1
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Petrova V, Snavely AR, Splaine J, Zhen S, Singh B, Pandey R, Chen K, Cheng A, Hermawan C, Barrett LB, Smith JA, Woolf CJ. Identification of novel neuroprotectants against vincristine-induced neurotoxicity in iPSC-derived neurons. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:315. [PMID: 39066803 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05340-x] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a disabling side effect of cancer chemotherapy that can often limit treatment options for cancer patients or have life-long neurodegenerative consequences that reduce the patient's quality of life. CIPN is caused by the detrimental actions of various chemotherapeutic agents on peripheral axons. Currently, there are no approved preventative measures or treatment options for CIPN, highlighting the need for the discovery of novel therapeutics and improving our understanding of disease mechanisms. In this study, we utilized human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived motor neurons as a platform to mimic axonal damage after treatment with vincristine, a chemotherapeutic used for the treatment of breast cancers, osteosarcomas, and leukemia. We screened a total of 1902 small molecules for neuroprotective properties in rescuing vincristine-induced axon growth deficits. From our primary screen, we identified 38 hit compounds that were subjected to secondary dose response screens. Six compounds showed favorable pharmacological profiles - AZD7762, A-674563, Blebbistatin, Glesatinib, KW-2449, and Pelitinib, all novel neuroprotectants against vincristine toxicity to neurons. In addition, four of these six compounds also showed efficacy against vincristine-induced growth arrest in human iPSC-derived sensory neurons. In this study, we utilized high-throughput screening of a large library of compounds in a therapeutically relevant assay. We identified several novel compounds that are efficacious in protecting different neuronal subtypes from the toxicity induced by a common chemotherapeutic agent, vincristine which could have therapeutic potential in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veselina Petrova
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Andrew R Snavely
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer Splaine
- ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility, Harvard Medical School, 250 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Shannon Zhen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Bhagat Singh
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Roshan Pandey
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kuchuan Chen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Anya Cheng
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Crystal Hermawan
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lee B Barrett
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jennifer A Smith
- ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility, Harvard Medical School, 250 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Program in Neurobiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Center for Life Science, 3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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2
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Petrova V, Snavely AR, Splaine J, Zhen S, Singh B, Pandey R, Chen K, Cheng A, Hermawan C, Barrett LB, Smith JA, Woolf C. Identification of novel neuroprotectants against vincristine-induced neurotoxicity in iPSC-derived neurons. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4545853. [PMID: 39011110 PMCID: PMC11247920 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4545853/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a disabling side effect of cancer chemotherapy that can often limit treatment options for cancer patients or have life-long neurodegenerative consequences that reduce the patient's quality of life. CIPN is caused by the detrimental actions of various chemotherapeutic agents on peripheral axons. Currently, there are no approved preventative measures or treatment options for CIPN, highlighting the need for the discovery of novel therapeutics and improving our understanding of disease mechanisms. In this study, we utilized human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived motor neurons as a platform to mimic axonal damage after treatment with vincristine, a chemotherapeutic used for the treatment of breast cancers, osteosarcomas, and leukemia. We screened a total of 1902 small molecules for neuroprotective properties in rescuing vincristine-induced axon growth deficits. From our primary screen, we identified 38 hit compounds that were subjected to secondary dose response screens. Six compounds showed favorable pharmacological profiles - AZD7762, A-674563, Blebbistatin, Glesatinib, KW-2449, and Pelitinib, all novel neuroprotectants against vincristine toxicity to neurons. In addition, four of these six compounds also showed efficacy against vincristine-induced growth arrest in human iPSC-derived sensory neurons. In this study, we utilized high-throughput screening of a large library of compounds in a therapeutically relevant assay. We identified several novel compounds that are efficacious in protecting different neuronal subtypes from the toxicity induced by a common chemotherapeutic agent, vincristine which could have therapeutic potential in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shannon Zhen
- Boston Childrens Hospital: Boston Children's Hospital
| | - Bhagat Singh
- Boston Childrens Hospital: Boston Children's Hospital
| | | | | | - Anya Cheng
- Boston Childrens Hospital: Boston Children's Hospital
| | | | | | - Jennifer A Smith
- Harvard Medical School Center for Blood Research: Harvard Medical School
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3
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Huang X, Lee S, Chen K, Kawaguchi R, Wiskow O, Ghosh S, Frost D, Perrault L, Pandey R, Klim JR, Boivin B, Hermawan C, Livak KJ, Geschwind DH, Wainger BJ, Eggan KC, Bean BP, Woolf CJ. Downregulation of the silent potassium channel Kv8.1 increases motor neuron vulnerability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae202. [PMID: 38911266 PMCID: PMC11191651 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae202] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
While voltage-gated potassium channels have critical roles in controlling neuronal excitability, they also have non-ion-conducting functions. Kv8.1, encoded by the KCNV1 gene, is a 'silent' ion channel subunit whose biological role is complex since Kv8.1 subunits do not form functional homotetramers but assemble with Kv2 to modify its ion channel properties. We profiled changes in ion channel expression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient-derived motor neurons carrying a superoxide dismutase 1(A4V) mutation to identify what drives their hyperexcitability. A major change identified was a substantial reduction of KCNV1/Kv8.1 expression, which was also observed in patient-derived neurons with C9orf72 expansion. We then studied the effect of reducing KCNV1/Kv8.1 expression in healthy motor neurons and found it did not change neuronal firing but increased vulnerability to cell death. A transcriptomic analysis revealed dysregulated metabolism and lipid/protein transport pathways in KCNV1/Kv8.1-deficient motor neurons. The increased neuronal vulnerability produced by the loss of KCNV1/Kv8.1 was rescued by knocking down Kv2.2, suggesting a potential Kv2.2-dependent downstream mechanism in cell death. Our study reveals, therefore, unsuspected and distinct roles of Kv8.1 and Kv2.2 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-related neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Huang
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Seungkyu Lee
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kuchuan Chen
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Riki Kawaguchi
- Department of Psychiatry and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ole Wiskow
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sulagna Ghosh
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Devlin Frost
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Laura Perrault
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Roshan Pandey
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Joseph R Klim
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Bruno Boivin
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Crystal Hermawan
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kenneth J Livak
- Translational Immunogenomics Lab, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Department of Neurology, Mass General Brigham and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Kevin C Eggan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Bruce P Bean
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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4
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Castelli L, Vasta R, Allen SP, Waller R, Chiò A, Traynor BJ, Kirby J. From use of omics to systems biology: Identifying therapeutic targets for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 176:209-268. [PMID: 38802176 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a heterogeneous progressive neurodegenerative disorder with available treatments such as riluzole and edaravone extending survival by an average of 3-6 months. The lack of highly effective, widely available therapies reflects the complexity of ALS. Omics technologies, including genomics, transcriptomic and proteomics have contributed to the identification of biological pathways dysregulated and targeted by therapeutic strategies in preclinical and clinical trials. Integrating clinical, environmental and neuroimaging information with omics data and applying a systems biology approach can further improve our understanding of the disease with the potential to stratify patients and provide more personalised medicine. This chapter will review the omics technologies that contribute to a systems biology approach and how these components have assisted in identifying therapeutic targets. Current strategies, including the use of genetic screening and biosampling in clinical trials, as well as the future application of additional technological advances, will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Castelli
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Rosario Vasta
- ALS Expert Center,'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Scott P Allen
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Waller
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Adriano Chiò
- ALS Expert Center,'Rita Levi Montalcini' Department of Neuroscience, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Neurology 1, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Città della Salute e della Scienza of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Bryan J Traynor
- Neuromuscular Diseases Research Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States; RNA Therapeutics Laboratory, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, NIH, Rockville, MD, United States; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States; Reta Lila Weston Institute, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology,University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Janine Kirby
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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5
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Tsitkov S, Valentine K, Kozareva V, Donde A, Frank A, Lei S, E Van Eyk J, Finkbeiner S, Rothstein JD, Thompson LM, Sareen D, Svendsen CN, Fraenkel E. Disease related changes in ATAC-seq of iPSC-derived motor neuron lines from ALS patients and controls. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3606. [PMID: 38697975 PMCID: PMC11066062 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47758-8] [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: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), like many other neurodegenerative diseases, is highly heritable, but with only a small fraction of cases explained by monogenic disease alleles. To better understand sporadic ALS, we report epigenomic profiles, as measured by ATAC-seq, of motor neuron cultures derived from a diverse group of 380 ALS patients and 80 healthy controls. We find that chromatin accessibility is heavily influenced by sex, the iPSC cell type of origin, ancestry, and the inherent variance arising from sequencing. Once these covariates are corrected for, we are able to identify ALS-specific signals in the data. Additionally, we find that the ATAC-seq data is able to predict ALS disease progression rates with similar accuracy to methods based on biomarkers and clinical status. These results suggest that iPSC-derived motor neurons recapitulate important disease-relevant epigenomic changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislav Tsitkov
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kelsey Valentine
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Velina Kozareva
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aneesh Donde
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Frank
- Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susan Lei
- Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer E Van Eyk
- Advanced Clinical Biosystems Research Institute, Smidt Heart Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steve Finkbeiner
- Center for Systems and Therapeutics, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Departments of Neurology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Rothstein
- Brain Science Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Center, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Dhruv Sareen
- Cedars-Sinai Biomanufacturing Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ernest Fraenkel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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6
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De Cock L, Bercier V, Van Den Bosch L. New developments in pre-clinical models of ALS to guide translation. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 176:477-524. [PMID: 38802181 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder in which selective death of motor neurons leads to muscle weakness and paralysis. Most research has focused on understanding and treating monogenic familial forms, most frequently caused by mutations in SOD1, FUS, TARDBP and C9orf72, although ALS is mostly sporadic and without a clear genetic cause. Rodent models have been developed to study monogenic ALS, but despite numerous pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, few disease-modifying therapies are available. ALS is a heterogeneous disease with complex underlying mechanisms where several genes and molecular pathways appear to play a role. One reason for the high failure rate of clinical translation from the current models could be oversimplification in pre-clinical studies. Here, we review advances in pre-clinical models to better capture the heterogeneous nature of ALS and discuss the value of novel model systems to guide translation and aid in the development of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenja De Cock
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Valérie Bercier
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ludo Van Den Bosch
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Neurology and Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Louvain-University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Brain and Disease Research, Laboratory of Neurobiology, VIB, Leuven, Belgium.
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7
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Marques C, Held A, Dorfman K, Sung J, Song C, Kavuturu AS, Aguilar C, Russo T, Oakley DH, Albers MW, Hyman BT, Petrucelli L, Lagier-Tourenne C, Wainger BJ. Neuronal STING activation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:56. [PMID: 38478117 PMCID: PMC10937762 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02688-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). While prior studies have focused on STING within immune cells, little is known about STING within neurons. Here, we document neuronal activation of the STING pathway in human postmortem cortical and spinal motor neurons from individuals affected by familial or sporadic ALS. This process takes place selectively in the most vulnerable cortical and spinal motor neurons but not in neurons that are less affected by the disease. Concordant STING activation in layer V cortical motor neurons occurs in a mouse model of C9orf72 repeat-associated ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). To establish that STING activation occurs in a neuron-autonomous manner, we demonstrate the integrity of the STING signaling pathway, including both upstream activators and downstream innate immune response effectors, in dissociated mouse cortical neurons and neurons derived from control human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Human iPSC-derived neurons harboring different familial ALS-causing mutations exhibit increased STING signaling with DNA damage as a main driver. The elevated downstream inflammatory markers present in ALS iPSC-derived neurons can be suppressed with a STING inhibitor. Our results reveal an immunophenotype that consists of innate immune signaling driven by the STING pathway and occurs specifically within vulnerable neurons in ALS/FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Marques
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aaron Held
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine Dorfman
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joon Sung
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Song
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amey S Kavuturu
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Corey Aguilar
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tommaso Russo
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Derek H Oakley
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mark W Albers
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Alzheimer Disease Research Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | | | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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8
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Allison RL, Ebert AD. ALS iPSC-derived microglia and motor neurons respond to astrocyte-targeted IL-10 and CCL2 modulation. Hum Mol Genet 2024; 33:530-542. [PMID: 38129120 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad209] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons (MNs). The loss of MNs in ALS leads to muscle weakness and wasting, respiratory failure, and death often within two years of diagnosis. Glial cells in ALS show aberrant expression of pro-inflammatory and neurotoxic proteins associated with activation and have been proposed as ideal therapeutic targets. In this study, we examined astrocyte-targeted treatments to reduce glial activation and neuron pathology using cells differentiated from ALS patient-derived iPSC carrying SOD1 and C9ORF72 mutations. Specifically, we tested the ability of increasing interleukin 10 (IL-10) and reducing C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2/MCP-1) signaling targeted to astrocytes to reduce activation phenotypes in both astrocytes and microglia. Overall, we found IL10/CCL2NAb treated astrocytes to support anti-inflammatory phenotypes and reduce neurotoxicity, through different mechanisms in SOD1 and C9ORF72 cultures. We also found altered responses of microglia and motor neurons to astrocytic influences when cells were cultured together rather than in isolation. Together these data support IL-10 and CCL2 as non-mutation-specific therapeutic targets for ALS and highlight the role of glial-mediated pathology in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reilly L Allison
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
| | - Allison D Ebert
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI 53226, United States
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9
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Thiry L, Sirois J, Durcan TM, Stifani S. Generation of human iPSC-derived phrenic-like motor neurons to model respiratory motor neuron degeneration in ALS. Commun Biol 2024; 7:238. [PMID: 38418587 PMCID: PMC10901792 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05925-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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The fatal motor neuron (MN) disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by progressive MN degeneration. Phrenic MNs (phMNs) controlling the activity of the diaphragm are prone to degeneration in ALS, leading to death by respiratory failure. Understanding of the mechanisms of phMN degeneration in ALS is limited, mainly because human experimental models to study phMNs are lacking. Here we describe a method enabling the derivation of phrenic-like MNs from human iPSCs (hiPSC-phMNs) within 30 days. This protocol uses an optimized combination of small molecules followed by cell-sorting based on a cell-surface protein enriched in hiPSC-phMNs, and is highly reproducible using several hiPSC lines. We show further that hiPSC-phMNs harbouring ALS-associated amplification of the C9orf72 gene progressively lose their electrophysiological activity and undergo increased death compared to isogenic controls. These studies establish a previously unavailable protocol to generate human phMNs offering a disease-relevant system to study mechanisms of respiratory MN dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Thiry
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Julien Sirois
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Thomas M Durcan
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Early Drug Discovery Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Stefano Stifani
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, 3801, rue University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
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10
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Beghini DG, Kasai-Brunswick TH, Henriques-Pons A. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Drug Discovery and Neurodegenerative Disease Modelling. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2392. [PMID: 38397069 PMCID: PMC10889263 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042392] [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: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are derived from reprogrammed adult somatic cells. These adult cells are manipulated in vitro to express genes and factors essential for acquiring and maintaining embryonic stem cell (ESC) properties. This technology is widely applied in many fields, and much attention has been given to developing iPSC-based disease models to validate drug discovery platforms and study the pathophysiological molecular processes underlying disease onset. Especially in neurological diseases, there is a great need for iPSC-based technological research, as these cells can be obtained from each patient and carry the individual's bulk of genetic mutations and unique properties. Moreover, iPSCs can differentiate into multiple cell types. These are essential characteristics, since the study of neurological diseases is affected by the limited access to injury sites, the need for in vitro models composed of various cell types, the complexity of reproducing the brain's anatomy, the challenges of postmortem cell culture, and ethical issues. Neurodegenerative diseases strongly impact global health due to their high incidence, symptom severity, and lack of effective therapies. Recently, analyses using disease specific, iPSC-based models confirmed the efficacy of these models for testing multiple drugs. This review summarizes the advances in iPSC technology used in disease modelling and drug testing, with a primary focus on neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Gois Beghini
- Laboratório de Inovações em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil;
| | - Tais Hanae Kasai-Brunswick
- Centro Nacional de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, CENABIO, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, RJ, Brazil;
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Medicina Regenerativa, INCT-REGENERA, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, RJ, Brazil
| | - Andrea Henriques-Pons
- Laboratório de Inovações em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, RJ, Brazil;
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11
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Hruska-Plochan M, Wiersma VI, Betz KM, Mallona I, Ronchi S, Maniecka Z, Hock EM, Tantardini E, Laferriere F, Sahadevan S, Hoop V, Delvendahl I, Pérez-Berlanga M, Gatta B, Panatta M, van der Bourg A, Bohaciakova D, Sharma P, De Vos L, Frontzek K, Aguzzi A, Lashley T, Robinson MD, Karayannis T, Mueller M, Hierlemann A, Polymenidou M. A model of human neural networks reveals NPTX2 pathology in ALS and FTLD. Nature 2024; 626:1073-1083. [PMID: 38355792 PMCID: PMC10901740 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07042-7] [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: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Human cellular models of neurodegeneration require reproducibility and longevity, which is necessary for simulating age-dependent diseases. Such systems are particularly needed for TDP-43 proteinopathies1, which involve human-specific mechanisms2-5 that cannot be directly studied in animal models. Here, to explore the emergence and consequences of TDP-43 pathologies, we generated induced pluripotent stem cell-derived, colony morphology neural stem cells (iCoMoNSCs) via manual selection of neural precursors6. Single-cell transcriptomics and comparison to independent neural stem cells7 showed that iCoMoNSCs are uniquely homogenous and self-renewing. Differentiated iCoMoNSCs formed a self-organized multicellular system consisting of synaptically connected and electrophysiologically active neurons, which matured into long-lived functional networks (which we designate iNets). Neuronal and glial maturation in iNets was similar to that of cortical organoids8. Overexpression of wild-type TDP-43 in a minority of neurons within iNets led to progressive fragmentation and aggregation of the protein, resulting in a partial loss of function and neurotoxicity. Single-cell transcriptomics revealed a novel set of misregulated RNA targets in TDP-43-overexpressing neurons and in patients with TDP-43 proteinopathies exhibiting a loss of nuclear TDP-43. The strongest misregulated target encoded the synaptic protein NPTX2, the levels of which are controlled by TDP-43 binding on its 3' untranslated region. When NPTX2 was overexpressed in iNets, it exhibited neurotoxicity, whereas correcting NPTX2 misregulation partially rescued neurons from TDP-43-induced neurodegeneration. Notably, NPTX2 was consistently misaccumulated in neurons from patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TDP-43 pathology. Our work directly links TDP-43 misregulation and NPTX2 accumulation, thereby revealing a TDP-43-dependent pathway of neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vera I Wiersma
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katharina M Betz
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Izaskun Mallona
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Ronchi
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
- MaxWell Biosystems AG, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zuzanna Maniecka
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eva-Maria Hock
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elena Tantardini
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Florent Laferriere
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonu Sahadevan
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vanessa Hoop
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Igor Delvendahl
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Beatrice Gatta
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Panatta
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Dasa Bohaciakova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Puneet Sharma
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- NCCR RNA and Disease Technology Platform, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Laura De Vos
- Department of Quantitative Biomedicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karl Frontzek
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tammaryn Lashley
- Queen Square Brain Bank for Neurological diseases, Department of Movement Disorders, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Mark D Robinson
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Martin Mueller
- Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hierlemann
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
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12
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Watts ME, Giadone RM, Ordureau A, Holton KM, Harper JW, Rubin LL. Analyzing the ER stress response in ALS patient derived motor neurons identifies druggable neuroprotective targets. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1327361. [PMID: 38314348 PMCID: PMC10834640 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1327361] [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: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative motor neuron (MN) disease with severely limited treatment options. Identification of effective treatments has been limited in part by the lack of predictive animal models for complex human disorders. Here, we utilized pharmacologic ER stressors to exacerbate underlying sensitivities conferred by ALS patient genetics in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neurons (MNs). In doing so, we found that thapsigargin and tunicamycin exposure recapitulated ALS-associated degeneration, and that we could rescue this degeneration via MAP4K4 inhibition (MAP4K4i). We subsequently identified mechanisms underlying MAP4K4i-mediated protection by performing phosphoproteomics on iPSC-derived MNs treated with ER stressors ±MAP4K4i. Through these analyses, we found JNK, PKC, and BRAF to be differentially modulated in MAP4K4i-protected MNs, and that inhibitors to these proteins could also rescue MN toxicity. Collectively, this study highlights the value of utilizing ER stressors in ALS patient MNs to identify novel druggable targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E. Watts
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Richard M. Giadone
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Alban Ordureau
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kristina M. Holton
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - J. Wade Harper
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lee L. Rubin
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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13
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Rezvykh A, Shteinberg D, Bronovitsky E, Ustyugov A, Funikov S. Animal Models of FUS-Proteinopathy: A Systematic Review. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2024; 89:S34-S56. [PMID: 38621743 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297924140037] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Mutations that disrupt the function of the DNA/RNA-binding protein FUS could cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. One of the key features in ALS pathogenesis is the formation of insoluble protein aggregates containing aberrant isoforms of the FUS protein in the cytoplasm of upper and lower motor neurons. Reproduction of human pathology in animal models is the main tool for studying FUS-associated pathology and searching for potential therapeutic agents for ALS treatment. In this review, we provide a systematic analysis of the role of FUS protein in ALS pathogenesis and an overview of the results of modelling FUS-proteinopathy in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Rezvykh
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - Daniil Shteinberg
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russia
| | | | - Aleksey Ustyugov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds, Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russia
| | - Sergei Funikov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
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14
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Okano H, Morimoto S, Kato C, Nakahara J, Takahashi S. Induced pluripotent stem cells-based disease modeling, drug screening, clinical trials, and reverse translational research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurochem 2023; 167:603-614. [PMID: 37952981 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.16005] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
It has been more than 10 years since the hopes for disease modeling and drug discovery using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology boomed. Recently, clinical trials have been conducted with drugs identified using this technology, and some promising results have been reported. For amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating neurodegenerative disease, several groups have identified candidate drugs, ezogabine (retigabine), bosutinib, and ropinirole, using iPSCs-based drug discovery, and clinical trials using these drugs have been conducted, yielding interesting results. In our previous study, an iPSCs-based drug repurposing approach was utilized to show the potential of ropinirole hydrochloride (ROPI) in reducing ALS-specific pathological phenotypes. Recently, a phase 1/2a trial was conducted to investigate the effects of ropinirole on ALS further. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study confirmed the safety and tolerability of and provided evidence of its ability to delay disease progression and prolong the time to respiratory failure in ALS patients. Furthermore, in the reverse translational research, in vitro characterization of patient-derived iPSCs-motor neurons (MNs) mimicked the therapeutic effects of ROPI in vivo, suggesting the potential application of this technology to the precision medicine of ALS. Interestingly, RNA-seq data showed that ROPI treatment suppressed the sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2-dependent cholesterol biosynthesis pathway. Therefore, this pathway may be involved in the therapeutic effect of ROPI on ALS. The possibility that this pathway may be involved in the therapeutic effect of ALS was demonstrated. Finally, new future strategies for ALS using iPSCs technology will be discussed in this paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoru Morimoto
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chris Kato
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jin Nakahara
- Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinichi Takahashi
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology and Stroke, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
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15
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Sun S, Li J, Wang S, Li J, Ren J, Bao Z, Sun L, Ma X, Zheng F, Ma S, Sun L, Wang M, Yu Y, Ma M, Wang Q, Chen Z, Ma H, Wang X, Wu Z, Zhang H, Yan K, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Zhang S, Lei J, Teng ZQ, Liu CM, Bai G, Wang YJ, Li J, Wang X, Zhao G, Jiang T, Belmonte JCI, Qu J, Zhang W, Liu GH. CHIT1-positive microglia drive motor neuron ageing in the primate spinal cord. Nature 2023; 624:611-620. [PMID: 37907096 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06783-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Ageing is a critical factor in spinal-cord-associated disorders1, yet the ageing-specific mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. Here, to address this knowledge gap, we combined single-nucleus RNA-sequencing analysis with behavioural and neurophysiological analysis in non-human primates (NHPs). We identified motor neuron senescence and neuroinflammation with microglial hyperactivation as intertwined hallmarks of spinal cord ageing. As an underlying mechanism, we identified a neurotoxic microglial state demarcated by elevated expression of CHIT1 (a secreted mammalian chitinase) specific to the aged spinal cords in NHP and human biopsies. In the aged spinal cord, CHIT1-positive microglia preferentially localize around motor neurons, and they have the ability to trigger senescence, partly by activating SMAD signalling. We further validated the driving role of secreted CHIT1 on MN senescence using multimodal experiments both in vivo, using the NHP spinal cord as a model, and in vitro, using a sophisticated system modelling the human motor-neuron-microenvironment interplay. Moreover, we demonstrated that ascorbic acid, a geroprotective compound, counteracted the pro-senescent effect of CHIT1 and mitigated motor neuron senescence in aged monkeys. Our findings provide the single-cell resolution cellular and molecular landscape of the aged primate spinal cord and identify a new biomarker and intervention target for spinal cord degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhui Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaming Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Si Wang
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Aging Translational Medicine Center, International Center for Aging and Cancer, Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Chongqing, Chongqing, China
| | - Jingyi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Ren
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of RNA Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaoshi Bao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- The Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas, Beijing, China
| | - Le Sun
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xibo Ma
- MAIS, State Key Laboratory of Multimodal Artificial Intelligence Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Medicine and Biomedical Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fangshuo Zheng
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Chongqing, Chongqing, China
| | - Shuai Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China
- The MOH Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
| | - Min Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Miyang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiaoran Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiyuan Chen
- MAIS, State Key Laboratory of Multimodal Artificial Intelligence Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - He Ma
- MAIS, State Key Laboratory of Multimodal Artificial Intelligence Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Medicine and Biomedical Information Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xuebao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zeming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kaowen Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanhan Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinghui Lei
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Aging Translational Medicine Center, International Center for Aging and Cancer, Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao-Qian Teng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chang-Mei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ge Bai
- The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Jiang Wang
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China
- Department of Neurology, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma and Chemical Poisoning, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jian Li
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China
- The MOH Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoqun Wang
- Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Guoguang Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Clinical Research Center for Epilepsy Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- The Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas, Beijing, China
- Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing, China
| | | | - Jing Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China.
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine, Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China.
| | - Guang-Hui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Aging Translational Medicine Center, International Center for Aging and Cancer, Beijing Municipal Geriatric Medical Research Center, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Aging Biomarker Consortium, Beijing, China.
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16
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Elmansy MF, Reidl CT, Rahaman M, Özdinler PH, Silverman RB. Small molecules targeting different cellular pathologies for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Med Res Rev 2023; 43:2260-2302. [PMID: 37243319 PMCID: PMC10592673 DOI: 10.1002/med.21974] [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: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease in which the motor neuron circuitry displays progressive degeneration, affecting mostly the motor neurons in the brain and in the spinal cord. There are no effective cures, albeit three drugs, riluzole, edaravone, and AMX0035 (a combination of sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol), have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, with limited improvement in patients. There is an urgent need to build better and more effective treatment strategies for ALS. Since the disease is very heterogenous, numerous approaches have been explored, such as targeting genetic mutations, decreasing oxidative stress and excitotoxicity, enhancing mitochondrial function and protein degradation mechanisms, and inhibiting neuroinflammation. In addition, various chemical libraries or previously identified drugs have been screened for potential repurposing in the treatment of ALS. Here, we review previous drug discovery efforts targeting a variety of cellular pathologies that occur from genetic mutations that cause ALS, such as mutations in SOD1, C9orf72, FUS, and TARDP-43 genes. These mutations result in protein aggregation, which causes neuronal degeneration. Compounds used to target cellular pathologies that stem from these mutations are discussed and comparisons among different preclinical models are presented. Because the drug discovery landscape for ALS and other motor neuron diseases is changing rapidly, we also offer recommendations for a novel, more effective, direction in ALS drug discovery that could accelerate translation of effective compounds from animals to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed F. Elmansy
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Organometallic and Organometalloid Chemistry, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Cory T. Reidl
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - Mizzanoor Rahaman
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
| | - P. Hande Özdinler
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Richard B. Silverman
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Molecular Biosciences, Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Center for Developmental Therapeutics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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17
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Tsioras K, Smith KC, Edassery SL, Garjani M, Li Y, Williams C, McKenna ED, Guo W, Wilen AP, Hark TJ, Marklund SL, Ostrow LW, Gilthorpe JD, Ichida JK, Kalb RG, Savas JN, Kiskinis E. Analysis of proteome-wide degradation dynamics in ALS SOD1 iPSC-derived patient neurons reveals disrupted VCP homeostasis. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113160. [PMID: 37776851 PMCID: PMC10785776 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in SOD1 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through gain-of-function effects, yet the mechanisms by which misfolded mutant SOD1 (mutSOD1) protein impairs human motor neurons (MNs) remain unclear. Here, we use induced-pluripotent-stem-cell-derived MNs coupled to metabolic stable isotope labeling and mass spectrometry to investigate proteome-wide degradation dynamics. We find several proteins, including the ALS-causal valosin-containing protein (VCP), which predominantly acts in proteasome degradation and autophagy, that degrade slower in mutSOD1 relative to isogenic control MNs. The interactome of VCP is altered in mutSOD1 MNs in vitro, while VCP selectively accumulates in the affected motor cortex of ALS-SOD1 patients. Overexpression of VCP rescues mutSOD1 toxicity in MNs in vitro and in a C. elegans model in vivo, in part due to its ability to modulate the degradation of insoluble mutSOD1. Our results demonstrate that VCP contributes to mutSOD1-dependent degeneration, link two distinct ALS-causal genes, and highlight selective protein degradation impairment in ALS pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Tsioras
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Kevin C Smith
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Seby L Edassery
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Mehraveh Garjani
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Yichen Li
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Chloe Williams
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Elizabeth D McKenna
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Wenxuan Guo
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Anika P Wilen
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Timothy J Hark
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Stefan L Marklund
- Department of Medical Biosciences, Clinical Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lyle W Ostrow
- Department of Neurology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Justin K Ichida
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Robert G Kalb
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jeffrey N Savas
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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18
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Gonzalo-Gobernado R, Moreno-Martínez L, González P, Dopazo XM, Calvo AC, Pidal-Ladrón de Guevara I, Seisdedos E, Díaz-Muñoz R, Mellström B, Osta R, Naranjo JR. Repaglinide Induces ATF6 Processing and Neuroprotection in Transgenic SOD1G93A Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15783. [PMID: 37958767 PMCID: PMC10648964 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115783] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction of the activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), a key effector of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum, with the neuronal calcium sensor Downstream Regulatory Element Antagonist Modulator (DREAM) is a potential therapeutic target in neurodegeneration. Modulation of the ATF6-DREAM interaction with repaglinide (RP) induced neuroprotection in a model of Huntington's disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with no cure, characterized by the progressive loss of motoneurons resulting in muscle denervation, atrophy, paralysis, and death. The aim of this work was to investigate the potential therapeutic significance of DREAM as a target for intervention in ALS. We found that the expression of the DREAM protein was reduced in the spinal cord of SOD1G93A mice compared to wild-type littermates. RP treatment improved motor strength and reduced the expression of the ALS progression marker collagen type XIXα1 (Col19α1 mRNA) in the quadriceps muscle in SOD1G93A mice. Moreover, treated SOD1G93A mice showed reduced motoneuron loss and glial activation and increased ATF6 processing in the spinal cord. These results indicate that the modulation of the DREAM-ATF6 interaction ameliorates ALS symptoms in SOD1G93A mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Gonzalo-Gobernado
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Laura Moreno-Martínez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
- LAGENBIO, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- AgriFood Institute of Aragon-IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Paz González
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Xose Manuel Dopazo
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
| | - Ana Cristina Calvo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
- LAGENBIO, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- AgriFood Institute of Aragon-IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Isabel Pidal-Ladrón de Guevara
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
| | - Elisa Seisdedos
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
| | - Rodrigo Díaz-Muñoz
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
| | - Britt Mellström
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Rosario Osta
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
- LAGENBIO, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- AgriFood Institute of Aragon-IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - José Ramón Naranjo
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
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19
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Falker-Gieske C. Transcriptome driven discovery of novel candidate genes for human neurological disorders in the telomer-to-telomer genome assembly era. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:94. [PMID: 37872607 PMCID: PMC10594789 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00543-y] [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: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the first complete draft of a human genome, the Telomere-to-Telomere Consortium unlocked previously concealed genomic regions for genetic analyses. These regions harbour nearly 2000 potential novel genes with unknown function. In order to uncover candidate genes associated with human neurological pathologies, a comparative transcriptome study using the T2T-CHM13 and the GRCh38 genome assemblies was conducted on previously published datasets for eight distinct human neurological disorders. RESULTS The analysis of differential expression in RNA sequencing data led to the identification of 336 novel candidate genes linked to human neurological disorders. Additionally, it was revealed that, on average, 3.6% of the differentially expressed genes detected with the GRCh38 assembly may represent potential false positives. Among the noteworthy findings, two novel genes were discovered, one encoding a pore-structured protein and the other a highly ordered β-strand-rich protein. These genes exhibited upregulation in multiple epilepsy datasets and hold promise as candidate genes potentially modulating the progression of the disease. Furthermore, an analysis of RNA derived from white matter lesions in multiple sclerosis patients indicated significant upregulation of 26 rRNA encoding genes. Additionally, putative pathology related genes were identified for Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, glioblastoma, glioma, and conditions resulting from the m.3242 A > G mtDNA mutation. CONCLUSION The results presented here underline the potential of the T2T-CHM13 assembly in facilitating the discovery of candidate genes from transcriptome data in the context of human disorders. Moreover, the results demonstrate the value of remapping sequencing data to a superior genome assembly. Numerous potential pathology related genes, either as causative factors or related elements, have been unveiled, warranting further experimental validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Falker-Gieske
- Division of Functional Breeding, Department of Animal Sciences, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Burckhardtweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
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20
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Mitevska A, Santacruz C, Martin EJ, Jones IE, Ghiacy A, Dixon S, Mostafazadeh N, Peng Z, Kiskinis E, Finan JD. Polyurethane Culture Substrates Enable Long-Term Neuron Monoculture in a Human in vitro Model of Neurotrauma. Neurotrauma Rep 2023; 4:682-692. [PMID: 37908320 PMCID: PMC10615064 DOI: 10.1089/neur.2023.0060] [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] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cells can reproduce human-specific pathophysiology, patient-specific vulnerability, and gene-environment interactions in neurological disease. Human in vitro models of neurotrauma therefore have great potential to advance the field. However, this potential cannot be realized until important biomaterials challenges are addressed. Status quo stretch injury models of neurotrauma culture cells on sheets of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that are incompatible with long-term monoculture of hiPSC-derived neurons. Here, we overcame this challenge in an established human in vitro neurotrauma model by replacing PDMS with a highly biocompatible form of polyurethane (PU). This substitution allowed long-term monoculture of hiPSC-derived neurons. It also changed the biomechanics of stretch injury. We quantified these changes experimentally using high-speed videography and digital image correlation. We used finite element modeling to quantify the influence of the culture substrate's thickness, stiffness, and coefficient of friction on membrane stretch and concluded that the coefficient of friction explained most of the observed biomechanical changes. Despite these changes, we demonstrated that the modified model produced a robust, dose-dependent trauma phenotype in hiPSC-derived neuron monocultures. In summary, the introduction of this PU film makes it possible to maintain hiPSC-derived neurons in monoculture for long periods in a human in vitro neurotrauma model. In doing so, it opens new horizons in the field of neurotrauma by enabling the unique experimental paradigms (e.g., isogenic models) associated with hiPSC-derived neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Mitevska
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Citlally Santacruz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Eric J. Martin
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Ian E. Jones
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Arian Ghiacy
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Simon Dixon
- Biomer Technology Ltd., Warrington, United Kingdom
| | - Nima Mostafazadeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Zhangli Peng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - John D. Finan
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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21
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Held A, Adler M, Marques C, Reyes CJ, Kavuturu AS, Quadros ARAA, Ndayambaje IS, Lara E, Ward M, Lagier-Tourenne C, Wainger BJ. iPSC motor neurons, but not other derived cell types, capture gene expression changes in postmortem sporadic ALS motor neurons. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113046. [PMID: 37651231 PMCID: PMC10622181 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113046] [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: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Motor neuron degeneration, the defining feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a primary example of cell-type specificity in neurodegenerative diseases. Using isogenic pairs of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) harboring different familial ALS mutations, we assess the capacity of iPSC-derived lower motor neurons, sensory neurons, astrocytes, and superficial cortical neurons to capture disease features including transcriptional and splicing dysregulation observed in human postmortem neurons. At early time points, differentially regulated genes in iPSC-derived lower motor neurons, but not other cell types, overlap with one-third of the differentially regulated genes in laser-dissected motor neurons from ALS compared with control postmortem spinal cords. For genes altered in both the iPSC model and bona fide human lower motor neurons, expression changes correlate between the two populations. In iPSC-derived lower motor neurons, but not other derived cell types, we detect the downregulation of genes affected by TDP-43-dependent splicing. This reduction takes place exclusively within genotypes known to involve TDP-43 pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Held
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Michelle Adler
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Christine Marques
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Charles Jourdan Reyes
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; The Collaborative Center for X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Amey S Kavuturu
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Ana R A A Quadros
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - I Sandra Ndayambaje
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Erika Lara
- iPSC Neurodegenerative Research Initiative, Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Michael Ward
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian J Wainger
- Department of Neurology, Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT, Cambridge MA 02142, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA 02114, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge MA 02138, USA.
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22
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Tang X, Zhan Y, Yang B, Du B, Huang J. Exploring the mechanism of Semen Strychni in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis based on network pharmacology. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e35101. [PMID: 37682161 PMCID: PMC10489316 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000035101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Semen Strychni (SS), known as an agonist of central nervous system, is a traditional herb widely used in treating amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in small doses to relieve muscle weakness and improve muscle strength. However, the potential mechanisms and the main components of SS in treating ALS remain unclear. To explore the underlying mechanism of SS in treating ALS based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The active components of SS were obtained using TCMSP, Herb, ETCM, and BATMAN-TCM. The targets of SS were gained from PharmMapper. The targets of ALS were searched on Genecards, Drugbank, DisGeNET, OMIM, TTD and GEO database. After obtaining the coincidence targets, we submitted them to the STRING database to build a protein-protein interaction network. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were performed subsequently. The active components and targets were further investigated using molecular docking technology. 395 targets of SS and 1925 targets of ALS were obtained with 125 common targets. The protein-protein interaction analysis indicated that SRC, AKT1, MAPK1, EGFR, and HSP90AA1 received the higher degree value and were considered the central genes. The Ras, PI3K-Akt, and MAPK signaling pathway could be involved in the treatment of ALS. Brucine-N-oxide obtained the lowest binding energy in molecular docking. This study explored the mechanism of SS in the treatment of ALS and provides a new perspective for future study. However, further experimental studies are needed to validate the therapeutic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Tang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingshi Zhan
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Biying Yang
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baoxin Du
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingyan Huang
- Department of Neurology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
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23
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De Lorenzo F, Lüningschrör P, Nam J, Beckett L, Pilotto F, Galli E, Lindholm P, Rüdt von Collenberg C, Mungwa ST, Jablonka S, Kauder J, Thau-Habermann N, Petri S, Lindholm D, Saxena S, Sendtner M, Saarma M, Voutilainen MH. CDNF rescues motor neurons in models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by targeting endoplasmic reticulum stress. Brain 2023; 146:3783-3799. [PMID: 36928391 PMCID: PMC10473573 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad087] [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: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons in the spinal cord, brainstem and motor cortex, leading to paralysis and eventually to death within 3-5 years of symptom onset. To date, no cure or effective therapy is available. The role of chronic endoplasmic reticulum stress in the pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as a potential drug target, has received increasing attention. Here, we investigated the mode of action and therapeutic effect of the endoplasmic reticulum-resident protein cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor in three preclinical models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, exhibiting different disease development and aetiology: (i) the conditional choline acetyltransferase-tTA/TRE-hTDP43-M337V rat model previously described; (ii) the widely used SOD1-G93A mouse model; and (iii) a novel slow-progressive TDP43-M337V mouse model. To specifically analyse the endoplasmic reticulum stress response in motor neurons, we used three main methods: (i) primary cultures of motor neurons derived from embryonic Day 13 embryos; (ii) immunohistochemical analyses of spinal cord sections with choline acetyltransferase as spinal motor neuron marker; and (iii) quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses of lumbar motor neurons isolated via laser microdissection. We show that intracerebroventricular administration of cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor significantly halts the progression of the disease and improves motor behaviour in TDP43-M337V and SOD1-G93A rodent models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor rescues motor neurons in vitro and in vivo from endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated cell death and its beneficial effect is independent of genetic disease aetiology. Notably, cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor regulates the unfolded protein response initiated by transducers IRE1α, PERK and ATF6, thereby enhancing motor neuron survival. Thus, cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor holds great promise for the design of new rational treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca De Lorenzo
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Patrick Lüningschrör
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jinhan Nam
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liam Beckett
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Federica Pilotto
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Emilia Galli
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi Lindholm
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Simon Tii Mungwa
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Sibylle Jablonka
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Kauder
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Susanne Petri
- Department of Neurology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Dan Lindholm
- Medicum, Department of Biochemistry and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Minerva Foundation Institute for Medical Research, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Smita Saxena
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael Sendtner
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, 97078 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mart Saarma
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Merja H Voutilainen
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
- Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finland
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24
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Nie L, Yao D, Chen S, Wang J, Pan C, Wu D, Liu N, Tang Z. Directional induction of neural stem cells, a new therapy for neurodegenerative diseases and ischemic stroke. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:215. [PMID: 37393356 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01532-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the limited capacity of the adult mammalian brain to self-repair and regenerate, neurological diseases, especially neurodegenerative disorders and stroke, characterized by irreversible cellular damage are often considered as refractory diseases. Neural stem cells (NSCs) play a unique role in the treatment of neurological diseases for their abilities to self-renew and form different neural lineage cells, such as neurons and glial cells. With the increasing understanding of neurodevelopment and advances in stem cell technology, NSCs can be obtained from different sources and directed to differentiate into a specific neural lineage cell phenotype purposefully, making it possible to replace specific cells lost in some neurological diseases, which provides new approaches to treat neurodegenerative diseases as well as stroke. In this review, we outline the advances in generating several neuronal lineage subtypes from different sources of NSCs. We further summarize the therapeutic effects and possible therapeutic mechanisms of these fated specific NSCs in neurological disease models, with special emphasis on Parkinson's disease and ischemic stroke. Finally, from the perspective of clinical translation, we compare the strengths and weaknesses of different sources of NSCs and different methods of directed differentiation, and propose future research directions for directed differentiation of NSCs in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luwei Nie
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Dabao Yao
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Shiling Chen
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Chao Pan
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Dongcheng Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Wuhan University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Wuhan Hamilton Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Na Liu
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
| | - Zhouping Tang
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, Hubei, China.
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25
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Rezvykh A, Ustyugov A, Chaprov K, Teterina E, Nebogatikov V, Spasskaya D, Evgen’ev M, Morozov A, Funikov S. Cytoplasmic aggregation of mutant FUS causes multistep RNA splicing perturbations in the course of motor neuron pathology. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:5810-5830. [PMID: 37115004 PMCID: PMC10287951 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad319] [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: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of the RNA-binding protein (RBP) FUS implicated in RNA metabolism can cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Mutations affecting FUS nuclear localization can drive RNA splicing defects and stimulate the formation of non-amyloid inclusions in affected neurons. However, the mechanism by which FUS mutations contribute to the development of ALS remains uncertain. Here we describe a pattern of RNA splicing changes in the dynamics of the continuous proteinopathy induced by mislocalized FUS. We show that the decrease in intron retention of FUS-associated transcripts represents the hallmark of the pathogenesis of ALS and is the earliest molecular event in the course of progression of the disease. As FUS aggregation increases, the pattern of RNA splicing changes, becoming more complex, including a decrease in the inclusion of neuron-specific microexons and induction of cryptic exon splicing due to the sequestration of additional RBPs into FUS aggregates. Crucially, the identified features of the pathological splicing pattern are also observed in ALS patients in both sporadic and familial cases. Our data provide evidence that both a loss of nuclear FUS function due to mislocalization and the subsequent cytoplasmic aggregation of mutant protein lead to the disruption of RNA splicing in a multistep fashion during FUS aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander P Rezvykh
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Aleksey A Ustyugov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds at Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russian Federation
| | - Kirill D Chaprov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds at Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russian Federation
| | - Ekaterina V Teterina
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds at Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir O Nebogatikov
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds at Federal Research Center of Problems of Chemical Physics and Medicinal Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, 142432, Russian Federation
| | - Daria S Spasskaya
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Michael B Evgen’ev
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Alexey V Morozov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
| | - Sergei Yu Funikov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991, Russian Federation
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26
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Dominov JA, Madigan LA, Whitt JP, Rademacher KL, Webster KM, Zhang H, Banno H, Tang S, Zhang Y, Wightman N, Shychuck EM, Page J, Weiss A, Kelly K, Kucukural A, Brodsky MH, Jaworski A, Fallon JR, Lipscombe D, Brown RH. Up-regulation of cholesterol synthesis pathways and limited neurodegeneration in a knock-in Sod1 mutant mouse model of ALS. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.05.539444. [PMID: 37205335 PMCID: PMC10187330 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.05.539444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder affecting brain and spinal cord motor neurons. Mutations in the copper/zinc superoxide dismutase gene ( SOD1 ) are associated with ∼20% of inherited and 1-2% of sporadic ALS cases. Much has been learned from mice expressing transgenic copies of mutant SOD1, which typically involve high-level transgene expression, thereby differing from ALS patients expressing one mutant gene copy. To generate a model that more closely represents patient gene expression, we created a knock-in point mutation (G85R, a human ALS-causing mutation) in the endogenous mouse Sod1 gene, leading to mutant SOD1 G85R protein expression. Heterozygous Sod1 G85R mutant mice resemble wild type, whereas homozygous mutants have reduced body weight and lifespan, a mild neurodegenerative phenotype, and express very low mutant SOD1 protein levels with no detectable SOD1 activity. Homozygous mutants exhibit partial neuromuscular junction denervation at 3-4 months of age. Spinal cord motor neuron transcriptome analyses of homozygous Sod1 G85R mice revealed up-regulation of cholesterol synthesis pathway genes compared to wild type. Transcriptome and phenotypic features of these mice are similar to Sod1 knock-out mice, suggesting the Sod1 G85R phenotype is largely driven by loss of SOD1 function. By contrast, cholesterol synthesis genes are down-regulated in severely affected human TgSOD1 G93A transgenic mice at 4 months. Our analyses implicate dysregulation of cholesterol or related lipid pathway genes in ALS pathogenesis. The Sod1 G85R knock-in mouse is a useful ALS model to examine the importance of SOD1 activity in control of cholesterol homeostasis and motor neuron survival. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating disease involving the progressive loss of motor neurons and motor function for which there is currently no cure. Understanding biological mechanisms leading to motor neuron death is critical for developing new treatments. Using a new knock-in mutant mouse model carrying a Sod1 mutation that causes ALS in patients, and in the mouse, causes a limited neurodegenerative phenotype similar to Sod1 loss-of-function, we show that cholesterol synthesis pathway genes are up-regulated in mutant motor neurons, whereas the same genes are down-regulated in transgenic SOD1 mice with a severe phenotype. Our data implicate dysregulation of cholesterol or other related lipid genes in ALS pathogenesis and provide new insights that could contribute to strategies for disease intervention.
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27
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Ong HW, Liang Y, Richardson W, Lowry ER, Wells CI, Chen X, Silvestre M, Dempster K, Silvaroli JA, Smith JL, Wichterle H, Pabla NS, Ultanir SK, Bullock AN, Drewry DH, Axtman AD. Discovery of a Potent and Selective CDKL5/GSK3 Chemical Probe That Is Neuroprotective. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:1672-1685. [PMID: 37084253 PMCID: PMC10161233 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite mediating several essential processes in the brain, including during development, cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) remains a poorly characterized human protein kinase. Accordingly, its substrates, functions, and regulatory mechanisms have not been fully described. We realized that availability of a potent and selective small molecule probe targeting CDKL5 could enable illumination of its roles in normal development as well as in diseases where it has become aberrant due to mutation. We prepared analogs of AT-7519, a compound that has advanced to phase II clinical trials and is a known inhibitor of several cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) and cyclin-dependent kinase-like kinases (CDKLs). We identified analog 2 as a highly potent and cell-active chemical probe for CDKL5/GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3). Evaluation of its kinome-wide selectivity confirmed that analog 2 demonstrates excellent selectivity and only retains GSK3α/β affinity. We next demonstrated the inhibition of downstream CDKL5 and GSK3α/β signaling and solved a co-crystal structure of analog 2 bound to human CDKL5. A structurally similar analog (4) proved to lack CDKL5 affinity and maintain potent and selective inhibition of GSK3α/β, making it a suitable negative control. Finally, we used our chemical probe pair (2 and 4) to demonstrate that inhibition of CDKL5 and/or GSK3α/β promotes the survival of human motor neurons exposed to endoplasmic reticulum stress. We have demonstrated a neuroprotective phenotype elicited by our chemical probe pair and exemplified the utility of our compounds to characterize the role of CDKL5/GSK3 in neurons and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wee Ong
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Yi Liang
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - William Richardson
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
| | - Emily R Lowry
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
- The Project ALS Therapeutics Core, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Carrow I Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Xiangrong Chen
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
| | - Margaux Silvestre
- Kinases and Brain Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - Kelvin Dempster
- Kinases and Brain Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - Josie A Silvaroli
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Jeffery L Smith
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
- The Project ALS Therapeutics Core, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
- Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York 10032, United States
| | - Navjot S Pabla
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Sila K Ultanir
- Kinases and Brain Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, U.K
| | - Alex N Bullock
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7FZ, U.K
| | - David H Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Alison D Axtman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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28
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Ziff OJ, Neeves J, Mitchell J, Tyzack G, Martinez-Ruiz C, Luisier R, Chakrabarti AM, McGranahan N, Litchfield K, Boulton SJ, Al-Chalabi A, Kelly G, Humphrey J, Patani R. Integrated transcriptome landscape of ALS identifies genome instability linked to TDP-43 pathology. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2176. [PMID: 37080969 PMCID: PMC10119258 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37630-6] [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: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) causes motor neuron degeneration, with 97% of cases exhibiting TDP-43 proteinopathy. Elucidating pathomechanisms has been hampered by disease heterogeneity and difficulties accessing motor neurons. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons (iPSMNs) offer a solution; however, studies have typically been limited to underpowered cohorts. Here, we present a comprehensive compendium of 429 iPSMNs from 15 datasets, and 271 post-mortem spinal cord samples. Using reproducible bioinformatic workflows, we identify robust upregulation of p53 signalling in ALS in both iPSMNs and post-mortem spinal cord. p53 activation is greatest with C9orf72 repeat expansions but is weakest with SOD1 and FUS mutations. TDP-43 depletion potentiates p53 activation in both post-mortem neuronal nuclei and cell culture, thereby functionally linking p53 activation with TDP-43 depletion. ALS iPSMNs and post-mortem tissue display enrichment of splicing alterations, somatic mutations, and gene fusions, possibly contributing to the DNA damage response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Ziff
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Jacob Neeves
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jamie Mitchell
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Giulia Tyzack
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Carlos Martinez-Ruiz
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Raphaelle Luisier
- Genomics and Health Informatics Group, Idiap Research Institute, Martigny, Switzerland
| | | | - Nicholas McGranahan
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Kevin Litchfield
- Cancer Research UK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence, University College London Cancer Institute, London, UK
| | - Simon J Boulton
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gavin Kelly
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Jack Humphrey
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience & Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
- Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
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29
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Bernal AF, Mota N, Pamplona R, Area-Gomez E, Portero-Otin M. Hakuna MAM-Tata: Investigating the role of mitochondrial-associated membranes in ALS. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2023; 1869:166716. [PMID: 37044239 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease leading to selective and progressive motor neuron (MN) death. Despite significant heterogeneity in pathogenic and clinical terms, MN demise ultimately unifies patients. Across the many disturbances in neuronal biology present in the disease and its models, two common trends are loss of calcium homeostasis and dysregulations in lipid metabolism. Since both mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are essential in these functions, their intertwin through the so-called mitochondrial-associated membranes (MAMs) should be relevant in this disease. In this review, we present a short overview of MAMs functional aspects and how its dysfunction could explain a substantial part of the cellular disarrangements in ALS's natural history. MAMs are hubs for lipid synthesis, integrating glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and cholesteryl ester metabolism. These lipids are essential for membrane biology, so there should be a close coupling to cellular energy demands, a role that MAMs may partially fulfill. Not surprisingly, MAMs are also host part of calcium signaling to mitochondria, so their impairment could lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, affecting oxidative phosphorylation and enhancing the vulnerability of MNs. We present data supporting that MAMs' maladaptation could be essential to MNs' vulnerability in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Fernàndez Bernal
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Edifici Biomedicina I, Avda Rovira Roure 80, E25196 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Natàlia Mota
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Edifici Biomedicina I, Avda Rovira Roure 80, E25196 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Reinald Pamplona
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Edifici Biomedicina I, Avda Rovira Roure 80, E25196 Lleida, Spain.
| | - Estela Area-Gomez
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas CSIC, C. Ramiro de Maeztu, 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Manuel Portero-Otin
- Metabolic Pathophysiology Research Group, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Lleida-IRBLleida, Edifici Biomedicina I, Avda Rovira Roure 80, E25196 Lleida, Spain.
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30
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Marshall KL, Rajbhandari L, Venkatesan A, Maragakis NJ, Farah MH. Enhanced axonal regeneration of ALS patient iPSC-derived motor neurons harboring SOD1 A4V mutation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5597. [PMID: 37020097 PMCID: PMC10076424 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31720-7] [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: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease, characterized by degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons that leads to muscle weakness, paralysis, and death, but the effects of disease-causing mutations on axonal outgrowth of neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived motor neurons (hiPSC-MN) are poorly understood. The use of hiPSC-MN is a promising tool to develop more relevant models for target identification and drug development in ALS research, but questions remain concerning the effects of distinct disease-causing mutations on axon regeneration. Mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) were the first to be discovered in ALS patients. Here, we investigated the effect of the SOD1A4V mutation on axonal regeneration of hiPSC-MNs, utilizing compartmentalized microfluidic devices, which are powerful tools for studying hiPSC-MN distal axons. Surprisingly, SOD1+/A4V hiPSC-MNs regenerated axons more quickly following axotomy than those expressing the native form of SOD1. Though initial axon regrowth was not significantly different following axotomy, enhanced regeneration was apparent at later time points, indicating an increased rate of outgrowth. This regeneration model could be used to identify factors that enhance the rate of human axon regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Marshall
- Neuromuscular Division, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The John G. Rangos Sr. Building, Room 239, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Labchan Rajbhandari
- Neuromuscular Division, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The John G. Rangos Sr. Building, Room 239, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Arun Venkatesan
- Neuromuscular Division, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The John G. Rangos Sr. Building, Room 239, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Nicholas J Maragakis
- Neuromuscular Division, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The John G. Rangos Sr. Building, Room 239, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Mohamed H Farah
- Neuromuscular Division, Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The John G. Rangos Sr. Building, Room 239, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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31
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Piol D, Robberechts T, Da Cruz S. Lost in local translation: TDP-43 and FUS in axonal/neuromuscular junction maintenance and dysregulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuron 2023; 111:1355-1380. [PMID: 36963381 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Key early features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are denervation of neuromuscular junctions and axonal degeneration. Motor neuron homeostasis relies on local translation through controlled regulation of axonal mRNA localization, transport, and stability. Yet the composition of the local transcriptome, translatome (mRNAs locally translated), and proteome during health and disease remains largely unexplored. This review covers recent discoveries on axonal translation as a critical mechanism for neuronal maintenance/survival. We focus on two RNA binding proteins, transactive response DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43) and fused in sarcoma (FUS), whose mutations cause ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Emerging evidence points to their essential role in the maintenance of axons and synapses, including mRNA localization, transport, and local translation, and whose dysfunction may contribute to ALS. Finally, we describe recent advances in omics-based approaches mapping compartment-specific local RNA and protein compositions, which will be invaluable to elucidate fundamental local processes and identify key targets for therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Piol
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tessa Robberechts
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sandrine Da Cruz
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium.
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32
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Du H, Huo Z, Chen Y, Zhao Z, Meng F, Wang X, Liu S, Zhang H, Zhou F, Liu J, Zhang L, Zhou S, Guan Y, Wang X. Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Their Applications in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060971. [PMID: 36980310 PMCID: PMC10047679 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that results in the loss of motor function in the central nervous system (CNS) and ultimately death. The mechanisms underlying ALS pathogenesis have not yet been fully elucidated, and ALS cannot be treated effectively. Most studies have applied animal or single-gene intervention cell lines as ALS disease models, but they cannot accurately reflect the pathological characteristics of ALS. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be reprogrammed from somatic cells, possessing the ability to self-renew and differentiate into a variety of cells. iPSCs can be obtained from ALS patients with different genotypes and phenotypes, and the genetic background of the donor cells remains unchanged during reprogramming. iPSCs can differentiate into neurons and glial cells related to ALS. Therefore, iPSCs provide an excellent method to evaluate the impact of diseases on ALS patients. Moreover, patient-derived iPSCs are obtained from their own somatic cells, avoiding ethical concerns and posing only a low risk of immune rejection. The iPSC technology creates new hope for ALS treatment. Here, we review recent studies on iPSCs and their applications in disease modeling, drug screening and cell therapy in ALS, with a particular focus on the potential for ALS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Du
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
- Neurologic Disorders and Regenerative Repair Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Zijun Huo
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Yanchun Chen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
- Neurologic Disorders and Regenerative Repair Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Zhenhan Zhao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Fandi Meng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Xuemei Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Shiyue Liu
- Neurologic Disorders and Regenerative Repair Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Haoyun Zhang
- Neurologic Disorders and Regenerative Repair Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Fenghua Zhou
- Neurologic Disorders and Regenerative Repair Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Jinmeng Liu
- Neurologic Disorders and Regenerative Repair Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Lingyun Zhang
- Neurologic Disorders and Regenerative Repair Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Shuanhu Zhou
- Harvard Medical School and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yingjun Guan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
- Neurologic Disorders and Regenerative Repair Laboratory, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Xin Wang
- Harvard Medical School and Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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33
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Ong HW, Liang Y, Richardson W, Lowry ER, Wells CI, Chen X, Silvestre M, Dempster K, Silvaroli JA, Smith JL, Wichterle H, Pabla NS, Ultanir SK, Bullock AN, Drewry DH, Axtman AD. A Potent and Selective CDKL5/GSK3 Chemical Probe is Neuroprotective. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.09.527935. [PMID: 36798313 PMCID: PMC9934649 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.09.527935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Despite mediating several essential processes in the brain, including during development, cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) remains a poorly characterized human protein kinase. Accordingly, its substrates, functions, and regulatory mechanisms have not been fully described. We realized that availability of a potent and selective small molecule probe targeting CDKL5 could enable illumination of its roles in normal development as well as in diseases where it has become aberrant due to mutation. We prepared analogs of AT-7519, a known inhibitor of several cyclin dependent and cyclin-dependent kinase-like kinases that has been advanced into Phase II clinical trials. We identified analog 2 as a highly potent and cell-active chemical probe for CDKL5/GSK3 (glycogen synthase kinase 3). Evaluation of its kinome-wide selectivity confirmed that analog 2 demonstrates excellent selectivity and only retains GSK3α/β affinity. As confirmation that our chemical probe is a high-quality tool to use in directed biological studies, we demonstrated inhibition of downstream CDKL5 and GSK3α/β signaling and solved a co-crystal structure of analog 2 bound to CDKL5. A structurally similar analog ( 4 ) proved to lack CDKL5 affinity and maintain potent and selective inhibition of GSK3α/β. Finally, we used our chemical probe pair ( 2 and 4 ) to demonstrate that inhibition of CDKL5 and/or GSK3α/β promotes the survival of human motor neurons exposed to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We have demonstrated a neuroprotective phenotype elicited by our chemical probe pair and exemplified the utility of our compounds to characterize the role of CDKL5/GSK3 in neurons and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Wee Ong
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States of America
| | - Yi Liang
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States of America
| | - William Richardson
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Emily R. Lowry
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States of America; The Project ALS Therapeutics Core, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States of America
| | - Carrow I. Wells
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States of America
| | - Xiangrong Chen
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - Margaux Silvestre
- Kinases and Brain Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Kelvin Dempster
- Kinases and Brain Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Josie A. Silvaroli
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States of America
| | - Jeffery L. Smith
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States of America
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neurology, Neuroscience, Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States of America; Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States of America; Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States of America; The Project ALS Therapeutics Core, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, 10032, United States of America
| | - Navjot S. Pabla
- Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States of America
| | - Sila K. Ultanir
- Kinases and Brain Development Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Alex N. Bullock
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
| | - David H. Drewry
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States of America; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States of America
| | - Alison D. Axtman
- Structural Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States of America
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34
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Álvarez Z, Ortega JA, Sato K, Sasselli IR, Kolberg-Edelbrock AN, Qiu R, Marshall KA, Nguyen TP, Smith CS, Quinlan KA, Papakis V, Syrgiannis Z, Sather NA, Musumeci C, Engel E, Stupp SI, Kiskinis E. Artificial extracellular matrix scaffolds of mobile molecules enhance maturation of human stem cell-derived neurons. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:219-238.e14. [PMID: 36638801 PMCID: PMC9898161 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2022.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) technologies offer a unique resource for modeling neurological diseases. However, iPSC models are fraught with technical limitations including abnormal aggregation and inefficient maturation of differentiated neurons. These problems are in part due to the absence of synergistic cues of the native extracellular matrix (ECM). We report on the use of three artificial ECMs based on peptide amphiphile (PA) supramolecular nanofibers. All nanofibers display the laminin-derived IKVAV signal on their surface but differ in the nature of their non-bioactive domains. We find that nanofibers with greater intensity of internal supramolecular motion have enhanced bioactivity toward hiPSC-derived motor and cortical neurons. Proteomic, biochemical, and functional assays reveal that highly mobile PA scaffolds caused enhanced β1-integrin pathway activation, reduced aggregation, increased arborization, and matured electrophysiological activity of neurons. Our work highlights the importance of designing biomimetic ECMs to study the development, function, and dysfunction of human neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaida Álvarez
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - J Alberto Ortega
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain
| | - Kohei Sato
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ivan R Sasselli
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Center for Cooperative Research in Biomaterials (CIC biomaGUNE), Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Donostia-San Sebastián 20014, Spain
| | - Alexandra N Kolberg-Edelbrock
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Ruomeng Qiu
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Kelly A Marshall
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Thao Phuong Nguyen
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Cara S Smith
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Katharina A Quinlan
- Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA
| | - Vasileios Papakis
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Zois Syrgiannis
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Nicholas A Sather
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Chiara Musumeci
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Elisabeth Engel
- Biomaterials for Regenerative Therapies, Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | - Samuel I Stupp
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA; Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- Simpson Querrey Institute for BioNanotechnology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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35
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Limone F, Guerra San Juan I, Mitchell JM, Smith JLM, Raghunathan K, Meyer D, Ghosh SD, Couto A, Klim JR, Joseph BJ, Gold J, Mello CJ, Nemesh J, Smith BM, Verhage M, McCarroll SA, Pietiläinen O, Nehme R, Eggan K. Efficient generation of lower induced motor neurons by coupling Ngn2 expression with developmental cues. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111896. [PMID: 36596304 PMCID: PMC10117176 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are a powerful tool for disease modeling of hard-to-access tissues (such as the brain). Current protocols either direct neuronal differentiation with small molecules or use transcription-factor-mediated programming. In this study, we couple overexpression of transcription factor Neurogenin2 (Ngn2) with small molecule patterning to differentiate hPSCs into lower induced motor neurons (liMoNes/liMNs). This approach induces canonical MN markers including MN-specific Hb9/MNX1 in more than 95% of cells. liMNs resemble bona fide hPSC-derived MN, exhibit spontaneous electrical activity, express synaptic markers, and can contact muscle cells in vitro. Pooled, multiplexed single-cell RNA sequencing on 50 hPSC lines reveals reproducible populations of distinct subtypes of cervical and brachial MNs that resemble their in vivo, embryonic counterparts. Combining small molecule patterning with Ngn2 overexpression facilitates high-yield, reproducible production of disease-relevant MN subtypes, which is fundamental in propelling our knowledge of MN biology and its disruption in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Limone
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Leiden University Medical Center, LUMC, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - Irune Guerra San Juan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jana M Mitchell
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Janell L M Smith
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kavya Raghunathan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Daniel Meyer
- Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sulagna Dia Ghosh
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander Couto
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Joseph R Klim
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian J Joseph
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Centre, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - John Gold
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Curtis J Mello
- Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - James Nemesh
- Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Brittany M Smith
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Matthijs Verhage
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Human Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Olli Pietiläinen
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ralda Nehme
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Centre for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kevin Eggan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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36
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Non-coding RNAs as key players in the neurodegenerative diseases: Multi-platform strategies and approaches for exploring the Genome's dark matter. J Chem Neuroanat 2023; 129:102236. [PMID: 36709005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2023.102236] [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: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
A growing amount of evidence in the last few years has begun to unravel that non-coding RNAs have a myriad of functions in gene regulation. Intensive investigation on non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) has led to exploring their broad role in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) owing to their regulatory role in gene expression. RNA sequencing technologies and transcriptome analysis has unveiled significant dysregulation of ncRNAs attributed to their biogenesis, upregulation, downregulation, aberrant epigenetic regulation, and abnormal transcription. Despite these advances, the understanding of their potential as therapeutic targets and biomarkers underpinning detailed mechanisms is still unknown. Advancements in bioinformatics and molecular technologies have improved our knowledge of the dark matter of the genome in terms of recognition and functional validation. This review aims to shed light on ncRNAs biogenesis, function, and potential role in NDs. Further deepening of their role is provided through a focus on the most recent platforms, experimental approaches, and computational analysis to investigate ncRNAs. Furthermore, this review summarizes and evaluates well-studied miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs concerning their potential role in pathogenesis and use as biomarkers in NDs. Finally, a perspective on the main challenges and novel methods for the future and broad therapeutic use of ncRNAs is offered.
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37
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Giallongo S, Lo Re O, Resnick I, Raffaele M, Vinciguerra M. Gene Editing and Human iPSCs in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1396:275-298. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-5642-3_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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38
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Kumar MS, Fowler-Magaw ME, Kulick D, Boopathy S, Gadd DH, Rotunno M, Douthwright C, Golebiowski D, Yusuf I, Xu Z, Brown RH, Sena-Esteves M, O’Neil AL, Bosco DA. Anti-SOD1 Nanobodies That Stabilize Misfolded SOD1 Proteins Also Promote Neurite Outgrowth in Mutant SOD1 Human Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232416013. [PMID: 36555655 PMCID: PMC9784173 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232416013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
ALS-linked mutations induce aberrant conformations within the SOD1 protein that are thought to underlie the pathogenic mechanism of SOD1-mediated ALS. Although clinical trials are underway for gene silencing of SOD1, these approaches reduce both wild-type and mutated forms of SOD1. Here, we sought to develop anti-SOD1 nanobodies with selectivity for mutant and misfolded forms of human SOD1 over wild-type SOD1. Characterization of two anti-SOD1 nanobodies revealed that these biologics stabilize mutant SOD1 in vitro. Further, SOD1 expression levels were enhanced and the physiological subcellular localization of mutant SOD1 was restored upon co-expression of anti-SOD1 nanobodies in immortalized cells. In human motor neurons harboring the SOD1 A4V mutation, anti-SOD1 nanobody expression promoted neurite outgrowth, demonstrating a protective effect of anti-SOD1 nanobodies in otherwise unhealthy cells. In vitro assays revealed that an anti-SOD1 nanobody exhibited selectivity for human mutant SOD1 over endogenous murine SOD1, thus supporting the preclinical utility of anti-SOD1 nanobodies for testing in animal models of ALS. In sum, the anti-SOD1 nanobodies developed and presented herein represent viable biologics for further preclinical testing in human and mouse models of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Sundaram Kumar
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology Program, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Megan E. Fowler-Magaw
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Daniel Kulick
- Department of Biology, Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Sivakumar Boopathy
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology Program, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Del Hayden Gadd
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Melissa Rotunno
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology Program, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Catherine Douthwright
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology Program, Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Diane Golebiowski
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Issa Yusuf
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Zuoshang Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Robert H. Brown
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Miguel Sena-Esteves
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Alison L. O’Neil
- Department of Chemistry, Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459, USA
| | - Daryl A. Bosco
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(774)-445-3745; Fax: +1-(508)-856-6750
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Saito S, Ishikawa T, Ninagawa S, Okada T, Mori K. A motor neuron disease-associated mutation produces non-glycosylated Seipin that induces ER stress and apoptosis by inactivating SERCA2b. eLife 2022; 11:74805. [PMID: 36444643 PMCID: PMC9708084 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74805] [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: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A causal relationship between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and the development of neurodegenerative diseases remains controversial. Here, we focused on Seipinopathy, a dominant motor neuron disease, based on the finding that its causal gene product, Seipin, is a protein that spans the ER membrane twice. Gain-of-function mutations of Seipin produce non-glycosylated Seipin (ngSeipin), which was previously shown to induce ER stress and apoptosis at both cell and mouse levels albeit with no clarified mechanism. We found that aggregation-prone ngSeipin dominantly inactivated SERCA2b, the major calcium pump in the ER, and decreased the calcium concentration in the ER, leading to ER stress and apoptosis in human colorectal carcinoma-derived cells (HCT116). This inactivation required oligomerization of ngSeipin and direct interaction of the C-terminus of ngSeipin with SERCA2b, and was observed in Seipin-deficient neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells expressing ngSeipin at an endogenous protein level. Our results thus provide a new direction to the controversy noted above.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Saito
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tokiro Ishikawa
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoshi Ninagawa
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Okada
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kazutoshi Mori
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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40
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Modeling Movement Disorders via Generation of hiPSC-Derived Motor Neurons. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233796. [PMID: 36497056 PMCID: PMC9737271 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Generation of motor neurons (MNs) from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) overcomes the limited access to human brain tissues and provides an unprecedent approach for modeling MN-related diseases. In this review, we discuss the recent progression in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of MN differentiation and their applications in the generation of MNs from hiPSCs, with a particular focus on two approaches: induction by small molecules and induction by lentiviral delivery of transcription factors. At each induction stage, different culture media and supplements, typical growth conditions and cellular morphology, and specific markers for validation of cell identity and quality control are specifically discussed. Both approaches can generate functional MNs. Currently, the major challenges in modeling neurological diseases using iPSC-derived neurons are: obtaining neurons with high purity and yield; long-term neuron culture to reach full maturation; and how to culture neurons more physiologically to maximize relevance to in vivo conditions.
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41
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Luo HM, Xu J, Huang DX, Chen YQ, Liu YZ, Li YJ, Chen H. Mitochondrial dysfunction of induced pluripotent stem cells-based neurodegenerative disease modeling and therapeutic strategy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1030390. [DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1030390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are disorders in which neurons are lost owing to various factors, resulting in a series of dysfunctions. Their rising prevalence and irreversibility have brought physical pain to patients and economic pressure to both individuals and society. However, the pathogenesis of NDDs has not yet been fully elucidated, hampering the use of precise medication. Induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC) modeling provides a new method for drug discovery, and exploring the early pathological mechanisms including mitochondrial dysfunction, which is not only an early but a prominent pathological feature of NDDs. In this review, we summarize the iPSC modeling approach of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as outline typical mitochondrial dysfunction and recapitulate corresponding therapeutic strategies.
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42
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Quach TT, Stratton HJ, Khanna R, Mackey-Alfonso S, Deems N, Honnorat J, Meyer K, Duchemin AM. Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Dysproteostasis, Altered Calcium Signalosome to Selective Neuronal Vulnerability to AAV-Mediated Gene Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214188. [PMID: 36430666 PMCID: PMC9694178 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite intense research into the multifaceted etiology of neurodegenerative diseases (ND), they remain incurable. Here we provide a brief overview of several major ND and explore novel therapeutic approaches. Although the cause (s) of ND are not fully understood, the accumulation of misfolded/aggregated proteins in the brain is a common pathological feature. This aggregation may initiate disruption of Ca++ signaling, which is an early pathological event leading to altered dendritic structure, neuronal dysfunction, and cell death. Presently, ND gene therapies remain unidimensional, elusive, and limited to modifying one pathological feature while ignoring others. Considering the complexity of signaling cascades in ND, we discuss emerging therapeutic concepts and suggest that deciphering the molecular mechanisms involved in dendritic pathology may broaden the phenotypic spectrum of ND treatment. An innovative multiplexed gene transfer strategy that employs silencing and/or over-expressing multiple effectors could preserve vulnerable neurons before they are lost. Such therapeutic approaches may extend brain health span and ameliorate burdensome chronic disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tam T. Quach
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- INSERM U1217/CNRS UMR5310, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69677 Lyon, France
| | | | - Rajesh Khanna
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University, New York, NY 10010, USA
| | - Sabrina Mackey-Alfonso
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Nicolas Deems
- Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jérome Honnorat
- INSERM U1217/CNRS UMR5310, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 69677 Lyon, France
- French Reference Center on Paraneoplastic Neurological Syndromes and Autoimmune Encephalitis, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69677 Lyon, France
- SynatAc Team, Institut NeuroMyoGène, 69677 Lyon, France
| | - Kathrin Meyer
- The Research Institute of Nationwide Children Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
- Department of Pediatric, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Duchemin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-614-293-5517; Fax: +1-614-293-7599
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PolyGA targets the ER stress-adaptive response by impairing GRP75 function at the MAM in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD. Acta Neuropathol 2022; 144:939-966. [PMID: 36121477 PMCID: PMC9547809 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-022-02494-5] [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: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
ER stress signaling is linked to the pathophysiological and clinical disease manifestations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we have investigated ER stress-induced adaptive mechanisms in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD, focusing on uncovering early endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms and the crosstalk between pathological and adaptive responses in disease onset and progression. We provide evidence for the early onset of ER stress-mediated adaptive response in C9ORF72 patient-derived motoneurons (MNs), reflected by the elevated increase in GRP75 expression. These transiently increased GRP75 levels enhance ER-mitochondrial association, boosting mitochondrial function and sustaining cellular bioenergetics during the initial stage of disease, thereby counteracting early mitochondrial deficits. In C9orf72 rodent neurons, an abrupt reduction in GRP75 expression coincided with the onset of UPR, mitochondrial dysfunction and the emergence of PolyGA aggregates, which co-localize with GRP75. Similarly, the overexpression of PolyGA in WT cortical neurons or C9ORF72 patient-derived MNs led to the sequestration of GRP75 within PolyGA inclusions, resulting in mitochondrial calcium (Ca2+) uptake impairments. Corroborating these findings, we found that PolyGA aggregate-bearing human post-mortem C9ORF72 hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons not only display reduced expression of GRP75 but also exhibit GRP75 sequestration within inclusions. Sustaining high GRP75 expression in spinal C9orf72 rodent MNs specifically prevented ER stress, normalized mitochondrial function, abrogated PolyGA accumulation in spinal MNs, and ameliorated ALS-associated behavioral phenotype. Taken together, our results are in line with the notion that neurons in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD are particularly susceptible to ER-mitochondrial dysfunction and that GRP75 serves as a critical endogenous neuroprotective factor. This neuroprotective pathway, is eventually targeted by PolyGA, leading to GRP75 sequestration, and its subsequent loss of function at the MAM, compromising mitochondrial function and promoting disease onset.
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Petrić Howe M, Crerar H, Neeves J, Harley J, Tyzack GE, Klein P, Ramos A, Patani R, Luisier R. Physiological intron retaining transcripts in the cytoplasm abound during human motor neurogenesis. Genome Res 2022; 32:1808-1825. [PMID: 36180233 PMCID: PMC9712626 DOI: 10.1101/gr.276898.122] [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: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Intron retention (IR) is now recognized as a dominant splicing event during motor neuron (MN) development; however, the role and regulation of intron-retaining transcripts (IRTs) localized to the cytoplasm remain particularly understudied. Here we show that IR is a physiological process that is spatiotemporally regulated during MN lineage restriction and that IRTs in the cytoplasm are detected in as many as 13% (n = 2297) of the genes expressed during this process. We identify a major class of cytoplasmic IRTs that are not associated with reduced expression of their own genes but instead show a high capacity for RNA-binding protein and miRNA occupancy. Finally, we show that ALS-causing VCP mutations lead to a selective increase in cytoplasmic abundance of this particular class of IRTs, which in turn temporally coincides with an increase in the nuclear expression level of predicted miRNA target genes. Altogether, our study identifies a previously unrecognized class of cytoplasmic intronic sequences with potential regulatory function beyond gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Petrić Howe
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Hamish Crerar
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Neeves
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Jasmine Harley
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Giulia E Tyzack
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Klein
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6XA, United Kingdom
| | - Andres Ramos
- Research Department of Structural and Molecular Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6XA, United Kingdom
| | - Rickie Patani
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
| | - Raphaëlle Luisier
- Idiap Research Institute, Genomics and Health Informatics, CH-1920 Martigny, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Blum JA, Gitler AD. Singling out motor neurons in the age of single-cell transcriptomics. Trends Genet 2022; 38:904-919. [PMID: 35487823 PMCID: PMC9378604 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Motor neurons are a remarkably powerful cell type in the central nervous system. They innervate and control the contraction of virtually every muscle in the body and their dysfunction underlies numerous neuromuscular diseases. Some motor neurons seem resistant to degeneration whereas others are vulnerable. The intrinsic heterogeneity of motor neurons in adult organisms has remained elusive. The development of high-throughput single-cell transcriptomics has changed the paradigm, empowering rapid isolation and profiling of motor neuron nuclei, revealing remarkable transcriptional diversity within the skeletal and autonomic nervous systems. Here, we discuss emerging technologies for defining motor neuron heterogeneity in the adult motor system as well as implications for disease and spinal cord injury. We establish a roadmap for future applications of emerging techniques - such as epigenetic profiling, spatial RNA sequencing, and single-cell somatic mutational profiling to adult motor neurons, which will revolutionize our understanding of the healthy and degenerating adult motor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Blum
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Neurosciences Interdepartmental Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Aaron D Gitler
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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Amorós MA, Choi ES, Cofré AR, Dokholyan NV, Duzzioni M. Motor neuron-derived induced pluripotent stem cells as a drug screening platform for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:962881. [PMID: 36105357 PMCID: PMC9467621 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.962881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of cell culture models that recapitulate the etiology and features of nervous system diseases is central to the discovery of new drugs and their translation onto therapies. Neuronal tissues are inaccessible due to skeletal constraints and the invasiveness of the procedure to obtain them. Thus, the emergence of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offers the opportunity to model different neuronal pathologies. Our focus centers on iPSCs derived from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, whose pathology remains in urgent need of new drugs and treatment. In this sense, we aim to revise the process to obtain motor neurons derived iPSCs (iPSC-MNs) from patients with ALS as a drug screening model, review current 3D-models and offer a perspective on bioinformatics as a powerful tool that can aid in the progress of finding new pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana A. Amorós
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Innovation, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Esther S. Choi
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Axel R. Cofré
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Innovation, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
| | - Nikolay V. Dokholyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
| | - Marcelo Duzzioni
- Laboratory of Pharmacological Innovation, Institute of Biological Sciences and Health, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil
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Marlin E, Viu-Idocin C, Arrasate M, Aragón T. The Role and Therapeutic Potential of the Integrated Stress Response in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147823. [PMID: 35887167 PMCID: PMC9321386 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, loss of cellular homeostasis within cortical and spinal cord motor neurons triggers the activation of the integrated stress response (ISR), an intracellular signaling pathway that remodels translation and promotes a gene expression program aimed at coping with stress. Beyond its neuroprotective role, under regimes of chronic or excessive stress, ISR can also promote cell/neuronal death. Given the two-edged sword nature of ISR, many experimental attempts have tried to establish the therapeutic potential of ISR enhancement or inhibition in ALS. This review discusses the complex interplay between ISR and disease progression in different models of ALS, as well as the opportunities and limitations of ISR modulation in the hard quest to find an effective therapy for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elías Marlin
- Neuroscience Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
- Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroscience Department, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | | | - Montserrat Arrasate
- Neuroscience Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
- School of Medicine, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroscience Department, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (T.A.)
| | - Tomás Aragón
- Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression Program, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Neuroscience Department, Navarra Institute for Health Research (IdiSNA), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.A.); (T.A.)
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Sommer D, Rajkumar S, Seidel M, Aly A, Ludolph A, Ho R, Boeckers TM, Catanese A. Aging-Dependent Altered Transcriptional Programs Underlie Activity Impairments in Human C9orf72-Mutant Motor Neurons. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:894230. [PMID: 35774867 PMCID: PMC9237792 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.894230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease characterized by dysfunction and loss of upper and lower motor neurons (MN). Despite several studies identifying drastic alterations affecting synaptic composition and functionality in different experimental models, the specific contribution of impaired activity to the neurodegenerative processes observed in ALS-related MN remains controversial. In particular, contrasting lines of evidence have shown both hyper- as well as hypoexcitability as driving pathomechanisms characterizing this specific neuronal population. In this study, we combined high definition multielectrode array (HD-MEA) techniques with transcriptomic analysis to longitudinally monitor and untangle the activity-dependent alterations arising in human C9orf72-mutant MN. We found a time-dependent reduction of neuronal activity in ALSC9orf72 cultures occurring as synaptic contacts undergo maturation and matched by a significant loss of mutant MN upon aging. Notably, ALS-related neurons displayed reduced network synchronicity most pronounced at later stages of culture, suggesting synaptic imbalance. In concordance with the HD-MEA data, transcriptomic analysis revealed an early up-regulation of synaptic terms in ALSC9orf72 MN, whose expression was decreased in aged cultures. In addition, treatment of older mutant cells with Apamin, a K+ channel blocker previously shown to be neuroprotective in ALS, rescued the time-dependent loss of firing properties observed in ALSC9orf72 MN as well as the expression of maturity-related synaptic genes. All in all, this study broadens the understanding of how impaired synaptic activity contributes to MN degeneration in ALS by correlating electrophysiological alterations to aging-dependent transcriptional programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Sommer
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sandeep Rajkumar
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mira Seidel
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
| | - Amr Aly
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
| | - Albert Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Ritchie Ho
- Center for Neural Science and Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Tobias M. Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University School of Medicine, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
- *Correspondence: Alberto Catanese,
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Utility of iPSC-Derived Cells for Disease Modeling, Drug Development, and Cell Therapy. Cells 2022; 11:cells11111853. [PMID: 35681550 PMCID: PMC9180434 DOI: 10.3390/cells11111853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The advent of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has advanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of human disease, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. As such, the use of iPSCs in drug development and validation has shown a sharp increase in the past 15 years. Furthermore, many labs have been successful in reproducing many disease phenotypes, often difficult or impossible to capture, in commonly used cell lines or animal models. However, there still remain limitations such as the variability between iPSC lines as well as their maturity. Here, we aim to discuss the strategies in generating iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and neurons for use in disease modeling, drug development and their use in cell therapy.
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Critical roles of protein disulfide isomerases in balancing proteostasis in the nervous system. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102087. [PMID: 35654139 PMCID: PMC9253707 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) constitute a family of oxidoreductases promoting redox protein folding and quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum. PDIs catalyze disulfide bond formation, isomerization, and reduction, operating in concert with molecular chaperones to fold secretory cargoes in addition to directing misfolded proteins to be refolded or degraded. Importantly, PDIs are emerging as key components of the proteostasis network, integrating protein folding status with central surveillance mechanisms to balance proteome stability according to cellular needs. Recent advances in the field driven by the generation of new mouse models, human genetic studies, and omics methodologies, in addition to interventions using small molecules and gene therapy, have revealed the significance of PDIs to the physiology of the nervous system. PDIs are also implicated in diverse pathologies, ranging from neurodevelopmental conditions to neurodegenerative diseases and traumatic injuries. Here, we review the principles of redox protein folding in the ER with a focus on current evidence linking genetic mutations and biochemical alterations to PDIs in the etiology of neurological conditions.
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