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Martí-Martínez S, Valor LM. A Glimpse of Molecular Biomarkers in Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105411. [PMID: 35628221 PMCID: PMC9142992 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by an abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Although the main symptomatology is explained by alterations at the level of the central nervous system, predominantly affecting the basal ganglia, a peripheral component of the disease is being increasingly acknowledged. Therefore, the manifestation of the disease is complex and variable among CAG expansion carriers, introducing uncertainty in the appearance of specific signs, age of onset and severity of disease. The monogenic nature of the disorder allows a precise diagnosis, but the use of biomarkers with prognostic value is still needed to achieve clinical management of the patients in an individual manner. In addition, we need tools to evaluate the patient's response to potential therapeutic approaches. In this review, we provide a succinct summary of the most interesting molecular biomarkers that have been assessed in patients, mostly obtained from body fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid, peripheral blood and saliva.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Martí-Martínez
- Servicio de Neurología, Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain;
| | - Luis M. Valor
- Laboratorio de Apoyo a la Investigación, Hospital General Universitario Dr. Balmis, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria y Biomédica de Alicante (ISABIAL), 03010 Alicante, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-965-913-988
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Gallardo-Orihuela A, Hervás-Corpión I, Hierro-Bujalance C, Sanchez-Sotano D, Jiménez-Gómez G, Mora-López F, Campos-Caro A, Garcia-Alloza M, Valor LM. Transcriptional correlates of the pathological phenotype in a Huntington's disease mouse model. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18696. [PMID: 31822756 PMCID: PMC6904489 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55177-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder without a cure that is caused by an aberrant expansion of CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Although a negative correlation between the number of CAG repeats and the age of disease onset is established, additional factors may contribute to the high heterogeneity of the complex manifestation of symptoms among patients. This variability is also observed in mouse models, even under controlled genetic and environmental conditions. To better understand this phenomenon, we analysed the R6/1 strain in search of potential correlates between pathological motor/cognitive phenotypical traits and transcriptional alterations. HD-related genes (e.g., Penk, Plk5, Itpka), despite being downregulated across the examined brain areas (the prefrontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus and cerebellum), exhibited tissue-specific correlations with particular phenotypical traits that were attributable to the contribution of the brain region to that trait (e.g., striatum and rotarod performance, cerebellum and feet clasping). Focusing on the striatum, we determined that the transcriptional dysregulation associated with HD was partially exacerbated in mice that showed poor overall phenotypical scores, especially in genes with relevant roles in striatal functioning (e.g., Pde10a, Drd1, Drd2, Ppp1r1b). However, we also observed transcripts associated with relatively better outcomes, such as Nfya (CCAAT-binding transcription factor NF-Y subunit A) plus others related to neuronal development, apoptosis and differentiation. In this study, we demonstrated that altered brain transcription can be related to the manifestation of HD-like symptoms in mouse models and that this can be extrapolated to the highly heterogeneous population of HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Gallardo-Orihuela
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Irati Hervás-Corpión
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Carmen Hierro-Bujalance
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Área de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cádiz, Plaza Fragela, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Daniel Sanchez-Sotano
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Área de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cádiz, Plaza Fragela, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Gema Jiménez-Gómez
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Francisco Mora-López
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Servicio de Inmunología, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Antonio Campos-Caro
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Monica Garcia-Alloza
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain.,Área de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Cádiz, Plaza Fragela, 11003, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Luis M Valor
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Ciencias Biomédicas de la Provincia de Cádiz (INiBICA), Cádiz, Spain. .,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar, Av. Ana de Viya 21, 11009, Cádiz, Spain.
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Mirek E, Filip M, Banaszkiewicz K, Rudzińska M, Szymura J, Pasiut S, Stożek J, Szczudlik A. The effects of physiotherapy with PNF concept on gait and balance of patients with Huntington's disease - pilot study. Neurol Neurochir Pol 2015; 49:354-7. [PMID: 26652868 DOI: 10.1016/j.pjnns.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative, progressive disorder of the central nervous system which causes significant gait and balance disturbances. This is a pilot study which aims to determine the effects of a physiotherapy programme with use of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) on gait and balance in HD patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS 30 HD patients aged 21-60 with genetically confirmed diagnosis participated in the study. Participants followed a 3-week-long PNF-based physiotherapy programme. Gait and balance were evaluated twice in each participant: first at baseline and then after the course of physiotherapy. The following methods were used for gait disturbances: Tinetti Gait Assessment Tool, Up and Go Test, Timed Walking Tests for 10m and 20m (TWT10m, TWT20m). Balance was assessed with use of Berg Balance Scale, Pastor Test and Functional Reach Test. RESULTS There was a significant improvement in all measures of balance and gait. CONCLUSION PNF-based physiotherapy is effective and safe in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Mirek
- Department of Rehabilitation in Neurology and Psychiatry, University School of Education, Kraków, Poland; Department of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, John Paul's II Hospital, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Filip
- Department of Rehabilitation in Neurology and Psychiatry, University School of Education, Kraków, Poland; Department of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, John Paul's II Hospital, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Monika Rudzińska
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
| | - Jadwiga Szymura
- Department of Rehabilitation in Neurology and Psychiatry, University School of Education, Kraków, Poland
| | - Szymon Pasiut
- Department of Rehabilitation in Neurology and Psychiatry, University School of Education, Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Stożek
- Department of Rehabilitation in Neurology and Psychiatry, University School of Education, Kraków, Poland
| | - Andrzej Szczudlik
- Department of Neurology, Jagiellonian University Medical College in Cracow, Kraków, Poland
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Zielonka D, Mielcarek M, Landwehrmeyer GB. Update on Huntington's disease: advances in care and emerging therapeutic options. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2014; 21:169-78. [PMID: 25572500 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2014] [Revised: 12/10/2014] [Accepted: 12/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Huntington's disease (HD) is the most common hereditary neurodegenerative disorder. Despite the fact that both the gene and the mutation causing this monogenetic disorder were identified more than 20 years ago, disease-modifying therapies for HD have not yet been established. REVIEW While intense preclinical research and large cohort studies in HD have laid foundations for tangible improvements in understanding HD and caring for HD patients, identifying targets for therapeutic interventions and developing novel therapeutic modalities (new chemical entities and advanced therapies using DNA and RNA molecules as therapeutic agents) continues to be an ongoing process. The authors review recent achievements in HD research and focus on approaches towards disease-modifying therapies, ranging from huntingtin-lowering strategies to improving huntingtin clearance that may be promoted by posttranslational HTT modifications. CONCLUSION The nature and number of upcoming clinical studies/trials in HD is a reason for hope for HD patients and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zielonka
- Department of Social Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland.
| | - Michal Mielcarek
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, UK
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Valor LM. Transcription, epigenetics and ameliorative strategies in Huntington's Disease: a genome-wide perspective. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 51:406-23. [PMID: 24788684 PMCID: PMC4309905 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8715-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 04/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional dysregulation in Huntington’s disease (HD) is an early event that shapes the brain transcriptome by both the depletion and ectopic activation of gene products that eventually affect survival and neuronal functions. Disruption in the activity of gene expression regulators, such as transcription factors, chromatin-remodeling proteins, and noncoding RNAs, accounts for the expression changes observed in multiple animal and cellular models of HD and in samples from patients. Here, I review the recent advances in the study of HD transcriptional dysregulation and its causes to finally discuss the possible implications in ameliorative strategies from a genome-wide perspective. To date, the use of genome-wide approaches, predominantly based on microarray platforms, has been successful in providing an extensive catalog of differentially regulated genes, including biomarkers aimed at monitoring the progress of the pathology. Although still incipient, the introduction of combined next-generation sequencing techniques is enhancing our comprehension of the mechanisms underlying altered transcriptional dysregulation in HD by providing the first genomic landscapes associated with epigenetics and the occupancy of transcription factors. In addition, the use of genome-wide approaches is becoming more and more necessary to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ameliorative strategies and to identify novel mechanisms of amelioration that may help in the improvement of current preclinical therapeutics. Finally, the major conclusions obtained from HD transcriptomics studies have the potential to be extrapolated to other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Valor
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain,
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Watkin EE, Arbez N, Waldron-Roby E, O'Meally R, Ratovitski T, Cole RN, Ross CA. Phosphorylation of mutant huntingtin at serine 116 modulates neuronal toxicity. PLoS One 2014; 9:e88284. [PMID: 24505464 PMCID: PMC3914950 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0088284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phosphorylation has been shown to have a significant impact on expanded huntingtin-mediated cellular toxicity. Several phosphorylation sites have been identified on the huntingtin (Htt) protein. To find new potential therapeutic targets for Huntington's Disease (HD), we used mass spectrometry to identify novel phosphorylation sites on N-terminal Htt, expressed in HEK293 cells. Using site-directed mutagenesis we introduced alterations of phosphorylation sites in a N586 Htt construct containing 82 polyglutamine repeats. The effects of these alterations on expanded Htt toxicity were evaluated in primary neurons using a nuclear condensation assay and a direct time-lapse imaging of neuronal death. As a result of these studies, we identified several novel phosphorylation sites, validated several known sites, and discovered one phospho-null alteration, S116A, that had a protective effect against expanded polyglutamine-mediated cellular toxicity. The results suggest that S116 is a potential therapeutic target, and indicate that our screening method is useful for identifying candidate phosphorylation sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E. Watkin
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Elaine Waldron-Roby
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robert O'Meally
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tamara Ratovitski
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Robert N. Cole
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Departments of Neurology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
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