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Ramazi S, Dadzadi M, Darvazi M, Seddigh N, Allahverdi A. Protein modification in neurodegenerative diseases. MedComm (Beijing) 2024; 5:e674. [PMID: 39105197 PMCID: PMC11298556 DOI: 10.1002/mco2.674] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Posttranslational modifications play a crucial role in governing cellular functions and protein behavior. Researchers have implicated dysregulated posttranslational modifications in protein misfolding, which results in cytotoxicity, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease. These aberrant posttranslational modifications cause proteins to gather in certain parts of the brain that are linked to the development of the diseases. This leads to neuronal dysfunction and the start of neurodegenerative disease symptoms. Cognitive decline and neurological impairments commonly manifest in neurodegenerative disease patients, underscoring the urgency of comprehending the posttranslational modifications' impact on protein function for targeted therapeutic interventions. This review elucidates the critical link between neurodegenerative diseases and specific posttranslational modifications, focusing on Tau, APP, α-synuclein, Huntingtin protein, Parkin, DJ-1, and Drp1. By delineating the prominent aberrant posttranslational modifications within Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and Huntington disease, the review underscores the significance of understanding the interplay among these modifications. Emphasizing 10 key abnormal posttranslational modifications, this study aims to provide a comprehensive framework for investigating neurodegenerative diseases holistically. The insights presented herein shed light on potential therapeutic avenues aimed at modulating posttranslational modifications to mitigate protein aggregation and retard neurodegenerative disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahin Ramazi
- Department of BiophysicsFaculty of Biological SciencesTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
| | - Maedeh Dadzadi
- Department of BiotechnologyFaculty of Advanced Science and TechnologyTehran Medical SciencesIslamic Azad UniversityTehranIran
| | - Mona Darvazi
- Department of BiophysicsFaculty of Biological SciencesTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
| | - Nasrin Seddigh
- Department of BiochemistryFaculty of Advanced Science and TechnologyTehran Medical SciencesIslamic Azad UniversityTehranIran
| | - Abdollah Allahverdi
- Department of BiophysicsFaculty of Biological SciencesTarbiat Modares UniversityTehranIran
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Singh H, Das A, Khan MM, Pourmotabbed T. New insights into the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of tauopathies. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1020-1026. [PMID: 37862204 PMCID: PMC10749630 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.385288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a group of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, which involve progressive neurodegeneration, cognitive deficits, and aberrant tau protein accumulation. The development of tauopathies cannot currently be stopped or slowed down by treatment measures. Given the significant contribution of tau burden in primary tauopathies and the strong association between pathogenic tau accumulation and cognitive deficits, there has been a lot of interest in creating therapies that can alleviate tau pathology and render neuroprotective effects. Recently, small molecules, immunotherapies, and gene therapy have been used to reduce the pathological tau burden and prevent neurodegeneration in animal models of tauopathies. However, the major pitfall of the current therapeutic approach is the difficulty of drugs and gene-targeting modalities to cross the blood-brain barrier and their unintended side effects. In this review, the current therapeutic strategies used for tauopathies including the use of oligonucleotide-based gene therapy approaches that have shown a promising result for the treatment of tauopathies and Alzheimer's disease in preclinical animal models, have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshi Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Delhi, India
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Asmita Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Delhi, India
| | - Mohammad Moshahid Khan
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Center for Muscle, Metabolism and Neuropathology, Division of Regenerative and Rehabilitation Sciences and Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Tayebeh Pourmotabbed
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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3
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Tang J, Sun R, Wan J, Xu Z, Zou Y, Zhang Q. Atomic insights into the inhibition of R3 domain of tau protein by epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin and gallic acid. Biophys Chem 2024; 305:107142. [PMID: 38088006 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2023.107142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Inhibiting tau protein aggregation has become a prospective avenue for the therapeutic development of tauopathies. The third microtubule-binding repeat (R3) domain of tau is confirmed as the most aggregation-favorable fragment of the whole protein. As dimerization is the first step of the aggregation of tau into amyloid fibrils, impeding the dimerization of the R3 domain is critical to prevent the full-length tau aggregation. Natural polyphenol small molecules epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), quercetin (QE) and gallic acid (GA) are proven to inhibit the aggregation of the full-length recombinant tau (For EGCG and QE) or the R3 domain (For GA) of tau in vitro. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the inhibitive effects on the R3 domain of tau remain largely unknown. In this study, we conducted numerous all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on R3 dimers with and without EGCG, QE or GA, respectively. The results reveal that all three molecules can effectively decrease the β structure composition of the R3 dimer, induce the dimer to adopt loosely-packed conformations, and weaken interchain interactions, thus impeding the dimerization of the R3 peptide chains. The specific preferentially binding sites for the three molecules exhibit similarities and differences. Hydrophobic, π-π stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions collectively drive EGCG, QE and GA respectively binding on the R3 dimer, while QE also binds with the dimer through cation-π interaction. Given the incurable nature of tauopathies hitherto, our research provides helpful knowledge for the development of drugs to treat tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Tang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruiqing Sun
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqian Wan
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengdong Xu
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zou
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China.
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China.
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4
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Zhao J, Zhang Z, Lai KC, Lai L. Administration of recombinant FOXN1 protein attenuates Alzheimer's pathology in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 113:341-352. [PMID: 37541395 PMCID: PMC10528256 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in older adults and characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive functions that are associated with amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Immune cells play an important role in the clearance of Aβ deposits and neurofibrillary tangles. T cells are the major component of the immune system. The thymus is the primary organ for T cell generation. T cell development in the thymus depends on thymic epithelial cells (TECs). However, TECs undergo both qualitative and quantitative loss over time. We have previously reported that a recombinant (r) protein containing FOXN1 and a protein transduction domain can increase the number of TECs and subsequently increases the number of T cells in mice. In this study we determined the ability of rFOXN1 to affect cognitive performance and AD pathology in mice. METHODS Aged 3xTg-AD and APP/PS1 AD mice were injected with rFOXN1 or control protein. Cognitive performance, AD pathology, the thymic microenvironment and immune cells were then analyzed. RESULTS Administration of rFOXN1 into AD mice improves cognitive performance and reduces Aβ plaque load and phosphorylated tau in the brain. This is related to rejuvenating the aged thymic microenvironment, which results in enhanced T cell generation in the thymus, leading to increased number of T cells, especially IFNγ-producing T cells, in the spleen and the choroid plexus (CP), enhanced expression of immune cell trafficking molecules in the CP, and increased migration of monocyte-derived macrophages into the brain. Furthermore, the production of anti-Aβ antibodies in the serum and the brain, and the macrophage phagocytosis of Aβ are enhanced in rFOXN1-treated AD mice. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that rFOXN1 protein has the potential to provide a novel approach to treat AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhao
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Zhenzhen Zhang
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Kuan Chen Lai
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Laijun Lai
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; University of Connecticut Stem Cell Institute, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
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5
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Riemenschneider H, Simonetti F, Sheth U, Katona E, Roth S, Hutten S, Farny D, Michaelsen M, Nuscher B, Schmidt MK, Flatley A, Schepers A, Gruijs da Silva LA, Zhou Q, Klopstock T, Liesz A, Arzberger T, Herms J, Feederle R, Gendron TF, Dormann D, Edbauer D. Targeting the glycine-rich domain of TDP-43 with antibodies prevents its aggregation in vitro and reduces neurofilament levels in vivo. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:112. [PMID: 37434215 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01592-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytoplasmic aggregation and concomitant nuclear clearance of the RNA-binding protein TDP-43 are found in ~ 90% of cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and ~ 45% of patients living with frontotemporal lobar degeneration, but no disease-modifying therapy is available. Antibody therapy targeting other aggregating proteins associated with neurodegenerative disorders has shown beneficial effects in animal models and clinical trials. The most effective epitopes for safe antibody therapy targeting TDP-43 are unknown. Here, we identified safe and effective epitopes in TDP-43 for active and potential future passive immunotherapy. We prescreened 15 peptide antigens covering all regions of TDP-43 to identify the most immunogenic epitopes and to raise novel monoclonal antibodies in wild-type mice. Most peptides induced a considerable antibody response and no antigen triggered obvious side effects. Thus, we immunized mice with rapidly progressing TDP-43 proteinopathy ("rNLS8" model) with the nine most immunogenic peptides in five pools prior to TDP-43ΔNLS transgene induction. Strikingly, combined administration of two N-terminal peptides induced genetic background-specific sudden lethality in several mice and was therefore discontinued. Despite a strong antibody response, no TDP-43 peptide prevented the rapid body weight loss or reduced phospho-TDP-43 levels as well as the profound astrogliosis and microgliosis in rNLS8 mice. However, immunization with a C-terminal peptide containing the disease-associated phospho-serines 409/410 significantly lowered serum neurofilament light chain levels, indicative of reduced neuroaxonal damage. Transcriptomic profiling showed a pronounced neuroinflammatory signature (IL-1β, TNF-α, NfκB) in rNLS8 mice and suggested modest benefits of immunization targeting the glycine-rich region. Several novel monoclonal antibodies targeting the glycine-rich domain potently reduced phase separation and aggregation of TDP-43 in vitro and prevented cellular uptake of preformed aggregates. Our unbiased screen suggests that targeting the RRM2 domain and the C-terminal region of TDP-43 by active or passive immunization may be beneficial in TDP-43 proteinopathies by inhibiting cardinal processes of disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrick Riemenschneider
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Francesca Simonetti
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), 81377, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität (JGU), Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 17, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Udit Sheth
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Eszter Katona
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Roth
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Saskia Hutten
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität (JGU), Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 17, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Daniel Farny
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Meike Michaelsen
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Brigitte Nuscher
- Chair of Metabolic Biochemistry, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Michael K Schmidt
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrew Flatley
- Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Aloys Schepers
- Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Lara A Gruijs da Silva
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), 81377, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität (JGU), Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 17, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Qihui Zhou
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Ziemssenstr. 1a, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Arthur Liesz
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Arzberger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377, Munich, Germany
| | - Regina Feederle
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany
- Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Tania F Gendron
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL, 32224, USA
| | - Dorothee Dormann
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität (JGU), Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 17, 55128, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), Ackermannweg 4, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dieter Edbauer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany.
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377, Munich, Germany.
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich, Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), 81377, Munich, Germany.
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Tang J, Zou Y, Gong Y, Xu Z, Wan J, Wei G, Zhang Q. Molecular Mechanism in the Disruption of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy-Related R3-R4 Tau Protofibril by Quercetin and Gallic Acid: Similarities and Differences. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:897-908. [PMID: 36749931 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a unique progressive neurodegenerative tauopathy pathologically related to the aggregation of the tau protein to neurofibrillary tangles. Disrupting tau oligomers (protofibril) is a promising strategy to prevent CTE. Quercetin (QE) and gallic acid (GA), two polyphenol small molecules abundant in natural crops, were proved to inhibit recombinant tau and the R3 fragment of human full-length tau in vitro. However, their disruptive effect on CTE-related protofibril and the underlying molecular mechanism remain elusive. Cryo-electron microscopy resolution reveals that the R3-R4 fragment of tau forms the core of the CTE-related tau protofibril. In this study, we conducted extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on CTE-related R3-R4 tau protofibril with and without QE/GA molecules. The results disclose that both QE and GA can disrupt the global structure of the protofibril, while GA shows a relatively strong effect. The binding sites, exact binding patterns, and disruptive modes for the two molecules show similarities and differences. Strikingly, both QE and GA can insert into the hydrophobic cavity of the protofibril, indicating they have the potential to compete for the space in the cavity with aggregation cofactors unique to CTE-related protofibril and thus impede the further aggregation of the tau protein. Due to relatively short time scale, our study captures the early disruptive mechanism of CTE-related R3-R4 tau protofibril by QE/GA. However, our research does provide valuable knowledge for the design of supplements or drugs to prevent or delay the development of CTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxing Tang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zou
- Department of Sport and Exercise Science, College of Education, Zhejiang University, 886 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Yehong Gong
- School of Sports Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengdong Xu
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqian Wan
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanghong Wei
- Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Surface Physics, and Key Laboratory for Computational Physical Sciences (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwen Zhang
- School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, 399 Changhai Road, Shanghai 200438, People's Republic of China
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7
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Karimi N, Bayram Çatak F, Arslan E, Saghazadeh A, Rezaei N. Tau immunotherapy in Alzheimer’s disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. Int Immunopharmacol 2022; 113:109445. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Immunogenicity of MultiTEP platform technology-based Tau vaccine in non-human primates. NPJ Vaccines 2022; 7:117. [PMID: 36224191 PMCID: PMC9556597 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00544-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological forms of Tau protein are directly associated with neurodegeneration and correlate with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) symptoms, progression, and severity. Previously, using various mouse models of Tauopathies and AD, we have demonstrated the immunogenicity and efficacy of the MultiTEP-based adjuvanted vaccine targeting the phosphatase activating domain (PAD) of Tau, AV-1980R/A. Here, we analyzed its immunogenicity in non-human primates (NHP), the closest phylogenic relatives to humans with a similar immune system, to initiate the transition of this vaccine into clinical trials. We have demonstrated that AV-1980R/A is highly immunogenic in these NHPs, activating a broad but unique to each monkey repertoire of MultiTEP-specific T helper (Th) cells that, in turn, activate B cells specific to PAD. The resulting anti-PAD IgG antibodies recognize pathological Tau tangles and Tau-positive neuritis in AD case brain sections with no staining in control non-AD cases. These published data and efficacy results support the AV-1980R/A vaccine progression to first-in-human clinical trials.
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9
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Zhang Y, Wu KM, Yang L, Dong Q, Yu JT. Tauopathies: new perspectives and challenges. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:28. [PMID: 35392986 PMCID: PMC8991707 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00533-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by neuronal and/or glial tau-positive inclusions. MAIN BODY Clinically, tauopathies can present with a range of phenotypes that include cognitive/behavioral-disorders, movement disorders, language disorders and non-specific amnestic symptoms in advanced age. Pathologically, tauopathies can be classified based on the predominant tau isoforms that are present in the inclusion bodies (i.e., 3R, 4R or equal 3R:4R ratio). Imaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood-based tau biomarkers have the potential to be used as a routine diagnostic strategy and in the evaluation of patients with tauopathies. As tauopathies are strongly linked neuropathologically and genetically to tau protein abnormalities, there is a growing interest in pursuing of tau-directed therapeutics for the disorders. Here we synthesize emerging lessons on tauopathies from clinical, pathological, genetic, and experimental studies toward a unified concept of these disorders that may accelerate the therapeutics. CONCLUSIONS Since tauopathies are still untreatable diseases, efforts have been made to depict clinical and pathological characteristics, identify biomarkers, elucidate underlying pathogenesis to achieve early diagnosis and develop disease-modifying therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Kai-Min Wu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Qiang Dong
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Jin-Tai Yu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
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10
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Tatulian SA. Challenges and hopes for Alzheimer's disease. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:1027-1043. [PMID: 35121174 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent drug development efforts targeting Alzheimer's disease (AD) have failed to produce effective disease-modifying agents for many reasons, including the substantial presymptomatic neuronal damage that is caused by the accumulation of the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide and tau protein abnormalities, deleterious adverse effects of drug candidates, and inadequate design of clinical trials. New molecular targets, biomarkers, and diagnostic techniques, as well as alternative nonpharmacological approaches, are sorely needed to detect and treat early pathological events. This article analyzes the successes and debacles of pharmaceutical endeavors to date, and highlights new technologies that may lead to the more effective diagnosis and treatment of the pathologies that underlie AD. The use of focused ultrasound, deep brain stimulation, stem cell therapy, and gene therapy, in parallel with pharmaceuticals and judicious lifestyle adjustments, holds promise for the deceleration, prevention, or cure of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suren A Tatulian
- Department of Physics, College of Sciences, and Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, USA.
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11
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Efficacy and immunogenicity of MultiTEP-based DNA vaccines targeting human α-synuclein: prelude for IND enabling studies. NPJ Vaccines 2022; 7:1. [PMID: 35013319 PMCID: PMC8748802 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-021-00424-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of misfolded proteins such as amyloid-β (Aβ), tau, and α-synuclein (α-Syn) in the brain leads to synaptic dysfunction, neuronal damage, and the onset of relevant neurodegenerative disorder/s. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are characterized by the aberrant accumulation of α-Syn intracytoplasmic Lewy body inclusions and dystrophic Lewy neurites resulting in neurodegeneration associated with inflammation. Cell to cell propagation of α-Syn aggregates is implicated in the progression of PD/DLB, and high concentrations of anti-α-Syn antibodies could inhibit/reduce the spreading of this pathological molecule in the brain. To ensure sufficient therapeutic concentrations of anti-α-Syn antibodies in the periphery and CNS, we developed four α-Syn DNA vaccines based on the universal MultiTEP platform technology designed especially for the elderly with immunosenescence. Here, we are reporting on the efficacy and immunogenicity of these vaccines targeting three B-cell epitopes of hα-Syn aa85–99 (PV-1947D), aa109–126 (PV-1948D), aa126–140 (PV-1949D) separately or simultaneously (PV-1950D) in a mouse model of synucleinopathies mimicking PD/DLB. All vaccines induced high titers of antibodies specific to hα-Syn that significantly reduced PD/DLB-like pathology in hα-Syn D line mice. The most significant reduction of the total and protein kinase resistant hα-Syn, as well as neurodegeneration, were observed in various brain regions of mice vaccinated with PV-1949D and PV-1950D in a sex-dependent manner. Based on these preclinical data, we selected the PV-1950D vaccine for future IND enabling preclinical studies and clinical development.
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Peptide-Based Vaccines for Neurodegenerative Diseases: Recent Endeavors and Future Perspectives. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9111278. [PMID: 34835209 PMCID: PMC8622585 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9111278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of peptide-based vaccines for treating human neurodegenerative diseases has been the eventual aim of many research endeavors, although no active immunotherapies have been approved for clinical use till now. A typical example of such endeavors is the effort to develop vaccines for Alzheimer’s disease based on the beta-amyloid peptide, which continues to be intensively investigated despite previous setbacks. In this paper, recent developments in peptide-based vaccines which target beta-amyloid as well as tau protein and α-synuclein are presented. Particular focus has been directed toward peptide epitopes and formulation systems selected/developed and employed to enhance vaccine efficacy and safety. Results from both, human clinical trials and animal preclinical studies conducted mainly in transgenic mice have been included. Future perspectives on the topic are also briefly discussed.
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Perspective: Treatment for Disease Modification in Chronic Neurodegeneration. Cells 2021; 10:cells10040873. [PMID: 33921342 PMCID: PMC8069143 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Symptomatic treatments are available for Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. An unmet need is cure or disease modification. This review discusses possible reasons for negative clinical study outcomes on disease modification following promising positive findings from experimental research. It scrutinizes current research paradigms for disease modification with antibodies against pathological protein enrichment, such as α-synuclein, amyloid or tau, based on post mortem findings. Instead a more uniform regenerative and reparative therapeutic approach for chronic neurodegenerative disease entities is proposed with stimulation of an endogenously existing repair system, which acts independent of specific disease mechanisms. The repulsive guidance molecule A pathway is involved in the regulation of peripheral and central neuronal restoration. Therapeutic antagonism of repulsive guidance molecule A reverses neurodegeneration according to experimental outcomes in numerous disease models in rodents and monkeys. Antibodies against repulsive guidance molecule A exist. First clinical studies in neurological conditions with an acute onset are under way. Future clinical trials with these antibodies should initially focus on well characterized uniform cohorts of patients. The efficiency of repulsive guidance molecule A antagonism and associated stimulation of neurogenesis should be demonstrated with objective assessment tools to counteract dilution of therapeutic effects by subjectivity and heterogeneity of chronic disease entities. Such a research concept will hopefully enhance clinical test strategies and improve the future therapeutic armamentarium for chronic neurodegeneration.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a progressive adult-onset neurodegenerative disease. Abnormally, phosphorylated forms of the microtubule-associated protein tau containing four repeat domains (4R-tau) aggregate in neurons. Additionally, increasing evidence suggests that secretion and uptake of fragments of abnormal 4R-tau may play a role in disease progression. This extracellular tau is a natural target for immunotherapy. RECENT FINDINGS Three monoclonal antibodies targeting extracellular tau are in clinical stages of development. ABBV-8E12 and BIIB092 were safe in Phase 1, but both Phase two studies recently failed futility analyses. UCB0107 recently reported (in abstract form) Phase 1 safety results, and a Phase 2 study is under consideration. Stem cell therapy and the infusion of plasma are also being explored clinically. SUMMARY The likely role of extracellular tau in the progression of PSP makes tau a natural target for targeted immunotherapy. Clinical trials are still in early stages, and although tau immunotherapy has largely been shown to be safe, efficacy has yet to be demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavan A Vaswani
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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