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Shijo M, Yoshimura M, Omae T, Hashimoto G, Mizoguchi T, Kuwashiro T, Komori T, Tsuboi Y, Saito T, Nakagawa M, Itoh K, Honda H. Altered properties of amyloidogenic prion protein in genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with PRNP V180I mutation in response to pentosan polysulfate. Brain Pathol 2023; 33:e13197. [PMID: 37525413 PMCID: PMC10467033 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13197] [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: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (gCJD) with V180I prion protein gene (PRNP) mutation shows weaker prion protein (PrP) deposition histologically compared with sporadic CJD, and it is more difficult to detect protease-resistant prion protein in immunoblotting. However, we previously reported the autopsy case of a patient with V180I gCJD who was treated with pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS); this case had increased protease-resistant PrP deposition. It has been suggested that PPS might reduce protease-resistant PrP; however, the detailed pharmacological and histopathological effects of PPS in humans remain unknown. We examined autopsied human brain tissue from four cases with V180I gCJD that were added to our archives between 2011 and 2021: two cases treated with PPS and two cases without PPS. We conducted a neuropathological assessment, including immunohistochemistry for PrP. We also performed immunoblotting for PrP on homogenate samples from each brain to detect protease-resistant PrP using both a conventional procedure and size-exclusion gel chromatography for the purification of oligomeric PrP. Both PPS-treated cases showed long survival time over 5 years from onset and increased PrP deposition with a characteristic pattern of coarse granular depositions and congophilic PrP microspheres, whereas the cases without PPS showed around 1-year survival from onset and relatively mild neuronal loss and synaptic PrP deposition. Although cortical gliosis seemed similar among all cases, aquaporin 4-expression as a hallmark of astrocytic function was increased predominantly in PPS cases. Immunoblotting of non-PPS cases revealed protease-resistant PrP in the oligomeric fraction only, whereas the PPS-treated cases showed clear signals using conventional procedures and in the oligomeric fraction. These unique biochemical and histopathological changes may reflect the progression of V180I gCJD and its modification by PPS, suggesting the possible existence of toxic PrP-oligomer in the pathophysiology of V180I gCJD and beneficial effects of PPS toward the aggregation and detoxication of toxic PrP-oligomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Shijo
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
- Department of Internal MedicineFukuoka Dental College Medical and Dental HospitalFukuokaJapan
- Department of NeurologyKyushu Central Hospital of the Mutual Aid Association of Public School TeachersFukuokaJapan
| | - Motoi Yoshimura
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Tsuyoshi Omae
- Department of MedicineImazu Red Cross HospitalFukuokaJapan
| | - Go Hashimoto
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine and NeurologyNational Hospital Organization, Kyushu Medical CenterFukuokaJapan
| | - Tadataka Mizoguchi
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine and NeurologyNational Hospital Organization, Kyushu Medical CenterFukuokaJapan
| | - Takahiro Kuwashiro
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine and NeurologyNational Hospital Organization, Kyushu Medical CenterFukuokaJapan
| | - Takashi Komori
- Departmemnt of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyTokyo Metropolitan Neurological HospitalTokyoJapan
| | - Yoshio Tsuboi
- Department of NeurologyFukuoka UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Tomoko Saito
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital OrganizationOsaka Toneyama Medical CenterOsakaJapan
| | - Masanori Nakagawa
- Department of NeurologyKyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical ScienceKyotoJapan
| | - Kyoko Itoh
- Department of Pathology and Applied NeurobiologyKyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical ScienceKyotoJapan
| | - Hiroyuki Honda
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
- Department of Neurology, Neuropathology Center, National Hospital OrganizationOmuta National HospitalFukuokaJapan
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Aguilar-Calvo P, Malik A, Sandoval DR, Barback C, Orrù CD, Standke HG, Thomas OR, Dwyer CA, Pizzo DP, Bapat J, Soldau K, Ogawa R, Riley MB, Nilsson KPR, Kraus A, Caughey B, Iliff JJ, Vera DR, Esko JD, Sigurdson CJ. Neuronal Ndst1 depletion accelerates prion protein clearance and slows neurodegeneration in prion infection. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011487. [PMID: 37747931 PMCID: PMC10586673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Select prion diseases are characterized by widespread cerebral plaque-like deposits of amyloid fibrils enriched in heparan sulfate (HS), a abundant extracellular matrix component. HS facilitates fibril formation in vitro, yet how HS impacts fibrillar plaque growth within the brain is unclear. Here we found that prion-bound HS chains are highly sulfated, and that the sulfation is essential for accelerating prion conversion in vitro. Using conditional knockout mice to deplete the HS sulfation enzyme, Ndst1 (N-deacetylase / N-sulfotransferase) from neurons or astrocytes, we investigated how reducing HS sulfation impacts survival and prion aggregate distribution during a prion infection. Neuronal Ndst1-depleted mice survived longer and showed fewer and smaller parenchymal plaques, shorter fibrils, and increased vascular amyloid, consistent with enhanced aggregate transit toward perivascular drainage channels. The prolonged survival was strain-dependent, affecting mice infected with extracellular, plaque-forming, but not membrane bound, prions. Live PET imaging revealed rapid clearance of recombinant prion protein monomers into the CSF of neuronal Ndst1- deficient mice, neuronal, further suggesting that HS sulfate groups hinder transit of extracellular prion protein monomers. Our results directly show how a host cofactor slows the spread of prion protein through the extracellular space and identify an enzyme to target to facilitate aggregate clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adela Malik
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel R. Sandoval
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher Barback
- Department of Radiology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Christina D. Orrù
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Heidi G. Standke
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Olivia R. Thomas
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Chrissa A. Dwyer
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Donald P. Pizzo
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jaidev Bapat
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Katrin Soldau
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Ryotaro Ogawa
- Department of Radiology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Mckenzie B. Riley
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - K. Peter R. Nilsson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey J. Iliff
- VISN 20 NW Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David R. Vera
- Department of Radiology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey D. Esko
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Christina J. Sigurdson
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, UC Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
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The Effect of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Zingiberaceae) Extract on Prion Propagation in Cell-Based and Animal Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010182. [PMID: 36613636 PMCID: PMC9820341 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010182] [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: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders in humans and animals for which no therapies are currently available. Here, we report that Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Zingiberaceae) (CpV) extract was partly effective in decreasing prion aggregation and propagation in both in vitro and in vivo models. CpV extract inhibited self-aggregation of recombinant prion protein (PrP) in a test tube assay and decreased the accumulation of scrapie PrP (PrPSc) in ScN2a cells, a cultured neuroblastoma cell line with chronic prion infection, in a concentration-dependent manner. CpV extract also modified the course of the disease in mice inoculated with mouse-adapted scrapie prions, completely preventing the onset of prion disease in three of eight mice. Biochemical and neuropathological analyses revealed a statistically significant reduction in PrPSc accumulation, spongiosis, astrogliosis, and microglia activation in the brains of mice that avoided disease onset. Furthermore, PrPSc accumulation in the spleen of mice was also reduced. CpV extract precluded prion infection in cultured cells as demonstrated by the modified standard scrapie cell assay. This study suggests that CpV extract could contribute to investigating the modulation of prion propagation.
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Teruya K, Doh-Ura K. Therapeutic development of polymers for prion disease. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:349-365. [PMID: 35307792 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03604-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, are caused by the accumulation of abnormal isoforms of the prion protein (scrapie isoform of the prion protein, PrPSc) in the central nervous system. Many compounds with anti-prion activities have been found using in silico screening, in vitro models, persistently prion-infected cell models, and prion-infected rodent models. Some of these compounds include several types of polymers. Although the inhibition or removal of PrPSc production is the main target of therapy, the unique features of prions, namely protein aggregation and assembly accompanied by steric structural transformation, may require different strategies for the development of anti-prion drugs than those for conventional therapeutics targeting enzyme inhibition, agonist ligands, or modulation of signaling. In this paper, we first overview the history of the application of polymers to prion disease research. Next, we describe the characteristics of each type of polymer with anti-prion activity. Finally, we discuss the common features of these polymers. Although drug delivery of these polymers to the brain is a challenge, they are useful not only as leads for therapeutic drugs but also as tools to explore the structure of PrPSc and are indispensable for prion disease research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Teruya
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan.
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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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Zaccagnini L, Rossetti G, Tran TH, Salzano G, Gandini A, Colini Baldeschi A, Bolognesi ML, Carloni P, Legname G. In silico/in vitro screening and hit evaluation identified new phenothiazine anti-prion derivatives. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 196:112295. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Shortening heparan sulfate chains prolongs survival and reduces parenchymal plaques in prion disease caused by mobile, ADAM10-cleaved prions. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:527-546. [PMID: 31673874 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02085-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cofactors are essential for driving recombinant prion protein into pathogenic conformers. Polyanions promote prion aggregation in vitro, yet the cofactors that modulate prion assembly in vivo remain largely unknown. Here we report that the endogenous glycosaminoglycan, heparan sulfate (HS), impacts prion propagation kinetics and deposition sites in the brain. Exostosin-1 haploinsufficient (Ext1+/-) mice, which produce short HS chains, show a prolonged survival and a redistribution of plaques from the parenchyma to vessels when infected with fibrillar prions, and a modest delay when infected with subfibrillar prions. Notably, the fibrillar, plaque-forming prions are composed of ADAM10-cleaved prion protein lacking a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, indicating that these prions are mobile and assemble extracellularly. By analyzing the prion-bound HS using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we identified the disaccharide signature of HS differentially bound to fibrillar compared to subfibrillar prions, and found approximately 20-fold more HS bound to the fibrils. Finally, LC-MS of prion-bound HS from human patients with familial and sporadic prion disease also showed distinct HS signatures and higher HS levels associated with fibrillar prions. This study provides the first in vivo evidence of an endogenous cofactor that accelerates prion disease progression and enhances parenchymal deposition of ADAM10-cleaved, mobile prions.
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Stopschinski BE, Thomas TL, Nadji S, Darvish E, Fan L, Holmes BB, Modi AR, Finnell JG, Kashmer OM, Estill-Terpack S, Mirbaha H, Luu HS, Diamond MI. A synthetic heparinoid blocks Tau aggregate cell uptake and amplification. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:2974-2983. [PMID: 31974166 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau aggregation underlies neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. We and others have proposed that transcellular propagation of pathology is mediated by Tau prions, which are ordered protein assemblies that faithfully replicate in vivo and cause specific biological effects. The prion model predicts the release of aggregates from a first-order cell and subsequent uptake into a second-order cell. The assemblies then serve as templates for their own replication, a process termed "seeding." We have previously observed that heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the cell surface mediate the cellular uptake of Tau aggregates. This interaction is blocked by heparin, a sulfated glycosaminoglycan. Indeed, heparin-like molecules, or heparinoids, have previously been proposed as a treatment for PrP prion disorders. However, heparin is not ideal for managing chronic neurodegeneration, because it is difficult to synthesize in defined sizes, may have poor brain penetration because of its negative charge, and is a powerful anticoagulant. Therefore, we sought to generate an oligosaccharide that would bind Tau and block its cellular uptake and seeding, without exhibiting anticoagulation activity. We created a compound, SN7-13, from pentasaccharide units and tested it in a range of assays that measured direct binding of Tau to glycosaminoglycans and inhibition of Tau uptake and seeding in cells. SN7-13 does not inhibit coagulation, binds Tau with low nanomolar affinity, and inhibits cellular Tau aggregate propagation similarly to standard porcine heparin. This synthetic heparinoid could facilitate the development of agents to treat tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara E Stopschinski
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390; Department of Neurology, RWTH University Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Talitha L Thomas
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Sourena Nadji
- PharmaRen Discovery LLC, Berkeley, Missouri 63134-3115
| | - Eric Darvish
- PharmaRen Discovery LLC, Berkeley, Missouri 63134-3115
| | - Linfeng Fan
- Shanghai Acana Pharmtech Co. Ltd., Berkeley, Missouri 63134-3115
| | - Brandon B Holmes
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Anuja R Modi
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Jordan G Finnell
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Omar M Kashmer
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Sandi Estill-Terpack
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Hilda Mirbaha
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Hung S Luu
- Department of Pathology, Children's Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390.
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Ellett LJ, Revill ZT, Koo YQ, Lawson VA. Strain variation in treatment and prevention of human prion diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:121-145. [PMID: 32958230 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.08.006] [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: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases describe a number of different human disorders that differ in their clinical phenotypes, which are nonetheless united by their transmissible nature and common pathology. Clinical variation in the absence of a conventional infectious agent is believed to be encoded by different conformations of the misfolded prion protein. This misfolded protein is the target of methods designed to prevent disease transmission in a surgical setting and reduction of the misfolded seed or preventing its continued propagation have been the focus of therapeutic strategies. It is therefore possible that strain variation may influence the efficacy of prevention and treatment approaches. Historically, an understanding of prion disease transmission and pathogenesis has been focused on research tools developed using agriculturally relevant strains of prion disease. However, an increased understanding of the molecular biology of human prion disorders has highlighted differences not only between different forms of the disease affecting humans and animals but also within diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), which is represented by several sporadic CJD specific conformations and an additional conformation associated with variant CJD. In this chapter we will discuss whether prion strain variation can affect the efficacy of methods used to decontaminate prions and whether strain variation in pre-clinical models of prion disease can be used to identify therapeutic strategies that have the best possible chance of success in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Ellett
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Zoe T Revill
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Yong Qian Koo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Victoria A Lawson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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Abstract
Recent advances in understanding of the molecular biology of prion diseases and improved clinical diagnostic techniques might allow researchers to think about therapeutic trials in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) patients. Some attempts have been made in the past and various compounds have been tested in single case reports and patient series. Controlled trials are rare. However, in the past few years, it has been demonstrated that clinical trials are feasible. The clinicians might face several specific problems when evaluating the efficacy of the drug in CJD, such as rareness of the disease, lack of appropriate preclinical tests and heterogeneous clinical presentation in humans. These problems have to be carefully addressed in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Zafar
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Department, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Aneeqa Noor
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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Abstract
Although an effective therapy for prion disease has not yet been established, many advances have been made toward understanding its pathogenesis, which has facilitated research into therapeutics for the disease. Several compounds, including flupirtine, quinacrine, pentosan polysulfate, and doxycycline, have recently been used on a trial basis for patients with prion disease. Concomitantly, several lead antiprion compounds, including compound B (compB), IND series, and anle138b, have been discovered. However, clinical trials are still far from yielding significantly beneficial results, and the findings of lead compound studies in animals have highlighted new challenges. These efforts have highlighted areas that need improvement or further exploration to achieve more effective therapies. In this work, we review recent advances in prion-related therapeutic research and discuss basic scientific issues to be resolved for meaningful medical intervention of prion disease.
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Therapeutic Approaches to Prion Diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:433-453. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Pentosan Polysulfate: Oral Versus Subcutaneous Injection in Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I Dogs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153136. [PMID: 27064989 PMCID: PMC4827827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We previously demonstrated the therapeutic benefits of pentosan polysulfate (PPS) in a rat model of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type VI. Reduction of inflammation, reduction of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) storage, and improvement in the skeletal phenotype were shown. Herein, we evaluate the long-term safety and therapeutic effects of PPS in a large animal model of a different MPS type, MPS I dogs. We focused on the arterial phenotype since this is one of the most consistent and clinically significant features of the model. Methodology/Principal Findings MPS I dogs were treated with daily oral or biweekly subcutaneous (subQ) PPS at a human equivalent dose of 1.6 mg/kg for 17 and 12 months, respectively. Safety parameters were assessed at 6 months and at the end of the study. Following treatment, cytokine and GAG levels were determined in fluids and tissues. Assessments of the aorta and carotid arteries also were performed. No drug-related increases in liver enzymes, coagulation factors, or other adverse effects were observed. Significantly reduced IL-8 and TNF-alpha were found in urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). GAG reduction was observed in urine and tissues. Increases in the luminal openings and reduction of the intimal media thickening occurred in the carotids and aortas of PPS-treated animals, along with a reduction of storage vacuoles. These results were correlated with a reduction of GAG storage, reduction of clusterin 1 staining, and improved elastin integrity. No significant changes in the spines of the treated animals were observed. Conclusions PPS treatment led to reductions of pro-inflammatory cytokines and GAG storage in urine and tissues of MPS I dogs, which were most evident after subQ administration. SubQ administration also led to significant cytokine reductions in the CSF. Both treatment groups exhibited markedly reduced carotid and aortic inflammation, increased vessel integrity, and improved histopathology. We conclude that PPS may be a safe and useful therapy for MPS I, either as an adjunct or as a stand-alone treatment that reduces inflammation and GAG storage.
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Vetrugno V, Puopolo M, Cardone F, Capozzoli F, Ladogana A, Pocchiari M. The future for treating Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2014. [DOI: 10.1517/21678707.2015.994605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Diack AB, Head MW, McCutcheon S, Boyle A, Knight R, Ironside JW, Manson JC, Will RG. Variant CJD. 18 years of research and surveillance. Prion 2014; 8:286-95. [PMID: 25495404 PMCID: PMC4601215 DOI: 10.4161/pri.29237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
It is now 18 years since the first identification of a case of vCJD in the UK. Since that time, there has been much speculation over how vCJD might impact human health. To date there have been 177 case reports in the UK and a further 51 cases worldwide in 11 different countries. Since establishing that BSE and vCJD are of the same strain of agent, we have also shown that there is broad similarity between UK and non-UK vCJD cases on first passage to mice. Transgenic mouse studies have indicated that all codon 129 genotypes are susceptible to vCJD and that genotype may influence whether disease appears in a clinical or asymptomatic form, supported by the appearance of the first case of potential asymptomatic vCJD infection in a PRNP 129MV patient. Following evidence of blood transfusion as a route of transmission, we have ascertained that all blood components and leucoreduced blood in a sheep model of vCJD have the ability to transmit disease. Importantly, we recently established that a PRNP 129MV patient blood recipient with an asymptomatic infection and limited PrP(Sc) deposition in the spleen could readily transmit disease into mice, demonstrating the potential for peripheral infection in the absence of clinical disease. This, along with the recent appendix survey which identified 16 positive appendices in a study of 32,441 cases, underlines the importance of continued CJD surveillance and maintaining control measures already in place to protect human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail B Diack
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
| | - Mark W Head
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
| | - Sandra McCutcheon
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK
| | - Aileen Boyle
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK
| | - Richard Knight
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - James W Ironside
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Jean C Manson
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.,Correspondence to: Jean C Manson;
| | - Robert G Will
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
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16
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Newman PK, Todd NV, Scoones D, Mead S, Knight RSG, Will RG, Ironside JW. Postmortem findings in a case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease treated with intraventricular pentosan polysulfate. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2014; 85:921-4. [PMID: 24554103 PMCID: PMC4112497 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2013-305590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A small number of patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) have been treated with intraventicular pentosan polysulfate (iPPS) and extended survival has been reported in some cases. To date, there have been no reports on the findings of postmortem examination of the brain in treated patients and the reasons for the extended survival are uncertain. We report on the neuropathological findings in a case of vCJD treated with PPS. METHODS Data on survival in vCJD is available from information held at the National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit and includes the duration of illness in 176 cases of vCJD, five of which were treated with iPPS. One of these individuals, who received iPPS for 8 years and lived for 105 months, underwent postmortem examination, including neuropathological examination of the brain. RESULTS The mean survival in vCJD is 17 months, with 40 months the maximum survival in patients not treated with PPS. In the 5 patients treated with PPS survival was 16 months, 45 months, 84 months, 105 months and 114 months. The patient who survived 105 months underwent postmortem examination which confirmed the diagnosis of vCJD and showed severe, but typical, changes, including neuronal loss, astrocytic gliosis and extensive prion protein (PrP) deposition in the brain. The patient was also given PPS for a short period by peripheral infusion and there was limited PrP immunostaining in lymphoreticular tissues such as spleen and appendix. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with iPPS did not reduce the overall neuropathological changes in the brain. The reduced peripheral immunostaining for PrP may reflect atrophy of these tissues in relation to chronic illness rather than a treatment effect. The reason for the long survival in patients treated with iPPS is unclear, but a treatment effect on the disease process cannot be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- P K Newman
- Department of Neurology, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesborough, UK
| | - N V Todd
- Department of Neurosurgery, Northern Medical Services, Newcastle, UK
| | - D Scoones
- Department of Neurology, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesborough, UK
| | - S Mead
- National Prion Clinic, London, UK
| | - R S G Knight
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - R G Will
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J W Ironside
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
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17
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McCutcheon S, Langeveld JPM, Tan BC, Gill AC, de Wolf C, Martin S, Gonzalez L, Alibhai J, Blanco ARA, Campbell L, Hunter N, Houston EF. Prion protein-specific antibodies that detect multiple TSE agents with high sensitivity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91143. [PMID: 24608105 PMCID: PMC3946747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper describes the generation, characterisation and potential applications of a panel of novel anti-prion protein monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The mAbs were generated by immunising PRNP null mice, using a variety of regimes, with a truncated form of recombinant ovine prion protein spanning residues 94-233. Epitopes of specific antibodies were mapped using solid-phase Pepscan analysis and clustered to four distinct regions within the PrP molecule. We have demonstrated the utility of these antibodies by use of Western blotting and immunohistochemistry in tissues from a range of different species affected by transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE). In comparative tests against extensively-used and widely-published, commercially available antibodies, similar or improved results can be obtained using these new mAbs, specifically in terms of sensitivity of detection. Since many of these antibodies recognise native PrPC, they could also be applied to a broad range of immunoassays such as flow cytometry, DELFIA analysis or immunoprecipitation. We are using these reagents to increase our understanding of TSE pathogenesis and for use in potential diagnostic screening assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra McCutcheon
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Boon Chin Tan
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C. Gill
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher de Wolf
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Stuart Martin
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Lasswade Laboratory, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Gonzalez
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Lasswade Laboratory, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - James Alibhai
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - A. Richard Alejo Blanco
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren Campbell
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Nora Hunter
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - E. Fiona Houston
- Neurobiology Division, The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
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18
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Ludewigs H, Zuber C, Vana K, Nikles D, Zerr I, Weiss S. Therapeutic approaches for prion disorders. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2014; 5:613-30. [PMID: 17678425 DOI: 10.1586/14787210.5.4.613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are lethal for both humans and animals, and affected individuals die after several months following a rapid disease progression. Although researchers have attempted for decades to develop effective therapeutics for the therapy of human prion disorders, until now no efficient drug has been available on the market for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) treatment or cure. Approximately 200 patients worldwide have died or suffer from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Incidences for sporadic and familial CJD are approximately 1.5-2 per million per year and one per 10 million per year, respectively, in Europe. This review summarizes classical and modern trials for the development of effective anti-TSE drugs, introduces potential effective delivery systems, such as lentiviral and adeno-associated virus systems for antiprion components, including antibodies and siRNAs, and presents vaccination trials. Most of the antiprion drugs target prion protein PrP(c) and/or PrP(Sc). Alternative targets are receptors and coreceptors for PrP, that is, the 37/67-kDa laminin receptor and heparan sulfate proteoglycanes. We review clinical trials for the treatment of TSEs and describe hindrances and chances for a breakthrough in therapy of prion disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Ludewigs
- Laboratorium für Molekulare Biologie, Genzentrum, Institut für Biochemie der LMU München, München, Germany.
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19
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Brazier MW, Wall VA, Brazier BW, Masters CL, Collins SJ. Therapeutic interventions ameliorating prion disease. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2014; 7:83-105. [DOI: 10.1586/14787210.7.1.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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20
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Janouskova O, Rakusan J, Karaskova M, Holada K. Photodynamic inactivation of prions by disulfonated hydroxyaluminium phthalocyanine. J Gen Virol 2012; 93:2512-2517. [DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.044727-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfonated phthalocyanines (Pcs) are cyclic tetrapyrroles that constitute a group of photosensitizers. In the presence of visible light and diatomic oxygen, Pcs produce singlet oxygen and other reactive oxygen species that have known degradation effects on lipids, proteins and/or nucleic acids. Pcs have been used successfully in the treatment of bacterial, yeast and fungal infections, but their use in the photodynamic inactivation of prions has never been reported. Here, we evaluated the photodynamic activity of the disodium salt of disulfonated hydroxyaluminium phthalocyanine (PcDS) against mouse-adapted scrapie RML prions in vitro. PcDS treatment of RML brain homogenate resulted in a time- and dose-dependent inactivation of prions. The photodynamic potential of Pcs offers a new way to inactivate prions using biodegradable compounds at room temperature and normal pressure, which could be useful for treating thermolabile materials and liquids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Janouskova
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Studnickova 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Rakusan
- Centre for Organic Chemistry Ltd, Rybitvi 296, 53354 Rybitvi, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Karaskova
- Centre for Organic Chemistry Ltd, Rybitvi 296, 53354 Rybitvi, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Holada
- Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Studnickova 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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21
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Abdel-Haq H, Bossù E. Capillary electrophoresis as a tool for the characterization of pentosan nanoparticles. J Chromatogr A 2012; 1257:125-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2012.07.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2012] [Revised: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 07/27/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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22
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Honda H, Sasaki K, Minaki H, Masui K, Suzuki SO, Doh-ura K, Iwaki T. Protease-resistant PrP and PrP oligomers in the brain in human prion diseases after intraventricular pentosan polysulfate infusion. Neuropathology 2011; 32:124-32. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2011.01245.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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23
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Geissen M, Leidel F, Eiden M, Hirschberger T, Fast C, Bertsch U, Tavan P, Giese A, Kretzschmar H, Schatzl HM, Groschup MH. From high-throughput cell culture screening to mouse model: identification of new inhibitor classes against prion disease. ChemMedChem 2011; 6:1928-37. [PMID: 21755599 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201100119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2011] [Revised: 06/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases belong to a category of fatal and so far untreatable neurodegenerative conditions. All prion diseases are characterized by both degeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) in humans and animals and the deposition and accumulation of Proteinase K-resistant prion protein (PrP(res)). Until now, no pharmaceutical product has been available to cure these diseases or to alleviate their associated symptoms. Here, a cell-culture screening system is described that allows for the large-scale analysis of the PrP(res) inhibitory potential of a library of compounds and the identification of structural motifs leading potent compounds able to cause PrP(res) clearance at the cellular level. Based on different scrapie-infected cell lines, 10,000 substances were tested, out of which 530 potential inhibitors were identified. After re-screening and validation using a series of dilutions, 14 compounds were identified as the most effective. These 14 compounds were then used for therapeutic studies in a mouse bioassay to test and verify their in vivo potency. Two compounds exhibited therapeutic potential in the mouse model by significantly extending the survival time of intracerebrally infected mice, when treated 90 days after infection with scrapie.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Geissen
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Suedufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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25
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Abstract
The prion diseases are a family of rare neurodegenerative disorders that result from the accumulation of a misfolded isoform of the prion protein (PrP), a normal constituent of the neuronal membrane. Five subtypes constitute the known human prion diseases; kuru, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS), fatal insomnia (FI), and variant CJD (vCJD). These subtypes are distinguished, in part, by their clinical phenotype, but primarily by their associated brain histopathology. Evidence suggests these phenotypes are defined by differences in the pathogenic conformation of misfolded PrP. Although the vast majority of cases are sporadic, 10% to 15% result from an autosomal dominant mutation of the PrP gene (PRNP). General phenotype-genotype correlations can be made for the major subtypes of CJD, GSS, and FI. This paper will review some of the general background related to prion biology and detail the clinical and pathologic features of the major prion diseases, with a particular focus on the genetic aspects that result in prion disease or modification of its risk or phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalilah Brown
- Center for Comprehensive Care and Research on Memory Disorders, Department of Neurology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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26
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Appleby BS, Lyketsos CG. Rapidly progressive dementias and the treatment of human prion diseases. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2010; 12:1-12. [PMID: 21091283 DOI: 10.1517/14656566.2010.514903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) has many possible etiologies and definitive treatment is reliant upon an accurate diagnosis from an appropriate diagnostic work-up. A large portion of the neurodegenerative causes of RPD are due to prion diseases (e.g., Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). The study of prion diseases, for which there is no currently available treatment, has public health implications and is becoming increasingly more relevant to our understanding of other protein misfolding disorders including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal degeneration, and Parkinson's disease. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW This article begins with an overview of the etiologies and diagnostic work-up of RPD followed by a detailed review of the literature concerning the treatment of human prion diseases (1971 to present). WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN The reader will understand the differential diagnosis and work-up of RPD as it pertains to its treatment, as well as an in-depth understanding of treatments of human prion diseases. TAKE HOME MESSAGE An accurate diagnosis of the cause of RPD is of paramount importance when determining appropriate treatment. Most studies of the treatment for human prion diseases are case reports or case series, and results from only one randomized, placebo-controlled study have been reported in the literature (flupirtine). Studies have been hindered by disease heterogeneity and lack of standardized outcome measures. Although no effective prion disease treatment has been revealed through these studies, they provide important considerations for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian S Appleby
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Meyer 279, 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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27
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Prion protein self-interactions: A gateway to novel therapeutic strategies? Vaccine 2010; 28:7810-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2010] [Revised: 08/31/2010] [Accepted: 09/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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28
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Murayama Y, Yoshioka M, Masujin K, Okada H, Iwamaru Y, Imamura M, Matsuura Y, Fukuda S, Onoe S, Yokoyama T, Mohri S. Sulfated dextrans enhance in vitro amplification of bovine spongiform encephalopathy PrP(Sc) and enable ultrasensitive detection of bovine PrP(Sc). PLoS One 2010; 5. [PMID: 20957174 PMCID: PMC2949392 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2010] [Accepted: 09/12/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Prions, infectious agents associated with prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, and scrapie in sheep and goats, are primarily comprised of PrPSc, a protease-resistant misfolded isoform of the cellular prion protein PrPC. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) is a highly sensitive technique used to detect minute amounts of scrapie PrPSc. However, the current PMCA technique has been unsuccessful in achieving good amplification in cattle. The detailed distribution of PrPSc in BSE-affected cattle therefore remains unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We report here that PrPSc derived from BSE-affected cattle can be amplified ultra-efficiently by PMCA in the presence of sulfated dextran compounds. This method is capable of amplifying very small amounts of PrPSc from the saliva, palatine tonsils, lymph nodes, ileocecal region, and muscular tissues of BSE-affected cattle. Individual differences in the distribution of PrPSc in spleen and cerebrospinal fluid samples were observed in terminal-stage animals. However, the presence of PrPSc in blood was not substantiated in the BSE-affected cattle examined. Conclusions/Significance The distribution of PrPSc is not restricted to the nervous system and can spread to peripheral tissues in the terminal disease stage. The finding that PrPSc could be amplified in the saliva of an asymptomatic animal suggests a potential usefulness of this technique for BSE diagnosis. This highly sensitive method also has other practical applications, including safety evaluation or safety assurance of products and byproducts manufactured from bovine source materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuichi Murayama
- Prion Disease Research Center, National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Japan.
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Efficacy of novel acridine derivatives in the inhibition of hPrP90-231 prion protein fragment toxicity. Neurotox Res 2010; 19:556-74. [PMID: 20405353 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-010-9189-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2010] [Revised: 03/26/2010] [Accepted: 03/30/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Quinacrine is one of the few molecules tested to treat patients affected by prion diseases, although the clinical outcome is largely unsatisfactory. To identify novel derivatives with higher neuroprotective activity, we evaluated the effects of a small library of acridine derivatives. The 6-chloro-2-methoxyacridine derivatives bearing on position 9 a quinolizidin-1-ylamino (Q1, Q2) or a quinolizidin-1-ylalkylamino residue (Q3, Q4, Q6, Q7), the thio-bioisoster of Q3 (Q5), the 9-(N-lupinylthiopropyl)amino derivative (Q8) and simple acridines (Q9 and Q10) were considered. We compared the effects of quinacrine and these novel analogues in the inhibition of the cytotoxic activity and protease K (PK) resistance of the human prion protein fragment 90-231 (hPrP90-231). We demonstrate that quinacrine caused a significant reduction of hPrP90-231 toxicity due to its binding to the fragment and the prevention of its conversion in a toxic isoform. All acridine derivatives analyzed showed high affinity binding for hPrP90-231, but only Q3 and Q10, caused a significant reduction of hPrP90-231 cytotoxicity, with higher efficacy than quinacrine. We attempted to correlate the cytoprotective effects of the new compounds with some biochemical parameters (binding affinity to hPrP90-231, intrinsic fluorescence quenching, hydrophobic amino acid exposure), but a direct relationship occurred only with the reduction of PK resistance, likely due to the prevention of the acquisition of the β-sheet-rich toxic conformation. These data represent interesting leads for further modifications of the basic side chain and the substituent pattern of the acridine nucleus to develop novel compounds with improved antiprion activity to be tested in in vivo experimental setting.
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Terada T, Tsuboi Y, Obi T, Doh-ura K, Murayama S, Kitamoto T, Yamada T, Mizoguchi K. Less protease-resistant PrP in a patient with sporadic CJD treated with intraventricular pentosan polysulphate. Acta Neurol Scand 2010; 121:127-30. [PMID: 19804470 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2009.01272.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Treatment with intraventricular pentosan polysulphate (PPS) might be beneficial in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We report a 68-year-old woman with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease who received continuous intraventricular PPS infusion (1-120 microg/kg/day) for 17 months starting 10 months after the onset of clinical symptoms. Treatment with PPS was well tolerated but was associated with a minor, transient intraventricular hemorrhage and a non-progressive collection of subdural fluid. The patient's overall survival time was well above the mean time expected for the illness but still within the normal range. Post-mortem examination revealed that the level of abnormal protease-resistant prion protein in the brain was markedly decreased compared with levels in brains without PPS treatment. These findings suggest that intraventricular PPS infusion might modify the accumulation of abnormal prion proteins in the brains of patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Terada
- Department of Neurology, Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Shizuoka, Japan
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31
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Tsuboi Y, Doh-Ura K, Yamada T. Continuous intraventricular infusion of pentosan polysulfate: clinical trial against prion diseases. Neuropathology 2010; 29:632-6. [PMID: 19788637 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2009.01058.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are progressive neurological disorders due to abnormal prion protein (PrP(Sc)) deposition in the central nervous system. At present, there is no effective treatment available for any form of prion disease. Pentosan polysulfate (PPS) has been shown to prolong significantly the incubation period in mice with PrP(Sc) infection when administered to the cerebral ventricles in preclinical trials. In human studies conducted in European countries and Japan, intraventricular PPS was administered to patients with different forms of prion disease and was well tolerated. We report 11 patients with prion disease treated with intraventricular PPS at Fukuoka University from 2004. Cases included three familial CJD (two with V180I mutation, one GSS with P102L mutation), two iatrogenic CJD, and six sporadic CJD cases. At present, average survival period after treatment was 24.2 months (range, 4-49). Seven cases died of sepsis and pneumonia. Subdural effusion with various degrees was seen on CT scan in most cases. Except for these, adverse effects did not occur in the treatment period. Although our preliminary study of the new treatment with PPS by continuous intraventricular infusion showed no apparent improvement of clinical features in patients with prion disease, the possibility of extended survival in some patients receiving long-term PPS was suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Tsuboi
- Department of Neurology, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
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Abdel-Haq H, Lu M, Cardone F, Liu QG, Puopolo M, Pocchiari M. Efficacy of phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate against mouse-adapted human prion strains. Arch Virol 2009; 154:1005-7. [DOI: 10.1007/s00705-009-0394-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2009] [Accepted: 04/16/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Corsaro A, Thellung S, Chiovitti K, Villa V, Simi A, Raggi F, Paludi D, Russo C, Aceto A, Florio T. Dual modulation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinase activities induced by minocycline reverses the neurotoxic effects of the prion protein fragment 90-231. Neurotox Res 2009; 15:138-54. [PMID: 19384577 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-009-9015-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2008] [Revised: 08/15/2008] [Accepted: 09/18/2008] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Several in vitro and in vivo studies addressed the identification of molecular determinants of the neuronal death induced by PrP(Sc) or related peptides. We developed an experimental model to assess PrP(Sc) neurotoxicity using a recombinant polypeptide encompassing amino acids 90-231 of human PrP (hPrP90-231) that corresponds to the protease-resistant core of PrP(Sc) identified in prion-infected brains. By means of mild thermal denaturation, we can convert hPrP90-231 from a PrP(C)-like conformation into a PrP(Sc)-like structure. In virtue of these structural changes, hPrP90-231 powerfully affected the survival of SH-SY5Y cells, inducing caspase 3 and p38-dependent apoptosis, while in the native alpha-helix-rich conformation, hPrP90-231 did not induce cell toxicity. The aim of this study was to identify drugs able to block hPrP90-231 neurotoxic effects, focusing on minocycline, a tetracycline with known neuroprotective activity. hPrP90-231 caused a caspase 3-dependent apoptosis via the blockade of ERK1/2 activation and the subsequent activation of p38 MAP kinase. We propose that hPrP90-231-induced apoptosis is dependent on the inhibition of ERK1/2 responsiveness to neurotrophic factors, removing a tonic inhibition of p38 activity and resulting in caspase 3 activation. Minocycline prevented hPrP90-231-induced toxicity interfering with this mechanism: the pretreatment with this tetracycline restored ERK1/2 activity and reverted p38 and caspase 3 activities. The effects of minocycline were not mediated by the prevention of hPrP90-231 structural changes or cell internalization (differently from Congo Red). In conclusion, minocycline elicits anti-apoptotic effects against the neurotoxic activity of hPrP90-231 and these effects are mediated by opposite modulation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAP kinase activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Corsaro
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Department of Oncology Biology and Genetics, University of Genova, Viale Benedetto XV, 2, Genova 16132, Italy
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Nagatsuka T, Uzawa H, Nishida Y. Library assembly of mono-, di- and tri-O-sulfated β-d-xylopyranosides; effect of O-sulfation on pyranose ring conformation. Chem Commun (Camb) 2009:4109-11. [DOI: 10.1039/b907059a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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Gilch S, Krammer C, Schätzl HM. Targeting prion proteins in neurodegenerative disease. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2008; 8:923-40. [PMID: 18549323 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.8.7.923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spongiform neurodegeneration is the pathological hallmark of individuals suffering from prion disease. These disorders, whose manifestation is sporadic, familial or acquired by infection, are caused by accumulation of the aberrantly folded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrP(c)), termed PrP(Sc). Although usually rare, prion disorders are inevitably fatal and transferrable by infection. OBJECTIVE Pathology is restricted to the central nervous system and premortem diagnosis is usually not possible. Yet, promising approaches towards developing therapeutic regimens have been made recently. METHODS The biology of prion proteins and current models of neurotoxicity are discussed and prophylactic and therapeutic concepts are introduced. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Although various promising drug candidates with antiprion activity have been identified, this proof-of-concept cannot be transferred into translational medicine yet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Gilch
- Technische Universität München, Institute of Virology, Prion Research Group, Trogerstreet 30, 81675 Munich, Germany
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Song CH, Furuoka H, Kim CL, Ogino M, Suzuki A, Hasebe R, Horiuchi M. Effect of intraventricular infusion of anti-prion protein monoclonal antibodies on disease progression in prion-infected mice. J Gen Virol 2008; 89:1533-1544. [PMID: 18474571 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.83578-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that anti-prion protein (PrP) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) inhibit abnormal isoform PrP (PrPSc) formation in cell culture. Additionally, passive immunization of anti-PrP mAbs protects the animals from prion infection via peripheral challenge when mAbs are administered simultaneously or soon after prion inoculation. Thus, anti-PrP mAbs are candidates for the treatment of prion diseases. However, the effects of mAbs on disease progression in the middle and late stages of the disease remain unclear. This study carried out intraventricular infusion of mAbs into prion-infected mice before and after clinical onset to assess their ability to delay disease progression. A 4-week infusion of anti-PrP mAbs initiated at 120 days post-inoculation (p.i.), which is just after clinical onset, reduced PrPSc levels to 70-80 % of those found in mice treated with a negative-control mAb. Spongiform changes, microglial activation and astrogliosis in the hippocampus and thalamus appeared milder in mice treated with anti-PrP mAbs than in those treated with a negative-control mAb. Treatment with anti-PrP mAb prolonged the survival of mice infected with Chandler or Obihiro strain when infusion was initiated at 60 days p.i., at which point PrPSc is detectable in the brain. In contrast, infusion initiated after clinical onset prolonged the survival time by about 8 % only in mice infected with the Chandler strain. Although the effects on survival varied for different prion strains, the anti-PrP mAb could partly prevent disease progression, even after clinical onset, suggesting immunotherapy as a candidate for treatment of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Hyun Song
- Laboratory of Prion Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Furuoka
- Department of Pathobiological Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Inada-cho, Obihiro 080-8555, Japan
| | - Chan-Lan Kim
- Laboratory of Prion Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Michiko Ogino
- Laboratory of Prion Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Akio Suzuki
- Laboratory of Prion Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Rie Hasebe
- Laboratory of Prion Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Motohiro Horiuchi
- Laboratory of Prion Diseases, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
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De Luigi A, Colombo L, Diomede L, Capobianco R, Mangieri M, Miccolo C, Limido L, Forloni G, Tagliavini F, Salmona M. The efficacy of tetracyclines in peripheral and intracerebral prion infection. PLoS One 2008; 3:e1888. [PMID: 18365024 PMCID: PMC2268013 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0001888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2007] [Accepted: 02/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously shown that tetracyclines interact with and reverse the protease resistance of pathological prion protein extracted from scrapie-infected animals and patients with all forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, lowering the prion titre and prolonging survival of cerebrally infected animals. To investigate the effectiveness of these drugs as anti-prion agents Syrian hamsters were inoculated intramuscularly or subcutaneously with 263K scrapie strain at a 10−4 dilution. Tetracyclines were injected intramuscularly or intraperitoneally at the dose of 10 mg/kg. A single intramuscular dose of doxycycline one hour after infection in the same site of inoculation prolonged median survival by 64%. Intraperitoneal doses of tetracyclines every two days for 40 or 44 days increased survival time by 25% (doxycycline), 32% (tetracycline); and 81% (minocycline) after intramuscular infection, and 35% (doxycycline) after subcutaneous infection. To extend the therapeutic potential of tetracyclines, we investigated the efficacy of direct infusion of tetracyclines in advanced infection. Since intracerebroventricular infusion of tetracycline solutions can cause overt acute toxicity in animals, we entrapped the drugs in liposomes. Animals were inoculated intracerebrally with a 10−4 dilution of the 263K scrapie strain. A single intracerebroventricular infusion of 25 µg/ 20 µl of doxycycline or minocycline entrapped in liposomes was administered 60 days after inoculation, when 50% of animals showed initial symptoms of the disease. Median survival increased of 8.1% with doxycycline and 10% with minocycline. These data suggest that tetracyclines might have therapeutic potential for humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada De Luigi
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Milano, Italy
| | - Laura Colombo
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Milano, Italy
| | - Luisa Diomede
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Michela Mangieri
- Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico “Carlo Besta”, Milano, Italy
| | - Claudia Miccolo
- Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico “Carlo Besta”, Milano, Italy
| | - Lucia Limido
- Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico “Carlo Besta”, Milano, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Mario Salmona
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche “Mario Negri”, Milano, Italy
- * E-mail:
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Bone I, Belton L, Walker AS, Darbyshire J. Intraventricular pentosan polysulphate in human prion diseases: an observational study in the UK. Eur J Neurol 2008; 15:458-64. [PMID: 18355301 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2008.02108.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKGROUND, PURPOSE AND METHODS: This observational study assessed the effect of continuous intraventricular infusion of pentosan polysulphate (PPS) in seven patients at different clinical centres in the UK. RESULTS Complications of intraventricular catheterization were frequent. PPS was well-tolerated over a wide dose range (11-110 microg/kg/day) during the 6-month study. Four patients were assessed for the entire study period: one remained stable, two showed minimal deterioration and one progressed significantly. CONCLUSION Mean survival of all patients was longer than reported values for natural history of specific prion disorders. Possible reasons for these findings are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Bone
- Department of Medical and Cardiovascular Studies, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
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40
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Crozet C, Lehmann S. [Prions: where do we stand 20 years after the appearance of bovine spongiform encephalopathy?]. Med Sci (Paris) 2007; 23:1148-57. [PMID: 18154718 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/200723121148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) identified twenty years ago in the British cattle herds. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a TSE that occurs in humans. In 1996, scientists found a possible link between BSE and a new variant of CJD (vCJD). The fact that the non conventional infectious agent of TSE, named prions, could cross the species barrier from cattle to human through meat consumption, raised a tremendous concern for public safety in Europe. This led to the development in the following two decades of substantial and expensive measures to contain BSE and prevent its transmission to humans. In parallel, scientific programs have been funded to progress through the comprehension of the physiopathology of these fatal disorders. In Europe, the BSE epidemics is now ending and the number of cases is decreasing thanks to the strict control of animal foodstuff that was the main source of prion contamination. Only a small number of vCJD have been detected, however, additional concerns have been raised recently for public safety as secondary transmission of CJD through medical procedure and blood transfusion is possible. In addition, the possibility that the BSE was transmitted to other animals including small ruminants is also worrisome. Research efforts are now focussing on decontamination and ante mortem diagnosis of TSE to prevent animal and human transmission. However, needs for fundamental research are still important as many questions remain to be addressed to understand the mechanism of prion transmission, as well as its pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carole Crozet
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, UPR1142 CNRS, CHU de Montpellier, UM1 Montpellier, 141, rue de la Cardonille, 34396 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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41
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Lefebvre-Roque M, Kremmer E, Gilch S, Zou WQ, Féraudet C, Gilles CM, Salès N, Grassi J, Gambetti P, Baron T, Schätzl H, Lasmézas CI. Toxic effects of intracerebral PrP antibody administration during the course of BSE infection in mice. Prion 2007; 1:198-206. [PMID: 19164902 DOI: 10.4161/pri.1.3.4870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The absence of specific immune response is a hallmark of prion diseases. However, in vitro and in vivo experiments have provided evidence that an anti-PrP humoral response could have beneficial effects. Prophylactic passive immunization performed at the time of infection delayed or prevented disease. Nonetheless, the potential therapeutic effect of PrP antibodies administered shortly before the clinical signs has never been tested in vivo. Moreover, a recent study showed the potential toxicity of PrP antibodies administered intracerebrally. We aimed at evaluating the effect of a prolonged intracerebral anti-PrP antibody administration at the time of neuroinvasion in BSE infected Tg20 mice. Unexpectedly, despite a good penetration of the antibodies in the brain parenchyma, the treatment was not protective against the development of BSE. Instead, it led to an extensive neuronal loss, strong astrogliosis and microglial activation. Since this effect was observed after injection of anti-PrP antibodies as whole IgGs, F(ab')(2) or Fab fragments, the toxicity was directly related to the ability of the antibodies to recognize native PrP and to the intracerebral concentration achieved, and not to the Fc portion or the divalence of the antibodies. This experiment shows that a prolonged treatment with anti-PrP antibodies by the intracerebral route can induce severe side-effects and calls for caution with regard to the use of similar approaches for late therapeutic interventions in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Lefebvre-Roque
- Department of Infectology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, USA
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Parry A, Baker I, Stacey R, Wimalaratna S. Long term survival in a patient with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease treated with intraventricular pentosan polysulphate. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2007; 78:733-4. [PMID: 17314188 PMCID: PMC2117700 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.2006.104505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a neurodegenerative disease that principally affects young people and has a median duration of illness of 13 (range 6-39) months. vCJD is incurable and there are currently no treatments that conclusively slow the rate of disease progression. However, recent animal studies and isolated case reports have suggested that treatment with intraventricular pentosan polysulphate (PPS) may be beneficial in the treatment of patients with vCJD. We report a case of a 22-year-old male with vCJD treated 19 months after the onset of clinical symptoms with continuous intraventricular PPS (32 microg/kg/day) over a period of 31 months. Treatment with PPS appeared to be safe and well tolerated and was associated with prolonged survival (51 months) when compared to natural history studies. However, PPS treatment did not appear to arrest the progression of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Parry
- Department of Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Headington, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
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43
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Rainov NG, Tsuboi Y, Krolak-Salmon P, Vighetto A, Doh-Ura K. Experimental treatments for human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: is there a role for pentosan polysulfate? Expert Opin Biol Ther 2007; 7:713-26. [PMID: 17477808 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.7.5.713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, are caused by the accumulation of an abnormal isoform of the prion protein in the CNS. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in its sporadic form is the most frequent type of human TSE. At present, there is no proven specific or effective treatment available for any form of TSE. Pentosan polysulfate (PPS) has been shown to prolong the incubation period when administered to the cerebral ventricles in a rodent TSE model. Cerebroventricular administration of PPS has been carried out in 26 patients with TSEs and has been shown to be well tolerated in doses < or = 220 microg/kg/day. Proof of efficacy has been difficult because the specific and objective criteria for measurement of response have not been established yet. Preliminary clinical experience confirms extended survival in patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease receiving intraventricular PPS; however, it is still not clear if this is due to PPS itself. Further prospective investigations of long-term intraventricular PPS administration are essential for the assessment of its effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- N G Rainov
- Klinikum Augsburg, Department of Neurosurgery, Stenglinstr. 2, D-86156 Augsburg, Germany.
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44
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Larramendy-Gozalo C, Barret A, Daudigeos E, Mathieu E, Antonangeli L, Riffet C, Petit E, Papy-Garcia D, Barritault D, Brown P, Deslys JP. Comparison of CR36, a new heparan mimetic, and pentosan polysulfate in the treatment of prion diseases. J Gen Virol 2007; 88:1062-1067. [PMID: 17325382 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.82286-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sulfated polyanions, including pentosan polysulfate (PPS) and heparan mimetics, number among the most effective drugs that have been used in experimental models of prion disease and are presumed to act in competition with endogenous heparan sulfate proteoglycans as co-receptors for prion protein (PrP) on the cell surface. PPS has been shown to prolong the survival of animals after intracerebral perfusion and is in limited use for the experimental treatment of human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). Here, PPS is compared with CR36, a new heparan mimetic. Ex vivo, CR36 was more efficient than PPS in reducing PrPres in scrapie-infected cell cultures and showed long-lasting activity. In vivo, CR36 showed none of the acute toxicity observed with PPS and reduced PrPres accumulation in spleens, but had only a marginal effect on the survival time of mice infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. In contrast, mice treated with PPS that survived the initial toxic mortality had no detectable PrPres in the spleens and lived 185 days longer than controls (+55 %). These results show, once again, that anti-TSE drugs cannot be encouraged for human therapeutic trials solely on the basis of in vitro or ex vivo observations, but must first be subjected to in vivo animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agnès Barret
- CEA, IMETI/SEPIA, 18 route du Panorama, BP6, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses cedex, France
| | - Estelle Daudigeos
- CEA, IMETI/SEPIA, 18 route du Panorama, BP6, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses cedex, France
| | - Emilie Mathieu
- CEA, IMETI/SEPIA, 18 route du Panorama, BP6, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses cedex, France
| | - Lucie Antonangeli
- CEA, IMETI/SEPIA, 18 route du Panorama, BP6, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses cedex, France
| | - Cécile Riffet
- Laboratoire CRRET, CNRS FRE24-12, Université Paris XII-Val de Marne, Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil, France
| | | | - Dulce Papy-Garcia
- Laboratoire CRRET, CNRS FRE24-12, Université Paris XII-Val de Marne, Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil, France
| | | | - Paul Brown
- CEA, IMETI/SEPIA, 18 route du Panorama, BP6, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses cedex, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Deslys
- CEA, IMETI/SEPIA, 18 route du Panorama, BP6, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses cedex, France
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Kocisko DA, Caughey B, Morrey JD, Race RE. Enhanced antiscrapie effect using combination drug treatment. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2006; 50:3447-9. [PMID: 17005828 PMCID: PMC1610090 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00715-06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Combination treatment with pentosan polysulfate and Fe(III)meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine in mice beginning 14 or 28 days after scrapie inoculation significantly increased survival times. This increase may be synergistic, implying that the compounds act cooperatively in vivo. Combination therapy may therefore be more effective for treatment of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and other protein-misfolding diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kocisko
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA.
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46
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Mok SWF, Thelen KM, Riemer C, Bamme T, Gültner S, Lütjohann D, Baier M. Simvastatin prolongs survival times in prion infections of the central nervous system. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2006; 348:697-702. [PMID: 16890918 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2006.07.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2006] [Accepted: 07/21/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal and at present there are neither cures nor palliative therapies known/available, which delay disease onset or progression. Cholesterol-lowering drugs have been reported to inhibit prion replication in infected cell cultures and to modulate inflammatory reactions. We aimed to determine whether simvastatin-treatment could delay disease onset in a murine prion model. Groups of mice were intracerebrally infected with two doses of scrapie strain 139A. Simvastatin-treatment commenced 100 days postinfection. The treatment did not affect deposition of misfolded prion protein PrP(res). However, expression of marker proteins for glia activation like major histocompatibility class II and galectin-3 was found to be affected. Analysis of brain cholesterol synthesis and metabolism revealed a mild reduction in cholesterol precursor levels, whereas levels of cholesterol and cholesterol metabolites were unchanged. Simvastatin-treatment significantly delayed disease progression and prolonged survival times in established prion infection of the CNS (p < or = 0.0003). The results suggest that modulation of glial responses and the therapeutic benefit observed in our murine prion model of simvastatin is not due to the cholesterol-lowering effect of this drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Wing Fai Mok
- Project Neurodegenerative Diseases, Robert-Koch-Institute, Nordufer 20, 13353 Berlin, Germany
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47
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Whittle IR, Knight RSG, Will RG. Unsuccessful intraventricular pentosan polysulphate treatment of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2006; 148:677-9; discussion 679. [PMID: 16598408 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-006-0772-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2005] [Accepted: 02/21/2006] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Pentosan polysulphate, delivered by chronic intraventricular infusion, has been proposed as a potential therapy for human prion disease. The first treated patient is still alive several years after treatment started. Here we describe in detail a case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in which this treatment was started at a relatively early stage but had no definite clinical benefit. The patient died from disease progression 16 months after diagnosis and 5 months after pentosan polysulphate treatment was commenced.
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Affiliation(s)
- I R Whittle
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and National CJD Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK.
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48
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Halimi M, Dayan-Amouyal Y, Kariv-Inbal Z, Friedman-Levi Y, Mayer-Sonnenfeld T, Gabizon R. Prion urine comprises a glycosaminoglycan-light chain IgG complex that can be stained by Congo red. J Virol Methods 2006; 133:205-10. [PMID: 16386805 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2005.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2005] [Revised: 10/28/2005] [Accepted: 11/08/2005] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Light chain IgG, a known amyloidotic protein, is present in the urine of prion disease affected individuals in a protease resistant form. In addition, it was shown recently that prion urine samples comprise a significant excess of glycosaminoglycans. Since amyloidotic proteins and glycosaminoglycans are the major components of amyloid aggregates, a Congo red dot blot assay was developed for detection of Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) in urine. This assay was also positive for about 10% of patients suffering from diseases such as Alzheimer disease, cerebrovascular attacks and multiple sclerosis, but negative for healthy controls. Both glycosaminoglycans and proteins such as light chain IgG were required for the binding of Congo red to the urine fractions, as shown by the fact that Proteinase K digestion of the samples either after guanidine or after choindrotinase abolished the Congo red signal from the CJD samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Halimi
- Department of Neurology, The Agnes Ginges Center for Human Neurogenetics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
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49
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Kocisko DA, Vaillant A, Lee KS, Arnold KM, Bertholet N, Race RE, Olsen EA, Juteau JM, Caughey B. Potent antiscrapie activities of degenerate phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2006; 50:1034-44. [PMID: 16495266 PMCID: PMC1426446 DOI: 10.1128/aac.50.3.1034-1044.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are incurable, a key therapeutic approach is prevention of conversion of the normal, protease-sensitive form of prion protein (PrP-sen) to the disease-specific protease-resistant form of prion protein (PrP-res). Here degenerate phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (PS-ONs) are introduced as low-nM PrP-res conversion inhibitors with strong antiscrapie activities in vivo. Comparisons of various PS-ON analogs indicated that hydrophobicity and size were important, while base composition was only minimally influential. PS-ONs bound avidly to PrP-sen but could be displaced by sulfated glycan PrP-res inhibitors, indicating the presence of overlapping binding sites. Labeled PS-ONs also bound to PrP-sen on live cells and were internalized. This binding likely accounts for the antiscrapie activity. Prophylactic PS-ON treatments more than tripled scrapie survival periods in mice. Survival times also increased when PS-ONs were mixed with scrapie brain inoculum. With these antiscrapie activities and their much lower anticoagulant activities than that of pentosan polysulfate, degenerate PS-ONs are attractive new compounds for the treatment of TSEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kocisko
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
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Kocisko DA, Caughey WS, Race RE, Roper G, Caughey B, Morrey JD. A porphyrin increases survival time of mice after intracerebral prion infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2006; 50:759-61. [PMID: 16436739 PMCID: PMC1366918 DOI: 10.1128/aac.50.2.759-761.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases, including scrapie, are incurable neurodegenerative disorders. Some compounds can delay disease after a peripheral scrapie inoculation, but few are effective against advanced disease. Here, we tested multiple related porphyrins, but only Fe(III)meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine injected into mouse brains after intracerebral scrapie inoculation substantially increased survival times.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kocisko
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 903 S. 4th Street, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA.
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