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Papp D, Kovács T, Billes V, Varga M, Tarnóci A, Hackler L, Puskás LG, Liliom H, Tárnok K, Schlett K, Borsy A, Pádár Z, Kovács AL, Hegedűs K, Juhász G, Komlós M, Erdős A, Gulyás B, Vellai T. AUTEN-67, an autophagy-enhancing drug candidate with potent antiaging and neuroprotective effects. Autophagy 2016; 12:273-86. [PMID: 26312549 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2015.1082023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a major molecular mechanism that eliminates cellular damage in eukaryotic organisms. Basal levels of autophagy are required for maintaining cellular homeostasis and functioning. Defects in the autophagic process are implicated in the development of various age-dependent pathologies including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in accelerated aging. Genetic activation of autophagy has been shown to retard the accumulation of damaged cytoplasmic constituents, delay the incidence of age-dependent diseases, and extend life span in genetic models. This implies that autophagy serves as a therapeutic target in treating such pathologies. Although several autophagy-inducing chemical agents have been identified, the majority of them operate upstream of the core autophagic process, thereby exerting undesired side effects. Here, we screened a small-molecule library for specific inhibitors of MTMR14, a myotubularin-related phosphatase antagonizing the formation of autophagic membrane structures, and isolated AUTEN-67 (autophagy enhancer-67) that significantly increases autophagic flux in cell lines and in vivo models. AUTEN-67 promotes longevity and protects neurons from undergoing stress-induced cell death. It also restores nesting behavior in a murine model of Alzheimer disease, without apparent side effects. Thus, AUTEN-67 is a potent drug candidate for treating autophagy-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diána Papp
- a Velgene Biotechnology Research Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary
| | - Tibor Kovács
- a Velgene Biotechnology Research Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary.,b Department of Genetics , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Viktor Billes
- a Velgene Biotechnology Research Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary.,b Department of Genetics , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Máté Varga
- b Department of Genetics , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Anna Tarnóci
- a Velgene Biotechnology Research Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary.,b Department of Genetics , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | | | - László G Puskás
- c Avidin Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary.,d Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Institute of Genetics, Biological Research Center , Szeged , Hungary
| | - Hanna Liliom
- e Department of Physiology and Neurobiology , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Krisztián Tárnok
- e Department of Physiology and Neurobiology , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Katalin Schlett
- e Department of Physiology and Neurobiology , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary.,f MTA-ELTE NAP B Neuronal Cell Biology Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Adrienn Borsy
- g Institute of Enzymology, Research Center for Natural Sciences , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Zsolt Pádár
- a Velgene Biotechnology Research Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary
| | - Attila L Kovács
- h Department of Anatomy , Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Krisztina Hegedűs
- h Department of Anatomy , Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Gábor Juhász
- h Department of Anatomy , Cell and Developmental Biology, Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
| | - Marcell Komlós
- a Velgene Biotechnology Research Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary
| | - Attila Erdős
- a Velgene Biotechnology Research Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary
| | - Balázs Gulyás
- i Karolinska Institute , Department of Clinical Neuroscience , Stockholm , Sweden.,j Imperial College-NTU, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University , Singapore.,k Imperial College London , Department of Medicine, Division of Brain Sciences , London , UK
| | - Tibor Vellai
- a Velgene Biotechnology Research Ltd. , Szeged , Hungary.,b Department of Genetics , Eötvös Loránd University , Budapest , Hungary
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Klein WL. Abeta toxicity in Alzheimer's disease: globular oligomers (ADDLs) as new vaccine and drug targets. Neurochem Int 2002; 41:345-52. [PMID: 12176077 DOI: 10.1016/s0197-0186(02)00050-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 442] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Over the past several years, experiments with synthetic amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) and animal models have strongly suggested that pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves soluble assemblies of Abeta peptides (Trends Neurosci. 24 (2001) 219). These soluble neurotoxins (known as ADDLs and protofibrils) seem likely to account for the imperfect correlation between insoluble fibrillar amyloid deposits and AD progression. Recent experiments have detected the presence of ADDLs in AD-afflicted brain tissue and in transgenic-mice models of AD. The presence of high affinity ADDL binding proteins in hippocampus and frontal cortex but not cerebellum parallels the regional specificity of AD pathology and suggests involvement of a toxin receptor-mediated mechanism. The properties of ADDLs and their presence in AD-afflicted brain are consistent with their putative role even in the earliest stages of AD, including forms of mild cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L Klein
- Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Northwestern University Institute for Neuroscience, 2153 North Campus Drive, 60208, Evanston, IL, USA.
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