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Risen SJ, Boland SW, Sharma S, Weisman GM, Shirley PM, Latham AS, Hay AJD, Gilberto VS, Hines AD, Brindley S, Brown JM, McGrath S, Chatterjee A, Nagpal P, Moreno JA. Targeting Neuroinflammation by Pharmacologic Downregulation of Inflammatory Pathways Is Neuroprotective in Protein Misfolding Disorders. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1533-1547. [PMID: 38507813 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the development of neurodegenerative protein misfolding disorders. This category of progressive diseases includes, but is not limited to, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and prion diseases. Shared pathogenesis involves the accumulation of misfolded proteins, chronic neuroinflammation, and synaptic dysfunction, ultimately leading to irreversible neuronal loss, measurable cognitive deficits, and death. Presently, there are few to no effective treatments to halt the advancement of neurodegenerative diseases. We hypothesized that directly targeting neuroinflammation by downregulating the transcription factor, NF-κB, and the inflammasome protein, NLRP3, would be neuroprotective. To achieve this, we used a cocktail of RNA targeting therapeutics (SB_NI_112) shown to be brain-penetrant, nontoxic, and effective inhibitors of both NF-κB and NLRP3. We utilized a mouse-adapted prion strain as a model for neurodegenerative diseases to assess the aggregation of misfolded proteins, glial inflammation, neuronal loss, cognitive deficits, and lifespan. Prion-diseased mice were treated either intraperitoneally or intranasally with SB_NI_112. Behavioral and cognitive deficits were significantly protected by this combination of NF-κB and NLRP3 downregulators. Treatment reduced glial inflammation, protected against neuronal loss, prevented spongiotic change, rescued cognitive deficits, and significantly lengthened the lifespan of prion-diseased mice. We have identified a nontoxic, systemic pharmacologic that downregulates NF-κB and NLRP3, prevents neuronal death, and slows the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Though mouse models do not always predict human patient success and the study was limited due to sample size and number of dosing methods utilized, these findings serve as a proof of principle for continued translation of the therapeutic SB_NI_112 for prion disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Based on the success in a murine prion model, we will continue testing SB_NI_112 in a variety of neurodegenerative disease models, including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney J Risen
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
- Brain Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Sean W Boland
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
- Brain Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Sadhana Sharma
- Sachi Bioworks Inc., Colorado Technology Center, 685 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Grace M Weisman
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Payton M Shirley
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Amanda S Latham
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Arielle J D Hay
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Vincenzo S Gilberto
- Sachi Bioworks Inc., Colorado Technology Center, 685 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Amelia D Hines
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Stephen Brindley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Jared M Brown
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
| | - Stephanie McGrath
- Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Anushree Chatterjee
- Sachi Bioworks Inc., Colorado Technology Center, 685 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Prashant Nagpal
- Sachi Bioworks Inc., Colorado Technology Center, 685 South Arthur Avenue, Louisville, Colorado 80027, United States
| | - Julie A Moreno
- Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
- Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
- Brain Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
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Wahl D, Risen SJ, Osburn SC, Emge T, Sharma S, Gilberto VS, Chatterjee A, Nagpal P, Moreno JA, LaRocca TJ. Nanoligomers targeting NF-κB and NLRP3 reduce neuroinflammation and improve cognitive function with aging and tauopathy. bioRxiv 2024:2024.02.03.578493. [PMID: 38370618 PMCID: PMC10871285 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.03.578493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Neuroinflammation contributes to impaired cognitive function in brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease, which is characterized by the aggregation of pathological tau. One major driver of both age- and tau-associated neuroinflammation is the NF-κB and NLRP3 signaling axis. However, current treatments targeting NF-κB or NLRP3 may have adverse/systemic effects, and most have not been clinically translatable. Here, we tested the efficacy of a novel, nucleic acid therapeutic (Nanoligomer) cocktail specifically targeting both NF-κB and NLRP3 in the brain for reducing neuroinflammation and improving cognitive function in old wildtype mice, and in a mouse model of tauopathy. We found that 4 weeks of NF-κB/NLRP3-targeting Nanoligomer treatment strongly reduced neuro-inflammatory cytokine profiles in the brain and improved cognitive-behavioral function in both old and tauopathy mice. These effects of NF-κB/NLRP3-targeting Nanoligomer treatment were associated with reduced glial cell activation in old wildtype mice, less pathology in tauopathy mice, favorable changes in transcriptome signatures of inflammation (reduced) and neuronal health (increased) in both mouse models, and positive systemic effects. Collectively, our results provide a basis for future translational studies targeting NF-κB/NLRP3 in the brain, perhaps using Nanoligomers, to inhibit neuroinflammation and improve cognitive function with aging and neurodegenerative disease.
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