1
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Shi H, Mirzaei N, Koronyo Y, Davis MR, Robinson E, Braun GM, Jallow O, Rentsendorj A, Ramanujan VK, Fert-Bober J, Kramerov AA, Ljubimov AV, Schneider LS, Tourtellotte WG, Hawes D, Schneider JA, Black KL, Kayed R, Selenica MLB, Lee DC, Fuchs DT, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Identification of retinal oligomeric, citrullinated, and other tau isoforms in early and advanced AD and relations to disease status. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 148:3. [PMID: 38980423 PMCID: PMC11233395 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02760-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
This study investigates various pathological tau isoforms in the retina of individuals with early and advanced Alzheimer's disease (AD), exploring their connection with disease status. Retinal cross-sections from predefined superior-temporal and inferior-temporal subregions and corresponding brains from neuropathologically confirmed AD patients with a clinical diagnosis of either mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia (n = 45) were compared with retinas from age- and sex-matched individuals with normal cognition (n = 30) and non-AD dementia (n = 4). Retinal tau isoforms, including tau tangles, paired helical filament of tau (PHF-tau), oligomeric-tau (Oligo-tau), hyperphosphorylated-tau (p-tau), and citrullinated-tau (Cit-tau), were stereologically analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Nanostring GeoMx digital spatial profiling, and correlated with clinical and neuropathological outcomes. Our data indicated significant increases in various AD-related pretangle tau isoforms, especially p-tau (AT8, 2.9-fold, pS396-tau, 2.6-fold), Cit-tau at arginine residue 209 (CitR209-tau; 4.1-fold), and Oligo-tau (T22+, 9.2-fold), as well as pretangle and mature tau tangle forms like MC-1-positive (1.8-fold) and PHF-tau (2.3-fold), in AD compared to control retinas. MCI retinas also exhibited substantial increases in Oligo-tau (5.2-fold), CitR209-tau (3.5-fold), and pS396-tau (2.2-fold). Nanostring GeoMx analysis confirmed elevated retinal p-tau at epitopes: Ser214 (2.3-fold), Ser396 (2.6-fold), Ser404 (2.4-fold), and Thr231 (1.8-fold), particularly in MCI patients. Strong associations were found between retinal tau isoforms versus brain pathology and cognitive status: a) retinal Oligo-tau vs. Braak stage, neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), and CDR cognitive scores (ρ = 0.63-0.71), b) retinal PHF-tau vs. neuropil threads (NTs) and ABC scores (ρ = 0.69-0.71), and c) retinal pS396-tau vs. NTs, NFTs, and ABC scores (ρ = 0.67-0.74). Notably, retinal Oligo-tau strongly correlated with retinal Aβ42 and arterial Aβ40 forms (r = 0.76-0.86). Overall, this study identifies and quantifies diverse retinal tau isoforms in MCI and AD patients, underscoring their link to brain pathology and cognition. These findings advocate for further exploration of retinal tauopathy biomarkers to facilitate AD detection and monitoring via noninvasive retinal imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoshen Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Nazanin Mirzaei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Miyah R Davis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Edward Robinson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Gila M Braun
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Ousman Jallow
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Altan Rentsendorj
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - V Krishnan Ramanujan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Justyna Fert-Bober
- Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrei A Kramerov
- Eye Program, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alexander V Ljubimov
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Eye Program, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lon S Schneider
- Departments of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences and Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Warren G Tourtellotte
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Debra Hawes
- Department of Pathology Program in Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julie A Schneider
- Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Maj-Linda B Selenica
- Sanders-Brown Center On Aging, Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Daniel C Lee
- Sanders-Brown Center On Aging, Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., A6212, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
- Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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2
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Wolf A, Tripanpitak K, Umeda S, Otake-Matsuura M. Eye-tracking paradigms for the assessment of mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1197567. [PMID: 37546488 PMCID: PMC10399700 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1197567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), representing the 'transitional zone' between normal cognition and dementia, has become a novel topic in clinical research. Although early detection is crucial, it remains logistically challenging at the same time. While traditional pen-and-paper tests require in-depth training to ensure standardized administration and accurate interpretation of findings, significant technological advancements are leading to the development of procedures for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and facilitating the diagnostic process. Some of the diagnostic protocols, however, show significant limitations that hamper their widespread adoption. Concerns about the social and economic implications of the increasing incidence of AD underline the need for reliable, non-invasive, cost-effective, and timely cognitive scoring methodologies. For instance, modern clinical studies report significant oculomotor impairments among patients with MCI, who perform poorly in visual paired-comparison tasks by ascribing less attentional resources to novel stimuli. To accelerate the Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia 2017-2025, this work provides an overview of research on saccadic and exploratory eye-movement deficits among older adults with MCI. The review protocol was drafted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Electronic databases were systematically searched to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2017 and 2022 that examined visual processing in older adults with MCI and reported gaze parameters as potential biomarkers. Moreover, following the contemporary trend for remote healthcare technologies, we reviewed studies that implemented non-commercial eye-tracking instrumentation in order to detect information processing impairments among the MCI population. Based on the gathered literature, eye-tracking-based paradigms may ameliorate the screening limitations of traditional cognitive assessments and contribute to early AD detection. However, in order to translate the findings pertaining to abnormal gaze behavior into clinical applications, it is imperative to conduct longitudinal investigations in both laboratory-based and ecologically valid settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Wolf
- Cognitive Behavioral Assistive Technology (CBAT), Goal-Oriented Technology Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP), Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Kornkanok Tripanpitak
- Cognitive Behavioral Assistive Technology (CBAT), Goal-Oriented Technology Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoshi Umeda
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mihoko Otake-Matsuura
- Cognitive Behavioral Assistive Technology (CBAT), Goal-Oriented Technology Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP), Tokyo, Japan
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Koronyo Y, Rentsendorj A, Mirzaei N, Regis GC, Sheyn J, Shi H, Barron E, Cook-Wiens G, Rodriguez AR, Medeiros R, Paulo JA, Gupta VB, Kramerov AA, Ljubimov AV, Van Eyk JE, Graham SL, Gupta VK, Ringman JM, Hinton DR, Miller CA, Black KL, Cattaneo A, Meli G, Mirzaei M, Fuchs DT, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Retinal pathological features and proteome signatures of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2023; 145:409-438. [PMID: 36773106 PMCID: PMC10020290 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-023-02548-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathologies were discovered in the accessible neurosensory retina. However, their exact nature and topographical distribution, particularly in the early stages of functional impairment, and how they relate to disease progression in the brain remain largely unknown. To better understand the pathological features of AD in the retina, we conducted an extensive histopathological and biochemical investigation of postmortem retina and brain tissues from 86 human donors. Quantitative examination of superior and inferior temporal retinas from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients compared to those with normal cognition (NC) revealed significant increases in amyloid β-protein (Aβ42) forms and novel intraneuronal Aβ oligomers (AβOi), which were closely associated with exacerbated retinal macrogliosis, microgliosis, and tissue atrophy. These pathologies were unevenly distributed across retinal layers and geometrical areas, with the inner layers and peripheral subregions exhibiting most pronounced accumulations in the MCI and AD versus NC retinas. While microgliosis was increased in the retina of these patients, the proportion of microglial cells engaging in Aβ uptake was reduced. Female AD patients exhibited higher levels of retinal microgliosis than males. Notably, retinal Aβ42, S100 calcium-binding protein B+ macrogliosis, and atrophy correlated with severity of brain Aβ pathology, tauopathy, and atrophy, and most retinal pathologies reflected Braak staging. All retinal biomarkers correlated with the cognitive scores, with retinal Aβ42, far-peripheral AβOi and microgliosis displaying the strongest correlations. Proteomic analysis of AD retinas revealed activation of specific inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes and inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation/mitochondrial, and photoreceptor-related pathways. This study identifies and maps retinopathy in MCI and AD patients, demonstrating the quantitative relationship with brain pathology and cognition, and may lead to reliable retinal biomarkers for noninvasive retinal screening and monitoring of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Altan Rentsendorj
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Nazanin Mirzaei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Giovanna C Regis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Julia Sheyn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Haoshen Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Ernesto Barron
- Doheny Eye Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Galen Cook-Wiens
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Research Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Anthony R Rodriguez
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rodrigo Medeiros
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joao A Paulo
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Veer B Gupta
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrei A Kramerov
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Eye Program, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alexander V Ljubimov
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Eye Program, Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Biomedical Sciences, Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer E Van Eyk
- Departments of Neurology and Biomedical Sciences, Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Vivek K Gupta
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - John M Ringman
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David R Hinton
- Departments of Pathology and Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine, USC Roski Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carol A Miller
- Department of Pathology Program in Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Antonino Cattaneo
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Meli
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI), Viale Regina Elena, Rome, Italy
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.
- Departments of Neurology and Biomedical Sciences, Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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4
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Wang L, Mao X. Recent advancements toward non-invasive imaging of retinal amyloid-beta for early detection of Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:1741-1742. [PMID: 35017427 PMCID: PMC8820724 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.332137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wang
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Xiaobo Mao
- Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs, Institute for Cell Engineering, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Corbin D, Lesage F. Assessment of the predictive potential of cognitive scores from retinal images and retinal fundus metadata via deep learning using the CLSA database. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5767. [PMID: 35388080 PMCID: PMC8986784 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09719-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of beta-amyloid in the brain and cognitive decline are considered hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. Knowing from previous studies that these two factors can manifest in the retina, the aim was to investigate whether a deep learning method was able to predict the cognition of an individual from a RGB image of his retina and metadata. A deep learning model, EfficientNet, was used to predict cognitive scores from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) database. The proposed model explained 22.4% of the variance in cognitive scores on the test dataset using fundus images and metadata. Metadata alone proved to be more effective in explaining the variance in the sample (20.4%) versus fundus images (9.3%) alone. Attention maps highlighted the optic nerve head as the most influential feature in predicting cognitive scores. The results demonstrate that RGB fundus images are limited in predicting cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denis Corbin
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie optique et Moléculaire, Polytechnique Montréal, 2500 Chemin de Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada.
| | - Frédéric Lesage
- Laboratoire d'Imagerie optique et Moléculaire, Polytechnique Montréal, 2500 Chemin de Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, QC, H3T 1J4, Canada.,Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal, 5000 Rue Bélanger, Montreal, QC, H1T 1C8, Canada
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6
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Guo L, Choi S, Bikkannavar P, Cordeiro MF. Microglia: Key Players in Retinal Ageing and Neurodegeneration. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:804782. [PMID: 35370560 PMCID: PMC8968040 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.804782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS) and play a key role in maintaining the normal function of the retina and brain. During early development, microglia migrate into the retina, transform into a highly ramified phenotype, and scan their environment constantly. Microglia can be activated by any homeostatic disturbance that may endanger neurons and threaten tissue integrity. Once activated, the young microglia exhibit a high diversity in their phenotypes as well as their functions, which relate to either beneficial or harmful consequences. Microglial activation is associated with the release of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors that can determine pathological outcomes. As the professional phagocytes in the retina, microglia are responsible for the clearance of pathogens, dead cells, and protein aggregates. However, their phenotypic diversity and phagocytic capacity is compromised with ageing. This may result in the accumulation of protein aggregates and myelin debris leading to retinal neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. In this review, we describe microglial phenotypes and functions in the context of the young and ageing retina, and the mechanisms underlying changes in ageing. Additionally, we review microglia-mediated retinal neuroinflammation and discuss the mechanisms of microglial involvement in retinal neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Guo
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Li Guo,
| | - Soyoung Choi
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - M. Francesca Cordeiro
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Imperial College Ophthalmology Research Group, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- M. Francesca Cordeiro,
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7
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Sexton CE, Anstey KJ, Baldacci F, Barnum CJ, Barron AM, Blennow K, Brodaty H, Burnham S, Elahi FM, Götz J, Jeon YH, Koronyo-Hamaoui M, Landau SM, Lautenschlager NT, Laws SM, Lipnicki DM, Lu H, Masters CL, Moyle W, Nakamura A, Pasinetti GM, Rao N, Rowe C, Sachdev PS, Schofield PR, Sigurdsson EM, Smith K, Srikanth V, Szoeke C, Tansey MG, Whitmer R, Wilcock D, Wong TY, Bain LJ, Carrillo MC. Alzheimer's disease research progress in Australia: The Alzheimer's Association International Conference Satellite Symposium in Sydney. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:178-190. [PMID: 34058063 PMCID: PMC9396711 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The Alzheimer's Association International Conference held its sixth Satellite Symposium in Sydney, Australia in 2019, highlighting the leadership of Australian researchers in advancing the understanding of and treatment developments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias. This leadership includes the Australian Imaging, Biomarker, and Lifestyle Flagship Study of Ageing (AIBL), which has fueled the identification and development of many biomarkers and novel therapeutics. Two multimodal lifestyle intervention studies have been launched in Australia; and Australian researchers have played leadership roles in other global studies in diverse populations. Australian researchers have also played an instrumental role in efforts to understand mechanisms underlying vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia; and through the Women's Healthy Aging Project have elucidated hormonal and other factors that contribute to the increased risk of AD in women. Alleviating the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia has also been a strong research and clinical focus in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kaarin J. Anstey
- University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Filippo Baldacci
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- GRC n° 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | | | - Anna M. Barron
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henry Brodaty
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Samantha Burnham
- CSIRO Health & Biosecurity, The Australian e-Health Research Centre, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Fanny M. Elahi
- Memory and Aging Center, Weill Institute for NeurosciencesUniversity of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jürgen Götz
- Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus (Brisbane), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Yun-Hee Jeon
- The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Departments of Neurosurgery and Biomedical Sciences, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Susan M. Landau
- University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Nicola T. Lautenschlager
- Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- North Western Mental Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Simon M. Laws
- Collaborative Genomics and Translation Group, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia
| | - Darren M. Lipnicki
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hanzhang Lu
- Department of Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Colin L. Masters
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Wendy Moyle
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Griffith, QLD, Australia
| | - Akinori Nakamura
- Department of Biomarker Research, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan
| | - Giulio Maria Pasinetti
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISSMS), New York, New York, USA
| | - Naren Rao
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, India
| | - Christopher Rowe
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular Imaging, Austin Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Perminder S. Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Peter R. Schofield
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney and School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Einar M. Sigurdsson
- Departments of Neuroscience and Physiology, and Psychiatry, Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kate Smith
- Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Velandai Srikanth
- Peninsula Clinical School, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Malú G. Tansey
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, Normal Fixel Center for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Rachel Whitmer
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Donna Wilcock
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Tien Y. Wong
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Center, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lisa J. Bain
- Independent Science Writer, Elverson, Pennsylvania, USA
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8
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Funk JL, Schneider C. Perspective on Improving the Relevance, Rigor, and Reproducibility of Botanical Clinical Trials: Lessons Learned From Turmeric Trials. Front Nutr 2021; 8:782912. [PMID: 34926556 PMCID: PMC8678600 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.782912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant-derived compounds, without doubt, can have significant medicinal effects since many notable drugs in use today, such as morphine or taxol, were first isolated from botanical sources. When an isolated and purified phytochemical is developed as a pharmaceutical, the uniformity and appropriate use of the product are well defined. Less clear are the benefits and best use of plant-based dietary supplements or other formulations since these products, unlike traditional drugs, are chemically complex and variable in composition, even if derived from a single plant source. This perspective will summarize key points-including the premise of ethnobotanical and preclinical evidence, pharmacokinetics, metabolism, and safety-inherent and unique to the study of botanical dietary supplements to be considered when planning or evaluating botanical clinical trials. Market forces and regulatory frameworks also affect clinical trial design since in the United States, for example, botanical dietary supplements cannot be marketed for disease treatment and submission of information on safety or efficacy is not required. Specific challenges are thus readily apparent both for consumers comparing available products for purchase, as well as for commercially sponsored vs. independent researchers planning clinical trials to evaluate medicinal effects of botanicals. Turmeric dietary supplements, a top selling botanical in the United States and focus of over 400 clinical trials to date, will be used throughout to illustrate both the promise and pitfalls associated with the clinical evaluation of botanicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet L Funk
- Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Claus Schneider
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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9
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Vit JP, Fuchs DT, Angel A, Levy A, Lamensdorf I, Black KL, Koronyo Y, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Visual-stimuli Four-arm Maze test to Assess Cognition and Vision in Mice. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4234. [PMID: 34909455 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4234] [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: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual impairments, notably loss of contrast sensitivity and color vision, were documented in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients yet are critically understudied. This protocol describes a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze (ViS4M; also called visual x-maze), which is a versatile x-shaped maze equipped with spectrum- and intensity-controlled light-emitting diode (LED) sources and dynamic grayscale objects. The ViS4M is designed to allow the assessment of color and contrast vision along with locomotor and cognitive functions in mice. In the color testing mode, the spectral distributions of the LED lights create four homogenous spaces that differ in chromaticity and luminance, corresponding to the mouse visual system. In the contrast sensitivity test, the four grayscale objects are placed in the middle of each arm, contrasting against the black walls and the white floors of the maze. Upon entering the maze, healthy wild-type (WT) mice tend to spontaneously alternate between arms, even under equiluminant conditions of illumination, suggesting that cognitively and visually intact mice use both color and brightness as cues to navigate the maze. Evaluation of the double-transgenic APPSWE/PS1ΔE9 mouse model of AD (AD+ mice) reveals substantial deficits to alternate in both color and contrast modes at an early age, when hippocampal-based memory and learning is still intact. Profiling of timespan, entries, and transition patterns between the different arms uncovers variable aging and AD-associated impairments in color discrimination and contrast sensitivity. The analysis of arm sequences of alternation reveals different pathways of exploration in young WT, old WT, and AD+ mice, which can be used as color and contrast imprints of functionally intact versus impaired mice. Overall, we describe the utility of a novel visual x-maze test to identify behavioral changes in mice related to cognition, as well as color and contrast vision, with high precision and reproducibility. Graphic abstract: Exploratory behavior of AD+ mice versus age- and sex-matched WT mice is tracked (top left: trajectory from a 5-min video file) in a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze (ViS4M; also named visual x-maze) equipped with spectrum- and intensity-controlled LED sources or grayscale objects. Consecutive arm entries reveal that APPSWE/PS1ΔE9 (AD+) mice alternate less between arms, as opposed to WT mice. Sequence analysis, according to the three alternation pathways (depicted by white, yellow, and brown arrows) under different conditions of illumination, uncovers specific deficits linked to color vision in AD+ mice, evidenced by a color imprint chart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Vit
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | | | | | | | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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10
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Dumitrascu OM, Rosenberry R, Sherman DS, Khansari MM, Sheyn J, Torbati T, Sherzai A, Sherzai D, Johnson KO, Czeszynski AD, Verdooner S, Black KL, Frautschy S, Lyden PD, Shi Y, Cheng S, Koronyo Y, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Retinal Venular Tortuosity Jointly with Retinal Amyloid Burden Correlates with Verbal Memory Loss: A Pilot Study. Cells 2021; 10:cells10112926. [PMID: 34831149 PMCID: PMC8616417 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Retinal imaging is a non-invasive tool to study both retinal vasculature and neurodegeneration. In this exploratory retinal curcumin-fluorescence imaging (RFI) study, we sought to determine whether retinal vascular features combined with retinal amyloid burden correlate with the neurocognitive status. Methods: We used quantitative RFI in a cohort of patients with cognitive impairment to automatically compute retinal amyloid burden. Retinal blood vessels were segmented, and the vessel tortuosity index (VTI), inflection index, and branching angle were quantified. We assessed the correlations between retinal vascular and amyloid parameters, and cognitive domain Z-scores using linear regression models. Results: Thirty-four subjects were enrolled and twenty-nine (55% female, mean age 64 ± 6 years) were included in the combined retinal amyloid and vascular analysis. Eleven subjects had normal cognition and 18 had impaired cognition. Retinal VTI was discriminated among cognitive scores. The combined proximal mid-periphery amyloid count and venous VTI index exhibited significant differences between cognitively impaired and cognitively normal subjects (0.49 ± 1.1 vs. 0.91 ± 1.4, p = 0.006), and correlated with both the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV and SF-36 mental component score Z-scores (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This pilot study showed that retinal venular VTI combined with the proximal mid-periphery amyloid count could predict verbal memory loss. Future research is needed to finesse the clinical application of this retinal imaging-based technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oana M. Dumitrascu
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, USA
- Correspondence: (O.M.D.); (M.K.-H.); Tel.: +480-301-8100 (O.M.D.); Fax: +480-301-9494 (O.M.D.)
| | - Ryan Rosenberry
- Department of Cardiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (R.R.); (S.C.)
| | - Dale S. Sherman
- Department of Neuropsychology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
| | - Maziyar M. Khansari
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA; (M.M.K.); (Y.S.)
| | - Julia Sheyn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (J.S.); (T.T.); (K.L.B.); (Y.K.)
| | - Tania Torbati
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (J.S.); (T.T.); (K.L.B.); (Y.K.)
| | - Ayesha Sherzai
- Department of Neurology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (A.S.); (D.S.)
| | - Dean Sherzai
- Department of Neurology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350, USA; (A.S.); (D.S.)
| | - Kenneth O. Johnson
- NeuroVision Imaging Inc., Sacramento, CA 95833, USA; (K.O.J.); (A.D.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Alan D. Czeszynski
- NeuroVision Imaging Inc., Sacramento, CA 95833, USA; (K.O.J.); (A.D.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Steven Verdooner
- NeuroVision Imaging Inc., Sacramento, CA 95833, USA; (K.O.J.); (A.D.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Keith L. Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (J.S.); (T.T.); (K.L.B.); (Y.K.)
| | - Sally Frautschy
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Patrick D. Lyden
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA;
| | - Yonggang Shi
- USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA; (M.M.K.); (Y.S.)
| | - Susan Cheng
- Department of Cardiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (R.R.); (S.C.)
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (J.S.); (T.T.); (K.L.B.); (Y.K.)
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; (J.S.); (T.T.); (K.L.B.); (Y.K.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
- Correspondence: (O.M.D.); (M.K.-H.); Tel.: +480-301-8100 (O.M.D.); Fax: +480-301-9494 (O.M.D.)
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11
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Shi H, Koronyo Y, Rentsendorj A, Fuchs DT, Sheyn J, Black KL, Mirzaei N, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Retinal Vasculopathy in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:731614. [PMID: 34630020 PMCID: PMC8493243 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.731614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The retina has been increasingly investigated as a site of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) manifestation for over a decade. Early reports documented degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axonal projections. Our group provided the first evidence of the key pathological hallmarks of AD, amyloid β-protein (Aβ) plaques including vascular Aβ deposits, in the retina of AD and mild cognitively impaired (MCI) patients. Subsequent studies validated these findings and further identified electroretinography and vision deficits, retinal (p)tau and inflammation, intracellular Aβ accumulation, and retinal ganglion cell-subtype degeneration surrounding Aβ plaques in these patients. Our data suggest that the brain and retina follow a similar trajectory during AD progression, probably due to their common embryonic origin and anatomical proximity. However, the retina is the only CNS organ feasible for direct, repeated, and non-invasive ophthalmic examination with ultra-high spatial resolution and sensitivity. Neurovascular unit integrity is key to maintaining normal CNS function and cerebral vascular abnormalities are increasingly recognized as early and pivotal factors driving cognitive impairment in AD. Likewise, retinal vascular abnormalities such as changes in vessel density and fractal dimensions, blood flow, foveal avascular zone, curvature tortuosity, and arteriole-to-venule ratio were described in AD patients including early-stage cases. A rapidly growing number of reports have suggested that cerebral and retinal vasculopathy are tightly associated with cognitive deficits in AD patients and animal models. Importantly, we recently identified early and progressive deficiency in retinal vascular platelet-derived growth factor receptor-β (PDGFRβ) expression and pericyte loss that were associated with retinal vascular amyloidosis and cerebral amyloid angiopathy in MCI and AD patients. Other studies utilizing optical coherence tomography (OCT), retinal amyloid-fluorescence imaging and retinal hyperspectral imaging have made significant progress in visualizing and quantifying AD pathology through the retina. With new advances in OCT angiography, OCT leakage, scanning laser microscopy, fluorescein angiography and adaptive optics imaging, future studies focusing on retinal vascular AD pathologies could transform non-invasive pre-clinical AD diagnosis and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoshen Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Altan Rentsendorj
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Julia Sheyn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Nazanin Mirzaei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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12
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Ngolab J, Donohue M, Belsha A, Salazar J, Cohen P, Jaiswal S, Tan V, Gessert D, Korouri S, Aggarwal NT, Alber J, Johnson K, Jicha G, van Dyck C, Lah J, Salloway S, Sperling RA, Aisen PS, Rafii MS, Rissman RA. Feasibility study for detection of retinal amyloid in clinical trials: The Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) trial. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 13:e12199. [PMID: 34430703 PMCID: PMC8369843 DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The retina and brain exhibit similar pathologies in patients diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases. The ability to access the retina through imaging techniques opens the possibility for non-invasive evaluation of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. While retinal amyloid deposits are detected in individuals clinically diagnosed with AD, studies including preclinical individuals are lacking, limiting assessment of the feasibility of retinal imaging as a biomarker for early-stage AD risk detection. METHODS In this small cross-sectional study we compare retinal and cerebral amyloid in clinically normal individuals who screened positive for high amyloid levels through positron emission tomography (PET) from the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) trial as well as a companion cohort of individuals who exhibited low levels of amyloid PET in the Longitudinal Evaluation of Amyloid Risk and Neurodegeneration (LEARN) study. We quantified the number of curcumin-positive fluorescent retinal spots from a small subset of participants from both studies to determine retinal amyloid deposition at baseline. RESULTS The four participants from the A4 trial showed a greater number of retinal spots compared to the four participants from the LEARN study. We observed a positive correlation between retinal spots and brain amyloid, as measured by the standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr). DISCUSSION The results of this small pilot study support the use of retinal fundus imaging for detecting amyloid deposition that is correlated with brain amyloid PET SUVr. A larger sample size will be necessary to fully ascertain the relationship between amyloid PET and retinal amyloid both cross-sectionally and longitudinally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Ngolab
- Department of NeurosciencesSan Diego, School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michael Donohue
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Alison Belsha
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jennifer Salazar
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Paula Cohen
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sandhya Jaiswal
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Veasna Tan
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Devon Gessert
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Shaina Korouri
- Department of NeurosciencesSan Diego, School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
| | - Neelum T. Aggarwal
- Department of Neurological Sciences and the Rush Alzheimer's Disease CenterRush University Medical CenterChicagoIllinoisUSA
| | - Jessica Alber
- George & Anne Ryan Institute for NeuroscienceUniversity of Rhode IslandKingstonRhode IslandUSA
| | - Ken Johnson
- NeuroVision Imaging IncSacramentoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Gregory Jicha
- Department of Neurology & the Sanders‐Brown Center on AgingUniversity of Kentucky College of MedicineLexingtonKentuckyUSA
| | - Christopher van Dyck
- Alzheimer's Disease Research UnitDepartments of PsychiatryNeurology, and Neuroscience, Yale School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - James Lah
- Department of NeurologyEmory Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Research CenterEmory University School of MedicineAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Stephen Salloway
- Memory and Aging ProgramButler HospitalProvidenceRhode IslandUSA
| | - Reisa A. Sperling
- Center for Alzheimer Research and TreatmentBrigham and Women's Hospital Massachusetts General HospitalBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Paul S. Aisen
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Michael S. Rafii
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research InstituteUniversity of Southern CaliforniaSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Robert A. Rissman
- Department of NeurosciencesSan Diego, School of MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaLa JollaCaliforniaUSA
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13
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Biscetti L, Lupidi M, Luchetti E, Eusebi P, Gujar R, Vergaro A, Cagini C, Parnetti L. Novel noninvasive biomarkers of prodromal Alzheimer disease: The role of optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography-angiography. Eur J Neurol 2021; 28:2185-2191. [PMID: 33852770 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A reduction of retinal thickness and an alteration of retinal perfusion have been found in Alzheimer disease (AD). Nowadays, retinal layers and retinal perfusion can be evaluated by means of noninvasive imaging techniques, namely, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-angiography (OCT-A). Here, we have compared the retinal thickness and the perfusion index, measured by means of OCT and OCT-A, in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to AD (MCI-AD) and in age- and sex-matched cognitively healthy controls. METHODS Twenty-four MCI-AD patients and 13 control subjects were enrolled. MCI-AD patients underwent lumbar puncture; all of them showed a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) profile compatible with AD. OCT was used for evaluating retinal volumes and thicknesses, whereas with OCT-A we measured fractal dimension (FD), vascular perfusion density (VPD), and vessel length density (VLD) of superficial capillary plexus (SCP), intermediate capillary plexus (ICP), deep capillary plexus (DCP), and choriocapillaris. The comparisons between groups were made after adjustment for age, diabetes, and hypertension. RESULTS A significant reduction of SCP-VLD (p = 0.012), ICP-VPD (p = 0.015), ICP-VLD (p = 0.004), DCP-VPD (p = 0.012), and DCP-VLD (p = 0.009) was found in MCI-AD patients compared to controls. Conversely, FD was higher in MCI-AD than in controls (p = 0.044). CSF Aβ42/total tau negatively correlated with FD (r = -0.51, p = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS OCT-A might have a potential role in detecting new noninvasive biomarkers for early AD detection. Retinal VPD might identify amyloid angiopathy-related chronic injury, and FD could show early vessel recruitment as a compensative mechanism at disease onset. Further studies will be needed to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Biscetti
- Section of Neurology, Laboratory of Clinical Neurochemistry, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Marco Lupidi
- Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.,Macula Onlus Foundation, Di.N.O.G.Mi., University Eye Clinic, Genoa, Italy.,Odeon Center, Paris, France
| | - Elisa Luchetti
- Section of Neurology, Laboratory of Clinical Neurochemistry, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Paolo Eusebi
- Section of Neurology, Laboratory of Clinical Neurochemistry, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Ramkailash Gujar
- Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Andrea Vergaro
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Carlo Cagini
- Section of Ophthalmology, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - Lucilla Parnetti
- Section of Neurology, Laboratory of Clinical Neurochemistry, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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Abstract
The eye and brain share common mechanisms of aging and disease, thus the retina is an essential source of accessible information about neurodegenerative processes occurring in the brain. Advances in retinal imaging have led to the discovery of many potential biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease, although further research is needed to validate these associations. Understanding the mechanisms of retinal disease in the context of aging will extend our knowledge of AD and may enable advancements in diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment.
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Csincsik L, Nelson R, Walpert MJ, Peto T, Holland A, Lengyel I. Increased choroidal thickness in adults with Down syndrome. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2021; 13:e12170. [PMID: 33748396 PMCID: PMC7967920 DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People with Down syndrome (DS) are particularly susceptible to Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to the triplication of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene. In this cross-sectional study, we hypothesized that choroidal thinning reported in sporadic AD (sAD) is mirrored in adults with DS. METHODS The posterior pole of the eye for 24 adults with DS and 16 age-matched controls (Ctrl) were imaged with optical coherence tomography. Choroidal thickness (ChT) was measured and analyzed in relation to cognitive status and cerebral amyloid beta (Aβ) load. RESULTS ChT was increased in people with DS (pwDS) compared to Ctrl. This increase was associated with gender differences and positively correlated with cerebral Aβ load in a small subset. There was no significant correlation detected between ChT and age or cognitive status. DISCUSSION In contrast to sAD this study found a significantly thicker choroid in pwDS. Whether these changes are related to Aβ pathology in DS needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lajos Csincsik
- Wellcome‐Wolfson Institute for Experimental MedicineQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Rachel Nelson
- Wellcome‐Wolfson Institute for Experimental MedicineQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Madeleine J. Walpert
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research GroupCambridgeUK
| | - Tunde Peto
- Wellcome‐Wolfson Institute for Experimental MedicineQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | - Anthony Holland
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research GroupCambridgeUK
| | - Imre Lengyel
- Wellcome‐Wolfson Institute for Experimental MedicineQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
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16
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Wang L, Mao X. Role of Retinal Amyloid-β in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Overlapping Mechanisms and Emerging Clinical Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:2360. [PMID: 33653000 PMCID: PMC7956232 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulations have been identified in the retina for neurodegeneration-associated disorders like Alzheimer's disease (AD), glaucoma, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Elevated retinal Aβ levels were associated with progressive retinal neurodegeneration, elevated cerebral Aβ accumulation, and increased disease severity with a decline in cognition and vision. Retinal Aβ accumulation and its pathological effects were demonstrated to occur prior to irreversible neurodegeneration, which highlights its potential in early disease detection and intervention. Using the retina as a model of the brain, recent studies have focused on characterizing retinal Aβ to determine its applicability for population-based screening of AD, which warrants a further understanding of how Aβ manifests between these disorders. While current treatments directly targeting Aβ accumulations have had limited results, continued exploration of Aβ-associated pathological pathways may yield new therapeutic targets for preserving cognition and vision. Here, we provide a review on the role of retinal Aβ manifestations in these distinct neurodegeneration-associated disorders. We also discuss the recent applications of retinal Aβ for AD screening and current clinical trial outcomes for Aβ-associated treatment approaches. Lastly, we explore potential future therapeutic targets based on overlapping mechanisms of pathophysiology in AD, glaucoma, and AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wang
- Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA;
| | - Xiaobo Mao
- Neuroregeneration and Stem Cell Programs, Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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17
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Vit JP, Fuchs DT, Angel A, Levy A, Lamensdorf I, Black KL, Koronyo Y, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Color and contrast vision in mouse models of aging and Alzheimer's disease using a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1255. [PMID: 33441984 PMCID: PMC7806734 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-80988-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We introduce a novel visual-stimuli four-arm maze (ViS4M) equipped with spectrally- and intensity-controlled LED emitters and dynamic grayscale objects that relies on innate exploratory behavior to assess color and contrast vision in mice. Its application to detect visual impairments during normal aging and over the course of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is evaluated in wild-type (WT) and transgenic APPSWE/PS1∆E9 murine models of AD (AD+) across an array of irradiance, chromaticity, and contrast conditions. Substantial color and contrast-mode alternation deficits appear in AD+ mice at an age when hippocampal-based memory and learning is still intact. Profiling of timespan, entries and transition patterns between the different arms uncovers variable AD-associated impairments in contrast sensitivity and color discrimination, reminiscent of tritanomalous defects documented in AD patients. Transition deficits are found in aged WT mice in the absence of alternation decline. Overall, ViS4M is a versatile, controlled device to measure color and contrast-related vision in aged and diseased mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Philippe Vit
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA.,Biobehavioral Research Core, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ariel Angel
- Pharmaseed Ltd., 9 Hamazmera St., 74047, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Aharon Levy
- Pharmaseed Ltd., 9 Hamazmera St., 74047, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | | | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, 127 S. San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90048, USA. .,Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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