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Readel ER, Patel A, Putman JI, Du S, Armstrong DW. Antibody binding of amyloid beta peptide epimers/isomers and ramifications for immunotherapies and drug development. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12387. [PMID: 37524807 PMCID: PMC10390520 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38788-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Extracellular deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide is a contributing factor of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Considerable effort has been expended to create effective antibodies, or immunotherapies, targeting Aβ peptides. A few immunotherapies are thought to provide some benefit. It is possible that a contributing factor to the responses of such therapies may be the presence of modified, or aberrant, Aβ peptides found in AD patients. These aberrations include the isomerization and epimerization of L-Asp and L-Ser residues to form D-Asp, L/D-isoAsp, and D-Ser residues, respectively. An effective methodology is essential to isolate all Aβ peptides and then to quantify and locate the aberrant amino acids. Modifications to Aβ peptides may elevate the deposition of Aβ plaques and/or contribute to the neurodegeneration in AD patients, and may alter the binding affinity to antibodies. Herein, we used immunoprecipitation to examine the binding affinity of four antibodies against 18 epimeric and/or isomeric Aβ peptides compared to wild type (all L) Aβ peptide. Tandem mass spectrometry was used as a detection method, which also was found to produce highly variable results for epimeric and/or isomeric Aβ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Readel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Arzoo Patel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Joshua I Putman
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Siqi Du
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
| | - Daniel W Armstrong
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
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Wang C, Liu M, Zhang D, Li P, Wang D, Sun S, Wei W. Detection of β-amyloid peptide aggregates by quartz crystal microbalance based on dual-aptamer assisted signal amplification. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1244:340857. [PMID: 36737146 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.340857] [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: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) aggregates are regarded as a typical neuropathology hallmark for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ40 aggregates include soluble oligomers (Aβ40O) and insoluble fibrils (Aβ40F). Both of them can simultaneously bind to two different kinds of its aptamer (Apt1 and Apt2). As a mass-sensitive sensing platform, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) converts changes in mass on the Au chip surface into frequency shift. Here, a dual-aptamer assisted Aβ40 aggregates assay was developed. Taking Aβ40O detection as an example, Apt2 was modified on the surface of Au chip by Au-S bond. Subsequently, the solution consisted of Aβ40O and gold nanoparticles-Apt1 (AuNPs-Apt1) were injected into the QCM chamber. As a result, Aβ40O was specifically recognized and captured by Apt2. AuNPs-Apt1 were also combined on the surface of the Au chip because Aβ40O can simultaneously bind to Apt1. Then, a significant frequency shift occurred because of the large weight of AuNPs. Similarly, this procedure can be used to detect Aβ40F. This QCM biosensor was able to detect Aβ40O with a range of 0.2-10 pM with a detection limit of 0.11 pM, while the linear range for Aβ40F was 0.1-10 pM with a detection limit of 0.02 pM. This QCM biosensor was simple and highly sensitive, which provided a new method for Aβ40 aggregates detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenchen Wang
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Mengke Liu
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Duoduo Zhang
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Peng Li
- Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Dingzhong Wang
- Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Shihao Sun
- Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Jiangsu Engineering Laboratory of Smart Carbon-Rich Materials and Device, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
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Gao S, Wang Y, Ma T, Zhang J. The Late Stage of Abnormal Aging: Dementia. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1419:157-167. [PMID: 37418213 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-1627-6_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
With the growth of the aging population, more age-related diseases endanger the health of the elderly, and therefore more research attention has been put on Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Dementia does not only posing a serious threat to basic daily living in old age but also impose a greater burden on social and medical care as well as the economy. It is urgent to explore the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and develop effective medicine to prevent or mitigate its onset. Currently, many related mechanisms of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease have been proposed, such as beta-amyloid (A) theory, Tau protein theory, and nerve and blood vessel theory. In addition, from the perspective of improving cognitive function and controlling mental state, dementia-related therapeutic drugs were developed, such as anti-amyloid agents, amyloid vaccine, tau vaccine, and tau-aggregation inhibitor. These theories of pathogenesis and the development of drugs provide valuable experience to lift the veil of cognitive disorders in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shudan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Tao Ma
- Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Junying Zhang
- Beijing Aging Brain Rejuvenation Initiative (BABRI) Centre, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Silvestro S, Valeri A, Mazzon E. Aducanumab and Its Effects on Tau Pathology: Is This the Turning Point of Amyloid Hypothesis? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042011. [PMID: 35216126 PMCID: PMC8880389 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people around the world. The two main pathological mechanisms underlying the disease are beta-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of Tau proteins in the brain. Their reduction has been associated with slowing of cognitive decline and disease progression. Several antibodies aimed to target Aβ or Tau in order to represent hope for millions of patients, but only a small number managed to be selected to participate in clinical trials. Aducanumab is a monoclonal antibody recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which, targeting (Aβ) oligomers and fibrils, was able to reduce Aβ accumulation and slow the progression of cognitive impairment. It was also claimed to have an effect on the second hallmark of AD, decreasing the level of phospho-Tau evaluated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and by positron emission tomography (PET). This evidence may represent a turning point in the development of AD-efficient drugs.
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Montoliu-Gaya L, Villegas S. Production of Therapeutic Single-Chain Variable Fragments (ScFv) in Pichia pastoris. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2313:151-167. [PMID: 34478136 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1450-1_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The interest in the use of monoclonal antibodies as therapeutic molecules has raised in the recent years. Due to their high affinity and specificity towards other biological molecules, antibodies are being widely used to treat a broad range of human diseases such as cancer, rheumatism, and cardiovascular diseases. Currently, the production of IgG-like antibodies is mainly obtained from stable or transient mammalian expression systems that allow proper folding and posttranslational modifications. Despite the technological advances of the last decade, the use of these systems still has a rather high production cost and long processing times. For these reasons, researchers are increasingly interested in alternative antibody production methods as well as alternative antibody formats. Bacterial systems, such as Escherichia coli, are extensively being used for recombinant protein production because their easy manipulation and cheap costs. However, the presence of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) traces in the already fractionated recombinant protein makes these systems not good candidates for the preparation of therapeutic molecules. Yeast systems, such as Pichia pastoris, present the convenient easy manipulation of microbial systems but show some key advantages of eukaryotic expression systems, like improved folding machinery and absence of LPS. They are especially suitable for the production of antibody fragments, which do not need human-like glycosylation, avoiding the high costs of mammalian systems. Here, the protocol for the expression and purification of a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) in P. pastoris is provided, in deep detail for lab manipulation and briefly for a 5L-bioreactor production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Montoliu-Gaya
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Sandra Villegas
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular. Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Hermans SJ, Nero TL, Morton CJ, Gooi JH, Crespi GAN, Hancock NC, Gao C, Ishii K, Markulić J, Parker MW. Structural biology of cell surface receptors implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. Biophys Rev 2021; 14:233-255. [DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00903-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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Palumbo ML, Moroni AD, Quiroga S, Castro MM, Burgueño AL, Genaro AM. Immunomodulation induced by central nervous system-related peptides as a therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative disorders. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2021; 9:e00795. [PMID: 34609083 PMCID: PMC8491457 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) are disorders characterized by the progressive loss of neurons affecting motor, sensory, and/or cognitive functions. The incidence of these diseases is increasing and has a great impact due to their high morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, current therapeutic strategies only temporarily improve the patients' quality of life but are insufficient for completely alleviating the symptoms. An interaction between the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS) is widely associated with neuronal damage in NDD. Usually, immune cell infiltration has been identified with inflammation and is considered harmful to the injured CNS. However, the immune system has a crucial role in the protection and regeneration of the injured CNS. Nowadays, there is a consensus that deregulation of immune homeostasis may represent one of the key initial steps in NDD. Dr. Michal Schwartz originally conceived the concept of "protective autoimmunity" (PA) as a well-controlled peripheral inflammatory reaction after injury, essential for neuroprotection and regeneration. Several studies suggested that immunizing with a weaker version of the neural self-antigen would generate PA without degenerative autoimmunity. The development of CNS-related peptides with immunomodulatory neuroprotective effect led to important research to evaluate their use in chronic and acute NDD. In this review, we refer to the role of PA and the potential applications of active immunization as a therapeutic option for NDD treatment. In particular, we focus on the experimental and clinical promissory findings for CNS-related peptides with beneficial immunomodulatory effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Laura Palumbo
- Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIT NOBA)‐UNNOBA‐UNsADA‐CONICETJunínArgentina
| | - Alejandro David Moroni
- Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIT NOBA)‐UNNOBA‐UNsADA‐CONICETJunínArgentina
| | - Sofía Quiroga
- Instituto de Investigaciones BiomédicasConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICETPontificia Universidad Católica ArgentinaBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - María Micaela Castro
- Centro de Investigaciones y Transferencia del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIT NOBA)‐UNNOBA‐UNsADA‐CONICETJunínArgentina
| | - Adriana Laura Burgueño
- Instituto de Investigaciones BiomédicasConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICETPontificia Universidad Católica ArgentinaBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Ana María Genaro
- Instituto de Investigaciones BiomédicasConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICETPontificia Universidad Católica ArgentinaBuenos AiresArgentina
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Reiss AB, Montufar N, DeLeon J, Pinkhasov A, Gomolin IH, Glass AD, Arain HA, Stecker MM. Alzheimer Disease Clinical Trials Targeting Amyloid: Lessons Learned From Success in Mice and Failure in Humans. Neurologist 2021; 26:52-61. [PMID: 33646990 DOI: 10.1097/nrl.0000000000000320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The goal of slowing or halting the development of Alzheimer disease (AD) has resulted in the huge allocation of resources by academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies to the development of new treatments. The etiology of AD is elusive, but the aggregation of amyloid-β and tau peptide and oxidative processes are considered critical pathologic mechanisms. The failure of drugs with multiple mechanisms to meet efficacy outcomes has caused several companies to decide not to pursue further AD studies and has left the field essentially where it has been for the past 15 years. Efforts are underway to develop biomarkers for detection and monitoring of AD using genetic, imaging, and biochemical technology, but this is of minimal use if no intervention can be offered. REVIEW SUMMARY In this review, we consider the natural progression of AD and how it continues despite present attempts to modify the amyloid-related machinery to alter the disease trajectory. We describe the mechanisms and approaches to AD treatment targeting amyloid, including both passive and active immunotherapy as well as inhibitors of enzymes in the amyloidogenic pathway. CONCLUSION Lessons learned from clinical trials of amyloid reduction strategies may prove crucial for the leap forward toward novel therapeutic targets to treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison B Reiss
- Department of Medicine, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY
| | - Natalie Montufar
- Department of Medicine, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY
| | - Joshua DeLeon
- Department of Medicine, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY
| | - Aaron Pinkhasov
- Department of Medicine, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY
| | - Irving H Gomolin
- Department of Medicine, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY
| | - Amy D Glass
- Department of Medicine, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY
| | - Hirra A Arain
- Department of Medicine, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY
| | - Mark M Stecker
- Fresno Center for Medical Education and Research, Department of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, Fresno, CA
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Kang YJ, Diep YN, Tran M, Cho H. Therapeutic Targeting Strategies for Early- to Late-Staged Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9591. [PMID: 33339351 PMCID: PMC7766709 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, typically showing progressive neurodegeneration in aging brains. The key signatures of the AD progression are the deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, the formation of tau tangles, and the induction of detrimental neuroinflammation leading to neuronal loss. However, conventional pharmacotherapeutic options are merely relying on the alleviation of symptoms that are limited to mild to moderate AD patients. Moreover, some of these medicines discontinued to use due to either the insignificant effectiveness in improving the cognitive impairment or the adverse side effects worsening essential bodily functions. One of the reasons for the failure is the lack of knowledge on the underlying mechanisms that can accurately explain the major causes of the AD progression correlating to the severity of AD. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the better understanding of AD pathogenesis and the development of the disease-modifying treatments, particularly for severe and late-onset AD, which have not been covered thoroughly. Here, we review the underlying mechanisms of AD progression, which have been employed for the currently established therapeutic strategies. We believe this will further spur the discovery of a novel disease-modifying treatment for mild to severe, as well as early- to late-onset, AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- You Jung Kang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science, Center for Biomedical Engineering and Science, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA;
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Biomedical Engineering and Science, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA
| | - Yen N. Diep
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Korea; (Y.N.D.); (M.T.)
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Korea
| | - Minh Tran
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Korea; (Y.N.D.); (M.T.)
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Korea
| | - Hansang Cho
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Korea; (Y.N.D.); (M.T.)
- Department of Intelligent Precision Healthcare Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066 Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 16419, Korea
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Esquerda-Canals G, Roda AR, Martí-Clúa J, Montoliu-Gaya L, Rivera-Hernández G, Villegas S. Treatment with scFv-h3D6 Prevented Neuronal Loss and Improved Spatial Memory in Young 3xTg-AD Mice by Reducing the Intracellular Amyloid-β Burden. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 70:1069-1091. [PMID: 31306135 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides has been described in the brains of both Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and animal models. A correlation between the intracellular amyloid burden and neurodegeneration has recently been reported in a triple-transgenic AD (3xTg-AD) murine model. In the present study, we assessed the effect of scFv-h3D6, an anti-Aβ single-chain variable fragment (scFv) derived from the antibody bapineuzumab, on amyloid pathology in 5-month-old 3xTg-AD female mice, focusing on intracellular Aβ clearance, neuronal survival, and functional abilities. We also examined neuroinflammation and the histology of peripheral organ samples to detect any adverse effects. A single intraperitoneal injection of scFv-h3D6 dramatically reduced intracellular Aβ burden in the deep layers of the cerebral cortex, pyramidal cells layer of the hippocampus, and basolateral amygdalar nucleus. The treatment prevented neuronal loss in the hippocampus and amygdala, while neither astrogliosis nor microgliosis was induced. Instead, an increase in the size of the white pulp after the treatment indicated that the spleen could be involved in the clearance mechanism. Although the treatment did not ameliorate behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia-like symptoms, the results of cognitive testing pointed to a noticeable improvement in spatial memory. These findings indicated that the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of scFv-h3D6 was the clearance of intracellular Aβ, with subsequent prevention of neuronal loss and amelioration of cognitive disabilities. The treatment was safe in terms of neuroinflammation and kidney and liver function, whereas some effects on the spleen were observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Esquerda-Canals
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Biologia Cellular, de Fisiologia i d'Immunologia, Unitat de Citologia i d'Histologia, Facultat de Biociències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alejandro R Roda
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquim Martí-Clúa
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Biologia Cellular, de Fisiologia i d'Immunologia, Unitat de Citologia i d'Histologia, Facultat de Biociències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Montoliu-Gaya
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain.,Current address: Department of Clinical Chemistry and Transfusion Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Geovanny Rivera-Hernández
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sandra Villegas
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Edifici C, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
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Roda AR, Montoliu-Gaya L, Serra-Mir G, Villegas S. Both Amyloid-β Peptide and Tau Protein Are Affected by an Anti-Amyloid-β Antibody Fragment in Elderly 3xTg-AD Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6630. [PMID: 32927795 PMCID: PMC7554787 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common dementia worldwide. According to the amyloid hypothesis, the early accumulation of the Aβ-peptide triggers tau phosphorylation, synaptic dysfunction, and eventually neuronal death leading to cognitive impairment, as well as behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. ScFv-h3D6 is a single-chain variable fragment that has already shown its ability to diminish the amyloid burden in 5-month-old 3xTg-AD mice. However, tau pathology is not evident at this early stage of the disease in this mouse model. In this study, the effects of scFv-h3D6 on Aβ and tau pathologies have been assessed in 22-month-old 3xTg-AD mice. Briefly, 3xTg-AD female mice were treated for 2 weeks with scFv-h3D6 and compared with 3xTg-AD and non-transgenic (NTg) mice treated with PBS. The treatment with scFv-h3D6 was unequivocally effective in reducing the area of Aβ staining. Furthermore, a tendency for a reduction in tau levels was also observed after treatment that points to the interplay between Aβ and tau pathologies. The pro-inflammatory state observed in the 3xTg-AD mice did not progress after scFv-h3D6 treatment. In addition, the treatment did not alter the levels of apolipoprotein E or apolipoprotein J. Thus, a 2-week treatment with scFv-h3D6 was able to reduce AD-like pathology in elderly 3xTg-AD female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro R. Roda
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (A.R.R.); (L.M.-G.); (G.S.-M.)
| | - Laia Montoliu-Gaya
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (A.R.R.); (L.M.-G.); (G.S.-M.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 41 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Gabriel Serra-Mir
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (A.R.R.); (L.M.-G.); (G.S.-M.)
| | - Sandra Villegas
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (A.R.R.); (L.M.-G.); (G.S.-M.)
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Antiamyloid therapy of Alzheimer's disease tackles the overproduction and clearance of the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ). Immunotherapeutic compounds were tested in large-scale trials. We revisit the recent literature focusing on randomized-controlled trials (RCT) using monoclonal anti-Aβ antibodies. RECENT FINDINGS Forty-three articles on anti-Aβ passive immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease were published between January 2016 and October 2019 regarding 17 RCTs: 13 phase III trials using the monoclonal antibodies bapineuzumab, solanezumab, gantenerumab, crenezumab, and aducanumab; three phase II with crenezumab and aducanumab; and one phase I trial with BAN2401. Studies resulted largely negative considering the effect of the treatment on primary and secondary outcome variables. The incidence of the most important adverse effect, amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIAs) ranged between 0.2 and 22%, in treatment groups. Primary endpoints were not met in eight trials, and five trials were discontinued prior to completion. SUMMARY Passive immunotherapy RCTs failed to show clinically relevant effects in patients with clinically manifest or prodromal dementia. The high incidence of ARIAs indicates that the risk of adverse events may outweigh the benefits of these interventions. Ongoing studies must determine the benefit of such interventions in preclinical Alzheimer's disease, addressing the effect of antiamyloid immunotherapy in samples of asymptomatic carriers of autosomal-dominant mutations related to early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
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Hettmann T, Gillies SD, Kleinschmidt M, Piechotta A, Makioka K, Lemere CA, Schilling S, Rahfeld JU, Lues I. Development of the clinical candidate PBD-C06, a humanized pGlu3-Aβ-specific antibody against Alzheimer's disease with reduced complement activation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3294. [PMID: 32094456 PMCID: PMC7040040 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60319-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In clinical trials with early Alzheimer's patients, administration of anti-amyloid antibodies reduced amyloid deposits, suggesting that immunotherapies may be promising disease-modifying interventions against Alzheimer's disease (AD). Specific forms of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides, for example post-translationally modified Aβ peptides with a pyroglutamate at the N-terminus (pGlu3, pE3), are attractive antibody targets, due to pGlu3-Aβ's neo-epitope character and its propensity to form neurotoxic oligomeric aggregates. We have generated a novel anti-pGlu3-Aβ antibody, PBD-C06, which is based on a murine precursor antibody that binds with high specificity to pGlu3-Aβ monomers, oligomers and fibrils, including mixed aggregates of unmodified Aβ and pGlu3-Aβ peptides. PBD-C06 was generated by first grafting the murine antigen binding sequences onto suitable human variable light and heavy chains. Subsequently, the humanized antibody was de-immunized and site-specific mutations were introduced to restore original target binding, to eliminate complement activation and to improve protein stability. PBD-C06 binds with the same specificity and avidity as its murine precursor antibody and elimination of C1q binding did not compromise Fcγ-receptor binding or in vitro phagocytosis. Thus, PBD-C06 was specifically designed to target neurotoxic aggregates and to avoid complement-mediated inflammatory responses, in order to lower the risk for vasogenic edemas in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thore Hettmann
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stephen D Gillies
- Provenance Biopharmaceuticals, 70 Bedford Rd, Carlisle, MA, 01741, USA
| | - Martin Kleinschmidt
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anke Piechotta
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Koki Makioka
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Cynthia A Lemere
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 60 Fenwood Road, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Stephan Schilling
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jens-Ulrich Rahfeld
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department Molecular Drug Biochemistry and Therapy, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany.
| | - Inge Lues
- Vivoryon Therapeutics AG, Weinbergweg 22, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
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14
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Cheng CH, Lin KJ, Hong CT, Wu D, Chang HM, Liu CH, Hsiao IT, Yang CP, Liu YC, Hu CJ. Plasmon-Activated Water Reduces Amyloid Burden and Improves Memory in Animals with Alzheimer's Disease. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13252. [PMID: 31520077 PMCID: PMC6744477 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49731-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
With the great extension of the human lifespan in recent times, many aging diseases have inevitably followed. Dementia is one of the most-commom neurodegenerative aging diseases, in which inflammation-related Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia. Amyloid accumulation in the brain, which occurs before any clinical presentations, might be the first and key step in the development of AD. However, many clinical trials have attempted to remove amyloid from brains of AD patients, but none has so far been successful. Negatively charged plasmon-activated water (PAW) is created by resonantly illuminated gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs), which reduce the hydrogen-bonded (HB) structure of water. PAW was found to possess anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Herein, we report on an innovative strategy to retard the progression of AD by the daily consumption of PAW instead of normal deionized (DI) water. APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice were treated with PAW or DI water from the age of 5 months for the next 9 months. Encouragingly, compared to DI water-treated mice, mice treated with PAW presented better memory performance on a test of novel object recognition and had a significantly lower amyloid burden according to 18F-florbetapir amyloid-PET and phosphorylated (p)-tau burden according to Western blotting and immunohistochemistry measurements. There were no obvious side effects in PAW-treated mice. Collectively, our findings support that PAW was able to reduce the amyloid and p-tau burden and improve memory in an AD mouse model. However, the protein levels of molecules involved in amyloid metabolism and oligomeric amyloid did not change. We propose that the effects of PAW of reducing the amyloid burden and improving memory function cannot be attributed to synthesis/degradation of amyloid-βprotein but probably in preventing aggregation of amyloid-β proteins or other mechanisms, including anti-inflammation. Further applications of PAW in clinical trials to prevent the progression of AD are being designed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hsiung Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan
| | - Kun-Ju Lin
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Center, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No.5, Fuxing St., Taoyuan City, 333, Taiwan.,Healthy Aging Research Center and Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259 Wenhua 1st Rd., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Tai Hong
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology and Dementia Center, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, 291 Jhongjheng Rd., Jhonghe, New Taipei City, 23561, Taiwan
| | - Dean Wu
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology and Dementia Center, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, 291 Jhongjheng Rd., Jhonghe, New Taipei City, 23561, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Ming Chang
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Huan Liu
- Science Department of Physiology, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada
| | - Ing-Tsung Hsiao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Center, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, No.5, Fuxing St., Taoyuan City, 333, Taiwan.,Healthy Aging Research Center and Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, 259 Wenhua 1st Rd., Taoyuan City, 33302, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ping Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chuan Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan.
| | - Chaur-Jong Hu
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan. .,Department of Neurology and Dementia Center, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, 291 Jhongjheng Rd., Jhonghe, New Taipei City, 23561, Taiwan. .,PhD Program of Neural Regenerative Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wuxing St., Taipei, 11031, Taiwan.
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15
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Ayala S, Genevaux P, Hureau C, Faller P. (Bio)chemical Strategies To Modulate Amyloid-β Self-Assembly. ACS Chem Neurosci 2019; 10:3366-3374. [PMID: 31265239 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyloid plaques are one of the two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). They consist mainly of fibrils made of self-assembled amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides. Aβ is produced in healthy brains from proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein. Aβ aggregates, in particular smaller, soluble aggregates, are toxic to cells. Hence, modulating the self-assembly of Aβ became a very active field of research, with the aim to reduce the amount of the toxic aggregates of Aβ or to block their toxic action. A great variety of molecules, chemical and biological, are able to modify the aggregation of Aβ. Here we give an overview of the different mechanistic ways to modulate Aβ aggregation and on which step in the self-assembly molecules can interfere. We discuss the aggregation modulators according to different important parameters, including the type of interaction (weak interaction, coordination or covalent bonds), the importance of kinetics and thermodynamics, the size of the modulating molecules, and binding specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Ayala
- LCC, CNRS & University of Toulouse (UPS, INPT), 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Pierre Genevaux
- Laboratoire de Microbiologie et de Génétique Moléculaires, Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Christelle Hureau
- LCC, CNRS & University of Toulouse (UPS, INPT), 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse, France
| | - Peter Faller
- LCC, CNRS & University of Toulouse (UPS, INPT), 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse, France
- Institut de Chimie, UMR 7177, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, 4 rue Blaise Pascal, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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16
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Esquerda-Canals G, Martí-Clúa J, Villegas S. Pharmacokinetic parameters and mechanism of action of an efficient anti-Aβ single chain antibody fragment. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217793. [PMID: 31150495 PMCID: PMC6544282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of the targeting of amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers through immunotherapy in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mouse models has not been translated into the clinics. The use of single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) has been proposed to prevent the potential severe effects of full-length mAbs by precluding crystallizable fraction-mediated microglia activation. The efficacy of scFv-h3D6, a bapineuzumab-derived anti-Aβ scFv, has been extensively proven. In this work, we compared scFv-h3D6-EL, an elongated variant of the scFv-h3D6, with its original version to assess whether its characteristic higher thermodynamic stability improved its pharmacokinetic parameters. Although scFv-h3D6-EL had a longer half-life than its original version, its absorption from the peritoneal cavity into the systemic compartment was lower than that of the original version. Moreover, we attempted to determine the mechanism underlying the protective effect of scFv-h3D6. We found that scFv-h3D6 showed compartmental distribution and more interestingly crossed the blood–brain barrier. In the brain, scFv-h3D6 was engulfed by glial cells or internalized by Aβ peptide-containing neurons in the early phase post-injection, and was colocalized with the Aβ peptide almost exclusively in glial cells in the late phase post-injection. Aβ peptide levels in the brain decreased simultaneously with an increase in scFv-h3D6 levels. This observation in addition to the increased tumor necrosis factor-α levels in the late phase post-injection suggested that the engulfment of Aβ peptide/scFv-h3D6 complex extruded from large neurons by phagocytic cells was the mechanism underlying Aβ peptide withdrawal. The mechanism of action of scFv-h3D6 demonstrates the effectivity of Aβ-immunotherapy and lays the background for other studies focused on the finding of a treatment for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisela Esquerda-Canals
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Unitat de Citologia i d’Histologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Joaquim Martí-Clúa
- Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Unitat de Citologia i d’Histologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Sandra Villegas
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
- * E-mail:
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17
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Montoliu-Gaya L, Güell-Bosch J, Esquerda-Canals G, Roda AR, Serra-Mir G, Lope-Piedrafita S, Sánchez-Quesada JL, Villegas S. Differential effects of apoE and apoJ mimetic peptides on the action of an anti-Aβ scFv in 3xTg-AD mice. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 155:380-392. [PMID: 30026023 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Anti-Aβ immunotherapy has emerged as a promising approach to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). The single-chain variable fragment scFv-h3D6 is an anti-Aβ antibody fragment that lacks the Fc region, which is associated with the induction of microglial reactivity by the full-length monoclonal antibody bapineuzumab. ScFv-h3D6 was previously shown to restore the levels of apolipoprotein E (apoE) and apolipoprotein J (apoJ) in a triple-transgenic-AD (3xTg-AD) mouse model. Since apoE and apoJ play an important role in the development of AD, we aimed to study the in vivo effect of the combined therapy of scFv-h3D6 with apoE and apoJ mimetic peptides (MPs). Four-and-a-half-month-old 3xTg-AD mice were treated for six weeks with scFv-h3D6, apoE-MP, apoJ-MP, or a combination of scFv-h3D6 with each of the MPs, or a vehicle, and then the results were compared to non-transgenic mice. Magnetic Resonance Imaging showed a general tendency of the different treatments to protect against the reduction in brain volume. Aβ burden decreased after treatment with scFv-h3D6, apoE-MP, or apoJ-MP, but the effect was not as evident with the combined therapies. In terms of glial reactivity, apoE-MP showed a potent anti-inflammatory effect that was eased by the presence of scFv-h3D6, whereas the combination of apoJ-MP and scFv-h3D6 was not detrimental. ScFv-h3D6 alone did not induce microglial reactivity, as full-length antibodies do; rather, it reduced it. Endogenous apoE and apoJ levels were decreased by scFv-h3D6, but the MPs lead to a simultaneous increase of both apolipoproteins. While apoE-MP and apoJ-MP demonstrated different effects in the combined therapies with scFv-h3D6, they did not improve the overall protective effect of scFv-h3D6 in reducing the Aβ burden, apolipoproteins levels or microglial reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Montoliu-Gaya
- Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jofre Güell-Bosch
- Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gisela Esquerda-Canals
- Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Alejandro R Roda
- Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Gabriel Serra-Mir
- Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Silvia Lope-Piedrafita
- Servei de Ressonància Magnètica Nuclear, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red-Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Jose Luis Sánchez-Quesada
- Cardiovascular Biochemistry Group, Research Institute of the Hospital de Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM), Spain.
| | - Sandra Villegas
- Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
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18
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Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, which is considered as one of the most intractable medical problems with heavy social and economic costs. The current drugs for AD, including acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and memantine, a NMDA receptor antagonist, only temporarily ameliorate cognitive decline, but are unable to stop or reverse the progression of dementia. This paper reviewed the recent advance in AD drug development. The drug discovery programs under clinical trials targeting cholinergic system, α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), β-secretase, γ-secretase modulators, tau, inflammatory mediators and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were discussed. Though several drug discovery programs are ongoing, the high failure rate is an outstanding issue. Novel techniques and strategies are desperately needed to significantly accelerate this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejing Lao
- a Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University , Xi'an , China
| | - Naichun Ji
- a Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University , Xi'an , China
| | - Xiaohua Zhang
- a Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University , Xi'an , China
| | - Wenwei Qiao
- a Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University , Xi'an , China
| | - Zhishu Tang
- b Institute of Holistic Integrated Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine , Shaanxi , Xianyang , China
| | - Xingchun Gou
- a Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disorders & Institute of Basic and Translational Medicine, Xi'an Medical University , Xi'an , China.,b Institute of Holistic Integrated Medicine, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine , Shaanxi , Xianyang , China
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19
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Montoliu-Gaya L, Mulder SD, Herrebout MA, Baayen JC, Villegas S, Veerhuis R. Aβ-oligomer uptake and the resulting inflammatory response in adult human astrocytes are precluded by an anti-Aβ single chain variable fragment in combination with an apoE mimetic peptide. Mol Cell Neurosci 2018; 89:49-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2018.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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20
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Rogers J. Principles for central nervous system inflammation research: A call for a consortium approach. Alzheimers Dement 2018; 14:1553-1559. [PMID: 29494807 DOI: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuroinflammation is now considered to be of pathophysiologic significance in Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. Nonetheless, there is no consensus as to what inflammatory mechanisms need to be combated (or facilitated), how therapies for them should be applied, or when they might be efficacious. METHODS This article seeks to put forward cornerstone facts about neuroinflammation, with suggestions for future directions. RESULTS Multiple scientific points about neuroinflammation still remain unaddressed. The main issue, however, is political. An expert body is needed that can sort through the myriad findings and provide consensus advice to agencies that fund basic and clinical research. DISCUSSION Consortium approaches have shown immense value in other Alzheimer's disease research areas and are badly needed in neuroinflammation research. Lacking a consensus, neuroinflammation is just a very large number of isolated articles clamoring for attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Rogers
- Biosciences Division, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
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21
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Coder B, Wang W, Wang L, Wu Z, Zhuge Q, Su DM. Friend or foe: the dichotomous impact of T cells on neuro-de/re-generation during aging. Oncotarget 2018; 8:7116-7137. [PMID: 27738345 PMCID: PMC5351694 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.12572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The interaction between T cells and the central nervous system (CNS) in homeostasis and injury has been recognized being both pathogenic (CD4+ T-helper 1 - Th1, Th17 and γδT) and ameliorative (Th2 and regulatory T cells - Tregs). However, in-depth studies aimed to elucidate the precise in the aged microenvironment and the dichotomous role of Tregs have just begun and many aspects remain unclear. This is due, not only to a mutual dependency and reciprocal causation of alterations and diseases between the nervous and T cell immune systems, but also to an inconsistent aging of the two systems, which dynamically changes with CNS injury/recovery and/or aging process. Cellular immune system aging, particularly immunosenescence and T cell aging initiated by thymic involution - sources of chronic inflammation in the elderly (termed inflammaging), potentially induces an acceleration of brain aging and memory loss. In turn, aging of the brain via neuro-endocrine-immune network drives total body systemic aging, including that of the immune system. Therefore, immunotherapeutics including vaccination and “protective autoimmunity” provide promising means to rejuvenate neuro-inflammatory disorders and repair CNS acute injury and chronic neuro-degeneration. We review the current understanding and recent discoveries linking the aging immune system with CNS injury and neuro-degeneration. Additionally, we discuss potential recovery and rejuvenation strategies, focusing on targeting the aging T cell immune system in an effort to alleviate acute brain injury and chronic neuro-degeneration during aging, via the “thymus-inflammaging-neurodegeneration axis”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Coder
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Weikan Wang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disease Research, First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Liefeng Wang
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA.,Department of Biotechnology, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, P. R. China
| | - Zhongdao Wu
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Qichuan Zhuge
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Aging and Neurological Disease Research, First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang, P. R. China
| | - Dong-Ming Su
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, USA
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22
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van Dyck CH. Anti-Amyloid-β Monoclonal Antibodies for Alzheimer's Disease: Pitfalls and Promise. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:311-319. [PMID: 28967385 PMCID: PMC5767539 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 343] [Impact Index Per Article: 57.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The majority of putative disease-modifying treatments in development for Alzheimer's disease are directed against the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide. Among the anti-Aβ therapeutic approaches, the most extensively developed is immunotherapy-specifically, passive immunization through administration of exogenous monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Although testing of mAbs has been fraught with failure and confusing results, the experience gained from these trials has provided important clues for better treatments. This review summarizes the experience to date with anti-Aβ mAbs to enter clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and examines the evidence for clinical efficacy and the major problems with safety-i.e., amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. As mAbs differ considerably with regard to their epitopes and the conformations of Aβ that they recognize (monomers, oligomers, protofibrils, fibrils), the consequences of targeting different species are also considered. An often-cited explanation for the failure of anti-Aβ mAb trials is that they are set too late in the disease process. New trials are indeed evaluating treatments at prodromal and preclinical stages. We should expect to see additional studies of presymptomatic Alzheimer's disease to join the ongoing prevention trials, for which mAbs continue to serve as the mainstay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher H. van Dyck
- Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit and Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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23
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Amyloid β oligomers (AβOs) in Alzheimer's disease. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2017; 125:177-191. [PMID: 29196815 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-017-1820-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The causative role of amyloid β 1-42 (Aβ42) aggregation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been under debate for over 25 years. Primarily, scientific efforts have focused on the dyshomeostasis between production and clearance of Aβ42. This imbalance may result from mutations either in genes for the substrate, i.e., amyloid precursor protein or in genes encoding presenilin, the enzyme of the reaction that generates Aβ42. Currently, it is supposed that soluble oligomers of amyloid beta (AβOs) and not fibrillar Aβ42 within neuritic plaques may be the toxic factors acting on a very early stage of AD, perhaps even initiating pathological cascade. For example, soluble AβOs isolated from AD patients' brains reduced number of synapses, inhibited long-term potentiation, and enhanced long-term synaptic depression in brain regions responsible for memory in animal models of AD. Concentrations of AβOs in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients are often reported higher than in non-demented controls, and show a negative correlation with mini-mental state examination scores. Furthermore, increased Aβ42/oligomer ratio in the CSF of AD/MCI patients indicated that the presence of soluble AβOs in CSF may be linked to lowering of natively measured monomeric Aβ42 by epitopes masking, and hence, concentrations of AβOs in the CSF are postulated to as useful AD biomarkers.
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Montoliu-Gaya L, Murciano-Calles J, Martinez JC, Villegas S. Towards the improvement in stability of an anti-Aβ single-chain variable fragment, scFv-h3D6, as a way to enhance its therapeutic potential. Amyloid 2017; 24:167-175. [PMID: 28699800 DOI: 10.1080/13506129.2017.1348347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
ScFv-h3D6 is a single-chain variable fragment derived from the monoclonal antibody bapineuzumab that prevents Aβ-induced cytotoxicity by capturing Aβ oligomers. The benefits of scFv-h3D6 treatment in Alzheimer's disease are known at the behavioural, cellular and molecular levels in the 3xTg-AD mouse model. Antibody-based therapeutics are only stable in a limited temperature range, so their benefit in vivo depends on their capability for maintaining the proper fold. Here, we have stabilized the scFv-h3D6 folding by introducing the mutation VH-K64R and combining it with the previously described elongation of the VL domain (C3). The stabilities of the different scFv-h3D6 constructs were calculated from urea and thermal denaturation followed by Trp-fluorescence, CD and DSC and resulted in the order C3 > K64R/C3 > VH-K64R ≥ scFv-h3D6; showing that the combination of both mutations was not additive, instead they partially cancelled each other. The three mutants assayed showed a decreased aggregation tendency but maintained their capability to aggregate in the form of worm-like fibrils, basis of the protective effect of scFv-h3D6. Cytotoxicity assays showed that all the mutants recovered cell viability of Aβ-treated neuroblastoma cell cultures in a dose-dependent manner and with efficiencies that correlated with stability, therefore improving the therapeutic ability of this antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Montoliu-Gaya
- a Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular , Unitat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , Spain
| | - Javier Murciano-Calles
- b Department of Physical Chemistry and Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences , University of Granada, Campus Fuentenueva , Granada , Spain
| | - Jose C Martinez
- b Department of Physical Chemistry and Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences , University of Granada, Campus Fuentenueva , Granada , Spain
| | - Sandra Villegas
- a Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular , Unitat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona , Spain
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Montoliu-Gaya L, Martínez JC, Villegas S. Understanding the contribution of disulfide bridges to the folding and misfolding of an anti-Aβ scFv. Protein Sci 2017; 26:1138-1149. [PMID: 28340507 DOI: 10.1002/pro.3164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
ScFv-h3D6 is a single chain variable fragment that precludes Aβ peptide-induced cytotoxicity by withdrawing Aβ oligomers from the amyloid pathway to the worm-like pathway. Production of scFv molecules is not a straightforward procedure because of the occurrence of disulfide scrambled conformations generated in the refolding process. Here, we separately removed the disulfide bond of each domain and solved the scrambling problem; and then, we intended to compensate the loss of thermodynamic stability by adding three C-terminal elongation mutations, previously described to stabilize the native fold of scFv-h3D6. Such stabilization occurred through stabilization of the intermediate state in the folding pathway and destabilization of a different, β-rich, intermediate state driving to worm-like fibrils. Elimination of the disulfide bridge of the less stable domain, VL , deeply compromised the yield and increased the aggregation tendency, but elimination of the disulfide bridge of the more stable domain, VH , solved the scrambling problem and doubled the production yield. Notably, it also changed the aggregation pathway from the protective worm-like morphology to an amyloid one. This was so because a partially unfolded intermediate driving to amyloid aggregation was present, instead of the β-rich intermediate driving to worm-like fibrils. When combining with the elongation mutants, stabilization of the partially unfolded intermediate driving to amyloid fibrils was the only effect observed. Therefore, the same mutations drove to completely different scenarios depending on the presence of disulfide bridges and this illustrates the relevance of such linkages in the stability of different intermediate states for folding and misfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Montoliu-Gaya
- Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Jose C Martínez
- Department of Physical Chemistry and Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Sandra Villegas
- Protein Folding and Stability Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Unitat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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