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Babalola JA, Stracke A, Loeffler T, Schilcher I, Sideromenos S, Flunkert S, Neddens J, Lignell A, Prokesch M, Pazenboeck U, Strobl H, Tadic J, Leitinger G, Lass A, Hutter-Paier B, Hoefler G. Effect of astaxanthin in type-2 diabetes -induced APPxhQC transgenic and NTG mice. Mol Metab 2024; 85:101959. [PMID: 38763496 PMCID: PMC11153249 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Aggregation and misfolding of amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins, suggested to arise from post-translational modification processes, are thought to be the main cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Additionally, a plethora of evidence exists that links metabolic dysfunctions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and dyslipidemia to the pathogenesis of AD. We thus investigated the combinatory effect of T2D and human glutaminyl cyclase activity (pyroglutamylation), on the pathology of AD and whether astaxanthin (ASX) treatment ameliorates accompanying pathophysiological manifestations. METHODS Male transgenic AD mice, APPxhQC, expressing human APP751 with the Swedish and the London mutation and human glutaminyl cyclase (hQC) enzyme and their non-transgenic (NTG) littermates were used. Both APPxhQC and NTG mice were allocated to 3 groups, control, T2D-control, and T2D-ASX. Mice were fed control or high fat diet ± ASX for 13 weeks starting at an age of 11-12 months. High fat diet fed mice were further treated with streptozocin for T2D induction. Effects of genotype, T2D induction, and ASX treatment were evaluated by analysing glycemic readouts, lipid concentration, Aβ deposition, hippocampus-dependent cognitive function and nutrient sensing using immunosorbent assay, ELISA-based assays, western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, and behavioral testing via Morris water maze (MWM), respectively. RESULTS APPxhQC mice presented a higher glucose sensitivity compared to NTG mice. T2D-induced brain dysfunction was more severe in NTG compared to the APPxhQC mice. T2D induction impaired memory functions while increasing hepatic LC3B, ABCA1, and p65 levels in NTG mice. T2D induction resulted in a progressive shift of Aβ from the soluble to insoluble form in APPxhQC mice. ASX treatment reversed T2D-induced memory dysfunction in NTG mice and in parallel increased hepatic pAKT while decreasing p65 and increasing cerebral p-S6rp and p65 levels. ASX treatment reduced soluble Aβ38 and Aβ40 and insoluble Aβ40 levels in T2D-induced APPxhQC mice. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrate that T2D induction in APPxhQC mice poses additional risk for AD pathology as seen by increased Aβ deposition. Although ASX treatment reduced Aβ expression in T2D-induced APPxhQC mice and rescued T2D-induced memory impairment in NTG mice, ASX treatment alone may not be effective in cases of T2D comorbidity and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anika Stracke
- Division of Immunology and Pathophysiology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Spyridon Sideromenos
- QPS Austria GmbH, Grambach, Austria; Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | | | | | - Ute Pazenboeck
- Division of Immunology and Pathophysiology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Austria
| | - Herbert Strobl
- Division of Immunology and Pathophysiology, Otto Loewi Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Austria
| | - Jelena Tadic
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Austria
| | - Gerd Leitinger
- Division of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Medical University of Graz, Austria
| | - Achim Lass
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, Austria
| | | | - Gerald Hoefler
- Diagnostic and Research Institute of Pathology Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria.
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Antoniou A, Stavrou M, Evripidou N, Georgiou E, Kousiappa I, Koupparis A, Papacostas SS, Kleopa KA, Damianou C. FUS-mediated blood-brain barrier disruption for delivering anti-Aβ antibodies in 5XFAD Alzheimer's disease mice. J Ultrasound 2024; 27:251-262. [PMID: 37516718 PMCID: PMC11178731 DOI: 10.1007/s40477-023-00805-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, the main component of amyloid plaques found in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain, are implicated in its pathogenesis, and are considered a key target in AD therapeutics. We herein propose a reliable strategy for non-invasively delivering a specific anti-Aβ antibody in a mouse model of AD by microbubbles-enhanced Focused Ultrasound (FUS)-mediated Blood-brain barrier disruption (BBBD), using a simple single stage MR-compatible positioning device. METHODS The initial experimental work involved wild-type mice and was devoted to selecting the sonication protocol for efficient and safe BBBD. Pulsed FUS was applied using a single-element FUS transducer of 1 MHz (80 mm radius of curvature and 50 mm diameter). The success and extent of BBBD were assessed by Evans Blue extravasation and brain damage by hematoxylin and eosin staining. 5XFAD mice were divided into different subgroups; control (n = 1), FUS + MBs alone (n = 5), antibody alone (n = 5), and FUS + antibody combined (n = 10). The changes in antibody deposition among groups were determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS It was confirmed that the antibody could not normally enter the brain parenchyma. A single treatment with MBs-enhanced pulsed FUS using the optimized protocol (1 MHz, 0.5 MPa in-situ pressure, 10 ms bursts, 1% duty factor, 100 s duration) transiently disrupted the BBB allowing for non-invasive antibody delivery to amyloid plaques within the sonicated brain regions. This was consistently reproduced in ten mice. CONCLUSION These preliminary findings should be confirmed by longer-term studies examining the antibody effects on plaque clearance and cognitive benefit to hold promise for developing disease-modifying anti-Aβ therapeutics for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Antoniou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Marios Stavrou
- Department of Neurobiology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Nikolas Evripidou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus
| | - Elena Georgiou
- Department of Neuroscience, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Ioanna Kousiappa
- Department of Neurobiology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Andreas Koupparis
- Department of Neurobiology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Savvas S Papacostas
- Department of Neurobiology, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Kleopas A Kleopa
- Department of Neuroscience, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Christakis Damianou
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Informatics, Cyprus University of Technology, Limassol, Cyprus.
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Grenon MB, Papavergi MT, Bathini P, Sadowski M, Lemere CA. Temporal Characterization of the Amyloidogenic APPswe/PS1dE9;hAPOE4 Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5754. [PMID: 38891941 PMCID: PMC11172317 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115754] [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: 05/04/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating disorder with a global prevalence estimated at 55 million people. In clinical studies administering certain anti-beta-amyloid (Aβ) antibodies, amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIAs) have emerged as major adverse events. The frequency of these events is higher among apolipoprotein ε4 allele carriers (APOE4) compared to non-carriers. To reflect patients most at risk for vascular complications of anti-Aβ immunotherapy, we selected an APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mouse model bearing the human APOE4 gene (APPPS1:E4) and compared it with the same APP/PS1 mouse model bearing the human APOE3 gene (APOE ε3 allele; APPPS1:E3). Using histological and biochemical analyses, we characterized mice at three ages: 8, 12, and 16 months. Female and male mice were assayed for general cerebral fibrillar and pyroglutamate (pGlu-3) Aβ deposition, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), microhemorrhages, apoE and cholesterol composition, astrocytes, microglia, inflammation, lysosomal dysfunction, and neuritic dystrophy. Amyloidosis, lipid deposition, and astrogliosis increased with age in APPPS1:E4 mice, while inflammation did not reveal significant changes with age. In general, APOE4 carriers showed elevated Aβ, apoE, reactive astrocytes, pro-inflammatory cytokines, microglial response, and neuritic dystrophy compared to APOE3 carriers at different ages. These results highlight the potential of the APPPS1:E4 mouse model as a valuable tool in investigating the vascular side effects associated with anti-amyloid immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine B. Grenon
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.B.G.); (M.-T.P.); (P.B.)
- Section Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, 6229 ER Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Maria-Tzousi Papavergi
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.B.G.); (M.-T.P.); (P.B.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNs), Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Praveen Bathini
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.B.G.); (M.-T.P.); (P.B.)
| | - Martin Sadowski
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA;
| | - Cynthia A. Lemere
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.B.G.); (M.-T.P.); (P.B.)
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Li X, Quan M, Wei Y, Wang W, Xu L, Wang Q, Jia J. Critical thinking of Alzheimer's transgenic mouse model: current research and future perspective. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:2711-2754. [PMID: 37480469 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic models are useful tools for studying the pathogenesis of and drug development for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). AD models are constructed usually using overexpression or knock-in of multiple pathogenic gene mutations from familial AD. Each transgenic model has its unique behavioral and pathological features. This review summarizes the research progress of transgenic mouse models, and their progress in the unique mechanism of amyloid-β oligomers, including the first transgenic mouse model built in China based on a single gene mutation (PSEN1 V97L) found in Chinese familial AD. We further summarized the preclinical findings of drugs using the models, and their future application in exploring the upstream mechanisms and multitarget drug development in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Li
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Meina Quan
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yiping Wei
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Lingzhi Xu
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jianping Jia
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Clinical Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Memory Impairment, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China.
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Ciurea AV, Mohan AG, Covache-Busuioc RA, Costin HP, Glavan LA, Corlatescu AD, Saceleanu VM. Unraveling Molecular and Genetic Insights into Neurodegenerative Diseases: Advances in Understanding Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's Diseases and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10809. [PMID: 37445986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310809] [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: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are, according to recent studies, one of the main causes of disability and death worldwide. Interest in molecular genetics has started to experience exponential growth thanks to numerous advancements in technology, shifts in the understanding of the disease as a phenomenon, and the change in the perspective regarding gene editing and the advantages of this action. The aim of this paper is to analyze the newest approaches in genetics and molecular sciences regarding four of the most important neurodegenerative disorders: Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We intend through this review to focus on the newest treatment, diagnosis, and predictions regarding this large group of diseases, in order to obtain a more accurate analysis and to identify the emerging signs that could lead to a better outcome in order to increase both the quality and the life span of the patient. Moreover, this review could provide evidence of future possible novel therapies that target the specific genes and that could be useful to be taken into consideration when the classical approaches fail to shed light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Vlad Ciurea
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Neurosurgery Department, Sanador Clinical Hospital, 010991 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Aurel George Mohan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Bihor County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 410167 Oradea, Romania
- Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oradea University, 410610 Oradea, Romania
| | | | - Horia-Petre Costin
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Luca-Andrei Glavan
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Antonio-Daniel Corlatescu
- Department of Neurosurgery, "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vicentiu Mircea Saceleanu
- Neurosurgery Department, Sibiu County Emergency Hospital, 550245 Sibiu, Romania
- Neurosurgery Department, "Lucian Blaga" University of Medicine, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
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Rashad A, Rasool A, Shaheryar M, Sarfraz A, Sarfraz Z, Robles-Velasco K, Cherrez-Ojeda I. Donanemab for Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials. Healthcare (Basel) 2022; 11:healthcare11010032. [PMID: 36611492 PMCID: PMC9818878 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11010032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and aggregated tau are two core mechanisms that contribute to the clinical deterioration of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recently, targeted-Aβ plaque reduction immunotherapies have been explored for their efficacy and safety as AD treatment. This systematic review critically reviews the latest evidence of Donanemab, a humanized antibody that targets the reduction in Aβ plaques, in AD patients. Comprehensive systematic search was conducted across PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Scopus. This study adhered to PRISMA Statement 2020 guidelines. Adult patients with Alzheimer’s disease being intervened with Donanemab compared to placebo or standard of care in the clinical trial setting were included. A total of 396 patients across four studies received either Donanemab or a placebo (228 and 168 participants, respectively). The Aβ-plaque reduction was found to be dependent upon baseline levels, such that lower baseline levels had complete amyloid clearance (<24.1 Centiloids). There was a slowing of overall tau levels accumulation as well as relatively reduced functional and cognitive decline noted on the Integrated Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale by 32% in the Donanemab arm. The safety of Donanemab was established with key adverse events related to Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities (ARIA), ranging between 26.1 and 30.5% across the trials. There is preliminary support for delayed cognitive and functional decline with Donanemab among patients with mild-to-moderate AD. It remains unclear whether Donenameb extends therapeutic benefits that can modify and improve the clinical status of AD patients. Further trials can explore the interplay between Aβ-plaque reduction and toxic tau levels to derive meaningful clinical benefits in AD patients suffering from cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Areeba Rashad
- Department of Research and Publications, Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Atta Rasool
- Department of Research, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shaheryar
- Department of Research, Rawal Institute of Health Sciences, Islamabad 45550, Pakistan
| | - Azza Sarfraz
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, The Aga Khan University, Karachi 74800, Pakistan
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (I.C.-O.)
| | - Zouina Sarfraz
- Department of Research and Publications, Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore 54000, Pakistan
| | - Karla Robles-Velasco
- Department of Allergy, Immunology & Pulmonary Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón 092301, Ecuador
| | - Ivan Cherrez-Ojeda
- Department of Allergy, Immunology & Pulmonary Medicine, Universidad Espíritu Santo, Samborondón 092301, Ecuador
- Correspondence: (A.S.); (I.C.-O.)
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Evidence for Enhanced Efficacy of Passive Immunotherapy against Beta-Amyloid in CD33-Negative 5xFAD Mice. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12030399. [PMID: 35327591 PMCID: PMC8945487 DOI: 10.3390/biom12030399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Passive immunotherapy is a very promising approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Among the different antibodies under development, those targeting post-translationally modified Aβ peptides might combine efficient reduction in beta-amyloid accompanied by lower sequestration in peripheral compartments and thus anticipated and reduced treatment-related side effects. In that regard, we recently demonstrated that the antibody-mediated targeting of isoD7-modified Aβ peptides leads to the attenuation of AD-like amyloid pathology in 5xFAD mice. In order to assess novel strategies to enhance the efficacy of passive vaccination approaches, we investigated the role of CD33 for Aβ phagocytosis in transgenic mice treated with an isoD7-Aβ antibody. We crossbred 5xFAD transgenic mice with CD33 knock out (CD33KO) mice and compared the amyloid pathology in the different genotypes of the crossbreds. The knockout of CD33 in 5xFAD mice leads to a significant reduction in Aβ plaques and concomitant rescue of behavioral deficits. Passive immunotherapy of 5xFAD/CD33KO showed a significant increase in plaque-surrounding microglia compared to 5xFAD treated with the antibody. Additionally, we observed a stronger lowering of Aβ plaque load after passive immunotherapy in 5xFAD/CD33KO mice. The data suggest an additive effect of passive immunotherapy and CD33KO in terms of lowering Aβ pathology. Hence, a combination of CD33 antagonists and monoclonal antibodies might represent a strategy to enhance efficacy of passive immunotherapy in AD.
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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: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.5] [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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9
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Pyroglutamate Aβ cascade as drug target in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1880-1885. [PMID: 34880449 PMCID: PMC9126800 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01409-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
One of the central aims in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research is the identification of clinically relevant drug targets. A plethora of potential molecular targets work very well in preclinical model systems both in vitro and in vivo in AD mouse models. However, the lack of translation into clinical settings in the AD field is a challenging endeavor. Although it is long known that N-terminally truncated and pyroglutamate-modified Abeta (AβpE3) peptides are abundantly present in the brain of AD patients, form stable and soluble low-molecular weight oligomers, and induce neurodegeneration in AD mouse models, their potential as drug target has not been generally accepted in the past. This situation has dramatically changed with the report that passive immunization with donanemab, an AβpE3-specific antibody, cleared aymloid plaques and stabilized cognitive deficits in a group of patients with mild AD in a phase II trial. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of generation of AβpE, its biochemical properties, and the intervention points as a drug target in AD.
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Hoffmann T, Rahfeld JU, Schenk M, Ponath F, Makioka K, Hutter-Paier B, Lues I, Lemere CA, Schilling S. Combination of the Glutaminyl Cyclase Inhibitor PQ912 (Varoglutamstat) and the Murine Monoclonal Antibody PBD-C06 (m6) Shows Additive Effects on Brain Aβ Pathology in Transgenic Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111791. [PMID: 34769222 PMCID: PMC8584206 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Compelling evidence suggests that pyroglutamate-modified Aβ (pGlu3-Aβ; AβN3pG) peptides play a pivotal role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Approaches targeting pGlu3-Aβ by glutaminyl cyclase (QC) inhibition (Varoglutamstat) or monoclonal antibodies (Donanemab) are currently in clinical development. Here, we aimed at an assessment of combination therapy of Varoglutamstat (PQ912) and a pGlu3-Aβ-specific antibody (m6) in transgenic mice. Whereas the single treatments at subtherapeutic doses show moderate (16–41%) but statistically insignificant reduction of Aβ42 and pGlu-Aβ42 in mice brain, the combination of both treatments resulted in significant reductions of Aβ by 45–65%. Evaluation of these data using the Bliss independence model revealed a combination index of ≈1, which is indicative for an additive effect of the compounds. The data are interpreted in terms of different pathways, in which the two drugs act. While PQ912 prevents the formation of pGlu3-Aβ in different compartments, the antibody is able to clear existing pGlu3-Aβ deposits. The results suggest that combination of the small molecule Varoglutamstat and a pE3Aβ-directed monoclonal antibody may allow a reduction of the individual compound doses while maintaining the therapeutic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten Hoffmann
- Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V., Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany;
- Correspondence: (T.H.); (S.S.)
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany; (J.-U.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Mathias Schenk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany; (J.-U.R.); (M.S.)
| | - Falk Ponath
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Rd., Boston, MA 02115, USA; (F.P.); (K.M.); (C.A.L.)
| | - Koki Makioka
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Rd., Boston, MA 02115, USA; (F.P.); (K.M.); (C.A.L.)
| | - Birgit Hutter-Paier
- QPS Austria GmbH, Department of Neuropharmacology, Parkring 12, A-8074 Grambach, Austria;
| | - Inge Lues
- Vivoryon Therapeutics N.V., Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany;
| | - Cynthia A. Lemere
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Rd., Boston, MA 02115, USA; (F.P.); (K.M.); (C.A.L.)
| | - Stephan Schilling
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany; (J.-U.R.); (M.S.)
- Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Bernburger Straße 55, 06366 Köthen, Germany
- Correspondence: (T.H.); (S.S.)
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Willuweit A, Schöneck M, Schemmert S, Lohmann P, Bremen S, Honold D, Burda N, Jiang N, Beer S, Ermert J, Willbold D, Shah NJ, Langen KJ. Comparison of the Amyloid Load in the Brains of Two Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Models Quantified by Florbetaben Positron Emission Tomography. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:699926. [PMID: 34671235 PMCID: PMC8520975 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.699926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, which can be mimicked by transgenic mouse models. Here, we report on the characterization of amyloid load in the brains of two transgenic amyloidosis models using positron emission tomography (PET) with florbetaben (FBB), an 18F-labeled amyloid PET tracer routinely used in AD patients. Young, middle-aged, and old homozygous APP/PS1 mice (ARTE10), old hemizygous APPswe/PS1ΔE9, and old wild-type control mice were subjected to FBB PET using a small animal PET/computed tomography scanner. After PET, brains were excised, and ex vivo autoradiography was performed. Plaque pathology was verified on brain sections with histological methods. Amyloid plaque load increased progressively with age in the cortex and hippocampus of ARTE10 mice, which could be detected with both in vivo FBB PET and ex vivo autoradiography. FBB retention showed significant differences to wild-type controls already at 9 months of age by both in vivo and ex vivo analyses. An excellent correlation between data derived from PET and autoradiography could be obtained (r Pearson = 0.947, p < 0.0001). Although amyloid load detected by FBB in the brains of old APPswe/PS1ΔE9 mice was as low as values obtained with young ARTE10 mice, statistically significant discrimination to wild-type animals was reached (p < 0.01). In comparison to amyloid burden quantified by histological analysis, FBB retention correlated best with total plaque load and number of congophilic plaques in the brains of both mouse models. In conclusion, the homozygous ARTE10 mouse model showed superior properties over APPswe/PS1ΔE9 mice for FBB small animal amyloid PET imaging. The absolute amount of congophilic dense-cored plaques seems to be the decisive factor for feasibility of amyloidosis models for amyloid PET analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Willuweit
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Michael Schöneck
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sarah Schemmert
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Philipp Lohmann
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Stereotaxy and Functional Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Saskia Bremen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Dominik Honold
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Nicole Burda
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Nan Jiang
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Simone Beer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Johannes Ermert
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - N Jon Shah
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,JARA-Brain-Translational Medicine, Aachen, Germany.,Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Karl-Josef Langen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-2, INM-4, INM-5, and INM-11), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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12
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Pivtoraiko VN, Racic T, Abrahamson EE, Villemagne VL, Handen BL, Lott IT, Head E, Ikonomovic MD. Postmortem Neocortical 3H-PiB Binding and Levels of Unmodified and Pyroglutamate Aβ in Down Syndrome and Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:728739. [PMID: 34489686 PMCID: PMC8416541 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.728739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) have a genetic predisposition for amyloid-β (Aβ) overproduction and earlier onset of Aβ deposits compared to patients with sporadic late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Positron emission tomography (PET) with Pittsburgh Compound-B (PiB) detects fibrillar Aβ pathology in living people with DS and AD, but its relationship with heterogeneous Aβ forms aggregated within amyloid deposits is not well understood. We performed quantitative in vitro3H-PiB binding assays and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays of fibrillar (insoluble) unmodified Aβ40 and Aβ42 forms and N-terminus truncated and pyroglutamate-modified AβNpE3-40 and AβNpE3-42 forms in postmortem frontal cortex and precuneus samples from 18 DS cases aged 43–63 years and 17 late-onset AD cases aged 62–99 years. Both diagnostic groups had frequent neocortical neuritic plaques, while the DS group had more severe vascular amyloid pathology (cerebral amyloid angiopathy, CAA). Compared to the AD group, the DS group had higher levels of Aβ40 and AβNpE3-40, while the two groups did not differ by Aβ42 and AβNpE3-42 levels. This resulted in lower ratios of Aβ42/Aβ40 and AβNpE3-42/AβNpE3-40 in the DS group compared to the AD group. Correlations of Aβ42/Aβ40 and AβNpE3-42/AβNpE3-40 ratios with CAA severity were strong in DS cases and weak in AD cases. Pyroglutamate-modified Aβ levels were lower than unmodified Aβ levels in both diagnostic groups, but within group proportions of both pyroglutamate-modified Aβ forms relative to both unmodified Aβ forms were lower in the DS group but not in the AD group. The two diagnostic groups did not differ by 3H-PiB binding levels. These results demonstrate that compared to late-onset AD cases, adult DS individuals with similar severity of neocortical neuritic plaques and greater CAA pathology have a preponderance of both pyroglutamate-modified AβNpE3-40 and unmodified Aβ40 forms. Despite the distinct molecular profile of Aβ forms and greater vascular amyloidosis in DS cases, cortical 3H-PiB binding does not distinguish between diagnostic groups that are at an advanced level of amyloid plaque pathology. This underscores the need for the development of CAA-selective PET radiopharmaceuticals to detect and track the progression of cerebral vascular amyloid deposits in relation to Aβ plaques in individuals with DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violetta N Pivtoraiko
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Tamara Racic
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Eric E Abrahamson
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Victor L Villemagne
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Benjamin L Handen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Ira T Lott
- Department of Neurology, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Head
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Milos D Ikonomovic
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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13
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Hartlage-Rübsamen M, Bluhm A, Moceri S, Machner L, Köppen J, Schenk M, Hilbrich I, Holzer M, Weidenfeller M, Richter F, Coras R, Serrano GE, Beach TG, Schilling S, von Hörsten S, Xiang W, Schulze A, Roßner S. A glutaminyl cyclase-catalyzed α-synuclein modification identified in human synucleinopathies. Acta Neuropathol 2021; 142:399-421. [PMID: 34309760 PMCID: PMC8357657 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-021-02349-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is neuropathologically characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) and formation of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites composed of aggregated α-synuclein. Proteolysis of α-synuclein by matrix metalloproteinases was shown to facilitate its aggregation and to affect cell viability. One of the proteolysed fragments, Gln79-α-synuclein, possesses a glutamine residue at its N-terminus. We argue that glutaminyl cyclase (QC) may catalyze the pyroglutamate (pGlu)79-α-synuclein formation and, thereby, contribute to enhanced aggregation and compromised degradation of α-synuclein in human synucleinopathies. Here, the kinetic characteristics of Gln79-α-synuclein conversion into the pGlu-form by QC are shown using enzymatic assays and mass spectrometry. Thioflavin T assays and electron microscopy demonstrated a decreased potential of pGlu79-α-synuclein to form fibrils. However, size exclusion chromatography and cell viability assays revealed an increased propensity of pGlu79-α-synuclein to form oligomeric aggregates with high neurotoxicity. In brains of wild-type mice, QC and α-synuclein were co-expressed by dopaminergic SN neurons. Using a specific antibody against the pGlu-modified neo-epitope of α-synuclein, pGlu79-α-synuclein aggregates were detected in association with QC in brains of two transgenic mouse lines with human α-synuclein overexpression. In human brain samples of PD and dementia with Lewy body subjects, pGlu79-α-synuclein was shown to be present in SN neurons, in a number of Lewy bodies and in dystrophic neurites. Importantly, there was a spatial co-occurrence of pGlu79-α-synuclein with the enzyme QC in the human SN complex and a defined association of QC with neuropathological structures. We conclude that QC catalyzes the formation of oligomer-prone pGlu79-α-synuclein in human synucleinopathies, which may—in analogy to pGlu-Aβ peptides in Alzheimer’s disease—act as a seed for pathogenic protein aggregation.
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14
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Sun T, Shi Q, Zhang Y, Power C, Hoesch C, Antonelli S, Schroeder MK, Caldarone BJ, Taudte N, Schenk M, Hettmann T, Schilling S, McDannold NJ, Lemere CA. Focused ultrasound with anti-pGlu3 Aβ enhances efficacy in Alzheimer's disease-like mice via recruitment of peripheral immune cells. J Control Release 2021; 336:443-456. [PMID: 34186148 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pyroglutamate-3 amyloid-β (pGlu3 Aβ) is an N-terminally modified, pathogenic form of amyloid-β that is present in cerebral amyloid plaques and vascular deposits. Here, we used focused ultrasound (FUS) with microbubbles to enhance the intravenous delivery of an Fc-competent anti-pGlu3 Aβ monoclonal antibody, 07/2a mAb, across the blood brain barrier (BBB) in an attempt to improve Aβ removal and memory in aged APP/PS1dE9 mice, an Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like model of amyloidogenesis. First, we demonstrated that bilateral hippocampal FUS-BBB disruption (FUS-BBBD) led to a 5.5-fold increase of 07/2a mAb delivery to the brains compared to non-sonicated mice 72 h following a single treatment. Then, we determined that three weekly treatments with 07/2a mAb alone improved spatial learning and memory in aged, plaque-rich APP/PS1dE9 mice, and that this improvement occurred faster and in a higher percentage of animals when combined with FUS-BBBD. Mice given the combination treatment had reduced hippocampal plaque burden compared to PBS-treated controls. Furthermore, synaptic protein levels were higher in hippocampal synaptosomes from mice given the combination treatment compared to sham controls, and there were more CA3 synaptic puncta labeled in the APP/PS1dE9 mice given the combination treatment compared to those given mAb alone. Plaque-associated microglia were present in the hippocampi of APP/PS1dE9 mice treated with 07/2a mAb with and without FUS-BBBD. However, we discovered that plaque-associated Ly6G+ monocytes were only present in the hippocampi of APP/PS1dE9 mice that were given FUS-BBBD alone or even more so, the combination treatment. Lastly, FUS-BBBD did not increase the incidence of microhemorrhage in mice with or without 07/2a mAb treatment. Our findings suggest that FUS is a useful tool to enhance delivery and efficacy of an anti-pGlu3 Aβ mAb for immunotherapy either via an additive effect or an independent mechanism. We revealed a potential novel mechanism wherein the combination of 07/2a mAb with FUS-BBBD led to greater monocyte infiltration and recruitment to plaques in this AD-like model. Overall, these effects resulted in greater plaque removal, sparing of synapses and improved cognitive function without causing overt damage, suggesting the possibility of FUS-BBBD as a noninvasive method to increase the therapeutic efficacy of drugs or biologics in AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Sun
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Qiaoqiao Shi
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases in the Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Yongzhi Zhang
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Chanikarn Power
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Camilla Hoesch
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases in the Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Shawna Antonelli
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases in the Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Maren K Schroeder
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases in the Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Barbara J Caldarone
- Harvard Medical School Mouse Behavior Core, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Nadine Taudte
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Mathias Schenk
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Stephan Schilling
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Halle (Saale), Germany; Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Halle (Saale), Germany; Anhalt University of Applied Sciences, Köthen, Germany
| | - Nathan J McDannold
- Focused Ultrasound Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America.
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases in the Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, United States of America; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America.
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15
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Gnoth K, Piechotta A, Kleinschmidt M, Konrath S, Schenk M, Taudte N, Ramsbeck D, Rieckmann V, Geissler S, Eichentopf R, Barendrecht S, Hartlage-Rübsamen M, Demuth HU, Roßner S, Cynis H, Rahfeld JU, Schilling S. Targeting isoaspartate-modified Aβ rescues behavioral deficits in transgenic mice with Alzheimer's disease-like pathology. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2020; 12:149. [PMID: 33189132 PMCID: PMC7666770 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-020-00719-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Background Amyloid β (Aβ)-directed immunotherapy has shown promising results in preclinical and early clinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) trials, but successful translation to late clinics has failed so far. Compelling evidence suggests that post-translationally modified Aβ peptides might play a decisive role in onset and progression of AD and first clinical trials targeting such Aβ variants have been initiated. Modified Aβ represents a small fraction of deposited material in plaques compared to pan-Aβ epitopes, opening up pathways for tailored approaches of immunotherapy. Here, we generated the first monoclonal antibodies that recognize l-isoaspartate-modified Aβ (isoD7-Aβ) and tested a lead antibody molecule in 5xFAD mice. Methods This work comprises a combination of chemical and biochemical techniques as well as behavioral analyses. Aβ peptides, containing l-isoaspartate at position 7, were chemically synthesized and used for immunization of mice and antibody screening methods. Biochemical methods included anti-isoD7-Aβ monoclonal antibody characterization by surface plasmon resonance, immunohistochemical staining of human and transgenic mouse brain, and the development and application of isoD7-Aβ ELISA as well as different non-modified Aβ ELISA. For antibody treatment studies, 12 mg/kg anti-isoD7-Aβ antibody K11_IgG2a was applied intraperitoneally to 5xFAD mice for 38 weeks. Treatment controls implemented were IgG2a isotype as negative and 3D6_IgG2a, the parent molecule of bapineuzumab, as positive control antibodies. Behavioral studies included elevated plus maze, pole test, and Morris water maze. Results Our advanced antibody K11 showed a KD in the low nM range and > 400fold selectivity for isoD7-Aβ compared to other Aβ variants. By using this antibody, we demonstrated that formation of isoD7-Aβ may occur after formation of aggregates; hence, the presence of the isoD7-modification differentiates aged Aβ from newly formed peptides. Importantly, we also show that the Tottori mutation responsible for early-onset AD in a Japanese pedigree is characterized by massively accelerated formation of isoD7-Aβ in cell culture. The presence of isoD7-Aβ was verified by K11 in post mortem human cortex and 5xFAD mouse brain tissue. Passive immunization of 5xFAD mice resulted in a significant reduction of isoD7-Aβ and total Aβ in brain. Amelioration of cognitive impairment was demonstrated by Morris water maze, elevated plus maze, pole, and contextual fear conditioning tests. Interestingly, despite the lower abundance of the isoD7-Aβ epitope, the application of anti-isoD7-Aβ antibodies showed comparable treatment efficacy in terms of reduction of brain amyloid and spatial learning but did not result in an increase of plasma Aβ concentration as observed with 3D6 treatment. Conclusions The present study demonstrates, for the first time, that the antibody-mediated targeting of isoD7-modified Aβ peptides leads to attenuation of AD-like amyloid pathology. In conjunction with previously published data on antibodies directed against pGlu-modified Aβ, the results highlight the crucial role of modified Aβ peptides in AD pathophysiology. Hence, the results also underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting modified amyloid species for defining tailored approaches in AD therapy. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13195-020-00719-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Gnoth
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anke Piechotta
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Martin Kleinschmidt
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Sandra Konrath
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Present address: Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mathias Schenk
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Nadine Taudte
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Present address: PerioTrap Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Daniel Ramsbeck
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Vera Rieckmann
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stefanie Geissler
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Rico Eichentopf
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Present address: Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP, Leuna, Germany
| | - Susan Barendrecht
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Hans-Ulrich Demuth
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Steffen Roßner
- Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Holger Cynis
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Stephan Schilling
- Department of Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
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16
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Gunn AP, Wong BX, McLean C, Fowler C, Barnard PJ, Duce JA, Roberts BR. Increased glutaminyl cyclase activity in brains of Alzheimer's disease individuals. J Neurochem 2020; 156:979-987. [PMID: 32614980 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Glutaminyl cyclases (QC) catalyze the formation of neurotoxic pGlu-modified amyloid-β peptides found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Reports of several-fold increases in soluble QC (sQC) expression in the brain and peripheral circulation of AD individuals has prompted the development of QC inhibitors as potential AD therapeutics. There is, however, a lack of standardized quantitative data on QC expression in human tissues, precluding inter-laboratory comparison and validation. We tested the hypothesis that QC is elevated in AD tissues by quantifying levels of sQC protein and activity in post-mortem brain tissues from AD and age-matched control individuals. We found a modest but statistically significant increase in sQC protein, which paralleled a similar increase in enzyme activity. In plasma samples sourced from the Australian Imaging, Biomarker and Lifestyle study we determined that QC activity was not different between the AD and control group, though a modest increase was observed in female AD individuals compared to controls. Plasma QC activity was further correlated with levels of circulating monocytes in AD individuals. These data provide quantitative evidence that alterations in QC expression are associated with AD pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam P Gunn
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Bruce X Wong
- The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Catriona McLean
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Alfred Hospital, Prahran, Vic, Australia
| | - Chris Fowler
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Peter J Barnard
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University, Vic, Australia
| | - James A Duce
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Blaine R Roberts
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Department of Biochemistry, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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17
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Acero G, Garay C, Venegas D, Ortega E, Gevorkian G. Novel monoclonal antibody 3B8 specifically recognizes pyroglutamate-modified amyloid β 3-42 peptide in brain of AD patients and 3xTg-AD transgenic mice. Neurosci Lett 2020; 724:134876. [PMID: 32114116 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In addition to the full-length beta-amyloid peptides (Aβ 1-40/42), several Aβ variants, truncated at their N- or C-termini and bearing different post-translational modifications, have been detected in the brain of Alzheimer´s disease (AD) patients. AβN3(pE), an Aβ peptide bearing an amino-terminal pyroglutamate at position 3, is a significant constituent of intracellular, extracellular and vascular Aβ deposits in brain tissue from individuals with AD and Down syndrome. Pioneering immunotherapy studies have primarily focused on the full-length Aβ peptide, disregarding the presence of N-truncated/modified species. However, in recent years, increasing attention has been directed towards AβN3(pE), in both pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. In the present study, we generated and characterized an anti-AβN3(pE) mouse monoclonal antibody (3B8) that recognizes amyloid aggregates in brain tissue from AD patients and in 3xTg-AD transgenic mice. To identify the epitope recognized by 3B8, a library of random heptapeptides fused to the minor coat protein of M13 phage was screened. Results from screening, along with those from ELISA assays against distinct Aβ fragments, suggest recognition of two conformational epitopes present in AβN3(pE) and Aβ 3-42, regardless of the glutamate-pyroglutamate modification. The novel 3B8 antibody may be useful in future therapeutic and diagnostic applications for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Acero
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70228, Cuidad Universitaria, CDMX, CP, 04510, Mexico
| | - Claudia Garay
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70228, Cuidad Universitaria, CDMX, CP, 04510, Mexico
| | - David Venegas
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70228, Cuidad Universitaria, CDMX, CP, 04510, Mexico
| | - Enrique Ortega
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70228, Cuidad Universitaria, CDMX, CP, 04510, Mexico
| | - Goar Gevorkian
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 70228, Cuidad Universitaria, CDMX, CP, 04510, Mexico.
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Hettmann T, Gillies SD, Kleinschmidt M, Piechotta A, Makioka K, Lemere CA, Schilling S, Rahfeld JU, Lues I. Development of the clinical candidate PBD-C06, a humanized pGlu3-Aβ-specific antibody against Alzheimer's disease with reduced complement activation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3294. [PMID: 32094456 PMCID: PMC7040040 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60319-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In clinical trials with early Alzheimer's patients, administration of anti-amyloid antibodies reduced amyloid deposits, suggesting that immunotherapies may be promising disease-modifying interventions against Alzheimer's disease (AD). Specific forms of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, for example post-translationally modified Aβ peptides with a pyroglutamate at the N-terminus (pGlu3, pE3), are attractive antibody targets, due to pGlu3-Aβ's neo-epitope character and its propensity to form neurotoxic oligomeric aggregates. We have generated a novel anti-pGlu3-Aβ antibody, PBD-C06, which is based on a murine precursor antibody that binds with high specificity to pGlu3-Aβ monomers, oligomers and fibrils, including mixed aggregates of unmodified Aβ and pGlu3-Aβ peptides. PBD-C06 was generated by first grafting the murine antigen binding sequences onto suitable human variable light and heavy chains. Subsequently, the humanized antibody was de-immunized and site-specific mutations were introduced to restore original target binding, to eliminate complement activation and to improve protein stability. PBD-C06 binds with the same specificity and avidity as its murine precursor antibody and elimination of C1q binding did not compromise Fcγ-receptor binding or in vitro phagocytosis. Thus, PBD-C06 was specifically designed to target neurotoxic aggregates and to avoid complement-mediated inflammatory responses, in order to lower the risk for vasogenic edemas in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thore Hettmann
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stephen D Gillies
- Provenance Biopharmaceuticals, 70 Bedford Rd, Carlisle, MA, 01741, USA
| | - Martin Kleinschmidt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anke Piechotta
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Koki Makioka
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Stephan Schilling
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Inge Lues
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
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19
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Crehan H, Liu B, Kleinschmidt M, Rahfeld JU, Le KX, Caldarone BJ, Frost JL, Hettmann T, Hutter-Paier B, O'Nuallain B, Park MA, DiCarli MF, Lues I, Schilling S, Lemere CA. Effector function of anti-pyroglutamate-3 Aβ antibodies affects cognitive benefit, glial activation and amyloid clearance in Alzheimer's-like mice. ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY 2020; 12:12. [PMID: 31931873 PMCID: PMC6958628 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-019-0579-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pyroglutamate-3 Aβ (pGlu-3 Aβ) is an N-terminally truncated and post-translationally modified Aβ species found in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. Its increased peptide aggregation propensity and toxicity make it an attractive emerging treatment strategy for AD. We address the question of how the effector function of an anti-pGlu-3 Aβ antibody influences the efficacy of immunotherapy in mouse models with AD-like pathology. METHODS We compared two different immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes of the same murine anti-pGlu-3 Aβ mAb (07/1 IgG1 and 07/2a IgG2a) and a general N-terminal Aβ mAb (3A1 IgG1) for their ability to clear Aβ and protect cognition in a therapeutic passive immunotherapy study in aged, plaque-rich APPSWE/PS1ΔE9 transgenic (Tg) mice. We also compared the ability of these antibodies and a CDC-mutant form of 07/2a (07/2a-k), engineered to avoid complement activation, to clear Aβ in an ex vivo phagocytosis assay and following treatment in APPSLxhQC double Tg mice, and to activate microglia using longitudinal microPET imaging with TSPO-specific 18F-GE180 tracer following a single bolus antibody injection in young and old Tg mice. RESULTS We demonstrated significant cognitive improvement, better plaque clearance, and more plaque-associated microglia in the absence of microhemorrhage in aged APPSWE/PS1ΔE9 Tg mice treated with 07/2a, but not 07/1 or 3A1, compared to PBS in our first in vivo study. All mAbs cleared plaques in an ex vivo assay, although 07/2a promoted the highest phagocytic activity. Compared with 07/2a, 07/2a-k showed slightly reduced affinity to Fcγ receptors CD32 and CD64, although the two antibodies had similar binding affinities to pGlu-3 Aβ. Treatment of APPSLxhQC mice with 07/2a and 07/2a-k mAbs in our second in vivo study showed significant plaque-lowering with both mAbs. Longitudinal 18F-GE180 microPET imaging revealed different temporal patterns of microglial activation for 3A1, 07/1, and 07/2a mAbs and no difference between 07/2a-k and PBS-treated Tg mice. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that attenuation of behavioral deficits and clearance of amyloid is associated with strong effector function of the anti-pGlu-3 Aβ mAb in a therapeutic treatment paradigm. We present evidence that antibody engineering to reduce CDC-mediated complement binding facilitates phagocytosis of plaques without inducing neuroinflammation in vivo. Hence, the results provide implications for tailoring effector function of humanized antibodies for clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Crehan
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Hale BTM 9002S, 60 Fenwood Rd, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Hale BTM 9002S, 60 Fenwood Rd, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Kleinschmidt
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Department Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Department Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Kevin X Le
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Hale BTM 9002S, 60 Fenwood Rd, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Barbara J Caldarone
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Mouse Behavior Core, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Frost
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Hale BTM 9002S, 60 Fenwood Rd, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | | | | | - Brian O'Nuallain
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Hale BTM 9002S, 60 Fenwood Rd, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mi-Ae Park
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marcelo F DiCarli
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Inge Lues
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stephan Schilling
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Department Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Hale BTM 9002S, 60 Fenwood Rd, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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20
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Lardenoije R, van den Hove DL, Jung SE, Havermans M, Blackburn P, Liu B, Rutten BP, Lemere CA. Active Amyloid-β Vaccination Results in Epigenetic Changes in the Hippocampus of an Alzheimer’s Disease-Like Mouse Model. Curr Alzheimer Res 2019; 16:861-870. [DOI: 10.2174/1567205016666190827122009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Background:
While evidence accumulates for a role of epigenetic modifications in the
pathophysiological cascade of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyloid-β (Aβ)-targeted active immunotherapy
approaches are under investigation to prevent or slow the progression of AD. The impact of Aβ active
vaccines on epigenetic markers has not been studied thus far.
Objective:
The current study aims to establish the relationship between active immunotherapy with a
MER5101-based vaccine (consisting of Aβ1-15 copies conjugated with a 7 aa spacer to the diphtheria
toxoid carrier protein, formulated in a Th2-biased adjuvant) and epigenetic DNA modifications in the
hippocampus of APPswe/PS1dE9 mice.
Methods:
As we previously reported, immunotherapy started when the mice were 10 months of age and
behavioral testing occurred at 14 months of age, after which the mice were sacrificed for further analysis
of their brains. In this add-on study, global levels of DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, and
DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) were determined using quantitative immunohistochemistry, and
compared to our previously analyzed immunization-induced changes in AD-related neuropathology and
cognition.
Results:
Active immunization did not affect global DNA methylation levels but instead, resulted in decreased
DNA hydroxymethylation and DNMT3A levels. Independent of immunization, inverse correlations
with behavioral performance were observed for levels of DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation,
as well as DNMT3A, while Aβ pathology and synaptic markers did not correlate with DNA methylation
levels but did positively correlate with DNA hydroxymethylation and levels of DNMT3A.
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that active Aβ vaccination has significant effects on the epigenome in
the hippocampus of APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, and suggest that DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation
may be involved in cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Lardenoije
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Daniël L.A. van den Hove
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200MD, Netherlands
| | - Sophie E. Jung
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200MD, Netherlands
| | - Monique Havermans
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200MD, Netherlands
| | | | - Bin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Bart P.F. Rutten
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200MD, Netherlands
| | - Cynthia A. Lemere
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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21
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Schlenzig D, Cynis H, Hartlage-Rübsamen M, Zeitschel U, Menge K, Fothe A, Ramsbeck D, Spahn C, Wermann M, Roßner S, Buchholz M, Schilling S, Demuth HU. Dipeptidyl-Peptidase Activity of Meprin β Links N-truncation of Aβ with Glutaminyl Cyclase-Catalyzed pGlu-Aβ Formation. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 66:359-375. [PMID: 30320570 DOI: 10.3233/jad-171183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The formation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides is causally involved in the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A significant proportion of deposited Aβ is N-terminally truncated and modified at the N-terminus by a pGlu-residue (pGlu-Aβ). These forms show enhanced neurotoxicity compared to full-length Aβ. Although the truncation may occur by aminopeptidases after formation of Aβ, recently discovered processing pathways of amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) by proteases such as meprin β may also be involved. Here, we assessed a role of meprin β in forming Aβ3-40/42, which is the precursor of pGlu-Aβ3-40/42 generated by glutaminyl cyclase (QC). Similar to QC, meprin β mRNA is significantly upregulated in postmortem brain from AD patients. A histochemical analysis supports the presence of meprin β in neurons and astrocytes in the vicinity of pGlu-Aβ containing deposits. Cleavage of AβPP-derived peptides by meprin β in vitro results in peptides Aβ1-x, Aβ2-x, and Aβ3-x. The formation of N-truncated Aβ by meprin β was also corroborated in cell culture. A subset of the generated peptides was converted into pGlu-Aβ3-40 by an addition of glutaminyl cyclase, supporting the preceding formation of Aβ3-40. Further analysis of the meprin β cleavage revealed a yet unknown dipeptidyl-peptidase-like activity specific for the N-terminus of Aβ1-x. Thus, our data suggest that meprin β contributes to the formation of N-truncated Aβ by endopeptidase and exopeptidase activity to generate the substrate for QC-catalyzed pGlu-Aβ formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmar Schlenzig
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Holger Cynis
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | | | - Katja Menge
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anja Fothe
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Daniel Ramsbeck
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Claudia Spahn
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Michael Wermann
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Steffen Roßner
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mirko Buchholz
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stephan Schilling
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Demuth
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Halle (Saale), Germany
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22
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Abstract
Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) vaccination is one of the last therapeutic options after two decades of stagnation in terms of drug development. About 140 (85%) immunization procedures against Aβ deposition and 25 (15%) against Tau have been reported, but no Food and Drug Administration approval of any AD vaccine has been achieved. This might be attributed to deficient pathogenic targets, inappropriate models, defective immunotherapeutic procedures, and inadequate clinical trial design.Areas covered: The issues covered include the following: AD pathogenic mechanisms, rationale for active and passive immunization, vaccine targets, anti-Aβ/Tau vaccines, vaccine technologies, animal models, and clinical trials.Expert opinion: A vaccine against AD is technically feasible; however, important methodological aspects should be changed for a tentative clinical success, including (i) the development of multitarget AD immunotherapies; (ii) the optimization of antibody titers and epitopes; (iii) the pharmacogenetic/pharmacoepigenetic validation of the immunization procedure; (iv) the prophylactic treatment of genetically stratified patients at a pre-symptomatic stage; and (v) the definition of primary endpoints in prevention, based on objective/multifactorial biomarkers. Even with exquisite protocols, a successful vaccine would be potentially useful in at most 20-30% of defined cases, according to the genetic, epigenetic, and pharmacogenetic background of AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramón Cacabelos
- EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, Corunna, Spain
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23
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Liu B, Hinshaw RG, Le KX, Park MA, Wang S, Belanger AP, Dubey S, Frost JL, Shi Q, Holton P, Trojanczyk L, Reiser V, Jones PA, Trigg W, Di Carli MF, Lorello P, Caldarone BJ, Williams JP, O'Banion MK, Lemere CA. Space-like 56Fe irradiation manifests mild, early sex-specific behavioral and neuropathological changes in wildtype and Alzheimer's-like transgenic mice. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12118. [PMID: 31431669 PMCID: PMC6702228 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48615-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Space travel will expose people to high-energy, heavy particle radiation, and the cognitive deficits induced by this exposure are not well understood. To investigate the short-term effects of space radiation, we irradiated 4-month-old Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-like transgenic (Tg) mice and wildtype (WT) littermates with a single, whole-body dose of 10 or 50 cGy 56Fe ions (1 GeV/u) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. At ~1.5 months post irradiation, behavioural testing showed sex-, genotype-, and dose-dependent changes in locomotor activity, contextual fear conditioning, grip strength, and motor learning, mainly in Tg but not WT mice. There was little change in general health, depression, or anxiety. Two months post irradiation, microPET imaging of the stable binding of a translocator protein ligand suggested no radiation-specific change in neuroinflammation, although initial uptake was reduced in female mice independently of cerebral blood flow. Biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that radiation reduced cerebral amyloid-β levels and microglia activation in female Tg mice, modestly increased microhemorrhages in 50 cGy irradiated male WT mice, and did not affect synaptic marker levels compared to sham controls. Taken together, we show specific short-term changes in neuropathology and behaviour induced by 56Fe irradiation, possibly having implications for long-term space travel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Liu
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Robert G Hinshaw
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Kevin X Le
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mi-Ae Park
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shuyan Wang
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anthony P Belanger
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shipra Dubey
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Frost
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Qiaoqiao Shi
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Peter Holton
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lee Trojanczyk
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | | | - Paul A Jones
- GE Healthcare, Chalfont St Giles, HP8 4SP, United Kingdom
| | - William Trigg
- GE Healthcare, Chalfont St Giles, HP8 4SP, United Kingdom
| | - Marcelo F Di Carli
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Paul Lorello
- Harvard Medical School Mouse Behavior Core, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | | | - Jacqueline P Williams
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - M Kerry O'Banion
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Department of Neurology, Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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24
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Schilling S, Rahfeld JU, Lues I, Lemere CA. Passive Aβ Immunotherapy: Current Achievements and Future Perspectives. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23051068. [PMID: 29751505 PMCID: PMC6099643 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23051068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Passive immunotherapy has emerged as a very promising approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, which are characterized by the misfolding and deposition of amyloid peptides. On the basis of the amyloid hypothesis, the majority of antibodies in clinical development are directed against amyloid β (Aβ), the primary amyloid component in extracellular plaques. This review focuses on the current status of Aβ antibodies in clinical development, including their characteristics and challenges that came up in clinical trials with these new biological entities (NBEs). Emphasis is placed on the current view of common side effects observed with passive immunotherapy, so-called amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIAs), and potential ways to overcome this issue. Among these new ideas, a special focus is placed on molecules that are directed against post-translationally modified variants of the Aβ peptide, an emerging approach for development of new antibody molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Schilling
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department for Drug Design and Target Validation, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department for Drug Design and Target Validation, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Inge Lues
- Probiodrug AG, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Womens's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02116, USA.
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25
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Sumner IL, Edwards RA, Asuni AA, Teeling JL. Antibody Engineering for Optimized Immunotherapy in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:254. [PMID: 29740272 PMCID: PMC5924811 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There are nearly 50 million people with Alzheimer's disease (AD) worldwide and currently no disease modifying treatment is available. AD is characterized by deposits of Amyloid-β (Aβ), neurofibrillary tangles, and neuroinflammation, and several drug discovery programmes studies have focussed on Aβ as therapeutic target. Active immunization and passive immunization against Aβ leads to the clearance of deposits in humans and transgenic mice expressing human Aβ but have failed to improve memory loss. This review will discuss the possible explanations for the lack of efficacy of Aβ immunotherapy, including the role of a pro-inflammatory response and subsequent vascular side effects, the binding site of therapeutic antibodies and the timing of the treatment. We further discuss how antibodies can be engineered for improved efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle L Sumner
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ross A Edwards
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jessica L Teeling
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
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26
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Hartlage-Rübsamen M, Bluhm A, Piechotta A, Linnert M, Rahfeld JU, Demuth HU, Lues I, Kuhn PH, Lichtenthaler SF, Roßner S, Höfling C. Immunohistochemical Evidence from APP-Transgenic Mice for Glutaminyl Cyclase as Drug Target to Diminish pE-Abeta Formation. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23040924. [PMID: 29673150 PMCID: PMC6017857 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23040924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Revised: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Oligomeric assemblies of neurotoxic amyloid beta (Abeta) peptides generated by proteolytical processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) play a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In recent years, a substantial heterogeneity of Abeta peptides with distinct biophysical and cell biological properties has been demonstrated. Among these, a particularly neurotoxic and disease-specific Abeta variant is N-terminally truncated and modified to pyroglutamate (pE-Abeta). Cell biological and animal experimental studies imply the catalysis of this modification by the enzyme glutaminyl cyclase (QC). However, direct histopathological evidence in transgenic animals from comparative brain region and cell type-specific expression of transgenic hAPP and QC, on the one hand, and on the formation of pE-Abeta aggregates, on the other, is lacking. Here, using single light microscopic, as well as triple immunofluorescent, labeling, we report the deposition of pE-Abeta only in the brain regions of APP-transgenic Tg2576 mice with detectable human APP and endogenous QC expression, such as the hippocampus, piriform cortex, and amygdala. Brain regions showing human APP expression without the concomitant presence of QC (the anterodorsal thalamic nucleus and perifornical nucleus) do not display pE-Abeta plaque formation. However, we also identified brain regions with substantial expression of human APP and QC in the absence of pE-Abeta deposition (the Edinger-Westphal nucleus and locus coeruleus). In these brain regions, the enzymes required to generate N-truncated Abeta peptides as substrates for QC might be lacking. Our observations provide additional evidence for an involvement of QC in AD pathogenesis via QC-catalyzed pE-Abeta formation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandra Bluhm
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Anke Piechotta
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Miriam Linnert
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Hans-Ulrich Demuth
- Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Inge Lues
- Probiodrug AG, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Peer-Hendrik Kuhn
- Institute of Pathology, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Stefan F Lichtenthaler
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany.
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany.
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.
- Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Steffen Roßner
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Corinna Höfling
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
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Greene D, Po T, Pan J, Tabibian T, Luo R. Computational Analysis for the Rational Design of Anti-Amyloid Beta (Aβ) Antibodies. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:4521-4536. [PMID: 29617557 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b01837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that lacks effective treatment options. Anti-amyloid beta (Aβ) antibodies are the leading drug candidates to treat AD, but the results of clinical trials have been disappointing. Introducing rational mutations into anti-Aβ antibodies to increase their effectiveness is a way forward, but the path to take is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate the use of computational fragment-based docking and MMPBSA binding free energy calculations in the analysis of anti-Aβ antibodies for rational drug design efforts. Our fragment-based docking method successfully predicts the emergence of the common EFRH epitope. MD simulations coupled with MMPBSA binding free energy calculations are used to analyze scenarios described in prior studies, and we computationally introduce rational mutations into PFA1 to predict mutations that can improve its binding affinity toward the pE3-Aβ3-8 form of Aβ. Two out of our four proposed mutations are predicted to stabilize binding. Our study demonstrates that a computational approach may lead to an improved drug candidate for AD in the future.
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Mehta PD, Patrick BA, Barshatzky M, Mehta SP, Frackowiak J, Mazur-Kolecka B, Wegiel J, Wisniewski T, Miller DL. Generation and Partial Characterization of Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody to Pyroglutamate Amyloid-β3-42 (pE3-Aβ). J Alzheimers Dis 2018; 62:1635-1649. [DOI: 10.3233/jad-170898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pankaj D. Mehta
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Bruce A. Patrick
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Marc Barshatzky
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Sangita P. Mehta
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Janusz Frackowiak
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Bozena Mazur-Kolecka
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - David L. Miller
- New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY, USA
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Dunkelmann T, Teichmann K, Ziehm T, Schemmert S, Frenzel D, Tusche M, Dammers C, Jürgens D, Langen KJ, Demuth HU, Shah NJ, Kutzsche J, Willuweit A, Willbold D. Aβ oligomer eliminating compounds interfere successfully with pEAβ(3-42) induced motor neurodegenerative phenotype in transgenic mice. Neuropeptides 2018; 67:27-35. [PMID: 29273382 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2017.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there are no causative or disease modifying treatments available for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, it has been shown that D3, a small, fully d-enantiomeric peptide is able to eliminate low molecular weight Aβ oligomers in vitro, enhance cognition and reduce plaque load in AD transgenic mice. To further characterise the therapeutic potential of D3 towards N-terminally truncated and pyroglutamated Aβ (pEAβ(3-42)) we tested D3 and its head-to-tail tandem derivative D3D3 both in vitro and in vivo in the new mouse model TBA2.1. These mice produce human pEAβ(3-42) leading to a strong, early onset motor neurodegenerative phenotype. In the present study, we were able to demonstrate 1) strong binding affinity of both D3 and D3D3 to pEAβ(3-42) in comparison to Aβ(1-42) and 2) increased affinity of the tandem derivative D3D3 in comparison to D3. Subsequently we tested the therapeutic potentials of both peptides in the TBA2.1 animal model. Truly therapeutic, non-preventive treatment with D3 and D3D3 clearly slowed the progression of the neurodegenerative TBA2.1 phenotype, indicating the strong therapeutic potential of both peptides against pEAβ(3-42) induced neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Dunkelmann
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Kerstin Teichmann
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Tamar Ziehm
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Sarah Schemmert
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Daniel Frenzel
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Markus Tusche
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Christina Dammers
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Dagmar Jürgens
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Karl-Josef Langen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Medical Imaging Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Demuth
- Fraunhofer-Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), Leipzig, Department of Drug Design and Target Validation (MWT), Biozentrum, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Nadim Jon Shah
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Medical Imaging Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, JARA, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany; Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering and Monash Biomedical Imaging, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Janine Kutzsche
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Antje Willuweit
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-4), Medical Imaging Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 52425 Jülich, Germany; Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Moro ML, Phillips AS, Gaimster K, Paul C, Mudher A, Nicoll JAR, Boche D. Pyroglutamate and Isoaspartate modified Amyloid-Beta in ageing and Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2018; 6:3. [PMID: 29298722 PMCID: PMC5753481 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-017-0505-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain is considered central in AD pathogenesis and its understanding crucial for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Recent literature suggests that ageing may induce post translational modifications in Aβ, in the form of spontaneous amino acid modifications, which enhance its pathogenic properties, contributing to its aggregation.In this study, we have investigated whether the isoaspartate (IsoD-Aβ) and pyroglutamate (pE3-Aβ) modified forms of Aβ are significantly associated with AD pathology or represent markers of ageing. Cerebral neocortex of 27 AD cases, 32 old controls (OC) and 11 young controls (YC) was immunostained for pE3-Aβ and IsoD-Aβ, quantified as protein load and correlated with other Aβ forms and p-TAU. IsoD-Aβ and pE3-Aβ were detected at low levels in non-demented controls, and significantly increased in AD (p ≤ 0.001), with a characteristic deposition of IsoD-Aβ in blood vessel walls and pE3-Aβ within neurons. Both AD and OC showed positive associations between IsoD-Aβ and Aβ (p = 0.003 in AD and p = 0.001 in OC) and between IsoD-Aβ and pE3-Aβ (p = 0.001 in AD and OC). This last association was the only significant pE3-Aβ correlation identified in AD, whereas in the control cohorts pE3-Aβ also correlated with Aβ and AβPP (p = 0.001 in OC and p = 0.010 in YC).Our analyses suggest that IsoD-Aβ accumulation starts with ageing; whereas pE3-Aβ deposition is more closely linked to AD. Our findings support the importance of age-related modifications of Aβ in AD pathogenesis.
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31
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Age-related epigenetic changes in hippocampal subregions of four animal models of Alzheimer's disease. Mol Cell Neurosci 2017; 86:1-15. [PMID: 29113959 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2017.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Both aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are associated with widespread epigenetic changes, with most evidence suggesting global hypomethylation in AD. It is, however, unclear how these age-related epigenetic changes are linked to molecular aberrations as expressed in animal models of AD. Here, we investigated age-related changes of epigenetic markers of DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation in a range of animal models of AD, and their correlations with amyloid plaque load. Three transgenic mouse models, including the J20, APP/PS1dE9 and 3xTg-AD models, as well as Caribbean vervets (a non-transgenic non-human primate model of AD) were investigated. In the J20 mouse model, an age-related decrease in DNA methylation was found in the dentate gyrus (DG) and a decrease in the ratio between DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation was found in the DG and cornu ammonis (CA) 3. In the 3xTg-AD mice, an age-related increase in DNA methylation was found in the DG and CA1-2. No significant age-related alterations were found in the APP/PS1dE9 mice and non-human primate model. In the J20 model, hippocampal plaque load showed a significant negative correlation with DNA methylation in the DG, and with the ratio a negative correlation in the DG and CA3. For the APP/PS1dE9 model a negative correlation between the ratio and plaque load was observed in the CA3, as well as a negative correlation between DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) levels and plaque load in the DG and CA3. Thus, only the J20 model showed an age-related reduction in global DNA methylation, while DNA hypermethylation was observed in the 3xTg-AD model. Given these differences between animal models, future studies are needed to further elucidate the contribution of different AD-related genetic variation to age-related epigenetic changes.
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An Aβ3-10-KLH vaccine reduced Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology and had a sustained effect in Tg-APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mice. Brain Res 2017; 1673:72-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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RIPK1 mediates a disease-associated microglial response in Alzheimer's disease. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E8788-E8797. [PMID: 28904096 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1714175114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 247] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of microglia is known to play an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we investigated the role of RIPK1 in microglia mediating the pathogenesis of AD. RIPK1 is highly expressed by microglial cells in human AD brains. Using the amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin 1 (PS1) transgenic mouse model, we found that inhibition of RIPK1, using both pharmacological and genetic means, reduced amyloid burden, the levels of inflammatory cytokines, and memory deficits. Furthermore, inhibition of RIPK1 promoted microglial degradation of Aβ in vitro. We characterized the transcriptional profiles of adult microglia from APP/PS1 mice and identified a role for RIPK1 in regulating the microglial expression of CH25H and Cst7, a marker for disease-associated microglia (DAM), which encodes an endosomal/lysosomal cathepsin inhibitor named Cystatin F. We present evidence that RIPK1-mediated induction of Cst7 leads to an impairment in the lysosomal pathway. These data suggest that RIPK1 may mediate a critical checkpoint in the transition to the DAM state. Together, our study highlights a non-cell death mechanism by which the activation of RIPK1 mediates the induction of a DAM phenotype, including an inflammatory response and a reduction in phagocytic activity, and connects RIPK1-mediated transcription in microglia to the etiology of AD. Our results support that RIPK1 is an important therapeutic target for the treatment of AD.
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Meng Y, Ding L, Zhang H, Yin W, Yan Y, Cao Y. Immunization of Tg-APPswe/PSEN1dE9 mice with Aβ3-10-KLH vaccine prevents synaptic deficits of Alzheimer’s disease. Behav Brain Res 2017; 332:64-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.05.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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35
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Piechotta A, Parthier C, Kleinschmidt M, Gnoth K, Pillot T, Lues I, Demuth HU, Schilling S, Rahfeld JU, Stubbs MT. Structural and functional analyses of pyroglutamate-amyloid-β-specific antibodies as a basis for Alzheimer immunotherapy. J Biol Chem 2017; 292:12713-12724. [PMID: 28623233 PMCID: PMC5535044 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m117.777839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer disease is associated with deposition of the amyloidogenic peptide Aβ in the brain. Passive immunization using Aβ-specific antibodies has been demonstrated to reduce amyloid deposition both in vitro and in vivo Because N-terminally truncated pyroglutamate (pE)-modified Aβ species (AβpE3) exhibit enhanced aggregation potential and propensity to form toxic oligomers, they represent particularly attractive targets for antibody therapy. Here we present three separate monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize AβpE3 with affinities of 1-10 nm and inhibit AβpE3 fibril formation in vitro. In vivo application of one of these resulted in improved memory in AβpE3 oligomer-treated mice. Crystal structures of Fab-AβpE3 complexes revealed two distinct binding modes for the peptide. Juxtaposition of pyroglutamate pE3 and the F4 side chain (the "pEF head") confers a pronounced bulky hydrophobic nature to the AβpE3 N terminus that might explain the enhanced aggregation properties of the modified peptide. The deep burial of the pEF head by two of the antibodies explains their high target specificity and low cross-reactivity, making them promising candidates for the development of clinical antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Piechotta
- Probiodrug AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; Institute of Biotechnology, Martin Luther University, 06108 Halle-Wittenberg, Germany; Department of Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Christoph Parthier
- Institute of Biotechnology, Martin Luther University, 06108 Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Martin Kleinschmidt
- Probiodrug AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; Department of Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Kathrin Gnoth
- Probiodrug AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; Department of Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | | | - Inge Lues
- Probiodrug AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Demuth
- Probiodrug AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; Department of Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Stephan Schilling
- Probiodrug AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; Department of Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Probiodrug AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany; Department of Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Weinbergweg 22, 06120 Halle, Germany.
| | - Milton T Stubbs
- Institute of Biotechnology, Martin Luther University, 06108 Halle-Wittenberg, Germany.
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Dammers C, Schwarten M, Buell AK, Willbold D. Pyroglutamate-modified Aβ(3-42) affects aggregation kinetics of Aβ(1-42) by accelerating primary and secondary pathways. Chem Sci 2017; 8:4996-5004. [PMID: 28970886 PMCID: PMC5612032 DOI: 10.1039/c6sc04797a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The aggregation into amyloid fibrils of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. A variety of Aβ peptides have been discovered in vivo, with pyroglutamate-modified Aβ (pEAβ) forming a significant proportion. pEAβ is mainly localized in the core of plaques, suggesting a possible role in inducing and facilitating Aβ oligomerization and accumulation. Despite this potential importance, the aggregation mechanism of pEAβ and its influence on the aggregation kinetics of other Aβ variants have not yet been elucidated. Here we show that pEAβ(3-42) forms fibrils much faster than Aβ(1-42) and the critical concentration above which aggregation was observed was drastically decreased by one order of magnitude compared to Aβ(1-42). We elucidated the co-aggregation mechanism of Aβ(1-42) with pEAβ(3-42). At concentrations at which both species do not aggregate as homofibrils, mixtures of pEAβ(3-42) and Aβ(1-42) aggregate, suggesting the formation of mixed nuclei. We show that the presence of pEAβ(3-42) monomers increases the rate of primary nucleation of Aβ(1-42) and that fibrils of pEAβ(3-42) serve as highly efficient templates for elongation and catalytic surfaces for secondary nucleation of Aβ(1-42). On the other hand, the addition of Aβ(1-42) monomers drastically decelerates the primary and secondary nucleation of pEAβ(3-42) while not altering the pEAβ(3-42) elongation rate. In addition, even moderate concentrations of fibrillar Aβ(1-42) prevent pEAβ(3-42) aggregation, likely due to non-reactive binding of pEAβ(3-42) monomers to the surfaces of Aβ(1-42) fibrils. Thus, pEAβ(3-42) accelerates aggregation of Aβ(1-42) by affecting all individual reaction steps of the aggregation process while Aβ(1-42) dramatically slows down the primary and secondary nucleation of pEAβ(3-42).
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Affiliation(s)
- C Dammers
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) Structural Biochemistry , Forschungszentrum Jülich , 52425 Jülich , Germany .
| | - M Schwarten
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) Structural Biochemistry , Forschungszentrum Jülich , 52425 Jülich , Germany .
| | - A K Buell
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie , Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf , 40225 Düsseldorf , Germany
| | - D Willbold
- Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-6) Structural Biochemistry , Forschungszentrum Jülich , 52425 Jülich , Germany .
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie , Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf , 40225 Düsseldorf , Germany
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37
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Goldblatt G, Cilenti L, Matos JO, Lee B, Ciaffone N, Wang QX, Tetard L, Teter K, Tatulian SA. Unmodified and pyroglutamylated amyloid β peptides form hypertoxic hetero-oligomers of unique secondary structure. FEBS J 2017; 284:1355-1369. [PMID: 28294556 DOI: 10.1111/febs.14058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Amyloid β (Aβ) peptide plays a major role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and occurs in multiple forms, including pyroglutamylated Aβ (AβpE). Identification and characterization of the most cytotoxic Aβ species is necessary for advancement in AD diagnostics and therapeutics. While in brain tissue multiple Aβ species act in combination, structure/toxicity studies and immunotherapy trials have been focused on individual forms of Aβ. As a result, the molecular composition and the structural features of "toxic Aβ oligomers" have remained unresolved. Here, we have used a novel approach, hydration from gas phase coupled with isotope-edited Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, to identify the prefibrillar assemblies formed by Aβ and AβpE and to resolve the structures of both peptides in combination. The peptides form unusual β-sheet oligomers stabilized by intramolecular H-bonding as opposed to intermolecular H-bonding in the fibrils. Time-dependent morphological changes in peptide assemblies have been visualized by atomic force microscopy. Aβ/AβpE hetero-oligomers exert unsurpassed cytotoxic effect on PC12 cells as compared to oligomers of individual peptides or fibrils. These findings lead to a novel concept that Aβ/AβpE hetero-oligomers, not just Aβ or AβpE oligomers, constitute the main neurotoxic conformation. The hetero-oligomers thus present a new biomarker that may be targeted for development of more efficient diagnostic and immunotherapeutic strategies to combat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg Goldblatt
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Lucia Cilenti
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Jason O Matos
- Biotechnology Graduate Program, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Briana Lee
- Nanotechnology Graduate Program, NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Nicholas Ciaffone
- Nanotechnology Graduate Program, NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Qing X Wang
- Physics Graduate Program, College of Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Laurene Tetard
- NanoScience Technology Center, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.,Department of Physics, College of Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Ken Teter
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Suren A Tatulian
- Department of Physics, College of Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
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Urbanc B. Flexible N‐Termini of Amyloid β‐Protein Oligomers: A Link between Structure and Activity? Isr J Chem 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ijch.201600097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Brigita Urbanc
- Department of Physics Drexel University Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
- Faculty of Mathematics and Physics Jadranska ulica 19 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
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Vingtdeux V, Zhao H, Chandakkar P, Acker CM, Davies P, Marambaud P. A modification-specific peptide-based immunization approach using CRM197 carrier protein: Development of a selective vaccine against pyroglutamate Aβ peptides. Mol Med 2016; 22:841-849. [PMID: 27900387 DOI: 10.2119/molmed.2016.00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Strategies aimed at reducing cerebral accumulation of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides have therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ immunization has proven to be effective at promoting Aβ clearance in animal models but adverse effects have hampered its clinical evaluation. The first anti-Aβ immunization clinical trial, which assessed a full-length Aβ1-42 vaccine, increased the risk of encephalitis most likely because of autoimmune pro-inflammatory T helper 1 (Th1) response against all forms of Aβ. Immunization against less abundant but potentially more pathologically relevant Aβ products, such as N-terminally-truncated pyroglutamate-3 Aβ (AβpE3), could provide efficacy and improve tolerability in Aβ immunotherapy. Here, we describe a selective vaccine against AβpE3, which uses the diphtheria toxin mutant CRM197 as carrier protein for epitope presentation. CRM197 is currently used in licensed vaccines and has demonstrated excellent immunogenicity and safety in humans. In mice, our AβpE3:CRM197 vaccine triggered the production of specific anti-AβpE3 antibodies that did not cross-react with Aβ1-42, non-cyclized AβE3, or N-terminally-truncated pyroglutamate-11 Aβ (AβpE11). AβpE3:CRM197 antiserum strongly labeled AβpE3 in insoluble protein extracts and decorated cortical amyloid plaques in human AD brains. Anti-AβpE3 antibodies were almost exclusively of the IgG1 isotype, suggesting an anti-inflammatory Th2 response bias to the AβpE3:CRM197 vaccine. To the best of our knowledge, this study shows for the first time that CRM197 has potential as a safe and suitable vaccine carrier for active and selective immunization against specific protein sequence modifications or conformations, such as AβpE3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Vingtdeux
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, 11030 USA
| | - Haitian Zhao
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, 11030 USA
| | - Pallavi Chandakkar
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, 11030 USA
| | - Christopher M Acker
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, 11030 USA
| | - Peter Davies
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, 11030 USA
| | - Philippe Marambaud
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer's Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset, New York, 11030 USA
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Ding L, Meng Y, Zhang HY, Yin WC, Yan Y, Cao YP. Active immunization with the peptide epitope vaccine Aβ3-10-KLH induces a Th2-polarized anti-Aβ antibody response and decreases amyloid plaques in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Neurosci Lett 2016; 634:1-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.09.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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41
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Griffith CM, Xie MX, Qiu WY, Sharp AA, Ma C, Pan A, Yan XX, Patrylo PR. Aberrant expression of the pore-forming KATP channel subunit Kir6.2 in hippocampal reactive astrocytes in the 3xTg-AD mouse model and human Alzheimer’s disease. Neuroscience 2016; 336:81-101. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Andrew RJ, Kellett KAB, Thinakaran G, Hooper NM. A Greek Tragedy: The Growing Complexity of Alzheimer Amyloid Precursor Protein Proteolysis. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:19235-44. [PMID: 27474742 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.r116.746032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteolysis of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) liberates various fragments including the proposed initiator of Alzheimer disease-associated dysfunctions, amyloid-β. However, recent evidence suggests that the accepted view of APP proteolysis by the canonical α-, β-, and γ-secretases is simplistic, with the discovery of a number of novel APP secretases (including δ- and η-secretases, alternative β-secretases) and additional metabolites, some of which may also cause synaptic dysfunction. Furthermore, various proteins have been identified that interact with APP and modulate its cleavage by the secretases. Here, we give an overview of the increasingly complex picture of APP proteolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Andrew
- From the Departments of Neurobiology, Neurology, and Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 and
| | - Katherine A B Kellett
- the Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
| | - Gopal Thinakaran
- From the Departments of Neurobiology, Neurology, and Pathology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 and
| | - Nigel M Hooper
- the Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, United Kingdom
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43
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Cynis H, Frost JL, Crehan H, Lemere CA. Immunotherapy targeting pyroglutamate-3 Aβ: prospects and challenges. Mol Neurodegener 2016; 11:48. [PMID: 27363697 PMCID: PMC4929720 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-016-0115-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunization against amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides deposited in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has shown considerable therapeutic effect in animal models however, the translation into human Alzheimer’s patients is challenging. In recent years, a number of promising Aβ immunotherapy trials failed to reach primary study endpoints. Aside from uncertainties in the selection of patients and the start and duration of treatment, these results also suggest that the mechanisms underlying AD are still not fully understood. Thorough characterizations of protein aggregates in AD brain have revealed a conspicuous heterogeneity of Aβ peptides enabling the study of the toxic potential of each of the major forms. One such form, amino-terminally truncated and modified pyroglutamate (pGlu)-3 Aβ peptide appears to play a seminal role for disease initiation, qualifying it as novel target for immunotherapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holger Cynis
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, NRB636, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle, Germany
| | - Jeffrey L Frost
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, NRB636, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Helen Crehan
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, NRB636, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, NRB636, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Olmos-Serrano JL, Tyler WA, Cabral HJ, Haydar TF. Longitudinal measures of cognition in the Ts65Dn mouse: Refining windows and defining modalities for therapeutic intervention in Down syndrome. Exp Neurol 2016; 279:40-56. [PMID: 26854932 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Mouse models have provided insights into adult changes in learning and memory in Down syndrome, but an in-depth assessment of how these abnormalities develop over time has never been conducted. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a longitudinal behavioral study from birth until late adulthood in the Ts65Dn mouse model to measure the emergence and continuity of learning and memory deficits in individuals with a broad array of tests. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the pace at which neonatal and perinatal milestones are acquired is correlated with later cognitive performance as an adult. In addition, we find that life-long behavioral indexing stratifies mice within each genotype. Our expanded assessment reveals that diminished cognitive flexibility, as measured by reversal learning, is the most robust learning and memory impairment in both young and old Ts65Dn mice. Moreover, we find that reversal learning degrades with age and is therefore a useful biomarker for studying age-related decline in cognitive ability. Altogether, our results indicate that preclinical studies aiming to restore cognitive function in Ts65Dn should target both neonatal milestones and reversal learning in adulthood. Here we provide the quantitative framework for this type of approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Luis Olmos-Serrano
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, L-1004, Boston, MA 02118, United States.
| | - William A Tyler
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, L-1004, Boston, MA 02118, United States.
| | - Howard J Cabral
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, 801 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02118, United States.
| | - Tarik F Haydar
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord Street, L-1004, Boston, MA 02118, United States.
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