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Shim KH, Sharma N, An SSA. Prion therapeutics: Lessons from the past. Prion 2022; 16:265-294. [PMID: 36515657 PMCID: PMC9754114 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2022.2153551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of incurable zoonotic neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) in humans and other animals caused by the prion proteins. The abnormal folding and aggregation of the soluble cellular prion proteins (PrPC) into scrapie isoform (PrPSc) in the Central nervous system (CNS) resulted in brain damage and other neurological symptoms. Different therapeutic approaches, including stalling PrPC to PrPSc conversion, increasing PrPSc removal, and PrPC stabilization, for which a spectrum of compounds, ranging from organic compounds to antibodies, have been explored. Additionally, a non-PrP targeted drug strategy using serpin inhibitors has been discussed. Despite numerous scaffolds being screened for anti-prion activity in vitro, only a few were effective in vivo and unfortunately, almost none of them proved effective in the clinical studies, most likely due to toxicity and lack of permeability. Recently, encouraging results from a prion-protein monoclonal antibody, PRN100, were presented in the first human trial on CJD patients, which gives a hope for better future for the discovery of other new molecules to treat prion diseases. In this comprehensive review, we have re-visited the history and discussed various classes of anti-prion agents, their structure, mode of action, and toxicity. Understanding pathogenesis would be vital for developing future treatments for prion diseases. Based on the outcomes of existing therapies, new anti-prion agents could be identified/synthesized/designed with reduced toxicity and increased bioavailability, which could probably be effective in treating prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyu Hwan Shim
- Department of Bionano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Niti Sharma
- Department of Bionano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea
| | - Seong Soo A An
- Department of Bionano Technology, Gachon University, Seongnam, South Korea
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Eiden M, Gedvilaite A, Leidel F, Ulrich RG, Groschup MH. Vaccination with Prion Peptide-Displaying Polyomavirus-Like Particles Prolongs Incubation Time in Scrapie-Infected Mice. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050811. [PMID: 33946367 PMCID: PMC8147134 DOI: 10.3390/v13050811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases like scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle or Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD) in humans are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the conformational conversion of the normal, mainly α-helical cellular prion protein (PrPC) into the abnormal β-sheet rich infectious isoform PrPSc. Various therapeutic or prophylactic approaches have been conducted, but no approved therapeutic treatment is available so far. Immunisation against prions is hampered by the self-tolerance to PrPC in mammalian species. One strategy to avoid this tolerance is presenting PrP variants in virus-like particles (VLPs). Therefore, we vaccinated C57/BL6 mice with nine prion peptide variants presented by hamster polyomavirus capsid protein VP1/VP2-derived VLPs. Mice were subsequently challenged intraperitoneally with the murine RML prion strain. Importantly, one group exhibited significantly increased mean survival time of 240 days post-inoculation compared with 202 days of the control group. These data show that immunisation with VLPs presenting PrP peptides may represent a promising strategy for an effective vaccination against transmissible spongiform encephalitis agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Eiden
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (F.L.); (R.G.U.); (M.H.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Alma Gedvilaite
- Life Sciences Center, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio al. 7, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania;
| | - Fabienne Leidel
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (F.L.); (R.G.U.); (M.H.G.)
- Task Force Animal Diseases, Darmstadt Regional Administrative Council, Luisenplatz 2, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Rainer G. Ulrich
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (F.L.); (R.G.U.); (M.H.G.)
| | - Martin H. Groschup
- Institute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (F.L.); (R.G.U.); (M.H.G.)
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Mustazza C, Sbriccoli M, Minosi P, Raggi C. Small Molecules with Anti-Prion Activity. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:5446-5479. [PMID: 31560283 DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190927121744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Prion pathologies are fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by the misfolding of the physiological Prion Protein (PrPC) into a β-structure-rich isoform called PrPSc. To date, there is no available cure for prion diseases and just a few clinical trials have been carried out. The initial approach in the search of anti-prion agents had PrPSc as a target, but the existence of different prion strains arising from alternative conformations of PrPSc, limited the efficacy of the ligands to a straindependent ability. That has shifted research to PrPC ligands, which either act as chaperones, by stabilizing the native conformation, or inhibit its interaction with PrPSc. The role of transition-metal mediated oxidation processes in prion misfolding has also been investigated. Another promising approach is the indirect action via other cellular targets, like membrane domains or the Protein- Folding Activity of Ribosomes (PFAR). Also, new prion-specific high throughput screening techniques have been developed. However, so far no substance has been found to be able to extend satisfactorily survival time in animal models of prion diseases. This review describes the main features of the Structure-Activity Relationship (SAR) of the various chemical classes of anti-prion agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Mustazza
- National Centre for Control and Evaluation of Medicines, Italian National Institute of Health, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Sbriccoli
- Department of Neurosciences, Italian National Institute of Health, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Minosi
- National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Italian National Institute of Health, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Raggi
- National Centre for Control and Evaluation of Medicines, Italian National Institute of Health, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
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Hyeon JW, Noh R, Choi J, Lee SM, Lee YS, An SSA, No KT, Lee J. BMD42-2910, a Novel Benzoxazole Derivative, Shows a Potent Anti-prion Activity and Prolongs the Mean Survival in an Animal Model of Prion Disease. Exp Neurobiol 2020; 29:93-105. [PMID: 32122111 PMCID: PMC7075655 DOI: 10.5607/en.2020.29.1.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a group of neurodegenerative and fatal central nervous system disorders. The pathogenic mechanism involves the conversion of cellular prion protein (PrPC) to an altered scrapie isoform (PrPSc), which accumulates in amyloid deposits in the brain. However, no therapeutic drugs have demonstrated efficacy in clinical trials. We previously reported that BMD42-29, a synthetic compound discovered in silico, is a novel anti-prion compound that inhibits the conversion of PrPC to protease K (PK)-resistant PrPSc fragments (PrPres). In the present study, 14 derivatives of BMD42-29 were obtained from BMD42-29 by modifying in the side chain by in silico feedback, with the aim to determine whether they improve anti-prion activity. These derivatives were assessed in a PrPSc-infected cell model and some derivatives were further tested using real time-quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC). Among them, BMD42-2910 showed high anti-prion activity at low concentrations in vitro and also no toxic effects in a mouse model. Interestingly, abundant PrPres was reduced in brains of mice infected with prion strain when treated with BMD42-2910, and the mice survived longer than control mice and even that treated with BMD42-29. Finally, high binding affinity was predicted in the virtual binding sites (Asn159, Gln 160, Lys194, and Glu196) when PrPC was combined with BMD-42-2910. Our findings showed that BMD42-2910 sufficiently reduces PrPres generation in vitro and in vivo and may be a promising novel anti-prion compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Wook Hyeon
- Division of Bacterial Disease Research, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Korea National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju 28160, Korea
| | - Ran Noh
- Division of Bacterial Disease Research, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Korea National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju 28160, Korea
| | - Jiwon Choi
- Bioinformatics and Molecular Design Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Sol Moe Lee
- Division of Bacterial Disease Research, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Korea National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju 28160, Korea
| | - Yeong Seon Lee
- Division of Bacterial Disease Research, Center for Infectious Disease Research, Korea National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju 28160, Korea
| | - Seong Soo A An
- Gachon Bio Nano Research Institute, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Korea
| | - Kyoung Tai No
- Bioinformatics and Molecular Design Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea.,Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Jeongmin Lee
- Division of Research Planning, Korea National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cheongju 28160, Korea
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Krance SH, Luke R, Shenouda M, Israwi AR, Colpitts SJ, Darwish L, Strauss M, Watts JC. Cellular models for discovering prion disease therapeutics: Progress and challenges. J Neurochem 2020; 153:150-172. [PMID: 31943194 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Prions, which cause fatal neurodegenerative disorders such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, are misfolded and infectious protein aggregates. Currently, there are no treatments available to halt or even delay the progression of prion disease in the brain. The infectious nature of prions has resulted in animal paradigms that accurately recapitulate all aspects of prion disease, and these have proven to be instrumental for testing the efficacy of candidate therapeutics. Nonetheless, infection of cultured cells with prions provides a much more powerful system for identifying molecules capable of interfering with prion propagation. Certain lines of cultured cells can be chronically infected with various types of mouse prions, and these models have been used to unearth candidate anti-prion drugs that are at least partially efficacious when administered to prion-infected rodents. However, these studies have also revealed that not all types of prions are equal, and that drugs active against mouse prions are not necessarily effective against prions from other species. Despite some recent progress, the number of cellular models available for studying non-mouse prions remains limited. In particular, human prions have proven to be particularly challenging to propagate in cultured cells, which has severely hindered the discovery of drugs for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In this review, we summarize the cellular models that are presently available for discovering and testing drugs capable of blocking the propagation of prions and highlight challenges that remain on the path towards developing therapies for prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saffire H Krance
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Russell Luke
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marc Shenouda
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ahmad R Israwi
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah J Colpitts
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lina Darwish
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maximilian Strauss
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Candelise N, Schmitz M, Da Silva Correia SM, Arora AS, Villar-Piqué A, Zafar S, Llorens F, Cramm M, Zerr I. Applications of the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay in diagnosis, prion strain-typing, drug pre-screening and other amyloidopathies. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2017; 17:897-904. [PMID: 28817974 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2017.1368389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The development of in vitro protein misfolding amplification assays for the detection and analysis of abnormally folded proteins, such as proteinase K resistant prion protein (PrPres) was a major innovation in the prion field. In prion diseases, these types of assays imitate the pathological conversion of the cellular PrP (PrPC) into a proteinase resistant associated conformer or amyloid, called PrPres. Areas covered: The most prominent protein misfolding amplification assays are the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), which is based on sonication and the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) technique based on shaking. The more recently established RT-QuIC is fully automatic and enables the monitoring of misfolded protein aggregates in real-time by using a fluorescent dye. Expert commentary: RT-QuIC is a very robust and highly reproducible test system which is applicable in diagnosis, prion strain-typing, drug pre-screening and other amyloidopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Candelise
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Susana Margarida Da Silva Correia
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Amandeep Singh Arora
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Anna Villar-Piqué
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Saima Zafar
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Franc Llorens
- b Department of Neuropathology , Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED) , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Maria Cramm
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- a Department of Neurology , University Medical Center Göttingen and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) , Göttingen , Germany
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Exploring Anti-Prion Glyco-Based and Aromatic Scaffolds: A Chemical Strategy for the Quality of Life. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22060864. [PMID: 28538692 PMCID: PMC6152669 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22060864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative disorders caused by protein misfolding and aggregation, affecting the brain progressively and consequently the quality of life. Alzheimer’s is also a protein misfolding disease, causing dementia in over 40 million people worldwide. There are no therapeutics able to cure these diseases. Cellular prion protein is a high-affinity binding partner of amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers, the most toxic species in Alzheimer’s pathology. These findings motivate the development of new chemicals for a better understanding of the events involved. Disease control is far from being reached by the presently known therapeutics. In this review we describe the synthesis and mode of action of molecular entities with intervention in prion diseases’ biological processes and, if known, their role in Alzheimer’s. A diversity of structures is covered, based on glycans, steroids and terpenes, heterocycles, polyphenols, most of them embodying aromatics and a structural complexity. These molecules may be regarded as chemical tools to foster the understanding of the complex mechanisms involved, and to encourage the scientific community towards further developments for the cure of these devastating diseases.
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