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Ciurea AV, Mohan AG, Covache-Busuioc RA, Costin HP, Glavan LA, Corlatescu AD, Saceleanu VM. Unraveling Molecular and Genetic Insights into Neurodegenerative Diseases: Advances in Understanding Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's Diseases and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10809. [PMID: 37445986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are, according to recent studies, one of the main causes of disability and death worldwide. Interest in molecular genetics has started to experience exponential growth thanks to numerous advancements in technology, shifts in the understanding of the disease as a phenomenon, and the change in the perspective regarding gene editing and the advantages of this action. The aim of this paper is to analyze the newest approaches in genetics and molecular sciences regarding four of the most important neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We intend through this review to focus on the newest treatment, diagnosis, and predictions regarding this large group of diseases, in order to obtain a more accurate analysis and to identify the emerging signs that could lead to a better outcome in order to increase both the quality and the life span of the patient. Moreover, this review could provide evidence of future possible novel therapies that target the specific genes and that could be useful to be taken into consideration when the classical approaches fail to shed light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Vlad Ciurea
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Neurosurgery Department, Sanador Clinical Hospital, 010991 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aurel George Mohan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bihor County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 410167 Oradea, Romania
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oradea University, 410610 Oradea, Romania
| | | | - Horia-Petre Costin
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Luca-Andrei Glavan
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Antonio-Daniel Corlatescu
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vicentiu Mircea Saceleanu
- Neurosurgery Department, Sibiu County Emergency Hospital, 550245 Sibiu, Romania
- Neurosurgery Department, "Lucian Blaga" University of Medicine, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
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Gatti L, Tinelli F, Scelzo E, Arioli F, Di Fede G, Obici L, Pantoni L, Giaccone G, Caroppo P, Parati EA, Bersano A. Understanding the Pathophysiology of Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103435. [PMID: 32414028 PMCID: PMC7279405 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), one of the main types of cerebral small vessel disease, is a major cause of spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage and an important contributor to cognitive decline in elderly patients. Despite the number of experimental in vitro studies and animal models, the pathophysiology of CAA is still largely unknown. Although several pathogenic mechanisms including an unbalance between production and clearance of amyloid beta (Aβ) protein as well as ‘the prion hypothesis’ have been invoked as possible disease triggers, they do not explain completely the disease pathogenesis. This incomplete disease knowledge limits the implementation of treatments able to prevent or halt the clinical progression. The continuous increase of CAA patients makes imperative the development of suitable experimental in vitro or animal models to identify disease biomarkers and new pharmacological treatments that could be administered in the early disease stages to prevent irreversible changes and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gatti
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Cerebrovascular Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (L.G.); (F.T.); (F.A.)
| | - Francesca Tinelli
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Cerebrovascular Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (L.G.); (F.T.); (F.A.)
| | - Emma Scelzo
- Cerebrovascular Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Francesco Arioli
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Cerebrovascular Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (L.G.); (F.T.); (F.A.)
| | - Giuseppe Di Fede
- Unit of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.D.F.); (G.G.); (P.C.)
| | - Laura Obici
- Amyloidosis Research and Treatment Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, 27100 Pavia, Italy;
| | - Leonardo Pantoni
- “Luigi Sacco” Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, University of Milan, 20157 Milan, Italy;
| | - Giorgio Giaccone
- Unit of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.D.F.); (G.G.); (P.C.)
| | - Paola Caroppo
- Unit of Neurology 5 and Neuropathology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.D.F.); (G.G.); (P.C.)
| | - Eugenio Agostino Parati
- Cerebrovascular Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (E.A.P.)
| | - Anna Bersano
- Cerebrovascular Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy; (E.S.); (E.A.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0223943310
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Lloyd GM, Trejo-Lopez JA, Xia Y, McFarland KN, Lincoln SJ, Ertekin-Taner N, Giasson BI, Yachnis AT, Prokop S. Prominent amyloid plaque pathology and cerebral amyloid angiopathy in APP V717I (London) carrier - phenotypic variability in autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:31. [PMID: 32164763 PMCID: PMC7068954 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-0891-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of mutations associated with familial forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD), has brought imperative insights into basic mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and progression and has allowed researchers to create animal models that assist in the elucidation of the molecular pathways and development of therapeutic interventions. Position 717 in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a hotspot for mutations associated with autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) and the valine to isoleucine amino acid substitution (V717I) at this position was among the first ADAD mutations identified, spearheading the formulation of the amyloid cascade hypothesis of AD pathogenesis. While this mutation is well described in multiple kindreds and has served as the basis for the generation of widely used animal models of disease, neuropathologic data on patients carrying this mutation are scarce. Here we present the detailed clinical and neuropathologic characterization of an APP V717I carrier, which reveals important novel insights into the phenotypic variability of ADAD cases. While age at onset, clinical presentation and widespread parenchymal beta-amyloid (Aβ) deposition are in line with previous reports, our case also shows widespread and severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). This patient also presented with TDP-43 pathology in the hippocampus and amygdala, consistent with limbic predominant age-related TDP-43 proteinopathy (LATE). The APOE ε2/ε3 genotype may have been a major driver of the prominent vascular pathology seen in our case. These findings highlight the importance of neuropathologic examinations of genetically determined AD cases and demonstrate striking phenotypic variability in ADAD cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace M Lloyd
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Jorge A Trejo-Lopez
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Yuxing Xia
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Karen N McFarland
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Sarah J Lincoln
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Benoit I Giasson
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Anthony T Yachnis
- Department of Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Stefan Prokop
- Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
- Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA.
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Gavriliuc P, Molad J, Yaghmour N, Honig A, Gomori J, Cohen J, Auriel E, Leker R. Cerebellar hemorrhages in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy. J Neurol Sci 2019; 405:116418. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2019.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 06/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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5
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Schultz AP, Kloet RW, Sohrabi HR, van der Weerd L, van Rooden S, Wermer MJH, Moursel LG, Yaqub M, van Berckel BNM, Chatterjee P, Gardener SL, Taddei K, Fagan AM, Benzinger TL, Morris JC, Sperling R, Johnson K, Bateman RJ, Gurol ME, van Buchem MA, Martins R, Chhatwal JP, Greenberg SM. Amyloid imaging of dutch-type hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy carriers. Ann Neurol 2019; 86:616-625. [PMID: 31361916 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 07/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether amyloid imaging with the positron emission tomography (PET) agent Pittsburgh compound B (PiB) can detect vascular β-amyloid (Aβ) in the essentially pure form of cerebral amyloid angiopathy associated with the Dutch-type hereditary cerebral amyloid angiopathy (D-CAA) mutation. METHODS PiB retention in a cortical composite of frontal, lateral, and retrosplenial regions (FLR) was measured by PiB-PET in 19 D-CAA mutation carriers (M+ ; 13 without neurologic symptoms, 6 with prior lobar intracerebral hemorrhage) and 17 mutation noncarriers (M- ). Progression of PiB retention was analyzed in a subset of 18 serially imaged individuals (10 asymptomatic M+ , 8 M- ). We also analyzed associations between PiB retention and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ concentrations in 17 M+ and 11 M- participants who underwent lumbar puncture and compared the findings to PiB-PET and CSF Aβ in 37 autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease (ADAD) mutation carriers. RESULTS D-CAA M+ showed greater age-dependent FLR PiB retention (p < 0.001) than M- , and serially imaged asymptomatic M+ demonstrated greater longitudinal increases (p = 0.004). Among M+ , greater FLR PiB retention associated with reduced CSF concentrations of Aβ40 (r = -0.55, p = 0.021) but not Aβ42 (r = 0.01, p = 0.991). Despite comparably low CSF Aβ40 and Aβ42, PiB retention was substantially less in D-CAA than ADAD (p < 0.001). INTERPRETATION Increased PiB retention in D-CAA and correlation with reduced CSF Aβ40 suggest this compound labels vascular amyloid, although to a lesser degree than amyloid deposits in ADAD. Progression in PiB signal over time suggests amyloid PET as a potential biomarker in trials of candidate agents for this untreatable cause of hemorrhagic stroke. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:616-625.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron P Schultz
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Reina W Kloet
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Hamid R Sohrabi
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Louise van der Weerd
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Sanneke van Rooden
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke J H Wermer
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Laure Grand Moursel
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Maqsood Yaqub
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Department of Neurology (Alzheimer's Center), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Bart N M van Berckel
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine and Department of Neurology (Alzheimer's Center), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pratishtha Chatterjee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Samantha L Gardener
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Kevin Taddei
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Anne M Fagan
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| | - Tammie L Benzinger
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| | - John C Morris
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| | - Reisa Sperling
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Keith Johnson
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Randall J Bateman
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| | | | - M Edip Gurol
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Mark A van Buchem
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ralph Martins
- School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jasmeer P Chhatwal
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
| | - Steven M Greenberg
- Departments of Neurology and Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA
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Price KA, Varghese M, Sowa A, Yuk F, Brautigam H, Ehrlich ME, Dickstein DL. Altered synaptic structure in the hippocampus in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease with soluble amyloid-β oligomers and no plaque pathology. Mol Neurodegener 2014; 9:41. [PMID: 25312309 PMCID: PMC4210526 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-9-41] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mounting evidence suggests that soluble oligomers of amyloid-β (oAβ) represent the pertinent synaptotoxic form of Aβ in sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD); however, the mechanistic links between oAβ and synaptic degeneration remain elusive. Most in vivo experiments to date have been limited to examining the toxicity of oAβ in mouse models that also possess insoluble fibrillar Aβ (fAβ), and data generated from these models can lead to ambiguous interpretations. Our goal in the present study was to examine the effects of soluble oAβ on neuronal and synaptic structure in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) E693Q (“Dutch”) mouse model of AD, which develops intraneuronal accumulation of soluble oAβ with no detectable plaques in AD-relevant brain regions. We performed quantitative analyses of neuronal pathology, including dendrite morphology, spine density, and synapse ultrastructure in individual hippocampal CA1 neurons. Results When assessing neuronal morphology and complexity we observed significant alterations in apical but not in basal dendritic arbor length in Dutch mice compared to wild type. Moreover, Dutch mice exhibited a significant decrease in dendritic arborization with a decrease in dendritic length and number of intersections at 120 μm and 150 μm from the soma, respectively. We next examined synaptic parameters and found that while there were no differences in overall synaptic structure, Dutch mice displayed a significant reduction in the post-synaptic density (PSD) length of synapses on mushroom spines, in comparison to wild type littermates. Conclusion The structural alterations to individual neurons in Dutch mice along with the changes in larger dendritic spines support the Aβ oligomer hypothesis, which postulates that the early cognitive impairments that occur in AD are attributed to the accumulation of soluble oAβ first affecting at the synaptic level with subsequent structural disturbances and cellular degeneration. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1750-1326-9-41) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Dara L Dickstein
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L, Levy Place, Box 1639, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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Kametani F, Ikeda SI. Proteomic analysis of leptomeningeal amyloid fibril extracts of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) patients with or without corticosteroid therapy. Amyloid 2013; 20:277-8. [PMID: 23879185 DOI: 10.3109/13506129.2013.821058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fuyuki Kametani
- Department of Dementia and Higher Brain Function, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science , Setagaya-ku, Tokyo , Japan and
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8
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Kara F, Dongen ESV, Schliebs R, Buchem MAV, Groot HJMD, Alia A. Monitoring blood flow alterations in the Tg2576 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease by in vivo magnetic resonance angiography at 17.6 T. Neuroimage 2011; 60:958-66. [PMID: 22227054 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.12.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2011] [Revised: 11/16/2011] [Accepted: 12/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Many neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease are linked to abnormalities in the vascular system. In AD, the deposition of amyloid β (Aβ) peptide in the cerebral vessel walls, known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is frequently observed, leading to blood flow abnormalities. Visualization of the changes in vascular structure is important for early diagnosis and treatment. Blood vessels can be imaged non-invasively by magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). In this study we optimized high resolution MRA at 17.6 T to longitudinally monitor morphological changes in cerebral arteries in a Tg2576 mouse model, a widely used model of AD. Our results at 17.6 T show that MRA significantly benefits from the ultra-high magnetic field strength especially to visualize smaller vessels. Visual and quantitative analysis of MRA results revealed severe blood flow defects in large and medium sized arteries in Tg2576 mice. In particular blood flow defects were observed in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and in the anterior communicating artery (AComA) in Tg2576 mice. Histological data show that Aβ levels in the vessel wall may be responsible for impaired cerebral blood flow, thereby contributing to the early progression of AD. To our knowledge this is the first ultra-high field MRA study monitoring blood flow alterations longitudinally in living Tg2576 mice, consequently providing a powerful tool to test new therapeutic intervention related to CAA in a mouse model of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Kara
- SSNMR, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Gorlaeus Laboratoria, Einsteinweg 55, P.O. Box 9502, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Reiniger L, Lukic A, Linehan J, Rudge P, Collinge J, Mead S, Brandner S. Tau, prions and Aβ: the triad of neurodegeneration. Acta Neuropathol 2011; 121:5-20. [PMID: 20473510 PMCID: PMC3015202 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-010-0691-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2010] [Revised: 04/25/2010] [Accepted: 04/26/2010] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
This article highlights the features that connect prion diseases with other cerebral amyloidoses and how these relate to neurodegeneration, with focus on tau phosphorylation. It also discusses similarities between prion disease and Alzheimer's disease: mechanisms of amyloid formation, neurotoxicity, pathways involved in triggering tau phosphorylation, links to cell cycle pathways and neuronal apoptosis. We review previous evidence of prion diseases triggering hyperphosphorylation of tau, and complement these findings with cases from our collection of genetic, sporadic and transmitted forms of prion diseases. This includes the novel finding that tau phosphorylation consistently occurs in sporadic CJD, in the absence of amyloid plaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilla Reiniger
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG London, UK
| | - Ana Lukic
- National Prion Clinic, UCL Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - Jacqueline Linehan
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Peter Rudge
- National Prion Clinic, UCL Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
| | - John Collinge
- National Prion Clinic, UCL Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- National Prion Clinic, UCL Institute of Neurology and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK
- MRC Prion Unit and Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sebastian Brandner
- Division of Neuropathology, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, WC1N 3BG London, UK
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Abstract
Stroke is the second most common cause of death and the most common cause of disability in developed countries. Stroke is a multi-factorial disease caused by a combination of environmental and genetic factors. Numerous epidemiologic studies have documented a significant genetic component in the occurrence of strokes. Genes encoding products involved in lipid metabolism, thrombosis, and inflammation are believed to be potential genetic factors for stroke. Although a large group of candidate genes have been studied, most of the epidemiological results are conflicting. Studies of stroke as a monogenic disease have made huge progress, and animal models serve as an indispensable tool to dissect the complex genetics of stroke. In the present review, we provide insight into the role of in vivo stroke models for the study of stroke genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-min Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ai-jun Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Ding-feng Su
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China
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Zhang XM, Cai Y, Xiong K, Cai H, Luo XG, Feng JC, Clough RW, Struble RG, Patrylo PR, Yan XX. Beta-secretase-1 elevation in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease is associated with synaptic/axonal pathology and amyloidogenesis: implications for neuritic plaque development. Eur J Neurosci 2009; 30:2271-83. [PMID: 20092570 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2009.07017.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The presence of neuritic plaques is a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the origin of extracellular beta-amyloid peptide (Abeta) deposits and the process of plaque development remain poorly understood. The present study attempted to explore plaque pathogenesis by localizing beta-secretase-1 (BACE1) elevation relative to Abeta accumulation and synaptic/neuritic alterations in the forebrain, using transgenic mice harboring familial AD (FAD) mutations (5XFAD and 2XFAD) as models. In animals with fully developed plaque pathology, locally elevated BACE1 immunoreactivity (IR) coexisted with compact-like Abeta deposition, with BACE1 IR occurring selectively in dystrophic axons of various neuronal phenotypes or origins (GABAergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic or catecholaminergic). Prior to plaque onset, localized BACE1/Abeta IR occurred at swollen presynaptic terminals and fine axonal processes. These BACE1/Abeta-containing axonal elements appeared to undergo a continuing process of sprouting/swelling and dystrophy, during which extracellular Abeta IR emerged and accumulated in surrounding extracellular space. These data suggest that BACE1 elevation and associated Abeta overproduction inside the sprouting/dystrophic axonal terminals coincide with the onset and accumulation of extracellular amyloid deposition during the development of neuritic plaques in transgenic models of AD. Our findings appear to be in harmony with an early hypothesis that axonal pathogenesis plays a key or leading role in plaque formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Mei Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
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12
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Herzig MC, Eisele YS, Staufenbiel M, Jucker M. E22Q-mutant Abeta peptide (AbetaDutch) increases vascular but reduces parenchymal Abeta deposition. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2009; 174:722-6. [PMID: 19218342 DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2009.080790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Patients that have hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis-Dutch type (HCHWA-D) generate both wild-type beta-amyloid (Abetawt) and E22Q-mutant beta-amyloid (AbetaDutch). Postmortem analysis of HCHWA-D brains reveals severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy with very little parenchymal amyloid deposition. To investigate amyloidosis in the presence of both Abetawt and AbetaDutch variants, transgenic (tg) APP23 mice were crossed with APPDutch mice. Although single-tg APP23 mice deposited Abetawt with aging, double-tg APP23/APPDutch mice co-deposited AbetaDutch (mainly AbetaDutch1-40) and Abetawt at twofold higher total Abeta levels. Vascular Abeta deposits and hemorrhages were twice as high in APP23/APPDutch mice compared with APP23 mice. Surprisingly, parenchymal Abeta deposition was reduced in the double-tg mice compared with the single-tg APP23 mice. Our findings suggest that AbetaDutch1-40 inhibits parenchymal amyloidosis but exacerbates vascular amyloid, hence explaining the compartment-specific distribution of cerebral amyloid in HCHWA-D patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin C Herzig
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller Strasse 27, D-72076 Tübingen, Germany
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Solito R, Corti F, Fossati S, Mezhericher E, Donnini S, Ghiso J, Giachetti A, Rostagno A, Ziche M. Dutch and Arctic mutant peptides of beta amyloid(1-40) differentially affect the FGF-2 pathway in brain endothelium. Exp Cell Res 2008; 315:385-95. [PMID: 19061884 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2008.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2008] [Revised: 09/25/2008] [Accepted: 11/04/2008] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Single point mutations of the amyloid precursor protein generate Abeta variants bearing amino acid substitutions at positions 21-23. These mutants are associated with distinct hereditary phenotypes of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, manifesting varying degrees of tropism for brain vessels, and impaired microvessel remodeling and angiogenesis. We examined the differential effects of E22Q (Dutch), and E22G (Arctic) variants in comparison to WT Abeta on brain endothelial cell proliferation, angiogenic phenotype expression triggered by fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), pseudo-capillary sprouting, and induction of apoptosis. E22Q exhibited a potent anti-angiogenic profile in contrast to E22G, which had a much weaker effect. Investigations on the FGF-2 signaling pathway revealed the greatest differences among the peptides: E22Q and WT peptides suppressed FGF-2 expression while E22G had barely any effect. Phosphorylation of the FGF-2 receptor, FGFR-1, and the survival signal Akt were abolished by E22Q and WT peptides, but not by E22G. The biological dissimilar effect of the mutant and WT peptides on cerebral EC cannot be assigned to a particular Abeta structure, suggesting that the toxic effect of the Abeta assemblies goes beyond mere multimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Solito
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Siena, Via A. Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
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