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Harley P, Kerins C, Gatt A, Neves G, Riccio F, Machado CB, Cheesbrough A, R'Bibo L, Burrone J, Lieberam I. Aberrant axon initial segment plasticity and intrinsic excitability of ALS hiPSC motor neurons. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113509. [PMID: 38019651 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated neuronal excitability is a hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We sought to investigate how functional changes to the axon initial segment (AIS), the site of action potential generation, could impact neuronal excitability in ALS human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) motor neurons. We find that early TDP-43 and C9orf72 hiPSC motor neurons show an increase in the length of the AIS and impaired activity-dependent AIS plasticity that is linked to abnormal homeostatic regulation of neuronal activity and intrinsic hyperexcitability. In turn, these hyperactive neurons drive increased spontaneous myofiber contractions of in vitro hiPSC motor units. In contrast, late hiPSC and postmortem ALS motor neurons show AIS shortening, and hiPSC motor neurons progress to hypoexcitability. At a molecular level, aberrant expression of the AIS master scaffolding protein ankyrin-G and AIS-specific voltage-gated sodium channels mirror these dynamic changes in AIS function and excitability. Our results point toward the AIS as an important site of dysfunction in ALS motor neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Harley
- Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Kings College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; UCL Queen Square Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Caoimhe Kerins
- Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Kings College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; Centre for Craniofacial & Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Ariana Gatt
- Queen Square Brain Bank, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 1PJ, UK
| | - Guilherme Neves
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Federica Riccio
- Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Kings College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Carolina Barcellos Machado
- Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Kings College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Aimee Cheesbrough
- Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Kings College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Lea R'Bibo
- Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Kings College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Juan Burrone
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK.
| | - Ivo Lieberam
- Centre for Gene Therapy & Regenerative Medicine, Kings College London, London SE1 9RT, UK; Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Kings College London, London SE1 1UL, UK.
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2
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Mimura Y, Tobari Y, Nakahara K, Nakajima S, Yoshida K, Mimura M, Noda Y. Transcranial magnetic stimulation neurophysiology in patients with non-Alzheimer's neurodegenerative diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 155:105451. [PMID: 37926239 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-Alzheimer's dementia (NAD) accounts for 30% of all neurodegenerative conditions and is characterized by cognitive decline beyond mere memory dysfunction. Diagnosing NAD remains challenging due to the lack of established biomarkers. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neurophysiological tool that enables the investigation of cortical excitability in the human brain. Paired-pulse TMS paradigms include short- and long-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI/LICI), intracortical facilitation (ICF), and short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI), which can assess neurophysiological functions of GABAergic, glutamatergic, and cholinergic neural circuits, respectively. We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis to compare these TMS indices among patients with NAD and healthy controls. Our meta-analyses indicated that TMS neurophysiological examinations revealed decreased glutamatergic function in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and decreased GABAergic function in patients with FTD, progressive supranuclear palsy, Huntington's disease, cortico-basal syndrome, and multiple system atrophy-parkinsonian type. In addition, decreased cholinergic function was found in dementia with Lewy body and vascular dementia. These results suggest the potential of TMS as an additional diagnostic tool to differentiate NAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yui Tobari
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuho Nakahara
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Nakajima
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Kazunari Yoshida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; Pharmacogenetics Research Clinic, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Masaru Mimura
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Noda
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
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3
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Ghaffari LT, Trotti D, Haeusler AR. Differential response of C9orf72 transcripts following neuronal depolarization. iScience 2023; 26:106959. [PMID: 37332610 PMCID: PMC10272498 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106959] [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: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The (G4C2)n nucleotide repeat expansion (NRE) mutation in C9orf72 is the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD. The biological functions of C9orf72 are becoming understood, but it is unclear if this gene is regulated in a neural-specific manner. Neuronal activity is a crucial modifier of biological processes in health and neurodegenerative disease contexts. Here, we show that prolonged membrane depolarization in healthy human iPSC-cortical neurons leads to a significant downregulation of a transcript variant 3 (V3) of C9orf72, with a concomitant increase in variant 2 (V2), which leads to total C9orf72 RNA transcript levels remaining unchanged. However, the same response is not observed in cortical neurons derived from patients with the C9-NRE mutation. These findings reveal the impact of depolarization on C9orf72 transcripts, and how this response diverges in C9-NRE-carriers, which may have important implications in the underlying unique clinical associations of C9-NRE transcripts and disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla T. Ghaffari
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Aaron R. Haeusler
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS Center, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
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4
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Vigneri S, Bono V. Can we improve our electrophysiological evaluation in C9ORF72 ALS? Muscle Nerve 2023; 67:E7. [PMID: 36566356 DOI: 10.1002/mus.27778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Vigneri
- Casa di Cura Santa Maria Maddalena, Neurology and Neurophysiology Service, Occhiobello, Italy
| | - Valeria Bono
- Ospedale Civico Benfratelli, Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit, Palermo, Italy
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5
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Lee J, Cho H, Kwon I. Phase separation of low-complexity domains in cellular function and disease. EXPERIMENTAL & MOLECULAR MEDICINE 2022; 54:1412-1422. [PMID: 36175485 PMCID: PMC9534829 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00857-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the ways in which recent studies of low-complexity (LC) domains have challenged our understanding of the mechanisms underlying cellular organization. LC sequences, long believed to function in the absence of a molecular structure, are abundant in the proteomes of all eukaryotic organisms. Over the past decade, the phase separation of LC domains has emerged as a fundamental mechanism driving dynamic multivalent interactions of many cellular processes. We review the key evidence showing the role of phase separation of individual proteins in organizing cellular assemblies and facilitating biological function while implicating the dynamics of phase separation as a key to biological validity and functional utility. We also highlight the evidence showing that pathogenic LC proteins alter various phase separation-dependent interactions to elicit debilitating human diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Progress in understanding the biology of phase separation may offer useful hints toward possible therapeutic interventions to combat the toxicity of pathogenic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Lee
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Korea
| | - Hana Cho
- Department of Physiology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Korea.
| | - Ilmin Kwon
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16419, Korea.
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Ghaffari LT, Trotti D, Haeusler AR, Jensen BK. Breakdown of the central synapses in C9orf72-linked ALS/FTD. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1005112. [PMID: 36187344 PMCID: PMC9523884 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1005112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative disease that leads to the death of motor and cortical neurons. The clinical manifestations of ALS are heterogenous, and efficacious treatments to significantly slow the progression of the disease are lacking. Cortical hyper-excitability is observed pre-symptomatically across disease-causative genetic variants, as well as in the early stages of sporadic ALS, and typically precedes motor neuron involvement and overt neurodegeneration. The causes of cortical hyper-excitability are not yet fully understood but is mainly agreed to be an early event. The identification of the nucleotide repeat expansion (GGGGCC)n in the C9ORF72 gene has provided evidence that ALS and another neurodegenerative disease, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), are part of a disease spectrum with common genetic origins. ALS and FTD are diseases in which synaptic dysfunction is reported throughout disease onset and stages of progression. It has become apparent that ALS/FTD-causative genes, such as C9ORF72, may have roles in maintaining the normal physiology of the synapse, as mutations in these genes often manifest in synaptic dysfunction. Here we review the dysfunctions of the central nervous system synapses associated with the nucleotide repeat expansion in C9ORF72 observed in patients, organismal, and cellular models of ALS and FTD.
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Fournier CN. Considerations for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Clinical Trial Design. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:1180-1192. [PMID: 35819713 PMCID: PMC9275386 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01271-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Thoughtful clinical trial design is critical for efficient therapeutic development, particularly in the field of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), where trials often aim to detect modest treatment effects among a population with heterogeneous disease progression. Appropriate outcome measure selection is necessary for trials to provide decisive and informative results. Investigators must consider the outcome measure's reliability, responsiveness to detect change when change has actually occurred, clinical relevance, and psychometric performance. ALS clinical trials can also be performed more efficiently by utilizing statistical enrichment techniques. Innovations in ALS prediction models allow for selection of participants with less heterogeneity in disease progression rates without requiring a lead-in period, or participants can be stratified according to predicted progression. Statistical enrichment can reduce the needed sample size and improve study power, but investigators must find a balance between optimizing statistical efficiency and retaining generalizability of study findings to the broader ALS population. Additional progress is still needed for biomarker development and validation to confirm target engagement in ALS treatment trials. Selection of an appropriate biofluid biomarker depends on the treatment mechanism of interest, and biomarker studies should be incorporated into early phase trials. Inclusion of patients with ALS as advisors and advocates can strengthen clinical trial design and study retention, but more engagement efforts are needed to improve diversity and equity in ALS research studies. Another challenge for ALS therapeutic development is identifying ways to respect patient autonomy and improve access to experimental treatment, something that is strongly desired by many patients with ALS and ALS advocacy organizations. Expanded access programs that run concurrently to well-designed and adequately powered randomized controlled trials may provide an opportunity to broaden access to promising therapeutics without compromising scientific integrity or rushing regulatory approval of therapies without adequate proof of efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina N Fournier
- Department of Neurology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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Helekar SA, Thonhoff J, John BS, Nguyen L, Rosenfield DB, Appel SH. Modulation of spontaneous motor unit potentials by a new motor cortical magnetic stimulation method in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol 2022; 269:5487-5496. [PMID: 35704101 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11214-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) show altered cortical excitability. In this study, we measure modulation of spontaneous motor unit potentials (sMUPs) in hand muscles by multifocal cortical stimulation with a newly developed wearable transcranial rotating permanent magnet stimulator (TRPMS). METHODS We conducted cross-sectional and longitudinal electromyographic assessments in 40 and 20 ALS patients, respectively, of the stimulation-induced peak increase in the count of sMUPs in two hand muscles modulated by unilateral TRPMS stimulation of the primary motor cortex. We measured peak sMUP counts during several short sessions consisting of 10 stimuli over 60 s and 30 s post-stimulation periods. The longitudinal component involved an initial assessment at an early stage of the disease and up to five follow-up assessments at least 3 months apart. RESULTS TRPMS stimulation produced no device-related adverse effects. It showed an inverted V-shaped modulation of the peak sMUP counts as a function of ALS functional rating scale revised scores. The ratios of ALS subjects showing peak sMUP count increases between early and intermediate stages (χ2 = 4.086, df = 1, p = 0.043) and intermediate and late stages (χ2 = 4.29, df = 1, p = 0.038) in cross-sectional data were significantly different. Longitudinal assessment also produced a significant (z = 2.31, p = 0.021) result, with all subjects showing a post-initial visit increase in peak sMUP counts. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with delayed onset of upper motor neuronal dysfunction with respect to onset of clinical features. However, the above results need to be confirmed in a larger sample of patients and with multiple lines of evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh A Helekar
- Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. .,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Jason Thonhoff
- Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Blessy S John
- Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Lisa Nguyen
- Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - David B Rosenfield
- Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Stanley H Appel
- Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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Govaarts R, Beeldman E, Fraschini M, Griffa A, Engels MMA, van Es MA, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH, van der Kooi AJ, Pijnenburg YAL, de Visser M, Stam CJ, Raaphorst J, Hillebrand A. Cortical and subcortical changes in resting-state neuronal activity and connectivity in early symptomatic ALS and advanced frontotemporal dementia. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 34:102965. [PMID: 35217500 PMCID: PMC8867127 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.102965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine if patterns of resting-state brain activity and functional connectivity in cortical and subcortical regions in patients with early symptomatic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) resemble those of behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). In a cross-sectional design, eyes-closed resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) data of 34 ALS patients, 18 bvFTD patients and 18 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs) were projected to source-space using an atlas-based beamformer. Group differences in peak frequency, band-specific oscillatory activity and functional connectivity (corrected amplitude envelope correlation) in 78 cortical regions and 12 subcortical regions were determined. False discovery rate was used to correct for multiple comparisons. BvFTD patients, as compared to ALS and HCs, showed lower relative beta power in parietal, occipital, temporal and nearly all subcortical regions. Compared to HCs, patients with ALS and patients with bvFTD had a higher delta (0.5-4 Hz) and gamma (30-48 Hz) band resting-state functional connectivity in a high number of overlapping regions in the frontal lobe and in limbic and subcortical regions. Higher delta band connectivity was widespread in the bvFTD patients compared to HCs. ALS showed a more widespread higher gamma band functional connectivity compared to bvFTD. In conclusion, MEG in early symptomatic ALS patients shows resting-state functional connectivity changes in frontal, limbic and subcortical regions that overlap considerably with bvFTD. The findings show the potential of MEG to detect brain changes in early symptomatic phases of ALS and contribute to our understanding of the disease spectrum, with ALS and bvFTD at the two extreme ends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanne Govaarts
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Emma Beeldman
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matteo Fraschini
- University of Cagliari, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Alessandra Griffa
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Division of Neurology, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Institute of Bioengineering, Center of Neuroprosthetics, École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (EPFL), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marjolein M A Engels
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Magnetoencephalography Centre, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michael A van Es
- University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Neurology, Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Jan H Veldink
- University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Neurology, Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Leonard H van den Berg
- University Medical Centre Utrecht, Department of Neurology, Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Anneke J van der Kooi
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yolande A L Pijnenburg
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marianne de Visser
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Cornelis J Stam
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Magnetoencephalography Centre, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Joost Raaphorst
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Arjan Hillebrand
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Magnetoencephalography Centre, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Poly-dipeptides produced from C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeats cause selective motor neuron hyperexcitability in ALS. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2113813119. [PMID: 35259014 PMCID: PMC8931230 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113813119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
SignificanceThe GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) gene is the most common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Despite myriad studies on the toxic effects of poly-dipeptides produced from the C9orf72 repeats, the mechanisms underlying the selective hyperexcitability of motor cortex that characterizes the early stages of C9orf72 ALS patients remain elusive. Here, we show that the proline-arginine poly-dipeptides cause hyperexcitability in cortical motor neurons by increasing persistent sodium currents conducted by the Nav1.2/β4 sodium channel complex, which is highly expressed in the motor cortex. These findings provide the basis for understanding how the C9orf72 mutation causes motor neuron hyperactivation that can lead to the motor neuron death in C9orf72 ALS.
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11
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Pasniceanu IS, Atwal MS, Souza CDS, Ferraiuolo L, Livesey MR. Emerging Mechanisms Underpinning Neurophysiological Impairments in C9ORF72 Repeat Expansion-Mediated Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Frontotemporal Dementia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 15:784833. [PMID: 34975412 PMCID: PMC8715728 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.784833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are characterized by degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons and neurons of the prefrontal cortex. The emergence of the C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion mutation as the leading genetic cause of ALS and FTD has led to a progressive understanding of the multiple cellular pathways leading to neuronal degeneration. Disturbances in neuronal function represent a major subset of these mechanisms and because such functional perturbations precede degeneration, it is likely that impaired neuronal function in ALS/FTD plays an active role in pathogenesis. This is supported by the fact that ALS/FTD patients consistently present with neurophysiological impairments prior to any apparent degeneration. In this review we summarize how the discovery of the C9ORF72 repeat expansion mutation has contributed to the current understanding of neuronal dysfunction in ALS/FTD. Here, we discuss the impact of the repeat expansion on neuronal function in relation to intrinsic excitability, synaptic, network and ion channel properties, highlighting evidence of conserved and divergent pathophysiological impacts between cortical and motor neurons and the influence of non-neuronal cells. We further highlight the emerging association between these dysfunctional properties with molecular mechanisms of the C9ORF72 mutation that appear to include roles for both, haploinsufficiency of the C9ORF72 protein and aberrantly generated dipeptide repeat protein species. Finally, we suggest that relating key pathological observations in C9ORF72 repeat expansion ALS/FTD patients to the mechanistic impact of the C9ORF72 repeat expansion on neuronal function will lead to an improved understanding of how neurophysiological dysfunction impacts upon pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris-Stefania Pasniceanu
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Manpreet Singh Atwal
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Cleide Dos Santos Souza
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Ferraiuolo
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew R Livesey
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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12
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Hosaka T, Tsuji H, Kwak S. RNA Editing: A New Therapeutic Target in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Other Neurological Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10958. [PMID: 34681616 PMCID: PMC8536083 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222010958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The conversion of adenosine to inosine in RNA editing (A-to-I RNA editing) is recognized as a critical post-transcriptional modification of RNA by adenosine deaminases acting on RNAs (ADARs). A-to-I RNA editing occurs predominantly in mammalian and human central nervous systems and can alter the function of translated proteins, including neurotransmitter receptors and ion channels; therefore, the role of dysregulated RNA editing in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases has been speculated. Specifically, the failure of A-to-I RNA editing at the glutamine/arginine (Q/R) site of the GluA2 subunit causes excessive permeability of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors to Ca2+, inducing fatal status epilepticus and the neurodegeneration of motor neurons in mice. Therefore, an RNA editing deficiency at the Q/R site in GluA2 due to the downregulation of ADAR2 in the motor neurons of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients suggests that Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors and the dysregulation of RNA editing are suitable therapeutic targets for ALS. Gene therapy has recently emerged as a new therapeutic opportunity for many heretofore incurable diseases, and RNA editing dysregulation can be a target for gene therapy; therefore, we reviewed neurological diseases associated with dysregulated RNA editing and a new therapeutic approach targeting dysregulated RNA editing, especially one that is effective in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Hosaka
- Department of Neurology, Division of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Ibaraki, Japan; (T.H.); (H.T.)
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tsukuba University Hospital Kensei Area Medical Education Center, Chikusei 308-0813, Ibaraki, Japan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ibaraki Western Medical Center, Chikusei 308-0813, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Tsuji
- Department of Neurology, Division of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Ibaraki, Japan; (T.H.); (H.T.)
| | - Shin Kwak
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Medical University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
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13
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Di Lazzaro V, Bella R, Benussi A, Bologna M, Borroni B, Capone F, Chen KHS, Chen R, Chistyakov AV, Classen J, Kiernan MC, Koch G, Lanza G, Lefaucheur JP, Matsumoto H, Nguyen JP, Orth M, Pascual-Leone A, Rektorova I, Simko P, Taylor JP, Tremblay S, Ugawa Y, Dubbioso R, Ranieri F. Diagnostic contribution and therapeutic perspectives of transcranial magnetic stimulation in dementia. Clin Neurophysiol 2021; 132:2568-2607. [PMID: 34482205 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a powerful tool to probe in vivo brain circuits, as it allows to assess several cortical properties such asexcitability, plasticity and connectivity in humans. In the last 20 years, TMS has been applied to patients with dementia, enabling the identification of potential markers of thepathophysiology and predictors of cognitive decline; moreover, applied repetitively, TMS holds promise as a potential therapeutic intervention. The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of studies that have employed TMS in dementia and to discuss potential clinical applications, from the diagnosis to the treatment. To provide a technical and theoretical framework, we first present an overview of the basic physiological mechanisms of the application of TMS to assess cortical excitability, excitation and inhibition balance, mechanisms of plasticity and cortico-cortical connectivity in the human brain. We then review the insights gained by TMS techniques into the pathophysiology and predictors of progression and response to treatment in dementias, including Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related dementias and secondary dementias. We show that while a single TMS measure offers low specificity, the use of a panel of measures and/or neurophysiological index can support the clinical diagnosis and predict progression. In the last part of the article, we discuss the therapeutic uses of TMS. So far, only repetitive TMS (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and multisite rTMS associated with cognitive training have been shown to be, respectively, possibly (Level C of evidence) and probably (Level B of evidence) effective to improve cognition, apathy, memory, and language in AD patients, especially at a mild/early stage of the disease. The clinical use of this type of treatment warrants the combination of brain imaging techniques and/or electrophysiological tools to elucidate neurobiological effects of neurostimulation and to optimally tailor rTMS treatment protocols in individual patients or specific patient subgroups with dementia or mild cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Di Lazzaro
- Unit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy.
| | - Rita Bella
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, Section of Neurosciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Alberto Benussi
- Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Matteo Bologna
- Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, IS, Italy
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Centre for Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Fioravante Capone
- Unit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Kai-Hsiang S Chen
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan
| | - Robert Chen
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Division of Brain, Imaging& Behaviour, Krembil Brain Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Joseph Classen
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig University Medical Center, Germany
| | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Giacomo Koch
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit/Department of Behavioral and Clinical Neurology, Santa Lucia Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Lanza
- Department of Surgery and Medical-Surgical Specialties, University of Catania, Catania, Italy; Department of Neurology IC, Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Jean-Pascal Lefaucheur
- ENT Team, EA4391, Faculty of Medicine, Paris Est Créteil University, Créteil, France; Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Department of Physiology, Henri Mondor Hospital, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Créteil, France
| | | | - Jean-Paul Nguyen
- Pain Center, clinique Bretéché, groupe ELSAN, Multidisciplinary Pain, Palliative and Supportive care Center, UIC 22/CAT2 and Laboratoire de Thérapeutique (EA3826), University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Michael Orth
- University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Swiss Huntington's Disease Centre, Siloah, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, USA; Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Guttmann Brain Health Institute, Universitat Autonoma Barcelona, Spain
| | - Irena Rektorova
- Applied Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University (CEITEC MU), Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Patrik Simko
- Applied Neuroscience Research Group, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University (CEITEC MU), Brno, Czech Republic; Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - John-Paul Taylor
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sara Tremblay
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada; Royal Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Yoshikazu Ugawa
- Department of Human Neurophysiology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Raffaele Dubbioso
- Department of Neurosciences, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Federico Ranieri
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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14
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Perkins EM, Burr K, Banerjee P, Mehta AR, Dando O, Selvaraj BT, Suminaite D, Nanda J, Henstridge CM, Gillingwater TH, Hardingham GE, Wyllie DJA, Chandran S, Livesey MR. Altered network properties in C9ORF72 repeat expansion cortical neurons are due to synaptic dysfunction. Mol Neurodegener 2021; 16:13. [PMID: 33663561 PMCID: PMC7931347 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-021-00433-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physiological disturbances in cortical network excitability and plasticity are established and widespread in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, including those harbouring the C9ORF72 repeat expansion (C9ORF72RE) mutation - the most common genetic impairment causal to ALS and FTD. Noting that perturbations in cortical function are evidenced pre-symptomatically, and that the cortex is associated with widespread pathology, cortical dysfunction is thought to be an early driver of neurodegenerative disease progression. However, our understanding of how altered network function manifests at the cellular and molecular level is not clear. METHODS To address this we have generated cortical neurons from patient-derived iPSCs harbouring C9ORF72RE mutations, as well as from their isogenic expansion-corrected controls. We have established a model of network activity in these neurons using multi-electrode array electrophysiology. We have then mechanistically examined the physiological processes underpinning network dysfunction using a combination of patch-clamp electrophysiology, immunocytochemistry, pharmacology and transcriptomic profiling. RESULTS We find that C9ORF72RE causes elevated network burst activity, associated with enhanced synaptic input, yet lower burst duration, attributable to impaired pre-synaptic vesicle dynamics. We also show that the C9ORF72RE is associated with impaired synaptic plasticity. Moreover, RNA-seq analysis revealed dysregulated molecular pathways impacting on synaptic function. All molecular, cellular and network deficits are rescued by CRISPR/Cas9 correction of C9ORF72RE. Our study provides a mechanistic view of the early dysregulated processes that underpin cortical network dysfunction in ALS-FTD. CONCLUSION These findings suggest synaptic pathophysiology is widespread in ALS-FTD and has an early and fundamental role in driving altered network function that is thought to contribute to neurodegenerative processes in these patients. The overall importance is the identification of previously unidentified defects in pre and postsynaptic compartments affecting synaptic plasticity, synaptic vesicle stores, and network propagation, which directly impact upon cortical function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M. Perkins
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Karen Burr
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Poulomi Banerjee
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Arpan R. Mehta
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Owen Dando
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Bhuvaneish T. Selvaraj
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Daumante Suminaite
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Jyoti Nanda
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
| | - Christopher M. Henstridge
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, DD1 9SY UK
| | - Thomas H. Gillingwater
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - Giles E. Hardingham
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
| | - David J. A. Wyllie
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, inStem, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Centre for Brain Development and Repair, inStem, Bangalore, 560065 India
| | - Matthew R. Livesey
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD UK
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2HQ UK
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15
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Wainger BJ, Macklin EA, Vucic S, McIlduff CE, Paganoni S, Maragakis NJ, Bedlack R, Goyal NA, Rutkove SB, Lange DJ, Rivner MH, Goutman SA, Ladha SS, Mauricio EA, Baloh RH, Simmons Z, Pothier L, Kassis SB, La T, Hall M, Evora A, Klements D, Hurtado A, Pereira JD, Koh J, Celnik PA, Chaudhry V, Gable K, Juel VC, Phielipp N, Marei A, Rosenquist P, Meehan S, Oskarsson B, Lewis RA, Kaur D, Kiskinis E, Woolf CJ, Eggan K, Weiss MD, Berry JD, David WS, Davila-Perez P, Camprodon JA, Pascual-Leone A, Kiernan MC, Shefner JM, Atassi N, Cudkowicz ME. Effect of Ezogabine on Cortical and Spinal Motor Neuron Excitability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol 2021; 78:186-196. [PMID: 33226425 DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.4300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Importance Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the motor nervous system. Clinical studies have demonstrated cortical and spinal motor neuron hyperexcitability using transcranial magnetic stimulation and threshold tracking nerve conduction studies, respectively, although metrics of excitability have not been used as pharmacodynamic biomarkers in multi-site clinical trials. Objective To ascertain whether ezogabine decreases cortical and spinal motor neuron excitability in ALS. Design, Setting, and Participants This double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 randomized clinical trial sought consent from eligible participants from November 3, 2015, to November 9, 2017, and was conducted at 12 US sites within the Northeast ALS Consortium. Participants were randomized in equal numbers to a higher or lower dose of ezogabine or to an identical matched placebo, and they completed in-person visits at screening, baseline, week 6, and week 8 for clinical assessment and neurophysiological measurements. Interventions Participants were randomized to receive 600 mg/d or 900 mg/d of ezogabine or a matched placebo for 10 weeks. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was change in short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI; SICI-1 was used in analysis to reflect stronger inhibition from an increase in amplitude) from pretreatment mean at screening and baseline to the full-dose treatment mean at weeks 6 and 8. The secondary outcomes included levels of cortical motor neuron excitability (including resting motor threshold) measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation and spinal motor neuron excitability (including strength-duration time constant) measured by threshold tracking nerve conduction studies. Results A total of 65 participants were randomized to placebo (23), 600 mg/d of ezogabine (23), and 900 mg/d of ezogabine (19 participants); 45 were men (69.2%) and the mean (SD) age was 58.3 (8.8) years. The SICI-1 increased by 53% (mean ratio, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.12-2.09; P = .009) in the 900-mg/d ezogabine group vs placebo group. The SICI-1 did not change in the 600-mg/d ezogabine group vs placebo group (mean ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.87-1.52; P = .31). The resting motor threshold increased in the 600-mg/d ezogabine group vs placebo group (mean ratio, 4.61; 95% CI, 0.21-9.01; P = .04) but not in the 900-mg/d ezogabine group vs placebo group (mean ratio, 1.95; 95% CI, -2.64 to 6.54; P = .40). Ezogabine caused a dose-dependent decrease in excitability by several other metrics, including strength-duration time constant in the 900-mg/d ezogabine group vs placebo group (mean ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.87; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance Ezogabine decreased cortical and spinal motor neuron excitability in participants with ALS, suggesting that such neurophysiological metrics may be used as pharmacodynamic biomarkers in multisite clinical trials. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02450552.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Wainger
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge
| | - Eric A Macklin
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Steve Vucic
- Department of Neurology, Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Courtney E McIlduff
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sabrina Paganoni
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Richard Bedlack
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Namita A Goyal
- Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Irvine
| | - Seward B Rutkove
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Dale J Lange
- Department of Neurology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York
| | - Michael H Rivner
- Department of Neurology, Augusta University Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia
| | | | - Shafeeq S Ladha
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
| | | | - Robert H Baloh
- Department of Neurology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Zachary Simmons
- Department of Neurology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Lindsay Pothier
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Sylvia Baedorf Kassis
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Thuong La
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Meghan Hall
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Armineuza Evora
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - David Klements
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Aura Hurtado
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Joao D Pereira
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Joan Koh
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Pablo A Celnik
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Vinay Chaudhry
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Karissa Gable
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Vern C Juel
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Nicolas Phielipp
- Department of Neurology, University of California Irvine, Irvine
| | - Adel Marei
- Department of Neurology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York
| | - Peter Rosenquist
- Department of Psychiatry, Augusta University Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia
| | - Sean Meehan
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
| | | | - Richard A Lewis
- Department of Neurology, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - Divpreet Kaur
- Department of Neurology, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Clifford J Woolf
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kevin Eggan
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge.,Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - James D Berry
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - William S David
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Paula Davila-Perez
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joan A Camprodon
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Alvaro Pascual-Leone
- Harvard Medical School, Boston MA.,Marcus Institute and Center for Memory Health, Hebrew SeniorLife, Boston, Massachusetts.,Institut Guttmann, Universitat Autonoma, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Jeremy M Shefner
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
| | - Nazem Atassi
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
| | - Merit E Cudkowicz
- The Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS and the Neurological Clinical Research Institute, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.,Harvard Medical School, Boston MA
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16
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Weiss MD, Macklin EA, McIlduff CE, Vucic S, Wainger BJ, Kiernan MC, Goutman SA, Goyal NA, Rutkove SB, Ladha SS, Chen IHA, Harms MB, Brannagan TH, Lacomis D, Zivkovic S, Ma M, Wang LH, Simmons Z, Rivner MH, Shefner JM, Cudkowicz ME, Atassi N. Effects of mexiletine on hyperexcitability in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Preliminary findings from a small phase II randomized controlled trial. Muscle Nerve 2020; 63:371-383. [PMID: 33340120 DOI: 10.1002/mus.27146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To collect preliminary data on the effects of mexiletine on cortical and axonal hyperexcitability in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in a phase 2 double-blind randomized controlled trial. METHODS Twenty ALS subjects were randomized to placebo and mexiletine 300 or 600 mg daily for 4 wk and assessed by transcranial magnetic stimulation and axonal excitability studies. The primary endpoint was change in resting motor threshold (RMT). RESULTS RMT was unchanged with 4 wk of mexiletine (combined active therapies) as compared to placebo, which showed a significant increase (P = .039). Reductions of motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitude (P = .013) and accommodation half-time (P = .002), secondary outcome measures of cortical and axonal excitability, respectively, were also evident at 4 wk on mexiletine. CONCLUSIONS The relative stabilization of RMT in the treated subjects was unexpected and could be attributed to unaccounted sources of error or chance. However, a possible alternative cause is neuromodulation preventing an increase. The change in MEP amplitude and accommodation half-time supports the reduction of cortical and axonal hyperexcitability with mexiletine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D Weiss
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Eric A Macklin
- Department of Medicine, Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Courtney E McIlduff
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Steve Vucic
- Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; and the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; and the Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stephen A Goutman
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Namita A Goyal
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Seward B Rutkove
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shafeeq S Ladha
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - I-Hweii Amy Chen
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew B Harms
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - David Lacomis
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sasha Zivkovic
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Maxwell Ma
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Leo H Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Zachary Simmons
- Department of Neurology, Penn State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael H Rivner
- Department of Neurology, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jeremy M Shefner
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Merit E Cudkowicz
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nazem Atassi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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17
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Rawji V, Latorre A, Sharma N, Rothwell JC, Rocchi L. On the Use of TMS to Investigate the Pathophysiology of Neurodegenerative Diseases. Front Neurol 2020; 11:584664. [PMID: 33224098 PMCID: PMC7669623 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.584664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are a collection of disorders that result in the progressive degeneration and death of neurons. They are clinically heterogenous and can present as deficits in movement, cognition, executive function, memory, visuospatial awareness and language. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation tool that allows for the assessment of cortical function in vivo. We review how TMS has been used for the investigation of three neurodegenerative diseases that differ in their neuroanatomical axes: (1) Motor cortex-corticospinal tract (motor neuron diseases), (2) Non-motor cortical areas (dementias), and (3) Subcortical structures (parkinsonisms). We also make four recommendations that we hope will benefit the use of TMS in neurodegenerative diseases. Firstly, TMS has traditionally been limited by the lack of an objective output and so has been confined to stimulation of the motor cortex; this limitation can be overcome by the use of concurrent neuroimaging methods such as EEG. Given that neurodegenerative diseases progress over time, TMS measures should aim to track longitudinal changes, especially when the aim of the study is to look at disease progression and symptomatology. The lack of gold-standard diagnostic confirmation undermines the validity of findings in clinical populations. Consequently, diagnostic certainty should be maximized through a variety of methods including multiple, independent clinical assessments, imaging and fluids biomarkers, and post-mortem pathological confirmation where possible. There is great interest in understanding the mechanisms by which symptoms arise in neurodegenerative disorders. However, TMS assessments in patients are usually carried out during resting conditions, when the brain network engaged during these symptoms is not expressed. Rather, a context-appropriate form of TMS would be more suitable in probing the physiology driving clinical symptoms. In all, we hope that the recommendations made here will help to further understand the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Lorenzo Rocchi
- Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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18
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Jara JH, Sheets PL, Nigro MJ, Perić M, Brooks C, Heller DB, Martina M, Andjus PR, Ozdinler PH. The Electrophysiological Determinants of Corticospinal Motor Neuron Vulnerability in ALS. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:73. [PMID: 32508590 PMCID: PMC7248374 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain is complex and heterogeneous. Even though numerous independent studies indicate cortical hyperexcitability as a potential contributor to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathology, the mechanisms that are responsible for upper motor neuron (UMN) vulnerability remain elusive. To reveal the electrophysiological determinants of corticospinal motor neuron (CSMN, a.k.a UMN in mice) vulnerability, we investigated the motor cortex of hSOD1G93A mice at P30 (postnatal day 30), a presymptomatic time point. Glutamate uncaging by laser scanning photostimulation (LSPS) revealed altered dynamics especially within the inhibitory circuitry and more specifically in L2/3 of the motor cortex, whereas the excitatory microcircuits were unchanged. Observed microcircuitry changes were specific to CSMN in the motor column. Electrophysiological evaluation of the intrinsic properties in response to the microcircuit changes, as well as the exon microarray expression profiles of CSMN isolated from hSOD1G93A and healthy mice at P30, revealed the presence of a very dynamic set of events, ultimately directed to establish, maintain and retain the balance at this early stage. Also, the expression profile of key voltage-gated potassium and sodium channel subunits as well as of the inhibitory GABA receptor subunits and modulatory proteins began to suggest the challenges CSMN face at this early age. Since neurodegeneration is initiated when neurons can no longer maintain balance, the complex cellular events that occur at this critical time point help reveal how CSMN try to cope with the challenges of disease manifestation. This information is critically important for the proper modulation of UMNs and for developing effective treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier H Jara
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Patrick L Sheets
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Maximiliano José Nigro
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mina Perić
- Institute for Physiology and Biochemistry "Ivan Djaja", Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Carolyn Brooks
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Daniel B Heller
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Marco Martina
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Pavle R Andjus
- Institute for Physiology and Biochemistry "Ivan Djaja", Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - P Hande Ozdinler
- Davee Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurological Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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19
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Abstract
The discovery that repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene are a frequent cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has revolutionized our understanding of these diseases. Substantial headway has been made in characterizing C9orf72-mediated disease and unravelling its underlying aetiopathogenesis. Three main disease mechanisms have been proposed: loss of function of the C9orf72 protein and toxic gain of function from C9orf72 repeat RNA or from dipeptide repeat proteins produced by repeat-associated non-ATG translation. Several downstream processes across a range of cellular functions have also been implicated. In this article, we review the pathological and mechanistic features of C9orf72-associated FTD and ALS (collectively termed C9FTD/ALS), the model systems used to study these conditions, and the probable initiators of downstream disease mechanisms. We suggest that a combination of upstream mechanisms involving both loss and gain of function and downstream cellular pathways involving both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous effects contributes to disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubika Balendra
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, Institute of Healthy Ageing, UCL, London, UK
| | - Adrian M Isaacs
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK. .,UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
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20
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Floeter MK, Gendron TF. Biomarkers for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia Associated With Hexanucleotide Expansion Mutations in C9orf72. Front Neurol 2018; 9:1063. [PMID: 30568632 PMCID: PMC6289985 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.01063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Now that genetic testing can identify persons at risk for developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) many decades before symptoms begin, there is a critical need for biomarkers that signal the onset and progression of degeneration. The search for candidate disease biomarkers in patients with mutations in the gene C9orf72 has included imaging, physiology, and biofluid measurements. In cross-sectional imaging studies, C9+ ALS patients display diffuse reductions of gray and white matter integrity compared to ALS patients without mutations. This structural imaging signature overlaps with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), reflecting the frequent co-occurrence of cognitive impairment, even frank FTD, in C9+ ALS patients. Changes in functional connectivity occur as critical components of the networks associated with cognition and behavior degenerate. In presymptomatic C9+carriers, subtle differences in volumes of subcortical structures and functional connectivity can be detected, often decades before the typical family age of symptom onset. Dipeptide repeat proteins produced by the repeat expansion mutation are also measurable in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of presymptomatic gene carriers, possibly throughout their lives. In contrast, a rise in the level of neurofilament proteins in the CSF appears to presage the onset of degeneration in presymptomatic carriers in one longitudinal study. Cross-sectional studies indicate that neurofilament protein levels may provide prognostic information for survival in C9+ ALS patients. Longitudinal studies will be needed to validate the candidate biomarkers discussed here. Understanding how these candidate biomarkers change over time is critical if they are to be used in future therapeutic decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kay Floeter
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, United States
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21
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The C9ORF72 Gene, Implicated in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia, Encodes a Protein That Functions in Control of Endothelin and Glutamate Signaling. Mol Cell Biol 2018; 38:MCB.00155-18. [PMID: 30150298 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00155-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A GGGGCC repeat expansion in the C9ORF72 (C9) gene is the most common known cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. Several mechanisms have been proposed to account for its toxicity, including the possibility that reduced C9 protein levels contribute to disease. To investigate this possibility, we examined the effects of reduced C9 levels in several cell systems. We first showed that C9 knockdown (KD) in U87 glioblastoma cells results in striking morphological changes, including vacuolization and alterations in cell size. Unexpectedly, RNA analysis revealed changes in expression of many genes, including genes involved in endothelin (EDN) signaling and immune system pathways and multiple glutamate cycling genes (e.g., EAAT2), which were verified in several cell models, including astrocytes and brain samples from C9-positive patients. Consistent with deregulation of the glutamate cycling genes, elevated intracellular glutamate was detected in both KD cells and patient astrocytes. Importantly, levels of mRNAs encoding EDN1 and its receptors, known to be elevated in ALS, were sharply increased by C9 KD, likely resulting from an observed activation of NF-κB signaling and/or a possible role of a C9 isoform in gene control.
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22
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C9orf72 Dipeptide Repeats Cause Selective Neurodegeneration and Cell-Autonomous Excitotoxicity in Drosophila Glutamatergic Neurons. J Neurosci 2018; 38:7741-7752. [PMID: 30037833 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0908-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The arginine-rich dipeptide repeats (DPRs) are highly toxic products from the C9orf72 repeat expansion mutations, which are the most common causes of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). However, the effects of DPRs in the synaptic regulation and excitotoxicity remain elusive, and how they contribute to the development of FTD is primarily unknown. By expressing DPRs with different toxicity strength in various neuronal populations in a Drosophila model, we unexpectedly found that Glycine-Arginine/Proline-Arginine (GR/PR) with 36 repeats could lead to neurodegenerative phenotypes only when they were expressed in glutamatergic neurons, including motor neurons. We detected increased extracellular glutamate and intracellular calcium levels in GR/PR-expressing larval ventral nerve cord and/or adult brain, accompanied by significant increase of synaptic boutons and active zones in larval neuromuscular junctions. Inhibiting the vesicular glutamate transporter expression or blocking the NMDA receptor in presynaptic glutamatergic motor neurons could effectively rescue the motor deficits and shortened life span caused by poly GR/PR, thus indicating a cell-autonomous excitotoxicity mechanism. Therefore, our results have revealed a novel mode of synaptic regulation by arginine-rich C9 DPRs expressed at more physiologically relevant toxicity levels and provided a mechanism that could contribute to the development of C9-related ALS and FTD.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT C9orf72 dipeptide repeats (DPRs) are key toxic species causing ALS/FTD, but their roles in synaptic regulation and excitotoxicity are unclear. Using C9orf72 DPRs with various toxicity strength, we have found that the arginine-rich DPRs cause selective degeneration in Drosophila glutamatergic neurons and revealed an NMDA receptor-dependent cell-autonomous excitotoxicity mechanism. Therefore, this study has advanced our understanding of C9orf72 DPR functions in synaptic regulation and excitotoxicity and provided a new mechanism that could contribute to the development of C9-related ALS and FTD.
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23
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Yuva-Aydemir Y, Almeida S, Gao FB. Insights into C9ORF72-Related ALS/FTD from Drosophila and iPSC Models. Trends Neurosci 2018; 41:457-469. [PMID: 29729808 PMCID: PMC6015541 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
GGGGCC (G4C2) repeat expansion in C9ORF72 is the most common genetic cause of ALS and FTD. An important issue is how repeat RNAs and their translation products, various dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins, cause neurodegeneration. Drosophila has been widely used to model G4C2 repeat RNA and DPR protein toxicity. Overexpression of disease molecules in flies has revealed important molecular insights. These have been validated and further explored in human neurons differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), a disease-relevant model in which expanded G4C2 repeats are expressed in their native molecular context. Approaches that combine the genetic power of Drosophila and the disease relevance of iPSC-derived patient neurons will continue to unravel the underlying pathogenic mechanisms and help identify potential therapeutic targets in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeliz Yuva-Aydemir
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Sandra Almeida
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Fen-Biao Gao
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA.
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24
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Selvaraj BT, Livesey MR, Chandran S. Modeling the C9ORF72 repeat expansion mutation using human induced pluripotent stem cells. Brain Pathol 2018; 27:518-524. [PMID: 28585384 PMCID: PMC8029270 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
C9ORF72 repeat expansion is the most frequent causal genetic mutation giving rise to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and fronto‐temporal dementia (FTD). The relatively recent discovery of the C9ORF72 repeat expansion in 2011 and the complexity of the mutation have meant that animal models that successfully recapitulate human C9ORF72 repeat expansion‐mediated disease are only now emerging. Concurrent advances in the use of patient‐derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model aspects of neurological disease offers an additional approach for the study of C9ORF72 mutation. This review focuses on the opportunities of human C9ORF72 iPSC platforms to model pathological aspects of disease and how findings compare with other existing models of disease and post mortem data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhuvaneish T Selvaraj
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Matthew R Livesey
- Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.,Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4UU, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.,Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK.,Centre for Brain Development and Repair, inStem, Bangalore, 560065, Karnataka, India
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25
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Starr A, Sattler R. Synaptic dysfunction and altered excitability in C9ORF72 ALS/FTD. Brain Res 2018; 1693:98-108. [PMID: 29453960 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2018.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by a progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons, resulting in fatal paralysis due to denervation of the muscle. Due to genetic, pathological and symptomatic overlap, ALS is now considered a spectrum disease together with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the second most common cause of dementia in individuals under the age of 65. Interestingly, in both diseases, there is a large prevalence of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) that are mutated and considered disease-causing, or whose dysfunction contribute to disease pathogenesis. The most common shared genetic mutation in ALS/FTD is a hexanucleuotide repeat expansion within intron 1 of C9ORF72 (C9). Three potentially overlapping, putative toxic mechanisms have been proposed: loss of function due to haploinsufficient expression of the C9ORF72 mRNA, gain of function of the repeat RNA aggregates, or RNA foci, and repeat-associated non-ATG-initiated translation (RAN) of the repeat RNA into toxic dipeptide repeats (DPRs). Regardless of the causative mechanism, disease symptoms are ultimately caused by a failure of neurotransmission in three regions: the brain, the spinal cord, and the neuromuscular junction. Here, we review C9 ALS/FTD-associated synaptic dysfunction and aberrant neuronal excitability in these three key regions, focusing on changes in morphology and synapse formation, excitability, and excitotoxicity in patients, animal models, and in vitro models. We compare these deficits to those seen in other forms of ALS and FTD in search of shared pathways, and discuss the potential targeting of synaptic dysfunctions for therapeutic intervention in ALS and FTD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Starr
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013, United States
| | - Rita Sattler
- Division of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ 85013, United States.
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26
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Geronimo A, Sheldon KE, Broach JR, Simmons Z, Schiff SJ. Expansion of C9ORF72 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis correlates with brain-computer interface performance. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8875. [PMID: 28827593 PMCID: PMC5567164 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08857-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal expansion of hexanucleotide GGGGCC (G4C2) in the C9ORF72 gene has been associated with multiple neurodegenerative disorders, with particularly high prevalence in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Repeat expansions of this type have been associated with altered pathology, symptom rate and severity, as well as psychological changes. In this study, we enrolled twenty-five patients with ALS and fifteen neurologically healthy controls in a P300 brain-computer interface (BCI) training procedure. Four of the patients were found to possess an expanded allele, which was associated with a reduction in the quality of evoked potentials that led to reduced performance on the BCI task. Our findings warrant further exploration of the relationship between brain function and G4C2 repeat length. Such a relationship suggests that personalized assessment of suitability of BCI as a communication device in patients with ALS may be feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Geronimo
- Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA.
- Penn State University, Center for Neural Engineering, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Kathryn E Sheldon
- Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - James R Broach
- Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Zachary Simmons
- Penn State College of Medicine, Departments of Neurology and Humanities, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Steven J Schiff
- Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
- Penn State University, Center for Neural Engineering, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- The Pennsylvania State University, Departments of Engineering Science and Mechanics, and Physics, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
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27
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Langseth AJ, Kim J, Ugolino JE, Shah Y, Hwang HY, Wang J, Bergles DE, Brown SP. Cell-type specific differences in promoter activity of the ALS-linked C9orf72 mouse ortholog. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5685. [PMID: 28720882 PMCID: PMC5515847 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05864-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene is the most common cause of inherited forms of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mechanisms have been proposed to underlie this disease, but the pathogenic pathways are not fully understood. To better understand the involvement of different cell types in the pathogenesis of ALS, we systematically analyzed the distribution of promoter activity of the mouse ortholog of C9orf72 in the central nervous system. We demonstrate that C9orf72 promoter activity is widespread in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons as well as in oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells. In contrast, few microglia and astrocytes exhibit detectable C9orf72 promoter activity. Although at a gross level, the distribution of C9orf72 promoter activity largely follows overall cellular density, we found that it is selectively enriched in subsets of neurons and glial cells that degenerate in ALS. Specifically, we show that C9orf72 promoter activity is enriched in corticospinal and spinal motor neurons as well as in oligodendrocytes in brain regions that are affected in ALS. These results suggest that cell autonomous changes in both neurons and glia may contribute to C9orf72-mediated disease, as has been shown for mutations in superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Abraham J Langseth
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Juhyun Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Janet E Ugolino
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Yajas Shah
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Ho-Yon Hwang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA
| | - Jiou Wang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.
| | - Dwight E Bergles
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.
| | - Solange P Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 21205, USA.
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