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Godoy JA, Mira RG, Inestrosa NC. Intracellular effects of lithium in aging neurons. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 99:102396. [PMID: 38942199 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102396] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/30/2024]
Abstract
Lithium therapy received approval during the 1970s, and it has been used for its antidepressant, antimanic, and anti-suicidal effects for acute and long-term prophylaxis and treatment of bipolar disorder (BPD). These properties have been well established; however, the molecular and cellular mechanisms remain controversial. In the past few years, many studies demonstrated that at the cellular level, lithium acts as a regulator of neurogenesis, aging, and Ca2+ homeostasis. At the molecular level, lithium modulates aging by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β), and the phosphatidylinositol (PI) cycle; latter, lithium specifically inhibits inositol production, acting as a non-competitive inhibitor of inositol monophosphatase (IMPase). Mitochondria and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) have been related to lithium activity, and its regulation is mediated by GSK-3β degradation and inhibition. Lithium also impacts Ca2+ homeostasis in the mitochondria modulating the function of the lithium-permeable mitochondrial Na+-Ca2+exchanger (NCLX), affecting Ca2+ efflux from the mitochondrial matrix to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A close relationship between the protease Omi, GSK-3β, and PGC-1α has also been established. The purpose of this review is to summarize some of the intracellular mechanisms related to lithium activity and how, through them, neuronal aging could be controlled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Godoy
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo G Mira
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Nibaldo C Inestrosa
- Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Escuela de Medicina, Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile; Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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2
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Li L, Wang L, Zhang L. Therapeutic Potential of Natural Compounds from Herbs and Nutraceuticals in Alleviating Neurological Disorders: Targeting the Wnt Signaling Pathway. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2024; 72:2411-2433. [PMID: 38284360 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c07536] [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: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
As an important signaling pathway in multicellular eukaryotes, the Wnt signaling pathway participates in a variety of physiological processes. Recent studies have confirmed that the Wnt signaling pathway plays an important role in neurological disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. The regulation of Wnt signaling by natural compounds in herbal medicines and nutraceuticals has emerged as a potential strategy for the development of new drugs for neurological disorders. Purpose: The aim of this review is to evaluate the latest research results on the efficacy of natural compounds derived from herbs and nutraceuticals in the prevention and treatment of neurological disorders by regulating the Wnt pathway in vivo and in vitro. A manual and electronic search was performed for English articles available from PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect from the January 2010 to February 2023. Keywords used for the search engines were "natural products,″ "plant derived products,″ "Wnt+ clinical trials,″ and "Wnt+,″ and/or paired with "natural products″/″plant derived products", and "neurological disorders." A total of 22 articles were enrolled in this review, and a variety of natural compounds from herbal medicine and nutritional foods have been shown to exert therapeutic effects on neurological disorders through the Wnt pathway, including curcumin, resveratrol, and querctrin, etc. These natural products possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and angiogenic properties, confer neurovascular unit and blood-brain barrier integrity protection, and affect neural stem cell differentiation, synaptic formation, and neurogenesis, to play a therapeutic role in neurological disorders. In various in vivo and in vitro studies and clinical trials, these natural compounds have been shown to be safe and tolerable with few adverse effects. Natural compounds may serve a therapeutic role in neurological disorders by regulating the Wnt pathway. This summary of the research progress of natural compounds targeting the Wnt pathway may provide new insights for the treatment of neurological disorders and potential targets for the development of new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Li
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning PR China
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning PR China
| | - Lijuan Zhang
- Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, No. 39 Huaxiang Road, Tiexi District, Shenyang 110000, Liaoning PR China
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Sanajou S, Yirün A, Demirel G, Çakir DA, Şahin G, Erkekoğlu P, Baydar T. Antioxidant dihydrolipolic acid protects against in vitro aluminum-induced toxicity. J Appl Toxicol 2023; 43:1793-1805. [PMID: 37409350 DOI: 10.1002/jat.4513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) is a natural antioxidant known for its ability to counteract metal toxicity and oxidative stress. It has shown the potential to safeguard cells from harmful environmental substances. It may hold therapeutic benefits in treating neurodegenerative disorders by defending against oxidative damage and chronic inflammation. Thus, this study aimed to explore the potential neuroprotective effects of DHLA against aluminum (Al)-induced toxicity using an Alzheimer's disease (AD) model in vitro. The study focused on two important pathways: GSK-3β and the Wnt signaling pathways. The SH-SY5Y cell line was differentiated to establish AD, and the study group were as follows: control, Al, DHLA, Al-DHLA, AD, AD-Al, AD-DHLA, and AD-Al-DHLA. The impact of DHLA on parameters related to oxidative stress was assessed. The activity of the GSK-3β pathway was measured by evaluating the levels of PPP1CA, PP2A, GSK-3β, and Akt. The Wnt signaling pathway was assessed by measuring Wnt/β-catenin in the different study groups. Exposure to DHLA significantly reduced oxidative stress by effectively decreasing the levels of reactive oxygen species, thereby protecting against protein oxidation and limiting the production of malonaldehyde. Moreover, the DHLA-treated groups exhibited a remarkable increase in the total antioxidant capacity. Furthermore, the study observed an upregulation of the Wnt signaling pathway and a downregulation of the GSK-3β pathway in the groups treated with DHLA. In summary, the neuroprotective effects of DHLA, primarily achieved by reducing oxidative stress and modulating critical imbalanced pathways associated with AD, indicate its potential as a promising addition to the treatment regimens of AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Sanajou
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Anil Yirün
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Göksun Demirel
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
| | - Deniz Arca Çakir
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
- Vaccine Institute, Department of Vaccine Technology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Gönül Şahin
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Pinar Erkekoğlu
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
- Vaccine Institute, Department of Vaccine Technology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Terken Baydar
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Toxicology, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
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Li D, Yang H, Lyu M, Zhou L, Zhang Y, Kang C, Wang J, Wang Y. Association between Behavioural Risks and Alzheimer's Disease: Elucidated with an Integrated Analysis of Gene Expression Patterns and Molecular Mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105207. [PMID: 37146892 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains a global health challenge. Previous studies have reported linkages between AD and multiple behavioural risk exposures, however, the underlying biological mechanisms and crucial genes of gene expression patterns driven by behavioural risks on the onset or progression of AD remains ambiguous. In this study, we performed an integrated analysis on the influence of behavioural risks including smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and non-healthy dietary pattern on AD with a comprehensive strategy. Our results demonstrated that multiple behavioural risk exposures could independently or collectively influence diverse hierarchical levels of gene expression patterns through multiple biological mechanisms such as Wnt, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), nuclear factor (NF)-κB, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt, and insulin (INS) signalling pathways-mediated pathological processes, thereby prodromally or intermediately impacting AD. Our study provided insights into understanding the association of behavioural risk exposures with AD and informative support for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dun Li
- School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Hongxi Yang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Mingqian Lyu
- Department of Computer Science, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, 52062, Germany
| | - Lihui Zhou
- School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yuan Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Chunsheng Kang
- epartment of Neurosurgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Laboratory of Neuro-oncology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Key Laboratory of Post-Neurotrauma Neuro-Repair and Regeneration in Central Nervous System, Ministry of Education and Tianjin City, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Ju Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yaogang Wang
- School of Integrative Medicine, Public Health Science and Engineering College, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
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Zhou J, Zhang P, Zhang B, Kong Y. White Matter Damage in Alzheimer's Disease: Contribution of Oligodendrocytes. Curr Alzheimer Res 2022; 19:CAR-EPUB-127137. [PMID: 36281858 PMCID: PMC9982194 DOI: 10.2174/1567205020666221021115321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disease, seriously influencing the quality of life and is a global health problem. Many factors affect the onset and development of AD, but specific mechanisms underlying the disease are unclear. Most studies investigating AD have focused on neurons and the gray matter in the central nervous system (CNS) but have not led to effective treatments. Recently, an increasing number of studies have focused on the white matter (WM). Magnetic resonance imaging and pathology studies have shown different degrees of WM abnormality during the progression of AD. Myelin sheaths, the main component of WM in the CNS, wrap and insulate axons to ensure conduction of the rapid action potential and axonal integrity. WM damage is characterized by progressive degeneration of axons, oligodendrocytes (OLs), and myelin in one or more areas of the CNS. The contributions of OLs to AD progression have, until recently, been largely overlooked. OLs are integral to myelin production, and the proliferation and differentiation of OLs, an early characteristic of AD, provide a promising target for preclinical diagnosis and treatment. However, despite some progress, the key mechanisms underlying the contributions of OLs to AD remain unclear. Given the heavy burden of medical treatment, a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying AD is vital. This review comprehensively summarize the results on WM abnormalities in AD and explores the relationship between OL progenitor cells and the pathogenesis of AD. Finally, the underlying molecular mechanisms and potential future research directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyu Zhou
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing-400042, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing-400010, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Department of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical and Pharmaceutical College, Chongqing-401331, China
| | - Yuhan Kong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing-400042, China
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Ramos-Campoy O, Lladó A, Bosch B, Ferrer M, Pérez-Millan A, Vergara M, Molina-Porcel L, Fort-Aznar L, Gonzalo R, Moreno-Izco F, Fernandez-Villullas G, Balasa M, Sánchez-Valle R, Antonell A. Differential Gene Expression in Sporadic and Genetic Forms of Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia in Brain Tissue and Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:6411-6428. [PMID: 35962298 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02969-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic early-onset Alzheimer's disease (EOAD) and autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD) provide the opportunity to investigate the physiopathological mechanisms in the absence of aging, present in late-onset forms. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) causes early-onset dementia associated to tau or TDP43 protein deposits. A 15% of FTD cases are caused by mutations in C9orf72, GRN, or MAPT genes. Lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) have been proposed as an alternative to brain tissue for studying earlier phases of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression profile in EOAD, ADAD, and sporadic and genetic FTD (sFTD and gFTD, respectively), using brain tissue and LCLs. Sixty subjects of the following groups were included: EOAD, ADAD, sFTD, gFTD, and controls. Gene expression was analyzed with Clariom D microarray (Affymetrix). Brain tissue pairwise comparisons revealed six common differentially expressed genes (DEG) for all the patients' groups compared with controls: RGS20, WIF1, HSPB1, EMP3, S100A11 and GFAP. Common up-regulated biological pathways were identified both in brain and LCLs (including inflammation and glial cell differentiation), while down-regulated pathways were detected mainly in brain tissue (including synaptic signaling, metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction). CD163, ADAMTS9 and LIN7A gene expression disruption was validated by qPCR in brain tissue and NrCAM in LCLs in their respective group comparisons. In conclusion, our study highlights neuroinflammation, metabolism and synaptic signaling disturbances as common altered pathways in different AD and FTD forms. The use of LCLs might be appropriate for studying early immune system and inflammation, and some neural features in neurodegenerative dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Ramos-Campoy
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Lladó
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Bosch
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Ferrer
- Statistics and Bioinformatics Unit, Vall d'Hebrón Institut de Recerca, Passeig Vall d'Hebrón, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Agnès Pérez-Millan
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Vergara
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Molina-Porcel
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.,Neurological Tissue Bank, Biobank-Hospital Clinic-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Fort-Aznar
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ricardo Gonzalo
- Statistics and Bioinformatics Unit, Vall d'Hebrón Institut de Recerca, Passeig Vall d'Hebrón, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fermín Moreno-Izco
- Cognitive Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario Donostia, 20014, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.,Biodonostia, Neurosciences Area, Group of Neurodegenerative Diseases, 20014, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Guadalupe Fernandez-Villullas
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mircea Balasa
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raquel Sánchez-Valle
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Anna Antonell
- Alzheimer's Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders Unit, Neurology Service, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036, Barcelona, Spain.
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Kaur P, Chua EHZ, Lim WK, Liu J, Harmston N, Tolwinski NS. Wnt Signaling Rescues Amyloid Beta-Induced Gut Stem Cell Loss. Cells 2022; 11:cells11020281. [PMID: 35053396 PMCID: PMC8774390 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with Alzheimer’s disease suffer from a decrease in brain mass and a prevalence of amyloid-β plaques. These plaques are thought to play a role in disease progression, but their exact role is not entirely established. We developed an optogenetic model to induce amyloid-β intracellular oligomerization to model distinct disease etiologies. Here, we examine the effect of Wnt signaling on amyloid in an optogenetic, Drosophila gut stem cell model. We observe that Wnt activation rescues the detrimental effects of amyloid expression and oligomerization. We analyze the gene expression changes downstream of Wnt that contribute to this rescue and find changes in aging related genes, protein misfolding, metabolism, and inflammation. We propose that Wnt expression reduces inflammation through repression of Toll activating factors. We confirm that chronic Toll activation reduces lifespan, but a decrease in the upstream activator Persephone extends it. We propose that the protective effect observed for lithium treatment functions, at least in part, through Wnt activation and the inhibition of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prameet Kaur
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore; (P.K.); (E.H.Z.C.); (W.K.L.); (J.L.); (N.H.)
| | - Ellora Hui Zhen Chua
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore; (P.K.); (E.H.Z.C.); (W.K.L.); (J.L.); (N.H.)
| | - Wen Kin Lim
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore; (P.K.); (E.H.Z.C.); (W.K.L.); (J.L.); (N.H.)
| | - Jiarui Liu
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore; (P.K.); (E.H.Z.C.); (W.K.L.); (J.L.); (N.H.)
| | - Nathan Harmston
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore; (P.K.); (E.H.Z.C.); (W.K.L.); (J.L.); (N.H.)
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Nicholas S. Tolwinski
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore; (P.K.); (E.H.Z.C.); (W.K.L.); (J.L.); (N.H.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +65-66013092
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On the Common Journey of Neural Cells through Ischemic Brain Injury and Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189689. [PMID: 34575845 PMCID: PMC8472292 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ischemic brain injury and Alzheimer's disease (AD) both lead to cell death in the central nervous system (CNS) and thus negatively affect particularly the elderly population. Due to the lack of a definitive cure for brain ischemia and AD, it is advisable to carefully study, compare, and contrast the mechanisms that trigger, and are involved in, both neuropathologies. A deeper understanding of these mechanisms may help ameliorate, or even prevent, the destructive effects of neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we deal with ischemic damage and AD, with the main emphasis on the common properties of these CNS disorders. Importantly, we discuss the Wnt signaling pathway as a significant factor in the cell fate determination and cell survival in the diseased adult CNS. Finally, we summarize the interesting findings that may improve or complement the current sparse and insufficient treatments for brain ischemia and AD, and we delineate prospective directions in regenerative medicine.
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