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Deng Q, Wu C, Parker E, Liu TCY, Duan R, Yang L. Microglia and Astrocytes in Alzheimer's Disease: Significance and Summary of Recent Advances. Aging Dis 2024; 15:1537-1564. [PMID: 37815901 PMCID: PMC11272214 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease, one of the most common forms of dementia, is characterized by a slow progression of cognitive impairment and neuronal loss. Currently, approved treatments for AD are hindered by various side effects and limited efficacy. Despite considerable research, practical treatments for AD have not been developed. Increasing evidence shows that glial cells, especially microglia and astrocytes, are essential in the initiation and progression of AD. During AD progression, activated resident microglia increases the ability of resting astrocytes to transform into reactive astrocytes, promoting neurodegeneration. Extensive clinical and molecular studies show the involvement of microglia and astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation in AD pathology, indicating that microglia and astrocytes may be potential therapeutic targets for AD. This review will summarize the significant and recent advances of microglia and astrocytes in the pathogenesis of AD in three parts. First, we will review the typical pathological changes of AD and discuss microglia and astrocytes in terms of function and phenotypic changes. Second, we will describe microglia and astrocytes' physiological and pathological role in AD. These roles include the inflammatory response, "eat me" and "don't eat me" signals, Aβ seeding, propagation, clearance, synapse loss, synaptic pruning, remyelination, and demyelination. Last, we will review the pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies targeting microglia and astrocytes in AD. We conclude that microglia and astrocytes are essential in the initiation and development of AD. Therefore, understanding the new role of microglia and astrocytes in AD progression is critical for future AD studies and clinical trials. Moreover, pharmacological, and non-pharmacological therapies targeting microglia and astrocytes, with specific studies investigating microglia and astrocyte-mediated neuronal damage and repair, may be a promising research direction for future studies regarding AD treatment and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianting Deng
- Laboratory of Exercise and Neurobiology, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Chongyun Wu
- Laboratory of Exercise and Neurobiology, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
- Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine in Sports Science, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Emily Parker
- Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
| | - Timon Cheng-Yi Liu
- Laboratory of Laser Sports Medicine, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Rui Duan
- Laboratory of Regenerative Medicine in Sports Science, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Luodan Yang
- Laboratory of Exercise and Neurobiology, School of Physical Education and Sports Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Yang LG, March ZM, Stephenson RA, Narayan PS. Apolipoprotein E in lipid metabolism and neurodegenerative disease. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2023; 34:430-445. [PMID: 37357100 PMCID: PMC10365028 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2023.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of lipid metabolism has emerged as a central component of many neurodegenerative diseases. Variants of the lipid transport protein, apolipoprotein E (APOE), modulate risk and resilience in several neurodegenerative diseases including late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). Allelic variants of the gene, APOE, alter the lipid metabolism of cells and tissues and have been broadly associated with several other cellular and systemic phenotypes. Targeting APOE-associated metabolic pathways may offer opportunities to alter disease-related phenotypes and consequently, attenuate disease risk and impart resilience to multiple neurodegenerative diseases. We review the molecular, cellular, and tissue-level alterations to lipid metabolism that arise from different APOE isoforms. These changes in lipid metabolism could help to elucidate disease mechanisms and tune neurodegenerative disease risk and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda G Yang
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zachary M March
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Roxan A Stephenson
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Priyanka S Narayan
- Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.; National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias (CARD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Maitre M, Jeltsch-David H, Okechukwu NG, Klein C, Patte-Mensah C, Mensah-Nyagan AG. Myelin in Alzheimer's disease: culprit or bystander? Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023; 11:56. [PMID: 37004127 PMCID: PMC10067200 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01554-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with neuronal and synaptic losses due to the accumulation of toxic amyloid β (Αβ) peptide oligomers, plaques, and tangles containing tau (tubulin-associated unit) protein. While familial AD is caused by specific mutations, the sporadic disease is more common and appears to result from a complex chronic brain neuroinflammation with mitochondriopathies, inducing free radicals' accumulation. In aged brain, mutations in DNA and several unfolded proteins participate in a chronic amyloidosis response with a toxic effect on myelin sheath and axons, leading to cognitive deficits and dementia. Αβ peptides are the most frequent form of toxic amyloid oligomers. Accumulations of misfolded proteins during several years alters different metabolic mechanisms, induce chronic inflammatory and immune responses with toxic consequences on neuronal cells. Myelin composition and architecture may appear to be an early target for the toxic activity of Aβ peptides and others hydrophobic misfolded proteins. In this work, we describe the possible role of early myelin alterations in the genesis of neuronal alterations and the onset of symptomatology. We propose that some pathophysiological and clinical forms of the disease may arise from structural and metabolic disorders in the processes of myelination/demyelination of brain regions where the accumulation of non-functional toxic proteins is important. In these forms, the primacy of the deleterious role of amyloid peptides would be a matter of questioning and the initiating role of neuropathology would be primarily the fact of dysmyelination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Maitre
- Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), INSERM U1119, Université de Strasbourg, Bâtiment CRBS de la Faculté de Médecine, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, Strasbourg, 67000, France.
| | - Hélène Jeltsch-David
- Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), INSERM U1119, Université de Strasbourg, Bâtiment CRBS de la Faculté de Médecine, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, Strasbourg, 67000, France
- Biotechnologie et signalisation cellulaire, UMR 7242 CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 300 Boulevard Sébastien Brant CS 10413, Illkirch cedex, 67412, France
| | - Nwife Getrude Okechukwu
- Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), INSERM U1119, Université de Strasbourg, Bâtiment CRBS de la Faculté de Médecine, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Christian Klein
- Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), INSERM U1119, Université de Strasbourg, Bâtiment CRBS de la Faculté de Médecine, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Christine Patte-Mensah
- Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), INSERM U1119, Université de Strasbourg, Bâtiment CRBS de la Faculté de Médecine, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, Strasbourg, 67000, France
| | - Ayikoe-Guy Mensah-Nyagan
- Biopathologie de la Myéline, Neuroprotection et Stratégies Thérapeutiques, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg (FMTS), INSERM U1119, Université de Strasbourg, Bâtiment CRBS de la Faculté de Médecine, 1 rue Eugène Boeckel, Strasbourg, 67000, France
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Balagué-Dobón L, Cáceres A, González JR. Fully exploiting SNP arrays: a systematic review on the tools to extract underlying genomic structure. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:bbac043. [PMID: 35211719 PMCID: PMC8921734 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most abundant type of genomic variation and the most accessible to genotype in large cohorts. However, they individually explain a small proportion of phenotypic differences between individuals. Ancestry, collective SNP effects, structural variants, somatic mutations or even differences in historic recombination can potentially explain a high percentage of genomic divergence. These genetic differences can be infrequent or laborious to characterize; however, many of them leave distinctive marks on the SNPs across the genome allowing their study in large population samples. Consequently, several methods have been developed over the last decade to detect and analyze different genomic structures using SNP arrays, to complement genome-wide association studies and determine the contribution of these structures to explain the phenotypic differences between individuals. We present an up-to-date collection of available bioinformatics tools that can be used to extract relevant genomic information from SNP array data including population structure and ancestry; polygenic risk scores; identity-by-descent fragments; linkage disequilibrium; heritability and structural variants such as inversions, copy number variants, genetic mosaicisms and recombination histories. From a systematic review of recently published applications of the methods, we describe the main characteristics of R packages, command-line tools and desktop applications, both free and commercial, to help make the most of a large amount of publicly available SNP data.
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