A Novel Small Molecule Modulator of Amyloid Pathology

The Major Hypotheses of Alzheimer's Disease: Related Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Its Diagnosis and Treatment

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a well-known chronic neurodegenerative disorder that leads to the progressive death of brain cells, resulting in memory loss and the loss of other critical body functions. In March 2019, one of the major pharmaceutical companies and its partners announced that currently, there is no drug to cure AD, and all clinical trials of the new ones have been cancelled, leaving many people without hope. However, despite the clear message and startling reality, the research continued. Finally, in the last two years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-ever medications to treat Alzheimer's, aducanumab and lecanemab. Despite researchers' support of this decision, there are serious concerns about their effectiveness and safety. The validation of aducanumab by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is still pending, and lecanemab was authorized without considering data from the phase III trials. Furthermore, numerous reports suggest that patients have died when undergoing extended treatment. While there is evidence that aducanumab and lecanemab may provide some relief to those suffering from AD, their impact remains a topic of ongoing research and debate within the medical community. The fact is that even though there are considerable efforts regarding pharmacological treatment, no definitive cure for AD has been found yet. Nevertheless, it is strongly believed that modern nanotechnology holds promising solutions and effective clinical strategies for the development of diagnostic tools and treatments for AD. This review summarizes the major hallmarks of AD, its etiological mechanisms, and challenges. It explores existing diagnostic and therapeutic methods and the potential of nanotechnology-based approaches for recognizing and monitoring patients at risk of irreversible neuronal degeneration. Overall, it provides a broad overview for those interested in the evolving areas of clinical neuroscience, AD, and related nanotechnology. With further research and development, nanotechnology-based approaches may offer new solutions and hope for millions of people affected by this devastating disease.

Synthesis of Benzo[c][2,7]naphthyridinones and Benzo[c][2,6]naphthyridinones via Ruthenium-Catalyzed [2+2+2] Cycloaddition between 1,7-Diynes and Cyanamides

A convenient method for the ruthenium-catalyzed synthesis of benzo[c]naphthyridinone derivatives is reported. The [2+2+2] cycloaddition from various mono- and disubstituted 1,7-diynes and cyanamides provided benzo[c][2,7]naphthyridinones as major products and benzo[c][2,6]naphthyridinones as minor ones in yields of ≤79% and regioselectivities of ≤99:1. This method is amenable to internal and terminal diynes and a number of cyanamides with diverse functional group tolerance.

Pharmacokinetic and metabolic analysis of an Alzheimer's disease therapeutic in rat serum via microfluidic CZE-MS

Sensitive, high-throughput methods for pharmacokinetic (PK) profiling are essential for potential therapeutics during critical stages of clinical trials. The application of a microfluidic capillary zone electrophoresis mass spectrometry (CZE-MS) method for PK profiling allows for rapid, sensitive and in-depth analysis of multiple samples within a short timeframe. Here, a CZE-MS approach for PK analysis was compared with a traditional UHPLC-MS approach when analyzing serum extracts from rats treated with a potential Alzheimer's disease therapeutic, BNC-1. Resulting PK data generated from both methods displayed statistical similarities. Additionally, the separation efficiency attributed to the use of the CZE-MS method provided substantial metabolic regulation data that was not apparent in the UHPLC-MS method. Additionally, the coupling of the CZE-MS method to the data processing software, MZmine2, was used to monitor changes in metabolism and observe putative BNC-1-derived metabolites. The ability to perform fast analyses without sacrificing sensitivity or metabolic information suggests that this CZE-MS method is ideal for metabolomics-inclusive, high-throughput PK profiling.

Cerebral amyloid is associated with greater white-matter hyperintensity accrual in cognitively normal older adults

Cross-sectional studies show that elevated cerebral amyloid is associated with greater white-matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden in cognitively normal (CN) older adults. However, the relative time courses of amyloid and WMH accrual are unclear. To address this, we tested the associations between known WMH correlates-age, hypertension, and amyloid-with WMH accrual rate. We used brain magnetic resonance imaging to measure WMH change in 112 CN Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (GO/2) participants over a 2-year period. A linear mixed effects model assessed baseline cerebrospinal fluid amyloid beta (Aβ) 1-42, hypertension, age, and their interactions, as predictors of greater WMH accrual. Greater amyloid burden was associated with greater WMH accrual over time. Those with hypertension showed a stronger association between greater amyloid burden and WMH accrual rate. Greater age was not significantly associated with greater WMH accrual in this model. Although the direction of the relationship cannot be tested in this model, CN individuals harboring cerebral amyloid had greater accrual of WMH over a 2-year period after accounting for hypertension and age. Impaired amyloid clearance and cerebral small vessel disease may both underlie the more rapid emergence of WM lesions. The role of cerebral amyloid burden in white-matter injury should thus be considered as a relevant factor when WMHs are detected clinically.