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Luo S, Wang Y, Hisatsune T. P2Y1 receptor in Alzheimer's disease. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:440-453. [PMID: 38819047 PMCID: PMC11317937 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-02103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the most frequent form of dementia characterized by the deposition of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles consisting of hyperphosphorylated tau. Targeting amyloid-beta plaques has been a primary direction for developing Alzheimer's disease treatments in the last decades. However, existing drugs targeting amyloid-beta plaques have not fully yielded the expected results in the clinic, necessitating the exploration of alternative therapeutic strategies. Increasing evidence unravels that astrocyte morphology and function alter in the brain of Alzheimer's disease patients, with dysregulated astrocytic purinergic receptors, particularly the P2Y1 receptor, all of which constitute the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. These receptors are not only crucial for maintaining normal astrocyte function but are also highly implicated in neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's disease. This review delves into recent insights into the association between P2Y1 receptor and Alzheimer's disease to underscore the potential neuroprotective role of P2Y1 receptor in Alzheimer's disease by mitigating neuroinflammation, thus offering promising avenues for developing drugs for Alzheimer's disease and potentially contributing to the development of more effective treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Luo
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Yifei Wang
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiro Hisatsune
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
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Qu L, Xu S, Lan Z, Fang S, Xu Y, Zhu X. Apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer's Disease: Focus on Synaptic Function and Therapeutic Strategy. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04449-1. [PMID: 39214953 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04449-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Synaptic dysfunction is a critical pathological feature in the early phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that precedes typical hallmarks of AD, including beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. However, the underlying mechanism of synaptic dysfunction remains incompletely defined. Apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of AD, and the ε4 allele of APOE remains the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic AD. It is widely recognized that APOE4 accelerates the development of Aβ and tau pathology in AD. Recent studies have indicated that APOE affects synaptic function through a variety of pathways. Here, we summarize the mechanism of modulating synapses by various APOE isoforms and demonstrate the therapeutic potential by targeting APOE4 for AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longjie Qu
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Shuai Xu
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Zhen Lan
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Shuang Fang
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yun Xu
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, China
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Institute of Translational Medicine for Brain Critical Diseases, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
- Nanjing Neurology Clinical Medical Center, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xiaolei Zhu
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, China.
- Department of Neurology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Institute of Translational Medicine for Brain Critical Diseases, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China.
- Nanjing Neurology Clinical Medical Center, Nanjing, 210008, China.
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Kim Y, Kim H, Cho B, An S, Kang S, Kim S, Kim J. Modeling APOE ε4 familial Alzheimer's disease in directly converted 3D brain organoids. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1435445. [PMID: 39185458 PMCID: PMC11341472 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1435445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain organoids have become a valuable tool for studying human brain development, disease modeling, and drug testing. However, generating brain organoids with mature neurons is time-intensive and often incomplete, limiting their utility in studying age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we report the generation of 3D brain organoids from human fibroblasts through direct reprogramming, with simplicity, efficiency, and reduced variability. We also demonstrate that induced brain organoids from APOE ε4 AD patient fibroblasts capture some disease-specific features and pathologies associated with APOE ε4 AD. Moreover, APOE ε4-induced brain organoids with mutant APP overexpression faithfully recapitulate the acceleration of AD-related pathologies, providing a more physiologically relevant and patient-specific model of familial AD. Importantly, transcriptome analysis reveals that gene sets specific to APOE ε4 patient-induced brain organoids are highly similar to those of APOE ε4 post-mortem AD brains. Overall, induced brain organoids from direct reprogramming offer a promising approach for more efficient and controlled studies of neurodegenerative disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunkyung Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hongwon Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Byounggook Cho
- Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Saemin An
- Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soi Kang
- Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sumin Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongpil Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Jackson RJ, Hyman BT, Serrano-Pozo A. Multifaceted roles of APOE in Alzheimer disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2024; 20:457-474. [PMID: 38906999 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-024-00988-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
For the past three decades, apolipoprotein E (APOE) has been known as the single greatest genetic modulator of sporadic Alzheimer disease (AD) risk, influencing both the average age of onset and the lifetime risk of developing AD. The APOEε4 allele significantly increases AD risk, whereas the ε2 allele is protective relative to the most common ε3 allele. However, large differences in effect size exist across ethnoracial groups that are likely to depend on both global genetic ancestry and local genetic ancestry, as well as gene-environment interactions. Although early studies linked APOE to amyloid-β - one of the two culprit aggregation-prone proteins that define AD - in the past decade, mounting work has associated APOE with other neurodegenerative proteinopathies and broader ageing-related brain changes, such as neuroinflammation, energy metabolism failure, loss of myelin integrity and increased blood-brain barrier permeability, with potential implications for longevity and resilience to pathological protein aggregates. Novel mouse models and other technological advances have also enabled a number of therapeutic approaches aimed at either attenuating the APOEε4-linked increased AD risk or enhancing the APOEε2-linked AD protection. This Review summarizes this progress and highlights areas for future research towards the development of APOE-directed therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary J Jackson
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, MA, USA.
| | - Alberto Serrano-Pozo
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Charlestown, MA, USA.
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5
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Kloske CM, Belloy ME, Blue EE, Bowman GR, Carrillo MC, Chen X, Chiba-Falek O, Davis AA, Paolo GD, Garretti F, Gate D, Golden LR, Heinecke JW, Herz J, Huang Y, Iadecola C, Johnson LA, Kanekiyo T, Karch CM, Khvorova A, Koppes-den Hertog SJ, Lamb BT, Lawler PE, Guen YL, Litvinchuk A, Liu CC, Mahinrad S, Marcora E, Marino C, Michaelson DM, Miller JJ, Morganti JM, Narayan PS, Naslavsky MS, Oosthoek M, Ramachandran KV, Ramakrishnan A, Raulin AC, Robert A, Saleh RNM, Sexton C, Shah N, Shue F, Sible IJ, Soranno A, Strickland MR, Tcw J, Thierry M, Tsai LH, Tuckey RA, Ulrich JD, van der Kant R, Wang N, Wellington CL, Weninger SC, Yassine HN, Zhao N, Bu G, Goate AM, Holtzman DM. Advancements in APOE and dementia research: Highlights from the 2023 AAIC Advancements: APOE conference. Alzheimers Dement 2024. [PMID: 39031528 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is an established central player in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), with distinct apoE isoforms exerting diverse effects. apoE influences not only amyloid-beta and tau pathologies but also lipid and energy metabolism, neuroinflammation, cerebral vascular health, and sex-dependent disease manifestations. Furthermore, ancestral background may significantly impact the link between APOE and AD, underscoring the need for more inclusive research. METHODS In 2023, the Alzheimer's Association convened multidisciplinary researchers at the "AAIC Advancements: APOE" conference to discuss various topics, including apoE isoforms and their roles in AD pathogenesis, progress in apoE-targeted therapeutic strategies, updates on disease models and interventions that modulate apoE expression and function. RESULTS This manuscript presents highlights from the conference and provides an overview of opportunities for further research in the field. DISCUSSION Understanding apoE's multifaceted roles in AD pathogenesis will help develop targeted interventions for AD and advance the field of AD precision medicine. HIGHLIGHTS APOE is a central player in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. APOE exerts a numerous effects throughout the brain on amyloid-beta, tau, and other pathways. The AAIC Advancements: APOE conference encouraged discussions and collaborations on understanding the role of APOE.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael E Belloy
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, Palo Alto, California, USA
- NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Elizabeth E Blue
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Institute for Public Health Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Gregory R Bowman
- Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Xiaoying Chen
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Ornit Chiba-Falek
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Albert A Davis
- Department of Neurology Hope Center for Neurological Disorders Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Francesca Garretti
- Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Genetics & Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David Gate
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lesley R Golden
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Jay W Heinecke
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, UV Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Joachim Herz
- Center for Translational Neurodegeneration Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Yadong Huang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Costantino Iadecola
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Lance A Johnson
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Takahisa Kanekiyo
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutic Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sascha J Koppes-den Hertog
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, USA
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, USA
| | - Bruce T Lamb
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Paige E Lawler
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- The Tracy Family SILQ Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Yann Le Guen
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
- Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Paris, France
| | - Alexandra Litvinchuk
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Chia-Chen Liu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Edoardo Marcora
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn Genomics Institute; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Claudia Marino
- Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass Eye and Ear and Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Justin J Miller
- Departments of Biochemistry & Biophysics and Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Josh M Morganti
- Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Priyanka S Narayan
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias (CARD), National Institutes of Health, Maryland, USA
| | - Michel S Naslavsky
- Human Genome and Stem-cell Research Center, Biosciences Institute, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matao, São Paulo, Brazil
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Avenida Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marlies Oosthoek
- Neurochemistry Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Kapil V Ramachandran
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, USA
| | - Abhirami Ramakrishnan
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Aiko Robert
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, USA
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, USA
| | - Rasha N M Saleh
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, UK Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Norfolk, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria Governorate, Egypt
| | | | | | | | - Isabel J Sible
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Andrea Soranno
- Washington University in Saint Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Michael R Strickland
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Julia Tcw
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Manon Thierry
- Center for Cognitive Neurology, Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Li-Huei Tsai
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ryan A Tuckey
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Jason D Ulrich
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Rik van der Kant
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research (CNCR), VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, USA
- Alzheimer Center Amsterdam, Department of Neurology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, USA
| | - Na Wang
- Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Cheryl L Wellington
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries School of Biomedical Engineering University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Hussein N Yassine
- Department of Neurology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Na Zhao
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | - Guojun Bu
- Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Alison M Goate
- Department of Genetics & Genomic Sciences, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Narasimhan S, Holtzman DM, Apostolova LG, Cruchaga C, Masters CL, Hardy J, Villemagne VL, Bell J, Cho M, Hampel H. Apolipoprotein E in Alzheimer's disease trajectories and the next-generation clinical care pathway. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:1236-1252. [PMID: 38898183 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01669-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex, progressive primary neurodegenerative disease. Since pivotal genetic studies in 1993, the ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE ε4) has remained the strongest single genome-wide associated risk variant in AD. Scientific advances in APOE biology, AD pathophysiology and ApoE-targeted therapies have brought APOE to the forefront of research, with potential translation into routine AD clinical care. This contemporary Review will merge APOE research with the emerging AD clinical care pathway and discuss APOE genetic risk as a conduit to genomic-based precision medicine in AD, including ApoE's influence in the ATX(N) biomarker framework of AD. We summarize the evidence for APOE as an important modifier of AD clinical-biological trajectories. We then illustrate the utility of APOE testing and the future of ApoE-targeted therapies in the next-generation AD clinical-diagnostic pathway. With the emergence of new AD therapies, understanding how APOE modulates AD pathophysiology will become critical for personalized AD patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight ADRC, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Liana G Apostolova
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Neurosciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
- NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Colin L Masters
- Florey Institute and the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - John Hardy
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease and Dementia Research Institute, Reta Lila Weston Research Laboratories, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
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Miller B, Kim S, Cao K, Mehta HH, Thumaty N, Kumagai H, Iida T, McGill C, Pike CJ, Nurmakova K, Levine ZA, Sullivan PM, Yen K, Ertekin‐Taner N, Atzmon G, Barzilai N, Cohen P. Humanin variant P3S is associated with longevity in APOE4 carriers and resists APOE4-induced brain pathology. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14153. [PMID: 38520065 PMCID: PMC11258485 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The APOE4 allele is recognized as a significant genetic risk factor to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and influences longevity. Nonetheless, some APOE4 carriers exhibit resistance to AD even in advanced age. Humanin, a mitochondrial-derived peptide comprising 24 amino acids, has variants linked to cognitive resilience and longevity. Our research uncovered a unique humanin variant, P3S, specifically enriched in centenarians with the APOE4 allele. Through in silico analyses and subsequent experimental validation, we demonstrated a strong affinity between humanin P3S and APOE4. Utilizing an APOE4-centric mouse model of amyloidosis (APP/PS1/APOE4), we observed that humanin P3S significantly attenuated brain amyloid-beta accumulation compared to the wild-type humanin. Transcriptomic assessments of mice treated with humanin P3S highlighted its potential mechanism involving the enhancement of amyloid beta phagocytosis. Additionally, in vitro studies corroborated humanin P3S's efficacy in promoting amyloid-beta clearance. Notably, in the temporal cortex of APOE4 carriers, humanin expression is correlated with genes associated with phagocytosis. Our findings suggest a role of the rare humanin variant P3S, especially prevalent among individuals of Ashkenazi descent, in mitigating amyloid beta pathology and facilitating phagocytosis in APOE4-linked amyloidosis, underscoring its significance in longevity and cognitive health among APOE4 carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Miller
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Su‐Jeong Kim
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kevin Cao
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Hemal H. Mehta
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Neehar Thumaty
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Hiroshi Kumagai
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Tomomitsu Iida
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Cassandra McGill
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Christian J. Pike
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Kamila Nurmakova
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and BiochemistryYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Zachary A. Levine
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and BiochemistryYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of PathologyYale School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Patrick M. Sullivan
- Department of Medicine (Geriatrics)Duke University Medical CenterDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Kelvin Yen
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Gil Atzmon
- Department of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkUSA
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of HaifaHaifaIsrael
| | - Nir Barzilai
- Department of MedicineAlbert Einstein College of MedicineBronxNew YorkUSA
| | - Pinchas Cohen
- Leonard Davis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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Fu J, Lai X, Zhang C, Wei Q, Chen X, Shang H. Correlation analysis of peripheral platelet markers and disease phenotypes in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:4366-4372. [PMID: 38713702 PMCID: PMC11180931 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13841] [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: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Platelets serve as the primary peripheral reservoir of amyloid beta (Aβ). However, there is limited research on platelet markers in routine blood examinations, particularly with regard to the large platelet ratio (P-LCR) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS This study included 512 AD patients and 205 healthy controls (HCs). Platelet markers and apolipoprotein E (APOE) 4 status were assessed in all participants. RESULTS The study revealed that P-LCR was significantly elevated in AD patients compared to HCs. In AD patients carrying APOE4, P-LCR significantly negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. There was an observed increasing trend in the rate of change in P-LCR with disease progression. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that P-LCR may constitute a risk factor for AD, after adjusting for age, sex, APOE4, and body mass index. DISCUSSION P-LCR is associated with disease severity in AD patients carrying APOE4. P-LCR may be a promising marker to reflect platelet activity in AD patients. HIGHLIGHTS P-LCR significantly negatively correlated with MoCA scores in AD patients with APOE4. The rate of change in P-LCR showed an increasing trend with disease progression. P-LCR may be a risk factor for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Fu
- Department of NeurologyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Rare disease centerWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative DisordersWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Xiaohui Lai
- Department of NeurologyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Chongwei Zhang
- Department of Experimental MedicineWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Qianqian Wei
- Department of NeurologyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Rare disease centerWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative DisordersWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Xueping Chen
- Department of NeurologyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Rare disease centerWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative DisordersWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
| | - Huifang Shang
- Department of NeurologyWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Rare disease centerWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
- Laboratory of Neurodegenerative DisordersWest China HospitalSichuan UniversityChengduSichuanChina
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9
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Foley KE, Wilcock DM. Three major effects of APOE ε4 on Aβ immunotherapy induced ARIA. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1412006. [PMID: 38756535 PMCID: PMC11096466 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1412006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The targeting of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques therapeutically as one of the primary causes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia has been an ongoing effort spanning decades. While some antibodies are extremely promising and have been moved out of clinical trials and into the clinic, most of these treatments show similar adverse effects in the form of cerebrovascular damage known as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA). The two categories of ARIA are of major concern for patients, families, and prescribing physicians, with ARIA-E presenting as cerebral edema, and ARIA-H as cerebral hemorrhages (micro- and macro-). From preclinical and clinical trials, it has been observed that the greatest genetic risk factor for AD, APOEε4, is also a major risk factor for anti-Aβ immunotherapy-induced ARIA. APOEε4 carriers represent a large population of AD patients, and, therefore, limits the broad adoption of these therapies across the AD population. In this review we detail three hypothesized mechanisms by which APOEε4 influences ARIA risk: (1) reduced cerebrovascular integrity, (2) increased neuroinflammation and immune dysregulation, and (3) elevated levels of CAA. The effects of APOEε4 on ARIA risk is clear, however, the underlying mechanisms require more research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E. Foley
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Donna M. Wilcock
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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10
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Vandermeulen L, Geric I, Fumagalli L, Kreir M, Lu A, Nonneman A, Premereur J, Wolfs L, Policarpo R, Fattorelli N, De Bondt A, Van Den Wyngaert I, Asselbergh B, Fiers M, De Strooper B, d'Ydewalle C, Mancuso R. Regulation of human microglial gene expression and function via RNAase-H active antisense oligonucleotides in vivo in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:37. [PMID: 38654375 PMCID: PMC11040766 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00725-9] [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: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microglia play important roles in maintaining brain homeostasis and neurodegeneration. The discovery of genetic variants in genes predominately or exclusively expressed in myeloid cells, such as Apolipoprotein E (APOE) and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), as the strongest risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) highlights the importance of microglial biology in the brain. The sequence, structure and function of several microglial proteins are poorly conserved across species, which has hampered the development of strategies aiming to modulate the expression of specific microglial genes. One way to target APOE and TREM2 is to modulate their expression using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). METHODS In this study, we identified, produced, and tested novel, selective and potent ASOs for human APOE and TREM2. We used a combination of in vitro iPSC-microglia models, as well as microglial xenotransplanted mice to provide proof of activity in human microglial in vivo. RESULTS We proved their efficacy in human iPSC microglia in vitro, as well as their pharmacological activity in vivo in a xenografted microglia model. We demonstrate ASOs targeting human microglia can modify their transcriptional profile and their response to amyloid-β plaques in vivo in a model of AD. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first proof-of-concept that human microglial can be modulated using ASOs in a dose-dependent manner to manipulate microglia phenotypes and response to neurodegeneration in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Vandermeulen
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ivana Geric
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Laura Fumagalli
- MIND Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mohamed Kreir
- Preclinical Development & Safety, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ashley Lu
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Annelies Nonneman
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jessie Premereur
- MIND Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leen Wolfs
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Rafaela Policarpo
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - Nicola Fattorelli
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
| | - An De Bondt
- Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ilse Van Den Wyngaert
- Discovery Sciences, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Bob Asselbergh
- Neuromics Support Facility, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
- Neuromics Support Facility, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Mark Fiers
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Constantin d'Ydewalle
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, 2340, Beerse, Belgium.
| | - Renzo Mancuso
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven, Leuven, 3000, Belgium.
- MIND Lab, VIB Center for Molecular Neurology, VIB, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium.
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11
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Rahimi A, Sameei P, Mousavi S, Ghaderi K, Hassani A, Hassani S, Alipour S. Application of CRISPR/Cas9 System in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04143-2. [PMID: 38639864 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04143-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's are some of the most common neurological disorders, which affect millions of people worldwide. Although there have been many treatments for these diseases, there are still no effective treatments to treat or completely stop these disorders. Perhaps the lack of proper treatment for these diseases can be related to various reasons, but the poor results related to recent clinical research also prompted doctors to look for new treatment approaches. In this regard, various researchers from all over the world have provided many new treatments, one of which is CRISPR/Cas9. Today, the CRISPR/Cas9 system is mostly used for genetic modifications in various species. In addition, by using the abilities available in the CRISPR/Cas9 system, researchers can either remove or modify DNA sequences, which in this way can establish a suitable and useful treatment method for the treatment of genetic diseases that have undergone mutations. We conducted a non-systematic review of articles and study results from various databases, including PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus, in recent years. and have investigated new treatment methods in neurodegenerative diseases with a focus on Alzheimer's disease. Then, in the following sections, the treatment methods were classified into three groups: anti-tau, anti-amyloid, and anti-APOE regimens. Finally, we discussed various applications of the CRISPR/Cas-9 system in Alzheimer's disease. Today, using CRISPR/Cas-9 technology, scientists create Alzheimer's disease models that have a more realistic phenotype and reveal the processes of pathogenesis; following the screening of defective genes, they establish treatments for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Araz Rahimi
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Parsa Sameei
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Sana Mousavi
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Kimia Ghaderi
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Amin Hassani
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Sepideh Hassani
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University Medical Sciences (UMSU), Urmia, Iran.
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Shahriar Alipour
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University Medical Sciences (UMSU), Urmia, Iran.
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Applied Cell Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
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12
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Strickland MR, Rau MJ, Summers B, Basore K, Wulf J, Jiang H, Chen Y, Ulrich JD, Randolph GJ, Zhang R, Fitzpatrick JAJ, Cashikar AG, Holtzman DM. Apolipoprotein E secreted by astrocytes forms antiparallel dimers in discoidal lipoproteins. Neuron 2024; 112:1100-1109.e5. [PMID: 38266643 PMCID: PMC10994765 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.12.018] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is of great interest due to its role as a risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease. ApoE is secreted by astrocytes in the central nervous system in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-like lipoproteins. Structural models of lipidated ApoE of high resolution could aid in a mechanistic understanding of how ApoE functions in health and disease. Using monoclonal Fab and F(ab')2 fragments, we characterize the structure of lipidated ApoE on astrocyte-secreted lipoproteins. Our results provide support for the "double-belt" model of ApoE in nascent discoidal HDL-like lipoproteins, where two ApoE proteins wrap around the nanodisc in an antiparallel conformation. We further show that lipidated, recombinant ApoE accurately models astrocyte-secreted ApoE lipoproteins. Cryogenic electron microscopy of recombinant lipidated ApoE further supports ApoE adopting antiparallel dimers in nascent discoidal lipoproteins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael J Rau
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Brock Summers
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Katherine Basore
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - John Wulf
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Neurology, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jason D Ulrich
- Department of Neurology, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, 4488 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Gwendalyn J Randolph
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - James A J Fitzpatrick
- Washington University Center for Cellular Imaging, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Anil G Cashikar
- Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Psychiatry, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Taylor Family institute for Innovative Psychiatric Research, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, 4488 Forest Park Ave., St. Louis, MO 63108, USA.
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13
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Chemparathy A, Le Guen Y, Chen S, Lee EG, Leong L, Gorzynski JE, Jensen TD, Ferrasse A, Xu G, Xiang H, Belloy ME, Kasireddy N, Peña-Tauber A, Williams K, Stewart I, Talozzi L, Wingo TS, Lah JJ, Jayadev S, Hales CM, Peskind E, Child DD, Roeber S, Keene CD, Cong L, Ashley EA, Yu CE, Greicius MD. APOE loss-of-function variants: Compatible with longevity and associated with resistance to Alzheimer's disease pathology. Neuron 2024; 112:1110-1116.e5. [PMID: 38301647 PMCID: PMC10994769 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.008] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
The ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) is the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD). Knockdown of ε4 may provide a therapeutic strategy for AD, but the effect of APOE loss of function (LoF) on AD pathogenesis is unknown. We searched for APOE LoF variants in a large cohort of controls and patients with AD and identified seven heterozygote carriers of APOE LoF variants. Five carriers were controls (aged 71-90 years), one carrier was affected by progressive supranuclear palsy, and one carrier was affected by AD with an unremarkable age at onset of 75 years. Two APOE ε3/ε4 controls carried a stop-gain affecting ε4: one was cognitively normal at 90 years and had no neuritic plaques at autopsy; the other was cognitively healthy at 79 years, and lumbar puncture at 76 years showed normal levels of amyloid. These results suggest that ε4 drives AD risk through the gain of abnormal function and support ε4 knockdown as a viable therapeutic option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustine Chemparathy
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yann Le Guen
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sunny Chen
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Eun-Gyung Lee
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lesley Leong
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John E Gorzynski
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tanner D Jensen
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alexis Ferrasse
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Guangxue Xu
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hong Xiang
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael E Belloy
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nandita Kasireddy
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Andrés Peña-Tauber
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kennedy Williams
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ilaria Stewart
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lia Talozzi
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thomas S Wingo
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Goizueta Alzheimer's Disease Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - James J Lah
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Chadwick M Hales
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elaine Peskind
- Veterans Affairs Northwest Network Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daniel D Child
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sigrun Roeber
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Le Cong
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Euan A Ashley
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Chang-En Yu
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michael D Greicius
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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14
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Ferguson CM, Hildebrand S, Godinho BMDC, Buchwald J, Echeverria D, Coles A, Grigorenko A, Vangjeli L, Sousa J, McHugh N, Hassler M, Santarelli F, Heneka MT, Rogaev E, Khvorova A. Silencing Apoe with divalent-siRNAs improves amyloid burden and activates immune response pathways in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:2632-2652. [PMID: 38375983 PMCID: PMC11032532 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13703] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The most significant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is APOE4, with evidence for gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms. A clinical need remains for therapeutically relevant tools that potently modulate APOE expression. METHODS We optimized small interfering RNAs (di-siRNA, GalNAc) to potently silence brain or liver Apoe and evaluated the impact of each pool of Apoe on pathology. RESULTS In adult 5xFAD mice, siRNAs targeting CNS Apoe efficiently silenced Apoe expression and reduced amyloid burden without affecting systemic cholesterol, confirming that potent silencing of brain Apoe is sufficient to slow disease progression. Mechanistically, silencing Apoe reduced APOE-rich amyloid cores and activated immune system responses. DISCUSSION These results establish siRNA-based modulation of Apoe as a viable therapeutic approach, highlight immune activation as a key pathway affected by Apoe modulation, and provide the technology to further evaluate the impact of APOE silencing on neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M. Ferguson
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Samuel Hildebrand
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Bruno M. D. C. Godinho
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Julianna Buchwald
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Andrew Coles
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Anastasia Grigorenko
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Lorenc Vangjeli
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jacquelyn Sousa
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Nicholas McHugh
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Matthew Hassler
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Michael T. Heneka
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)Esch‐sur‐AlzetteLuxembourg
| | - Evgeny Rogaev
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
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15
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Vance JM, Farrer LA, Huang Y, Cruchaga C, Hyman BT, Pericak-Vance MA, Goate AM, Greicius MD, Griswold AJ, Haines JL, Tcw J, Schellenberg GD, Tsai LH, Herz J, Holtzman DM. Report of the APOE4 National Institute on Aging/Alzheimer Disease Sequencing Project Consortium Working Group: Reducing APOE4 in Carriers is a Therapeutic Goal for Alzheimer's Disease. Ann Neurol 2024; 95:625-634. [PMID: 38180638 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder and one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. The apolipoprotein E4 gene (APOE4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for AD. In 2023, the APOE4 National Institute on Aging/Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project working group came together to gather data and discuss the question of whether to reduce or increase APOE4 as a therapeutic intervention for AD. It was the unanimous consensus that cumulative data from multiple studies in humans and animal models support that lowering APOE4 should be a target for therapeutic approaches for APOE4 carriers. ANN NEUROL 2024;95:625-634.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffery M Vance
- John T. McDonald Department of Human Genetics, John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Neurology and Ophthalmology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yadong Huang
- Department of Neurology, Gladstone Center for Translational Advancement, Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Carlos Cruchaga
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Department of Neurology, The Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Margaret A Pericak-Vance
- John T. McDonald Department of Human Genetics, John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Alison M Goate
- Departments of Genetics & Genomic Sciences, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael D Greicius
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anthony J Griswold
- John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics, The Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Department of Human Genetics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Jonathan L Haines
- Department of Population & Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Julia Tcw
- Departments of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Bioinformatics Program, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gerard D Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Li-Huei Tsai
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joachim Herz
- Departments of Molecular Genetics, Neuroscience, Neurology, Center for Translational Neurodegeneration Research, UT Southwestern, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
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16
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Waldo JJ, Halmai JANM, Fink KD. Epigenetic editing for autosomal dominant neurological disorders. Front Genome Ed 2024; 6:1304110. [PMID: 38510848 PMCID: PMC10950933 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2024.1304110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics refers to the molecules and mechanisms that modify gene expression states without changing the nucleotide context. These modifications are what encode the cell state during differentiation or epigenetic memory in mitosis. Epigenetic modifications can alter gene expression by changing the chromatin architecture by altering the affinity for DNA to wrap around histone octamers, forming nucleosomes. The higher affinity the DNA has for the histones, the tighter it will wrap and therefore induce a heterochromatin state, silencing gene expression. Several groups have shown the ability to harness the cell's natural epigenetic modification pathways to engineer proteins that can induce changes in epigenetics and consequently regulate gene expression. Therefore, epigenetic modification can be used to target and treat disorders through the modification of endogenous gene expression. The use of epigenetic modifications may prove an effective path towards regulating gene expression to potentially correct or cure genetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kyle D. Fink
- Neurology Department, Stem Cell Program and Gene Therapy Center, MIND Institute, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento, CA, United States
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17
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Blumenfeld J, Yip O, Kim MJ, Huang Y. Cell type-specific roles of APOE4 in Alzheimer disease. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:91-110. [PMID: 38191720 PMCID: PMC11073858 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00776-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
The ɛ4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE), which translates to the APOE4 isoform, is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer disease (AD). Within the CNS, APOE is produced by a variety of cell types under different conditions, posing a challenge for studying its roles in AD pathogenesis. However, through powerful advances in research tools and the use of novel cell culture and animal models, researchers have recently begun to study the roles of APOE4 in AD in a cell type-specific manner and at a deeper and more mechanistic level than ever before. In particular, cutting-edge omics studies have enabled APOE4 to be studied at the single-cell level and have allowed the identification of critical APOE4 effects in AD-vulnerable cellular subtypes. Through these studies, it has become evident that APOE4 produced in various types of CNS cell - including astrocytes, neurons, microglia, oligodendrocytes and vascular cells - has diverse roles in AD pathogenesis. Here, we review these scientific advances and propose a cell type-specific APOE4 cascade model of AD. In this model, neuronal APOE4 emerges as a crucial pathological initiator and driver of AD pathogenesis, instigating glial responses and, ultimately, neurodegeneration. In addition, we provide perspectives on future directions for APOE4 research and related therapeutic developments in the context of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Blumenfeld
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Oscar Yip
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Min Joo Kim
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yadong Huang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Gladstone Center for Translational Advancement, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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18
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Guo X, Yan L, Zhang D, Zhao Y. Passive immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 94:102192. [PMID: 38219962 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive impairment with few therapeutic options. Despite many failures in developing AD treatment during the past 20 years, significant advances have been achieved in passive immunotherapy of AD very recently. Here, we review characteristics, clinical trial data, and mechanisms of action for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting key players in AD pathogenesis, including amyloid-β (Aβ), tau and neuroinflammation modulators. We emphasized the efficacy of lecanemab and donanemab on cognition and amyloid clearance in AD patients in phase III clinical trials and discussed factors that may contribute to the efficacy and side effects of anti-Aβ mAbs. In addition, we provided important information on mAbs targeting tau or inflammatory regulators in clinical trials, and indicated that mAbs against the mid-region of tau or pathogenic tau have therapeutic potential for AD. In conclusion, passive immunotherapy targeting key players in AD pathogenesis offers a promising strategy for effective AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Guo
- Center for Brain Sciences, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Li Yan
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Denghong Zhang
- Center for Brain Sciences, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Yingjun Zhao
- Center for Brain Sciences, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China.
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19
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Huang Z. Evidence that Alzheimer's Disease Is a Disease of Competitive Synaptic Plasticity Gone Awry. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 99:447-470. [PMID: 38669548 PMCID: PMC11119021 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240042] [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] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that a physiological function of amyloid-β (Aβ) is to mediate neural activity-dependent homeostatic and competitive synaptic plasticity in the brain. I have previously summarized the lines of evidence supporting this hypothesis and highlighted the similarities between Aβ and anti-microbial peptides in mediating cell/synapse competition. In cell competition, anti-microbial peptides deploy a multitude of mechanisms to ensure both self-protection and competitor elimination. Here I review recent studies showing that similar mechanisms are at play in Aβ-mediated synapse competition and perturbations in these mechanisms underpin Alzheimer's disease (AD). Specifically, I discuss evidence that Aβ and ApoE, two crucial players in AD, co-operate in the regulation of synapse competition. Glial ApoE promotes self-protection by increasing the production of trophic monomeric Aβ and inhibiting its assembly into toxic oligomers. Conversely, Aβ oligomers, once assembled, promote the elimination of competitor synapses via direct toxic activity and amplification of "eat-me" signals promoting the elimination of weak synapses. I further summarize evidence that neuronal ApoE may be part of a gene regulatory network that normally promotes competitive plasticity, explaining the selective vulnerability of ApoE expressing neurons in AD brains. Lastly, I discuss evidence that sleep may be key to Aβ-orchestrated plasticity, in which sleep is not only induced by Aβ but is also required for Aβ-mediated plasticity, underlining the link between sleep and AD. Together, these results strongly argue that AD is a disease of competitive synaptic plasticity gone awry, a novel perspective that may promote AD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Huang
- Departments of Neuroscience and Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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20
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Valencia-Olvera AC, Balu D, Bellur S, McNally T, Saleh Y, Pham D, Ghura S, York J, Johansson JO, LaDu MJ, Tai L. A novel apoE-mimetic increases brain apoE levels, reduces Aβ pathology and improves memory when treated before onset of pathology in male mice that express APOE3. Alzheimers Res Ther 2023; 15:216. [PMID: 38102668 PMCID: PMC10722727 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-023-01353-z] [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: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive dysfunction and amyloid plaques composed of the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ). APOE is the greatest genetic risk for AD with APOE4 increasing risk up to ~ 15-fold compared to APOE3. Evidence suggests that levels and lipidation of the apoE protein could regulate AD progression. In glia, apoE is lipidated via cholesterol efflux from intracellular pools, primarily by the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1). Therefore, increasing ABCA1 activity is suggested to be a therapeutic approach for AD. CS-6253 (CS) is a novel apoE mimetic peptide that was developed to bind and stabilize ABCA1 and maintain its localization into the plasma membrane therefore promoting cholesterol efflux. The goal of this study was to determine whether CS could modulate apoE levels and lipidation, Aβ pathology, and behavior in a model that expresses human APOE and overproduce Aβ. METHODS In vitro, APOE3-glia or APOE4-glia were treated with CS. In vivo, male and female, E3FAD (5xFAD+/-/APOE3+/+) and E4FAD (5xFAD+/-/APOE4+/+) mice were treated with CS via intraperitoneal injection at early (from 4 to 8 months of age) and late ages (from 8 to 10 months of age). ApoE levels, ABCA1 levels and, apoE lipidation were measured by western blot and ELISA. Aβ and amyloid levels were assessed by histochemistry and ELISA. Learning and memory were tested by Morris Water Maze and synaptic proteins were measured by Western blot. RESULTS CS treatment increased apoE levels and cholesterol efflux in primary glial cultures. In young male E3FAD mice, CS treatment increased soluble apoE and lipid-associated apoE, reduced soluble oAβ and insoluble Aβ levels as well as Aβ and amyloid deposition, and improved memory and synaptic protein levels. CS treatment did not induce any therapeutic benefits in young female E3FAD and E4FAD mice or in any groups when treatment was started at later ages. CONCLUSIONS CS treatment reduced Aβ pathology and improved memory only in young male E3FAD, the cohort with the least AD pathology. Therefore, the degree of Aβ pathology or Aβ overproduction may impact the ability of targeting ABCA1 to be an effective AD therapeutic. This suggests that ABCA1-stabilizing treatment by CS-6253 works best in conditions of modest Aβ levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Valencia-Olvera
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Deebika Balu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shreya Bellur
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Thomas McNally
- Department of Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yaseen Saleh
- University of Miami/Jackson Healthcare System, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Don Pham
- Department of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Shivesh Ghura
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jason York
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Mary Jo LaDu
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Leon Tai
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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21
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Kim E, Kim H, Jedrychowski MP, Bakiasi G, Park J, Kruskop J, Choi Y, Kwak SS, Quinti L, Kim DY, Wrann CD, Spiegelman BM, Tanzi RE, Choi SH. Irisin reduces amyloid-β by inducing the release of neprilysin from astrocytes following downregulation of ERK-STAT3 signaling. Neuron 2023; 111:3619-3633.e8. [PMID: 37689059 PMCID: PMC10840702 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
A pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) protein in the brain. Physical exercise has been shown to reduce Aβ burden in various AD mouse models, but the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. Irisin, an exercise-induced hormone, is the secreted form of fibronectin type-III-domain-containing 5 (FNDC5). Here, using a three-dimensional (3D) cell culture model of AD, we show that irisin significantly reduces Aβ pathology by increasing astrocytic release of the Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin (NEP). This is mediated by downregulation of ERK-STAT3 signaling. Finally, we show that integrin αV/β5 acts as the irisin receptor on astrocytes required for irisin-induced release of astrocytic NEP, leading to clearance of Aβ. Our findings reveal for the first time a cellular and molecular mechanism by which exercise-induced irisin attenuates Aβ pathology, suggesting a new target pathway for therapies aimed at the prevention and treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunhee Kim
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hyeonwoo Kim
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Mark P Jedrychowski
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Grisilda Bakiasi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Joseph Park
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jane Kruskop
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Younjung Choi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sang Su Kwak
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Luisa Quinti
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Doo Yeon Kim
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Christiane D Wrann
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Bruce M Spiegelman
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rudolph E Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Se Hoon Choi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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22
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Gamache J, Gingerich D, Shwab EK, Barrera J, Garrett ME, Hume C, Crawford GE, Ashley-Koch AE, Chiba-Falek O. Integrative single-nucleus multi-omics analysis prioritizes candidate cis and trans regulatory networks and their target genes in Alzheimer's disease brains. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:185. [PMID: 37789374 PMCID: PMC10546724 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01120-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The genetic underpinnings of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) are yet to be fully elucidated. Although numerous LOAD-associated loci have been discovered, the causal variants and their target genes remain largely unknown. Since the brain is composed of heterogenous cell subtypes, it is imperative to study the brain on a cell subtype specific level to explore the biological processes underlying LOAD. METHODS Here, we present the largest parallel single-nucleus (sn) multi-omics study to simultaneously profile gene expression (snRNA-seq) and chromatin accessibility (snATAC-seq) to date, using nuclei from 12 normal and 12 LOAD brains. We identified cell subtype clusters based on gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiles and characterized cell subtype-specific LOAD-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs), differentially accessible peaks (DAPs) and cis co-accessibility networks (CCANs). RESULTS Integrative analysis defined disease-relevant CCANs in multiple cell subtypes and discovered LOAD-associated cell subtype-specific candidate cis regulatory elements (cCREs), their candidate target genes, and trans-interacting transcription factors (TFs), some of which, including ELK1, JUN, and SMAD4 in excitatory neurons, were also LOAD-DEGs. Finally, we focused on a subset of cell subtype-specific CCANs that overlap known LOAD-GWAS regions and catalogued putative functional SNPs changing the affinities of TF motifs within LOAD-cCREs linked to LOAD-DEGs, including APOE and MYO1E in a specific subtype of microglia and BIN1 in a subpopulation of oligodendrocytes. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this study represents the most comprehensive systematic interrogation to date of regulatory networks and the impact of genetic variants on gene dysregulation in LOAD at a cell subtype resolution. Our findings reveal crosstalk between epigenetic, genomic, and transcriptomic determinants of LOAD pathogenesis and define catalogues of candidate genes, cCREs, and variants involved in LOAD genetic etiology and the cell subtypes in which they act to exert their pathogenic effects. Overall, these results suggest that cell subtype-specific cis-trans interactions between regulatory elements and TFs, and the genes dysregulated by these networks contribute to the development of LOAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Gamache
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 2900, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Daniel Gingerich
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 2900, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - E Keats Shwab
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 2900, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Julio Barrera
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 2900, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Melanie E Garrett
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 104775, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Cordelia Hume
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 2900, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Gregory E Crawford
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 3382, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - Allison E Ashley-Koch
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 104775, Durham, NC, 27701, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - Ornit Chiba-Falek
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 2900, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
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23
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Lau SF, Wu W, Wong HY, Ouyang L, Qiao Y, Xu J, Lau JHY, Wong C, Jiang Y, Holtzman DM, Fu AKY, Ip NY. The VCAM1-ApoE pathway directs microglial chemotaxis and alleviates Alzheimer's disease pathology. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:1219-1236. [PMID: 37735240 PMCID: PMC10570140 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00491-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), sensome receptor dysfunction impairs microglial danger-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) clearance and exacerbates disease pathology. Although extrinsic signals, including interleukin-33 (IL-33), can restore microglial DAMP clearance, it remains largely unclear how the sensome receptor is regulated and interacts with DAMP during phagocytic clearance. Here, we show that IL-33 induces VCAM1 in microglia, which promotes microglial chemotaxis toward amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaque-associated ApoE, and leads to Aβ clearance. We show that IL-33 stimulates a chemotactic state in microglia, characterized by Aβ-directed migration. Functional screening identified that VCAM1 directs microglial Aβ chemotaxis by sensing Aβ plaque-associated ApoE. Moreover, we found that disrupting VCAM1-ApoE interaction abolishes microglial Aβ chemotaxis, resulting in decreased microglial clearance of Aβ. In patients with AD, higher cerebrospinal fluid levels of soluble VCAM1 were correlated with impaired microglial Aβ chemotaxis. Together, our findings demonstrate that promoting VCAM1-ApoE-dependent microglial functions ameliorates AD pathology.
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Grants
- This work was supported in part by the National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFE0203000), the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (the Collaborative Research Fund [C6027-19GF], the Theme-Based Research Scheme [T13-605/18W], and the General Research Fund [HKUST16103122]), the Areas of Excellence Scheme of the University Grants Committee (AoE/M-604/16), the Innovation and Technology Commission (InnoHK, and ITCPD/17-9), the Guangdong Provincial Key S&T Program Grant (2018B030336001); the Guangdong Provincial Fund for Basic and Applied Basic Research (2019B1515130004), the NSFC-RGC Joint Research Scheme (32061160472), the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Fund (2019001 and 2019003), and the Fundamental Research Program of Shenzhen Virtual University Park (2021Szvup137).
- S.-F.L. is a recipient of the Hong Kong Postdoctoral Fellowship Award from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No. HKUST PDFS2122-6S02).
- W.W. is a recipient of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Award.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun-Fat Lau
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Wu
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hiu Yi Wong
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - Li Ouyang
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yi Qiao
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiahui Xu
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jessica Hiu-Yan Lau
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Carlton Wong
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuanbing Jiang
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Charles F. and Joanne Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Amy K Y Fu
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Nancy Y Ip
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
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24
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Self WK, Holtzman DM. Emerging diagnostics and therapeutics for Alzheimer disease. Nat Med 2023; 29:2187-2199. [PMID: 37667136 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02505-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common contributor to dementia in the world, but strategies that slow or prevent its clinical progression have largely remained elusive, until recently. This Review highlights the latest advances in biomarker technologies and therapeutic development to improve AD diagnosis and treatment. We review recent results that enable pathological staging of AD with neuroimaging and fluid-based biomarkers, with a particular emphasis on the role of amyloid, tau and neuroinflammation in disease pathogenesis. We discuss the lessons learned from randomized controlled trials, including some supporting the proposal that certain anti-amyloid antibodies slow cognitive decline during the mildly symptomatic phase of AD. In addition, we highlight evidence for newly identified therapeutic targets that may be able to modify AD pathogenesis and progression. Collectively, these recent discoveries-and the research directions that they open-have the potential to move AD clinical care toward disease-modifying treatment strategies with maximal benefits for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wade K Self
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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25
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Lau SF, Fu AKY, Ip NY. Receptor-ligand interaction controls microglial chemotaxis and amelioration of Alzheimer's disease pathology. J Neurochem 2023; 166:891-903. [PMID: 37603311 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Microglia maintain brain homeostasis through their ability to survey and phagocytose danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). In Alzheimer's disease (AD), microglial phagocytic clearance regulates the turnover of neurotoxic DAMPs including amyloid beta (Aβ) and hyperphosphorylated tau. To mediate DAMP clearance, microglia express a repertoire of surface receptors to sense DAMPs; the activation of these receptors subsequently triggers a chemotaxis-to-phagocytosis functional transition in microglia. Therefore, the interaction between microglial receptors and DAMPs plays a critical role in controlling microglial DAMP clearance and AD pathogenesis. However, there is no comprehensive overview on how microglial sensome receptors interact with DAMPs and regulate various microglial functions, including chemotaxis and phagocytosis. In this review, we discuss the important axes of receptor-ligand interaction that control different microglial functions and their roles in AD pathogenesis. First, we summarize how the accumulation and structural changes of DAMPs trigger microglial functional impairment, including impaired DAMP clearance and aberrant synaptic pruning, in AD. Then, we discuss the important receptor-ligand axes that restore microglial DAMP clearance in AD and aging. These findings suggest that targeting microglial chemotaxis-the first critical step of the microglial chemotaxis-to-phagocytosis state transition-can promote microglial DAMP clearance in AD. Thus, our review highlights the importance of microglial chemotaxis in promoting microglial clearance activity in AD. Further detailed investigations are essential to identify the molecular machinery that controls microglial chemotaxis in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun-Fat Lau
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | - Amy K Y Fu
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen, China
| | - Nancy Y Ip
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Molecular Neuroscience Center, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Science, Disease and Drug Development, HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen, China
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26
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Quan M, Cao S, Wang Q, Wang S, Jia J. Genetic Phenotypes of Alzheimer's Disease: Mechanisms and Potential Therapy. PHENOMICS (CHAM, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 3:333-349. [PMID: 37589021 PMCID: PMC10425323 DOI: 10.1007/s43657-023-00098-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Years of intensive research has brought us extensive knowledge on the genetic and molecular factors involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition to the mutations in the three main causative genes of familial AD (FAD) including presenilins and amyloid precursor protein genes, studies have identified several genes as the most plausible genes for the onset and progression of FAD, such as triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, sortilin-related receptor 1, and adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter subfamily A member 7. The apolipoprotein E ε4 allele is reported to be the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic AD (SAD), and it also plays an important role in FAD. Here, we reviewed recent developments in genetic and molecular studies that contributed to the understanding of the genetic phenotypes of FAD and compared them with SAD. We further reviewed the advancements in AD gene therapy and discussed the future perspectives based on the genetic phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meina Quan
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053 China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Disorders and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053 China
| | - Shuman Cao
- 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 Disorders and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053 China
| | - Shiyuan Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, 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 Disorders 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, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053 China
- Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053 China
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Cerneckis J, Bu G, Shi Y. Pushing the boundaries of brain organoids to study Alzheimer's disease. Trends Mol Med 2023; 29:659-672. [PMID: 37353408 PMCID: PMC10374393 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) entails deterioration or aberrant function of multiple brain cell types, eventually leading to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Defining how complex cell-cell interactions become dysregulated in AD requires novel human cell-based in vitro platforms that could recapitulate the intricate cytoarchitecture and cell diversity of the human brain. Brain organoids (BOs) are 3D self-organizing tissues that partially resemble the human brain architecture and can recapitulate AD-relevant pathology. In this review, we highlight the versatile applications of different types of BOs to model AD pathogenesis, including amyloid-β and tau aggregation, neuroinflammation, myelin breakdown, vascular dysfunction, and other phenotypes, as well as to accelerate therapeutic development for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Cerneckis
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Guojun Bu
- SciNeuro Pharmaceuticals, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Yanhong Shi
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA; Irell and Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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28
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Konings SC, Nyberg E, Martinsson I, Torres-Garcia L, Klementieva O, Guimas Almeida C, Gouras GK. Apolipoprotein E intersects with amyloid-β within neurons. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202201887. [PMID: 37290814 PMCID: PMC10250689 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202201887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) is the most important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Among the earliest changes in AD is endosomal enlargement in neurons, which was reported as enhanced in ApoE4 carriers. ApoE is thought to be internalized into endosomes of neurons, whereas β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulates within neuronal endosomes early in AD. However, it remains unknown whether ApoE and Aβ intersect intracellularly. We show that internalized astrocytic ApoE localizes mostly to lysosomes in neuroblastoma cells and astrocytes, whereas in neurons, it preferentially localizes to endosomes-autophagosomes of neurites. In AD transgenic neurons, astrocyte-derived ApoE intersects intracellularly with amyloid precursor protein/Aβ. Moreover, ApoE4 increases the levels of endogenous and internalized Aβ42 in neurons. Taken together, we demonstrate differential localization of ApoE in neurons, astrocytes, and neuron-like cells, and show that internalized ApoE intersects with amyloid precursor protein/Aβ in neurons, which may be of considerable relevance to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine C Konings
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Medical Microspectroscopy, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Emma Nyberg
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Isak Martinsson
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Laura Torres-Garcia
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Oxana Klementieva
- Medical Microspectroscopy, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Claudia Guimas Almeida
- iNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Gunnar K Gouras
- Experimental Dementia Research Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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29
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Chemparathy A, Guen YL, Chen S, Lee EG, Leong L, Gorzynski J, Xu G, Belloy M, Kasireddy N, Tauber AP, Williams K, Stewart I, Wingo T, Lah J, Jayadev S, Hales C, Peskind E, Child DD, Keene CD, Cong L, Ashley E, Yu CE, Greicius MD. APOE loss-of-function variants: Compatible with longevity and associated with resistance to Alzheimer's Disease pathology. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.07.20.23292771. [PMID: 37547016 PMCID: PMC10402217 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.20.23292771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE) is the strongest genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Knockdown of this allele may provide a therapeutic strategy for AD, but the effect of APOE loss-of-function (LoF) on AD pathogenesis is unknown. We searched for APOE LoF variants in a large cohort of older controls and patients with AD and identified six heterozygote carriers of APOE LoF variants. Five carriers were controls (ages 71-90) and one was an AD case with an unremarkable age-at-onset between 75-79. Two APOE ε3/ε4 controls (Subjects 1 and 2) carried a stop-gain affecting the ε4 allele. Subject 1 was cognitively normal at 90+ and had no neuritic plaques at autopsy. Subject 2 was cognitively healthy within the age range 75-79 and underwent lumbar puncture at between ages 75-79 with normal levels of amyloid. The results provide the strongest human genetics evidence yet available suggesting that ε4 drives AD risk through a gain of abnormal function and support knockdown of APOE ε4 or its protein product as a viable therapeutic option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustine Chemparathy
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Yann Le Guen
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Quantitative Sciences Unit, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Sunny Chen
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA
| | - Eun-Gyung Lee
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA
| | - Lesley Leong
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA
| | - John Gorzynski
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Guangxue Xu
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Michael Belloy
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Nandita Kasireddy
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Andrés Peña Tauber
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Kennedy Williams
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Ilaria Stewart
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Thomas Wingo
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - James Lah
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Suman Jayadev
- Department of Neurology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Chad Hales
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Elaine Peskind
- Veterans Affairs Northwest Network Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veteran Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Daniel D Child
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | - C Dirk Keene
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | - Le Cong
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Euan Ashley
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Center for Inherited Cardiovascular Disease, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Chang-En Yu
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Michael D. Greicius
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
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30
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Hou X, Zhang X, Zou H, Guan M, Fu C, Wang W, Zhang ZR, Geng Y, Chen Y. Differential and substrate-specific inhibition of γ-secretase by the C-terminal region of ApoE2, ApoE3, and ApoE4. Neuron 2023; 111:1898-1913.e5. [PMID: 37040764 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant low γ-secretase activity is associated with most of the presenilin mutations that underlie familial Alzheimer's disease (fAD). However, the role of γ-secretase in the more prevalent sporadic AD (sAD) remains unaddressed. Here, we report that human apolipoprotein E (ApoE), the most important genetic risk factor of sAD, interacts with γ-secretase and inhibits it with substrate specificity in cell-autonomous manners through its conserved C-terminal region (CT). This ApoE CT-mediated inhibitory activity is differentially compromised in different ApoE isoforms, resulting in an ApoE2 > ApoE3 > ApoE4 potency rank order inversely correlating to their associated AD risk. Interestingly, in an AD mouse model, neuronal ApoE CT migrates to amyloid plaques in the subiculum from other regions and alleviates the plaque burden. Together, our data reveal a hidden role of ApoE as a γ-secretase inhibitor with substrate specificity and suggest that this precision γ-inhibition by ApoE may protect against the risk of sAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianglong Hou
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuexin Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Huan Zou
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Mingfeng Guan
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chaoying Fu
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Wenyuan Wang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Zai-Rong Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Yang Geng
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - Yelin Chen
- Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100 Haike Rd., B13, Pudongxinqu, Shanghai 201210, China.
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31
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Nemergut M, Marques SM, Uhrik L, Vanova T, Nezvedova M, Gadara DC, Jha D, Tulis J, Novakova V, Planas-Iglesias J, Kunka A, Legrand A, Hribkova H, Pospisilova V, Sedmik J, Raska J, Prokop Z, Damborsky J, Bohaciakova D, Spacil Z, Hernychova L, Bednar D, Marek M. Domino-like effect of C112R mutation on ApoE4 aggregation and its reduction by Alzheimer's Disease drug candidate. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:38. [PMID: 37280636 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00620-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 genotype is the most prevalent risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Although ApoE4 differs from its non-pathological ApoE3 isoform only by the C112R mutation, the molecular mechanism of its proteinopathy is unknown. METHODS Here, we reveal the molecular mechanism of ApoE4 aggregation using a combination of experimental and computational techniques, including X-ray crystallography, site-directed mutagenesis, hydrogen-deuterium mass spectrometry (HDX-MS), static light scattering and molecular dynamics simulations. Treatment of ApoE ε3/ε3 and ε4/ε4 cerebral organoids with tramiprosate was used to compare the effect of tramiprosate on ApoE4 aggregation at the cellular level. RESULTS We found that C112R substitution in ApoE4 induces long-distance (> 15 Å) conformational changes leading to the formation of a V-shaped dimeric unit that is geometrically different and more aggregation-prone than the ApoE3 structure. AD drug candidate tramiprosate and its metabolite 3-sulfopropanoic acid induce ApoE3-like conformational behavior in ApoE4 and reduce its aggregation propensity. Analysis of ApoE ε4/ε4 cerebral organoids treated with tramiprosate revealed its effect on cholesteryl esters, the storage products of excess cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS Our results connect the ApoE4 structure with its aggregation propensity, providing a new druggable target for neurodegeneration and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Nemergut
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
- Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park, P. J. Safarik University in Kosice, Trieda SNP 1, Kosice, 04011, Slovakia
| | - Sérgio M Marques
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Lukas Uhrik
- Research Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, Brno, 656 53, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Vanova
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Nezvedova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | | | - Durga Jha
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Tulis
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Novakova
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Joan Planas-Iglesias
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Antonin Kunka
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Anthony Legrand
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Hribkova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Pospisilova
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Sedmik
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Raska
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Prokop
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic
| | - Dasa Bohaciakova
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic.
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Zdenek Spacil
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
| | - Lenka Hernychova
- Research Centre for Applied Molecular Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, Brno, 656 53, Czech Republic.
| | - David Bednar
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Marek
- Loschmidt Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno, 625 00, Czech Republic.
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno, 656 91, Czech Republic.
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Zhang L, Xia Y, Gui Y. Neuronal ApoE4 in Alzheimer's disease and potential therapeutic targets. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1199434. [PMID: 37333457 PMCID: PMC10272394 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1199434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The most prevalent genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is Apolipoprotein E (ApoE), a gene located on chromosome 19 that encodes three alleles (e2, e3, and e4) that give rise to the ApoE subtypes E2, E3, and E4, respectively. E2 and E4 have been linked to increased plasma triglyceride concentrations and are known to play a critical role in lipoprotein metabolism. The prominent pathological features of AD mainly include senile plaques formed by amyloid β (Aβ42) aggregation and neuronal fibrous tangles (NFTs), and the deposited plaques are mainly composed of Aβ hyperphosphorylation and truncated head. In the central nervous system, the ApoE protein is primarily derived from astrocytes, but ApoE is also produced when neurons are stressed or affected by certain stress, injury, and aging conditions. ApoE4 in neurons induces Aβ and tau protein pathologies, leading to neuroinflammation and neuronal damage, impairing learning and memory functions. However, how neuronal ApoE4 mediates AD pathology remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that neuronal ApoE4 may lead to greater neurotoxicity, which increases the risk of AD development. This review focuses on the pathophysiology of neuronal ApoE4 and explains how neuronal ApoE4 mediates Aβ deposition, pathological mechanisms of tau protein hyperphosphorylation, and potential therapeutic targets.
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Bhatnagar A, Krick K, Karisetty BC, Armour EM, Heller EA, Elefant F. Tip60's Novel RNA-Binding Function Modulates Alternative Splicing of Pre-mRNA Targets Implicated in Alzheimer's Disease. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2398-2423. [PMID: 36849418 PMCID: PMC10072303 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2331-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The severity of Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression involves a complex interplay of genetics, age, and environmental factors orchestrated by histone acetyltransferase (HAT)-mediated neuroepigenetic mechanisms. While disruption of Tip60 HAT action in neural gene control is implicated in AD, alternative mechanisms underlying Tip60 function remain unexplored. Here, we report a novel RNA binding function for Tip60 in addition to its HAT function. We show that Tip60 preferentially interacts with pre-mRNAs emanating from its chromatin neural gene targets in the Drosophila brain and this RNA binding function is conserved in human hippocampus and disrupted in Drosophila brains that model AD pathology and in AD patient hippocampus of either sex. Since RNA splicing occurs co-transcriptionally and alternative splicing (AS) defects are implicated in AD, we investigated whether Tip60-RNA targeting modulates splicing decisions and whether this function is altered in AD. Replicate multivariate analysis of transcript splicing (rMATS) analysis of RNA-Seq datasets from wild-type and AD fly brains revealed a multitude of mammalian-like AS defects. Strikingly, over half of these altered RNAs are identified as bona-fide Tip60-RNA targets that are enriched for in the AD-gene curated database, with some of these AS alterations prevented against by increasing Tip60 in the fly brain. Further, human orthologs of several Tip60-modulated splicing genes in Drosophila are well characterized aberrantly spliced genes in human AD brains, implicating disruption of Tip60's splicing function in AD pathogenesis. Our results support a novel RNA interaction and splicing regulatory function for Tip60 that may underly AS impairments that hallmark AD etiology.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Alzheimer's disease (AD) has recently emerged as a hotbed for RNA alternative splicing (AS) defects that alter protein function in the brain yet causes remain unclear. Although recent findings suggest convergence of epigenetics with co-transcriptional AS, whether epigenetic dysregulation in AD pathology underlies AS defects remains unknown. Here, we identify a novel RNA interaction and splicing regulatory function for Tip60 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) that is disrupted in Drosophila brains modeling AD pathology and in human AD hippocampus. Importantly, mammalian orthologs of several Tip60-modulated splicing genes in Drosophila are well characterized aberrantly spliced genes in human AD brain. We propose that Tip60-mediated AS modulation is a conserved critical posttranscriptional step that may underlie AS defects now characterized as hallmarks of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akanksha Bhatnagar
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Keegan Krick
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | | | - Ellen M Armour
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Elizabeth A Heller
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Felice Elefant
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
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Xiong M, Wang C, Gratuze M, Saadi F, Bao X, Bosch ME, Lee C, Jiang H, Serrano JR, Gonzales ER, Kipnis M, Holtzman DM. Astrocytic APOE4 removal confers cerebrovascular protection despite increased cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:17. [PMID: 36922879 PMCID: PMC10018855 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00610-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer Disease (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) are both characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain, although Aβ deposits mostly in the brain parenchyma in AD and in the cerebrovasculature in CAA. The presence of CAA can exacerbate clinical outcomes of AD patients by promoting spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemia leading to CAA-associated cognitive decline. Genetically, AD and CAA share the ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene as the strongest genetic risk factor. Although tremendous efforts have focused on uncovering the role of APOE4 on parenchymal plaque pathogenesis in AD, mechanistic studies investigating the role of APOE4 on CAA are still lacking. Here, we addressed whether abolishing APOE4 generated by astrocytes, the major producers of APOE, is sufficient to ameliorate CAA and CAA-associated vessel damage. METHODS We generated transgenic mice that deposited both CAA and plaques in which APOE4 expression can be selectively suppressed in astrocytes. At 2-months-of-age, a timepoint preceding CAA and plaque formation, APOE4 was removed from astrocytes of 5XFAD APOE4 knock-in mice. Mice were assessed at 10-months-of-age for Aβ plaque and CAA pathology, gliosis, and vascular integrity. RESULTS Reducing the levels of APOE4 in astrocytes shifted the deposition of fibrillar Aβ from the brain parenchyma to the cerebrovasculature. However, despite increased CAA, astrocytic APOE4 removal reduced overall Aβ-mediated gliosis and also led to increased cerebrovascular integrity and function in vessels containing CAA. CONCLUSION In a mouse model of CAA, the reduction of APOE4 derived specifically from astrocytes, despite increased fibrillar Aβ deposition in the vasculature, is sufficient to reduce Aβ-mediated gliosis and cerebrovascular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Xiong
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences (DBBS), Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
- Present Address: Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080 USA
| | - Chao Wang
- Institute for Brain Science and Disease, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016 China
| | - Maud Gratuze
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
- Present address: Institute of Neurophysiopathology (INP UMR7051), CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, 13005 France
| | - Fareeha Saadi
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Xin Bao
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Megan E. Bosch
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Choonghee Lee
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Javier Remolina Serrano
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Ernesto R. Gonzales
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Michal Kipnis
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - David M. Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
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Xu Y, Zheng F, Zhong Q, Zhu Y. Ketogenic Diet as a Promising Non-Drug Intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 92:1173-1198. [PMID: 37038820 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that is mainly characterized by cognitive deficits. Although many studies have been devoted to developing disease-modifying therapies, there has been no effective therapy until now. However, dietary interventions may be a potential strategy to treat AD. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat and low-carbohydrate diet with adequate protein. KD increases the levels of ketone bodies, providing an alternative energy source when there is not sufficient energy supply because of impaired glucose metabolism. Accumulating preclinical and clinical studies have shown that a KD is beneficial to AD. The potential underlying mechanisms include improved mitochondrial function, optimization of gut microbiota composition, and reduced neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. The review provides an update on clinical and preclinical research on the effects of KD or medium-chain triglyceride supplementation on symptoms and pathophysiology in AD. We also detail the potential mechanisms of KD, involving amyloid and tau proteins, neuroinflammation, gut microbiota, oxidative stress, and brain metabolism. We aimed to determine the function of the KD in AD and outline important aspects of the mechanism, providing a reference for the implementation of the KD as a potential therapeutic strategy for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Neonatology, Shenzhen Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fuxiang Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Qi Zhong
- Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Luohu People’s Hospital; The Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yingjie Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute (BCBDI), Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Fleeman RM, Snyder AM, Kuhn MK, Chan DC, Smith GC, Crowley NA, Arnold AC, Proctor EA. Predictive link between systemic metabolism and cytokine signatures in the brain of apolipoprotein E ε4 mice. Neurobiol Aging 2023; 123:154-169. [PMID: 36572594 PMCID: PMC9892258 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2022.11.015] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The ε4 variant of apolipoprotein E (APOE) is the strongest and most common genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). While the mechanism of conveyed risk is incompletely understood, promotion of inflammation, dysregulated metabolism, and protein misfolding and aggregation are contributors to accelerating disease. Here we determined the concurrent effects of systemic metabolic changes and brain inflammation in young (3-month-old) and aged (18-month-old) male and female mice carrying the APOE4 gene. Using functional metabolic assays alongside multivariate modeling of hippocampal cytokine levels, we found that brain cytokine signatures are predictive of systemic metabolic outcomes, independent of AD proteinopathies. Male and female mice each produce different cytokine signatures as they age and as their systemic metabolic phenotype declines, and these signatures are APOE genotype dependent. Ours is the first study to identify a quantitative and predictive link between systemic metabolism and specific pathological cytokine signatures in the brain. Our results highlight the effects of APOE4 beyond the brain and suggest the potential for bi-directional influence of risk factors in the brain and periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Fleeman
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Amanda M Snyder
- Department of Neurology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Madison K Kuhn
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Dennis C Chan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Grace C Smith
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Nicole A Crowley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Amy C Arnold
- Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Proctor
- Department of Neurosurgery, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Center for Neural Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Department of Engineering Science & Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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37
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Yin F. Lipid metabolism and Alzheimer's disease: clinical evidence, mechanistic link and therapeutic promise. FEBS J 2023; 290:1420-1453. [PMID: 34997690 PMCID: PMC9259766 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 82.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-associated neurodegenerative disorder with multifactorial etiology, intersecting genetic and environmental risk factors, and a lack of disease-modifying therapeutics. While the abnormal accumulation of lipids was described in the very first report of AD neuropathology, it was not until recent decades that lipid dyshomeostasis became a focus of AD research. Clinically, lipidomic and metabolomic studies have consistently shown alterations in the levels of various lipid classes emerging in early stages of AD brains. Mechanistically, decades of discovery research have revealed multifaceted interactions between lipid metabolism and key AD pathogenic mechanisms including amyloidogenesis, bioenergetic deficit, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and myelin degeneration. In the present review, converging evidence defining lipid dyshomeostasis in AD is summarized, followed by discussions on mechanisms by which lipid metabolism contributes to pathogenesis and modifies disease risk. Furthermore, lipid-targeting therapeutic strategies, and the modification of their efficacy by disease stage, ApoE status, and metabolic and vascular profiles, are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Yin
- Center for Innovation in Brain Science, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA.,Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine Tucson, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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38
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Liu S, Yang S, Zhou X, Zhu X, Xu L, Li X, Gao Z, Sun T, Wei J, Tian L, Cheng H, Wei G, Huo FQ, Liang L. Nerve injury-induced upregulation of apolipoprotein E in dorsal root ganglion participates in neuropathic pain in male mice. Neuropharmacology 2023; 224:109372. [PMID: 36502869 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is an apolipoprotein involved in lipid metabolism and is primarily responsible for lipid transport and cholesterol homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS). The aim of this study is to explore the role of ApoE in the pathological development of neuropathic pain. First, we examined the location of ApoE in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal cord in male mice using immunohistochemistry, and found that ApoE was predominantly expressed in DRG satellite glial cells (SGCs) and macrophages and spinal cord astrocytes. Using a spinal nerve ligation (SNL)-induced neuropathic pain mouse model, we found that nerve injury caused an increase in ApoE expression in the injured DRGs, but not in the spinal cord after SNL surgery. Furthermore, we observed reduced SNL-induced pain hypersensitivity in ApoE knockout mice compared to wild-type mice. Moreover, an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting the Apoe gene sequence, which was microinjected into the DRG or administered intrathecally, not only reduced ApoE expression in DRG but also attenuated SNL-induced pain hypersensitivity. Finally, we found that a tyrosine kinase receptor AXL, which was previously demonstrated to contribute to neuropathic pain, may mediate ApoE function under neuropathic pain condition. In conclusion, our data suggest that ApoE in DRG promote pain hypersensitivity via the DRG membrane receptor AXL in neurons under neuropathic pain conditions. This study revealed a novel mechanism between lipid homeostasis and neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Shuting Yang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Xiaoqiong Zhou
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Xuan Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, 250013, China
| | - Linping Xu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Zihao Gao
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Tingkai Sun
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Jianxiong Wei
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Lixia Tian
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Hong Cheng
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Guihua Wei
- Institute of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610031, China
| | - Fu-Quan Huo
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China
| | - Lingli Liang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710061, China.
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Cai W, Wu T, Chen N. The Amyloid-Beta Clearance: From Molecular Targets to Glial and Neural Cells. Biomolecules 2023; 13:313. [PMID: 36830682 PMCID: PMC9953441 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques in the brain is one of the primary pathological characteristics of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It can take place 20-30 years before the onset of clinical symptoms. The imbalance between the production and the clearance of Aβ is one of the major causes of AD. Enhancing Aβ clearance at an early stage is an attractive preventive and therapeutic strategy of AD. Direct inhibition of Aβ production and aggregation using small molecules, peptides, and monoclonal antibody drugs has not yielded satisfactory efficacy in clinical trials for decades. Novel approaches are required to understand and combat Aβ deposition. Neurological dysfunction is a complex process that integrates the functions of different types of cells in the brain. The role of non-neurons in AD has not been fully elucidated. An in-depth understanding of the interactions between neurons and non-neurons can contribute to the elucidation of Aβ formation and the identification of effective drug targets. AD patient-derived pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) contain complete disease background information and have the potential to differentiate into various types of neurons and non-neurons in vitro, which may bring new insight into the treatment of AD. Here, we systematically review the latest studies on Aβ clearance and clarify the roles of cell interactions among microglia, astroglia and neurons in response to Aβ plaques, which will be beneficial to explore methods for reconstructing AD disease models using inducible PSCs (iPSCs) through cell differentiation techniques and validating the applications of models in understanding the formation of Aβ plaques. This review may provide the most promising directions of finding the clues for preventing and delaying the development of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ning Chen
- Tianjiu Research and Development Center for Exercise Nutrition and Foods, Hubei Key Laboratory of Exercise Training and Monitoring, College of Sports Medicine, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan 430079, China
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Gottschalk WK, Mahon S, Hodgson D, Barrera J, Hill D, Wei A, Kumar M, Dai K, Anderson L, Mihovilovic M, Lutz MW, Chiba-Falek O. The APOE-TOMM40 Humanized Mouse Model: Characterization of Age, Sex, and PolyT Variant Effects on Gene Expression. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 94:1563-1576. [PMID: 37458041 PMCID: PMC10733864 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230451] [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] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The human chromosome 19q13.32 is a gene rich region and has been associated with multiple phenotypes, including late onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) and other age-related conditions. OBJECTIVE Here we developed the first humanized mouse model that contains the entire TOMM40 and APOE genes with all intronic and intergenic sequences including the upstream and downstream regions. Thus, the mouse model carries the human TOMM40 and APOE genes and their intact regulatory sequences. METHODS We generated the APOE-TOMM40 humanized mouse model in which the entire mouse region was replaced with the human (h)APOE-TOMM40 loci including their upstream and downstream flanking regulatory sequences using recombineering technologies. We then measured the expression of the human TOMM40 and APOE genes in the mice brain, liver, and spleen tissues using TaqMan based mRNA expression assays. RESULTS We investigated the effects of the '523' polyT genotype (S/S or VL/VL), sex, and age on the human TOMM40- and APOE-mRNAs expression levels using our new humanized mouse model. The analysis revealed tissue specific and shared effects of the '523' polyT genotype, sex, and age on the regulation of the human TOMM40 and APOE genes. Noteworthy, the regulatory effect of the '523' polyT genotype was observed for all studied organs. CONCLUSION The model offers new opportunities for basic science, translational, and preclinical drug discovery studies focused on the APOE genomic region in relation to LOAD and other conditions in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K. Gottschalk
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Scott Mahon
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Dellila Hodgson
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Julio Barrera
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Delaney Hill
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Angela Wei
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Manish Kumar
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kathy Dai
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Lauren Anderson
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mirta Mihovilovic
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michael W. Lutz
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Ornit Chiba-Falek
- Division of Translational Brain Sciences, Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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Mathew A, Balaji E V, Pai SRK, Kishore A, Pai V, Pemmireddy R, K S C. Current Drug Targets in Alzheimer's Associated Memory Impairment: A Comprehensive Review. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2023; 22:255-275. [PMID: 35366787 DOI: 10.2174/1871527321666220401124719] [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: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of dementia among geriatrics. It is a progressive, degenerative neurologic disorder that causes memory and cognition loss. The accumulation of amyloid fibrils and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of AD patients is a distinguishing feature of the disease. Therefore, most of the current therapeutic goals are targeting inhibition of beta-amyloid synthesis and aggregation as well as tau phosphorylation and aggregation. There is also a loss of the cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain, and first-generation therapeutic agents were primarily focused on compensating for this loss of neurons. However, cholinesterase inhibitors can only alleviate cognitive symptoms of AD and cannot reduce the progression of the disease. Understanding the molecular and cellular changes associated with AD pathology has advanced significantly in recent decades. The etiology of AD is complex, with a substantial portion of sporadic AD emerging from unknown reasons and a lesser proportion of early-onset familial AD (FAD) caused by a mutation in several genes, such as the amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 (PS1), and presenilin 2 (PS2) genes. Hence, efforts are being made to discover novel strategies for these targets for AD therapy. A new generation of AChE and BChE inhibitors is currently being explored and evaluated in human clinical trials for AD symptomatic treatment. Other approaches for slowing the progression of AD include serotonergic modulation, H3 receptor antagonism, phosphodiesterase, COX-2, and MAO-B inhibition. The present review provides an insight into the possible therapeutic strategies and their molecular mechanisms, enlightening the perception of classical and future treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mathew
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka-576104, India
| | - Vignesh Balaji E
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka-576104, India
| | - Sreedhara Ranganath K Pai
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka-576104, India
| | - Anoop Kishore
- Department of Pharmacology, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka-576104, India
| | - Vasudev Pai
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka-576104, India
| | - Ramadevi Pemmireddy
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka-576104, India
| | - Chandrashekar K S
- Department of Pharmacognosy, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka-576104, India
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Pires M, Rego AC. Apoe4 and Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis-Mitochondrial Deregulation and Targeted Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24010778. [PMID: 36614219 PMCID: PMC9821307 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
APOE ε4 allele (ApoE4) is the primary genetic risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), expressed in 40-65% of all AD patients. ApoE4 has been associated to many pathological processes possibly linked to cognitive impairment, such as amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies. However, the exact mechanism underlying ApoE4 impact on AD progression is unclear, while no effective therapies are available for this highly debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. This review describes the current knowledge of ApoE4 interaction with mitochondria, causing mitochondrial dysfunction and neurotoxicity, associated with increased mitochondrial Ca2+ and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and it effects on mitochondrial dynamics, namely fusion and fission, and mitophagy. Moreover, ApoE4 translocates to the nucleus, regulating the expression of genes involved in aging, Aβ production, inflammation and apoptosis, potentially linked to AD pathogenesis. Thus, novel therapeutical targets can be envisaged to counteract the effects induced by ApoE4 in AD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Pires
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Polo I, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Polo III, 3004-354 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Cristina Rego
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Polo I, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Polo III, 3004-354 Coimbra, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-239-820190; Fax: +351-239-822776
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Lozupone M, Imbimbo BP, Balducci C, Lo Vecchio F, Bisceglia P, Latino RR, Leone M, Dibello V, Solfrizzi V, Greco A, Daniele A, Watling M, Seripa D, Panza F. Does the imbalance in the apolipoprotein E isoforms underlie the pathophysiological process of sporadic Alzheimer's disease? Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:353-368. [PMID: 35900209 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a 299-amino acid secreted glycoprotein binding cholesterol and phospholipids, and with three common isoforms (APOE ε2, APOE ε3, and APOE ε4). The exact mechanism by which APOE gene variants increase/decrease Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk is not fully understood, but APOE isoforms differently affect brain homeostasis and neuroinflammation, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, glial function, synaptogenesis, oral/gut microbiota, neural networks, amyloid beta (Aβ) deposition, and tau-mediated neurodegeneration. In this perspective, we propose a comprehensive interpretation of APOE-mediated effects within AD pathophysiology, describing some specific cellular, biochemical, and epigenetic mechanisms and updating the different APOE-targeting approaches being developed as potential AD therapies. Intracisternal adeno-associated viral-mediated delivery of APOE ε2 is being tested in AD APOE ε4/ε4 carriers, while APOE mimetics are being used in subjects with perioperative neurocognitive disorders. Other approaches including APOE ε4 antisense oligonucleotides, anti-APOE ε4 monoclonal antibodies, APOE ε4 structure correctors, and APOE-Aβ interaction inhibitors produced positive results in transgenic AD mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madia Lozupone
- Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Department of Basic Medicine, Neuroscience, and Sense Organs, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Balducci
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri" IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Filomena Lo Vecchio
- Research Laboratory, Complex Structure of Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Paola Bisceglia
- Research Laboratory, Complex Structure of Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Raffaela Rita Latino
- Complex Structure of Neurology, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Maurizio Leone
- Complex Structure of Neurology, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Vittorio Dibello
- Department of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vincenzo Solfrizzi
- "Cesare Frugoni" Internal and Geriatric Medicine and Memory Unit, University of Bari "Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Greco
- Research Laboratory, Complex Structure of Geriatrics, Department of Medical Sciences, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
| | - Antonio Daniele
- Department of Neuroscience, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.,Neurology Unit, IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Mark Watling
- CNS & Pain Department, TranScrip Ltd, Reading, UK
| | - Davide Seripa
- Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Unit, "Vito Fazzi" Hospital, Lecce, Italy
| | - Francesco Panza
- Unit of Research Methodology and Data Sciences for Population Health, National Institute of Gastroenterology "Saverio de Bellis,", Research Hospital, Castellana Grotte, Bari, Italy
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Rudan Njavro J, Vukicevic M, Fiorini E, Dinkel L, Müller SA, Berghofer A, Bordier C, Kozlov S, Halle A, Buschmann K, Capell A, Giudici C, Willem M, Feederle R, Lichtenthaler SF, Babolin C, Montanari P, Pfeifer A, Kosco-Vilbois M, Tahirovic S. Beneficial Effect of ACI-24 Vaccination on Aβ Plaque Pathology and Microglial Phenotypes in an Amyloidosis Mouse Model. Cells 2022; 12:cells12010079. [PMID: 36611872 PMCID: PMC9818422 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition is an initiating factor in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Microglia are the brain immune cells that surround and phagocytose Aβ plaques, but their phagocytic capacity declines in AD. This is in agreement with studies that associate AD risk loci with genes regulating the phagocytic function of immune cells. Immunotherapies are currently pursued as strategies against AD and there are increased efforts to understand the role of the immune system in ameliorating AD pathology. Here, we evaluated the effect of the Aβ targeting ACI-24 vaccine in reducing AD pathology in an amyloidosis mouse model. ACI-24 vaccination elicited a robust and sustained antibody response in APPPS1 mice with an accompanying reduction of Aβ plaque load, Aβ plaque-associated ApoE and dystrophic neurites as compared to non-vaccinated controls. Furthermore, an increased number of NLRP3-positive plaque-associated microglia was observed following ACI-24 vaccination. In contrast to this local microglial activation at Aβ plaques, we observed a more ramified morphology of Aβ plaque-distant microglia compared to non-vaccinated controls. Accordingly, bulk transcriptomic analysis revealed a trend towards the reduced expression of several disease-associated microglia (DAM) signatures that is in line with the reduced Aβ plaque load triggered by ACI-24 vaccination. Our study demonstrates that administration of the Aβ targeting vaccine ACI-24 reduces AD pathology, suggesting its use as a safe and cost-effective AD therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lina Dinkel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Stephan A. Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Anna Berghofer
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Chiara Bordier
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Stanislav Kozlov
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Annett Halle
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Katrin Buschmann
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Anja Capell
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Camilla Giudici
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Willem
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Regina Feederle
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Monoclonal Antibody Core Facility, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan F. Lichtenthaler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 80333 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Sabina Tahirovic
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Chen X, Holtzman DM. Emerging roles of innate and adaptive immunity in Alzheimer's disease. Immunity 2022; 55:2236-2254. [PMID: 36351425 PMCID: PMC9772134 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, with characteristic extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition and intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated, aggregated tau. Several key regulators of innate immune pathways are genetic risk factors for AD. While these genetic risk factors as well as in vivo data point to key roles for microglia, emerging evidence also points to a role of the adaptive immune response in disease pathogenesis. We review the roles of innate and adaptive immunity, their niches, their communication, and their contributions to AD development and progression. We also summarize the cellular compositions and physiological functions of immune cells in the parenchyma, together with those in the brain border structures that form a dynamic disease-related immune niche. We propose that both innate and adaptive immune responses in brain parenchyma and border structures could serve as important therapeutic targets for treating both the pre-symptomatic and the symptomatic stages of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoying Chen
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Johnson NR, Wang ACJ, Coughlan C, Sillau S, Lucero E, Viltz L, Markham N, Allen C, Dhanasekaran AR, Chial HJ, Potter H. Imipramine and olanzapine block apoE4-catalyzed polymerization of Aβ and show evidence of improving Alzheimer’s disease cognition. Alzheimers Res Ther 2022; 14:88. [PMID: 35768831 PMCID: PMC9241285 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-022-01020-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Background The apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele confers the strongest risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) besides age itself, but the mechanisms underlying this risk are debated. One hypothesis supported by evidence from multiple labs is that apoE4 binds to the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide and catalyzes its polymerization into neurotoxic oligomers and fibrils. Inhibiting this early step in the amyloid cascade may thereby reduce or prevent neurodegeneration and AD. Methods Using a design of experiments (DOE) approach, we developed a high-throughput assay to identify inhibitors of apoE4-catalyzed polymerization of Aβ into oligomers and fibrils. We used it to screen the NIH Clinical Collection of small molecule drugs tested previously in human clinical trials. We then evaluated the efficacy and cytotoxicity of the hit compounds in primary neuron models of apoE4-induced Aβ and phosphorylated tau aggregation. Finally, we performed retrospective analyses of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) clinical dataset, using Cox regression and Cox proportional hazards models to determine if the use of two FDA-approved hit compounds was associated with better cognitive scores (Mini-Mental State Exam), or improved AD clinical diagnosis, when compared with other medications of the same clinical indication. Results Our high-throughput screen identified eight blood-brain barrier (BBB)-permeable hit compounds that reduced apoE4-catalyzed Aβ oligomer and fibril formation in a dose-dependent manner. Five hit compounds were non-toxic toward cultured neurons and also reduced apoE4-promoted Aβ and tau neuropathology in a dose-dependent manner. Three of the five compounds were determined to be specific inhibitors of apoE4, whereas the other two compounds were Aβ or tau aggregation inhibitors. When prescribed to AD patients for their normal clinical indications, two of the apoE4 inhibitors, imipramine and olanzapine, but not other (non-hit) antipsychotic or antidepressant medications, were associated with improvements in cognition and clinical diagnosis, especially among APOE4 carriers. Conclusions The critical test of any proposed AD mechanism is whether it leads to effective treatments. Our high-throughput screen identified two promising FDA-approved drugs, imipramine and olanzapine, which have no structural, functional, or clinical similarities other than their shared ability to inhibit apoE4-catalyzed Aβ polymerization, thus identifying this mechanism as an essential contribution of apoE4 to AD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13195-022-01020-9.
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Fernandez A, Gomez MT, Vidal R. Lack of ApoE inhibits ADan amyloidosis in a mouse model of familial Danish dementia. J Biol Chem 2022; 299:102751. [PMID: 36436561 PMCID: PMC9792896 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Apolipoprotein E-ε4 allele (APOE-ε4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimer disease (AD). ApoE plays a critical role in amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in AD, and genetic deletion of the murine ApoE gene in mouse models results in a decrease or inhibition of Aβ deposition. The association between the presence of ApoE and amyloid in amyloidoses suggests a more general role for ApoE in the fibrillogenesis process. However, whether decreasing levels of ApoE would attenuate amyloid pathology in different amyloidoses has not been directly addressed. Familial Danish dementia (FDD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterized by the presence of widespread parenchymal and vascular Danish amyloid (ADan) deposition and neurofibrillary tangles. A transgenic mouse model for FDD (Tg-FDD) is characterized by parenchymal and vascular ADan deposition. To determine the effect of decreasing ApoE levels on ADan accumulation in vivo, we generated a mouse model by crossing Tg-FDD mice with ApoE KO mice (Tg-FDD+/-/ApoE-/-). Lack of ApoE results in inhibition of ADan deposition up to 18 months of age. Additionally, our results from a genetic screen of Tg-FDD+/-/ApoE-/- mice emphasize the significant role for ApoE in neurodegeneration in FDD via glial-mediated mechanisms. Taken together, our findings suggest that the interaction between ApoE and ADan plays a key role in FDD pathogenesis, in addition to the known role for ApoE in amyloid plaque formation in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anllely Fernandez
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Maria-Teresa Gomez
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Ruben Vidal
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA,Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA,For correspondence: Ruben Vidal
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Raulin AC, Doss SV, Trottier ZA, Ikezu TC, Bu G, Liu CC. ApoE in Alzheimer’s disease: pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:72. [PMID: 36348357 PMCID: PMC9644639 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00574-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 71.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide, and its prevalence is rapidly increasing due to extended lifespans. Among the increasing number of genetic risk factors identified, the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene remains the strongest and most prevalent, impacting more than half of all AD cases. While the ε4 allele of the APOE gene significantly increases AD risk, the ε2 allele is protective relative to the common ε3 allele. These gene alleles encode three apoE protein isoforms that differ at two amino acid positions. The primary physiological function of apoE is to mediate lipid transport in the brain and periphery; however, additional functions of apoE in diverse biological functions have been recognized. Pathogenically, apoE seeds amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques in the brain with apoE4 driving earlier and more abundant amyloids. ApoE isoforms also have differential effects on multiple Aβ-related or Aβ-independent pathways. The complexity of apoE biology and pathobiology presents challenges to designing effective apoE-targeted therapeutic strategies. This review examines the key pathobiological pathways of apoE and related targeting strategies with a specific focus on the latest technological advances and tools.
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Alharbi KS, Javed Shaikh MA, Afzal O, Alfawaz Altamimi AS, Hassan almalki W, Kazmi I, Al-Abbasi FA, Alzarea SI, Babu MR, Singh SK, Chellappan DK, Dua K, Gupta G. Oligonucleotides: A novel area of interest for drug delivery in neurodegenerative diseases. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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50
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Kim H, Kim S, Cho B, Shin J, Kim J. APOE ε4-dependent effects on the early amyloid pathology in induced neurons of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Transl Neurodegener 2022; 11:45. [PMID: 36284363 PMCID: PMC9594913 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-022-00319-9] [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: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ε4 allele of apolipoprotein E (APOE ε4) is the strongest known genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD), associated with amyloid pathogenesis. However, it is not clear how APOE ε4 accelerates amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposition during the seeding stage of amyloid development in AD patient neurons. Methods AD patient induced neurons (iNs) with an APOE ε4 inducible system were prepared from skin fibroblasts of AD patients. Transcriptome analysis was performed using RNA isolated from the AD patient iNs expressing APOE ε4 at amyloid-seeding and amyloid-aggregation stages. Knockdown of IGFBP3 was applied in the iNs to investigate the role of IGFBP3 in the APOE ε4-mediated amyloidosis. Results We optimized amyloid seeding stage in the iNs of AD patients that transiently expressed APOE ε4. Remarkably, we demonstrated that Aβ pathology was aggravated by the induction of APOE ε4 gene expression at the amyloid early-seeding stage in the iNs of AD patients. Moreover, transcriptome analysis in the early-seeding stage revealed that IGFBP3 was functionally important in the molecular pathology of APOE ε4-associated AD. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the presence of APOE ε4 at the early Aβ-seeding stage in patient iNs is critical for aggravation of sporadic AD pathology. These results provide insights into the importance of APOE ε4 expression for the progression and pathogenesis of sporadic AD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40035-022-00319-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwon Kim
- grid.255168.d0000 0001 0671 5021Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dongguk University, Pildong-ro 1-gil 30, Jung-Gu, Seoul, 04620 Republic of Korea ,grid.255168.d0000 0001 0671 5021Laboratory of Stem Cells & Gene Editing, Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Pildong-ro 1-gil 30, Jung-Gu, Seoul, 04620 Republic of Korea
| | - Siyoung Kim
- grid.255168.d0000 0001 0671 5021Laboratory of Stem Cells & Gene Editing, Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Pildong-ro 1-gil 30, Jung-Gu, Seoul, 04620 Republic of Korea
| | - Byounggook Cho
- grid.255168.d0000 0001 0671 5021Laboratory of Stem Cells & Gene Editing, Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Pildong-ro 1-gil 30, Jung-Gu, Seoul, 04620 Republic of Korea
| | - Jaein Shin
- grid.255168.d0000 0001 0671 5021Laboratory of Stem Cells & Gene Editing, Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Pildong-ro 1-gil 30, Jung-Gu, Seoul, 04620 Republic of Korea
| | - Jongpil Kim
- grid.255168.d0000 0001 0671 5021Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dongguk University, Pildong-ro 1-gil 30, Jung-Gu, Seoul, 04620 Republic of Korea ,grid.255168.d0000 0001 0671 5021Laboratory of Stem Cells & Gene Editing, Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University, Pildong-ro 1-gil 30, Jung-Gu, Seoul, 04620 Republic of Korea
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