMCID: PMC7675190 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202002030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
For the past century, experimental data obtained from animal studies have been required by reviewers of scientific articles and grant applications to validate the physiological relevance of in vitro results. At the same time, pharmaceutical researchers and regulatory agencies recognize that results from preclinical animal models frequently fail to predict drug responses in humans. This Progress Report reviews recent advances in human organ-on-a-chip (Organ Chip) microfluidic culture technology, both with single Organ Chips and fluidically coupled human "Body-on-Chips" platforms, which demonstrate their ability to recapitulate human physiology and disease states, as well as human patient responses to clinically relevant drug pharmacokinetic exposures, with higher fidelity than other in vitro models or animal studies. These findings raise the question of whether continuing to require results of animal testing for publication or grant funding still makes scientific or ethical sense, and if more physiologically relevant human Organ Chip models might better serve this purpose. This issue is addressed in this article in context of the history of the field, and advantages and disadvantages of Organ Chip approaches versus animal models are discussed that should be considered by the wider research community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald E. Ingber
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard UniversityBostonMA02115USA
- Vascular Biology Program, Department of SurgeryBoston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMA02115USA
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied SciencesCambridgeMA02138USA
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Natural Compounds as Guides for the Discovery of Drugs Targeting G-Protein-Coupled Receptors. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25215060. [PMID: 33143389 PMCID: PMC7663367 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25215060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which constitute the most populous family of the human proteome, are the target of 35–45% of approved therapeutic drugs. This review focuses on natural products (excluding peptides) that target GPCRs. Natural compounds identified so far as agonists, antagonists or allosteric modulators of GPCRs have been found in all groups of existing living beings according to Whittaker’s Five Kingdom Classification, i.e., bacteria (monera), fungi, protoctists, plants and animals. Terpenoids, alkaloids and flavonoids are the most common chemical structures that target GPCRs whose endogenous ligands range from lipids to epinephrine, from molecules that activate taste receptors to molecules that activate smell receptors. Virtually all of the compounds whose formula is displayed in this review are pharmacophores with potential for drug discovery; furthermore, they are expected to help expand the number of GPCRs that can be considered as therapeutic targets.
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Sharma A, Wakode S, Fayaz F, Khasimbi S, Pottoo FH, Kaur A. An Overview of Piperazine Scaffold as Promising Nucleus for Different Therapeutic Targets. Curr Pharm Des 2020; 26:4373-4385. [DOI: 10.2174/1381612826666200417154810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Piperazine scaffolds are a group of heterocyclic atoms having pharmacological values and showing
significant results in pharmaceutical chemistry. Piperazine has a flexible core structure for the design and synthesis
of new bioactive compounds. These flexible heterogenous compounds exhibit various biological roles, primarily
anticancer, antioxidant, cognition enhancers, antimicrobial, antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiinflammatory,
anti-HIV-1 inhibitors, antidiabetic, antimalarial, antidepressant, antianxiety and anticonvulsant
activities, etc. In the past few years, researchers focused on the therapeutic profile of piperazine synthons for
different biological targets. The present review highlights the development in designing pharmacological activities
of nitrogen-containing piperazine moiety as a therapeutic agent. The extensive popularity of piperazine as a
drug of abuse and their vast heterogeneity research efforts over the last years motivated the new investigators to
further explore this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Sharma
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Sector-3, MB Road, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi-110017, India
| | - Sharad Wakode
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Sector-3, MB Road, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi-110017, India
| | - Faizana Fayaz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Sector-3, MB Road, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi-110017, India
| | - Shaik Khasimbi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Delhi Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Sector-3, MB Road, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi-110017, India
| | - Faheem H. Pottoo
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. BOX 1982, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Avneet Kaur
- SGT college of Pharmacy, SGT University, Gurugram, Haryana- 122001, India
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Sobolova K, Hrabinova M, Hepnarova V, Kucera T, Kobrlova T, Benkova M, Janockova J, Dolezal R, Prchal L, Benek O, Mezeiova E, Jun D, Soukup O, Korabecny J. Discovery of novel berberine derivatives with balanced cholinesterase and prolyl oligopeptidase inhibition profile. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 203:112593. [PMID: 32688201 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Berberine, a naturally occurring compound, possesses an interesting multipotent pharmacological profile potentially applicable for Alzheimer's disease (AD) treatment. In this study, a series of novel 22 berberine derivatives was developed and tested in vitro. Berberine core was substituted at position 9-O of its aromatic ring region. All the hybrids under the study revealed multi-targeted profile inhibiting prolyl oligopeptidase, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase highlighting 4a, 4g, 4j, 4l and 4s possessing balanced activities in the micromolar range. The top-ranked candidates in terms of the most pronounced potency against POP, AChE and BChE can be classified as 4d, 4u and 4v, bearing 4-methylbenzyl, (naphthalen-2-yl)methylene and 1-phenoxyethyl moieties, respectively. In vitro data were corroborated by detailed kinetic analysis of the selected lead molecules. 4d, 4u and 4v were also inspected for their potential to inhibit aggregation of two abberant proteins in AD, namely amyloid beta and tau, indicating their potential disease-modifying properties. To explain the results of our study, we carried out docking simulation to the active sites of the respective enzyme with the best berberine derivatives, along with QSAR study. We also investigated compounds' potential permeability through blood-brain barrier by applying parallel artificial membrane permeation assay and addressed their cytotoxicity profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Sobolova
- Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Department of Military Medical Service Organisation and Management, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Hrabinova
- Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Department of Military Medical Service Organisation and Management, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Vendula Hepnarova
- Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Department of Military Medical Service Organisation and Management, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Kucera
- Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Department of Military Medical Service Organisation and Management, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Kobrlova
- Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Department of Military Medical Service Organisation and Management, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Benkova
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Janockova
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Rafael Dolezal
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Hradec Kralove, Rokitanskeho 62, 500 03, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Lukas Prchal
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Benek
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Mezeiova
- Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Jun
- Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Department of Military Medical Service Organisation and Management, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Soukup
- Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Department of Military Medical Service Organisation and Management, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Korabecny
- Department of Toxicology and Military Pharmacy, Department of Military Medical Service Organisation and Management, Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defense, Trebesska 1575, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic; Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Sokolska 581, 500 05, Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
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Pammolli F, Righetto L, Abrignani S, Pani L, Pelicci PG, Rabosio E. The endless frontier? The recent increase of R&D productivity in pharmaceuticals. J Transl Med 2020; 18:162. [PMID: 32272953 PMCID: PMC7147016 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02313-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies on the early 2000s documented increasing attrition rates and duration of clinical trials, leading to a representation of a "productivity crisis" in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D). In this paper, we produce a new set of analyses for the last decade and report a recent increase of R&D productivity within the industry. METHODS We use an extensive data set on the development history of more than 50,000 projects between 1990 and 2017, which we integrate with data on sales, patents, and anagraphical information on each institution involved. We devise an indicator to quantify the novelty of each project, based on its set of mechanisms of action. RESULTS First, we investigate how R&D projects are allocated across therapeutic areas and find a polarization towards high uncertainty/high potential reward indications, with a strong focus on oncology. Second, we find that attrition rates have been decreasing at all stages of clinical research in recent years. In parallel, for each phase, we observe a significant reduction of time required to identify projects to be discontinued. Moreover, our analysis shows that more recent successful R&D projects are increasingly based on novel mechanisms of action and target novel indications, which are characterized by relatively small patient populations. Third, we find that the number of R&D projects on advanced therapies is also growing. Finally, we investigate the relative contribution to productivity variations of different types of institutions along the drug development process, with a specific focus on the distinction between the roles of Originators and Developers of R&D projects. We document that in the last decade Originator-Developer collaborations in which biotech companies act as Developers have been growing in importance. Moreover, we show that biotechnology companies have reached levels of productivity in project development that are equivalent to those of large pharmaceutical companies. CONCLUSIONS Our study reports on the state of R&D productivity in the bio-pharmaceutical industry, finding several signals of an improving performance, with R&D projects becoming more targeted and novel in terms of indications and mechanisms of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Pammolli
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Gestionale, Politecnico di Milano, Via R. Lambruschini, 20156, Milano, Italy. .,Center for Analysis, Decisions and Society, Human Technopole, Via C. Belgioioso, 20157, Milano, Italy.
| | - Lorenzo Righetto
- Center for Analysis, Decisions and Society, Human Technopole, Via C. Belgioioso, 20157, Milano, Italy
| | - Sergio Abrignani
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Via F. Sforza, 20122, Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Festa del Perdono, 20122, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Pani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th St, 33136, Miami, USA.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via G. Campi, 41125, Modena, Italy.,VeraSci, Shannon Rd., Durham, NC, 27707, USA
| | - Pier Giuseppe Pelicci
- IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via G. Ripamonti, 20141, Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Oncologia ed Emato-Oncologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Festa del Perdono, 20122, Milano, Italy
| | - Emanuele Rabosio
- Center for Analysis, Decisions and Society, Human Technopole, Via C. Belgioioso, 20157, Milano, Italy
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Foidl BM, Humpel C. Can mouse models mimic sporadic Alzheimer's disease? Neural Regen Res 2020; 15:401-406. [PMID: 31571648 PMCID: PMC6921354 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.266046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia worldwide. As age is the main risk factor, > 97% of all AD cases are of sporadic origin, potentiated by various risk factors associated with life style and starting at an age > 60 years. Only < 3% of AD cases are of genetic origin caused by mutations in the amyloid precursor protein or Presenilins 1 or 2, and symptoms already start at an age < 30 years. In order to study progression of AD, as well as therapeutic strategies, mouse models are state-of-the-art. So far many transgenic mouse models have been developed and used, with mutations in the APP or presenilin or combinations (3×Tg, 5×Tg). However, such transgenic mouse models more likely mimic the genetic form of AD and no information can be given how sporadic forms develop. Several risk genes, such as Apolipoprotein E4 and TREM-2 enhance the risk of sporadic AD, but also many risk factors associated with life style (e.g., diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, stress) may play a role. In this review we discuss the current situation regarding AD mouse models, and the problems to develop a sporadic mouse model of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina M. Foidl
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Humpel
- Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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Fossel M. A unified model of dementias and age-related neurodegeneration. Alzheimers Dement 2020; 16:365-383. [PMID: 31943780 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 11/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Sun M, McDonald SJ, Brady RD, Collins-Praino L, Yamakawa GR, Monif M, O'Brien TJ, Cloud GC, Sobey CG, Mychasiuk R, Loane DJ, Shultz SR. The need to incorporate aged animals into the preclinical modeling of neurological conditions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 109:114-128. [PMID: 31877345 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease are serious clinical problems that affect millions of people worldwide. The majority of clinical trials for these common conditions have failed, and there is a critical need to understand why treatments in preclinical animal models do not translate to patients. Many patients with these conditions are middle-aged or older, however, the majority of preclinical studies have used only young-adult animals. Considering that aging involves biological changes that are relevant to the pathobiology of neurological diseases, the lack of aged subjects in preclinical research could contribute to translational failures. This paper details how aging affects biological processes involved in neurological conditions, and reviews aging research in the context of traumatic brain injury, stroke, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease. We conclude that aging is an important, but often overlooked, factor that influences biology and outcomes in neurological conditions, and provide suggestions to improve our understanding and treatment of these diseases in aged patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mujun Sun
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Stuart J McDonald
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Rhys D Brady
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Lyndsey Collins-Praino
- Department of Medical Sciences, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Glenn R Yamakawa
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Mastura Monif
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Terence J O'Brien
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Geoffrey C Cloud
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Stroke Services, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Christopher G Sobey
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Richelle Mychasiuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - David J Loane
- Department of Anesthesiology and Shock, Trauma and Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA; School of Biochemistry and Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Sandy R Shultz
- Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Neurology, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
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Bang S, Jeong S, Choi N, Kim HN. Brain-on-a-chip: A history of development and future perspective. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2019; 13:051301. [PMID: 31616534 PMCID: PMC6783295 DOI: 10.1063/1.5120555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Since the advent of organ-on-a-chip, many researchers have tried to mimic the physiology of human tissue on an engineered platform. In the case of brain tissue, structural connections and cell-cell interactions are important factors for brain function. The recent development of brain-on-a-chip is an effort to mimic those structural and functional aspects of brain tissue within a miniaturized engineered platform. From this perspective, we provide an overview of trace of brain-on-a-chip development, especially in terms of complexity and high-content/high-throughput screening capabilities, and future perspectives on more in vivo-like brain-on-a-chip development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seokyoung Bang
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul 02792, South Korea
| | | | - Nakwon Choi
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed:, Telephone: +82-2-958-5617 and , Telephone: +82-2-958-6742
| | - Hong Nam Kim
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed:, Telephone: +82-2-958-5617 and , Telephone: +82-2-958-6742
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Abstract
Millions of Americans now entering midlife and old age were exposed to high levels of lead, a neurotoxin, as children. Evidence from animal-model and human observational studies suggest that childhood lead exposure may raise the risk of adult neurodegenerative disease, particularly dementia, through a variety of possible mechanisms including epigenetic modification, delayed cardiovascular and kidney disease, direct degenerative CNS injury from lead remobilized from bone, and lowered neural and cognitive reserve. Within the next ten years, the generation of children with the highest historical lead exposures, those born in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, will begin to enter the age at which dementia symptoms tend to emerge. Many will also enter the age in which lead stored in the skeleton may be remobilized at greater rates, particularly for women entering menopause and men and women experiencing osteoporosis. Should childhood lead exposure prove pro-degenerative, the next twenty years will provide the last opportunities for possible early intervention to forestall greater degenerative disease burden across the aging lead-exposed population. More evidence is needed now to characterize the nature and magnitude of the degenerative risks facing adults exposed to lead as children and to identify interventions to limit long-term harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Reuben
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Large-Scale Generation and Characterization of Homogeneous Populations of Migratory Cortical Interneurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2019; 13:414-430. [PMID: 31061832 PMCID: PMC6495066 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
During development, cortical interneurons (cINs) are generated from the ventral telencephalon, robustly migrate to the dorsal telencephalon, make local synaptic connections, and critically regulate brain circuitry by inhibiting other neurons. Thus, their abnormality is associated with various brain disorders. Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cINs can provide unlimited sources with which to study the pathogenesis mechanism of these disorders as well as provide a platform to develop novel therapeutics. By employing spinner culture, we could obtain a >10-fold higher yield of cIN progenitors compared to conventional culture without affecting their phenotype. Generated cIN spheres can be maintained feeder-free up to 10 months and are optimized for passaging and cryopreservation. In addition, we identified a combination of chemicals that synchronously matures generated progenitors into SOX6+KI67− migratory cINs and extensively characterized their maturation in terms of metabolism, migration, arborization, and electrophysiology. When transplanted into mouse brains, chemically matured migratory cINs generated grafts that efficiently disperse and integrate into the host circuitry without uncontrolled growth, making them an optimal cell population for cell therapy. Efficient large-scale generation of homogeneous migratory cINs without the need of feeder cells will play a critical role in the full realization of hPSC-derived cINs for development of novel therapeutics.
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Yan Y, Bejoy J, Marzano M, Li Y. The Use of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Organoids to Study Extracellular Matrix Development during Neural Degeneration. Cells 2019; 8:E242. [PMID: 30875781 PMCID: PMC6468789 DOI: 10.3390/cells8030242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism that causes the Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies, including amyloid plaque, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuron death, is not well understood due to the lack of robust study models for human brain. Three-dimensional organoid systems based on human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have shown a promising potential to model neurodegenerative diseases, including AD. These systems, in combination with engineering tools, allow in vitro generation of brain-like tissues that recapitulate complex cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. Brain ECMs play important roles in neural differentiation, proliferation, neuronal network, and AD progression. In this contribution related to brain ECMs, recent advances in modeling AD pathology and progression based on hPSC-derived neural cells, tissues, and brain organoids were reviewed and summarized. In addition, the roles of ECMs in neural differentiation of hPSCs and the influences of heparan sulfate proteoglycans, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, and hyaluronic acid on the progression of neurodegeneration were discussed. The advantages that use stem cell-based organoids to study neural degeneration and to investigate the effects of ECM development on the disease progression were highlighted. The contents of this article are significant for understanding cell-matrix interactions in stem cell microenvironment for treating neural degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanwei Yan
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
| | - Julie Bejoy
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
| | - Mark Marzano
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
| | - Yan Li
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA.
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Franco R, Martínez-Pinilla E, Navarro G. Why have transgenic rodent models failed to successfully mimic Alzheimer’s disease. How can we develop effective drugs without them? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 14:327-330. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1581169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Franco
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Biology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- CiberNed: Centro de Investigación en Red, enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eva Martínez-Pinilla
- Departamento de Morfología y Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Asturias, Spain
- Instituto de Salud del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Asturias, Spain
| | - Gemma Navarro
- CiberNed: Centro de Investigación en Red, enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty Pharmacy and Food Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Brauer R, Lau WCY, Hayes JF, Man KKC, Osborn DPJ, Howard R, Kim J, Wong ICK. Trazodone use and risk of dementia: A population-based cohort study. PLoS Med 2019; 16:e1002728. [PMID: 30721226 PMCID: PMC6363148 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In vitro and animal studies have suggested that trazodone, a licensed antidepressant, may protect against dementia. However, no studies have been conducted to assess the effect of trazodone on dementia in humans. This electronic health records study assessed the association between trazodone use and the risk of developing dementia in clinical practice. METHODS AND FINDINGS The Health Improvement Network (THIN), an archive of anonymised medical and prescribing records from primary care practices in the United Kingdom, contains records of over 15 million patients. We assessed patients from THIN aged ≥50 years who received at least two consecutive prescriptions for an antidepressant between January 2000 and January 2017. We compared the risk of dementia among patients who were prescribed trazodone to that of patients with similar baseline characteristics prescribed other antidepressants, using a Cox regression model with 1:5 propensity score matching. Patients prescribed trazodone who met the inclusion criteria (n = 4,716; 59.2% female) were older (mean age 70.9 ± 13.1 versus 65.6 ± 11.4 years) and were more likely than those prescribed other antidepressants (n = 420,280; 59.7% female) to have cerebrovascular disease and use anxiolytic or antipsychotic drugs. After propensity score matching, 4,596 users of trazadone and 22,980 users of other antidepressants were analysed. The median time to dementia diagnosis for people prescribed trazodone was 1.8 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 0.5-5.0 years). Incidence of dementia among patients taking trazodone was higher than in matched users of other antidepressants (1.8 versus 1.1 per 100 person-years), with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.80 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.56-2.09; p < 0.001). However, our results do not suggest a causal association. When we restricted the control group to users of mirtazapine only in a sensitivity analysis, the findings were very similar to the results of the main analysis. The main limitation of our study is the possibility of indication bias, because people in the prodromal stage of dementia might be preferentially prescribed trazodone. Due to the observational nature of this study, we cannot rule out residual confounding. CONCLUSIONS In this study of UK population-based electronic health records, we found no association between trazodone use and a reduced risk of dementia compared with other antidepressants. These results suggest that the clinical use of trazodone is not associated with a reduced risk of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Brauer
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
| | - Wallis C. Y. Lau
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Joseph F. Hayes
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kenneth K. C. Man
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Department of Medical Informatics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Faculty of Social Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - David P. J. Osborn
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Kim
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
- Centre of Excellence for Retrospective Studies, Real World Insights, IQVIA, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ian C. K. Wong
- Research Department of Practice and Policy, UCL School of Pharmacy, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Safe Medication Practice and Research, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- The University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- * E-mail:
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Dysregulated protocadherin-pathway activity as an intrinsic defect in induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cortical interneurons from subjects with schizophrenia. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:229-242. [PMID: 30664768 PMCID: PMC6373728 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-018-0313-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We generated cortical interneurons (cINs) from iPSCs derived from14 healthy controls (HC cINs) and 14 patients with schizophrenia (SCZ cINs). Both HC cINs and SCZ cINs were authentic, fired spontaneously, received functional excitatory inputs from host neurons, and induced GABA-mediated inhibition in host neurons in vivo. However, SCZ cINs had dysregulated expression of protocadherin genes, which lie within documented SCZ loci. Mice lacking protocadherin α showed defective arborization and synaptic density of prefrontal cortex cINs and behavioral abnormalities. SCZ cINs similarly showed defects in synaptic density and arborization, which were reversed by inhibitors of Protein Kinase C, a downstream kinase in the protocadherin pathway. These findings reveal an intrinsic abnormality in SCZ cINs in the absence of any circuit-driven pathology. They also demonstrate the utility of homogenous and functional populations of a relevant neuronal subtype for probing pathogenesis mechanisms during development.
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