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Li J, Huang Q, Qi N, He K, Li S, Huang L, Pan F, Ren S, Hua F, Huang Y, Guan Y, Guo Q, Zhao J, Xie F. The associations between synaptic density and "A/T/N" biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease: An 18F-SynVesT-1 PET/MR study. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2024; 44:1199-1207. [PMID: 38295871 PMCID: PMC11179616 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x241230733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
A newly developed SV2A radiotracer, 18F-SynVesT-1, was used in this study to investigate synaptic density and its association with Alzheimer's disease (AD) "A/T/N" biomarkers. The study included a cohort of 97 subjects, consisting of 64 patients with cognitive impairment (CI) and 33 individuals with normal cognition (CU). All subjects underwent 18F-SynVesT-1 PET/MR and 18F-florbetapir PET/CT scans. Additionally, a subgroup of individuals also underwent 18F-MK-6240, 18F-FDG PET/CT, plasma Aβ42/Aβ40 and p-tau181 tests. The differences in synaptic density between the groups and the correlations between synaptic density and AD "A/T/N" biomarkers were analyzed. The results showed that compared to the CU group, the CI with Aβ+ (CI+) group exhibited the most pronounced synapse loss in the hippocampus, with some loss also observed in the neocortex. Furthermore, synaptic density in the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus showed associations with AD biomarkers detected by both imaging and plasma tests in the CI group. The associations between synaptic density and FDG uptake and hippocampal volume were also observed in the CI+ group. In conclusion, the study demonstrated significant synaptic density loss, as measured by the promising tracer 18F-SynVesT-1, and its close correlation with "A/T/N" biomarkers in patients with both Alzheimer's clinical syndrome and pathological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Qi Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Na Qi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Kun He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Songye Li
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lin Huang
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengfeng Pan
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Shuhua Ren
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengchun Hua
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiyun Huang
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yihui Guan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Xiong M, Lubberink M, Appel L, Fang XT, Danfors T, Kumlien E, Antoni G. Evaluation of [ 11C]UCB-A positron emission tomography in human brains. EJNMMI Res 2024; 14:56. [PMID: 38884834 PMCID: PMC11183037 DOI: 10.1186/s13550-024-01117-2] [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: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In preclinical studies, the positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with [11C]UCB-A provided promising results for imaging synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) as a proxy for synaptic density. This paper reports the first-in-human [11C]UCB-A PET study to characterise its kinetics in healthy subjects and further evaluate SV2A-specific binding. RESULTS Twelve healthy subjects underwent 90-min baseline [11C]UCB-A scans with PET/MRI, with two subjects participating in an additional blocking scan with the same scanning procedure after a single dose of levetiracetam (1500 mg). Our results indicated abundant [11C]UCB-A brain uptake across all cortical regions, with slow elimination. Kinetic modelling of [11C]UCB-A PET using various compartment models suggested that the irreversible two-tissue compartment model best describes the kinetics of the radioactive tracer. Accordingly, the Patlak graphical analysis was used to simplify the analysis. The estimated SV2A occupancy determined by the Lassen plot was around 66%. Significant specific binding at baseline and comparable binding reduction as grey matter precludes the use of centrum semiovale as reference tissue. CONCLUSIONS [11C]UCB-A PET imaging enables quantifying SV2A in vivo. However, its slow kinetics require a long scan duration, which is impractical with the short half-life of carbon-11. Consequently, the slow kinetics and complicated quantification methods may restrict its use in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfei Xiong
- Molecular Imaging and Medical Physics, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Entrance 70, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Mark Lubberink
- Molecular Imaging and Medical Physics, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Entrance 70, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Lieuwe Appel
- Molecular Imaging and Medical Physics, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Entrance 70, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Xiaotian Tsong Fang
- Molecular Imaging and Medical Physics, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Entrance 70, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
- Julius Clinical BV, Zeist, The Netherlands
| | - Torsten Danfors
- Molecular Imaging and Medical Physics, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Entrance 70, 75185, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eva Kumlien
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Antoni
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Wang J, Huang Q, He K, Li J, Guo T, Yang Y, Lin Z, Li S, Vanderlinden G, Huang Y, Van Laere K, Guan Y, Guo Q, Ni R, Li B, Xie F. Presynaptic density determined by SV2A PET is closely associated with postsynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 availability and independent of amyloid pathology in early cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:3876-3888. [PMID: 38634334 PMCID: PMC11180932 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13817] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) is involved in regulating integrative brain function and synaptic transmission. Aberrant mGluR5 signaling and relevant synaptic failure play a key role in the pathophysiological mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS Ten cognitively impaired (CI) individuals and 10 healthy controls (HCs) underwent [18F]SynVesT-1 and [18F]PSS232 positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance to assess synaptic density and mGluR5 availability. The associations between mGluR5 availability and synaptic density were examined. A mediation analysis was performed to investigate the possible mediating effects of mGluR5 availability and synaptic loss on the relationship between amyloid deposition and cognition. RESULTS CI patients exhibited lower mGluR5 availability and synaptic density in the medial temporal lobe than HCs. Regional synaptic density was closely associated with regional mGluR5 availability. mGluR5 availability and synaptic loss partially mediated the relationship between amyloid deposition and cognition. CONCLUSIONS Reductions in mGluR5 availability and synaptic density exhibit similar spatial patterns in AD and are closely linked. HIGHLIGHTS Cognitively impaired patients exhibited lower mGluR5 availability and synaptic density in the medial temporal lobe than HCs. Reductions in mGluR5 availability and synaptic density exhibit similar spatial patterns in AD. Regional synaptic density was closely associated with regional mGluR5 availability. mGluR5 availability and synaptic loss partially mediated the relationship between amyloid deposition and global cognition. With further research, modulating mGluR5 availability might be a potential therapeutic strategy for improving synaptic function in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qi Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Kun He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Junpeng Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Tengfei Guo
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Bay LaboratoryShenzhenChina
| | - Yang Yang
- Beijing United Imaging Research Institute of Intelligent ImagingBeijingChina
| | - Zengping Lin
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare Group Co., LtdShanghaiChina
| | - Songye Li
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical ImagingPET CenterYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Greet Vanderlinden
- Department of Imaging and PathologyNuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical ImagingPET CenterYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Department of Imaging and PathologyNuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, KU LeuvenLeuvenBelgium
| | - Yihui Guan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of GerontologyShanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Ruiqing Ni
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University of Zurich & ETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Institute for Regenerative MedicineUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Binying Li
- Department of Neurology and Institute of NeurologyRuijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Fang Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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Ye L, Hu M, Mao R, Tan Y, Sun M, Jia J, Xu S, Liu Y, Zhu X, Xu Y, Bai F, Shu S. Conditional knockout of AIM2 in microglia ameliorates synaptic plasticity and spatial memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14555. [PMID: 38105588 PMCID: PMC11163192 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14555] [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: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Synaptic dysfunction is a hallmark pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is strongly associated with cognitive impairment. Abnormal phagocytosis by the microglia is one of the main causes of synapse loss in AD. Previous studies have shown that the absence of melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome activity is increased in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice, but the role of AIM2 in AD remains unclear. METHODS Injection of Aβ1-42 into the bilateral hippocampal CA1 was used to mimic an AD mouse model (AD mice). C57BL/6 mice injected with AIM2 overexpression lentivirus and conditional knockout of microglial AIM2 mice were used to confirm the function of AIM2 in AD. Cognitive functions were assessed with novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests. The protein and mRNA expression levels were evaluated by western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and qRT-PCR. Synaptic structure and function were detected by Golgi staining and electrophysiology. RESULTS The expression level of AIM2 was increased in AD mice, and overexpression of AIM2 induced synaptic and cognitive impairments in C57BL/6 mice, similar to AD mice. Elevated expression levels of AIM2 occurred in microglia in AD mice. Conditional knockout of microglial AIM2 rescued cognitive and synaptic dysfunction in AD mice. Excessive microglial phagocytosis activity of synapses was decreased after knockout of microglial AIM2, which was associated with inhibiting complement activation. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrated that microglial AIM2 plays a critical role in regulating synaptic plasticity and memory deficits associated with AD, providing a new direction for developing novel preventative and therapeutic interventions for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Ye
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Mengsha Hu
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital Clinical College of Traditional Chinese and Western MedicineNanjing University of Chinese MedicineNanjingChina
| | - Rui Mao
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yi Tan
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Min Sun
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Junqiu Jia
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Siyi Xu
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Xiaolei Zhu
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Yun Xu
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular MedicineMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Discipline of NeurologyNanjingChina
- Nanjing Neurology Medical CenterNanjingChina
- Nanjing Neuropsychiatry Clinic Medical CenterNanjingChina
| | - Feng Bai
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
| | - Shu Shu
- Department of NeurologyNanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular MedicineMedical School of Nanjing UniversityNanjingChina
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Discipline of NeurologyNanjingChina
- Nanjing Neurology Medical CenterNanjingChina
- Nanjing Neuropsychiatry Clinic Medical CenterNanjingChina
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Xiao L, Xiang S, Chen C, Zhu H, Zhou M, Tang Y, Feng L, Hu S. Association of synaptic density and cognitive performance in temporal lobe epilepsy: Humans and animals PET imaging study with [ 18F]SynVesT-1. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38804583 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
AIM Cognitive impairment is a common comorbidity in individuals with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study explored the putative association between in vivo synaptic loss and cognitive outcomes in TLE patients by PET imaging of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A). METHODS We enrolled 16 TLE patients and 10 cognitively normal controls. All participants underwent SV2A PET imaging using [18F]SynVesT-1 and cognitive assessment. Lithium chloride-pilocarpine-induced rats with status epilepticus (n = 20) and controls (n = 6) rats received levetiracetam (LEV, specifically binds to SV2A), valproic acid (VPA), or saline for 14 days. Then, synaptic density was quantified by [18F]SynVesT-1 micro-PET/CT. The novel object recognition and Morris water maze tests evaluated TLE-related cognitive function. SV2A expression was examined and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Temporal lobe epilepsy patients showed significantly reduced synaptic density in hippocampus, which was associated with cognitive performance. In the rat model of TLE, the expression of SV2A and synaptic density decreased consistently in a wider range of brain regions, including the entorhinal cortex, insula, hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and cortex. We treated TLE animal models with LEV or VPA to explore whether synaptic loss contributes to cognitive deficits. It was found that LEV significantly exerted protective effects against brain synaptic deficits and cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION This is the first study to link synaptic loss to cognitive deficits in TLE, suggesting [18F]SynVesT-1 PET could be a promising biomarker for monitoring synaptic loss and cognitive dysfunction. LEV might help reverse synaptic deficits and ameliorate learning and memory impairments in TLE patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Xiao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shijun Xiang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Haoyue Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ming Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yongxiang Tang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Li Feng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shuo Hu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Nanotechnology of National Health Commission, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Hu J, Lian Z, Weng Z, Xu Z, Gao J, Liu Y, Luo T, Wang X. Intranasal Delivery of Near-Infrared and Magnetic Dual-Response Nanospheres to Rapidly Produce Antidepressant-Like and Cognitive Enhancement Effects. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2405547. [PMID: 38778461 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202405547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Restricted by synaptic plasticity, dopamine receptor (DR) upregulation takes a long time to work. Moreover, the impact of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) on delivery efficiency restricts the development of drugs. Taking inspiration from snuff bottles, a convenient, fast-acting, and nonaddictive nasal drug delivery system has been developed to rapidly reshape the balance of synaptic transmitters. This optical and magnetic response system called CFs@DP, comprised of carbonized MIL-100 (Fe) frameworks (CFs) and domperidone (DP), which can enter the brain via nasal administration. Under dual stimulation of near-infrared (NIR) irradiation and catecholamine-induced complexation, CFs@DP disintegrates to release iron ions and DP, causing upregulation of the dopamine type 1 (D1), type 2 (D2) receptors, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to achieve a therapeutic effect. In vivo experiments demonstrate that the DR density of mice (postnatal day 50-60) increased in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus (HPC) after 10 days of therapy, resulting in antidepressant-like and cognitive enhancement effects. Interestingly, the cognitive enhancement effect of CFs@DP is even working in noniron deficiency (normal fed) mice, making it a promising candidate for application in enhancing learning ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangnan Hu
- Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330088, P. R. China
| | - Zhenglong Lian
- The National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330088, P. R. China
| | - Zhenzhen Weng
- The National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330088, P. R. China
| | - Zihao Xu
- The National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330088, P. R. China
| | - Jie Gao
- The National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330088, P. R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- The National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330088, P. R. China
| | - Tao Luo
- Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Jiangxi Medical College, School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330088, P. R. China
| | - Xiaolei Wang
- The National Engineering Research Center for Bioengineering Drugs and Technologies, Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330088, P. R. China
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Ren Z, Zhao L, Zhao M, Bao T, Chen T, Zhao A, Zheng X, Gu X, Sun T, Guo Y, Tang Y, Xie G, Jia W. Increased intestinal bile acid absorption contributes to age-related cognitive impairment. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101543. [PMID: 38697101 PMCID: PMC11148718 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment in the elderly is associated with alterations in bile acid (BA) metabolism. In this study, we observe elevated levels of serum conjugated primary bile acids (CPBAs) and ammonia in elderly individuals, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and aging rodents, with a more pronounced change in females. These changes are correlated with increased expression of the ileal apical sodium-bile acid transporter (ASBT), hippocampal synapse loss, and elevated brain CPBA and ammonia levels in rodents. In vitro experiments confirm that a CPBA, taurocholic acid, and ammonia induced synaptic loss. Manipulating intestinal BA transport using ASBT activators or inhibitors demonstrates the impact on brain CPBA and ammonia levels as well as cognitive decline in rodents. Additionally, administration of an intestinal BA sequestrant, cholestyramine, alleviates cognitive impairment, normalizing CPBAs and ammonia in aging mice. These findings highlight the potential of targeting intestinal BA absorption as a therapeutic strategy for age-related cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenxing Ren
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Ling Zhao
- School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mingliang Zhao
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Tianhao Bao
- The Affiliated Mental Health Center of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan 650224, China
| | - Tianlu Chen
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Aihua Zhao
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Xiaojiao Zheng
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Xinru Gu
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Yuhuai Guo
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yajun Tang
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Guoxiang Xie
- Human Metabolomics Institute, Inc., Shenzhen, Guangdong 518109, China
| | - Wei Jia
- Center for Translational Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200233, China; Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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He K, Li B, Wang J, Wang Y, You Z, Chen X, Chen H, Li J, Huang Q, Guo Q, Huang YH, Guan Y, Chen K, Zhao J, Deng Y, Xie F. APOE ε4 is associated with decreased synaptic density in cognitively impaired participants. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:3157-3166. [PMID: 38477490 PMCID: PMC11095422 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13775] [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: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We aimed to investigate the effect of apolipoprotein E4 (APOE) ε4 on synaptic density in cognitively impaired (CI) participants. METHODS One hundred ten CI participants underwent amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-florbetapir and synaptic density PET with 18F-SynVesT-1. We evaluated the influence of APOE ε4 allele on synaptic density and investigated the effects of ε4 genotype on the associations of synaptic density with Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers. The mediation effects of AD biomarkers on ε4-associated synaptic density loss were analyzed. RESULTS Compared with non-carriers, APOE ε4 allele carriers exhibited significant synaptic loss in the medial temporal lobe. Amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau pathology mediated the effects of APOE ε4 on synaptic density to different extents. The associations between synaptic density and tau pathology were regulated by the APOE ε4 genotype. DISCUSSION The APOE ε4 allele was associated with decreased synaptic density in CI individuals and may be driven by AD biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Binyin Li
- Department of Neurology & Institute of Neurology, Ruijin HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
- Clinical Neuroscience CenterRuijin Hospital LuWan BranchShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of GerontologyShanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Zhiwen You
- Department of Nuclear MedicineShanghai East HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Xing Chen
- Department of Nuclear MedicineShanghai East HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Haijuan Chen
- Department of Neurology & Institute of Neurology, Ruijin HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Junpeng Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qi Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of GerontologyShanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's HospitalShanghaiChina
| | - Yiyun Henry Huang
- PET CenterDepartment of Radiology and Biomedical ImagingYale University School of MedicineNew HavenUSA
| | - Yihui Guan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Kewei Chen
- Banner Alzheimer InstituteArizona State University, University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's ConsortiumPhoenixUSA
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of Nuclear MedicineShanghai East HospitalTongji University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Yulei Deng
- Department of Neurology & Institute of Neurology, Ruijin HospitalShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
- Clinical Neuroscience CenterRuijin Hospital LuWan BranchShanghai Jiao Tong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Fang Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET CenterHuashan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain ScienceFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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Bavarsad MS, Grinberg LT. SV2A PET imaging in human neurodegenerative diseases. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1380561. [PMID: 38699560 PMCID: PMC11064927 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1380561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
This manuscript presents a thorough review of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) as a biomarker for synaptic integrity using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in neurodegenerative diseases. Synaptic pathology, characterized by synaptic loss, has been linked to various brain diseases. Therefore, there is a need for a minimally invasive approach to measuring synaptic density in living human patients. Several radiotracers targeting synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) have been created and effectively adapted for use in human subjects through PET scans. SV2A is an integral glycoprotein found in the membranes of synaptic vesicles in all synaptic terminals and is widely distributed throughout the brain. The review delves into the development of SV2A-specific PET radiotracers, highlighting their advancements and limitations in neurodegenerative diseases. Among these tracers, 11C-UCB-J is the most used so far. We summarize and discuss an increasing body of research that compares measurements of synaptic density using SV2A PET with other established indicators of neurodegenerative diseases, including cognitive performance and radiological findings, thus providing a comprehensive analysis of SV2A's effectiveness and reliability as a diagnostic tool in contrast to traditional markers. Although the literature overall suggests the promise of SV2A as a diagnostic and therapeutic monitoring tool, uncertainties persist regarding the superiority of SV2A as a biomarker compared to other available markers. The review also underscores the paucity of studies characterizing SV2A distribution and loss in human brain tissue from patients with neurodegenerative diseases, emphasizing the need to generate quantitative neuropathological maps of SV2A density in cases with neurodegenerative diseases to fully harness the potential of SV2A PET imaging in clinical settings. We conclude by outlining future research directions, stressing the importance of integrating SV2A PET imaging with other biomarkers and clinical assessments and the need for longitudinal studies to track SV2A changes throughout neurodegenerative disease progression, which could lead to breakthroughs in early diagnosis and the evaluation of new treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States
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10
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Wang X, Zhang X, Liu J, Zhang J, Liu C, Cui Y, Song Q, Hou Y, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Zhang Y, Fan Y, Jia J, Wang P. Synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A in serum is an ideal biomarker for early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:82. [PMID: 38615037 PMCID: PMC11015666 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01440-9] [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: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated that early intervention was the best plan to inhibit the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which relied on the discovery of early diagnostic biomarkers. In this study, synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A (SV2A) was examined to improve the early diagnostic efficiency in AD. METHODS In this study, biomarker testing was performed through the single-molecule array (Simoa). A total of 121 subjects including cognitively unimpaired controls, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), AD and other types of dementia underwent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) SV2A testing; 430 subjects including health controls, aMCI, AD and other types of dementia underwent serum SV2A, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain (NfL) and p-tau217 testing; 92 subjects including aMCI and AD underwent both CSF SV2A and serum SV2A testing; 115 cognitively unimpaired subjects including APOE ε4 carriers and APOE ε4 non-carriers were tested for serum SV2A, GFAP, NfL and p-tau217. Then, the efficacy of SV2A for the early diagnosis of AD and its ability to identify those at high risk of AD from a cognitively unimpaired population were further analyzed. RESULTS Both CSF and serum SV2A significantly and positively correlated with cognitive performance in patients with AD, and their levels gradually decreased with the progression of AD. Serum SV2A demonstrated excellent diagnostic efficacy for aMCI, with a sensitivity of 97.8%, which was significantly higher than those of NfL, GFAP, and p-tau217. The SV2A-positive rates ranged from 92.86 to 100% in aMCI cases that were negative for the above three biomarkers. Importantly, of all the biomarkers tested, serum SV2A had the highest positivity rate (81.82%) in individuals at risk for AD. CONCLUSIONS Serum SV2A was demonstrated to be a novel and ideal biomarker for the early diagnosis of AD, which can effectively distinguish those at high risk of AD in cognitively unimpaired populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Xiaomin Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yuting Cui
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Qiao Song
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yuli Hou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yaqi Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yingzhen Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yujian Fan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jianping Jia
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Clinical Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Memory Impairment, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China.
| | - Peichang Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Xuanwu Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Capital Medical University, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, 45 Changchun Street, Beijing, 100053, China.
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11
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Wang J, Huang Q, Chen X, You Z, He K, Guo Q, Huang Y, Yang Y, Lin Z, Guo T, Zhao J, Guan Y, Li B, Xie F. Tau pathology is associated with synaptic density and longitudinal synaptic loss in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02501-z. [PMID: 38589563 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02501-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
The associations of synaptic loss with amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathology measured by positron emission tomography (PET) and plasma analysis in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are unknown. Seventy-five participants, including 26 AD patients, 19 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and 30 normal controls (NCs), underwent [18F]SynVesT-1 PET/MR scans to assess synaptic density and [18F]florbetapir and [18F]MK6240 PET/CT scans to evaluate Aβ plaques and tau tangles. Among them, 19 AD patients, 12 MCI patients, and 29 NCs had plasma Aβ42/40 and p-tau181 levels measured by the Simoa platform. Twenty-three individuals, 6 AD patients, 4 MCI patients, and 13 NCs, underwent [18F]SynVesT-1 PET/MRI and [18F]MK6240 PET/CT scans during a one-year follow-up assessment. The associations of Aβ and tau pathology with cross-sectional and longitudinal synaptic loss were investigated using Pearson correlation analyses, generalized linear models and mediation analyses. AD patients exhibited lower synaptic density than NCs and MCI patients. In the whole cohort, global Aβ deposition was associated with synaptic loss in the medial (r = -0.431, p < 0.001) and lateral (r = -0.406, p < 0.001) temporal lobes. Synaptic density in almost all regions was related to the corresponding regional tau tangles independent of global Aβ deposition in the whole cohort and stratified groups. Synaptic density in the medial and lateral temporal lobes was correlated with plasma Aβ42/40 (r = 0.300, p = 0.020/r = 0.289, p = 0.025) and plasma p-tau 181 (r = -0.412, p = 0.001/r = -0.529, p < 0.001) levels in the whole cohort. Mediation analyses revealed that tau tangles mediated the relationship between Aβ plaques and synaptic density in the whole cohort. Baseline tau pathology was positively associated with longitudinal synaptic loss. This study suggested that tau burden is strongly linked to synaptic density independent of Aβ plaques, and also can predict longitudinal synaptic loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Qi Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Xing Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 310000, China
| | - Zhiwen You
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 310000, China
| | - Kun He
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Qihao Guo
- Department of Gerontology, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200233, China
| | - Yiyun Huang
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, CT, 06520-8048, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Beijing United Imaging Research Institute of Intelligent Imaging, Beijing, 100089, China
| | - Zengping Lin
- Central Research Institute, United Imaging Healthcare Group Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 201807, China
| | - Tengfei Guo
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 310000, China
| | - Yihui Guan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
| | - Binyin Li
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
| | - Fang Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine & PET Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
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12
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Braunstein PW, Horovitz DJ, Hampton AM, Hollis F, Newman LA, Enos RT, McQuail JA. Daily fluctuations in blood glucose with normal aging are inversely related to hippocampal synaptic mitochondrial proteins. AGING BRAIN 2024; 5:100116. [PMID: 38596458 PMCID: PMC11002859 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2024.100116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Defective brain glucose utilization is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) while Type II diabetes and elevated blood glucose escalate the risk for AD in later life. Isolating contributions of normal aging from coincident metabolic or brain diseases could lead to refined approaches to manage specific health risks and optimize treatments targeted to susceptible older individuals. We evaluated metabolic, neuroendocrine, and neurobiological differences between young adult (6 months) and aged (24 months) male rats. Compared to young adults, blood glucose was significantly greater in aged rats at the start of the dark phase of the day but not during the light phase. When challenged with physical restraint, a potent stressor, aged rats effected no change in blood glucose whereas blood glucose increased in young adults. Tissues were evaluated for markers of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), neuronal glucose transport, and synapses. Outright differences in protein levels between age groups were not evident, but circadian blood glucose was inversely related to OXPHOS proteins in hippocampal synaptosomes, independent of age. The neuronal glucose transporter, GLUT3, was positively associated with circadian blood glucose in young adults whereas aged rats tended to show the opposite trend. Our data demonstrate aging increases daily fluctuations in blood glucose and, at the level of individual differences, negatively associates with proteins related to synaptic OXPHOS. Our findings imply that glucose dyshomeostasis may exacerbate metabolic aspects of synaptic dysfunction that contribute to risk for age-related brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W. Braunstein
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - David J. Horovitz
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | | | - Fiona Hollis
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Lori A. Newman
- Department of Psychological Science, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
| | - Reilly T. Enos
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Joseph A. McQuail
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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13
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Jiang S, Sydney EJ, Runyan AM, Serpe R, Srikanth M, Figueroa HY, Yang M, Myeku N. 5-HT4 receptor agonists treatment reduces tau pathology and behavioral deficit in the PS19 mouse model of tauopathy. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1338502. [PMID: 38638303 PMCID: PMC11024353 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1338502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Accumulation of tau in synapses in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been shown to cause synaptic damage, synaptic loss, and the spread of tau pathology through trans-synaptically connected neurons. Moreover, synaptic loss correlates with a decline in cognitive function, providing an opportunity to investigate therapeutic strategies to target synapses and synaptic tau to rescue or prevent cognitive decline in AD. One of the promising synaptic targets is the 5-HT4 serotonergic receptor present postsynaptically in the brain structures involved in the memory processes. 5-HT4R stimulation exerts synaptogenic and pro-cognitive effects involving synapse-to-nucleus signaling essential for synaptic plasticity. However, it is not known whether 5-HT4R activation has a therapeutic effect on tau pathology. Methods The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of chronic stimulation of 5-HT4R by two agonists, prucalopride and RS-67333, in PS19 mice, a model of tauopathy. We utilized gradient assays to isolate pre- and post-synaptic compartments, followed by biochemical analyses for tau species and ubiquitinated proteins in the synaptic compartments and total brain tissue. Next, we performed kinetic assays to test the proteasome's hydrolysis capacity in treatment conditions. Moreover, behavioral tests such as the open field and non-maternal nest-building tests were used to evaluate anxiety-like behaviors and hippocampal-related cognitive functioning in the treatment paradigm. Results Our results show that 5-HT4R agonism reduced tauopathy, reduced synaptic tau, increased proteasome activity, and improved cognitive functioning in PS19 mice. Our data suggest that enhanced proteasome activity by synaptic mediated signaling leads to the enhanced turnover of tau initially within synapses where the receptors are localized, and over time, the treatment attenuated the accumulation of tau aggregation and improved cognitive functioning of the PS19 mice. Conclusion Therefore, stimulation of 5-HT4R offers a promising therapy to rescue synapses from the accumulation of toxic synaptic tau, evident in the early stages of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Jiang
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eric J. Sydney
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Avery M. Runyan
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Rossana Serpe
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Malavika Srikanth
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Helen Y. Figueroa
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mu Yang
- The Institute for Genomic Medicine and Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Natura Myeku
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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14
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Kumar A, Scarpa M, Nordberg A. Tracing synaptic loss in Alzheimer's brain with SV2A PET-tracer UCB-J. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:2589-2605. [PMID: 38363009 PMCID: PMC11032538 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13720] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Synaptic loss is an early prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The recently developed novel synaptic vesicle 2A protein (SV2A) PET-tracer UCB-J has shown great promise in tracking synaptic loss in AD. However, there have been discrepancies between the findings and a lack of mechanistic insight. METHODS Here we report the first extensive pre-clinical validation studies for UCB-J in control (CN; n = 11) and AD (n = 11) brains using a multidimensional approach of post-mortem brain imaging techniques, radioligand binding, and biochemical studies. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION We demonstrate that UCB-J could target SV2A protein with high specificity and depict synaptic loss at synaptosome levels in AD brain regions compared to CNs. UCB-J showed highest synaptic loss in AD hippocampus followed in descending order by frontal cortex, temporal cortex, parietal cortex, and cerebellum. 3H-UCB-J large brain-section autoradiography and cellular/subcellular fractions binding studies indicated potential off-target interaction with phosphorylated tau (p-tau) species in AD brains, which could have subsequent clinical implications for imaging studies. HIGHLIGHTS Synaptic positron emission tomography (PET)-tracer UCB-J could target synaptic vesicle 2A protein (SV2A) with high specificity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and control brains. Synaptic PET-tracer UCB-J could depict synaptic loss at synaptosome levels in AD brain regions compared to control. Potential off-target interaction of UCB-J with phosphorylated tau (p-tau) species at cellular/subcellular levels could have subsequent clinical implications for imaging studies, warranting further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar
- Division of Clinical GeriatricsCenter for Alzheimer ResearchDepartment of NeurobiologyCare Sciences and SocietyKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Miriam Scarpa
- Division of Clinical GeriatricsCenter for Alzheimer ResearchDepartment of NeurobiologyCare Sciences and SocietyKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Agneta Nordberg
- Division of Clinical GeriatricsCenter for Alzheimer ResearchDepartment of NeurobiologyCare Sciences and SocietyKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
- Theme Inflammation and AgingKarolinska University HospitalStockholmSweden
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15
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Hacioglu C, Kar F, Ozbayer C, Gundogdu AC. Ex vivo investigation of betaine and boric acid function as preprotective agents on rat synaptosomes to be treated with Aβ (1-42). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2024; 39:2138-2149. [PMID: 38108610 DOI: 10.1002/tox.24098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death process, may be involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. The study evaluated the therapeutic potential of betaine and boric acid (BA) pretreatment administered to rats for 21 days in AD. Then, the rats were sacrificed, and morphological and biochemical analyses were performed in brain tissues. Next, an ex vivo AD model was created by applying amyloid-β (Aβ1-42) to synaptosomes isolated from the brain tissues. Synaptosomes were analyzed with micrograph images, and protein and mRNA levels of ferroptotic markers were determined. Betaine and BA pretreatments did not cause any morphological and biochemical differences in the brain tissue. However, Aβ (1-42) administration in synaptosomes increased the levels of acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member-4 (ACSL4), transferrin receptor-1 protein (TfR1), malondialdehyde (MDA), and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and decreased the levels glutathione peroxidase-4 (GPx4) and glutathione (GSH). Moreover, ACSL4, GPx4, and TfR1 mRNA and protein levels were similar to the ELISA results. In contrast, betaine and BA pretreatments decreased the levels of ACSL4, TfR1, MDA, and 8-OHdG in synaptosomes incubated with Aβ1-42, while promoting increased levels of GPx4 and GSH. In addition, betaine and BA pretreatments completely reversed ACSL4, GPx4, and TfR1 mRNA and protein levels. Therefore, betaine and BA pretreatments may contribute to the prevention of neurodegenerative damage by supporting antiferroptotic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceyhan Hacioglu
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Biochemistry, Düzce University, Düzce, Turkey
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Düzce University, Düzce, Turkey
| | - Fatih Kar
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Kütahya Health Sciences University, Kütahya, Turkey
| | - Cansu Ozbayer
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, Kütahya Health Sciences University, Kütahya, Turkey
| | - Ayse Cakir Gundogdu
- Faculty of Medicine Department of Histology and Embryology, Kütahya Health Sciences University, Kütahya, Turkey
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16
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Fang XT, Raval NR, O’Dell RS, Naganawa M, Mecca AP, Chen MK, van Dyck CH, Carson RE. Synaptic density patterns in early Alzheimer's disease assessed by independent component analysis. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae107. [PMID: 38601916 PMCID: PMC11004947 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Synaptic loss is a primary pathology in Alzheimer's disease and correlates best with cognitive impairment as found in post-mortem studies. Previously, we observed in vivo reductions of synaptic density with [11C]UCB-J PET (radiotracer for synaptic vesicle protein 2A) throughout the neocortex and medial temporal brain regions in early Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we applied independent component analysis to synaptic vesicle protein 2A-PET data to identify brain networks associated with cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease in a blinded data-driven manner. [11C]UCB-J binding to synaptic vesicle protein 2A was measured in 38 Alzheimer's disease (24 mild Alzheimer's disease dementia and 14 mild cognitive impairment) and 19 cognitively normal participants. [11C]UCB-J distribution volume ratio values were calculated with a whole cerebellum reference region. Principal components analysis was first used to extract 18 independent components to which independent component analysis was then applied. Subject loading weights per pattern were compared between groups using Kruskal-Wallis tests. Spearman's rank correlations were used to assess relationships between loading weights and measures of cognitive and functional performance: Logical Memory II, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test-long delay, Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes and Mini-Mental State Examination. We observed significant differences in loading weights among cognitively normal, mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease dementia groups in 5 of the 18 independent components, as determined by Kruskal-Wallis tests. Only Patterns 1 and 2 demonstrated significant differences in group loading weights after correction for multiple comparisons. Excluding the cognitively normal group, we observed significant correlations between the loading weights for Pattern 1 (left temporal cortex and the cingulate gyrus) and Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes (r = -0.54, P = 0.0019), Mini-Mental State Examination (r = 0.48, P = 0.0055) and Logical Memory II score (r = 0.44, P = 0.013). For Pattern 2 (temporal cortices), significant associations were demonstrated between its loading weights and Logical Memory II score (r = 0.34, P = 0.0384). Following false discovery rate correction, only the relationship between the Pattern 1 loading weights with Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes (r = -0.54, P = 0.0019) and Mini-Mental State Examination (r = 0.48, P = 0.0055) remained statistically significant. We demonstrated that independent component analysis could define coherent spatial patterns of synaptic density. Furthermore, commonly used measures of cognitive performance correlated significantly with loading weights for two patterns within only the mild cognitive impairment/mild Alzheimer's disease dementia group. This study leverages data-centric approaches to augment the conventional region-of-interest-based methods, revealing distinct patterns that differentiate between mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease dementia, marking a significant advancement in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaotian T Fang
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Nakul R Raval
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ryan S O’Dell
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Adam P Mecca
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Ming-Kai Chen
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Christopher H van Dyck
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- Yale PET Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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17
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Shahid SS, Dzemidzic M, Butch ER, Jarvis EE, Snyder SE, Wu YC. Estimating the synaptic density deficit in Alzheimer's disease using multi-contrast CEST imaging. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299961. [PMID: 38483851 PMCID: PMC10939256 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In vivo noninvasive imaging of neurometabolites is crucial to improve our understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases. Abnormal changes in synaptic organization leading to synaptic degradation and neuronal loss is considered as one of the primary factors driving Alzheimer's disease pathology. Magnetic resonance based molecular imaging techniques such as chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can provide neurometabolite specific information which may relate to underlying pathological and compensatory mechanisms. In this study, CEST and short echo time single voxel MRS was performed to evaluate the sensitivity of cerebral metabolites to beta-amyloid (Aβ) induced synaptic deficit in the hippocampus of a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The CEST based spectra (Z-spectra) were acquired on a 9.4 Tesla small animal MR imaging system with two radiofrequency (RF) saturation amplitudes (1.47 μT and 5.9 μT) to obtain creatine-weighted and glutamate-weighted CEST contrasts, respectively. Multi-pool Lorentzian fitting and quantitative T1 longitudinal relaxation maps were used to obtain metabolic specific apparent exchange-dependent relaxation (AREX) maps. Short echo time (TE = 12 ms) single voxel MRS was acquired to quantify multiple neurometabolites from the right hippocampus region. AREX contrasts and MRS based metabolite concentration levels were examined in the ARTE10 animal model for Alzheimer's disease and their wild type (WT) littermate counterparts (age = 10 months). Using MRS voxel as a region of interest, group-wise analysis showed significant reduction in Glu-AREX and Cr-AREX in ARTE10, compared to WT animals. The MRS based results in the ARTE10 mice showed significant decrease in glutamate (Glu) and glutamate-total creatine (Glu/tCr) ratio, compared to WT animals. The MRS results also showed significant increase in total creatine (tCr), phosphocreatine (PCr) and glutathione (GSH) concentration levels in ARTE10, compared to WT animals. In the same ROI, Glu-AREX and Cr-AREX demonstrated positive associations with Glu/tCr ratio. These results indicate the involvement of neurotransmitter metabolites and energy metabolism in Aβ-mediated synaptic degradation in the hippocampus region. The study also highlights the feasibility of CEST and MRS to identify and track multiple competing and compensatory mechanisms involved in heterogeneous pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Salman Shahid
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Mario Dzemidzic
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth R. Butch
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Erin E. Jarvis
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Scott E. Snyder
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
| | - Yu-Chien Wu
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
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18
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Serrano GE, Walker J, Nelson C, Glass M, Arce R, Intorcia A, Cline MP, Nabaty N, Acuña A, Huppert Steed A, Sue LI, Belden C, Choudhury P, Reiman E, Atri A, Beach TG. Correlation of Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Proteins with Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3130. [PMID: 38542104 PMCID: PMC10970005 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25063130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Synaptic transmission is essential for nervous system function and the loss of synapses is a known major contributor to dementia. Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD) is characterized by synaptic loss in the mesial temporal lobe and cerebral neocortex, both of which are brain areas associated with memory and cognition. The association of synaptic loss and ADD was established in the late 1980s, and it has been estimated that 30-50% of neocortical synaptic protein is lost in ADD, but there has not yet been a quantitative profiling of different synaptic proteins in different brain regions in ADD from the same individuals. Very recently, positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of synapses is being developed, accelerating the focus on the role of synaptic loss in ADD and other conditions. In this study, we quantified the densities of two synaptic proteins, the presynaptic protein Synaptosome Associated Protein 25 (SNAP25) and the postsynaptic protein postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) in the human brain, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Protein was extracted from the cingulate gyrus, hippocampus, frontal, primary visual, and entorhinal cortex from cognitively unimpaired controls, subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and subjects with dementia that have different levels of Alzheimer's pathology. SNAP25 is significantly reduced in ADD when compared to controls in the frontal cortex, visual cortex, and cingulate, while the hippocampus showed a smaller, non-significant reduction, and entorhinal cortex concentrations were not different. In contrast, all brain areas showed lower PSD95 concentrations in ADD when compared to controls without dementia, although in the hippocampus, this failed to reach significance. Interestingly, cognitively unimpaired cases with high levels of AD pathology had higher levels of both synaptic proteins in all brain regions. SNAP25 and PSD95 concentrations significantly correlated with densities of neurofibrillary tangles, amyloid plaques, and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Our results suggest that synaptic transmission is affected by ADD in multiple brain regions. The differences were less marked in the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus, most likely due to a ceiling effect imposed by the very early development of neurofibrillary tangles in older people in these brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geidy E. Serrano
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Jessica Walker
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Courtney Nelson
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Michael Glass
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Richard Arce
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Anthony Intorcia
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Madison P. Cline
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Natalie Nabaty
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Amanda Acuña
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Ashton Huppert Steed
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Lucia I. Sue
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
| | - Christine Belden
- Cleo Roberts Center, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA (P.C.)
| | - Parichita Choudhury
- Cleo Roberts Center, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA (P.C.)
| | - Eric Reiman
- The Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA
| | - Alireza Atri
- Cleo Roberts Center, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA (P.C.)
| | - Thomas G. Beach
- Civin Laboratory for Neuropathology, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, Sun City, AZ 85351, USA; (J.W.); (R.A.); (A.I.); (M.P.C.); (N.N.); (A.A.); (A.H.S.)
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19
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Juengling F, Wuest F, Schirrmacher R, Abele J, Thiel A, Soucy JP, Camicioli R, Garibotto V. PET Imaging in Dementia: Mini-Review and Canadian Perspective for Clinical Use. Can J Neurol Sci 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38433571 DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2024.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
PET imaging is increasingly recognized as an important diagnostic tool to investigate patients with cognitive disturbances of possible neurodegenerative origin. PET with 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([18F]FDG), assessing glucose metabolism, provides a measure of neurodegeneration and allows a precise differential diagnosis among the most common neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia or dementia with Lewy bodies. PET tracers specific for the pathological deposits characteristic of different neurodegenerative processes, namely amyloid and tau deposits typical of Alzheimer's Disease, allow the visualization of these aggregates in vivo. [18F]FDG and amyloid PET imaging have reached a high level of clinical validity and are since 2022 investigations that can be offered to patients in standard clinical care in most of Canada.This article will briefly review and summarize the current knowledge on these diagnostic tools, their integration into diagnostic algorithms as well as perspectives for future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freimut Juengling
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Division of Oncologic Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Medical Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Frank Wuest
- Division of Oncologic Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ralf Schirrmacher
- Division of Oncologic Imaging and Radionuclide Therapy, Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Medical Isotope and Cyclotron Facility, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jonathan Abele
- Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Imaging, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Alexander Thiel
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Paul Soucy
- Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Richard Camicioli
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Valentina Garibotto
- Diagnostic Department, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Division, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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20
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Sun MK, Alkon DL. Alzheimer's therapeutic development: shifting neurodegeneration to neuroregeneration. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:197-209. [PMID: 38360510 PMCID: PMC10939773 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2024.01.012] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), similar to AD-related dementias, is characterized by impaired/lost neuronal structures and functions due to a long progression of neurodegeneration. Derailed endogenous signal pathways and disease processes have critical roles in neurodegeneration and are pharmacological targets in inducing neuroregeneration. Pharmacologically switching/shifting the brain status from neurodegeneration to neuroregeneration is emerging as a new therapeutic concept, one that is not only achievable, but also essential for effective therapy for AD. The results of the pharmacological-induced shift from neurodegeneration to neuroregeneration are twofold: arresting cognitive deterioration (and directing the brain toward cognitive recovery) in established AD, and preventing neurodegeneration through building up cognitive resilience in patients with preclinical or probable AD. In this review, we discuss these new developments in AD pharmacology and relevant clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao-Kun Sun
- Synaptogenix, Inc., 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA.
| | - Daniel L Alkon
- Synaptogenix, Inc., 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036, USA
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21
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Martin SL, Uribe C, Strafella AP. PET imaging of synaptic density in Parkinsonian disorders. J Neurosci Res 2024; 102:e25253. [PMID: 37814917 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Synaptic dysfunction and altered synaptic pruning are present in people with Parkinsonian disorders. Dopamine loss and alpha-synuclein accumulation, two hallmarks of Parkinson's disease (PD) pathology, contribute to synaptic dysfunction and reduced synaptic density in PD. Atypical Parkinsonian disorders are likely to have unique spatiotemporal patterns of synaptic density, differentiating them from PD. Therefore, quantification of synaptic density has the potential to support diagnoses, monitor disease progression, and treatment efficacy. Novel radiotracers for positron emission tomography which target the presynaptic vesicle protein SV2A have been developed to quantify presynaptic density. The radiotracers have successfully investigated synaptic density in preclinical models of PD and people with Parkinsonian disorders. Therefore, this review will summarize the preclinical and clinical utilization of SV2A radiotracers in people with Parkinsonian disorders. We will evaluate how SV2A abundance is associated with other imaging modalities and the considerations for interpreting SV2A in Parkinsonian pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Martin
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carme Uribe
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Unitat de Psicologia Medica, Departament de Medicina, Institute of Neuroscience, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio P Strafella
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Edmond J. Safra Parkinson Disease Program, Neurology Division, Toronto Western Hospital & Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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22
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Lista S, Santos-Lozano A, Emanuele E, Mercuri NB, Gabelle A, López-Ortiz S, Martín-Hernández J, Maisto N, Imbimbo C, Caraci F, Imbimbo BP, Zetterberg H, Nisticò R. Monitoring synaptic pathology in Alzheimer's disease through fluid and PET imaging biomarkers: a comprehensive review and future perspectives. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:847-857. [PMID: 38228892 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02376-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is currently constrained by limited clinical treatment options. The initial pathophysiological event, which can be traced back to decades before the clinical symptoms become apparent, involves the excessive accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ), a peptide comprised of 40-42 amino acids, in extraneuronal plaques within the brain. Biochemical and histological studies have shown that overaccumulation of Aβ instigates an aberrant escalation in the phosphorylation and secretion of tau, a microtubule-binding axonal protein. The accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau into intraneuronal neurofibrillary tangles is in turn correlated with microglial dysfunction and reactive astrocytosis, culminating in synaptic dysfunction and neurodegeneration. As neurodegeneration progresses, it gives rise to mild clinical symptoms of AD, which may eventually evolve into overt dementia. Synaptic loss in AD may develop even before tau alteration and in response to possible elevations in soluble oligomeric forms of Aβ associated with early AD. These findings largely rely on post-mortem autopsy examinations, which typically involve a limited number of patients. Over the past decade, a range of fluid biomarkers such as neurogranin, α-synuclein, visinin-like protein 1 (VILIP-1), neuronal pentraxin 2, and β-synuclein, along with positron emission tomography (PET) markers like synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A, have been developed. These advancements have facilitated the exploration of how synaptic markers in AD patients correlate with cognitive impairment. However, fluid biomarkers indicating synaptic loss have only been validated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), not in plasma, with the exception of VILIP-1. The most promising PET radiotracer, [11C]UCB-J, currently faces significant challenges hindering its widespread clinical use, primarily due to the necessity of a cyclotron. As such, additional research geared toward the exploration of synaptic pathology biomarkers is crucial. This will not only enable their extensive clinical application, but also refine the optimization process of AD pharmacological trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lista
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain.
| | - Alejandro Santos-Lozano
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
- Physical Activity and Health Research Group (PaHerg), Research Institute of the Hospital 12 de Octubre ('imas12'), 28041, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Nicola B Mercuri
- Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Audrey Gabelle
- CMRR, Memory Resources and Research Center, Montpellier University of Excellence i-site, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - Susana López-Ortiz
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Juan Martín-Hernández
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Nunzia Maisto
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Synaptic Plasticity, EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "V. Erspamer", Sapienza University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Camillo Imbimbo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Filippo Caraci
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy
- Neuropharmacology and Translational Neurosciences Research Unit, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018, Troina, Italy
| | - Bruno P Imbimbo
- Department of Research and Development, Chiesi Farmaceutici, 43122, Parma, Italy
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, WC1N, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, 53726, WI, USA
| | - Robert Nisticò
- Laboratory of Pharmacology of Synaptic Plasticity, EBRI Rita Levi-Montalcini Foundation, 00143, Rome, Italy.
- School of Pharmacy, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy.
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23
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Toyonaga T, Khattar N, Wu Y, Lu Y, Naganawa M, Gallezot JD, Matuskey D, Mecca AP, Pittman B, Dias M, Nabulsi NB, Finnema SJ, Chen MK, Arnsten A, Radhakrishnan R, Skosnik PD, D'Souza DC, Esterlis I, Huang Y, van Dyck CH, Carson RE. The regional pattern of age-related synaptic loss in the human brain differs from gray matter volume loss: in vivo PET measurement with [ 11C]UCB-J. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2024; 51:1012-1022. [PMID: 37955791 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-023-06487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Aging is a major societal concern due to age-related functional losses. Synapses are crucial components of neural circuits, and synaptic density could be a sensitive biomarker to evaluate brain function. [11C]UCB-J is a positron emission tomography (PET) ligand targeting synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), which can be used to evaluate brain synaptic density in vivo. METHODS We evaluated age-related changes in gray matter synaptic density, volume, and blood flow using [11C]UCB-J PET and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a wide age range of 80 cognitive normal subjects (21-83 years old). Partial volume correction was applied to the PET data. RESULTS Significant age-related decreases were found in 13, two, and nine brain regions for volume, synaptic density, and blood flow, respectively. The prefrontal cortex showed the largest volume decline (4.9% reduction per decade: RPD), while the synaptic density loss was largest in the caudate (3.6% RPD) and medial occipital cortex (3.4% RPD). The reductions in caudate are consistent with previous SV2A PET studies and likely reflect that caudate is the site of nerve terminals for multiple major tracts that undergo substantial age-related neurodegeneration. There was a non-significant negative relationship between volume and synaptic density reductions in 16 gray matter regions. CONCLUSION MRI and [11]C-UCB-J PET showed age-related decreases of gray matter volume, synaptic density, and blood flow; however, the regional patterns of the reductions in volume and SV2A binding were different. Those patterns suggest that MR-based measures of GM volume may not be directly representative of synaptic density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Toyonaga
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
| | - Nikkita Khattar
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Yanjun Wu
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Yihuan Lu
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Mika Naganawa
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Jean-Dominique Gallezot
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - David Matuskey
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Adam P Mecca
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Brian Pittman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mark Dias
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Nabeel B Nabulsi
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Sjoerd J Finnema
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Ming-Kai Chen
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Amy Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rajiv Radhakrishnan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Patrick D Skosnik
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University Schools of Nursing & Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deepak Cyril D'Souza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Irina Esterlis
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yiyun Huang
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - Christopher H van Dyck
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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24
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Holmes SE, Honhar P, Tinaz S, Naganawa M, Hilmer AT, Gallezot JD, Dias M, Yang Y, Toyonaga T, Esterlis I, Mecca A, Van Dyck C, Henry S, Ropchan J, Nabulsi N, Louis ED, Comley R, Finnema SJ, Carson RE, Matuskey D. Synaptic loss and its association with symptom severity in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2024; 10:42. [PMID: 38402233 PMCID: PMC10894197 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-024-00655-9] [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: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease, but at present there is no cure, nor any disease-modifying treatments. Synaptic biomarkers from in vivo imaging have shown promise in imaging loss of synapses in PD and other neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we provide new clinical insights from a cross-sectional, high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) study of 30 PD individuals and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC) with the radiotracer [11C]UCB-J, which binds to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A), and is therefore, a biomarker of synaptic density in the living brain. We also examined a measure of relative brain perfusion from the early part of the same PET scan. Our results provide evidence for synaptic density loss in the substantia nigra that had been previously reported, but also extend this to other early-Braak stage regions known to be affected in PD (brainstem, caudate, olfactory cortex). Importantly, we also found a direct association between synaptic density loss in the nigra and severity of symptoms in patients. A greater extent and wider distribution of synaptic density loss in PD patients with longer illness duration suggests that [11C]UCB-J PET can be used to measure synapse loss with disease progression. We also demonstrate lower brain perfusion in PD vs. HC groups, with a greater extent of abnormalities in those with longer duration of illness, suggesting that [11C]UCB-J PET can simultaneously provide information on changes in brain perfusion. These results implicate synaptic imaging as a useful PD biomarker for future disease-modifying interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie E Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Praveen Honhar
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sule Tinaz
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ansel T Hilmer
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Mark Dias
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yanghong Yang
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Irina Esterlis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Adam Mecca
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Shannan Henry
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jim Ropchan
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nabeel Nabulsi
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Elan D Louis
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Richard E Carson
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - David Matuskey
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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25
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d’Orchymont F, Narvaez A, Raymond R, Sachdev P, Charil A, Krause S, Vasdev N. In vitro evaluation of PET radiotracers for imaging synaptic density, the acetylcholine transporter, AMPA-tarp-γ8 and muscarinic M4 receptors in Alzheimer's disease. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING 2024; 14:1-12. [PMID: 38500748 PMCID: PMC10944377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Several therapeutics and biomarkers that target Alzheimer's disease (AD) are under development. Our clinical positron emission tomography (PET) research programs are interested in six radiopharmaceuticals to image patients with AD and related dementias, specifically [11C]UCB-J and [18F]SynVesT-1 for synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A as a marker of synaptic density, two vesicular acetylcholine transporter PET radiotracers: [18F]FEOBV and [18F]VAT, as well as the transmembrane AMPA receptor regulatory protein (TARP)-γ8 tracer, [18F]JNJ-64511070, and the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) M4 tracer [11C]MK-6884. The goal of this study was to compare all six radiotracers (labeled with tritium or 18F) by measuring their density variability in pathologically diagnosed cases of AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and normal healthy volunteer (NHV) human brains, using thin-section in vitro autoradiography (ARG). Region of interest analysis was used to quantify radioligand binding density and determine whether the radioligands provide a signal-to-noise ratio optimal for showing changes in binding. Our preliminary study confirmed that all six radiotracers show specific binding in MCI and AD. An expected decrease in their respective target density in human AD hippocampus tissues compared to NHV was observed with [3H]UCB-J, [3H]SynVesT-1, [3H]JNJ-64511070, and [3H]MK-6884. This preliminary study will be used to guide human PET imaging of SV2A, TARP-γ8 and the mAChR M4 subtype for imaging in AD and related dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faustine d’Orchymont
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Andrea Narvaez
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)Toronto, ON, Canada
- Enigma Biomedical Group, Inc.Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Roger Raymond
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Neil Vasdev
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry, Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of TorontoToronto, ON, Canada
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26
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Drake LR, Wu Y, Naganawa M, Asch R, Zheng C, Najafzadeh S, Pracitto R, Lindemann M, Li S, Ropchan J, Labaree D, Emery PR, Dias M, Henry S, Nabulsi N, Matuskey D, Hillmer AT, Gallezot JD, Carson RE, Cai Z, Huang Y. First-in-Human Study of 18F-SynVesT-2: An SV2A PET Imaging Probe with Fast Brain Kinetics and High Specific Binding. J Nucl Med 2024; 65:jnumed.123.266470. [PMID: 38360052 PMCID: PMC10924160 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.123.266470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
PET imaging of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A allows for noninvasive quantification of synapses. This first-in-human study aimed to evaluate the kinetics, test-retest reproducibility, and extent of specific binding of a recently developed synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A PET ligand, (R)-4-(3-(18F-fluoro)phenyl)-1-((3-methylpyridin-4-yl)methyl)pyrrolidine-2-one (18F-SynVesT-2), with fast brain kinetics. Methods: Nine healthy volunteers participated in this study and were scanned on a High Resolution Research Tomograph scanner with 18F-SynVesT-2. Five volunteers were scanned twice on 2 different days. Five volunteers were rescanned with preinjected levetiracetam (20 mg/kg, intravenously). Arterial blood was collected to calculate the plasma free fraction and generate the arterial input function. Individual MR images were coregistered to a brain atlas to define regions of interest for generating time-activity curves, which were fitted with 1- and 2-tissue-compartment (1TC and 2TC) models to derive the regional distribution volume (V T). The regional nondisplaceable binding potential (BP ND) was calculated from 1TC V T, using the centrum semiovale (CS) as the reference region. Results: 18F-SynVesT-2 was synthesized with high molar activity (187 ± 69 MBq/nmol, n = 19). The parent fraction of 18F-SynVesT-2 in plasma was 28% ± 8% at 30 min after injection, and the plasma free fraction was high (0.29 ± 0.04). 18F-SynVesT-2 entered the brain quickly, with an SUVpeak of 8 within 10 min after injection. Regional time-activity curves fitted well with both the 1TC and the 2TC models; however, V T was estimated more reliably using the 1TC model. The 1TC V T ranged from 1.9 ± 0.2 mL/cm3 in CS to 7.6 ± 0.8 mL/cm3 in the putamen, with low absolute test-retest variability (6.0% ± 3.6%). Regional BP ND ranged from 1.76 ± 0.21 in the hippocampus to 3.06 ± 0.29 in the putamen. A 20-min scan was sufficient to provide reliable V T and BP ND Conclusion: 18F-SynVesT-2 has fast kinetics, high specific uptake, and low nonspecific uptake in the brain. Consistent with the nonhuman primate results, the kinetics of 18F-SynVesT-2 is faster than the kinetics of 11C-UCB-J and 18F-SynVesT-1 in the human brain and enables a shorter dynamic scan to derive physiologic information on cerebral blood flow and synapse density.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yanjun Wu
- Yale PET Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Ruth Asch
- Yale PET Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | | | | | | | - Songye Li
- Yale PET Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | | | | | - Mark Dias
- Yale PET Center, New Haven, Connecticut
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27
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Vanderlinden G, Carron C, Vandenberghe R, Vandenbulcke M, Van Laere K. In vivo PET of synaptic density as potential diagnostic marker for cognitive disorders: prospective comparison with current imaging markers for neuronal dysfunction and relation to symptomatology - study protocol. BMC Med Imaging 2024; 24:41. [PMID: 38347458 PMCID: PMC10860316 DOI: 10.1186/s12880-024-01224-5] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND 18F-FDG brain PET is clinically used for differential diagnosis in cognitive dysfunction of unclear etiology and for exclusion of a neurodegenerative cause in patients with cognitive impairment in late-life psychiatric disorders. 18F-FDG PET measures regional glucose metabolism, which represents a combination of neuronal/synaptic activity but also astrocytic activity and neuroinflammation. Recently, imaging of synaptic vesicle protein 2 A (SV2A) has become available and was shown to be a proxy of synaptic density. This prospective study will investigate the use of 18F-SynVesT-1 for imaging SV2A and its discriminative power for differential diagnosis in cognitive disorders in a head-to-head comparison to 18F-FDG PET. In addition, simultaneous PET/MR allows an evaluation of contributing factors and the additional value of advanced MRI imaging to FDG/SV2A PET imaging will be investigated. In this work, the study design and protocol are depicted. METHODS In this prospective, multimodal imaging study, 110 patients with uncertain diagnosis of cognitive impairment who are referred for 18F-FDG PET brain imaging in their diagnostic work-up in a tertiary memory clinic will be recruited. In addition, 40 healthy volunteers (HV) between 18 and 85 years (M/F) will be included. All study participants will undergo simultaneous 18F-SynVesT-1 PET/MR and an extensive neuropsychological evaluation. Amyloid status will be measured by PET using 18FNAV4694, in HV above 50 years of age. Structural T1-weighted and T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MR images, triple-tagging arterial spin labeling (ASL) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) will be obtained. The study has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05384353) and is approved by the local Research Ethics Committee. DISCUSSION The main endpoint of the study will be the comparison of the diagnostic accuracy between 18F-SynVesT-1 and 18F-FDG PET in cognitive disorders with uncertain etiology and in exclusion of a neurodegenerative cause in patients with cognitive impairment in late-life psychiatric disorders. The strength of the relationship between cognition and imaging data will be assessed, as well as the potential incremental diagnostic value of including MR volumetry, ASL perfusion and rs-fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greet Vanderlinden
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Charles Carron
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rik Vandenberghe
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mathieu Vandenbulcke
- Research Group Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Old-Age Psychiatry, University Hospitals UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koen Van Laere
- Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospitals UZ Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
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28
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Kauwe G, Pareja-Navarro KA, Yao L, Chen JH, Wong I, Saloner R, Cifuentes H, Nana AL, Shah S, Li Y, Le D, Spina S, Grinberg LT, Seeley WW, Kramer JH, Sacktor TC, Schilling B, Gan L, Casaletto KB, Tracy TE. KIBRA repairs synaptic plasticity and promotes resilience to tauopathy-related memory loss. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e169064. [PMID: 38299587 PMCID: PMC10836803 DOI: 10.1172/jci169064] [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: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity is obstructed by pathogenic tau in the brain, representing a key mechanism that underlies memory loss in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. Here, we found that reduced levels of the memory-associated protein KIdney/BRAin (KIBRA) in the brain and increased KIBRA protein levels in cerebrospinal fluid are associated with cognitive impairment and pathological tau levels in disease. We next defined a mechanism for plasticity repair in vulnerable neurons using the C-terminus of the KIBRA protein (CT-KIBRA). We showed that CT-KIBRA restored plasticity and memory in transgenic mice expressing pathogenic human tau; however, CT-KIBRA did not alter tau levels or prevent tau-induced synapse loss. Instead, we found that CT-KIBRA stabilized the protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ) to maintain synaptic plasticity and memory despite tau-mediated pathogenesis. Thus, our results distinguished KIBRA both as a biomarker of synapse dysfunction and as the foundation for a synapse repair mechanism to reverse cognitive impairment in tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Kauwe
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | | | - Lei Yao
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | - Jackson H. Chen
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | - Ivy Wong
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | - Rowan Saloner
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Helen Cifuentes
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | - Alissa L. Nana
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Samah Shah
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
| | - Yaqiao Li
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, Califoria, USA
| | - David Le
- Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, Califoria, USA
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Lea T. Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - William W. Seeley
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Pathology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Joel H. Kramer
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Todd C. Sacktor
- The Robert F. Furchgott Center of Neural and Behavioral Science, Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology, Anesthesiology, and Neurology, State University of New York Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
| | | | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer Disease Research Institute, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kaitlin B. Casaletto
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Tara E. Tracy
- Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA
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29
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Visser M, O'Brien JT, Mak E. In vivo imaging of synaptic density in neurodegenerative disorders with positron emission tomography: A systematic review. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 94:102197. [PMID: 38266660 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102197] [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: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Positron emission tomography (PET) with radiotracers that bind to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A (SV2A) enables quantification of synaptic density in the living human brain. Assessing the regional distribution and severity of synaptic density loss will contribute to our understanding of the pathological processes that precede atrophy in neurodegeneration. In this systematic review, we provide a discussion of in vivo SV2A PET imaging research for quantitative assessment of synaptic density in various dementia conditions: amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Progressive supranuclear palsy and Corticobasal degeneration, Parkinson's disease and Dementia with Lewy bodies, Huntington's disease, and Spinocerebellar Ataxia. We discuss the main findings concerning group differences and clinical-cognitive correlations, and explore relations between SV2A PET and other markers of pathology. Additionally, we touch upon synaptic density in healthy ageing and outcomes of radiotracer validation studies. Studies were identified on PubMed and Embase between 2018 and 2023; last searched on the 3rd of July 2023. A total of 36 studies were included, comprising 5 on normal ageing, 21 clinical studies, and 10 validation studies. Extracted study characteristics were participant details, methodological aspects, and critical findings. In summary, the small but growing literature on in vivo SV2A PET has revealed different spatial patterns of synaptic density loss among various neurodegenerative disorders that correlate with cognitive functioning, supporting the potential role of SV2A PET imaging for differential diagnosis. SV2A PET imaging shows tremendous capability to provide novel insights into the aetiology of neurodegenerative disorders and great promise as a biomarker for synaptic density reduction. Novel directions for future synaptic density research are proposed, including (a) longitudinal imaging in larger patient cohorts of preclinical dementias, (b) multi-modal mapping of synaptic density loss onto other pathological processes, and (c) monitoring therapeutic responses and assessing drug efficacy in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malouke Visser
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Neuropsychology and Rehabilitation Psychology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - John T O'Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Elijah Mak
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
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30
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van Dyck CH, Mecca AP, O'Dell RS, Bartlett HH, Diepenbrock NG, Huang Y, Hamby ME, Grundman M, Catalano SM, Caggiano AO, Carson RE. A pilot study to evaluate the effect of CT1812 treatment on synaptic density and other biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:20. [PMID: 38273408 PMCID: PMC10809445 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01382-2] [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: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Effective, disease-modifying therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain a large unmet need. Extensive evidence suggests that amyloid beta (Aβ) is central to AD pathophysiology, and Aβ oligomers are among the most toxic forms of Aβ. CT1812 is a novel brain penetrant sigma-2 receptor ligand that interferes with the binding of Aβ oligomers to neurons. Preclinical studies of CT1812 have demonstrated its ability to displace Aβ oligomers from neurons, restore synapses in cell cultures, and improve cognitive measures in mouse models of AD. CT1812 was found to be generally safe and well tolerated in a placebo-controlled phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers and phase 1a/2 clinical trials in patients with mild to moderate dementia due to AD. The unique objective of this study was to incorporate synaptic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging as an outcome measure for CT1812 in AD patients. METHODS The present phase 1/2 study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial conducted in 23 participants with mild to moderate dementia due to AD to primarily evaluate the safety of CT1812 and secondarily its pharmacodynamic effects. Participants received either placebo or 100 mg or 300 mg per day of oral CT1812 for 24 weeks. Pharmacodynamic effects were assessed using the exploratory efficacy endpoints synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) PET, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET, volumetric MRI, cognitive clinical measures, as well as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of AD pathology and synaptic degeneration. RESULTS No treatment differences relative to placebo were observed in the change from baseline at 24 weeks in either SV2A or FDG PET signal, the cognitive clinical rating scales, or in CSF biomarkers. Composite region volumetric MRI revealed a trend towards tissue preservation in participants treated with either dose of CT1812, and nominally significant differences with both doses of CT1812 compared to placebo were found in the pericentral, prefrontal, and hippocampal cortices. CT1812 was safe and well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS The safety findings of this 24-week study and the observed changes on volumetric MRI with CT1812 support its further clinical development. TRIAL REGISTRATION The clinical trial described in this manuscript is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03493282).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H van Dyck
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Adam P Mecca
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ryan S O'Dell
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Hugh H Bartlett
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nina G Diepenbrock
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mary E Hamby
- Cognition Therapeutics Inc., Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Michael Grundman
- Global R&D Partners, LLC, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, USA
| | | | | | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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31
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Silva-Rudberg JA, Salardini E, O'Dell RS, Chen MK, Ra J, Georgelos JK, Morehouse MR, Melino KP, Varma P, Toyonaga T, Nabulsi NB, Huang Y, Carson RE, van Dyck CH, Mecca AP. Assessment of Gray Matter Microstructure and Synaptic Density in Alzheimer's Disease: A Multimodal Imaging Study With DTI and SV2A PET. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2024; 32:17-28. [PMID: 37673749 PMCID: PMC10840732 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Multimodal imaging techniques have furthered our understanding of how different aspects of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology relate to one another. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures such as mean diffusivity (MD) may be a surrogate measure of the changes in gray matter structure associated with AD. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) has been used to quantify synaptic loss, which is the major pathological correlate of cognitive impairment in AD. In this study, we investigated the relationship between gray matter microstructure and synaptic density. METHODS DTI was used to measure MD and [11C]UCB-J PET to measure synaptic density in 33 amyloid-positive participants with AD and 17 amyloid-negative cognitively normal (CN) participants aged 50-83. Univariate regression analyses were used to assess the association between synaptic density and MD in both the AD and CN groups. RESULTS Hippocampal MD was inversely associated with hippocampal synaptic density in participants with AD (r = -0.55, p <0.001, df = 31) but not CN (r = 0.13, p = 0.62, df = 15). Exploratory analyses across other regions known to be affected in AD suggested widespread inverse associations between synaptic density and MD in the AD group. CONCLUSION In the setting of AD, an increase in gray matter MD is inversely associated with synaptic density. These co-occurring changes may suggest a link between synaptic loss and gray matter microstructural changes in AD. Imaging studies of gray matter microstructure and synaptic density may allow important insights into AD-related neuropathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A Silva-Rudberg
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
| | - Elaheh Salardini
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Ryan S O'Dell
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Ming-Kai Chen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (M-KC, PV, TT, NBN, YH, REC), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Jocelyn Ra
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Jamie K Georgelos
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Mackenzie R Morehouse
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Kaitlyn P Melino
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Pradeep Varma
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (M-KC, PV, TT, NBN, YH, REC), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (M-KC, PV, TT, NBN, YH, REC), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Nabeel B Nabulsi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (M-KC, PV, TT, NBN, YH, REC), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (M-KC, PV, TT, NBN, YH, REC), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging (M-KC, PV, TT, NBN, YH, REC), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Christopher H van Dyck
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Neuroscience (CHvD), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Neurology (CHvD), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Adam P Mecca
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT; Department of Psychiatry (JAS-R, ES, RSO, JR, JKG, MRM, KPM, CHvD, APM), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.
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Dejanovic B, Sheng M, Hanson JE. Targeting synapse function and loss for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024; 23:23-42. [PMID: 38012296 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00823-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Synapse dysfunction and loss are hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases that correlate with cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse synaptic damage remain elusive. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the molecular and cellular pathways that impair synapses in neurodegenerative diseases, including the effects of protein aggregation and neuroinflammation. We also highlight emerging therapeutic approaches that aim to restore synaptic function and integrity, such as enhancing synaptic plasticity, preventing synaptotoxicity, modulating neuronal network activity and targeting immune signalling. We discuss the preclinical and clinical evidence for each strategy, as well as the challenges and opportunities for developing effective synapse-targeting therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan Sheng
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jesse E Hanson
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Wang L, Lu Z, Teng Y, Pan W, Li Y, Su S, Chang J, Zhao M. Cognitive impairment is associated with BDNF-TrkB signaling mediating synaptic damage and reduction of amino acid neurotransmitters in heart failure. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23351. [PMID: 38085181 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301699rr] [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: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Heart failure (HF) is often accompanied by cognitive impairment (CI). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) deficiency is closely associated with CI. However, the role and mechanism of BDNF in HF with CI is still not fully understood. Here, the case-control study was designed including 25 HF without CI patients (HF-NCI) and 50 HF with CI patients (HF-CI) to investigate the predictive value of BDNF in HF-CI while animal and cell experiments were used for mechanism research. Results found that BDNF levels in serum neuronal-derived exosomes were downregulated in HF-CI patients. There was no significant difference in serum BDNF levels among the two groups. HF rats showed obvious impairment in learning and memory; also, they had reduced thickness and length of postsynaptic density (PSD) and increased synaptic cleft width. Expression of BDNF, TrkB, PSD95, and VGLUT1 was significantly decreased in HF rats brain. In addition, compared with sham rats, amino acids were significantly reduced with no changes in the acetylcholine and monoamine neurotransmitters. Further examination showed that the number of synaptic bifurcations and the expression of BDNF, TrkB, PSD95, and VGLUT1 were all decreased in the neurons that interfered with BDNF-siRNA compared with those in the negative control neurons. Together, our results demonstrated that neuronal-derived exosomal BDNF act as effective biomarkers for prediction of HF-CI. The decrease of BDNF in the brain triggers synaptic structural damage and a decline in amino acid neurotransmitters via the BDNF-TrkB-PSD95/VGLUT1 pathway. This discovery unveils a novel pathological mechanism underlying cognitive impairment following heart failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ziwen Lu
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Teng
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Weibing Pan
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Sha Su
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jingling Chang
- Department of Neurology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Mingjing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Chinese Internal Medicine of Ministry of Education, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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Li A, Yang B, Naganawa M, Fontaine K, Toyonaga T, Carson RE, Tang J. Dose reduction in dynamic synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A PET imaging using artificial neural networks. Phys Med Biol 2023; 68:245006. [PMID: 37857316 PMCID: PMC10739622 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6560/ad0535] [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: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Objective. Reducing dose in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging increases noise in reconstructed dynamic frames, which inevitably results in higher noise and possible bias in subsequently estimated images of kinetic parameters than those estimated in the standard dose case. We report the development of a spatiotemporal denoising technique for reduced-count dynamic frames through integrating a cascade artificial neural network (ANN) with the highly constrained back-projection (HYPR) scheme to improve low-dose parametric imaging.Approach. We implemented and assessed the proposed method using imaging data acquired with11C-UCB-J, a PET radioligand bound to synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) in the human brain. The patch-based ANN was trained with a reduced-count frame and its full-count correspondence of a subject and was used in cascade to process dynamic frames of other subjects to further take advantage of its denoising capability. The HYPR strategy was then applied to the spatial ANN processed image frames to make use of the temporal information from the entire dynamic scan.Main results. In all the testing subjects including healthy volunteers and Parkinson's disease patients, the proposed method reduced more noise while introducing minimal bias in dynamic frames and the resulting parametric images, as compared with conventional denoising methods.Significance. Achieving 80% noise reduction with a bias of -2% in dynamic frames, which translates into 75% and 70% of noise reduction in the tracer uptake (bias, -2%) and distribution volume (bias, -5%) images, the proposed ANN+HYPR technique demonstrates the denoising capability equivalent to a 11-fold dose increase for dynamic SV2A PET imaging with11C-UCB-J.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andi Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Bao Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Kathryn Fontaine
- Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Richard E Carson
- Positron Emission Tomography Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Jing Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
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Moallemian S, Salmon E, Bahri MA, Beliy N, Delhaye E, Balteau E, Degueldre C, Phillips C, Bastin C. Multimodal imaging of microstructural cerebral alterations and loss of synaptic density in Alzheimer's disease. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 132:24-35. [PMID: 37717552 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.08.001] [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: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Multiple neuropathological events are involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The current study investigated the concurrence of neurodegeneration, increased iron content, atrophy, and demyelination in AD. Quantitative multiparameter magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) maps providing neuroimaging biomarkers for myelination and iron content along with synaptic density measurements using [18F] UCB-H PET were acquired in 24 AD and 19 Healthy controls (19 males). The whole brain voxel-wise group comparison revealed demyelination in the right hippocampus, while no significant iron content difference was detected. Bilateral atrophy and synaptic density loss were observed in the hippocampus and amygdala. The multivariate GLM (mGLM) analysis shows a bilateral difference in the hippocampus and amygdala, right pallidum, left fusiform and temporal lobe suggesting that these regions are the most affected despite the diverse differences in brain tissue properties in AD. Demyelination was identified as the most affecting factor in the observed differences. Here, the mGLM is introduced as an alternative for multiple comparisons between different modalities, reducing the risk of false positives while informing about the co-occurrence of neuropathological processes in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soodeh Moallemian
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Eric Salmon
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Mohamed Ali Bahri
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Nikita Beliy
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Emma Delhaye
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Evelyne Balteau
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Christian Degueldre
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Christophe Phillips
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Christine Bastin
- GIGA-Cyclotron Research Centre-In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
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Young HA, Geurts L, Scarmeas N, Benton D, Brennan L, Farrimond J, Kiliaan AJ, Pooler A, Trovò L, Sijben J, Vauzour D. Multi-nutrient interventions and cognitive ageing: are we barking up the right tree? Nutr Res Rev 2023; 36:471-483. [PMID: 36156184 DOI: 10.1017/s095442242200018x] [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] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
As we continue to elucidate the mechanisms underlying age-related brain diseases, the reductionist strategy in nutrition–brain function research has focused on establishing the impact of individual foods. However, the biological processes connecting diet and cognition are complex. Therefore, consideration of a combination of nutritional compounds may be most efficacious. One barrier to establishing the efficacy of multi-nutrient interventions is that the area lacks an established set of evidence-based guidelines for studying their effect on brain health. This review is an output of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe. A multi-disciplinary expert group was assembled with the aim of developing a set of considerations to guide research into the effects of multi-nutrient combinations on brain functions. Consensus recommendations converged on six key issues that should be considered to advance research in this area: (1) establish working mechanisms of the combination and contributions of each individual compound; (2) validate the relevance of the mechanisms for the targeted human condition; (3) include current nutrient status, intake or dietary pattern as inclusion/exclusion criteria in the study design; (4) select a participant population that is clinically and biologically appropriate for all nutritional components of the combination; (5) consider a range of cognitive outcomes; (6) consider the limits of reductionism and the ‘gold standard’ randomised controlled trial. These guiding principles will enhance our understanding of the interactive/complementary activities of dietary components, thereby strengthening the evidence base for recommendations aimed at delaying cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucie Geurts
- International Life Sciences Institute Europe, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nikolaos Scarmeas
- 1st Department of Neurology, Aiginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, Athens, Greece
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - David Benton
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Wales, UK
| | - Lorraine Brennan
- UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, UCD Institute of Food and Health, UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| | | | - Amanda J Kiliaan
- Department of Medical Imaging, Anatomy, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Amy Pooler
- Formerly at Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Lausanne, Switzerland. Currently at Sangamo Therapeutics, Inc, San Francisco, USA
| | - Laura Trovò
- Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vers-chez-les-Blanc, 1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland
| | - John Sijben
- Danone Nutricia Research, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - David Vauzour
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
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Asch RH, Naganawa M, Nabulsi N, Huan Y, Esterlis I, Carson RE. Evaluating infusion methods and simplified quantification of synaptic density in vivo with [ 11C]UCB-J and [ 18F]SynVesT-1 PET. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2023; 43:2120-2129. [PMID: 37669455 PMCID: PMC10925870 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x231200423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
For some positron emission tomography studies, radiotracer is administered as bolus plus continuous infusion (B/I) to achieve a state of equilibrium. This approach can reduce scanning time and simplify data analysis; however, the method must be validated and optimized for each tracer. This study aimed to validate a B/I method for in vivo quantification of synaptic density using radiotracers which target the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A: [11C]UCB-J and [18F]SynVesT-1. Observed mean standardized uptake values (SUV) in target tissue relative to that in plasma (CT/CP) or a reference tissue (SUVR-1) were calculated for 30-minute intervals across 120 or 150-minute dynamic scans and compared against one-tissue compartment (1TC) model estimates of volume of distribution (VT) and binding potential (BPND), respectively. We were unable to reliably achieve a state of equilibrium with [11C]UCB-J, and all 30-minute windows yielded overly large bias and/or variability for CT/CP and SUVR-1. With [18F]SynVesT-1, a 30-minute scan 90-120 minutes post-injection yielded CT/CP and SUVR-1 values that estimated their respective kinetic parameter with sufficient accuracy and precision (within 7± 6%) . This B/I approach allows a clinically feasible scan at equilibrium with potentially better accuracy than a static scan SUVR following a bolus injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth H Asch
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nabeel Nabulsi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yiyun Huan
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Irina Esterlis
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Clinical Neurosciences Division, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Isla AG, Balleza-Tapia H, Chu F, Chen G, Johansson J, Nilsson P, Fisahn A. Low dose of levetiracetam counteracts amyloid β-induced alterations of hippocampal gamma oscillations by restoring fast-spiking interneuron activity. Exp Neurol 2023; 369:114545. [PMID: 37726047 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized at an early stage by memory alterations that worsen during the development of the disease. Several clinical trials in phase 3 have failed despite being able to counteract classical AD-related alterations, possibly because of the lack of recovery of the regular neuronal network activity essential for memory including low gamma oscillations (γ-Osc). Nowadays, Levetiracetam (LEV), an SV2A modulator approved for epilepsy, is being used in trials with AD patients without further support for neurophysiological relevant effects on restoring the normal function of hippocampal neuronal network activity. Using concomitant recordings of local field potential γ-Osc and patch-clamp recordings of fast-spiking interneurons (FS-IN) on hippocampal slices of WT and AppNL-G-F AD animals, we found that LEV restores the power and rhythmicity of γ-Osc previously reduced by acute application of amyloid-β on WT hippocampal slices, this effect is accompanied by the recovery of the synchronicity in the firing of FS-IN. In addition, we found that LEV counteracts the hippocampal γ-Osc alterations in the early prodromal stage of the disease in AppNL-G-F mice by recovering the rhythmicity of γ-Osc and the synchronicity in the firing of FS-IN. Altogether the results show that the precise modulation of neuronal circuits with LEV is a promising strategy to counteract early-stage alterations in hippocampal activity by modulating FS-IN in a memory-relevant neuronal network state like γ-Osc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo G Isla
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud.
| | - Hugo Balleza-Tapia
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fengna Chu
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden; Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Gefei Chen
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14 183, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jan Johansson
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14 183, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Per Nilsson
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - André Fisahn
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 14 183, Huddinge, Sweden.
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Cukier HN, Duarte CL, Laverde-Paz MJ, Simon SA, Van Booven DJ, Miyares AT, Whitehead PL, Hamilton-Nelson KL, Adams LD, Carney RM, Cuccaro ML, Vance JM, Pericak-Vance MA, Griswold AJ, Dykxhoorn DM. An Alzheimer's disease risk variant in TTC3 modifies the actin cytoskeleton organization and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in iPSC-derived forebrain neurons. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 131:182-195. [PMID: 37677864 PMCID: PMC10538380 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.07.007] [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: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
A missense variant in the tetratricopeptide repeat domain 3 (TTC3) gene (rs377155188, p.S1038C, NM_003316.4:c 0.3113C>G) was found to segregate with disease in a multigenerational family with late-onset Alzheimer's disease. This variant was introduced into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from a cognitively intact individual using CRISPR genome editing, and the resulting isogenic pair of iPSC lines was differentiated into cortical neurons. Transcriptome analysis showed an enrichment for genes involved in axon guidance, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and GABAergic synapse. Functional analysis showed that the TTC3 p.S1038C iPSC-derived neuronal progenitor cells had altered 3-dimensional morphology and increased migration, while the corresponding neurons had longer neurites, increased branch points, and altered expression levels of synaptic proteins. Pharmacological treatment with small molecules that target the actin cytoskeleton could revert many of these cellular phenotypes, suggesting a central role for actin in mediating the cellular phenotypes associated with the TTC3 p.S1038C variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly N Cukier
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Carolina L Duarte
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Mayra J Laverde-Paz
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Shaina A Simon
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Derek J Van Booven
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Amanda T Miyares
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; JJ Vance Memorial Summer Internship in Biological and Computational Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Patrice L Whitehead
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kara L Hamilton-Nelson
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Larry D Adams
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Regina M Carney
- Mental Health & Behavioral Science Service, Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Michael L Cuccaro
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jeffery M Vance
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Margaret A Pericak-Vance
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Anthony J Griswold
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Derek M Dykxhoorn
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
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Goossens J, Cervantes González A, Dewit N, Lidón L, Fortea J, Alcolea D, Lleó A, Belbin O, Vanmechelen E. Evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid levels of synaptic vesicle protein, VAMP-2, across the sporadic Alzheimer's disease continuum. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:186. [PMID: 37898760 PMCID: PMC10612328 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01336-0] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synapse loss is an early event that precedes neuronal death and symptom onset and is considered the best neuropathological correlate of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP-2) has emerged as a promising biomarker of AD-related synapse degeneration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The aim of this study was to explore the CSF profile of VAMP-2 across the AD continuum in relation to core AD biomarkers, other synaptic proteins, neurogranin (Ng) and synaptosomal-associated Protein-25 kDa (SNAP-25) and cognitive performance. METHODS We developed a digital immunoassay on the Single Molecule Array platform to quantify VAMP-2 in CSF and used existing immunoassays to quantify Ng, SNAP-25 and core CSF AD biomarkers. The clinical study included 62 cognitively unimpaired AD biomarker-negative subjects and 152 participants across the AD continuum from the SPIN cohort (Sant Pau Initiative on Neurodegeneration). Cognitive measures of episodic, semantic, executive and visuospatial domains and global cognition were included. Statistical methods included χ2 tests, spearman correlation, and ANCOVA analyses. RESULTS The VAMP-2 assay had a good analytical performance (repeatability 8.9%, intermediate precision 10.3%). Assay antibodies detected native VAMP-2 protein in human brain homogenates. CSF concentrations of VAMP-2, neurogranin and SNAP-25 were lower in preclinical AD stage 1 compared to controls and higher at later AD stages compared to AD stage 1 and were associated with core AD biomarkers, particularly total tau (adj. r2 = 0.62 to 0.78, p < 0.001). All three synaptic proteins were associated with all cognitive domains in individuals on the AD continuum (adj. r2 = 0.04 to 0.19, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our novel digital immunoassay accurately measures VAMP-2 changes in CSF, which reflect AD biomarkers and cognitive performance across multiple domains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alba Cervantes González
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Neurology Department and IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Nele Dewit
- Medpace Reference Laboratories (A.A.), Flow Cytometry Unit, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Laia Lidón
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Neurology Department and IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Fortea
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Neurology Department and IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Alcolea
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Neurology Department and IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Neurology Department and IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Olivia Belbin
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Neurology Department and IIB-Sant Pau, Hospital de La Santa Creu I Sant Pau, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
- Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.
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Zhu M, Xiao B, Xue T, Qin S, Ding J, Wu Y, Tang Q, Huang M, Zhao N, Ye Y, Zhang Y, Zhang B, Li J, Guo F, Jiang Y, Zhang L, Zhang L. Cdc42GAP deficiency contributes to the Alzheimer's disease phenotype. Brain 2023; 146:4350-4365. [PMID: 37254741 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia, is a chronic degenerative disease with typical pathological features of extracellular senile plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and a significant decrease in the density of neuronal dendritic spines. Cdc42 is a member of the small G protein family that plays an important role in regulating synaptic plasticity and is regulated by Cdc42GAP, which switches Cdc42 from active GTP-bound to inactive GDP-bound states regulating downstream pathways via effector proteins. However, few studies have focused on Cdc42 in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. In a heterozygous Cdc42GAP mouse model that exhibited elevated Cdc42-GTPase activity accompanied by increased Cdc42-PAK1-cofilin signalling, we found impairments in cognitive behaviours, neuron senescence, synaptic loss with depolymerization of F-actin and the pathological phenotypes of Alzheimer's disease, including phosphorylated tau (p-T231, AT8), along with increased soluble and insoluble Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-40, which are consistent with typical Alzheimer's disease mice. Interestingly, these impairments increased significantly with age. Furthermore, the results of quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of the hippocampus of 11-month-old GAP mice suggested that Cdc42GAP deficiency induces and accelerates Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes through activation of GSK-3β by dephosphorylation at Ser9, Ser389 and/or phosphorylation at Tyr216. In addition, overexpression of dominant-negative Cdc42 in the primary hippocampal and cortical neurons of heterozygous Cdc42GAP mice reversed synaptic loss and tau hyperphosphorylation. Importantly, the Cdc42 signalling pathway, Aβ1-42, Aβ1-40 and GSK-3β activity were increased in the cortical sections of Alzheimer's disease patients compared with those in healthy controls. Together, these data indicated that Cdc42GAP is involved in regulating Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes such as cognitive deficits, dendritic spine loss, phosphorylated tau (p-T231, AT8) and increased soluble and insoluble Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-40, possibly through the activation of GSK-3β, and these impairments increased significantly with age. Thus, we provide the first evidence that Cdc42 is involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease-like phenotypes, which may provide new targets for Alzheimer's disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjuan Zhu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Bin Xiao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Tao Xue
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Sifei Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jiuyang Ding
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Qingqiu Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Mengfan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Na Zhao
- School of Forensic Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China
| | - Yingshan Ye
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yuning Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Boya Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Juan Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Center for Orthopedic Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Fukun Guo
- Division of Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3026, USA
| | - Yong Jiang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Safety Evaluation of Cosmetics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Center for Orthopedic Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics, Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of the Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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Johansen A, Armand S, Plavén-Sigray P, Nasser A, Ozenne B, Petersen IN, Keller SH, Madsen J, Beliveau V, Møller K, Vassilieva A, Langley C, Svarer C, Stenbæk DS, Sahakian BJ, Knudsen GM. Effects of escitalopram on synaptic density in the healthy human brain: a randomized controlled trial. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4272-4279. [PMID: 37814129 PMCID: PMC10827655 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02285-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used for treating neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the exact mechanism of action and why effects can take several weeks to manifest is not clear. The hypothesis of neuroplasticity is supported by preclinical studies, but the evidence in humans is limited. Here, we investigate the effects of the SSRI escitalopram on presynaptic density as a proxy for synaptic plasticity. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study (NCT04239339), 32 healthy participants with no history of psychiatric or cognitive disorders were randomized to receive daily oral dosing of either 20 mg escitalopram (n = 17) or a placebo (n = 15). After an intervention period of 3-5 weeks, participants underwent a [11C]UCB-J PET scan (29 with full arterial input function) to quantify synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) density in the hippocampus and the neocortex. Whereas we find no statistically significant group difference in SV2A binding after an average of 29 (range: 24-38) days of intervention, our secondary analyses show a time-dependent effect of escitalopram on cerebral SV2A binding with positive associations between [11C]UCB-J binding and duration of escitalopram intervention. Our findings suggest that brain synaptic plasticity evolves over 3-5 weeks in healthy humans following daily intake of escitalopram. This is the first in vivo evidence to support the hypothesis of neuroplasticity as a mechanism of action for SSRIs in humans and it offers a plausible biological explanation for the delayed treatment response commonly observed in patients treated with SSRIs. While replication is warranted, these results have important implications for the design of future clinical studies investigating the neurobiological effects of SSRIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Johansen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sophia Armand
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pontus Plavén-Sigray
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Arafat Nasser
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Brice Ozenne
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Section of Biostatistics, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ida N Petersen
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sune H Keller
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jacob Madsen
- Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vincent Beliveau
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Kirsten Møller
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neuroanaesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alexandra Vassilieva
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neuroanaesthesiology, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Claus Svarer
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Dea S Stenbæk
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Gitte M Knudsen
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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43
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Chouliaras L, O'Brien JT. The use of neuroimaging techniques in the early and differential diagnosis of dementia. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4084-4097. [PMID: 37608222 PMCID: PMC10827668 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02215-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Dementia is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. At present there is no disease modifying treatment for any of the most common types of dementia such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Vascular dementia, Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Early and accurate diagnosis of dementia subtype is critical to improving clinical care and developing better treatments. Structural and molecular imaging has contributed to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative dementias and is increasingly being adopted into clinical practice for early and accurate diagnosis. In this review we summarise the contribution imaging has made with particular focus on multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography imaging (PET). Structural MRI is widely used in clinical practice and can help exclude reversible causes of memory problems but has relatively low sensitivity for the early and differential diagnosis of dementia subtypes. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET has high sensitivity and specificity for AD and FTD, while PET with ligands for amyloid and tau can improve the differential diagnosis of AD and non-AD dementias, including recognition at prodromal stages. Dopaminergic imaging can assist with the diagnosis of LBD. The lack of a validated tracer for α-synuclein or TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) imaging remain notable gaps, though work is ongoing. Emerging PET tracers such as 11C-UCB-J for synaptic imaging may be sensitive early markers but overall larger longitudinal multi-centre cross diagnostic imaging studies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonidas Chouliaras
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK
- Specialist Dementia and Frailty Service, Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, St Margaret's Hospital, Epping, UK
| | - John T O'Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK.
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.
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44
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Shafiei G, Fulcher BD, Voytek B, Satterthwaite TD, Baillet S, Misic B. Neurophysiological signatures of cortical micro-architecture. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6000. [PMID: 37752115 PMCID: PMC10522715 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41689-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Systematic spatial variation in micro-architecture is observed across the cortex. These micro-architectural gradients are reflected in neural activity, which can be captured by neurophysiological time-series. How spontaneous neurophysiological dynamics are organized across the cortex and how they arise from heterogeneous cortical micro-architecture remains unknown. Here we extensively profile regional neurophysiological dynamics across the human brain by estimating over 6800 time-series features from the resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) signal. We then map regional time-series profiles to a comprehensive multi-modal, multi-scale atlas of cortical micro-architecture, including microstructure, metabolism, neurotransmitter receptors, cell types and laminar differentiation. We find that the dominant axis of neurophysiological dynamics reflects characteristics of power spectrum density and linear correlation structure of the signal, emphasizing the importance of conventional features of electromagnetic dynamics while identifying additional informative features that have traditionally received less attention. Moreover, spatial variation in neurophysiological dynamics is co-localized with multiple micro-architectural features, including gene expression gradients, intracortical myelin, neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, and oxygen and glucose metabolism. Collectively, this work opens new avenues for studying the anatomical basis of neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Golia Shafiei
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ben D Fulcher
- School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Bradley Voytek
- Department of Cognitive Science, Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Sylvain Baillet
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Bratislav Misic
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Canada.
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45
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Desmond KL, Lindberg A, Garcia A, Tong J, Harkness MB, Dobrota E, Smart K, Uribe C, Meyer JH, Houle S, Strafella AP, Li S, Huang Y, Vasdev N. First-in-Human PET Imaging of [ 18F]SDM-4MP3: A Cautionary Tale. Mol Imaging 2023; 2023:8826977. [PMID: 37719326 PMCID: PMC10504053 DOI: 10.1155/2023/8826977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
[18F]SynVesT-1 is a PET radiopharmaceutical that binds to the synaptic vesicle protein 2A (SV2A) and serves as a biomarker of synaptic density with widespread clinical research applications in psychiatry and neurodegeneration. The initial goal of this study was to concurrently conduct PET imaging studies with [18F]SynVesT-1 at our laboratories. However, the data in the first two human PET studies had anomalous biodistribution despite the injected product meeting all specifications during the prerelease quality control protocols. Further investigation, including imaging in rats as well as proton and carbon 2D-NMR spectroscopic studies, led to the discovery that a derivative of the precursor had been received from the manufacturer. Hence, we report our investigation and the first-in-human study of [18F]SDM-4MP3, a structural variant of [18F]SynVesT-1, which does not have the requisite characteristics as a PET radiopharmaceutical for imaging SV2A in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L. Desmond
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anton Lindberg
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Armando Garcia
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Junchao Tong
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael B. Harkness
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena Dobrota
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kelly Smart
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carme Uribe
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeffrey H. Meyer
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sylvain Houle
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Antonio P. Strafella
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Krembil Brain Institute, University Health Network, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Songye Li
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yiyun Huang
- PET Center, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Neil Vasdev
- Azrieli Centre for Neuro-Radiochemistry & Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Cools R, Kerkhofs K, Leitao RCF, Bormans G. Preclinical Evaluation of Novel PET Probes for Dementia. Semin Nucl Med 2023; 53:599-629. [PMID: 37149435 DOI: 10.1053/j.semnuclmed.2023.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The development of novel PET imaging agents that selectively bind specific dementia-related targets can contribute significantly to accurate, differential and early diagnosis of dementia causing diseases and support the development of therapeutic agents. Consequently, in recent years there has been a growing body of literature describing the development and evaluation of potential new promising PET tracers for dementia. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of novel dementia PET probes under development, classified by their target, and pinpoints their preclinical evaluation pathway, typically involving in silico, in vitro and ex/in vivo evaluation. Specific target-associated challenges and pitfalls, requiring extensive and well-designed preclinical experimental evaluation assays to enable successful clinical translation and avoid shortcomings observed for previously developed 'well-established' dementia PET tracers are highlighted in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romy Cools
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kobe Kerkhofs
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; NURA, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Mol, Belgium
| | - Renan C F Leitao
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guy Bormans
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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Miranda A, Bertoglio D, De Weerdt C, Staelens S, Verhaeghe J. Isoflurane and ketamine-xylazine modify pharmacokinetics of [ 18F]SynVesT-1 in the mouse brain. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2023; 43:1612-1624. [PMID: 37113068 PMCID: PMC10414002 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x231173185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the effect of isoflurane and ketamine-xylazine anesthesia on the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer [18F]SynVesT-1 in the mouse brain. [18F]SynVesT-1 PET scans were performed in C57BL/6J mice in five conditions: isoflurane anesthesia (ANISO), ketamine-xylazine (ANKX), awake freely moving (AW), awake followed by isoflurane administration (AW/ANISO) or followed by ketamine-xylazine (AW/ANKX) 20 min post tracer injection. ANISO, ANKX and AW scans were also performed in mice administered with levetiracetam (LEV, 200 mg/kg) to assess non-displaceable binding. Metabolite analysis was performed in ANISO, ANKX and AW mice. Finally, in vivo autoradiography in ANISO, ANKX and AW mice at 30 min post-injection was performed for validation. Kinetic modeling, with a metabolite corrected image derived input function, was performed to calculate total and non-displaceable volume of distribution (VT(IDIF)). VT(IDIF) was higher in ANISO compared to AW (p < 0.0001) while VT(IDIF) in ANKX was lower compared with AW (p < 0.0001). Non-displaceable VT(IDIF) was significantly different between ANISO and AW, but not between ANKX and AW. Change in the TAC washout was observed after administration of either isoflurane or ketamine-xylazine. Observed changes in tracer kinetics and volume of distribution might be explained by physiological changes due to anesthesia, as well as by induced cellular effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Miranda
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Daniele Bertoglio
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Caro De Weerdt
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Steven Staelens
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Verhaeghe
- Molecular Imaging Center Antwerp, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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48
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Vogler L, Ballweg A, Bohr B, Briel N, Wind K, Antons M, Kunze LH, Gnörich J, Lindner S, Gildehaus FJ, Baumann K, Bartenstein P, Boening G, Ziegler SI, Levin J, Zwergal A, Höglinger GU, Herms J, Brendel M. Assessment of synaptic loss in mouse models of β-amyloid and tau pathology using [ 18F]UCB-H PET imaging. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103484. [PMID: 37541098 PMCID: PMC10407951 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103484] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In preclinical research, the use of [18F]Fluorodesoxyglucose (FDG) as a biomarker for neurodegeneration may induce bias due to enhanced glucose uptake by immune cells. In this study, we sought to investigate synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A (SV2A) PET with [18F]UCB-H as an alternative preclinical biomarker for neurodegenerative processes in two mouse models representing the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS A total of 29 PS2APP, 20 P301S and 12 wild-type mice aged 4.4 to 19.8 months received a dynamic [18F]UCB-H SV2A-PET scan (14.7 ± 1.5 MBq) 0-60 min post injection. Quantification of tracer uptake in cortical, cerebellar and brainstem target regions was implemented by calculating relative volumes of distribution (VT) from an image-derived-input-function (IDIF). [18F]UCB-H binding was compared across all target regions between transgenic and wild-type mice. Additional static scans were performed in a subset of mice to compare [18F]FDG and [18F]GE180 (18 kDa translocator protein tracer as a surrogate for microglial activation) standardized uptake values (SUV) with [18F]UCB-H binding at different ages. Following the final scan, a subset of mouse brains was immunohistochemically stained with synaptic markers for gold standard validation of the PET results. RESULTS [18F]UCB-H binding in all target regions was significantly reduced in 8-months old P301S transgenic mice when compared to wild-type controls (temporal lobe: p = 0.014; cerebellum: p = 0.0018; brainstem: p = 0.0014). Significantly lower SV2A tracer uptake was also observed in 13-months (temporal lobe: p = 0.0080; cerebellum: p = 0.006) and 19-months old (temporal lobe: p = 0.0042; cerebellum: p = 0.011) PS2APP transgenic versus wild-type mice, whereas the brainstem revealed no significantly altered [18F]UCB-H binding. Immunohistochemical analyses of post-mortem mouse brain tissue confirmed the SV2A PET findings. Correlational analyses of [18F]UCB-H and [18F]FDG using Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed a significant negative association in the PS2APP mouse model (R = -0.26, p = 0.018). Exploratory analyses further stressed microglial activation as a potential reason for this inverse relationship, since [18F]FDG and [18F]GE180 quantification were positively correlated in this cohort (R = 0.36, p = 0.0076). CONCLUSION [18F]UCB-H reliably depicts progressive synaptic loss in PS2APP and P301S transgenic mice, potentially qualifying as a more reliable alternative to [18F]FDG as a biomarker for assessment of neurodegeneration in preclinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letizia Vogler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Ballweg
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Bernd Bohr
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Nils Briel
- Center for Neuropathology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Karin Wind
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Melissa Antons
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Lea H Kunze
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Gnörich
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Simon Lindner
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Franz-Josef Gildehaus
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Karlheinz Baumann
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience Discovery, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Peter Bartenstein
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Guido Boening
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sibylle I Ziegler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Levin
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andreas Zwergal
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Günter U Höglinger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Munich, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- Center for Neuropathology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Brendel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
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49
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Holland N, Jones PS, Savulich G, Naessens M, Malpetti M, Whiteside DJ, Street D, Swann P, Hong YT, Fryer TD, Rittman T, Mulroy E, Aigbirhio FI, Bhatia KP, O'Brien JT, Rowe JB. Longitudinal Synaptic Loss in Primary Tauopathies: An In Vivo [ 11 C]UCB-J Positron Emission Tomography Study. Mov Disord 2023; 38:1316-1326. [PMID: 37171832 PMCID: PMC10947001 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synaptic loss is characteristic of many neurodegenerative diseases; it occurs early and is strongly related to functional deficits. OBJECTIVE In this longitudinal observational study, we determine the rate at which synaptic density is reduced in the primary tauopathies of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD), and we test the relationship with disease progression. METHODS Our cross-sectional cohort included 32 participants with probable PSP and 16 with probable CBD (all amyloid-negative corticobasal syndrome), recruited from tertiary care centers in the United Kingdom, and 33 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects. Synaptic density was estimated by positron emission tomography imaging with the radioligand [11 C]UCB-J that binds synaptic vesicle 2A. Clinical severity and cognition were assessed by the PSP Rating Scale and the Addenbrooke's cognitive examination. Regional [11 C]UCB-J nondisplaceable binding potential was estimated in Hammersmith Atlas regions of interest. Twenty-two participants with PSP/CBD had a follow-up [11 C]UCB-J positron emission tomography scan after 1 year. We calculated the annualized change in [11 C]UCB-J nondisplaceable binding potential and correlated this with the change in clinical severity. RESULTS We found significant annual synaptic loss within the frontal lobe (-3.5%, P = 0.03) and the right caudate (-3.9%, P = 0.046). The degree of longitudinal synaptic loss within the frontal lobe correlated with the rate of change in the PSP Rating Scale (R = 0.47, P = 0.03) and cognition (Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised, R = -0.62, P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS We provide in vivo evidence for rapid progressive synaptic loss, correlating with clinical progression in primary tauopathies. Synaptic loss may be an important therapeutic target and outcome variable for early-phase clinical trials of disease-modifying treatments. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negin Holland
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - P. Simon Jones
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - George Savulich
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Michelle Naessens
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Maura Malpetti
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - David J. Whiteside
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Duncan Street
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Peter Swann
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Young T. Hong
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Wolfson Brain Imaging CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Tim D. Fryer
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Wolfson Brain Imaging CentreUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Timothy Rittman
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Eoin Mulroy
- Department of Clinical and Movement NeurosciencesUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Franklin I. Aigbirhio
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Kailash P. Bhatia
- Department of Clinical and Movement NeurosciencesUCL Queen Square Institute of NeurologyLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - John T. O'Brien
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - James B. Rowe
- Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical CampusCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustCambridgeUnited Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
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50
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O'Dell RS, Higgins-Chen A, Gupta D, Chen MK, Naganawa M, Toyonaga T, Lu Y, Ni G, Chupak A, Zhao W, Salardini E, Nabulsi NB, Huang Y, Arnsten AFT, Carson RE, van Dyck CH, Mecca AP. Principal component analysis of synaptic density measured with [ 11C]UCB-J PET in early Alzheimer's disease. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103457. [PMID: 37422964 PMCID: PMC10338149 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103457] [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: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Synaptic loss is considered an early pathological event and major structural correlate of cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify regional patterns of covariance in synaptic density using [11C]UCB-J PET and assessed the association between principal components (PC) subject scores with cognitive performance. METHODS [11C]UCB-J binding was measured in 45 amyloid + participants with AD and 19 amyloid- cognitively normal participants aged 55-85. A validated neuropsychological battery assessed performance across five cognitive domains. PCA was applied to the pooled sample using distribution volume ratios (DVR) standardized (z-scored) by region from 42 bilateral regions of interest (ROI). RESULTS Parallel analysis determined three significant PCs explaining 70.2% of the total variance. PC1 was characterized by positive loadings with similar contributions across the majority of ROIs. PC2 was characterized by positive and negative loadings with strongest contributions from subcortical and parietooccipital cortical regions, respectively, while PC3 was characterized by positive and negative loadings with strongest contributions from rostral and caudal cortical regions, respectively. Within the AD group, PC1 subject scores were positively correlated with performance across all cognitive domains (Pearson r = 0.24-0.40, P = 0.06-0.006), PC2 subject scores were inversely correlated with age (Pearson r = -0.45, P = 0.002) and PC3 subject scores were significantly correlated with CDR-sb (Pearson r = 0.46, P = 0.04). No significant correlations were observed between cognitive performance and PC subject scores in CN participants. CONCLUSIONS This data-driven approach defined specific spatial patterns of synaptic density correlated with unique participant characteristics within the AD group. Our findings reinforce synaptic density as a robust biomarker of disease presence and severity in the early stages of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S O'Dell
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
| | - Albert Higgins-Chen
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education Center, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Dhruva Gupta
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ming-Kai Chen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Mika Naganawa
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Takuya Toyonaga
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yihuan Lu
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Gessica Ni
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Anna Chupak
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Wenzhen Zhao
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Elaheh Salardini
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Nabeel B Nabulsi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Yiyun Huang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208001, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Richard E Carson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208048, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Christopher H van Dyck
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208001, New Haven, CT 06520, USA; Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 208018, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Adam P Mecca
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, Yale University School of Medicine, One Church Street, 8(th) Floor, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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