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Huang G, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Thioamides in medicinal chemistry and as small molecule therapeutic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 277:116732. [PMID: 39106658 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024]
Abstract
Thioamides, which are fascinating isosteres of amides, have garnered significant attention in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry programs, spanning peptides and small molecule compounds. This review provides an overview of the various applications of thioamides in small molecule therapeutic agents targeting a range of human diseases, including cancer, microbial infections (e.g., tuberculosis, bacteria, and fungi), viral infections, neurodegenerative conditions, analgesia, and others. Particular focus is given to design strategies of biologically active thioamide-containing compounds and their biological targets, such as kinases and histone methyltransferase ASH1L. Additionally, the review discusses the impact of the thioamide moiety on key properties, including potency, target interactions, physicochemical characteristics, and pharmacokinetics profiles. We hope that this work will offer valuable insights to inspire the future development of novel bioactive thioamide-containing compounds, facilitating their effective use in combating a wide array of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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2
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Chen X, Huang Y, Yang S, Wang S, Chen L, Yu X, Gan N, Huang S. In-situ nanozyme catalytic amplification coupled with a universal antibody orientation strategy based electrochemical immunosensor for AD-related biomarker. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 266:116738. [PMID: 39241336 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2024.116738] [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: 07/28/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
An in-situ nanozyme signal tag combined with a DNA-mediated universal antibody-oriented strategy was proposed to establish a high-performance immunosensing platform for Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related biomarker detection. Briefly, a Zr-based metal-organic framework (MOF) with peroxidase (POD)-like activity was synthesized to encapsulating the electroactive molecule methylene blue (MB), and subsequently modified with a layer of gold nanoparticles on its surface. This led to the creation of double POD-like activity nanozymes surrounding the MB molecule to form a nanozyme signal tag. A large number of hydroxyl radicals were generated by the nanozyme signal tag with the help of H2O2, which catalyzed MB molecules in situ to achieve efficient signal amplification. Subsequently, a DNA-aptamer-mediated universal antibody-oriented strategy was proposed to enhance the binding efficiency for the antigen (target). Meanwhile, a poly adenine was incorporated at the end of the aptamer, facilitating binding to the gold electrode and providing anti-fouling properties due to the hydrophilicity of the phosphate group. Under optimal conditions, this platform was successfully employed for highly sensitive detection of AD-associated tau protein and BACE1, achieving limits of detection with concentrations of 3.34 fg/mL and 1.67 fg/mL, respectively. It is worth mentioning that in the tau immunosensing mode, 20 clinical samples from volunteers of varying ages were analyzed, revealing significantly higher tau expression levels in the blood samples of elderly volunteers compared to young volunteers. This suggests that the developed strategy holds great promise for early AD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyu Chen
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Clinical Research and Evaluation of Drug for Thoracic Diseases, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Yang Huang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Clinical Research and Evaluation of Drug for Thoracic Diseases, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Shuo Yang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Clinical Research and Evaluation of Drug for Thoracic Diseases, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Clinical Research and Evaluation of Drug for Thoracic Diseases, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, Haikou, Hainan, 570208, China
| | - Xiyong Yu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Clinical Research and Evaluation of Drug for Thoracic Diseases, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China.
| | - Ning Gan
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Analysis of Zhejiang Province, School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China; College of Public Health, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510310, China.
| | - Shengfeng Huang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Clinical Research and Evaluation of Drug for Thoracic Diseases, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China.
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3
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Murray A, Muñiz-García A, Alić I, Nižetić D. It's good to know what to BACE the specificity of your inhibitors on. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e183677. [PMID: 39145447 PMCID: PMC11324289 DOI: 10.1172/jci183677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Production, aggregation, and clearance of the amyloid β peptide (Aβ) are important processes governing the initial pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Inhibition of β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme (BACE1) (one of two key proteases responsible for Aβ production) as an AD-therapeutic approach so far has failed to yield a successful drug. BACE1 and its homologue BACE2 are frequently inhibited by the same inhibitors. Several genetic and cerebral organoid modeling studies suggest that BACE2 has dose-dependent AD-suppressing activity, which makes its unwanted inhibition potentially counterproductive for AD treatment. The in vivo effects of an unwanted cross inhibition of BACE2 have so far been impossible to monitor because of the lack of an easily accessible pharmacodynamic marker specific for BACE2 cleavage. In this issue of the JCI, work led by Stefan F. Lichtenthaler identifies soluble VEGFR3 (sVEGFR3) as a pharmacodynamic plasma marker for BACE2 activity not shared with BACE1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoife Murray
- The Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Muñiz-García
- The Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan Alić
- The Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dean Nižetić
- The Blizard Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
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4
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Ulku I, Leung R, Herre F, Walther L, Shobo A, Saftig P, Hancock MA, Liebsch F, Multhaup G. Inhibition of BACE1 affected both its Aβ producing and degrading activities and increased Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels at high-level BACE1 expression. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107510. [PMID: 38944120 PMCID: PMC11324814 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is the predominant β-secretase, cleaving the amyloid precursor protein (APP) via the amyloidogenic pathway. In addition, BACE1 as an amyloid degrading enzyme (ADE), cleaves Aβ to produce the C-terminally truncated non-toxic Aβ fragment Aβ34 which is an indicator of amyloid clearance. Here, we analyzed the effects of BACE1 inhibitors on its opposing enzymatic functions, i.e., amyloidogenic (Aβ producing) and amyloidolytic (Aβ degrading) activities, using cell culture models with varying BACE1/APP ratios. Under high-level BACE1 expression, low-dose inhibition unexpectedly yielded a two-fold increase in Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels. The concomitant decrease in Aβ34 and secreted APPβ levels suggested that the elevated Aβ42 and Aβ40 levels were due to the attenuated Aβ degrading activity of BACE1. Notably, the amyloidolytic activity of BACE1 was impeded at lower BACE1 inhibitor concentrations compared to its amyloidogenic activity, thereby suggesting that the Aβ degrading activity of BACE1 was more sensitive to inhibition than its Aβ producing activity. Under endogenous BACE1 and APP levels, "low-dose" BACE1 inhibition affected both the Aβ producing and degrading activities of BACE1, i.e., significantly increased Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio and decreased Aβ34 levels, respectively. Further, we incubated recombinant BACE1 with synthetic Aβ peptides and found that BACE1 has a higher affinity for Aβ substrates over APP. In summary, our results suggest that stimulating BACE1's ADE activity and halting Aβ production without decreasing Aβ clearance could still be a promising therapeutic approach with new, yet to be developed, BACE1 modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irem Ulku
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rocher Leung
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Fritz Herre
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Lina Walther
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Adeola Shobo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Paul Saftig
- Biochemisches Institut, CAU Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Mark A Hancock
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Filip Liebsch
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gerhard Multhaup
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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5
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Kumar M, Swanson N, Ray S, Buch S, Saraswathi V, Sil S. Astrocytes in Amyloid Generation and Alcohol Metabolism: Implications of Alcohol Use in Neurological Disorder(s). Cells 2024; 13:1173. [PMID: 39056755 PMCID: PMC11274690 DOI: 10.3390/cells13141173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
As per the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 10.5% of Americans aged 12 years and older are suffering from alcohol use disorder, with a wide range of neurological disorders. Alcohol-mediated neurological disorders can be linked to Alzheimer's-like pathology, which has not been well studied. We hypothesize that alcohol exposure can induce astrocytic amyloidosis, which can be corroborated by the neurological disorders observed in alcohol use disorder. In this study, we demonstrated that the exposure of astrocytes to ethanol resulted in an increase in Alzheimer's disease markers-the amyloid precursor protein, Aβ1-42, and the β-site-cleaving enzyme; an oxidative stress marker-4HNE; proinflammatory cytokines-TNF-α, IL1β, and IL6; lncRNA BACE1-AS; and alcohol-metabolizing enzymes-alcohol dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase-2, and cytochrome P450 2E1. A gene-silencing approach confirmed the regulatory role of lncRNA BACE1-AS in amyloid generation, alcohol metabolism, and neuroinflammation. This report is the first to suggest the involvement of lncRNA BACE1-AS in alcohol-induced astrocytic amyloid generation and alcohol metabolism. These findings will aid in developing therapies targeting astrocyte-mediated neurological disorders and cognitive deficits in alcohol users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohit Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Natalie Swanson
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Sudipta Ray
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Shilpa Buch
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Viswanathan Saraswathi
- VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System, Omaha, NE 68105, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Susmita Sil
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
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6
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Deng XH, Liu XY, Wei YH, Wang K, Zhu JR, Zhong JJ, Zheng JY, Guo R, Zhu YF, Ye QH, Wang MD, Chen YJ, He JQ, Chen ZX, Huang SQ, Lv CS, Zheng GQ, Liu SF, Wen L. ErbB4 deficiency exacerbates olfactory dysfunction in an early-stage Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024:10.1038/s41401-024-01332-6. [PMID: 38982150 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-024-01332-6] [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: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Olfactory dysfunction is increasingly recognized as an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aberrations in GABAergic function and the excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance within the olfactory bulb (OB) have been implicated in olfactory impairment during the initial stages of AD. While the neuregulin 1 (NRG1)/ErbB4 signaling pathway is known to regulate GABAergic transmission in the brain and is associated with various neuropsychiatric disorders, its specific role in early AD-related olfactory impairment remains incompletely understood. This study demonstrated that olfactory dysfunction preceded cognitive decline in young adult APP/PS1 mice and was characterized by reduced levels of NRG1 and ErbB4 in the OB. Further investigation revealed that deletion of ErbB4 in parvalbumin interneurons reduced GABAergic transmission and increased hyperexcitability in mitral and tufted cells (M/Ts) in the OB, thereby accelerating olfactory dysfunction in young adult APP/PS1 mice. Additionally, ErbB4 deficiency was associated with increased accumulation of Aβ and BACE1-mediated cleavage of APP, along with enhanced CDK5 signaling in the OB. NRG1 infusion into the OB was found to enhance GABAergic transmission in M/Ts and alleviate olfactory dysfunction in young adult APP/PS1 mice. These findings underscore the critical role of NRG1/ErbB4 signaling in regulating GABAergic transmission and E/I balance within the OB, contributing to olfactory impairment in young adult APP/PS1 mice, and provide novel insights for early intervention strategies in AD. This work has shown that ErbB4 deficiency increased the burden of Aβ, impaired GABAergic transmission, and disrupted the E/I balance of mitral and tufted cells (M/Ts) in the OB, ultimately resulting in olfactory dysfunction in young adult APP/PS1 mice. NRG1 could enhance GABAergic transmission, rescue E/I imbalance in M/Ts, and alleviate olfactory dysfunction in young adult APP/PS1 mice. OB: olfactory bulb, E/I: excitation/inhibition, Pr: probability of release, PV: parvalbumin interneurons, Aβ: β-amyloid, GABA: gamma-aminobutyric acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian-Hua Deng
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Xing-Yang Liu
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Yi-Hua Wei
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Ke Wang
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, 310006, China
| | - Jun-Rong Zhu
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Jia-Jun Zhong
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Jing-Yuan Zheng
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Rui Guo
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Yi-Fan Zhu
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Qiu-Hong Ye
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Meng-Dan Wang
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Ying-Jie Chen
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Jian-Quan He
- Zhongshan Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Ze-Xu Chen
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Shu-Qiong Huang
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Chong-Shan Lv
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China
| | - Guo-Qing Zheng
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Hangzhou, 310006, China.
| | - Sui-Feng Liu
- Zhongshan Hospital, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China.
| | - Lei Wen
- Center for Brain Sciences, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361000, China.
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7
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Stockinger F, Poc P, Möhwald A, Karch S, Häfner S, Alzheimer C, Sandoz G, Huth T, Broichhagen J. Multicolor, Cell-Impermeable, and High Affinity BACE1 Inhibitor Probes Enable Superior Endogenous Staining and Imaging of Single Molecules. J Med Chem 2024; 67:10152-10167. [PMID: 38842406 PMCID: PMC11215771 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The prevailing but not undisputed amyloid cascade hypothesis places the β-site of APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) center stage in Alzheimer's Disease pathogenesis. Here, we investigated functional properties of BACE1 with novel tag- and antibody-free labeling tools, which are conjugates of the BACE1-inhibitor IV (also referred to as C3) linked to different impermeable Alexa Fluor dyes. We show that these fluorescent small molecules bind specifically to BACE1, with a 1:1 labeling stoichiometry at their orthosteric site. This is a crucial property especially for single-molecule and super-resolution microscopy approaches, allowing characterization of the dyes' labeling capabilities in overexpressing cell systems and in native neuronal tissue. With multiple colors at hand, we evaluated BACE1-multimerization by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) acceptor-photobleaching and single-particle imaging of native BACE1. In summary, our novel fluorescent inhibitors, termed Alexa-C3, offer unprecedented insights into protein-protein interactions and diffusion behavior of BACE1 down to the single molecule level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Stockinger
- Institut
für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Pascal Poc
- Department
of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute
for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut
für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Alexander Möhwald
- Institut
für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Sandra Karch
- Institut
für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Stephanie Häfner
- Université
Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM,
iBV, Nice 06108, Cedex 2, France
- Laboratories
of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Nice 06108, Cedex 2, France
| | - Christian Alzheimer
- Institut
für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Guillaume Sandoz
- Université
Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM,
iBV, Nice 06108, Cedex 2, France
- Laboratories
of Excellence, Ion Channel Science and Therapeutics, Nice 06108, Cedex 2, France
| | - Tobias Huth
- Institut
für Physiologie und Pathophysiologie, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen 91054, Germany
| | - Johannes Broichhagen
- Department
of Chemical Biology, Max Planck Institute
for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut
für Molekulare Pharmakologie, Berlin 13125, Germany
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8
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Coimbra JRM, Resende R, Custódio JBA, Salvador JAR, Santos AE. BACE1 Inhibitors for Alzheimer's Disease: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives. J Alzheimers Dis 2024:JAD240146. [PMID: 38943390 DOI: 10.3233/jad-240146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Disease-modifying therapies (DMT) for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are highly longed-for. In this quest, anti-amyloid therapies take center stage supported by genetic facts that highlight an imbalance between production and clearance of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) in AD patients. Indeed, evidence from basic research, human genetic and biomarker studies, suggests the accumulation of Aβ as a driver of AD pathogenesis and progression. The aspartic protease β-site AβPP cleaving enzyme (BACE1) is the initiator for Aβ production. Underpinning a critical role for BACE1 in AD pathophysiology are the elevated BACE1 concentration and activity observed in the brain and body fluids of AD patients. Therefore, BACE1 is a prime drug target for reducing Aβ levels in early AD. Small-molecule BACE1 inhibitors have been extensively developed for the last 20 years. However, clinical trials with these molecules have been discontinued for futility or safety reasons. Most of the observed adverse side effects were due to other aspartic proteases cross-inhibition, including the homologue BACE2, and to mechanism-based toxicity since BACE1 has substrates with important roles for synaptic plasticity and synaptic homeostasis besides amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP). Despite these setbacks, BACE1 persists as a well-validated therapeutic target for which a specific inhibitor with high substrate selectivity may yet to be found. In this review we provide an overview of the evolution in BACE1 inhibitors design pinpointing the molecules that reached advanced phases of clinical trials and the liabilities that precluded adequate trial effects. Finally, we ponder on the challenges that anti-amyloid therapies must overcome to achieve clinical success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judite R M Coimbra
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rosa Resende
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José B A Custódio
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Jorge A R Salvador
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Armanda E Santos
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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9
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Schmidt A, Hrupka B, van Bebber F, Sunil Kumar S, Feng X, Tschirner SK, Aßfalg M, Müller SA, Hilger LS, Hofmann LI, Pigoni M, Jocher G, Voytyuk I, Self EL, Ito M, Hyakkoku K, Yoshimura A, Horiguchi N, Feederle R, De Strooper B, Schulte-Merker S, Lammert E, Moechars D, Schmid B, Lichtenthaler SF. The Alzheimer's disease-linked protease BACE2 cleaves VEGFR3 and modulates its signaling. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e170550. [PMID: 38888964 PMCID: PMC11324312 DOI: 10.1172/jci170550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The β-secretase β-site APP cleaving enzyme (BACE1) is a central drug target for Alzheimer's disease. Clinically tested, BACE1-directed inhibitors also block the homologous protease BACE2. Yet little is known about physiological BACE2 substrates and functions in vivo. Here, we identify BACE2 as the protease shedding the lymphangiogenic vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3). Inactivation of BACE2, but not BACE1, inhibited shedding of VEGFR3 from primary human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) and reduced release of the shed, soluble VEGFR3 (sVEGFR3) ectodomain into the blood of mice, nonhuman primates, and humans. Functionally, BACE2 inactivation increased full-length VEGFR3 and enhanced VEGFR3 signaling in LECs and also in vivo in zebrafish, where enhanced migration of LECs was observed. Thus, this study identifies BACE2 as a modulator of lymphangiogenic VEGFR3 signaling and demonstrates the utility of sVEGFR3 as a pharmacodynamic plasma marker for BACE2 activity in vivo, a prerequisite for developing BACE1-selective inhibitors for safer prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andree Schmidt
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
- Evotec München, Neuried, Germany
| | - Brian Hrupka
- Discovery Neuroscience, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, a Johnson & Johnson Company, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Frauke van Bebber
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Sanjay Sunil Kumar
- Institute of Cardiovascular Organogenesis and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, WU Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Xiao Feng
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sarah K. Tschirner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Aßfalg
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephan A. Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Sophie Hilger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Metabolic Physiology, and
- International Research Training Group (IRTG1902), Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Laura I. Hofmann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Martina Pigoni
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Jocher
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Iryna Voytyuk
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB) Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Emily L. Self
- MRC Toxicology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mana Ito
- Shionogi & Co., Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kana Hyakkoku
- Shionogi & Co., Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akimasa Yoshimura
- Shionogi & Co., Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naotaka Horiguchi
- Shionogi & Co., Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Toyonaka-shi, Osaka, Japan
| | - Regina Feederle
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Core Facility Monoclonal Antibodies, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Bart De Strooper
- Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurosciences, Leuven Brain Institute (LBI), KU Leuven (University of Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB) Center for Brain and Disease Research, VIB, Leuven, Belgium
- UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI) at University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Schulte-Merker
- Institute of Cardiovascular Organogenesis and Regeneration, Faculty of Medicine, WU Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Eckhard Lammert
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Metabolic Physiology, and
- Institute for Vascular and Islet Cell Biology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Dieder Moechars
- Discovery Neuroscience, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, a Johnson & Johnson Company, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Bettina Schmid
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan F. Lichtenthaler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine and Health, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
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10
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Gao F, Zhang M, Wang Q, Ni M, Liu C, Deng K, Xie Q, Wang S, Shi J, Shen Y. Associations of CSF BACE1 with amyloid pathology, neurodegeneration, and cognition in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol 2024; 147:97. [PMID: 38856925 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-024-02750-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme (BACE1) is a crucial protease in the production of amyloid-β (Aβ) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. However, the side effects observed in clinical trials of BACE1 inhibitors, including reduction in brain volume and cognitive worsening, suggest that the exact role of BACE1 in AD pathology is not fully understood. To further investigate this, we examined cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of BACE1 and its cleaved product sAPPβ that reflects BACE1 activity in the China Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorder Initiative cohort. We found significant correlations between CSF BACE1 or sAPPβ levels and CSF Aβ40, Aβ42, and Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio, but not with amyloid deposition detected by 18F-Florbetapir PET. Additionally, CSF BACE1 and sAPPβ levels were positively associated with cortical thickness in multiple brain regions, and higher levels of sAPPβ were linked to increased cortical glucose metabolism in frontal and supramarginal areas. Interestingly, individuals with higher baseline levels of CSF BACE1 exhibited slower rates of brain volume reduction and cognitive worsening over time. This suggests that increased levels and activity of BACE1 may not be the determining factor for amyloid deposition, but instead, may be associated with increased neuronal activity and potentially providing protection against neurodegeneration in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Gao
- Department of Neurology, Institute On Aging and Brain Disorders, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
- Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Mengguo Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Institute On Aging and Brain Disorders, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Qiong Wang
- Department of Neurology, Institute On Aging and Brain Disorders, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Ming Ni
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Kexue Deng
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Qiang Xie
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Shicung Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Jiong Shi
- Department of Neurology, Institute On Aging and Brain Disorders, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China
| | - Yong Shen
- Department of Neurology, Institute On Aging and Brain Disorders, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
- Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Biomedical Aging Research, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230001, China.
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11
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Kim AY, Al Jerdi S, MacDonald R, Triggle CR. Alzheimer's disease and its treatment-yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1399121. [PMID: 38868666 PMCID: PMC11167451 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1399121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Alois Alzheimer described the first patient with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in 1907 and today AD is the most frequently diagnosed of dementias. AD is a multi-factorial neurodegenerative disorder with familial, life style and comorbidity influences impacting a global population of more than 47 million with a projected escalation by 2050 to exceed 130 million. In the USA the AD demographic encompasses approximately six million individuals, expected to increase to surpass 13 million by 2050, and the antecedent phase of AD, recognized as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), involves nearly 12 million individuals. The economic outlay for the management of AD and AD-related cognitive decline is estimated at approximately 355 billion USD. In addition, the intensifying prevalence of AD cases in countries with modest to intermediate income countries further enhances the urgency for more therapeutically and cost-effective treatments and for improving the quality of life for patients and their families. This narrative review evaluates the pathophysiological basis of AD with an initial focus on the therapeutic efficacy and limitations of the existing drugs that provide symptomatic relief: acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI) donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, and the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDA) receptor allosteric modulator, memantine. The hypothesis that amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau are appropriate targets for drugs and have the potential to halt the progress of AD is critically analyzed with a particular focus on clinical trial data with anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies (MABs), namely, aducanumab, lecanemab and donanemab. This review challenges the dogma that targeting Aβ will benefit the majority of subjects with AD that the anti-Aβ MABs are unlikely to be the "magic bullet". A comparison of the benefits and disadvantages of the different classes of drugs forms the basis for determining new directions for research and alternative drug targets that are undergoing pre-clinical and clinical assessments. In addition, we discuss and stress the importance of the treatment of the co-morbidities, including hypertension, diabetes, obesity and depression that are known to increase the risk of developing AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Y. Kim
- Medical Education, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - R. MacDonald
- Health Sciences Library, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - C. R. Triggle
- Department of Pharmacology and Medical Education, Weill Cornell Medicine—Qatar, Doha, Qatar
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12
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Wang Z, Wang R, Niu L, Zhou X, Han J, Li K. EPB41L4A-AS1 is required to maintain basal autophagy to modulates Aβ clearance. NPJ AGING 2024; 10:24. [PMID: 38704365 PMCID: PMC11069514 DOI: 10.1038/s41514-024-00152-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the deposition of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques. Aβ is generated from the cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein by β and γ-secretases and cleared by neuroglial cells mediated autophagy. The imbalance of the intracellular Aβ generation and clearance is the causative factor for AD pathogenesis. However, the exact underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our previous study reported that EPB41L4A-AS1 is an aging-related long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that is repressed in patients with AD. In this study, we found that downregulated EPB41L4A-AS1 in AD inhibited neuroglial cells mediated-Aβ clearance by decreasing the expression levels of multiple autophagy-related genes. We found that EPB41L4A-AS1 regulates the expression of general control of amino acid synthesis 5-like 2, an important histone acetyltransferase, thus affecting histone acetylation, crotonylation, and lactylation near the transcription start site of autophagy-related genes, ultimately influencing their transcription. Collectively, this study reveals EPB41L4A-AS1 as an AD-related lncRNA via mediating Aβ clearance and provides insights into the epigenetic regulatory mechanism of EPB41L4A-AS1 in gene expression and AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqiang Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, 250014, China.
- Biomedical Sciences College & Shandong Medicinal Biotechnology Centre, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250062, China.
| | - Ruomei Wang
- Biomedical Sciences College & Shandong Medicinal Biotechnology Centre, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250062, China
| | - Lixin Niu
- Biomedical Sciences College & Shandong Medicinal Biotechnology Centre, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250062, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, 250014, China
- Biomedical Sciences College & Shandong Medicinal Biotechnology Centre, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250062, China
| | - Jinxiang Han
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, 250014, China.
- Biomedical Sciences College & Shandong Medicinal Biotechnology Centre, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, 250062, China.
| | - Kun Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, 250014, China.
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13
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Jörg M, Plehn JE, Kristen M, Lander M, Walz L, Lietz C, Wijns J, Pichot F, Rojas-Charry L, Wirtz Martin KM, Ruffini N, Kreim N, Gerber S, Motorin Y, Endres K, Rossmanith W, Methner A, Helm M, Friedland K. N1-methylation of adenosine (m 1A) in ND5 mRNA leads to complex I dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1427-1439. [PMID: 38287100 PMCID: PMC11189808 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02421-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
One mechanism of particular interest to regulate mRNA fate post-transcriptionally is mRNA modification. Especially the extent of m1A mRNA methylation is highly discussed due to methodological differences. However, one single m1A site in mitochondrial ND5 mRNA was unanimously reported by different groups. ND5 is a subunit of complex I of the respiratory chain. It is considered essential for the coupling of oxidation and proton transport. Here we demonstrate that this m1A site might be involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). One of the pathological hallmarks of this neurodegenerative disease is mitochondrial dysfunction, mainly induced by Amyloid β (Aβ). Aβ mainly disturbs functions of complex I and IV of the respiratory chain. However, the molecular mechanism of complex I dysfunction is still not fully understood. We found enhanced m1A methylation of ND5 mRNA in an AD cell model as well as in AD patients. Formation of this m1A methylation is catalyzed by increased TRMT10C protein levels, leading to translation repression of ND5. As a consequence, here demonstrated for the first time, TRMT10C induced m1A methylation of ND5 mRNA leads to mitochondrial dysfunction. Our findings suggest that this newly identified mechanism might be involved in Aβ-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Jörg
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Johanna E Plehn
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marco Kristen
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marc Lander
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Lukas Walz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Christine Lietz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Julie Wijns
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Florian Pichot
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Liliana Rojas-Charry
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Katja M Wirtz Martin
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nicolas Ruffini
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nastasja Kreim
- Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Gerber
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Yuri Motorin
- Epitranscriptomics and RNA Sequencing (EpiRNA-Seq) Core Facility, UMS2008 IBSLor CNRS, Université de Lorraine-INSERM, Biopôle, 9 Avenue de la Forêt de Haye, 54505, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
- IMoPA, UMR7365 CNRS, Université de Lorraine, Biopôle, 9 Avenue de la Forêt de Haye, 54505, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Kristina Endres
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Str. 8, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Walter Rossmanith
- Center for Anatomy & Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Straβe 13, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Axel Methner
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mark Helm
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
| | - Kristina Friedland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Staudingerweg 5, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
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14
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Tarif AMM, Huhe H, Ohno M. Combination strategy employing BACE1 inhibitor and memantine to boost cognitive benefits in Alzheimer's disease therapy. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:975-986. [PMID: 38197930 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06525-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE The β-secretase BACE1 initiates amyloid-β (Aβ) generation and represents a long-standing prime therapeutic target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, BACE1 inhibitors tested to date in clinical trials have yielded no beneficial outcomes. In fact, prior BACE1 inhibitor trials targeted at ~ 50-90% Aβ reductions in symptomatic or prodromal AD stages have ended in the discontinuation due to futility and/or side effects, including cognitive worsening rather than expected improvement at the highest dose. OBJECTIVES We tested whether a combination strategy with the selective BACE1 inhibitor GRL-8234 and the FDA-approved symptomatic drug memantine may provide synergistic cognitive benefits within their safe dose range. METHODS The drug effects were evaluated in the advanced symptomatic stage of 5XFAD mice that developed extensive cerebral Aβ deposition. RESULTS Chronic combination treatment with 33.4-mg/kg GRL-8234 and 10-mg/kg memantine, but not either drug alone, rescued cognitive deficits in 5XFAD mice at 12 months of age (the endpoint after 60-day drug treatment), as assessed by the contextual fear conditioning, spontaneous alternation Y-maze and nest building tasks. Intact baseline performances of wild-type control mice on three cognitive paradigms demonstrated that combination treatment did not augment potential cognitive side effects of individual drugs. Biochemical and immunohistochemical examination showed that combination treatment did not synergistically reduce the β-amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein or Aβ levels in 5XFAD mouse brains. CONCLUSIONS A combination strategy with BACE1 inhibitors and memantine may be able to increase the effectiveness of individual drugs within their safe dose range in AD therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abu Md Mamun Tarif
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
| | - Hasi Huhe
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
| | - Masuo Ohno
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA.
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15
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Qiu Y, Cheng F. Artificial intelligence for drug discovery and development in Alzheimer's disease. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2024; 85:102776. [PMID: 38335558 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2024.102776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The complex molecular mechanism and pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) limits the development of effective therapeutics or prevention strategies. Artificial Intelligence (AI)-guided drug discovery combined with genetics/multi-omics (genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) analysis contributes to the understanding of the pathophysiology and precision medicine of the disease, including AD and AD-related dementia. In this review, we summarize the AI-driven methodologies for AD-agnostic drug discovery and development, including de novo drug design, virtual screening, and prediction of drug-target interactions, all of which have shown potentials. In particular, AI-based drug repurposing emerges as a compelling strategy to identify new indications for existing drugs for AD. We provide several emerging AD targets from human genetics and multi-omics findings and highlight recent AI-based technologies and their applications in drug discovery using AD as a prototypical example. In closing, we discuss future challenges and directions in AI-based drug discovery for AD and other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunguang Qiu
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. https://twitter.com/YunguangQiu
| | - Feixiong Cheng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; Cleveland Clinic Genome Center, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA.
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16
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Alhawarri MB, Al-Thiabat MG, Dubey A, Tufail A, Fouad D, Alrimawi BH, Dayoob M. ADME profiling, molecular docking, DFT, and MEP analysis reveal cissamaline, cissamanine, and cissamdine from Cissampelos capensis L.f. as potential anti-Alzheimer's agents. RSC Adv 2024; 14:9878-9891. [PMID: 38528929 PMCID: PMC10961956 DOI: 10.1039/d4ra01070a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The current pharmacotherapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD) demonstrate limited efficacy and are associated with various side effects, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic agents. Natural products, particularly from medicinal plants, have emerged as a significant source of potential neuroprotective compounds. In this context, Cissampelos capensis L.f., renowned for its medicinal properties, has recently yielded three new proaporphine alkaloids; cissamaline, cissamanine, and cissamdine. Despite their promising bioactive profiles, the biological targets of these alkaloids in the context of AD have remained unexplored. This study undertakes a comprehensive in silico examination of the binding affinity and molecular interactions of these alkaloids with human protein targets implicated in AD. The drug likeness and ADME analyses indicate favorable pharmacokinetic profiles for these compounds, suggesting their potential efficacy in targeting the central nervous system. Molecular docking studies indicate that cissamaline, cissamanine, and cissamdine interact with key AD-associated proteins. These interactions are comparable to, or in some aspects slightly less potent than, those observed with established AD drugs, highlighting their potential as novel therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease. Crucially, Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations offer deep insights into the electronic and energetic characteristics of these alkaloids. These calculations reveal distinct electronic properties, with differences in total energy, binding energy, HOMO-LUMO gaps, dipole moments, and electrophilicity indices. Such variations suggest unique reactivity profiles and molecular stability, pertinent to their pharmacological potential. Moreover, Molecular Electrostatic Potential (MEP) analyses provide visual representations of the electrostatic characteristics of these alkaloids. The analyses highlight areas prone to electrophilic and nucleophilic attacks, indicating their potential for specific biochemical interactions. This combination of DFT and MEP results elucidates the intricate electronic, energetic, and electrostatic properties of these compounds, underpinning their promise as AD therapeutic agents. The in silico findings of this study shed light on the promising potential of cissamaline, cissamanine, and cissamdine as agents for AD treatment. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies are necessary to validate these theoretical predictions and to understand the precise mechanisms through which these alkaloids may exert their therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maram B Alhawarri
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jadara University P.O.Box 733 Irbid 21110 Jordan
| | - Mohammad G Al-Thiabat
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia Gelugor 11800 Penang Malaysia
| | - Amit Dubey
- Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences Chennai-600077 Tamil Nadu India
- Computational Chemistry and Drug Discovery Division Quanta Calculus Greater Noida-201310 Uttar Pradesh India
| | - Aisha Tufail
- Computational Chemistry and Drug Discovery Division Quanta Calculus Greater Noida-201310 Uttar Pradesh India
| | - Dania Fouad
- Faculty of Dentistry, Ibn Sina University for Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Baghdad Iraq
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Velazquez Toledano J, Bello M, Correa Basurto J, Guerrero González I, Pacheco-Yépez J, Rosales Hernández MC. Determining Structural Changes for Ligand Recognition between Human and Rat Phosphorylated BACE1 in Silico and Its Phosphorylation by GSK3β at Thr252 by in Vitro Studies. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:629-644. [PMID: 38227464 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting older adults. AD pathogenesis involves the production of the highly neurotoxic amyloid-β peptide 1-42 (Aβ1-42) from β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1). The phosphorylation of BACE1 at Thr252 increases its enzymatic activity. This study examined the phosphorylation of BACE1 from human and rat BACE1 in silico through phosphorylation predictors. Besides, we explored how phosphorylation at various sites affected the BACE1 structure and its affinity with amyloid precursor protein (APP) and six BACE1 inhibitors. Additionally, we evaluated the phosphorylation of Thr252-BACE1 by glycogen synthase kinase 3 β (GSK3β) in vitro. The phosphorylation predictors showed that Thr252, Ser59, Tyr76, Ser71, and Ser83 could be phosphorylated. Also, Ser127 in rat BACE1 can be phosphorylated, but human BACE1 has a Gly at this position. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that Ser127 plays an important role in the open and closed BACE1 conformational structures. Docking studies and the molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MMGBSA) approach showed that human BACE1 phosphorylated at Thr252 and rat BACE1 phosphorylated at Ser71 have the best binding and free energy with APP, forming hydrogen bonds with Asp672. Importantly, inhibitors have a higher affinity for the phosphorylated rat BACE1 than for its human counterpart, which could explain their failure during clinical trials. Finally, in vitro experiments showed that GSK3β could phosphorylate BACE1. In conclusion, BACE1 phosphorylation influences the BACE1 conformation and its recognition of ligands and substrates. Thus, these features should be carefully considered in the design of BACE1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jazziel Velazquez Toledano
- Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biocatálisis, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón s/n, Ciudad de México 11340, México
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotecnológica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 11340, México
| | - Martiniano Bello
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotecnológica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 11340, México
| | - José Correa Basurto
- Laboratorio de Diseño y Desarrollo de Nuevos Fármacos e Innovación Biotecnológica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México 11340, México
| | - Isaac Guerrero González
- Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biocatálisis, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón s/n, Ciudad de México 11340, México
| | - Judith Pacheco-Yépez
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón, Ciudad de México 11340, México
| | - Martha Cecilia Rosales Hernández
- Laboratorio de Biofísica y Biocatálisis, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Díaz Mirón s/n, Ciudad de México 11340, México
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18
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Kano Y, Yamaguchi S, Mise K, Kawakita C, Onishi Y, Kurooka N, Sugawara R, Albuayjan HHH, Nakatsuka A, Eguchi J, Wada J. Inhibition of Amino Acids Influx into Proximal Tubular Cells Improves Lysosome Function in Diabetes. KIDNEY360 2024; 5:182-194. [PMID: 38062578 PMCID: PMC10914197 DOI: 10.34067/kid.0000000000000333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Key Points Collectrin serves as a chaperone for the trafficking of neutral amino acid (AA) transporters in the apical membranes of proximal tubular cells (PTCs). Cltrn knockout reduced AAs influx into PTCs, inactivated mTOR, activated transcription factor EB, improved lysosome function, and ameliorated vacuolar formation of PTCs in diabetic mice treated with streptozotocin and high-fat diet. The inhibition of neutral AA transporter, such as B0AT1 (SLC6A19), and transcription factor EB activator is a new therapeutic strategy against diabetic kidney disease. Background Inhibition of glucose influx into proximal tubular cells (PTCs) by sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors revealed prominent therapeutic effects on diabetic kidney disease. Collectrin (CLTRN) serves as a chaperone for the trafficking of neutral amino acid (AA) transporters in the apical membranes of PTCs. We investigated the beneficial effects of reduced influx of AAs into PTCs in diabetes and obesity model of Cltrn−/y mice. Methods Cltrn+/y and Cltrn−/y mice at age 5 weeks were assigned to standard diet and streptozotocin and high-fat diet (STZ-HFD)–treated groups. Results At age 22–23 weeks, body weight and HbA1c levels significantly increased in STZ-HFD-Cltrn+/y compared with standard diet-Cltrn+/y; however, they were not altered in STZ-HFD-Cltrn−/y compared with STZ-HFD-Cltrn+/y. At age 20 weeks, urinary albumin creatinine ratio was significantly reduced in STZ-HFD-Cltrn−/y compared with STZ-HFD-Cltrn+/y. Under the treatments with STZ and HFD, the Cltrn gene deficiency caused significant increase in urinary concentration of AAs such as Gln, His, Gly, Thr, Tyr, Val, Trp, Phe, Ile, Leu, and Pro. In PTCs in STZ-HFD-Cltrn+/y, the enlarged lysosomes with diameter of 10 μ m or more were associated with reduced autolysosomes, and the formation of giant lysosomes was prominently suppressed in STZ-HFD-Cltrn−/y. Phospho-mTOR and inactive form of phospho-transcription factor EB were reduced in STZ-HFD-Cltrn−/y compared with STZ-HFD-Cltrn+/y. Conclusions The reduction of AAs influx into PTCs inactivated mTOR, activated transcription factor EB, improved lysosome function, and ameliorated vacuolar formation of PTCs in STZ-HFD-Cltrn−/y mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzuki Kano
- Department of Nephrology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
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19
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Morgan DG, Lamb BT. Transgenic amyloid precursor protein mouse models of amyloidosis. Incomplete models for Alzheimer's disease but effective predictors of anti-amyloid therapies. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:1459-1464. [PMID: 38085800 PMCID: PMC10916971 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice are models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloidosis, not all of AD. Diffuse, compacted, and vascular deposits in APP mice mimic those found in AD cases. METHODS Most interventional studies in APP mice start treatment early in the process of amyloid deposition, consistent with a prevention treatment regimen. Most clinical trials treat patients with established amyloid deposits in a therapeutic treatment regimen. RESULTS The first treatment to reduce amyloid and cognitive impairment in mice was immunotherapy. The APP mouse models not only predicted efficacy, but presaged the vascular leakage called ARIA. The recent immunotherapy clinical trials that removed amyloid and slowed cognitive decline confirms the utility of these early APP models when used in therapeutic designs. DISCUSSION New mouse models of AD pathologies will add to the research armamentarium, but the early models have accurately predicted responses to amyloid therapies in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G. Morgan
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, and Alzheimer's AllianceCollege of Human MedicineMichigan State UniversityGrand RapidsMichiganUSA
| | - Bruce T. Lamb
- Department of Medical and Molecular GeneticsStark Neurosciences Research InstituteIndianapolisIndianaUSA
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20
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Murphy MP, Buzinova VA, Johnson CE. The amyloid-β peptide: Guilty as charged? Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:166945. [PMID: 37935338 PMCID: PMC10842071 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Recent years have seen both considerable progress and controversy in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) field. After decades of slow to negligible movement towards the development of disease modifying therapies, promising outcomes in recent clinical trials with several monoclonal antibodies targeting various forms of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide have at last opened a possible way forward. In fact, at this point multiple anti-Aβ therapeutics are close to receiving (or have already received) regulatory approval. Although these outcomes are not without some degree of divisiveness, the fact remains that targeting amyloid for removal has finally shown at least modest efficacy in slowing the otherwise relentless progression of the disease. Although the validation of the long standing amyloid cascade hypothesis would seem to be at hand, what remains is the puzzling issue of why - if Aβ indeed causes AD - does removing it from the brain not stop the disease entirely.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Paul Murphy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging University of Kentucky, 789 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Valeria A Buzinova
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging University of Kentucky, 789 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Carrie E Johnson
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry and the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging University of Kentucky, 789 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
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21
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Zhang Y, Borch LA, Fischer NH, Meldal M. Hydrodynamic Control of Alzheimer Aβ Fibrillation with Glucosaminic Acid Containing Click-Cyclized β-Bodies. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:2654-2662. [PMID: 38126710 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c12118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that the dynamic hydration shell plays a vital role in macromolecular functions such as protein-ligand, protein-protein, protein-DNA, and protein-lipid interactions. Here we investigate how the water modality affects conformational changes, solubility, and motion of fibrillar proteins. The hypothesis is that the introduction of a poly hydroxyl amino acid would increase solvation of the fibril forming peptides, preventing their misfolding and aggregation. For the amyloid β (Aβ) peptide, which is considered to be connected with nervous system diseases, including dementia and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease, the formation of β-sheet fibrils always occurs with a conformational change and a decrease in the dynamic hydration shell around Aβ(1-42). We present novel cyclic d-amino acid peptides that effectively inhibit fibrillation through affecting the dynamic hydration shell of Aβ(1-42) in vitro. Using de novo design within the software Molecular Operating Environment (MOE), five different peptides that recognize Alzheimer's fibrils were designed and synthesized. Three of them were cyclic all-d-amino acid peptides incorporating the same polyhydroxy building block derived from d-glucosaminic acid (GA). One peptide was the parent cyclic all d-amino acid inhibitor with no GA incorporated, and another was an all l-amino acid linear fibrillation inhibitor. The GA-containing peptides were found to show significantly improved inhibition of Aβ(1-42) aggregation. The inhibition was dramatically improved by the synergistic application of two GA peptides targeting each end of the growing fibril. The present study may facilitate future developments of intervention strategies for Alzheimer's disease and similar neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- Center for Evolutionary Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Line A Borch
- Center for Evolutionary Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Niklas H Fischer
- Center for Evolutionary Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Meldal
- Center for Evolutionary Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry, University of Copenhagen, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
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22
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Dean B, Duce J, Li QX, Masters CL, Scarr E. Lower levels of soluble β-amyloid precursor protein, but not β-amyloid, in the frontal cortex in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2024; 331:115656. [PMID: 38071879 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/02/2024]
Abstract
We identified a sub-group (25%) of people with schizophrenia (muscarinic receptor deficit schizophrenia (MRDS)) that are characterised because of markedly lower levels of cortical muscarinic M1 receptors (CHRM1) compared to most people with the disorder (non-MRDS). Notably, bioinformatic analyses of our cortical gene expression data shows a disturbance in the homeostasis of a biochemical pathway that regulates levels of CHRM1. A step in this pathway is the processing of β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and therefore we postulated there would be altered levels of APP in the frontal cortex from people with MRDS. Here we measure levels of CHRM1 using [3H]pirenzepine binding, soluble APP (sAPP) using Western blotting and amyloid beta peptides (Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42) using ELISA in the frontal cortex (Brodmann's area 6: BA 6; MRDS = 14, non-MRDS = 14, controls = 14). We confirmed the MRDS cohort in this study had the expected low levels of [3H]pirenzepine binding. In addition, we showed that people with schizophrenia, independent of their sub-group status, had lower levels of sAPP compared to controls but did not have altered levels of Aβ1-40 or Aβ1-42. In conclusion, whilst changes in sAPP are not restricted to MRDS our data could indicate a role of APP, which is important in axonal and synaptic pruning, in the molecular pathology of the syndrome of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Dean
- The Florey, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The University of Melbourne of Melbourne Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
| | - James Duce
- MSD Discovery Centre, 120 Moorgate, London, UK
| | - Qiao-Xin Li
- The Florey, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The University of Melbourne of Melbourne Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin L Masters
- The Florey, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; The University of Melbourne of Melbourne Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Scarr
- The Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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23
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Ohno M. A Strategy for Allowing Earlier Diagnosis and Rigorous Evaluation of BACE1 Inhibitors in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 99:431-445. [PMID: 38701146 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Given continued failure of BACE1 inhibitor programs at symptomatic and prodromal stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD), clinical trials need to target the earlier preclinical stage. However, trial design is complex in this population with negative diagnosis of classical hippocampal amnesia on standard memory tests. Besides recent advances in brain imaging, electroencephalogram, and fluid-based biomarkers, new cognitive markers should be established for earlier diagnosis that can optimize recruitment to BACE1 inhibitor trials in presymptomatic AD. Notably, accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF) is emerging as a sensitive cognitive measure that can discriminate between asymptomatic individuals with high risks for developing AD and healthy controls. ALF is a form of declarative memory impairment characterized by increased forgetting rates over longer delays (days to months) despite normal storage within the standard delays of testing (20-60 min). Therefore, ALF may represent a harbinger of preclinical dementia and the impairment of systems memory consolidation, during which memory traces temporarily stored in the hippocampus become gradually integrated into cortical networks. This review provides an overview of the utility of ALF in a rational design of next-generation BACE1 inhibitor trials in preclinical AD. I explore potential mechanisms underlying ALF and relevant early-stage biomarkers useful for BACE1 inhibitor evaluation, including synaptic protein alterations, astrocytic dysregulation and neuron hyperactivity in the hippocampal-cortical network. Furthermore, given the physiological role of the isoform BACE2 as an AD-suppressor gene, I also discuss the possible association between the poor selectivity of BACE1 inhibitors and their side effects (e.g., cognitive worsening) in prior clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masuo Ohno
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
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24
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Huang G, Hucek D, Cierpicki T, Grembecka J. Applications of oxetanes in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 261:115802. [PMID: 37713805 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
The compact and versatile oxetane motifs have gained significant attention in drug discovery and medicinal chemistry campaigns. This review presents an overview of the diverse applications of oxetanes in clinical and preclinical drug candidates targeting various human diseases, including cancer, viral infections, autoimmune disorders, neurodegenerative conditions, metabolic disorders, and others. Special attention is given to biologically active oxetane-containing compounds and their disease-related targets, such as kinases, epigenetic and non-epigenetic enzymes, and receptors. The review also details the effect of the oxetane motif on important properties, including aqueous solubility, lipophilicity, pKa, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux, metabolic stability, conformational preferences, toxicity profiles (e.g., cytochrome P450 (CYP) suppression and human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) inhibition), pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, potency, and target selectivity. We anticipate that this work will provide valuable insights that can drive future discoveries of novel bioactive oxetane-containing small molecules, enabling their effective application in combating a wide range of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
| | - Devon Hucek
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Tomasz Cierpicki
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Jolanta Grembecka
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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25
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Cáceres C, Heusser B, Garnham A, Moczko E. The Major Hypotheses of Alzheimer's Disease: Related Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Its Diagnosis and Treatment. Cells 2023; 12:2669. [PMID: 38067098 PMCID: PMC10705786 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a well-known chronic neurodegenerative disorder that leads to the progressive death of brain cells, resulting in memory loss and the loss of other critical body functions. In March 2019, one of the major pharmaceutical companies and its partners announced that currently, there is no drug to cure AD, and all clinical trials of the new ones have been cancelled, leaving many people without hope. However, despite the clear message and startling reality, the research continued. Finally, in the last two years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-ever medications to treat Alzheimer's, aducanumab and lecanemab. Despite researchers' support of this decision, there are serious concerns about their effectiveness and safety. The validation of aducanumab by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is still pending, and lecanemab was authorized without considering data from the phase III trials. Furthermore, numerous reports suggest that patients have died when undergoing extended treatment. While there is evidence that aducanumab and lecanemab may provide some relief to those suffering from AD, their impact remains a topic of ongoing research and debate within the medical community. The fact is that even though there are considerable efforts regarding pharmacological treatment, no definitive cure for AD has been found yet. Nevertheless, it is strongly believed that modern nanotechnology holds promising solutions and effective clinical strategies for the development of diagnostic tools and treatments for AD. This review summarizes the major hallmarks of AD, its etiological mechanisms, and challenges. It explores existing diagnostic and therapeutic methods and the potential of nanotechnology-based approaches for recognizing and monitoring patients at risk of irreversible neuronal degeneration. Overall, it provides a broad overview for those interested in the evolving areas of clinical neuroscience, AD, and related nanotechnology. With further research and development, nanotechnology-based approaches may offer new solutions and hope for millions of people affected by this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ewa Moczko
- Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Viña del Mar 2562307, Chile; (C.C.)
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26
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Srivastava A, Johnson M, Renna HA, Sheehan KM, Ahmed S, Palaia T, Pinkhasov A, Gomolin IH, De Leon J, Reiss AB. Therapeutic Potential of P110 Peptide: New Insights into Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2156. [PMID: 38004296 PMCID: PMC10672680 DOI: 10.3390/life13112156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial degeneration in various neurodegenerative diseases, specifically in Alzheimer's disease, involves excessive mitochondrial fission and reduced fusion, leading to cell damage. P110 is a seven-amino acid peptide that restores mitochondrial dynamics by acting as an inhibitor of mitochondrial fission. However, the role of P110 as a neuroprotective agent in AD remains unclear. Therefore, we performed cell culture studies to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of P110 on amyloid-β accumulation and mitochondrial functioning. Human SH-SY5Y neuronal cells were incubated with 1 µM and 10 µM of P110, and Real-Time PCR and Western blot analysis were done to quantify the expression of genes pertaining to AD and neuronal health. Exposure of SH-SY5Y cells to P110 significantly increased APP mRNA levels at 1 µM, while BACE1 mRNA levels were increased at both 1 µM and 10 µM. However, protein levels of both APP and BACE1 were significantly reduced at 10 µM of P110. Further, P110 treatment significantly increased ADAM10 and Klotho protein levels at 10 µM. In addition, P110 exposure significantly increased active mitochondria and reduced ROS in live SH-SY5Y cells at both 1 µM and 10 µM concentrations. Taken together, our results indicate that P110 might be useful in attenuating amyloid-β generation and improving neuronal health by maintaining mitochondrial function in neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Allison B. Reiss
- Department of Medicine and Biomedical Research Institute, NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine, Mineola, NY 11501, USA; (A.S.); (M.J.); (H.A.R.); (K.M.S.); (S.A.); (T.P.); (A.P.); (I.H.G.); (J.D.L.)
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27
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Quinney SK, Murugesh K, Oblak A, Onos KD, Sasner M, Greenwood AK, Woo KH, Rizzo SJS, Territo PR. STOP-AD portal: Selecting the optimal pharmaceutical for preclinical drug testing in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:5289-5295. [PMID: 37157089 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
We propose an unbiased methodology to rank compounds for advancement into comprehensive preclinical testing for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Translation of compounds to the clinic in AD has been hampered by poor predictive validity of models, compounds with limited pharmaceutical properties, and studies that lack rigor. To overcome this, MODEL-AD's Preclinical Testing Core developed a standardized pipeline for assessing efficacy in AD mouse models. We hypothesize that rank-ordering compounds based upon pharmacokinetic, efficacy, and toxicity properties in preclinical models will enhance successful translation to the clinic. Previously compound selection was based solely on physiochemical properties, with arbitrary cutoff limits, making ranking challenging. Since no gold standard exists for systematic prioritization, validating a selection criteria has remained elusive. The STOP-AD framework evaluates the drug-like properties to rank compounds for in vivo studies, and uses an unbiased approach that overcomes the validation limitation by performing Monte-Carlo simulations. HIGHLIGHTS: Promising preclinical studies for AD drugs have not translated to clinical success. Systematic assessment of AD drug candidates may increase clinical translatability. We describe a well-defined framework for compound selection with clear selection metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Quinney
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Kandasamy Murugesh
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Adrian Oblak
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Mike Sasner
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
| | | | - Kara H Woo
- Sage Bionetworks, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Stacey J Sukoff Rizzo
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Paul R Territo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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28
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Matošević A, Opsenica DM, Spasić M, Maraković N, Zandona A, Žunec S, Bartolić M, Kovarik Z, Bosak A. Evaluation of 4-aminoquinoline derivatives with an n-octylamino spacer as potential multi-targeting ligands for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Chem Biol Interact 2023; 382:110620. [PMID: 37406982 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2023.110620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
The most successful therapeutic strategy in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is directed toward increasing levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) by inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), the enzymes responsible for its hydrolysis. In this paper, we extended our study on 4-aminoquinolines as human cholinesterase inhibitors on twenty-six new 4-aminoquinolines containing an n-octylamino spacer on C(4) and different substituents on the terminal amino group. We evaluated the potency of new derivatives to act as multi-targeted ligands by determining their inhibition potency towards human AChE and BChE, ability to chelate biometals Fe, Cu and Zn, ability to inhibit the action of β-secretase 1 (BACE1) and their antioxidant capacity. All of the tested derivatives were very potent inhibitors of human AChE and BChE with inhibition constants (Ki) ranging from 0.0023 to 1.6 μM. Most of the compounds were estimated to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) by passive transport and were nontoxic to human neuronal, kidney and liver cells in concentrations in which they inhibit cholinesterases. Generally, newly synthesised compounds were weak reductants compared to standard antioxidants, but all possessed a certain amount of antioxidant activity compared to tacrine. Of the eleven most potent cholinesterase inhibitors, eight compounds also inhibited BACE1 activity at 10-18%. Based on our overall results, compounds 8 with 3-fluorobenzyl, 11 with 3-chlorobenzyl and 17 with 3-metoxy benzyl substituents on the terminal amino group stood out as the most promising for the treatment of AD; they strongly inhibited AChE and BChE, were non-toxic on HepG2, HEK293 and SH-SY5Y cells, had the potential to cross the BBB and possessed the ability to chelate biometals and/or inhibit the activity of BACE1 within a range close to the therapeutically desired degree of inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Matošević
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dejan M Opsenica
- University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000, Beograd, Serbia; Centre of Excellence in Environmental Chemistry and Engineering, ICTM, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marta Spasić
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Chemistry, Studentski trg 12-16, 11158, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Nikola Maraković
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Antonio Zandona
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Suzana Žunec
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marija Bartolić
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zrinka Kovarik
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anita Bosak
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
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Yao AY, Halloran PJ, Ge Y, Singh N, Zhou J, Galske J, He W, Yan R, Hu X. Bace1 Deletion in the Adult Reverses Epileptiform Activity and Sleep-wake Disturbances in AD Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6197-6211. [PMID: 37536983 PMCID: PMC10476643 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2124-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) increases the risk for seizures and sleep disorders. We show here that germline deletion of β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1) in neurons, but not in astrocytes, increased epileptiform activity. However, Bace1 deletion at adult ages did not alter the normal EEG waveform, indicating less concern for BACE1 inhibition in patients. Moreover, we showed that deletion of Bace1 in the adult was able to reverse epileptiform activity in 5xFAD mice. Intriguingly, treating 5xFAD and APPNL-G-F/NL-G-F (APP KI) mice of either sex with one BACE1 inhibitor Lanabecestat (AZD3293) dramatically increased epileptiform spiking, likely resulting from an off-target effect. We also monitored sleep-wake pathologies in these mice and showed increased wakefulness, decreased non-rapid eye movement sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep in both 5xFAD and APP KI mice; BACE1 inhibition in the adult 5xFAD mice reversed plaque load and sleep disturbances, but this was not seen in APP KI mice. Further studies with and without BACE1 inhibitor treatment showed different levels of plaque-associated microgliosis and activated microglial proteins in 5xFAD mice compared with APP KI mice. Together, BACE1 inhibition should be developed to avoid off-target effect for achieving benefits in reducing epileptic activity and sleep disturbance in Alzheimer's patients.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT BACE1 is widely recognized as a therapeutic target for treating Alzheimer's disease patients. However, BACE1 inhibitors failed in clinical trials because of inability to show cognitive improvement in patients. Here we show that BACE1 inhibition actually reduces sleep disturbances and epileptic seizures; both are seen in AD patients. We further showed that one of clinically tested BACE1 inhibitors does have off-target effects, and development of safer BACE1 inhibitors will be beneficial to AD patients. Results from this study will provide useful guidance for additional drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Y Yao
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Patrick J Halloran
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Yingying Ge
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Neeraj Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - John Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - James Galske
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Wanxia He
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Riqiang Yan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Xiangyou Hu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
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Guo X, Lei M, Zhao J, Wu M, Ren Z, Yang X, Ouyang C, Liu X, Liu C, Chen Q. Tirzepatide ameliorates spatial learning and memory impairment through modulation of aberrant insulin resistance and inflammation response in diabetic rats. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1146960. [PMID: 37701028 PMCID: PMC10493299 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1146960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: One of the typical symptoms of diabetes mellitus patients was memory impairment, which was followed by gradual cognitive deterioration and for which there is no efficient treatment. The anti-diabetic incretin hormones glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were demonstrated to have highly neuroprotective benefits in animal models of AD. We wanted to find out how the GLP-1/GIP dual agonist tirzepatide affected diabetes's impairment of spatial learning memory. Methods: High fat diet and streptozotocin injection-induced diabetic rats were injected intraperitoneally with Tirzepatide (1.35 mg/kg) once a week. The protective effects were assessed using the Morris water maze test, immunofluorescence, and Western blot analysis. Golgi staining was adopted for quantified dendritic spines. Results: Tirzepatide significantly improved impaired glucose tolerance, fasting blood glucose level, and insulin level in diabetic rats. Then, tirzepatide dramatically alleviated spatial learning and memory impairment, inhibited Aβ accumulation, prevented structural damage, boosted the synthesis of synaptic proteins and increased dendritic spines formation in diabetic hippocampus. Furthermore, some aberrant changes in signal molecules concerning inflammation signaling pathways were normalized after tirzepatide treatment in diabetic rats. Finally, PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling pathway was restored by tirzepatide. Conclusion: Tirzepatide obviously exerts a protective effect against spatial learning and memory impairment, potentially through regulating abnormal insulin resistance and inflammatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiying Guo
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Min Lei
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Jiangyan Zhao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Min Wu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Zhanhong Ren
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Xiaosong Yang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Changhan Ouyang
- Pharmacy College, Xianning Medical College, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Xiufen Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Chao Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Qingjie Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Xianning Medical College, Medical Research Institute, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
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Boyarko B, Podvin S, Greenberg B, Momper JD, Huang Y, Gerwick WH, Bang AG, Quinti L, Griciuc A, Kim DY, Tanzi RE, Feldman HH, Hook V. Evaluation of bumetanide as a potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1190402. [PMID: 37601062 PMCID: PMC10436590 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1190402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutics discovery and development for Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been an area of intense research to alleviate memory loss and the underlying pathogenic processes. Recent drug discovery approaches have utilized in silico computational strategies for drug candidate selection which has opened the door to repurposing drugs for AD. Computational analysis of gene expression signatures of patients stratified by the APOE4 risk allele of AD led to the discovery of the FDA-approved drug bumetanide as a top candidate agent that reverses APOE4 transcriptomic brain signatures and improves memory deficits in APOE4 animal models of AD. Bumetanide is a loop diuretic which inhibits the kidney Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter isoform, NKCC2, for the treatment of hypertension and edema in cardiovascular, liver, and renal disease. Electronic health record data revealed that patients exposed to bumetanide have lower incidences of AD by 35%-70%. In the brain, bumetanide has been proposed to antagonize the NKCC1 isoform which mediates cellular uptake of chloride ions. Blocking neuronal NKCC1 leads to a decrease in intracellular chloride and thus promotes GABAergic receptor mediated hyperpolarization, which may ameliorate disease conditions associated with GABAergic-mediated depolarization. NKCC1 is expressed in neurons and in all brain cells including glia (oligodendrocytes, microglia, and astrocytes) and the vasculature. In consideration of bumetanide as a repurposed drug for AD, this review evaluates its pharmaceutical properties with respect to its estimated brain levels across doses that can improve neurologic disease deficits of animal models to distinguish between NKCC1 and non-NKCC1 mechanisms. The available data indicate that bumetanide efficacy may occur at brain drug levels that are below those required for inhibition of the NKCC1 transporter which implicates non-NKCC1 brain mechansims for improvement of brain dysfunctions and memory deficits. Alternatively, peripheral bumetanide mechanisms may involve cells outside the central nervous system (e.g., in epithelia and the immune system). Clinical bumetanide doses for improved neurological deficits are reviewed. Regardless of mechanism, the efficacy of bumetanide to improve memory deficits in the APOE4 model of AD and its potential to reduce the incidence of AD provide support for clinical investigation of bumetanide as a repurposed AD therapeutic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Boyarko
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Sonia Podvin
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Barry Greenberg
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jeremiah D. Momper
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Yadong Huang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Departments of Neurology and Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - William H. Gerwick
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Anne G. Bang
- Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics, Sanford Burnham Prebys, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Luisa Quinti
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Ana Griciuc
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Doo Yeon Kim
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Rudolph E. Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, McCance Center for Brain Health, Department of Neurology, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Howard H. Feldman
- Department of Neurosciences and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
- Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Vivian Hook
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Neurosciences and Department of Pharmacology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, United States
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Pratsch K, Unemura C, Ito M, Lichtenthaler SF, Horiguchi N, Herms J. New Highly Selective BACE1 Inhibitors and Their Effects on Dendritic Spine Density In Vivo. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12283. [PMID: 37569661 PMCID: PMC10418759 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
β-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) is considered a therapeutic target to combat Alzheimer's disease by reducing β-amyloid in the brain. To date, all clinical trials involving the inhibition of BACE1 have been discontinued due to a lack of efficacy or undesirable side effects such as cognitive worsening. The latter could have been the result of the inhibition of BACE at the synapse where it is expressed in high amounts. We have previously shown that prolonged inhibition of BACE interferes with structural synaptic plasticity, most likely due to the diminished processing of the physiological BACE substrate Seizure protein 6 (Sez6) which is exclusively processed by BACE1 and is required for dendritic spine plasticity. Given that BACE1 has significant amino acid similarity with its homolog BACE2, the inhibition of BACE2 may cause some of the side effects, as most BACE inhibitors do not discriminate between the two. In this study, we used newly developed BACE inhibitors that have a different chemotype from previously developed inhibitors and a high selectivity for BACE1 over BACE2. By using longitudinal in vivo two-photon microscopy, we investigated the effect on dendritic spine dynamics of pyramidal layer V neurons in the somatosensory cortex in mice treated with highly selective BACE1 inhibitors. Treatment with those inhibitors showed a reduction in soluble Sez6 (sSez6) levels to 27% (elenbecestat, Biogen, Eisai Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan), 17% (Shionogi compound 1) and 39% (Shionogi compound 2), compared to animals fed with vehicle pellets. We observed a significant decrease in the number of dendritic spines with Shionogi compound 1 after 21 days of treatment but not with Shionogi compound 2 or with elenbecestat, which did not show cognitive worsening in clinical trials. In conclusion, highly selective BACE1 inhibitors do alter dendritic spine density similar to non-selective inhibitors if soluble (sSez6) levels drop too much. Low-dose BACE1 inhibition might be reasonable if dosing is carefully adjusted to the amount of Sez6 cleavage, which can be easily monitored during the first week of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Pratsch
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; (K.P.); (S.F.L.)
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research (ZNP), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Chie Unemura
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Osaka 561-0825, Japan; (C.U.); (M.I.); (N.H.)
| | - Mana Ito
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Osaka 561-0825, Japan; (C.U.); (M.I.); (N.H.)
| | - Stefan F. Lichtenthaler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; (K.P.); (S.F.L.)
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Naotaka Horiguchi
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Osaka 561-0825, Japan; (C.U.); (M.I.); (N.H.)
| | - Jochen Herms
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; (K.P.); (S.F.L.)
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
- Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research (ZNP), Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
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Lange PF, Schilling O, Huesgen PF. Positional proteomics: is the technology ready to study clinical cohorts? Expert Rev Proteomics 2023; 20:309-318. [PMID: 37869791 DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2023.2272046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Positional proteomics provides proteome-wide information on protein termini and their modifications, uniquely enabling unambiguous identification of site-specific, limited proteolysis. Such proteolytic cleavage irreversibly modifies protein sequences resulting in new proteoforms with distinct protease-generated neo-N and C-termini and altered localization and activity. Misregulated proteolysis is implicated in a wide variety of human diseases. Protein termini, therefore, constitute a huge, largely unexplored source of specific analytes that provides a deep view into the functional proteome and a treasure trove for biomarkers. AREAS COVERED We briefly review principal approaches to define protein termini and discuss recent advances in method development. We further highlight the potential of positional proteomics to identify and trace specific proteoforms, with a focus on proteolytic processes altered in disease. Lastly, we discuss current challenges and potential for applying positional proteomics in biomarker and pre-clinical research. EXPERT OPINION Recent developments in positional proteomics have provided significant advances in sensitivity and throughput. In-depth analysis of proteolytic processes in clinical cohorts thus appears feasible in the near future. We argue that this will provide insights into the functional state of the proteome and offer new opportunities to utilize proteolytic processes altered or targeted in disease as specific diagnostic, prognostic and companion biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp F Lange
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Molecular Oncology, BC Cancer Research Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Oliver Schilling
- Institute of Surgical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK) and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pitter F Huesgen
- Central Institute for Engineering, Electronics and Analytics, ZEA-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases, CECAD, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Biochemistry, Department for Chemistry, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Zhou J, Singh N, Galske J, Hudobenko J, Hu X, Yan R. BACE1 regulates expression of Clusterin in astrocytes for enhancing clearance of β-amyloid peptides. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:31. [PMID: 37143090 PMCID: PMC10161466 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00611-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal accumulation of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) in the brain induces a cascade of pathological changes in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and inhibiting BACE1, which is required for Aβ generation, is therefore being explored for the treatment of AD by reducing Aβ accumulation. As Bace1 knockout mice exhibit increased number of reactive astrocytes and AD brains have reactive astrocytes that surround amyloid plaques, we investigated the role of BACE1 in astrocytes and determined whether BACE1 regulates astrocytic functions. METHODS We conducted unbiased single cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) using purified astrocytes from Bace1 KO mice and wild type control littermates. Similar scRNA-seq was also conducted using AD mice with conditional deletion of Bace1 in the adult stage (5xFAD;Bace1fl/fl;UBC-creER compared to 5xFAD;Bace1fl/fl controls). We compared the transcriptomes of astrocyte and reactive astrocyte clusters and identified several differentially expressed genes, which were further validated using Bace1 KO astrocyte cultures. Mice with astrocyte-specific Bace1 knockout in 5xFAD background were used to compare amyloid deposition. Mechanistic studies using cultured astrocytes were used to identify BACE1 substrates for changes in gene expression and signaling activity. RESULTS Among altered genes, Clusterin (Clu) and Cxcl14 were significantly upregulated and validated by measuring protein levels. Moreover, BACE1 deficiency enhanced both astrocytic Aβ uptake and degradation, and this effect was significantly attenuated by siRNA knockdown of Clu. Mechanistic study suggests that BACE1 deficiency abolishes cleavage of astrocytic insulin receptors (IR), and this may enhance expression of Clu and Cxcl14. Acutely isolated astrocytes from astrocyte-specific knockout of Bace1 mice (Bace1 fl/fl;Gfap-cre) show similar increases in CLU and IR. Furthermore, astrocyte-specific knockout of Bace1 in a 5xFAD background resulted in a significant attenuation in cortical Aβ plaque load through enhanced clearance. CONCLUSION Together, our study suggests that BACE1 in astrocytes regulates expression of Clu and Cxcl14, likely via the control of insulin receptor pathway, and inhibition of astrocytic BACE1 is a potential alternative strategy for enhancing Aβ clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT, 06030-3401, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, 44195, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, United States
| | - Neeraj Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT, 06030-3401, USA
| | - James Galske
- Department of Neuroscience, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT, 06030-3401, USA
| | - Jacob Hudobenko
- Department of Neuroscience, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT, 06030-3401, USA
| | - Xiangyou Hu
- Department of Neuroscience, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT, 06030-3401, USA
| | - Riqiang Yan
- Department of Neuroscience, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT, 06030-3401, USA.
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Rafii MS, Aisen PS. Detection and treatment of Alzheimer's disease in its preclinical stage. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:520-531. [PMID: 37202518 PMCID: PMC11110912 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00410-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal multimodal biomarker studies reveal that the continuum of Alzheimer's disease (AD) includes a long latent phase, referred to as preclinical AD, which precedes the onset of symptoms by decades. Treatment during the preclinical AD phase offers an optimal opportunity for slowing the progression of disease. However, trial design in this population is complex. In this Review, we discuss the recent advances in accurate plasma measurements, new recruitment approaches, sensitive cognitive instruments and self-reported outcomes that have facilitated the successful launch of multiple phase 3 trials for preclinical AD. The recent success of anti-amyloid immunotherapy trials in symptomatic AD has increased the enthusiasm for testing this strategy at the earliest feasible stage. We provide an outlook for standard screening of amyloid accumulation at the preclinical stage in clinically normal individuals, during which effective therapy to delay or prevent cognitive decline can be initiated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Rafii
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Paul S Aisen
- Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Ohno M. Accelerated long-term forgetting: A sensitive paradigm for detecting subtle cognitive impairment and evaluating BACE1 inhibitor efficacy in preclinical Alzheimer's disease. FRONTIERS IN DEMENTIA 2023; 2:1161875. [PMID: 39081986 PMCID: PMC11285641 DOI: 10.3389/frdem.2023.1161875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
Given a long preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) continuum before the onset of dementia, there is a growing demand for tools capable of detecting the earliest feature of subtle cognitive impairment and optimizing recruitment to clinical trials for potentially disease-modifying therapeutic interventions such as BACE1 inhibitors. Now that all BACE1 inhibitor programs in symptomatic and prodromal AD populations have ended in failure, trials need to shift to target the earlier preclinical stage. However, evaluating cognitive efficacy (if any) in asymptomatic AD individuals is a great challenge. In this context, accelerated long-term forgetting (ALF) is emerging as a sensitive cognitive measure that can discriminate between presymptomatic individuals with high risks for developing AD and healthy controls. ALF is characterized by increased forgetting rates over extended delays (e.g., days, weeks, months) despite normal learning and short-term retention on standard memory assessments that typically use around 30-min delays. This review provides an overview of recent progress in animal model and clinical studies on this topic, focusing on the utility and underlying mechanism of ALF that may be applicable to earlier diagnosis and BACE1 inhibitor efficacy evaluation at a preclinical stage of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masuo Ohno
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, United States
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Sun 孙意冉 Y, Yan C, He L, Xiang S, Wang P, Li Z, Chen Y, Zhao J, Yuan Y, Wang W, Zhang X, Su P, Su Y, Ma J, Xu J, Peng Q, Ma H, Xie Z, Zhang Z. Inhibition of ferroptosis through regulating neuronal calcium homeostasis: An emerging therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2023; 87:101899. [PMID: 36871781 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disease, generates a serious threat to the health of the elderly. The AD brain is microscopically characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. There are still no effective therapeutic drugs to restrain the progression of AD though much attention has been paid to exploit AD treatments. Ferroptosis, a type of programmed cell death, has been reported to promote the pathological occurrence and development of AD, and inhibition of neuronal ferroptosis can effectively improve the cognitive impairment of AD. Studies have shown that calcium (Ca2+) dyshomeostasis is closely related to the pathology of AD, and can drive the occurrence of ferroptosis through several pathways, such as interacting with iron, and regulating the crosstalk between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. This paper mainly reviews the roles of ferroptosis and Ca2+ in the pathology of AD, and highlights that restraining ferroptosis through maintaining the homeostasis of Ca2+ may be an innovative target for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Sun 孙意冉
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Chenchen Yan
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Libo He
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan, China
| | - Shixie Xiang
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Zhonghua Li
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Yuanzhao Chen
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Jie Zhao
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Ye Yuan
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Wang Wang
- School of basic medicine, Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang 330052, Jiangxi, China
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Pan Su
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Yunfang Su
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Jinlian Ma
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Jiangyan Xu
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China
| | - Quekun Peng
- School of Biosciences and Technology, Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu 610500, China.
| | - Huifen Ma
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Zhishen Xie
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
| | - Zhenqiang Zhang
- Henan Engineering Research Center for Prevention and Treatment of Major Chronic Diseases with Chinese Medicine, Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
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Müller SA, Shmueli MD, Feng X, Tüshaus J, Schumacher N, Clark R, Smith BE, Chi A, Rose-John S, Kennedy ME, Lichtenthaler SF. The Alzheimer's disease-linked protease BACE1 modulates neuronal IL-6 signaling through shedding of the receptor gp130. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:13. [PMID: 36810097 PMCID: PMC9942414 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00596-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The protease BACE1 is a major drug target for Alzheimer's disease, but chronic BACE1 inhibition is associated with non-progressive cognitive worsening that may be caused by modulation of unknown physiological BACE1 substrates. METHODS To identify in vivo-relevant BACE1 substrates, we applied pharmacoproteomics to non-human-primate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after acute treatment with BACE inhibitors. RESULTS Besides SEZ6, the strongest, dose-dependent reduction was observed for the pro-inflammatory cytokine receptor gp130/IL6ST, which we establish as an in vivo BACE1 substrate. Gp130 was also reduced in human CSF from a clinical trial with a BACE inhibitor and in plasma of BACE1-deficient mice. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that BACE1 directly cleaves gp130, thereby attenuating membrane-bound gp130 and increasing soluble gp130 abundance and controlling gp130 function in neuronal IL-6 signaling and neuronal survival upon growth-factor withdrawal. CONCLUSION BACE1 is a new modulator of gp130 function. The BACE1-cleaved, soluble gp130 may serve as a pharmacodynamic BACE1 activity marker to reduce the occurrence of side effects of chronic BACE1 inhibition in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan A Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Merav D Shmueli
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Xiao Feng
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Johanna Tüshaus
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Ryan Clark
- Neuroscience, Merck & Co. Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brad E Smith
- Laboratory Animal Resources, Merck & Co. Inc., West Point, PA, USA
| | - An Chi
- Chemical Biology, Merck & Co. Inc., Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Stefan F Lichtenthaler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany. .,Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany. .,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany.
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40
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Bao H, Shen Y. Unmasking BACE1 in aging and age-related diseases. Trends Mol Med 2023; 29:99-111. [PMID: 36509631 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2022.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The beta-site amyloid precursor protein (APP)-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) has long been considered a conventional target for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Unfortunately, AD clinical trials of most BACE1 inhibitors were discontinued due to ineffective cognitive improvement or safety challenges. Recent studies investigating the involvement of BACE1 in metabolic, vascular, and immune functions have indicated a role in aging, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. These novel BACE1 functions have helped to identify new 'druggable' targets for BACE1 against aging comorbidities. In this review, we discuss BACE1 regulation during aging, and then provide recent insights into its enzymatic and nonenzymatic involvement in aging and age-related diseases. Our study not only proposes the perspective of BACE1's actions in various systems, but also provides new directions for using BACE1 inhibitors and modulators to delay aging and to treat age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Bao
- Institute on Aging and Brain Disorders, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China; Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yong Shen
- Institute on Aging and Brain Disorders, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China; Neurodegenerative Disorder Research Center, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Aging Research, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Division of Biological and Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China; Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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41
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Conti Filho CE, Loss LB, Marcolongo-Pereira C, Rossoni Junior JV, Barcelos RM, Chiarelli-Neto O, da Silva BS, Passamani Ambrosio R, Castro FCDAQ, Teixeira SF, Mezzomo NJ. Advances in Alzheimer's disease's pharmacological treatment. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1101452. [PMID: 36817126 PMCID: PMC9933512 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1101452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia in the elderly. Several hypotheses emerged from AD pathophysiological mechanisms. However, no neuronal protective or regenerative drug is available nowadays. Researchers still work in drug development and are finding new molecular targets to treat AD. Therefore, this study aimed to summarize main advances in AD pharmacological therapy. Clinical trials registered in the National Library of Medicine database were selected and analyzed accordingly to molecular targets, therapeutic effects, and safety profile. The most common outcome was the lack of efficacy. Only seven trials concluded that tested drugs were safe and induced any kind of therapeutic improvement. Three works showed therapeutic effects followed by toxicity. In addition to aducanumab recent FDA approval, antibodies against amyloid-β (Aβ) showed no noteworthy results. 5-HT6 antagonists, tau inhibitors and nicotinic agonists' data were discouraging. However, anti-Aβ vaccine, BACE inhibitor and anti-neuroinflammation drugs showed promising results.
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42
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The Binding of Different Substrate Molecules at the Docking Site and the Active Site of γ-Secretase Can Trigger Toxic Events in Sporadic and Familial Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24031835. [PMID: 36768156 PMCID: PMC9915333 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24031835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic changes in γ-secretase activity, along with its response to different drugs, can be affected by changes in the saturation of γ-secretase with its substrate. We analyze the saturation of γ-secretase with its substrate using multiscale molecular dynamics studies. We found that an increase in the saturation of γ-secretase with its substrate could result in the parallel binding of different substrate molecules at the docking site and the active site. The C-terminal domain of the substrate bound at the docking site can interact with the most dynamic presenilin sites at the cytosolic end of the active site tunnel. Such interactions can inhibit the ongoing catalytic activity and increase the production of the longer, more hydrophobic, and more toxic Aβ proteins. Similar disruptions in dynamic presenilin structures can be observed with different drugs and disease-causing mutations. Both, C99-βCTF-APP substrate and its different Aβ products, can support the toxic aggregation. The aggregation depends on the substrate N-terminal domain. Thus, the C99-βCTF-APP substrate and β-secretase path can be more toxic than the C83-αCTF-APP substrate and α-secretase path. Nicastrin can control the toxic aggregation in the closed conformation. The binding of the C99-βCTF-APP substrate to γ-secretase can be controlled by substrate channeling between the nicastrin and β-secretase. We conclude that the presented two-substrate mechanism could explain the pathogenic changes in γ-secretase activity and Aβ metabolism in different sporadic and familial cases of Alzheimer's disease. Future drug-development efforts should target different cellular mechanisms that regulate the optimal balance between γ-secretase activity and amyloid metabolism.
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43
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Karkashadze GA, Namazova-Baranova LS, Yatsik LM, Gordeeva OB, Vishneva EA, Efendieva KE, Kaytukova EV, Sukhanova NV, Sergienko NS, Nesterova JV, Kondratova SE, Fatakhova MT, Pashkov AV, Naumova IV, Zelenkova IV, Gankovskiy VA, Gubanova SG, Leonova EV, Pankova AR, Alexeeva AA, Bushueva DA, Gogberashvili TY, Kratko DS, Sadilloeva SH, Sergeeva NE, Kurakina MA, Konstantinidi TA, Povalyaeva IA, Soloshenko MA, Slipka MI, Altunin VV, Rykunova AI, Salimgareeva TA, Prudnikov PA, Ulkina NA, Firumyantc AI, Shilko NS, Kazanceva JE. Levels of Neurospecific Peptides, Neurotransmitters and Neuroreceptor Markers in the Serum of Children with Various Sensory Disorders, Mild Cognitive Impairments and Other Neuropathology. PEDIATRIC PHARMACOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.15690/pf.v19i6.2486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Background. The role of recently discovered neurospecific peptides in the pathogenesis of acute and progressive neurologic disorders, their neuroprotective features, and possibilities to use them as markers for the course and prognosis of certain diseases have been actively studied in recent decades. However, neurospecific peptides are almost not studied in chronic residual diseases. In our study we measured the levels of neurospecific peptides and some other markers to achieve understanding of general neurophysiological trends in congenital and acquired chronic non-progressive brain pathology with reference to the selection of relevant groups — study objects. Objective. The aim of the study is to study patterns of neurospecific peptides, neurotransmitters and neuroreceptor markers distribution in the serum of children with various pathogenetic variants of chronic neuropathology. Methods. The study included children from 3 to 16 years old with different pathologies. The sample was divided into groups by pathology type: no sensory and neurological disorders, congenital sensory deficit due to mutation of genes expressed and not expressed in the brain, early acquired sensory deficit of multifactorial nature, congenital mild and severe organic disorders of central nervous system (CNS) in residual stage without baseline sensory deficit, acquired functional CNS disorders without baseline organic defect and sensory deficit. The following laboratory data (neurophysiological components) was studied: nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotropic factor, neurotrophin-3, neurotrophin-4, neuregulin-1-beta-1, beta-secretase, sirtuin-1, synaptophysin, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, and anti-NR2 glutamate receptor antibodies. The parameters of cognitive activity, sense of vision, sense of smell, and acoustic sense were also evaluated. Results. The study included 274 participants. Neuropeptides and markers have shown a variable degree and range in the group spectrum of differences from normal levels. The most variable in the examined sample was NO-synthase, as well as levels of both neurotrophins, beta-secretase, and glutamate receptor marker. All visual deficits were associated with increased NO-synthase levels (p < 0.001). Neuroplasticity peptides (beta-secretase, neurotrophin-3 and 4) have been activated in all pathological conditions. Nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotropic factor were specifically activated in mild organic CNS lesions (mild cognitive impairments), while neuregulin — in congenital genetically determined visual deficits. There was no specific activation of neuropeptides and NO-synthase level tended to decrease in cases of severe CNS lesions. Conclusion. The study results suggest that all types of early visual impairment are associated with increased physiological neuronal activity, and non-organic neurological functional disorders — mainly with increased physiological synaptic activity. General neuroplasticity processes were activated in all cases of visual deficits but more specific. However, more specific and well-studied processes were activated in mild organic CNS lesions, and neuroplasticity processes did not activate adequately in severe organic CNS lesions probably due to the limited neuronal and synaptic resources.
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Levin J, Vöglein J, Quiroz YT, Bateman RJ, Ghisays V, Lopera F, McDade E, Reiman E, Tariot PN, Morris JC. Testing the amyloid cascade hypothesis: Prevention trials in autosomal dominant Alzheimer disease. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:2687-2698. [PMID: 35212149 PMCID: PMC9399299 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The amyloid cascade hypothesis of Alzheimer disease (AD) has been increasingly challenged. Here, we aim to refocus the amyloid cascade hypothesis on its original premise that the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide is the primary and earliest event in AD pathogenesis as based on current evidence, initiating several pathological events and ultimately leading to AD dementia. BACKGROUND An ongoing debate about the validity of the amyloid cascade hypothesis for AD has been triggered by clinical trials with investigational disease-modifying drugs targeting Aβ that have not demonstrated consistent clinically meaningful benefits. UPDATED HYPOTHESIS It is an open question if monotherapy targeting Aβ pathology could be markedly beneficial at a stage when the brain has been irreversibly damaged by a cascade of pathological changes. Interventions in cognitively unimpaired individuals at risk for dementia, during amyloid-only and pre-amyloid stages, are more appropriate for proving or refuting the amyloid hypothesis. Our updated hypothesis states that anti-Aβ investigational therapies are likely to be most efficacious when initiated in the preclinical (asymptomatic) stages of AD and specifically when the disease is driven primarily by amyloid pathology. Given the young age at symptom onset and the deterministic nature of the mutations, autosomal dominant AD (ADAD) mutation carriers represent the ideal population to evaluate the efficacy of putative disease-modifying Aβ therapies. MAJOR CHALLENGES FOR THE HYPOTHESIS Key challenges of the amyloid hypothesis include the recognition that disrupted Aβ homeostasis alone is insufficient to produce the AD pathophysiologic process, poor correlation of Aβ with cognitive impairment, and inconclusive data regarding clinical efficacy of therapies targeting Aβ. Challenges of conducting ADAD research include the rarity of the disease and uncertainty of the generalizability of ADAD findings for the far more common "sporadic" late-onset AD. LINKAGE TO OTHER MAJOR THEORIES The amyloid cascade hypothesis, modified here to pertain to the preclinical stage of AD, still needs to be integrated with the development and effects of tauopathy and other co-pathologies, including neuroinflammation, vascular insults, synucleinopathy, and many others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Levin
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81541 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) site Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Jonathan Vöglein
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, 81541 Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) site Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Yakeel T. Quiroz
- Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, 39 1 Avenue, Suite 101, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Randall J. Bateman
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Valentina Ghisays
- Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, 901 E Willetta St, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA
| | - Francisco Lopera
- Grupo de Neurociencias, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia
| | - Eric McDade
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Eric Reiman
- Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, 901 E Willetta St, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA
| | - Pierre N. Tariot
- Banner Alzheimer’s Institute, 901 E Willetta St, Phoenix, AZ 85006, USA
| | - John C. Morris
- Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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González-Naranjo P, Pérez C, González-Sánchez M, Gironda-Martínez A, Ulzurrun E, Bartolomé F, Rubio-Fernández M, Martin-Requero A, Campillo NE, Páez JA. Multitarget drugs as potential therapeutic agents for alzheimer's disease. A new family of 5-substituted indazole derivatives as cholinergic and BACE1 inhibitors. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2022; 37:2348-2356. [PMID: 36050834 PMCID: PMC9477487 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2022.2117315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Multitarget drugs are a promising therapeutic approach against Alzheimer’s disease. In this work, a new family of 5-substituted indazole derivatives with a multitarget profile including cholinesterase and BACE1 inhibition is described. Thus, the synthesis and evaluation of a new class of 5-substituted indazoles has been performed. Pharmacological evaluation includes in vitro inhibitory assays on AChE/BuChE and BACE1 enzymes. Also, the corresponding competition studies on BuChE were carried out. Additionally, antioxidant properties have been calculated from ORAC assays. Furthermore, studies of anti-inflammatory properties on Raw 264.7 cells and neuroprotective effects in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells have been performed. The results of pharmacological tests have shown that some of these 5-substituted indazole derivatives 1–4 and 6 behave as AChE/BuChE and BACE1 inhibitors, simultaneously. In addition, some indazole derivatives showed anti-inflammatory (3, 6) and neuroprotective (1–4 and 6) effects against Aβ-induced cell death in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells with antioxidant properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Eugenia Ulzurrun
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Bartolomé
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Hospital Doce de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos Rubio-Fernández
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Angeles Martin-Requero
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Hospital Doce de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria E Campillo
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan A Páez
- Instituto de Química Médica (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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46
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Ramesh M, Govindaraju T. Multipronged diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for Alzheimer's disease. Chem Sci 2022; 13:13657-13689. [PMID: 36544728 PMCID: PMC9710308 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc03932j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and a major contributor to dementia cases worldwide. AD is clinically characterized by learning, memory, and cognitive deficits. The accumulation of extracellular amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) of tau are the pathological hallmarks of AD and are explored as targets for clinical diagnosis and therapy. AD pathology is poorly understood and there are no fully approved diagnosis and treatments. Notwithstanding the gap, decades of research in understanding disease mechanisms have revealed the multifactorial nature of AD. As a result, multipronged and holistic approaches are pertinent to targeting multiple biomarkers and targets for developing effective diagnosis and therapeutics. In this perspective, recent developments in Aβ and tau targeted diagnostic and therapeutic tools are discussed. Novel indirect, combination, and circulating biomarkers as potential diagnostic targets are highlighted. We underline the importance of multiplexing and multimodal detection of multiple biomarkers to generate biomarker fingerprints as a reliable diagnostic strategy. The classical therapeutics targeting Aβ and tau aggregation pathways are described with bottlenecks in the strategy. Drug discovery efforts targeting multifaceted toxicity involving protein aggregation, metal toxicity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, and neuroinflammation are highlighted. Recent efforts focused on multipronged strategies to rationally design multifunctional modulators targeting multiple pathological factors are presented as future drug development strategies to discover potential therapeutics for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhu Ramesh
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Jakkur P.O. Bengaluru Karnataka 560064 India
| | - Thimmaiah Govindaraju
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Jakkur P.O. Bengaluru Karnataka 560064 India
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47
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Rother C, Uhlmann RE, Müller SA, Schelle J, Skodras A, Obermüller U, Häsler LM, Lambert M, Baumann F, Xu Y, Bergmann C, Salvadori G, Loos M, Brzak I, Shimshek D, Neumann U, Walker LC, Schultz SA, Chhatwal JP, Kaeser SA, Lichtenthaler SF, Staufenbiel M, Jucker M. Experimental evidence for temporal uncoupling of brain Aβ deposition and neurodegenerative sequelae. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7333. [PMID: 36443293 PMCID: PMC9705543 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34538-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain Aβ deposition is a key early event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer´s disease (AD), but the long presymptomatic phase and poor correlation between Aβ deposition and clinical symptoms remain puzzling. To elucidate the dependency of downstream pathologies on Aβ, we analyzed the trajectories of cerebral Aβ accumulation, Aβ seeding activity, and neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the CSF (a biomarker of neurodegeneration) in Aβ-precursor protein transgenic mice. We find that Aβ deposition increases linearly until it reaches an apparent plateau at a late age, while Aβ seeding activity increases more rapidly and reaches a plateau earlier, coinciding with the onset of a robust increase of CSF NfL. Short-term inhibition of Aβ generation in amyloid-laden mice reduced Aβ deposition and associated glial changes, but failed to reduce Aβ seeding activity, and CSF NfL continued to increase although at a slower pace. When short-term or long-term inhibition of Aβ generation was started at pre-amyloid stages, CSF NfL did not increase despite some Aβ deposition, microglial activation, and robust brain Aβ seeding activity. A dissociation of Aβ load and CSF NfL trajectories was also found in familial AD, consistent with the view that Aβ aggregation is not kinetically coupled to neurotoxicity. Rather, neurodegeneration starts when Aβ seeding activity is saturated and before Aβ deposition reaches critical (half-maximal) levels, a phenomenon reminiscent of the two pathogenic phases in prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Rother
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, D-72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ruth E Uhlmann
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, D-72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan A Müller
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Juliane Schelle
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Angelos Skodras
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ulrike Obermüller
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lisa M Häsler
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marius Lambert
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Frank Baumann
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Carina Bergmann
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, D-72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Giulia Salvadori
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Maarten Loos
- Sylics (Synaptologics BV), 3721 MA, Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Irena Brzak
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Derya Shimshek
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ulf Neumann
- Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, CH-4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lary C Walker
- Department of Neurology and Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | | | - Jasmeer P Chhatwal
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephan A Kaeser
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan F Lichtenthaler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Neuroproteomics, School of Medicine, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Staufenbiel
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mathias Jucker
- Department of Cellular Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany.
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48
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Miglione A, Raucci A, Amato J, Marzano S, Pagano B, Raia T, Lucarelli M, Fuso A, Cinti S. Printed Electrochemical Strip for the Detection of miRNA-29a: A Possible Biomarker Related to Alzheimer’s Disease. Anal Chem 2022; 94:15558-15563. [PMID: 36318963 PMCID: PMC9670028 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c03542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
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The development of electrochemical strips, as extremely
powerful
diagnostic tools, has received much attention in the field of sensor
analysis and, in particular, the detection of nucleic acids in complex
matrixes is a hot topic in the electroanalytical area, especially
when directed toward the development of emerging technologies, for
the purpose of facilitating personal healthcare. One of the major
diseases for which early diagnosis is crucial is represented by Alzheimer’s
disease (AD). AD is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, and it
is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. In this context microRNAs
(miRNAs), which are small noncoding RNAs, have recently been highlighted
for their promising role as biomarkers for early diagnosis. In particular,
miRNA-29 represents a class of miRNAs known to regulate pathogenesis
of AD. In this work we developed an electrochemical printed strip
for the detection of miRNA-29a at low levels. The architecture was
characterized by the presence of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and an
anti-miRNA-29a probe labeled with a redox mediator. The novel analytical
tool has been characterized with microscale thermophoresis and electrochemical
methods, and it has been optimized by selection of the most appropriate
probe density to detect low target concentration. The present tool
was capable to detect miRNA-29a both in standard solution and in serum,
respectively, down to 0.15 and 0.2 nM. The platform highlighted good
repeatability (calculated as the relative standard deviation) of ca.
10% and satisfactory selectivity in the presence of interfering species.
This work has the objective to open a way for the study and possible
early diagnosis of a physically and socially devastating disease such
as Alzheimer’s. The results demonstrate the suitability of
this approach in terms of ease of use, time of production, sensitivity,
and applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Miglione
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Ada Raucci
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Jussara Amato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Simona Marzano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Bruno Pagano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Tiziana Raia
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Lucarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Pasteur Institute Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Fuso
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Cinti
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Via Domenico Montesano 49, 80131 Naples, Italy
- BAT Center─Interuniversity Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology, University of Naples “Federico II”, 80055 Naples, Italy
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49
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Khotimchenko YS, Silachev DN, Katanaev VL. Marine Natural Products from the Russian Pacific as Sources of Drugs for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:708. [PMID: 36421986 PMCID: PMC9697637 DOI: 10.3390/md20110708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are growing to become one of humanity's biggest health problems, given the number of individuals affected by them. They cause enough mortalities and severe economic impact to rival cancers and infections. With the current diversity of pathophysiological mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative diseases, on the one hand, and scarcity of efficient prevention and treatment strategies, on the other, all possible sources for novel drug discovery must be employed. Marine pharmacology represents a relatively uncharted territory to seek promising compounds, despite the enormous chemodiversity it offers. The current work discusses one vast marine region-the Northwestern or Russian Pacific-as the treasure chest for marine-based drug discovery targeting neurodegenerative diseases. We overview the natural products of neurological properties already discovered from its waters and survey the existing molecular and cellular targets for pharmacological modulation of the disease. We further provide a general assessment of the drug discovery potential of the Russian Pacific in case of its systematic development to tackle neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri S. Khotimchenko
- Institute of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, 8 ul. Sukhanova, 690950 Vladivostok, Russia
- A.V. Zhirmunsky National Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 690950 Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Denis N. Silachev
- Department of Functional Biochemistry of Biopolymers, A.N. Belozersky Research Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir L. Katanaev
- Institute of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, 8 ul. Sukhanova, 690950 Vladivostok, Russia
- Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, Translational Research Centre in Oncohaematology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
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50
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Stern N, Gacs A, Tátrai E, Flachner B, Hajdú I, Dobi K, Bágyi I, Dormán G, Lőrincz Z, Cseh S, Kígyós A, Tóvári J, Goldblum A. Dual Inhibitors of AChE and BACE-1 for Reducing Aβ in Alzheimer's Disease: From In Silico to In Vivo. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13098. [PMID: 36361906 PMCID: PMC9655245 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex and widespread condition, still not fully understood and with no cure yet. Amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide is suspected to be a major cause of AD, and therefore, simultaneously blocking its formation and aggregation by inhibition of the enzymes BACE-1 (β-secretase) and AChE (acetylcholinesterase) by a single inhibitor may be an effective therapeutic approach, as compared to blocking one of these targets or by combining two drugs, one for each of these targets. We used our ISE algorithm to model each of the AChE peripheral site inhibitors and BACE-1 inhibitors, on the basis of published data, and constructed classification models for each. Subsequently, we screened large molecular databases with both models. Top scored molecules were docked into AChE and BACE-1 crystal structures, and 36 Molecules with the best weighted scores (based on ISE indexes and docking results) were sent for inhibition studies on the two enzymes. Two of them inhibited both AChE (IC50 between 4-7 μM) and BACE-1 (IC50 between 50-65 μM). Two additional molecules inhibited only AChE, and another two molecules inhibited only BACE-1. Preliminary testing of inhibition by F681-0222 (molecule 2) on APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice shows a reduction in brain tissue of soluble Aβ42.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Stern
- Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Lab, Institute for Drug Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel
| | - Alexandra Gacs
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Enikő Tátrai
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary
- KINETO Lab Ltd., H-1032 Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - István Hajdú
- TargetEx Ltd., H-2120 Dunakeszi, Hungary
- Institute of Enzymology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - József Tóvári
- KINETO Lab Ltd., H-1032 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Tumor Biology, National Korányi Institute of TB and Pulmonology, H-1121 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Amiram Goldblum
- Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Lab, Institute for Drug Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel
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