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Contestabile A, Magara S, Cancedda L. The GABAergic Hypothesis for Cognitive Disabilities in Down Syndrome. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:54. [PMID: 28326014 PMCID: PMC5339239 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 02/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of a third copy of chromosome 21. DS affects multiple organs, but it invariably results in altered brain development and diverse degrees of intellectual disability. A large body of evidence has shown that synaptic deficits and memory impairment are largely determined by altered GABAergic signaling in trisomic mouse models of DS. These alterations arise during brain development while extending into adulthood, and include genesis of GABAergic neurons, variation of the inhibitory drive and modifications in the control of neural-network excitability. Accordingly, different pharmacological interventions targeting GABAergic signaling have proven promising preclinical approaches to rescue cognitive impairment in DS mouse models. In this review, we will discuss recent data regarding the complex scenario of GABAergic dysfunctions in the trisomic brain of DS mice and patients, and we will evaluate the state of current clinical research targeting GABAergic signaling in individuals with DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Contestabile
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) Genova, Italy
| | - Salvatore Magara
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) Genova, Italy
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT)Genova, Italy; Dulbecco Telethon InstituteGenova, Italy
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Delabar JM, Allinquant B, Bianchi D, Blumenthal T, Dekker A, Edgin J, O'Bryan J, Dierssen M, Potier MC, Wiseman F, Guedj F, Créau N, Reeves R, Gardiner K, Busciglio J. Changing Paradigms in Down Syndrome: The First International Conference of the Trisomy 21 Research Society. Mol Syndromol 2016; 7:251-261. [PMID: 27867340 DOI: 10.1159/000449049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability (ID) in humans with an incidence of ∼1:1,000 live births worldwide. It is caused by the presence of an extra copy of all or a segment of the long arm of human chromosome 21 (trisomy 21). People with DS present with a constellation of phenotypic alterations involving most organs and organ systems. ID is present in all people with DS, albeit with variable severity. DS is also the most frequent genetic cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and ∼50% of those with DS will develop AD-related dementia. In the last few years, significant progress has been made in understanding the crucial genotype-phenotype relationships in DS, in identifying the alterations in molecular pathways leading to the various clinical conditions present in DS, and in preclinical evaluations of potential therapies to improve the overall health and well-being of individuals with DS. In June 2015, 230 scientists, advocates, patients, and family members met in Paris for the 1st International Conference of the Trisomy 21 Research Society. Here, we report some of the most relevant presentations that took place during the meeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Maurice Delabar
- Brain and Spine Institute, Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; University of Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Tom Blumenthal
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo., USA
| | - Alain Dekker
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jamie Edgin
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., USA
| | - John O'Bryan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ill., USA
| | - Mara Dierssen
- Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Nicole Créau
- Brain and Spine Institute, Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; University of Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Roger Reeves
- John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md., USA
| | | | - Jorge Busciglio
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, Calif., USA
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