Focused cerebellar laser light induced hyperthermia improves symptoms and pathology of polyglutamine disease SCA1 in a mouse model

Gene, Stem Cell, and Alternative Therapies for SCA 1

Spinocerebellar ataxia 1 is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction. In disease pathogenesis, polyglutamine expansion within Ataxin-1, a gene involved in transcriptional repression, causes protein nuclear inclusions to form. Most notably, neuronal dysfunction presents in Purkinje cells. However, the effect of mutant Ataxin-1 is not entirely understood. Two mouse models are employed to represent spinocerebellar ataxia 1, a B05 transgenic model that specifically expresses mutant Ataxin-1 in Purkinje cells, and a Sca1 154Q/2Q model that inserts the polyglutamine expansion into the mouse Ataxin-1 locus so that the mutant Ataxin-1 is expressed in all cells that express Ataxin-1. This review aims to summarize and evaluate the wide variety of therapies proposed for spinocerebellar ataxia 1, specifically gene and stem cell therapies.

Integration of modeling with experimental and clinical findings synthesizes and refines the central role of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor 1 in spinocerebellar ataxia

A suite of models was developed to study the role of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor 1 (IP3R1) in spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). Several SCAs are linked to reduced abundance of IP3R1 or to supranormal sensitivity of the receptor to activation by its ligand inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Detailed multidimensional models have been created to simulate biochemical calcium signaling and membrane electrophysiology in cerebellar Purkinje neurons. In these models, IP3R1-mediated calcium release is allowed to interact with ion channel response on the cell membrane. Experimental findings in mice and clinical observations in humans provide data input for the models. The SCA modeling suite helps interpret experimental results and provides suggestions to guide experiments. The models predict IP3R1 supersensitivity in SCA1 and compensatory mechanisms in SCA1, SCA2, and SCA3. Simulations explain the impact of calcium buffer proteins. Results show that IP3R1-mediated calcium release activates voltage-gated calcium-activated potassium channels in the plasma membrane. The SCA modeling suite unifies observations from experiments in a number of SCAs. The cadre of simulations demonstrates the central role of IP3R1.