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Shen Y, Zhang G, Wei C, Zhao P, Wang Y, Li M, Sun L. Potential role and therapeutic implications of glutathione peroxidase 4 in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:613-631. [PMID: 38886929 PMCID: PMC11433915 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01343] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder with a complex and incompletely understood pathogenesis. Despite extensive research, a cure for Alzheimer's disease has not yet been found. Oxidative stress mediates excessive oxidative responses, and its involvement in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis as a primary or secondary pathological event is widely accepted. As a member of the selenium-containing antioxidant enzyme family, glutathione peroxidase 4 reduces esterified phospholipid hydroperoxides to maintain cellular redox homeostasis. With the discovery of ferroptosis, the central role of glutathione peroxidase 4 in anti-lipid peroxidation in several diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, has received widespread attention. Increasing evidence suggests that glutathione peroxidase 4 expression is inhibited in the Alzheimer's disease brain, resulting in oxidative stress, inflammation, ferroptosis, and apoptosis, which are closely associated with pathological damage in Alzheimer's disease. Several therapeutic approaches, such as small molecule drugs, natural plant products, and non-pharmacological treatments, ameliorate pathological damage and cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease by promoting glutathione peroxidase 4 expression and enhancing glutathione peroxidase 4 activity. Therefore, glutathione peroxidase 4 upregulation may be a promising strategy for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This review provides an overview of the gene structure, biological functions, and regulatory mechanisms of glutathione peroxidase 4, a discussion on the important role of glutathione peroxidase 4 in pathological events closely related to Alzheimer's disease, and a summary of the advances in small-molecule drugs, natural plant products, and non-pharmacological therapies targeting glutathione peroxidase 4 for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Most prior studies on this subject used animal models, and relevant clinical studies are lacking. Future clinical trials are required to validate the therapeutic effects of strategies targeting glutathione peroxidase 4 in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxin Shen
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Impairment Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Guimei Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Impairment Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Chunxiao Wei
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Impairment Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Panpan Zhao
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Impairment Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Yongchun Wang
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Impairment Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Mingxi Li
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Impairment Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Li Sun
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Impairment Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
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Gomez-Sequeda N, Jimenez-Del-Rio M, Velez-Pardo C. The Antiproteinopathy, Antioxidant, and Antiapoptotic Effects of Methylene Blue and 4-Phenylbutyric Acid Alone, and in Combination on Familial Alzheimer's Disease PSEN1 I416T Cholinergic-Like Neurons. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:3563-3575. [PMID: 39259845 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00472] [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] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is a chronic neurological condition that progresses over time. Currently, lacking a viable treatment, the use of multitarget medication combinations has generated interest as a potential FAD therapy approach. In this study, we examined the effects of 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) and methylene blue (MB) either separately or in combination on PSEN1 I416T cholinergic-like neuron cells (ChLNs), which serve as a model for FAD. We found that MB was significantly efficient at reducing the accumulation of intracellular Aβ, phosphorylation of TAU Ser202/Thr205, and increasing Δψm, whereas 4-PBA was significantly efficient at diminishing oxidation of DJ-1Cys106-SH, expression of TP53, and increasing ACh-induced Ca2+ influx. Both agents were equally effective at blunting phosphorylated c-JUN at Ser63/Ser73 and activating caspase 3 (CASP3) into cleaved caspase 3 (CC3) on mutant cells. Combination of MB and 4-PBA at middle (0.1, 1) concentration significantly reduced iAβ, p-TAU, and oxDJ-1 and augmented the ACh-induced Ca2+ influx compared to combined agents at low (0.05, 0.5) or high (0.5, 5) concentration. However, combined MB and 4-PBA were efficient only at dropping DJ-1Cys106-SO3 and increasing ACh-induced Ca2+ inward in mutant ChLNs. Our data show that the reagents MB and 4-PBA alone possess more than one action (e.g., antiamyloid, antioxidant, anti-TAU, antiapoptotic, and ACh-induced Ca2+ influx enhancers), that in combination might cancel or diminish each other. Together, these results strongly argue that MB and 4-PBA might protect PSEN1 I416T ChLNs from Aβ-induced toxicity by working intracellularly as anti-Aβ and anti-Tau agents, improving Δψm and cell survival, and extracellularly, by increasing ACh-induced Ca2+ ion influx. MB and 4-PBA are promising drugs with potential for repurposing in familial AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gomez-Sequeda
- Neuroscience Research Group, Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, University Research Headquarters, Calle 62#52-59, Building 1, Laboratory 411/412, Medellin 050010, Colombia
| | - Marlene Jimenez-Del-Rio
- Neuroscience Research Group, Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, University Research Headquarters, Calle 62#52-59, Building 1, Laboratory 411/412, Medellin 050010, Colombia
| | - Carlos Velez-Pardo
- Neuroscience Research Group, Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, University Research Headquarters, Calle 62#52-59, Building 1, Laboratory 411/412, Medellin 050010, Colombia
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3
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Min JH, Sarlus H, Harris RA. MAD-microbial (origin of) Alzheimer's disease hypothesis: from infection and the antimicrobial response to disruption of key copper-based systems. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1467333. [PMID: 39416952 PMCID: PMC11480022 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1467333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 09/20/2024] [Indexed: 10/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Microbes have been suspected to cause Alzheimer's disease since at least 1908, but this has generally remained unpopular in comparison to the amyloid hypothesis and the dominance of Aβ and Tau. However, evidence has been accumulating to suggest that these earlier theories are but a manifestation of a common cause that can trigger and interact with all the major molecular players recognized in AD. Aβ, Tau and ApoE, in particular appear to be molecules with normal homeostatic functions but also with alternative antimicrobial functions. Their alternative functions confer the non-immune specialized neuron with some innate intracellular defenses that appear to be re-appropriated from their normal functions in times of need. Indeed, signs of infection of the neurons by biofilm-forming microbial colonies, in synergy with herpes viruses, are evident from the clinical and preclinical studies we discuss. Furthermore, we attempt to provide a mechanistic understanding of the AD landscape by discussing the antimicrobial effect of Aβ, Tau and ApoE and Lactoferrin in AD, and a possible mechanistic link with deficiency of vital copper-based systems. In particular, we focus on mitochondrial oxidative respiration via complex 4 and ceruloplasmin for iron homeostasis, and how this is similar and possibly central to neurodegenerative diseases in general. In the case of AD, we provide evidence for the microbial Alzheimer's disease (MAD) theory, namely that AD could in fact be caused by a long-term microbial exposure or even long-term infection of the neurons themselves that results in a costly prolonged antimicrobial response that disrupts copper-based systems that govern neurotransmission, iron homeostasis and respiration. Finally, we discuss potential treatment modalities based on this holistic understanding of AD that incorporates the many separate and seemingly conflicting theories. If the MAD theory is correct, then the reduction of microbial exposure through use of broad antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory treatments could potentially alleviate AD although this requires further clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Hong Min
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital at Solna, Stockholm, Sweden
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França VLB, Bezerra EM, da Costa RF, Carvalho HF, Freire VN, Matos G. Alzheimer's Disease Immunotherapy and Mimetic Peptide Design for Drug Development: Mutation Screening, Molecular Dynamics, and a Quantum Biochemistry Approach Focusing on Aducanumab::Aβ2-7 Binding Affinity. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:3543-3562. [PMID: 39302203 PMCID: PMC11450751 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00453] [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: 07/17/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Seven treatments are approved for Alzheimer's disease, but five of them only relieve symptoms and do not alter the course of the disease. Aducanumab (Adu) and lecanemab are novel disease-modifying antiamyloid-β (Aβ) human monoclonal antibodies that specifically target the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and were recently approved for its treatment. However, their administration is associated with serious side effects, and their use is limited to early stages of the disease. Therefore, drug discovery remains of great importance in AD research. To gain new insights into the development of novel drugs for Alzheimer's disease, a combination of techniques was employed, including mutation screening, molecular dynamics, and quantum biochemistry. These were used to outline the interfacial interactions of the Aducanumab::Aβ2-7 complex. Our analysis identified critical stabilizing contacts, revealing up to 40% variation in the affinity of the Adu chains for Aβ2-7 depending on the conformation outlined. Remarkably, two complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of the Adu heavy chain (HCDR3 and HCDR2) and one CDR of the Adu light chain (LCDR3) accounted for approximately 77% of the affinity of Adu for Aβ2-7, confirming their critical role in epitope recognition. A single mutation, originally reported to have the potential to increase the affinity of Adu for Aβ2-7, was shown to decrease its structural stability without increasing the overall binding affinity. Mimetic peptides that have the potential to inhibit Aβ aggregation were designed by using computational outcomes. Our results support the use of these peptides as promising drugs with great potential as inhibitors of Aβ aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor L. B. França
- Department
of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal
University of Ceará, 60430-270 Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Eveline M. Bezerra
- Department
of Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid (UFERSA), 59625-900 Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Roner F. da Costa
- Department
of Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Federal Rural University of Semi-Arid (UFERSA), 59625-900 Mossoró, RN, Brazil
| | - Hernandes F. Carvalho
- Department
of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas, 13083-864 Campinas, São
Paulo, Brazil
| | - Valder N. Freire
- Department
of Physics, Federal University of Ceará, 60430-270 Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Geanne Matos
- Department
of Physiology and Pharmacology, Federal
University of Ceará, 60430-270 Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
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He J, Zhang Y, Guo Y, Guo J, Chen X, Xu S, Xu X, Wu C, Liu C, Chen J, Ding Y, Fisher M, Jiang M, Liu G, Ji X, Wu D. Blood-derived factors to brain communication in brain diseases. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024:S2095-9273(24)00672-8. [PMID: 39353815 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.09.022] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Brain diseases, mainly including acute brain injuries, neurodegenerative diseases, and mental disorders, have posed a significant threat to human health worldwide. Due to the limited regenerative capability and the existence of the blood-brain barrier, the brain was previously thought to be separated from the rest of the body. Currently, various cross-talks between the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs have been widely described, including the brain-gut axis, the brain-liver axis, the brain-skeletal muscle axis, and the brain-bone axis. Moreover, several lines of evidence indicate that leveraging systemic biology intervention approaches, including but not limited to lifestyle interventions, exercise, diet, blood administration, and peripheral immune responses, have demonstrated a significant influence on the progress and prognosis of brain diseases. The advancement of innovative proteomic and transcriptomic technologies has enriched our understanding of the nuanced interplay between peripheral organs and brain diseases. An array of novel or previously underappreciated blood-derived factors have been identified to play pivotal roles in mediating these communications. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of blood-to-brain communication following brain diseases. Special attention is given to the instrumental role of blood-derived signals, positing them as significant contributors to the complex process of brain diseases. The insights presented here aim to bridge the current knowledge gaps and inspire novel therapeutic strategies for brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen He
- Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Department of Neurobiology, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Yanming Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yansu Guo
- Beijing Geriatric Healthcare Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Jiaqi Guo
- Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Shuaili Xu
- Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Xiaohan Xu
- Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Chuanjie Wu
- Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Chengeng Liu
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100088, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yuchuan Ding
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 46801, USA
| | - Marc Fisher
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Miaowen Jiang
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
| | - Guiyou Liu
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Laboratory of Brain Disorders, Ministry of Science and Technology, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Wannan Medical College, Wuhu 241002, China; Brain Hospital, Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital, Dongying 257034, China.
| | - Xunming Ji
- Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Neurology and China-America Institute of Neuroscience, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100053, China.
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6
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Detka J, Płachtij N, Strzelec M, Manik A, Sałat K. p38α Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase-An Emerging Drug Target for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Molecules 2024; 29:4354. [PMID: 39339348 PMCID: PMC11433989 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29184354] [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: 08/10/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/11/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder, characterized by the formation of amyloid β and tau protein aggregates in the brain, neuroinflammation, impaired cholinergic neurotransmission, and oxidative stress, resulting in the gradual loss of neurons and neuronal function, which leads to cognitive and memory deficits in AD patients. Chronic neuroinflammation plays a particularly important role in the progression of AD since the excessive release of proinflammatory cytokines from glial cells (microglia and astrocytes) induces neuronal damage, which subsequently causes microglial activation, thus facilitating further neurodegenerative changes. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38α is one of the key enzymes involved in the control of innate immune response. The increased activation of the p38α MAPK pathway, observed in AD, has been for a long time associated not only with the maintenance of excessive inflammatory process but is also linked with pathophysiological hallmarks of this disease, and therefore is currently considered an attractive drug target for novel AD therapeutics. This review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge about the involvement of p38α MAPK in different aspects of AD pathophysiology and also provides insight into the possible therapeutic effects of novel p38α MAPK inhibitors, which are currently studied as potential drug candidates for AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Detka
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688 Krakow, Poland; (J.D.); (N.P.); (A.M.)
| | - Natalia Płachtij
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688 Krakow, Poland; (J.D.); (N.P.); (A.M.)
| | - Martyna Strzelec
- Department of Transplantation, Institute of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 265 Wielicka St., 30-663 Krakow, Poland;
| | - Aleksandra Manik
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688 Krakow, Poland; (J.D.); (N.P.); (A.M.)
| | - Kinga Sałat
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, Chair of Pharmacodynamics, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 9 Medyczna St., 30-688 Krakow, Poland; (J.D.); (N.P.); (A.M.)
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Wiloch MZ, Perez-Estebanez M, Baran N, Heras A, Jönsson-Niedziółka M, Colina A. Spectroelectrochemical studies of TDMQ20: A potential drug against Alzheimer's disease. Bioelectrochemistry 2024; 161:108814. [PMID: 39270580 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108814] [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: 07/01/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD), reported for the first time in 1906, is a common disease that remains incurable to this day. In the past, a family of treatments using Cu(II) chelators failed during clinical trials, evidencing the importance of pre-clinical studies. In this work, we performed electrochemical characterisation of TDMQ20, a new potential drug against AD, using electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry. On the basis of voltammetry, we determined that TDMQ20 undergoes a two-step irreversible oxidation process and a one-step irreversible reduction process. Both oxidation and reduction reactions are pH-sensitive. Bidimensional UV-Vis spectroelectrochemistry (UV-Vis-SEC) allowed us to confirm that oxidation of TDMQ20 can occur both on the aliphatic chain and on the aromatic ring. The results expand the knowledge of the TDMQ20 redox activity in the human body which is important from the point of view of the toxicity of the proposed therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Z Wiloch
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Martin Perez-Estebanez
- Department of Chemistry, University of Burgos, Pza. Misael Bañuelos s/n, E-09001 Burgos, Spain.
| | - Natalia Baran
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kasprzaka 44/52, 01-224 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aranzazu Heras
- Department of Chemistry, University of Burgos, Pza. Misael Bañuelos s/n, E-09001 Burgos, Spain
| | | | - Alvaro Colina
- Department of Chemistry, University of Burgos, Pza. Misael Bañuelos s/n, E-09001 Burgos, Spain
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Azargoonjahromi A. Immunotherapy in Alzheimer's disease: focusing on the efficacy of gantenerumab on amyloid-β clearance and cognitive decline. J Pharm Pharmacol 2024; 76:1115-1131. [PMID: 38767981 DOI: 10.1093/jpp/rgae066] [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: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Gantenerumab, a human monoclonal antibody (mAb), has been thought of as a potential agent to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) by specifically targeting regions of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide sequence. Aβ protein accumulation in the brain leads to amyloid plaques, causing neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, neuronal damage, and neurotransmitter dysfunction, thereby causing cognitive decline in AD. Gantenerumab involves disrupting Aβ aggregation and promoting the breakdown of larger Aβ aggregates into smaller fragments, which facilitates the action of Aβ-degrading enzymes in the brain, thus slowing down the progression of AD. Moreover, Gantenerumab acts as an opsonin, coating Aβ plaques and enhancing their recognition by immune cells, which, combined with its ability to improve the activity of microglia, makes it an intriguing candidate for promoting Aβ plaque clearance. Indeed, the multifaceted effects of Gantenerumab, including Aβ disaggregation, enhanced immune recognition, and improved microglia activity, may position it as a promising therapeutic approach for AD. Of note, reports suggest that Gantenerumab, albeit its capacity to reduce or eliminate Aβ, has not demonstrated effectiveness in reducing cognitive decline. This review, after providing an overview of immunotherapy approaches that target Aβ in AD, explores the efficacy of Gantenerumab in reducing Aβ levels and cognitive decline.
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Karikari T, Chen Y, Zeng X, Olvera-Rojas M, Sehrawat A, Lafferty T, Pascoal T, Villemagne V, Solis-Urra P, Triviño-Ibañez E, Gómez-Rí M, Cohen A, Ikonomovic M, Esteban-Cornejo I, Erickson K, Lopez O, Yates N. A streamlined, resource-efficient immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry method for quantifying plasma amyloid-β biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4947448. [PMID: 39281858 PMCID: PMC11398558 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4947448/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
High-performance, resource-efficient methods for plasma amyloid-β (Aβ) quantification in Alzheimer's disease are lacking; existing mass spectrometry-based assays are resource- and time-intensive. We developed a streamlined mass spectrometry method with a single immunoprecipitation step, an optimized buffer system, and ≤75% less antibody requirement. Analytical and clinical performances were compared with an in-house reproduced version of a well-known two-step assay. The streamlined assay showed high dilution linearity (r2>0.99) and precision (< 10% coefficient of variation), low quantification limits (Aβ1-40: 12.5 pg/ml; Aβ1-42: 3.125 pg/ml), and high signal correlation (r2~0.7) with the two-step immunoprecipitation assay. The novel single-step assay showed more efficient recovery of Aβ peptides via fewer immunoprecipitation steps, with significantly higher signal-to-noise ratios, even at plasma sample volumes down to 50 pl. Both assays had equivalent performances in distinguishing non-elevated vs. elevated brain Aβ-PET individuals. The new method enables simplified yet robust evaluation of plasma Aβ biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease.
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10
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Wen X, Huang C, Xie H, Hu D, Luo J, Li K. The Applications of CircRNA in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:6501-6510. [PMID: 38315302 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-03977-0] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Early diagnosis and intervention are key to the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is an urgent need for new biomarkers and molecular targets for the detection and treatment of early Alzheimer's pathology. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a newly discovered non-coding RNA with a special type of covalently closed single strand, with potential preventive and therapeutic applications in a variety of diseases. New studies in the field of circRNA in AD have made many exciting new discoveries in recent years, some of which have not received sufficient attention but have important research implications. This review will focus on existing studies of circRNA in AD and discuss future translational perspectives of proposed circRNA strategies for clinical application in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyi Wen
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Hesong Xie
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Di Hu
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Juyu Luo
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Keshen Li
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
- Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
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11
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Shen H, Liu K, Kong F, Ren M, Wang X, Wang S. Strategies for measuring concentrations and forms of amyloid-β peptides. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 259:116405. [PMID: 38776801 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116405] [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: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is affecting more and more people worldwide without the effective treatment, while the existed pathological mechanism has been confirmed barely useful in the treatment. Amyloid-β peptide (Aβ), a main component of senile plaque, is regarded as the most promising target in AD treatment. Aβ clearance from AD brain seems to be a reliably therapeutic strategy, as the two exited drugs, GV-971 and aducanumab, are both developed based on it. However, doubt still exists. To exhaustive expound on the pathological mechanism of Aβ, rigorous analyses on the concentrations and aggregation forms are essential. Thus, it is attracting broad attention these years. However, most of the sensors have not been used in pathological studies, as the lack of the bridge between analytical chemist and pathologists. In this review, we made a brief introduce on Aβ-related pathological mechanism included in β-amyloid hypothesis to elucidate the detection conditions of sensor methods. Furthermore, a summary of the sensor methods was made, which were based on Aβ concentrations and form detections that have been developed in the past 10 years. As the greatest number of the sensors were built on fluorescent spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and Roman spectroscopy, detailed elucidation on them was made. Notably, the aggregation process is another important factor in revealing the progress of AD and developing the treatment methods, so the sensors on monitoring Aβ aggregation processes were also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangyu Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, 250353, PR China
| | - Keyin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, 250353, PR China
| | - Fangong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, 250353, PR China
| | - Mingguang Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, 250353, PR China
| | - Xiaoying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, 250353, PR China; Shandong Haizhibao Ocean Technology Co., Ltd, Weihai, Shandong, 264333, PR China.
| | - Shoujuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Materials and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, Shandong, 250353, PR China.
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12
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Vroom MM, Dodart JC. Active Immunotherapy for the Prevention of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:973. [PMID: 39340005 PMCID: PMC11435640 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12090973] [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: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) give rise to significant declines in motor, autonomic, behavioral, and cognitive functions. Of these conditions, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most prevalent, impacting over 55 million people worldwide. Given the staggering financial toll on the global economy and their widespread manifestation, NDs represent a critical issue for healthcare systems worldwide. Current treatment options merely seek to provide symptomatic relief or slow the rate of functional decline and remain financially inaccessible to many patients. Indeed, no therapy has yet demonstrated the potential to halt the trajectory of NDs, let alone reverse them. It is now recognized that brain accumulation of pathological variants of AD- or PD-associated proteins (i.e., amyloid-β, Tau, α-synuclein) begins years to decades before the onset of clinical symptoms. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to pursue therapies that prevent the neurodegenerative processes associated with pathological protein aggregation long before a clinical diagnosis can be made. These therapies must be safe, convenient, and affordable to ensure broad coverage in at-risk populations. Based on the need to intervene long before clinical symptoms appear, in this review, we present a rationale for greater investment to support the development of active immunotherapy for the prevention of the two most common NDs based on their safety profile, ability to specifically target pathological proteins, as well as the significantly lower costs associated with manufacturing and distribution, which stands to expand accessibility to millions of people globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline M Vroom
- Vaxxinity, Inc., Space Life Sciences Lab, 505 Odyssey Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953, USA
| | - Jean-Cosme Dodart
- Vaxxinity, Inc., Space Life Sciences Lab, 505 Odyssey Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953, USA
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13
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Zhang J, Zhang Y, Wang J, Xia Y, Zhang J, Chen L. Recent advances in Alzheimer's disease: Mechanisms, clinical trials and new drug development strategies. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:211. [PMID: 39174535 PMCID: PMC11344989 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01911-3] [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: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) stands as the predominant form of dementia, presenting significant and escalating global challenges. Its etiology is intricate and diverse, stemming from a combination of factors such as aging, genetics, and environment. Our current understanding of AD pathologies involves various hypotheses, such as the cholinergic, amyloid, tau protein, inflammatory, oxidative stress, metal ion, glutamate excitotoxicity, microbiota-gut-brain axis, and abnormal autophagy. Nonetheless, unraveling the interplay among these pathological aspects and pinpointing the primary initiators of AD require further elucidation and validation. In the past decades, most clinical drugs have been discontinued due to limited effectiveness or adverse effects. Presently, available drugs primarily offer symptomatic relief and often accompanied by undesirable side effects. However, recent approvals of aducanumab (1) and lecanemab (2) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) present the potential in disrease-modifying effects. Nevertheless, the long-term efficacy and safety of these drugs need further validation. Consequently, the quest for safer and more effective AD drugs persists as a formidable and pressing task. This review discusses the current understanding of AD pathogenesis, advances in diagnostic biomarkers, the latest updates of clinical trials, and emerging technologies for AD drug development. We highlight recent progress in the discovery of selective inhibitors, dual-target inhibitors, allosteric modulators, covalent inhibitors, proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) modulators. Our goal is to provide insights into the prospective development and clinical application of novel AD drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jifa Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yinglu Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, 38163, TN, USA
| | - Yilin Xia
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiaxian Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Neurology, Laboratory of Neuro-system and Multimorbidity and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China.
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14
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Piekarz J, Picheta N, Burdan O, Kurek M, Chrościńska-Krawczyk M. Phytotherapy in Alzheimer's Disease-A Narrative Review. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1812. [PMID: 39200276 PMCID: PMC11351709 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12081812] [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: 07/12/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects 50-70% of patients with dementia, making it the leading cause of dementia. The condition is classified as a neurodegenerative, progressive and incurable disease. The disease is affecting more and more people around the world. AD has a multifactorial nature, spreading from beta-amyloid deposition to inflammation in patients' brains. Patients experience cognitive impairment and functional decline. Although it is a disease that occurs mainly in the elderly, it is increasingly being diagnosed in young people between the ages of 30 and 40. It not only affects the patient themself but also reduces the quality of life of their closest caregivers. According to the WHO, the treatment of AD consumes USD 1.3 trillion globally, but it is only symptomatic, as there are no drugs to prevent the onset of AD or treat the cause of its onset. Due to the numerous side effects of therapy and the lack of proactive drugs that act on the pathomechanism of AD, alternative therapies are being sought. One possible option that has many studies confirming its effect is phytotherapy. Many herbs have pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, or neuroprotective effects, making them the future of cognitive disorders and AD treatment. This review focuses on some of the most promising herbs that have potentially potent properties and effects in AD therapy. These include Curcuma longa, Panax ginseng, Berberis and Crocus sativus. These herbs may perhaps be key in the future to make functioning and life easier for patients struggling with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Piekarz
- Students’ Scientific Association, Department of Paediatric Neurology, Medical University, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (N.P.); (O.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Natalia Picheta
- Students’ Scientific Association, Department of Paediatric Neurology, Medical University, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (N.P.); (O.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Oliwia Burdan
- Students’ Scientific Association, Department of Paediatric Neurology, Medical University, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (N.P.); (O.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Marcelina Kurek
- Students’ Scientific Association, Department of Paediatric Neurology, Medical University, 20-059 Lublin, Poland; (N.P.); (O.B.); (M.K.)
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15
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Angelucci F, Ai AR, Piendel L, Cerman J, Hort J. Integrating AI in fighting advancing Alzheimer: diagnosis, prevention, treatment, monitoring, mechanisms, and clinical trials. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 87:102857. [PMID: 38838385 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in neurology is a growing field offering opportunities to improve accuracy of diagnosis and treatment of complicated neuronal disorders, plus fostering a deeper understanding of the aetiologies of these diseases through AI-based analyses of large omics data. The most common neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer's disease (AD), is characterized by brain accumulation of specific pathological proteins, accompanied by cognitive impairment. In this review, we summarize the latest progress on the use of AI in different AD-related fields, such as analysis of neuroimaging data enabling early and accurate AD diagnosis; prediction of AD progression, identification of patients at higher risk and evaluation of new treatments; improvement of the evaluation of drug response using AI algorithms to analyze patient clinical and neuroimaging data; the development of personalized AD therapies; and the use of AI-based techniques to improve the quality of daily life of AD patients and their caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Angelucci
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Alice Ruixue Ai
- Department of Clinical Molecular Biology, University of Oslo and Akershus University Hospital, 1478 Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Lydia Piendel
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic; Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, Medical College of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jiri Cerman
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Hort
- Memory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic; INDRC, International Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Center, Prague, Czech Republic
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16
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Ma Y, Liu S, Zhou Q, Li Z, Zhang Z, Yu B. Approved drugs and natural products at clinical stages for treating Alzheimer's disease. Chin J Nat Med 2024; 22:699-710. [PMID: 39197961 DOI: 10.1016/s1875-5364(24)60606-0] [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: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains the foremost cause of dementia and represents a significant unmet healthcare need globally. The complex pathogenesis of AD, characterized by various pathological and physiological events, has historically challenged the development of anti-AD drugs. However, recent breakthroughs in AD drug development, including the approvals of aducanumab, lecanemab, and sodium oligomannate (GV-971), have ended a nearly two-decade hiatus in the introduction of new AD drugs. These developments have addressed long-standing challenges in AD drug development, marking a substantial shift in the therapeutic landscape of AD. Moreover, natural products (NPs) have shown promise in AD drug research, with several currently under clinical investigation. Their distinct properties and mechanisms of action offer new avenues to complement and enhance existing AD treatment approaches. This review article aims to provide an overview of the recent advancements and prospects in AD therapeutics, focusing on both NPs and approved drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajing Ma
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu 476000, China
| | - Sufang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Dentistry, Texas A & M University, Dallas 75246, USA
| | - Qingfeng Zhou
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu 476000, China
| | - Zhonghua Li
- Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Zhijian Zhang
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu 476000, China.
| | - Bin Yu
- College of Chemistry, Pingyuan Laboratory, State Key Laboratory of Antiviral Drugs, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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17
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Qin W, Chen D, Wang Y, Liu Z, Zhou B, Bu X, Wen G. Targeting the hydrophobic region of pyroglutamate-modified amyloid-β by tyrocidine A prevents its nucleation-aggregation process and its "catalytic effect" on the Aβs aggregation. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2024; 38:e23800. [PMID: 39132781 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024]
Abstract
Pyroglutamate (pE)-modified amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides play a crucial role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. pEAβ3-42 can rapidly form oligomers that gradually elongate hydrophobic segments to form β-sheet-rich amyloid intermediates, ultimately resulting in the formation of mature amyloid fibrils. pEAβ3-42 can also catalyze the aggregation of Aβ species and subsequently accelerate the formation of amyloid senile plaques. Considering the recent clinical success of the pEAβ3-42-targeting antibody donanemab, molecules that strongly bind pEAβ3-42 and prevent its aggregation and catalytic effect on Aβs may also provide potential therapeutic options for Alzheimer's disease. Here, we demonstrate that the natural antibiotic cyclopeptide tyrocidine A (TA) not only strongly inhibits the aggregation of Aβ1-42 as previously reported, but also interacts with the hydrophobic C-terminus and middle domain of pEAβ3-42 to maintain an unordered conformation, effectively impeding the formation of initial oligomers and subsequently halting the aggregation of pEAβ3-42. Furthermore, TA can disrupt the "catalytic effect" of pEAβ3-42 on amyloid aggregates, effectively suppressing Aβ aggregation and ultimately preventing the pathological events induced by Aβs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Qin
- Department of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Medical Innovation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Daoyuan Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Faculty of bioengineering, Zhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Youqiao Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziyi Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Binhua Zhou
- School of Chinese Ethnic Medicine, Guizhou Minzu University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xianzhang Bu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Gesi Wen
- Department of Clinical Research, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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18
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Pomilio C, Presa J, Oses C, Vinuesa A, Bentivegna M, Gregosa A, Riudavets M, Sevlever G, Galvan V, Levi V, Beauquis J, Saravia F. Loss of Direct Vascular Contact to Astrocytes in the Hippocampus as an Initial Event in Alzheimer's Disease. Evidence from Patients, In Vivo and In Vitro Experimental Models. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:5142-5160. [PMID: 38172288 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03897-5] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of aggregated amyloid peptides in the brain parenchyma and within the walls of cerebral vessels. The hippocampus-a complex brain structure with a pivotal role in learning and memory-is implicated in this disease. However, there is limited data on vascular changes during AD pathological degeneration in this susceptible structure, which has distinctive vascular traits. Our aim was to evaluate vascular alterations in the hippocampus of AD patients and PDAPP-J20 mice-a model of AD-and to determine the impact of Aβ40 and Aβ42 on endothelial cell activation. We found a loss of physical astrocyte-endothelium interaction in the hippocampus of individuals with AD as compared to non-AD donors, along with reduced vascular density. Astrocyte-endothelial interactions and levels of the tight junction protein occludin were altered early in PDAPP-J20 mice, preceding any signs of morphological changes or disruption of the blood-brain barrier in these mice. At later stages, PDAPP-J20 mice exhibited decreased vascular density in the hippocampus and leakage of fluorescent tracers, indicating dysfunction of the vasculature and the BBB. In vitro studies showed that soluble Aβ40 exposure in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) was sufficient to induce NFκB translocation to the nucleus, which may be linked with an observed reduction in occludin levels. The inhibition of the membrane receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) prevented these changes in HBMEC. Additional results suggest that Aβ42 indirectly affects the endothelium by inducing astrocytic factors. Furthermore, our results from human and mouse brain samples provide evidence for the crucial involvement of the hippocampal vasculature in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Pomilio
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - J Presa
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - C Oses
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - A Vinuesa
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Bentivegna
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - A Gregosa
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M Riudavets
- FLENI, Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas Dr Raúl Carrea, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - G Sevlever
- FLENI, Instituto de Investigaciones Neurológicas Dr Raúl Carrea, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - V Galvan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Center for Geroscience and Healthy Brain Aging, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - V Levi
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - J Beauquis
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - F Saravia
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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19
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Lista S, Imbimbo BP, Grasso M, Fidilio A, Emanuele E, Minoretti P, López-Ortiz S, Martín-Hernández J, Gabelle A, Caruso G, Malaguti M, Melchiorri D, Santos-Lozano A, Imbimbo C, Heneka MT, Caraci F. Tracking neuroinflammatory biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease: a strategy for individualized therapeutic approaches? J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:187. [PMID: 39080712 PMCID: PMC11289964 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03163-y] [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: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent trials of anti-amyloid-β (Aβ) monoclonal antibodies, including lecanemab and donanemab, in early Alzheimer disease (AD) showed that these drugs have limited clinical benefits and their use comes with a significant risk of serious adverse events. Thus, it seems crucial to explore complementary therapeutic approaches. Genome-wide association studies identified robust associations between AD and several AD risk genes related to immune response, including but not restricted to CD33 and TREM2. Here, we critically reviewed the current knowledge on candidate neuroinflammatory biomarkers and their role in characterizing the pathophysiology of AD. MAIN BODY Neuroinflammation is recognized to be a crucial and contributing component of AD pathogenesis. The fact that neuroinflammation is most likely present from earliest pre-stages of AD and co-occurs with the deposition of Aβ reinforces the need to precisely define the sequence and nature of neuroinflammatory events. Numerous clinical trials involving anti-inflammatory drugs previously yielded unfavorable outcomes in early and mild-to-moderate AD. Although the reasons behind these failures remain unclear, these may include the time and the target selected for intervention. Indeed, in our review, we observed a stage-dependent neuroinflammatory process in the AD brain. While the initial activation of glial cells counteracts early brain Aβ deposition, the downregulation in the functional state of microglia occurs at more advanced disease stages. To address this issue, personalized neuroinflammatory modulation therapy is required. The emergence of reliable blood-based neuroinflammatory biomarkers, particularly glial fibrillary acidic protein, a marker of reactive astrocytes, may facilitate the classification of AD patients based on the ATI(N) biomarker framework. This expands upon the traditional classification of Aβ ("A"), tau ("T"), and neurodegeneration ("N"), by incorporating a novel inflammatory component ("I"). CONCLUSIONS The present review outlines the current knowledge on potential neuroinflammatory biomarkers and, importantly, emphasizes the role of longitudinal analyses, which are needed to accurately monitor the dynamics of cerebral inflammation. Such a precise information on time and place will be required before anti-inflammatory therapeutic interventions can be considered for clinical evaluation. We propose that an effective anti-neuroinflammatory therapy should specifically target microglia and astrocytes, while considering the individual ATI(N) status of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Lista
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain.
| | - Bruno P Imbimbo
- Department of Research and Development, Chiesi Farmaceutici, 43122, Parma, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Susana López-Ortiz
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Juan Martín-Hernández
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Audrey Gabelle
- CMRR, Memory Resources and Research Center, Montpellier University of Excellence i-site, 34295, Montpellier, France
| | - Giuseppe Caruso
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018, Troina, Italy
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Marco Malaguti
- Department for Life Quality Studies, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Daniela Melchiorri
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Alejandro Santos-Lozano
- i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012, Valladolid, Spain
- Physical Activity and Health Research Group (PaHerg), Research Institute of the Hospital, 12 de Octubre ('imas12'), 28041, Madrid, Spain
| | - Camillo Imbimbo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Michael T Heneka
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 4367, Esch-Belval, Luxembourg.
| | - Filippo Caraci
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018, Troina, Italy.
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125, Catania, Italy.
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20
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Kelemen L, Gupta I, Yavarow Z, Smith SI, Johnson KG, Boucher NA. Clinician's perspectives on gene therapy for Alzheimer's disease: A qualitative study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307567. [PMID: 39024352 PMCID: PMC11257239 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We aimed to understand clinician views regarding gene therapy as a future treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and potential barriers and facilitators to its use. METHODS We interviewed ten clinicians who treat patients with AD. Clinicians helped design a semi-structured interview including the following domains: establishing understanding, cost/access, quality of life, and religion/spirituality. Transcripts were analyzed by a coding team using descriptive content analysis with inductive approach. RESULTS Clinicians identified three main areas of concern: 1) potential clinician and patient understanding of gene therapy and Alzheimer's disease 2) consideration of inequity (i.e., care access, disease awareness along with education level, family support, trust in care systems); and 3) considerations in decision-making (i.e., religious/spiritual beliefs and method of treatment delivery as a decision-making tools). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Findings highlight areas for knowledge-building for patients and clinicians alike. Clinicians must be aware of patient/family educational needs and gaps in their own clinical knowledge before engaging patients/families with new technology. Allowing time for questions is crucial to building rapport and trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilly Kelemen
- Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Ishika Gupta
- Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | | | - Samantha I Smith
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Kim G Johnson
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Nathan A Boucher
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States of America
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21
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Shen Y, Zhao M, Zhao P, Meng L, Zhang Y, Zhang G, Taishi Y, Sun L. Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of lithium in Alzheimer's disease: repurposing an old class of drugs. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1408462. [PMID: 39055498 PMCID: PMC11269163 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1408462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cognitive decline and memory loss. Despite advances in understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of AD, effective treatments remain scarce. Lithium salts, recognized as mood stabilizers in bipolar disorder, have been extensively studied for their neuroprotective effects. Several studies indicate that lithium may be a disease-modifying agent in the treatment of AD. Lithium's neuroprotective properties in AD by acting on multiple neuropathological targets, such as reducing amyloid deposition and tau phosphorylation, enhancing autophagy, neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity, regulating cholinergic and glucose metabolism, inhibiting neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis, while preserving mitochondrial function. Clinical trials have demonstrated that lithium therapy can improve cognitive function in patients with AD. In particular, meta-analyses have shown that lithium may be a more effective and safer treatment than the recently FDA-approved aducanumab for improving cognitive function in patients with AD. The affordability and therapeutic efficacy of lithium have prompted a reassessment of its use. However, the use of lithium may lead to potential side effects and safety issues, which may limit its clinical application. Currently, several new lithium formulations are undergoing clinical trials to improve safety and efficacy. This review focuses on lithium's mechanism of action in treating AD, highlighting the latest advances in preclinical studies and clinical trials. It also explores the side effects of lithium therapy and coping strategies, offering a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxin Shen
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Meng Zhao
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Panpan Zhao
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Lingjie Meng
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Guimei Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Yezi Taishi
- Department of Cadre Ward, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
| | - Li Sun
- Department of Neurology and Neuroscience Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
- Cognitive Center, Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
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22
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Gaire BP, Koronyo Y, Fuchs DT, Shi H, Rentsendorj A, Danziger R, Vit JP, Mirzaei N, Doustar J, Sheyn J, Hampel H, Vergallo A, Davis MR, Jallow O, Baldacci F, Verdooner SR, Barron E, Mirzaei M, Gupta VK, Graham SL, Tayebi M, Carare RO, Sadun AA, Miller CA, Dumitrascu OM, Lahiri S, Gao L, Black KL, Koronyo-Hamaoui M. Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology in the Retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2024; 101:101273. [PMID: 38759947 PMCID: PMC11285518 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2024.101273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
The retina is an emerging CNS target for potential noninvasive diagnosis and tracking of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Studies have identified the pathological hallmarks of AD, including amyloid β-protein (Aβ) deposits and abnormal tau protein isoforms, in the retinas of AD patients and animal models. Moreover, structural and functional vascular abnormalities such as reduced blood flow, vascular Aβ deposition, and blood-retinal barrier damage, along with inflammation and neurodegeneration, have been described in retinas of patients with mild cognitive impairment and AD dementia. Histological, biochemical, and clinical studies have demonstrated that the nature and severity of AD pathologies in the retina and brain correspond. Proteomics analysis revealed a similar pattern of dysregulated proteins and biological pathways in the retina and brain of AD patients, with enhanced inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes, impaired oxidative-phosphorylation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Notably, investigational imaging technologies can now detect AD-specific amyloid deposits, as well as vasculopathy and neurodegeneration in the retina of living AD patients, suggesting alterations at different disease stages and links to brain pathology. Current and exploratory ophthalmic imaging modalities, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), OCT-angiography, confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, and hyperspectral imaging, may offer promise in the clinical assessment of AD. However, further research is needed to deepen our understanding of AD's impact on the retina and its progression. To advance this field, future studies require replication in larger and diverse cohorts with confirmed AD biomarkers and standardized retinal imaging techniques. This will validate potential retinal biomarkers for AD, aiding in early screening and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhakta Prasad Gaire
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yosef Koronyo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dieu-Trang Fuchs
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Haoshen Shi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Altan Rentsendorj
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ron Danziger
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Vit
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nazanin Mirzaei
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jonah Doustar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Julia Sheyn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Harald Hampel
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Andrea Vergallo
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Miyah R Davis
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ousman Jallow
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Filippo Baldacci
- Sorbonne University, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France; Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Neurology Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Ernesto Barron
- Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Vivek K Gupta
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Department of Clinical Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mourad Tayebi
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Roxana O Carare
- Department of Clinical Neuroanatomy, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carol A Miller
- Department of Pathology Program in Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Shouri Lahiri
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Liang Gao
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Keith L Black
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
- Department of Neurosurgery, Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Applied Cell Biology and Physiology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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23
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Schweickart A, Batra R, Neth BJ, Martino C, Shenhav L, Zhang AR, Shi P, Karu N, Huynh K, Meikle PJ, Schimmel L, Dilmore AH, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Blach C, Dorrestein PC, Knight R, Craft S, Kaddurah-Daouk R, Krumsiek J. Serum and CSF metabolomics analysis shows Mediterranean Ketogenic Diet mitigates risk factors of Alzheimer's disease. NPJ METABOLIC HEALTH AND DISEASE 2024; 2:15. [PMID: 38962750 PMCID: PMC11216994 DOI: 10.1038/s44324-024-00016-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is influenced by a variety of modifiable risk factors, including a person's dietary habits. While the ketogenic diet (KD) holds promise in reducing metabolic risks and potentially affecting AD progression, only a few studies have explored KD's metabolic impact, especially on blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Our study involved participants at risk for AD, either cognitively normal or with mild cognitive impairment. The participants consumed both a modified Mediterranean Ketogenic Diet (MMKD) and the American Heart Association diet (AHAD) for 6 weeks each, separated by a 6-week washout period. We employed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics to profile serum and CSF and metagenomics profiling on fecal samples. While the AHAD induced no notable metabolic changes, MMKD led to significant alterations in both serum and CSF. These changes included improved modifiable risk factors, like increased HDL-C and reduced BMI, reversed serum metabolic disturbances linked to AD such as a microbiome-mediated increase in valine levels, and a reduction in systemic inflammation. Additionally, the MMKD was linked to increased amino acid levels in the CSF, a breakdown of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and decreased valine levels. Importantly, we observed a strong correlation between metabolic changes in the CSF and serum, suggesting a systemic regulation of metabolism. Our findings highlight that MMKD can improve AD-related risk factors, reverse some metabolic disturbances associated with AD, and align metabolic changes across the blood-CSF barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalise Schweickart
- Tri-Institutional Program in Computational Biology & Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Richa Batra
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Bryan J. Neth
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
| | - Cameron Martino
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Liat Shenhav
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Anru R. Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Pixu Shi
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Naama Karu
- Tasmanian Independent Metabolomics and Analytical Chemistry Solutions (TIMACS), Hobart, TAS Australia
| | - Kevin Huynh
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiovascular Research Translation and Implementation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC Australia
| | - Peter J. Meikle
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiovascular Research Translation and Implementation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC Australia
| | - Leyla Schimmel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | | | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Colette Blach
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Pieter C. Dorrestein
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Departments of Pediatrics, Computer Science and Engineering, Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Alzheimer’s Gut Microbiome Project Consortium
- Tri-Institutional Program in Computational Biology & Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
- Tasmanian Independent Metabolomics and Analytical Chemistry Solutions (TIMACS), Hobart, TAS Australia
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiovascular Research Translation and Implementation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC Australia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
- Departments of Pediatrics, Computer Science and Engineering, Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC USA
- Duke Institute of Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Suzanne Craft
- Department of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC USA
| | - Rima Kaddurah-Daouk
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
- Duke Institute of Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Jan Krumsiek
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medicine, Institute for Computational Biomedicine, Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, New York, NY USA
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24
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Yin X, Zhou H, Cao T, Yang X, Meng F, Dai X, Wang Y, Li S, Zhai W, Yang Z, Chen N, Zhou R. Rational Design of Dual-Functionalized Gd@C 82 Nanoparticles to Relieve Neuronal Cytotoxicity in Alzheimer's Disease via Inhibition of Aβ Aggregation. ACS NANO 2024; 18:15416-15431. [PMID: 38840269 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c08823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides is a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and plays a crucial role in its pathogenesis. Particularly, the structured oligomeric species rich in β-sheet formations were implicated in neuronal organelle damage. Addressing this formidable challenge requires identifying candidates capable of inhibiting peptide aggregation or disaggregating preformed oligomers for effective antiaggregation-based AD therapy. Here, we present a dual-functional nanoinhibitor meticulously designed to target the aggregation driving force and amyloid fibril spatial structure. Leveraging the exceptional structural stability and facile tailoring capability of endohedral metallofullerene Gd@C82, we introduce desired hydrogen-binding sites and charged groups, which are abundant on its surface for specific designs. Impressively, these designs endow the resultant functionalized-Gd@C82 nanoparticles (f-Gd@C82 NPs) with high capability of redirecting peptide self-assembly toward disordered, off-pathway species, obstructing the early growth of protofibrils, and disaggregating the preformed well-ordered protofibrils or even mature Aβ fibrils. This results in considerable alleviation of Aβ peptide-induced neuronal cytotoxicity, rescuing neuronal death and synaptic loss in primary neuron models. Notably, these modifications significantly improved the dispersibility of f-Gd@C82 NPs, thus substantially enhancing its bioavailability. Moreover, f-Gd@C82 NPs demonstrate excellent cytocompatibility with various cell lines and possess the ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier in mice. Large-scale molecular dynamics simulations illuminate the inhibition and disaggregation mechanisms. Our design successfully overcomes the limitations of other nanocandidates, which often overly rely on hydrophobic interactions or photothermal conversion properties, and offers a viable direction for developing anti-AD agents through the inhibition and even reversal of Aβ aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuhua Yin
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Hong Zhou
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Tiantian Cao
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- Suzhou Institute of Trade and Commerce, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Xiner Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Fei Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xing Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sijie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Wangsong Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Zaixing Yang
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, School for Radiological and Interdisciplinary Sciences (RAD-X), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ning Chen
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Ruhong Zhou
- Institute of Quantitative Biology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
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25
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Hovakimyan A, Chilingaryan G, King O, Capocchi JK, Chadarevian JP, Davtyan H, Kniazev R, Agadjanyan MG, Ghochikyan A. mRNA Vaccine for Alzheimer's Disease: Pilot Study. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:659. [PMID: 38932388 PMCID: PMC11209092 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12060659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The escalating global healthcare challenge posed by Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and compounded by the lack of effective treatments emphasizes the urgent need for innovative approaches to combat this devastating disease. Currently, passive and active immunotherapies remain the most promising strategy for AD. FDA-approved lecanemab significantly reduces Aβ aggregates from the brains of early AD patients administered biweekly with this humanized monoclonal antibody. Although the clinical benefits noted in these trials have been modest, researchers have emphasized the importance of preventive immunotherapy. Importantly, data from immunotherapy studies have shown that antibody concentrations in the periphery of vaccinated people should be sufficient for targeting Aβ in the CNS. To generate relatively high concentrations of antibodies in vaccinated people at risk of AD, we generated a universal vaccine platform, MultiTEP, and, based on it, developed a DNA vaccine, AV-1959D, targeting pathological Aβ, completed IND enabling studies, and initiated a Phase I clinical trial with early AD volunteers. Our current pilot study combined our advanced MultiTEP technology with a novel mRNA approach to develop an mRNA vaccine encapsulated in lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs), AV-1959LR. Here, we report our initial findings on the immunogenicity of 1959LR in mice and non-human primates, comparing it with the immunogenicity of its DNA counterpart, AV-1959D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armine Hovakimyan
- The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (A.H.); (G.C.); (O.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Garri Chilingaryan
- The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (A.H.); (G.C.); (O.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Olga King
- The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (A.H.); (G.C.); (O.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Joia Kai Capocchi
- The Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, The University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (J.K.C.)
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Jean Paul Chadarevian
- The Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, The University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (J.K.C.)
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Hayk Davtyan
- The Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, The University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (J.K.C.)
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Roman Kniazev
- The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (A.H.); (G.C.); (O.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Michael G. Agadjanyan
- The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (A.H.); (G.C.); (O.K.); (R.K.)
| | - Anahit Ghochikyan
- The Institute for Molecular Medicine, Huntington Beach, CA 92647, USA; (A.H.); (G.C.); (O.K.); (R.K.)
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26
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Lee HJ, Choi HJ, Jeong YJ, Na YH, Hong JT, Han JM, Hoe HS, Lim KH. Developing theragnostics for Alzheimer's disease: Insights from cancer treatment. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 269:131925. [PMID: 38685540 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131925] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its associated economic and societal burdens are on the rise, but there are no curative treatments for AD. Interestingly, this neurodegenerative disease shares several biological and pathophysiological features with cancer, including cell-cycle dysregulation, angiogenesis, mitochondrial dysfunction, protein misfolding, and DNA damage. However, the genetic factors contributing to the overlap in biological processes between cancer and AD have not been actively studied. In this review, we discuss the shared biological features of cancer and AD, the molecular targets of anticancer drugs, and therapeutic approaches. First, we outline the common biological features of cancer and AD. Second, we describe several anticancer drugs, their molecular targets, and their effects on AD pathology. Finally, we discuss how protein-protein interactions (PPIs), receptor inhibition, immunotherapy, and gene therapy can be exploited for the cure and management of both cancer and AD. Collectively, this review provides insights for the development of AD theragnostics based on cancer drugs and molecular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyun-Ju Lee
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Hee-Jeong Choi
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoo Joo Jeong
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), 333, Techno jungang-daero, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon-Hee Na
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju-si 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Tae Hong
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju-si 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Min Han
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju-si 28160, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hyang-Sook Hoe
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KBRI), 61, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST), 333, Techno jungang-daero, Hyeonpung-eup, Dalseong-gun, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea.
| | - Key-Hwan Lim
- College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju-si 28160, Republic of Korea.
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27
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Zhao P, Wu T, Tian Y, You J, Cui X. Recent advances of focused ultrasound induced blood-brain barrier opening for clinical applications of neurodegenerative diseases. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 209:115323. [PMID: 38653402 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115323] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
With the aging population on the rise, neurodegenerative disorders have taken center stage as a significant health concern. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role to maintain the stability of central nervous system, yet it poses a formidable obstacle to delivering drugs for neurodegenerative disease therapy. Various methods have been devised to confront this challenge, each carrying its own set of limitations. One particularly promising noninvasive approach involves the utilization of focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with contrast agents-microbubbles (MBs) to achieve transient and reversible BBB opening. This review provides a comprehensive exploration of the fundamental mechanisms behind FUS/MBs-mediated BBB opening and spotlights recent breakthroughs in its application for neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, it addresses the current challenges and presents future perspectives in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxuan Zhao
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; School of Pharmacy, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Tiantian Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Yu Tian
- Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Jia You
- School of Pharmacy, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Tropical Herbs, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Xinwu Cui
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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Song T, Wang Y, Silverglate BD, Grossberg GT. Pharmacokinetic evaluation of donanemab for the treatment of Alzheimer's. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2024; 20:411-417. [PMID: 38758223 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2024.2357637] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Donanemab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that significantly reduces cerebral amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). It can delay disease progression and cognitive decline, making it one of the most promising disease-modifying treatments in the current treatment landscape. AREAS COVERED This paper covers the current literature available on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and tolerability of donanemab. Publications from PubMed and Google were reviewed. A summary of regulatory approvals and current clinical data is also provided. EXPERT OPINION/COMMENTARY Donanemab as a therapy for AD has more effective disease-modifying effects compared to lecanemab. Donanemab appears generally well-tolerated; however, it may have higher rates of severe side effects, such as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), that could lead to death. Guidelines for frequency of MRI monitoring for ARIA/safety are pending but will be integral to determining its use. Despite some limitations, donanemab is expected to receive FDA approval, giving clinicians access to another disease-modifying drug. Overall, more data is needed about donanemab, especially relating to safety, efficacy, cost, and integration with other treatments, but its development signifies progress in AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Song
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Yunfei Wang
- Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - George T Grossberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Zhang L, Cao K, Xie J, Liang X, Gong H, Luo Q, Luo H. Aβ 42 and ROS dual-targeted multifunctional nanocomposite for combination therapy of Alzheimer's disease. J Nanobiotechnology 2024; 22:278. [PMID: 38783363 PMCID: PMC11112798 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-024-02543-z] [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: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) readily misfolds into neurotoxic aggregates, generating high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to progressive oxidative damage and ultimately cell death. Therefore, simultaneous inhibition of Aβ aggregation and scavenging of ROS may be a promising therapeutic strategy to alleviate Alzheimer's disease pathology. Based on the previously developed antibody 1F12 that targets all forms of Aβ42, we developed an Aβ42 and ROS dual-targeting nanocomposite using biodegradable mesoporous silica nanoparticles as carriers to load ultra-small cerium oxide nanocrystals (bMSNs@Ce-1F12). By modifying the brain-targeted rabies virus glycoprotein 29 (RVG29-bMSNs@Ce-1F12), this intelligent nanocomposite can efficiently target brain Aβ-rich regions. Combined with peripheral and central nervous system treatments, RVG29-bMSNs@Ce-1F12 can significantly alleviate AD symptoms by inhibiting Aβ42 misfolding, accelerating Aβ42 clearance, and scavenging ROS. Furthermore, this synergistic effect of ROS scavenging and Aβ clearance exhibited by this Aβ42 and ROS dual-targeted strategy also reduced the burden of hyperphosphorylated tau, alleviated glial cell activation, and ultimately improved cognitive function in APP/PS1 mice. Our findings indicate that RVG29-bMSNs@Ce-1F12 is a promising nanodrug that can facilitate multi-target treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liding Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Kai Cao
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Jun Xie
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Xiaohan Liang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Hui Gong
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Qingming Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China.
| | - Haiming Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China.
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- Research Unit of Multimodal Cross Scale Neural Signal Detection and Imaging, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China.
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Wang Y, Cao Y, Huang H, Xue Y, Chen S, Gao X. DHEC mesylate attenuates pathologies and aberrant bisecting N-glycosylation in Alzheimer's disease models. Neuropharmacology 2024; 248:109863. [PMID: 38325771 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109863] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Tremendous progress has been made to develop the therapy of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Existing several anti-AD remedies, with certain limitations, are far from adequate. Evidence suggests that dihydroergocristine (DHEC) mesylate, one of the main components of Ergoloid mesylates, can reduce the production of amyloid-β in vitro. However, the therapeutic effect of DHEC mesylate in AD and its underlying mechanism are still largely unknown. Herein, we characterized the pharmacological effect of DHEC mesylate in AD and found that the spatial memory disorders and Alzheimer-type pathologies were alleviated by DHEC mesylate administration. Moreover, we demonstrated that DHEC mesylate improved aberrant bisecting N-glycosylation, which was identified as a potential biomarker of AD. We further explored the underlying mechanism and confirmed that DHEC mesylate protected against AD via AMPK and ERK signaling, in which, AMPK was the dominant down-stream molecule of DHEC mesylate. In summary, our findings provide foundations for development of DHEC mesylate as a therapeutic approach for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yiming Cao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongfei Huang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue Xue
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Song Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Xiangdong Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
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Gomez-Sequeda N, Jimenez-Del-Rio M, Velez-Pardo C. Combination of Tramiprosate, Curcumin, and SP600125 Reduces the Neuropathological Phenotype in Familial Alzheimer Disease PSEN1 I416T Cholinergic-like Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4925. [PMID: 38732141 PMCID: PMC11084854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094925] [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: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is a complex and multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder for which no curative therapies are yet available. Indeed, no single medication or intervention has proven fully effective thus far. Therefore, the combination of multitarget agents has been appealing as a potential therapeutic approach against FAD. Here, we investigated the potential of combining tramiprosate (TM), curcumin (CU), and the JNK inhibitor SP600125 (SP) as a treatment for FAD. The study analyzed the individual and combined effects of these two natural agents and this pharmacological inhibitor on the accumulation of intracellular amyloid beta iAβ; hyperphosphorylated protein TAU at Ser202/Thr205; mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm); generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); oxidized protein DJ-1; proapoptosis proteins p-c-JUN at Ser63/Ser73, TP53, and cleaved caspase 3 (CC3); and deficiency in acetylcholine (ACh)-induced transient Ca2+ influx response in cholinergic-like neurons (ChLNs) bearing the mutation I416T in presenilin 1 (PSEN1 I416T). We found that single doses of TM (50 μM), CU (10 μM), or SP (1 μM) were efficient at reducing some, but not all, pathological markers in PSEN 1 I416T ChLNs, whereas a combination of TM, CU, and SP at a high (50, 10, 1 μM) concentration was efficient in diminishing the iAβ, p-TAU Ser202/Thr205, DJ-1Cys106-SO3, and CC3 markers by -50%, -75%, -86%, and -100%, respectively, in PSEN1 I417T ChLNs. Although combinations at middle (10, 2, 0.2) and low (5, 1, 0.1) concentrations significantly diminished p-TAU Ser202/Thr205, DJ-1Cys106-SO3, and CC3 by -69% and -38%, -100% and -62%, -100% and -62%, respectively, these combinations did not alter the iAβ compared to untreated mutant ChLNs. Moreover, a combination of reagents at H concentration was able to restore the dysfunctional ACh-induced Ca2+ influx response in PSEN 1 I416T. Our data suggest that the use of multitarget agents in combination with anti-amyloid (TM, CU), antioxidant (e.g., CU), and antiapoptotic (TM, CU, SP) actions might be beneficial for reducing iAβ-induced ChLN damage in FAD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carlos Velez-Pardo
- Neuroscience Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Research, University of Antioquia, University Research Headquarters, Calle 62#52-59, Building 1, Laboratory 411/412, Medellin 050010, Colombia; (N.G.-S.); (M.J.-D.-R.)
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Yu S, Guo F, Luo Y, Zhang X, Wang C, Liu Y, Zhang H. Electropositive Citric Acid-Polyethyleneimine Carbon Dots Carrying the PINK1 Gene Regulate ATP-Related Metabolic Dysfunction in APP/PS1-N2a Cells. Molecules 2024; 29:1907. [PMID: 38731398 PMCID: PMC11085363 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29091907] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction during the early stage of disease. PINK1 regulates the balance between mitochondrial homeostasis and bioenergy supply and demand via the PINK1/Parkin pathway, Na+/Ca2+ exchange, and other pathways. (2) Methods: In this study, we synthesized positively charged carbon dots (CA-PEI CDs) using citric acid (CA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) and used them as vectors to express PINK1 genes in the APP/PS1-N2a cell line to determine mitochondrial function, electron transport chain (ETC) activity, and ATP-related metabolomics. (3) Results: Our findings showed that the CA-PEI CDs exhibit the characteristics of photoluminescence, low toxicity, and concentrated DNA. They are ideal biological carriers for gene delivery. PINK1 overexpression significantly increased the mitochondrial membrane potential in APP/PS1-N2a cells and reduced reactive-oxygen-species generation and Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 levels. An increase in the activity of NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I, CI) and cytochrome C oxidase (complex IV, CIV) induces the oxidative phosphorylation of mitochondria, increasing ATP generation. (4) Conclusions: These findings indicate that the PINK gene can alleviate AD by increasing bioenergetic metabolism, reducing Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42, and increasing ATP production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Yu
- Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Health Translational Medicine Research Center in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Feng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Health Translational Medicine Research Center in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Yuzhen Luo
- Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Health Translational Medicine Research Center in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Xingfang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Health Translational Medicine Research Center in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Chenyu Wang
- Clinical Medical College, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, China
| | - Yiheng Liu
- Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, Haikou 571199, China
| | - Haiying Zhang
- Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Intervention, Hainan Medical University, Haikou 571199, China
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Pelegrini LNDC, da Silva VA, Grigoli MM, Vatanabe IP, Manzine PR, Cominetti MR. Plasma ADAM10 Levels and Their Association with Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis in Older Adults with Fewer Years of Formal Education. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2024; 53:153-161. [PMID: 38583419 DOI: 10.1159/000538630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Low educational attainment is a potential risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) development. Alpha-secretase ADAM10 plays a central role in AD pathology, attenuating the formation of beta-amyloid peptides and, therefore, their aggregation into senile plaques. This study seeks to investigate ADAM10 as a blood-based biomarker in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD in a diverse group of community-dwelling older adults, focusing on those with limited educational attainment. METHODS Participants were recruited from public health services. Cognition was evaluated using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination - Revised (ACE-R) batteries. Blood samples were collected to analyze plasma ADAM10 levels. A logistic regression was conducted to verify the influence of plasma ADAM10 on the AD diagnosis. RESULTS Significant differences in age, years of education, prescribed medications, and cognitive test scores were found between the MCI and AD groups. Regarding cognitive performance, both ACE-R and MMSE scores displayed significant differences between groups, with post hoc analyses highlighting these distinctions, particularly between AD and cognitively unimpaired individuals. Elevated plasma ADAM10 levels were associated with a 4.5-fold increase in the likelihood of a diagnosis of MCI and a 5.9-fold increase in the likelihood of a diagnosis of AD. These findings suggest ADAM10 levels in plasma as a valuable biomarker for assessing cognitive status in older individuals with low education attainment. CONCLUSION This study underscores the potential utility of plasma ADAM10 levels as a blood-based biomarker for cognitive status, especially in individuals with low educational backgrounds, shedding light on their relevance in AD development and diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Izabela Pereira Vatanabe
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Marcia Regina Cominetti
- Department of Gerontology, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil,
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland,
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Machado Reyes D, Chao H, Hahn J, Shen L, Yan P. Identifying Progression-Specific Alzheimer's Subtypes Using Multimodal Transformer. J Pers Med 2024; 14:421. [PMID: 38673048 PMCID: PMC11051083 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14040421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, yet its current treatments are limited to stopping disease progression. Moreover, the effectiveness of these treatments remains uncertain due to the heterogeneity of the disease. Therefore, it is essential to identify disease subtypes at a very early stage. Current data-driven approaches can be used to classify subtypes during later stages of AD or related disorders, but making predictions in the asymptomatic or prodromal stage is challenging. Furthermore, the classifications of most existing models lack explainability, and these models rely solely on a single modality for assessment, limiting the scope of their analysis. Thus, we propose a multimodal framework that utilizes early-stage indicators, including imaging, genetics, and clinical assessments, to classify AD patients into progression-specific subtypes at an early stage. In our framework, we introduce a tri-modal co-attention mechanism (Tri-COAT) to explicitly capture cross-modal feature associations. Data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) (slow progressing = 177, intermediate = 302, and fast = 15) were used to train and evaluate Tri-COAT using a 10-fold stratified cross-testing approach. Our proposed model outperforms baseline models and sheds light on essential associations across multimodal features supported by known biological mechanisms. The multimodal design behind Tri-COAT allows it to achieve the highest classification area under the receiver operating characteristic curve while simultaneously providing interpretability to the model predictions through the co-attention mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Machado Reyes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (D.M.R.); (H.C.); (J.H.)
| | - Hanqing Chao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (D.M.R.); (H.C.); (J.H.)
| | - Juergen Hahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (D.M.R.); (H.C.); (J.H.)
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Pingkun Yan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA; (D.M.R.); (H.C.); (J.H.)
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Sato K, Niimi Y, Ihara R, Iwata A, Ikeuchi T, Iwatsubo T. Advertisement by medical facilities as an opportunity route of APOE genetic testing in Japan: a website analysis. J Community Genet 2024; 15:195-204. [PMID: 38225507 PMCID: PMC11031550 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-024-00697-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The APOE-ε4 allele(s) is a strong risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). A significant point of access for this allele testing is through services provided by medical facilities in Japan, which advertise out-of-insurance APOE testing on their websites. There is a concern that website advertisements for APOE testing may influence the ability for individuals to adequately self-determine whether to undergo APOE testing. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on medical facility websites in Japan advertising APOE genetic testing. We predefined desirable features for advertisement descriptions based on legal regulations and guidelines published by relevant professional societies and evaluated each website according to these features. We identified 220 medical facilities that had posted advertisements on their websites for the provision of APOE genetic testing, of which 85% were small clinics. Contact information, details, and costs of testing were described in most of the websites. Meanwhile, features such as "explaining APOE as a risk gene," "notes on interpreting APOE results," or "explaining examination methods" (e.g., blood sampling) were described to a variable degree depending on individual facilities. "Notes on genetic testing" or "referring to genetic counseling" were hardly referred to, and specialists with appropriate expertise were considered to participate in clinical practice in approximately one-third of these facilities providing APOE testing services. These website evaluation results showed moderate to substantial reliability between independent raters. These results suggest that self-determination of pursuing out-of-insurance APOE testing at some medical facilities in Japan may possibly be influenced in an inappropriate manner, at least in its entry route of taking the test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichiro Sato
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
- Unit for Early and Exploratory Clinical Development, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
| | - Yoshiki Niimi
- Unit for Early and Exploratory Clinical Development, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan
| | - Ryoko Ihara
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Sakaecho 35-2, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan
| | - Atsushi Iwata
- Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Sakaecho 35-2, Itabashi-Ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan
| | - Takeshi Ikeuchi
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Asahimachidori 1-757, Chuo-Ku, Niigata, 951-8585, Japan
| | - Takeshi Iwatsubo
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
- Unit for Early and Exploratory Clinical Development, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
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Rymbai E, Sugumar D, Chakkittukandiyil A, Kothandan R, Selvaraj D. Molecular insights into the potential effects of selective estrogen receptor β agonists in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Cell Biochem Funct 2024; 42:e4014. [PMID: 38616346 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.4014] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are the most common neurodegenerative disorders. Pathologically, AD and PD are characterized by the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Hence, they are also called as proteinopathy diseases. Gender is considered as one of the risk factors in both diseases. Estrogens are widely accepted to be neuroprotective in several neurodegenerative disorders. Estrogens can be produced in the central nervous system, where they are called as neurosteroids. Estrogens mediate their neuroprotective action mainly through their actions on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and estrogen receptor beta (ERβ). However, ERα is mainly involved in the growth and development of the primary and secondary sexual organs in females. Hence, the activation of ERα is associated with undesired side effects such as gynecomastia and increase in the risk of breast cancer, thromboembolism, and feminization. Therefore, selective activation of ERβ is often considered to be safer. In this review, we explore the role of ERβ in regulating the expression and functions of AD- and PD-associated genes. Additionally, we discuss the association of these genes with the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ) and α-synuclein mediated toxicity. Ultimately, we established a correlation between the importance of ERβ activation and the process underlying ERβ's neuroprotective mechanisms in AD and PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emdormi Rymbai
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Deepa Sugumar
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Amritha Chakkittukandiyil
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Ram Kothandan
- Department of Biotechnology, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Divakar Selvaraj
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India
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Akhtar A, Singh S, Kaushik R, Awasthi R, Behl T. Types of memory, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and their various pathological cascades as targets for potential pharmacological drugs. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 96:102289. [PMID: 38582379 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102289] [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: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia accounting for 90% of cases; however, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, etc. prevails only in a minority of populations. The term dementia is defined as loss of memory which further takes several other categories of memories like working memory, spatial memory, fear memory, and long-term, and short-term memory into consideration. In this review, these memories have critically been elaborated based on context, duration, events, appearance, intensity, etc. The most important part and purpose of the review is the various pathological cascades as well as molecular levels of targets of AD, which have extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau protein as major disease hallmarks. There is another phenomenon that either leads to or arises from the above-mentioned hallmarks, such as oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, neuroinflammation, cholinergic dysfunction, and insulin resistance. Several potential drugs like antioxidants, anti-inflammatory drugs, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, insulin mimetics or sensitizers, etc. studied in various previous preclinical or clinical reports were put as having the capacity to act on these pathological targets. Additionally, agents directly or indirectly targeting amyloid and tau were also discussed. This could be further investigated in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansab Akhtar
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Neuroscience Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
| | - Siddharth Singh
- School of Health Sciences & Technology, UPES University, Bidholi, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Ravinder Kaushik
- School of Health Sciences & Technology, UPES University, Bidholi, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Rajendra Awasthi
- School of Health Sciences & Technology, UPES University, Bidholi, Dehradun, Uttarakhand 248007, India
| | - Tapan Behl
- Amity School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Amity University, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
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McDiarmid AH, Gospodinova KO, Elliott RJR, Dawson JC, Graham RE, El-Daher MT, Anderson SM, Glen SC, Glerup S, Carragher NO, Evans KL. Morphological profiling in human neural progenitor cells classifies hits in a pilot drug screen for Alzheimer's disease. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae101. [PMID: 38576795 PMCID: PMC10994270 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60-70% of dementia cases. Current treatments are inadequate and there is a need to develop new approaches to drug discovery. Recently, in cancer, morphological profiling has been used in combination with high-throughput screening of small-molecule libraries in human cells in vitro. To test feasibility of this approach for Alzheimer's disease, we developed a cell morphology-based drug screen centred on the risk gene, SORL1 (which encodes the protein SORLA). Increased Alzheimer's disease risk has been repeatedly linked to variants in SORL1, particularly those conferring loss or decreased expression of SORLA, and lower SORL1 levels are observed in post-mortem brain samples from individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Consistent with its role in the endolysosomal pathway, SORL1 deletion is associated with enlarged endosomes in neural progenitor cells and neurons. We, therefore, hypothesized that multi-parametric, image-based cell phenotyping would identify features characteristic of SORL1 deletion. An automated morphological profiling method (Cell Painting) was adapted to neural progenitor cells and used to determine the phenotypic response of SORL1-/- neural progenitor cells to treatment with compounds from a small internationally approved drug library (TargetMol, 330 compounds). We detected distinct phenotypic signatures for SORL1-/- neural progenitor cells compared to isogenic wild-type controls. Furthermore, we identified 16 compounds (representing 14 drugs) that reversed the mutant morphological signatures in neural progenitor cells derived from three SORL1-/- induced pluripotent stem cell sub-clones. Network pharmacology analysis revealed the 16 compounds belonged to five mechanistic groups: 20S proteasome, aldehyde dehydrogenase, topoisomerase I and II, and DNA synthesis inhibitors. Enrichment analysis identified DNA synthesis/damage/repair, proteases/proteasome and metabolism as key pathways/biological processes. Prediction of novel targets revealed enrichment in pathways associated with neural cell function and Alzheimer's disease. Overall, this work suggests that (i) a quantitative phenotypic metric can distinguish induced pluripotent stem cell-derived SORL1-/- neural progenitor cells from isogenic wild-type controls and (ii) phenotypic screening combined with multi-parametric high-content image analysis is a viable option for drug repurposing and discovery in this human neural cell model of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amina H McDiarmid
- Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Katerina O Gospodinova
- Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Richard J R Elliott
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - John C Dawson
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Rebecca E Graham
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Marie-Therese El-Daher
- Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Susan M Anderson
- Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Sophie C Glen
- Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Simon Glerup
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Neil O Carragher
- Cancer Research UK Scotland Centre, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Kathryn L Evans
- Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
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Qiao Y, Gu J, Yu M, Chi Y, Ma Y. Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Monoclonal Antibodies for Cognitive Decline in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. CNS Drugs 2024; 38:169-192. [PMID: 38429615 DOI: 10.1007/s40263-024-01067-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent clinical trials of anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease (AD) have produced encouraging cognitive and clinical results. The purpose of this network meta-analysis (NMA) was to compare and rank mAb drugs according to their efficacy and safety. METHODS PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials testing various mAbs for the treatment of cognitive decline in patients with AD, up to March 31, 2023. R software (version 4.2.3) along with JAGS and STATA software (version 15.0) were used for statistical analysis. Odds ratio (OR) for binary variables, mean difference (MD) for continuous variables, and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were utilized to estimate treatment effects and rank probabilities for each mAb in terms of safety and efficacy outcomes. We calculated the surface under the cumulative ranking area (SUCRA) to evaluate each mAb, with higher SUCRA values indicating better efficacy or lower likelihood of adverse events. RESULTS Thirty-three randomized controlled trials with a total of 21,087 patients were included in the current NMA, involving eight different mAbs. SUCRA values showed that aducanumab (87.01% and 99.37%, respectively) was the most likely to achieve the best therapeutic effect based on the changes of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) scores. Donanemab (88.50% and 99.00%, respectively) performed better than other therapies for Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) and Positron Emission Tomography-Standardized Uptake Value ratio (PET-SUVr). Lecanemab (87.24%) may be the most promising way to slow down the decrease of Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living (ADCS-ADL) score. In the analysis of the incidence of adverse events (subjects with any treatment-emergent adverse event), gantenerumab (89.12%) had the least potential for adverse events, while lecanemab (0.79%) may cause more adverse events. Solanezumab (95.75% and 80.38%, respectively) had the lowest incidence of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities characterized by edema and effusion (ARIA-E) and by cerebral microhemorrhages (ARIA-H) of the included immunotherapies. While SUCRA values provided a comprehensive measure of treatment efficacy, the inherent statistical uncertainty required careful analysis in clinical application. CONCLUSION Despite immunotherapies significantly increasing the risks of adverse events and ARIA, the data suggest that mAbs can effectively improve the cognitive function of patients with mild and moderate AD. According to the NMA, aducanumab was the most likely to achieve significant improvements in different cognitive and clinical assessments (statistically improved MMSE and CDR-SB), followed by donanemab (statistically improved ADAS-Cog, and PET-SUVr) and lecanemab (statistically improved ADCS-ADL).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Qiao
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning, China
| | - Jian Gu
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning, China
| | - Miao Yu
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning, China
| | - Yuewei Chi
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning, China
| | - Ying Ma
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110000, Liaoning, China.
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Collu R, Yin Z, Giunti E, Daley S, Chen M, Morin P, Killick R, Wong STC, Xia W. Effect of the ROCK inhibitor fasudil on the brain proteomic profile in the tau transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1323563. [PMID: 38440100 PMCID: PMC10911083 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1323563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The goal of this study is to explore the pharmacological potential of the amyloid-reducing vasodilator fasudil, a selective Ras homolog (Rho)-associated kinases (ROCK) inhibitor, in the P301S tau transgenic mouse model (Line PS19) of neurodegenerative tauopathy and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Methods We used LC-MS/MS, ELISA and bioinformatic approaches to investigate the effect of treatment with fasudil on the brain proteomic profile in PS19 tau transgenic mice. We also explored the efficacy of fasudil in reducing tau phosphorylation, and the potential beneficial and/or toxic effects of its administration in mice. Results Proteomic profiling of mice brains exposed to fasudil revealed the activation of the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and blood-brain barrier (BBB) gap junction metabolic pathways. We also observed a significant negative correlation between the brain levels of phosphorylated tau (pTau) at residue 396 and both fasudil and its metabolite hydroxyfasudil. Conclusions Our results provide evidence on the activation of proteins and pathways related to mitochondria and BBB functions by fasudil treatment and support its further development and therapeutic potential for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Collu
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Zheng Yin
- T. T. and W. F. Chao Center for BRAIN, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Elisa Giunti
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sarah Daley
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mei Chen
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
| | - Peter Morin
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Richard Killick
- King's College London, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen T. C. Wong
- T. T. and W. F. Chao Center for BRAIN, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston Methodist Academic Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Weiming Xia
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Kennedy College of Science, Lowell, MA, United States
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Altuna M, Estanga A, Garrido A, Saldias J, Cañada M, Echeverria M, Larrea JÁ, Ayo P, Fiz A, Muñoz M, Santa-Inés J, García-Landarte V, García-Sebastián M. Down Syndrome-Basque Alzheimer Initiative (DS-BAI): Clinic-Biological Cohort. J Clin Med 2024; 13:1139. [PMID: 38398452 PMCID: PMC10889106 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13041139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Down syndrome (DS) is the most common genetically determined intellectual disability. In recent decades, it has experienced an exponential increase in life expectancy, leading to a rise in age-related diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Specific health plans for the comprehensive care of the DS community are an unmet need, which is crucial for the early and accurate diagnosis of main medical comorbidities. We present the protocol of a newly created clinical and research cohort and its feasibility in real life. METHODS The Down Syndrome-Basque Alzheimer Initiative (DS-BAI) is a population-based, inclusive, multidisciplinary initiative for the clinical-assistance and clinical-biological research approach to aging in DS led by the CITA-Alzheimer Foundation (Donostia, Basque Country). It aims to achieve the following: (1) provide comprehensive care for adults with DS, (2) optimize access to rigorous and quality training for socio-family and healthcare references, and (3) create a valuable multimodal clinical-biological research platform. RESULTS During the first year, 114 adults with DS joined the initiative, with 36% of them showing symptoms indicative of AD. Furthermore, adherence to training programs for healthcare professionals and families has been high, and the willingness to collaborate in basic and translational research has been encouraging. CONCLUSION Specific health plans for DS and conducting clinical and translational research on the challenges of aging, including AD, are necessary and feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miren Altuna
- Fundación CITA-Alzheimer Fundazioa, 20009 Donostia, Spain
- Debabarrena Integrated Health Organization, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, 20690 Gipuzkoa, Spain
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbo, Spain
| | - Ainara Estanga
- Fundación CITA-Alzheimer Fundazioa, 20009 Donostia, Spain
| | - Adolfo Garrido
- Donostialdea Integrated Health Organisation, Clinical Biochemistry Department, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, 20014 Donostia, Spain
| | - Jon Saldias
- Fundación CITA-Alzheimer Fundazioa, 20009 Donostia, Spain
| | - Marta Cañada
- Fundación CITA-Alzheimer Fundazioa, 20009 Donostia, Spain
| | - Maitane Echeverria
- Donostialdea Integrated Health Organisation, Clinical Biochemistry Department, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, 20014 Donostia, Spain
| | - José Ángel Larrea
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Deusto, 48007 Bilbo, Spain
- Donostialdea Integrated Health Organisation, Radiology Department, Osakidetza Basque Health Service, 20014 Donostia, Spain
| | | | | | - María Muñoz
- Fundación Goyeneche de San Sebastián, 20018 Donostia, Spain
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Yang X, Yu Z, An L, Jing X, Yuan M, Xu T, Yu Z, Xu B, Lu M. Electroacupuncture stimulation ameliorates cognitive impairment induced by long-term high-fat diet by regulating microglial BDNF. Brain Res 2024; 1825:148710. [PMID: 38103878 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148710] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Long-term high-fat diet (HFD) in adolescents leads to impaired hippocampal function and increases the risk of cognitive impairment. Studies have shown that HFD activates hippocampal microglia and induces hippocampal inflammation, which is an important factor for cognitive impairment. Electroacupuncture stimulation (ES), a nerve stimulation therapy, is anti-inflammatory. This study explored its therapeutic potential and mechanism of action in obesity-related cognitive impairment. 4-week-old C57 mice were given either normal or HFD for 22 weeks. At 19 weeks, some of the HFD mice were treated with ES and nigericin sodium salt. The cognitive behavior was assessed through Morris water maze test at 23 weeks. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of pro-inflammatory molecules IL-1β and IL-1R, synaptic plasticity related proteins synaptophysin and Postsynaptic Density-95 (PSD-95), and apoptotic molecules (Caspase-3 and Bcl-2), in the hippocampus. The number, morphology, and status of microglia, along with the brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) content, were analyzed using immunofluorescence. ES treatment improved cognitive deficits in HFD model mice, and decreased the expressions of microglial activation marker, CD68, and microglial BDNF. Inhibition of proinflammatory cytokine, IL-1β, and IL-1R promoted PSD-95 and synaptophysin expressions. Peripheral NLRP3 inflammasome agonist injections exacerbated the cognitive deficits in HFD mice and promoted the expressions of IL-1β and IL-1R in the hippocampus. The microglia showed obvious morphological damage and apoptosis. Collectively, our findings suggest that ES inhibits inflammation, regulates microglial BDNF, and causes remodeling of hippocampal function in mice to counteract obesity-like induced cognitive impairment. Overexcitation of peripheral inflammasome complexes induces hippocampal microglia apoptosis, which hinders the effects of ES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ziwei Yu
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Li An
- School of Chinese Medicine, School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xinyue Jing
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Mengqian Yuan
- Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tiancheng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Zhi Yu
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Mengjiang Lu
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Medicine Research of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, Jiangsu Province, China.
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Mravinacová S, Alanko V, Bergström S, Bridel C, Pijnenburg Y, Hagman G, Kivipelto M, Teunissen C, Nilsson P, Matton A, Månberg A. CSF protein ratios with enhanced potential to reflect Alzheimer's disease pathology and neurodegeneration. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:15. [PMID: 38350954 PMCID: PMC10863228 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00705-z] [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: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyloid and tau aggregates are considered to cause neurodegeneration and consequently cognitive decline in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we explore the potential of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins to reflect AD pathology and cognitive decline, aiming to identify potential biomarkers for monitoring outcomes of disease-modifying therapies targeting these aggregates. METHOD We used a multiplex antibody-based suspension bead array to measure the levels of 49 proteins in CSF from the Swedish GEDOC memory clinic cohort at the Karolinska University Hospital. The cohort comprised 148 amyloid- and tau-negative individuals (A-T-) and 65 amyloid- and tau-positive individuals (A+T+). An independent sample set of 26 A-T- and 26 A+T+ individuals from the Amsterdam Dementia Cohort was used for validation. The measured proteins were clustered based on their correlation to CSF amyloid beta peptides, tau and NfL levels. Further, we used support vector machine modelling to identify protein pairs, matched based on their cluster origin, that reflect AD pathology and cognitive decline with improved performance compared to single proteins. RESULTS The protein-clustering revealed 11 proteins strongly correlated to t-tau and p-tau (tau-associated group), including mainly synaptic proteins previously found elevated in AD such as NRGN, GAP43 and SNCB. Another 16 proteins showed predominant correlation with Aβ42 (amyloid-associated group), including PTPRN2, NCAN and CHL1. Support vector machine modelling revealed that proteins from the two groups combined in pairs discriminated A-T- from A+T+ individuals with higher accuracy compared to single proteins, as well as compared to protein pairs composed of proteins originating from the same group. Moreover, combining the proteins from different groups in ratios (tau-associated protein/amyloid-associated protein) significantly increased their correlation to cognitive decline measured with cognitive scores. The results were validated in an independent cohort. CONCLUSIONS Combining brain-derived proteins in pairs largely enhanced their capacity to discriminate between AD pathology-affected and unaffected individuals and increased their correlation to cognitive decline, potentially due to adjustment of inter-individual variability. With these results, we highlight the potential of protein pairs to monitor neurodegeneration and thereby possibly the efficacy of AD disease-modifying therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sára Mravinacová
- Division of Affinity Proteomics, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vilma Alanko
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sofia Bergström
- Division of Affinity Proteomics, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Claire Bridel
- Neurochemistry Lab, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Yolande Pijnenburg
- Department of Neurology, Alzheimer Centre, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Göran Hagman
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Theme Inflammation and Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Miia Kivipelto
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Ageing Epidemiology (AGE) Research Unit, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Theme Inflammation and Aging, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Charlotte Teunissen
- Neurochemistry Lab, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Peter Nilsson
- Division of Affinity Proteomics, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Matton
- Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Ageing Epidemiology (AGE) Research Unit, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Månberg
- Division of Affinity Proteomics, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SciLifeLab, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Ma Y, Sun W, Bai J, Gao F, Ma H, Liu H, Hu J, Xu C, Zhang X, Liu Z, Yuan T, Sun C, Huang Y, Wang R. Targeting blood brain barrier-Remote ischemic conditioning alleviates cognitive impairment in female APP/PS1 rats. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14613. [PMID: 38379185 PMCID: PMC10879645 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14613] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a significant global health concern, and it is crucial that we find effective methods to prevent or slow down AD progression. Recent studies have highlighted the essential role of blood vessels in clearing Aβ, a protein that contributes to AD. Scientists are exploring blood biomarkers as a potential tool for future AD diagnosis. One promising method that may help prevent AD is remote ischemic conditioning (RIC). RIC involves using sub-lethal ischemic-reperfusion cycles on limbs. However, a comprehensive understanding of how RIC can prevent AD and its long-term effectiveness is still lacking. Further research is essential to fully comprehend the potential benefits of RIC in preventing AD. METHODS Female wild-type (WT) and APP/PS1 transgenic rats, aged 12 months, underwent ovariectomy and were subsequently assigned to WT, APP/PS1, and APP/PS1 + RIC groups. RIC was conducted five times a week for 4 weeks. The rats' depressive and cognitive behaviors were evaluated using force swimming, open-field tests, novel objective recognition, elevated plus maze, and Barnes maze tests. Evaluation of the neurovascular unit (NVU), synapses, vasculature, astrocytes, and microglia was conducted using immunofluorescence staining (IF), Western blot (WB), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Additionally, the cerebro-vasculature was examined using micro-CT, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured using Speckle Doppler. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability was determined by measuring the Evans blue leakage. Finally, Aβ levels in the rat frontal cortex were measured using WB, ELISA, or IF staining. RESULTS RIC enhanced memory-related protein expression and rescued depressive-like behavior and cognitive decline in APP/PS1 transgenic rats. Additionally, the intervention protected NVU in the rat frontal cortex, as evidenced by (1) increased expression of TJ (tight junction) proteins, pericyte marker PDGFRβ, and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), as well as decreased VCAM1; (2) mitigation of ultrastructure impairment in neuron, cerebral vascular, and astrocyte; (3) upregulation of A2 astrocyte phenotype markers and downregulation of A1 phenotype markers, indicating a shift toward a healthier phenotype. Correspondingly, RIC intervention alleviated neuroinflammation, as evidenced by the decreased Iba1 level, a microglia marker. Meanwhile, RIC intervention elevated CBF in frontal cortex of the rats. Notably, RIC intervention effectively suppressed Aβ toxicity, as demonstrated by the enhancement of α-secretase and attenuation of β-secretase (BACE1) and γ- secretase and Aβ1-42 and Aβ1-40 levels as well. CONCLUSION Chronic RIC intervention exerts vascular and neuroprotective roles, suggesting that RIC could be a promising therapeutic strategy targeting the BBB and NVU during AD development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Ma
- International Science & Technology Cooperation Base of GeriatricSchool of Public Health of North China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Wuxiang Sun
- School of Basic Medical ScienceNorth China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Jing Bai
- School of Basic Medical ScienceNorth China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Fujia Gao
- International Science & Technology Cooperation Base of GeriatricSchool of Public Health of North China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Haoran Ma
- International Science & Technology Cooperation Base of GeriatricSchool of Public Health of North China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Huiyu Liu
- International Science & Technology Cooperation Base of GeriatricSchool of Public Health of North China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Jiewei Hu
- School of Basic Medical ScienceNorth China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Chao Xu
- International Science & Technology Cooperation Base of GeriatricSchool of Public Health of North China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Xin Zhang
- International Science & Technology Cooperation Base of GeriatricSchool of Public Health of North China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Zixuan Liu
- School of Basic Medical ScienceNorth China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Tao Yuan
- International Science & Technology Cooperation Base of GeriatricSchool of Public Health of North China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Chenxu Sun
- School of Basic Medical ScienceNorth China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Yuanyuan Huang
- School of Basic Medical ScienceNorth China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
| | - Ruimin Wang
- International Science & Technology Cooperation Base of GeriatricSchool of Public Health of North China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
- School of Basic Medical ScienceNorth China University of Science and TechnologyTangshanHebeiChina
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Esmaeili A, Pogoda TK, Amuan ME, Garcia C, Del Negro A, Myers M, Pugh MJ, Cifu D, Dismuke-Greer C. The economic impact of cannabis use disorder and dementia diagnosis in veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. Front Neurol 2024; 14:1261144. [PMID: 38283672 PMCID: PMC10811113 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1261144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Studies have demonstrated that individuals diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) frequently use medical and recreational cannabis to treat persistent symptoms of TBI, such as chronic pain and sleep disturbances, which can lead to cannabis use disorder (CUD). We aimed to determine the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) healthcare utilization and costs associated with CUD and dementia diagnosis in veterans with TBI. Methods This observational study used administrative datasets from the population of post-9/11 veterans from the Long-term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium and the VA Data Warehouse. We compared the differential VHA costs among the following cohorts of veterans: (1) No dementia diagnosis and No CUD group, (2) Dementia diagnosis only (Dementia only), (3) CUD only, and (4) comorbid dementia diagnosis and CUD (Dementia and CUD). Generalized estimating equations and negative binomial regression models were used to estimate total annual costs (inflation-adjusted) and the incidence rate of healthcare utilization, respectively, by dementia diagnosis and CUD status. Results Data from 387,770 veterans with TBI (88.4% men; median [interquartile range (IQR)] age at the time of TBI: 30 [14] years; 63.5% white) were followed from 2000 to 2020. Overall, we observed a trend of gradually increasing healthcare costs 5 years after TBI onset. Interestingly, in this cohort of veterans within 5 years of TBI, we observed substantial healthcare costs in the Dementia only group (peak = $46,808) that were not observed in the CUD and dementia group. Relative to those without either condition, the annual total VHA costs were $3,368 higher in the CUD only group, while no significant differences were observed in the Dementia only and Dementia and CUD groups. Discussion The findings suggest that those in the Dementia only group might be getting their healthcare needs met more quickly and within 5 years of TBI diagnosis, whereas veterans in the Dementia and CUD group are not receiving early care, resulting in higher long-term healthcare costs. Further investigations should examine what impact the timing of dementia and CUD diagnoses have on specific categories of inpatient and outpatient care in VA and community care facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aryan Esmaeili
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Terri K. Pogoda
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States
- Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Megan E. Amuan
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Carla Garcia
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Ariana Del Negro
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
| | - Maddy Myers
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Mary Jo Pugh
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences Center of Innovation, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - David Cifu
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
| | - Clara Dismuke-Greer
- Health Economics Resource Center (HERC), Ci2i, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Menlo Park, CA, United States
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Bolsewig K, Blok H, Willemse EAJ, Zwaaftink RBMG, Kooistra M, Smets EMA, Teunissen CE, Visser LNC. Caregivers' attitudes toward blood-based biomarker testing for Alzheimer's disease. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2024; 16:e12549. [PMID: 38371360 PMCID: PMC10870798 DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We aimed to evaluate informal caregivers' attitudes toward undergoing and future implementation of blood-based biomarkers (BBBM) testing for Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS We explored caregivers' perspectives, by combining an online survey (n = 107) with a subsequent focus group (n = 7). We used descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis to identify common themes in answers to open-ended survey questions and focus group data. RESULTS Most caregivers (72.0%) favored BBBM for AD diagnosis. Provided with hypothetical scenarios, confidence in a normal result decreased significantly if experienced symptoms were more severe (mild: 78.5% vs. severe: 48.6%). Caregivers' attitudes toward BBBM for screening purposes significantly improved with prospect of treatment (53.3% vs. 92.5%). Concerns toward BBBM testing included treatment unavailability, increased/prolonged distress, and AD-related stigma. Potential benefits were actionability, explanation for symptoms, and opportunities for better care and future treatment. DISCUSSION Emerging AD treatment and reduction of AD-related stigma could profoundly increase public interest in BBBM testing for AD. Highlights Most informal caregivers would want blood-based biomarker (BBBM) testing for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis.Perceived (dis)advantages were related to diagnosing AD early.With severe symptoms, there was less confidence in normal BBBM results.Treatment availability would significantly increase interest in BBBM testing for AD.Informal caregivers showed uncertainty regarding the meaning of the term "AD."
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Bolsewig
- Department of Laboratory MedicineNeurochemistry LaboratoryAmsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdam UMCVU UniversityAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Hester Blok
- Alzheimer NederlandAmersfoortthe Netherlands
| | - Eline A. J. Willemse
- Department of Laboratory MedicineNeurochemistry LaboratoryAmsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdam UMCVU UniversityAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- Department of NeurologyMultiple Sclerosis Center and Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience BaselDepartments of Biomedicine and Clinical ResearchUniversity Hospital Basel and University of BaselBaselSwitzerland
| | | | | | - Ellen M. A. Smets
- Department of Medical PsychologyAmsterdam Public Health Research InstituteUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdam UMCAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Charlotte E. Teunissen
- Department of Laboratory MedicineNeurochemistry LaboratoryAmsterdam NeuroscienceAmsterdam UMCVU UniversityAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Leonie N. C. Visser
- Department of Medical PsychologyAmsterdam Public Health Research InstituteUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdam UMCAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- Alzheimer Center AmsterdamDepartment of NeurologyAmsterdam NeuroscienceVrije Universiteit AmsterdamAmsterdam UMCAmsterdamthe Netherlands
- Division of Clinical GeriatricsCenter for Alzheimer ResearchDepartment of NeurobiologyCare Sciences and SocietyKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
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Morin P, Aguilar BJ, Li X, Chen J, Berlowitz D, Zhang R, Tahami Monfared AA, Zhang Q, Xia W. Alzheimer's Disease Stage Transitions Among United States Veterans. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:687-695. [PMID: 38143359 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230850] [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] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias are progressive neurological disorders with stage-specific clinical features and challenges. An important knowledge gap is the "window of time" within which patients transition from mild cognitive impairment or mild AD to moderate or severe AD. Better characterization/establishment of transition times would help clinicians initiating treatments, including anti-amyloid therapy. OBJECTIVE To describe cognitive test score-based AD stage transitions in Veterans with AD in the US Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VAHS). METHODS This retrospective analysis (2010-2019) identified Veterans with AD from the VAHS Electronic Health Record (EHR) notes. AD stage was based on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), or Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) Examination scores in the EHR. RESULTS We identified 296,519 Veterans with cognitive test-based AD staging. Over the 10-year study, the proportion of veterans with MMSE scores declined from 24.9% to 9.5% while those with SLUMS rose from 9.0% to 17.8%; and MoCA rose from 5.0% to 25.4%. The average forward transition times between each stage were approximately 2-4 years, whether assessed by MMSE, MoCA, or SLUMS. CONCLUSION The average transition time for cognitive test-based assessments of initial cognitive decline, early-stage AD, and moderate/severe AD in the VAHS is 2-4 years. In view of the short window for introducing disease-modifying therapy and the significant benefits of early treatment of AD, our data suggest a critical need for treatment guidelines in the management of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Morin
- Department of Neurology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Byron J Aguilar
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Xuyang Li
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Jinying Chen
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Data Science Core, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Dan Berlowitz
- Department of Public Health, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
| | - Raymond Zhang
- Alzheimer's Disease and Brain Health, EisaiInc., Nutley, NJ, USA
| | - Amir Abbas Tahami Monfared
- Alzheimer's Disease and Brain Health, EisaiInc., Nutley, NJ, USA
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Quanwu Zhang
- Alzheimer's Disease and Brain Health, EisaiInc., Nutley, NJ, USA
| | - Weiming Xia
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Bedford VA Healthcare System, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kennedy College of Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA
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Tang J, Yousaf M, Wu YP, Li QQ, Xu YQ, Liu DM. Mechanisms and structure-activity relationships of polysaccharides in the intervention of Alzheimer's disease: A review. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127553. [PMID: 37865357 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease. Despite several decades of research, the development of effective treatments and responses for Alzheimer's disease remains elusive. The utilization of polysaccharides for Alzheimer's disease became more popular due to their beneficial characteristics, notably their multi-target activity and low toxicity. This review mainly focuses on the researches of recent 5 years in the regulation of AD by naturally derived polysaccharides, systematically lists the possible intervention pathways of polysaccharides from different mechanisms, and explores the structure-activity relationship between polysaccharide structural activities, so as to provide references for the intervention and treatment of AD by polysaccharides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Tang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong, China
| | - Muhammad Yousaf
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong, China
| | - Ya-Ping Wu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong, China
| | - Qin-Qin Li
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi-Qian Xu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong, China
| | - Dong-Mei Liu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, Guangdong, China.
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Coimbra JRM, Resende R, Custódio JBA, Salvador JAR, Santos AE. BACE1 Inhibitors for Alzheimer's Disease: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 101:S53-S78. [PMID: 38943390 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240146] [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] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Disease-modifying therapies (DMT) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are highly longed-for. In this quest, anti-amyloid therapies take center stage supported by genetic facts that highlight an imbalance between production and clearance of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in AD patients. Indeed, evidence from basic research, human genetic and biomarker studies, suggests the accumulation of Aβ as a driver of AD pathogenesis and progression. The aspartic protease β-site AβPP cleaving enzyme (BACE1) is the initiator for Aβ production. Underpinning a critical role for BACE1 in AD pathophysiology are the elevated BACE1 concentration and activity observed in the brain and body fluids of AD patients. Therefore, BACE1 is a prime drug target for reducing Aβ levels in early AD. Small-molecule BACE1 inhibitors have been extensively developed for the last 20 years. However, clinical trials with these molecules have been discontinued for futility or safety reasons. Most of the observed adverse side effects were due to other aspartic proteases cross-inhibition, including the homologue BACE2, and to mechanism-based toxicity since BACE1 has substrates with important roles for synaptic plasticity and synaptic homeostasis besides amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP). Despite these setbacks, BACE1 persists as a well-validated therapeutic target for which a specific inhibitor with high substrate selectivity may yet to be found. In this review we provide an overview of the evolution in BACE1 inhibitors design pinpointing the molecules that reached advanced phases of clinical trials and the liabilities that precluded adequate trial effects. Finally, we ponder on the challenges that anti-amyloid therapies must overcome to achieve clinical success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judite R M Coimbra
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rosa Resende
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José B A Custódio
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jorge A R Salvador
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Armanda E Santos
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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Wang Q, Fu M, Gao L, Yuan X, Wang J. A Drug Repositioning Approach Reveals Ergotamine May Be a Potential Drug for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 101:1355-1366. [PMID: 39269834 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240235] [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] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. The drugs currently used to treat AD only have limited effects and are not able to cure the disease. Drug repositioning has increasingly become a promising approach to find potential drugs for diseases like AD. Objective To screen potential drug candidates for AD based on the relationship between risk genes of AD and drugs. Methods We collected the risk genes of AD and retrieved the information of known drugs from DrugBank. Then, the AD-related genes and the targets of each drug were mapped to the human protein-protein interaction network (PPIN) to represent AD and the drugs on the network. The network distances between each drug and AD were calculated to screen the drugs proximal to AD-related genes on PPIN, and the screened drug candidates were further analyzed by molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. Results We compiled a list of 714 genes associated with AD. From 5,833 drugs used for human diseases, we identified 1,044 drugs that could be potentially used to treat AD. Then, amyloid-β (Aβ) protein, the key molecule involved in the pathogenesis of AD was selected as the target to further screen drugs that may inhibit Aβ aggregation by molecular docking. We found that ergotamine and RAF-265 could bind stably with Aβ. In further analysis by molecular dynamics simulations, both drugs exhibited reasonable stability. Conclusions Our work indicated that ergotamine and RAF-265 may be potential candidates for treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuchen Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mengjie Fu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lihui Gao
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Yuan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ju Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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