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Azam HMH, Rößling RI, Geithe C, Khan MM, Dinter F, Hanack K, Prüß H, Husse B, Roggenbuck D, Schierack P, Rödiger S. MicroRNA biomarkers as next-generation diagnostic tools for neurodegenerative diseases: a comprehensive review. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1386735. [PMID: 38883980 PMCID: PMC11177777 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1386735] [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: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are characterized by abnormalities within neurons of the brain or spinal cord that gradually lose function, eventually leading to cell death. Upon examination of affected tissue, pathological changes reveal a loss of synapses, misfolded proteins, and activation of immune cells-all indicative of disease progression-before severe clinical symptoms become apparent. Early detection of NDs is crucial for potentially administering targeted medications that may delay disease advancement. Given their complex pathophysiological features and diverse clinical symptoms, there is a pressing need for sensitive and effective diagnostic methods for NDs. Biomarkers such as microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as potential tools for detecting these diseases. We explore the pivotal role of miRNAs in the context of NDs, focusing on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple sclerosis, Huntington's disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The review delves into the intricate relationship between aging and NDs, highlighting structural and functional alterations in the aging brain and their implications for disease development. It elucidates how miRNAs and RNA-binding proteins are implicated in the pathogenesis of NDs and underscores the importance of investigating their expression and function in aging. Significantly, miRNAs exert substantial influence on post-translational modifications (PTMs), impacting not just the nervous system but a wide array of tissues and cell types as well. Specific miRNAs have been found to target proteins involved in ubiquitination or de-ubiquitination processes, which play a significant role in regulating protein function and stability. We discuss the link between miRNA, PTM, and NDs. Additionally, the review discusses the significance of miRNAs as biomarkers for early disease detection, offering insights into diagnostic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hafiz Muhammad Husnain Azam
- Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Rosa Ilse Rößling
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiane Geithe
- Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
| | - Muhammad Moman Khan
- Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Franziska Dinter
- Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
- PolyAn GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Hanack
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Harald Prüß
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Britta Husse
- Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Roggenbuck
- Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Peter Schierack
- Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Rödiger
- Institute of Biotechnology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Joint Faculty of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus - Senftenberg, The Brandenburg Medical School Theodor Fontane and the University of Potsdam, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Caron NS, Aly AEE, Findlay Black H, Martin DDO, Schmidt ME, Ko S, Anderson C, Harvey EM, Casal LL, Anderson LM, Rahavi SMR, Reid GSD, Oda MN, Stanimirovic D, Abulrob A, McBride JL, Leavitt BR, Hayden MR. Systemic delivery of mutant huntingtin lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain using apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks for Huntington disease. J Control Release 2024; 367:27-44. [PMID: 38215984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.011] [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: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) remains a major challenge for the treatment of neurological diseases. Huntington disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion mutation in the HTT gene which codes for a toxic mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Pharmacological reduction of mHTT in the CNS using antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) ameliorates HD-like phenotypes in rodent models of HD, with such therapies being investigated in clinical trials for HD. In this study, we report the optimization of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as vehicles for delivery of a HTT-targeted ASO (HTT ASO) to the brain and peripheral organs for HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I wild type (WT) and the apoA-I K133C mutant incubated with a synthetic lipid, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, can self-assemble into monodisperse discoidal particles with diameters <20 nm that transmigrate across an in vitro blood-brain barrier model of HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I NDs are well tolerated in vivo, and that apoA-I K133C NDs show enhanced distribution to the CNS and peripheral organs compared to apoA-I WT NDs following systemic administration. ApoA-I K133C conjugated with HTT ASO forms NDs (HTT ASO NDs) that induce significant mHTT lowering in the liver, skeletal muscle and heart as well as in the brain when delivered intravenously in the BACHD mouse model of HD. Furthermore, HTT ASO NDs increase the magnitude of mHTT lowering in the striatum and cortex compared to HTT ASO alone following intracerebroventricular administration. These findings demonstrate the potential utility of apoA-I NDs as biocompatible vehicles for enhancing delivery of mutant HTT lowering ASOs to the CNS and peripheral organs for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emily M Harvey
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seyed M R Rahavi
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gregor S D Reid
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Danica Stanimirovic
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abedelnasser Abulrob
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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3
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Bartl S, Xie Y, Potluri N, Kesineni R, Hencak K, Cengio LD, Balazs K, Oueslati A, Parth M, Salhat N, Siddu A, Smrzka O, Cicchetti F, Straffler G, Hayden MR, Southwell AL. Reducing huntingtin by immunotherapy delays disease progression in a mouse model of Huntington disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106376. [PMID: 38092268 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106376] [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: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In Huntington disease (HD), the mutant huntingtin (mtHTT) protein is the principal cause of pathological changes that initiate primarily along the cortico-striatal axis. mtHTT is ubiquitously expressed and there is, accordingly, growing recognition that HD is a systemic disorder with functional interplay between the brain and the periphery. We have developed a monoclonal antibody, C6-17, targeting an exposed region of HTT near the aa586 Caspase 6 cleavage site. As recently published, mAB C6-17 can block cell-to-cell propagation of mtHTT in vitro. In order to reduce the burden of the mutant protein in vivo, we queried whether extracellular mtHTT could be therapeutically targeted in YAC128 HD mice. In a series of proof of concept experiments, we found that systemic mAB C6-17 treatment resulted in the distribution of the mAB C6-17 to peripheral and CNS tissues and led to the reduction of HTT protein levels. Compared to CTRL mAB or vehicle treated mice, the mAB C6-17 treated YAC128 animals showed improved body weight and motor behaviors, a delayed progression in motor deficits and reduced striatal EM48 immunoreactivity. These results provide the first proof of concept for the feasibility and therapeutic efficacy of an antibody-based anti-HTT passive immunization approach and suggest this modality as a potential new HD treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America; University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nalini Potluri
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Ratnesh Kesineni
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Katlin Hencak
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Abid Oueslati
- Centre de recherche du CHU - Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | - Alberto Siddu
- Centre de recherche du CHU - Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Michael R Hayden
- University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Amber L Southwell
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America.
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4
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. Neurobiol Dis 2023; 187:106313. [PMID: 37777020 PMCID: PMC10731584 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon 1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. Lowering mHTT is a promising approach to treat HD, but it is unclear when lowering should be initiated, how much is necessary, and what duration should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model, we analyzed mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the striatum was reduced 38-52%; however, there was minimal lowering of mHTT in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. Total striatal lipids were reduced in 9-month-old LacQ140 mice and preserved by mHtt lowering. Subclasses important for white matter structure and function including ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), contributed to the reduction in total lipids. Phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses except ceramide were preserved by mHtt lowering. mRNA expression profiling indicated that a transcriptional mechanism contributes to changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be prevented by mHtt lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids, but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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5
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Jiang A, Handley RR, Lehnert K, Snell RG. From Pathogenesis to Therapeutics: A Review of 150 Years of Huntington's Disease Research. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13021. [PMID: 37629202 PMCID: PMC10455900 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241613021] [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: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a debilitating neurodegenerative genetic disorder caused by an expanded polyglutamine-coding (CAG) trinucleotide repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. HD behaves as a highly penetrant dominant disorder likely acting through a toxic gain of function by the mutant huntingtin protein. Widespread cellular degeneration of the medium spiny neurons of the caudate nucleus and putamen are responsible for the onset of symptomology that encompasses motor, cognitive, and behavioural abnormalities. Over the past 150 years of HD research since George Huntington published his description, a plethora of pathogenic mechanisms have been proposed with key themes including excitotoxicity, dopaminergic imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic defects, disruption of proteostasis, transcriptional dysregulation, and neuroinflammation. Despite the identification and characterisation of the causative gene and mutation and significant advances in our understanding of the cellular pathology in recent years, a disease-modifying intervention has not yet been clinically approved. This review includes an overview of Huntington's disease, from its genetic aetiology to clinical presentation and its pathogenic manifestation. An updated view of molecular mechanisms and the latest therapeutic developments will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Jiang
- Applied Translational Genetics Group, Centre for Brain Research, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (R.R.H.); (K.L.); (R.G.S.)
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6
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Aly AEE, Caron NS, Black HF, Schmidt ME, Anderson C, Ko S, Baddeley HJE, Anderson L, Casal LL, Rahavi RSM, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Delivery of mutant huntingtin-lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain by intranasally administered apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks. J Control Release 2023; 360:913-927. [PMID: 37468110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in the central nervous system (CNS) using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) is a promising approach currently being evaluated in clinical trials for Huntington disease (HD). However, the therapeutic potential of ASOs in HD patients is limited by their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In non-human primates, intrathecal infusion of ASOs results in limited brain distribution, with higher ASO concentrations in superficial regions and lower concentrations in deeper regions, such as the basal ganglia. To address the need for improved delivery of ASOs to the brain, we are evaluating the therapeutic potential of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as novel delivery vehicles for mHTT-lowering ASOs to the CNS after intranasal administration. Here, we have demonstrated the ability of apoA-I nanodisks to bypass the BBB after intranasal delivery in the BACHD model of HD. Following intranasal administration of apoA-I NDs, apoA-I protein levels were elevated along the rostral-caudal brain axis, with highest levels in the most rostral brain regions including the olfactory bulb and frontal cortex. Double-label immunohistochemistry indicates that both the apoA-I and ASO deposit in neurons. Most importantly, a single intranasal dose of apoA-I ASO-NDs significantly reduces mHTT levels in the brain regions most affected in HD, namely the cortex and striatum. This approach represents a novel non-invasive means for improving delivery and brain distribution of oligonucleotide therapies and enhancing likelihood of efficacy. Improved ASO delivery to the brain has widespread application for treatment of many other CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Helen J E Baddeley
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lisa Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Reza S M Rahavi
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, British Columbia Children's a Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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7
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Shing K, Sapp E, Boudi A, Liu S, Seeley C, Marchionini D, DiFiglia M, Kegel-Gleason KB. Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.26.525697. [PMID: 36747614 PMCID: PMC9900921 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.26.525697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. No disease modifying treatments exist but lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) by gene therapy is a promising approach to treat Huntington's disease (HD). It is not clear when lowering should be initiated, how much lowering is necessary and for what duration lowering should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model we analyzed whole body mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. Subcellular fractionation (density gradient ultracentrifugation), protein chemistry (gel filtration, western blot, and capillary electrophoresis immunoassay), liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry of lipids, and bioinformatic approaches were used to test effects of mHTT transcriptional lowering. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the caudate putamen, which is most affected in HD, was reduced 38-52%. Little or no lowering of mHTT occurred in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. mHtt transcript repression partially or fully preserved select striatal proteins (SCN4B, PDE10A). Total lipids in striatum were reduced in LacQ140 mice at 9 months and preserved by early partial mHtt lowering. The reduction in total lipids was due in part to reductions in subclasses of ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), which are known to be important for white matter structure and function. Lipid subclasses phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses other than ceramide were preserved by early mHtt lowering. Pathway enrichment analysis of RNAseq data imply a transcriptional mechanism is responsible in part for changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be rescued by mHTT lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Shing
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Ellen Sapp
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Adel Boudi
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Sophia Liu
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | - Connor Seeley
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
| | | | - Marian DiFiglia
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129
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8
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Reilly L, Seddighi S, Singleton AB, Cookson MR, Ward ME, Qi YA. Variant biomarker discovery using mass spectrometry-based proteogenomics. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2023; 4:1191993. [PMID: 37168844 PMCID: PMC10165118 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2023.1191993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Genomic diversity plays critical roles in risk of disease pathogenesis and diagnosis. While genomic variants-including single nucleotide variants, frameshift variants, and mis-splicing isoforms-are commonly detected at the DNA or RNA level, their translated variant protein or polypeptide products are ultimately the functional units of the associated disease. These products are often released in biofluids and could be leveraged for clinical diagnosis and patient stratification. Recent emergence of integrated analysis of genomics with mass spectrometry-based proteomics for biomarker discovery, also known as proteogenomics, have significantly advanced the understanding disease risk variants, precise medicine, and biomarker discovery. In this review, we discuss variant proteins in the context of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, outline current and emerging proteogenomic approaches for biomarker discovery, and provide a comprehensive proteogenomic strategy for detection of putative biomarker candidates in human biospecimens. This strategy can be implemented for proteogenomic studies in any field of enquiry. Our review timely addresses the need of biomarkers for aging related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Reilly
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD), National Institute on Aging and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sahba Seddighi
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Andrew B. Singleton
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD), National Institute on Aging and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mark R. Cookson
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Michael E. Ward
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yue A. Qi
- Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD), National Institute on Aging and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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9
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Vauleon S, Schutz K, Massonnet B, Gruben N, Manchester M, Buehler A, Schick E, Boak L, Hawellek DJ. Quantifying mutant huntingtin protein in human cerebrospinal fluid to support the development of huntingtin-lowering therapies. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5332. [PMID: 37005488 PMCID: PMC10067853 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32630-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a cytosine adenine guanine-repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. This results in the production of toxic mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT), which has an elongated polyglutamine (polyQ) stretch near the protein's N-terminal end. The pharmacological lowering of mHTT expression in the brain targets the underlying driver of HD and is one of the principal therapeutic strategies being pursued to slow or stop disease progression. This report describes the characterisation and validation of an assay designed to quantify mHTT in the cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with HD, for use in registrational clinical trials. The assay was optimised, and its performance was characterised with recombinant huntingtin protein (HTT) varying in overall and polyQ-repeat length. The assay was successfully validated by two independent laboratories in regulated bioanalytical environments and showed a steep signal increase as the polyQ stretch of recombinant HTTs pivoted from wild-type to mutant protein forms. Linear mixed effects modelling confirmed highly parallel concentration-response curves for HTTs, with only a minor impact of individual slopes of the concentration-response for different HTTs (typically < 5% of the overall slope). This implies an equivalent quantitative signal behaviour for HTTs with differing polyQ-repeat lengths. The reported method may be a reliable biomarker tool with relevance across the spectrum of HD mutations, which can facilitate the clinical development of HTT-lowering therapies in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Vauleon
- Regulated Bioanalysis, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Schutz
- Regulated Bioanalysis, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Benoit Massonnet
- Regulated Bioanalysis, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Nanda Gruben
- ICON Bioanalytical Laboratories, Assen, The Netherlands
| | - Marianne Manchester
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alessandra Buehler
- Regulated Bioanalysis, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eginhard Schick
- Regulated Bioanalysis, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Lauren Boak
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - David J Hawellek
- Biomarkers and Translational Technologies, Pharma Research and Early Development (pRED), F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland.
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10
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Ozono T, Kimura Y, Suenaga T, Beck G, Jinno J, Aguirre C, Ikenaka K, Krainc D, Mochizuki H, Arase H. Extracellular transportation of α-synuclein by HLA class II molecules. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 644:25-33. [PMID: 36621149 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.12.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates in form of Lewy bodies. Genome-wide association studies have revealed that human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II is a PD-associated gene, although the mechanisms linking HLA class II and PD remain elusive. Here, we identified a novel function of HLA class II in the transport of intracellular α-synuclein to the outside of cells. HLA class II molecules and α-synuclein formed complexes and moved to the cell surface at various degrees among HLA-DR alleles. HLA-DR with a DRB5∗01:01 allele, a putative PD-risk allele, substantially translocated normal and conformationally abnormal α-synuclein to the cell surface and extracellular vesicles. α-Synuclein/HLA class II complexes were found in A2058 melanoma cells, which express intrinsic α-synuclein and HLA-DR with DRB5∗01:01. Our findings will expand our knowledge of unconventional HLA class II function from autoimmune diseases to neurodegenerative disorders, shedding light on the association between the GWAS-prioritized PD-risk gene HLA-DR and α-synuclein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuhiko Ozono
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasuyoshi Kimura
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tadahiro Suenaga
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Immunology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Minami-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0374, Japan
| | - Goichi Beck
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Jyunki Jinno
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - César Aguirre
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kensuke Ikenaka
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Dimitri Krainc
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Hideki Mochizuki
- Department of Neurology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Hisashi Arase
- Laboratory of Immunochemistry, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan; Department of Immunochemistry, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 3-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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11
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Joachimiak P, Ciesiołka A, Kozłowska E, Świtoński PM, Figura G, Ciołak A, Adamek G, Surdyka M, Kalinowska-Pośka Ż, Figiel M, Caron NS, Hayden MR, Fiszer A. Allele-specific quantitation of ATXN3 and HTT transcripts in polyQ disease models. BMC Biol 2023; 21:17. [PMID: 36726088 PMCID: PMC9893648 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01515-3] [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: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The majority of genes in the human genome is present in two copies but the expression levels of both alleles is not equal. Allelic imbalance is an aspect of gene expression relevant not only in the context of genetic variation, but also to understand the pathophysiology of genes implicated in genetic disorders, in particular, dominant genetic diseases where patients possess one normal and one mutant allele. Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are caused by the expansion of CAG trinucleotide tracts within specific genes. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and Huntington's disease (HD) patients harbor one normal and one mutant allele that differ in the length of CAG tracts. However, assessing the expression level of individual alleles is challenging due to the presence of abundant CAG repeats in the human transcriptome, which make difficult the design of allele-specific methods, as well as of therapeutic strategies to selectively engage CAG sequences in mutant transcripts. RESULTS To precisely quantify expression in an allele-specific manner, we used SNP variants that are linked to either normal or CAG expanded alleles of the ataxin-3 (ATXN3) and huntingtin (HTT) genes in selected patient-derived cell lines. We applied a SNP-based quantitative droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) protocol for precise determination of the levels of transcripts in cellular and mouse models. For HD, we showed that the process of cell differentiation can affect the ratio between endogenous alleles of HTT mRNA. Additionally, we reported changes in the absolute number of the ATXN3 and HTT transcripts per cell during neuronal differentiation. We also implemented our assay to reliably monitor, in an allele-specific manner, the silencing efficiency of mRNA-targeting therapeutic approaches for HD. Finally, using the humanized Hu128/21 HD mouse model, we showed that the ratio of normal and mutant HTT transgene expression in brain slightly changes with the age of mice. CONCLUSIONS Using allele-specific ddPCR assays, we observed differences in allele expression levels in the context of SCA3 and HD. Our allele-selective approach is a reliable and quantitative method to analyze low abundant transcripts and is performed with high accuracy and reproducibility. Therefore, the use of this approach can significantly improve understanding of allele-related mechanisms, e.g., related with mRNA processing that may be affected in polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Joachimiak
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Adam Ciesiołka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Emilia Kozłowska
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Paweł M. Świtoński
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Figura
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Agata Ciołak
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Grażyna Adamek
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Magdalena Surdyka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Żaneta Kalinowska-Pośka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Maciej Figiel
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Nicholas S. Caron
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Agnieszka Fiszer
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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12
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Tsai K, Ma C, Han X, Allaire J, Healey GR, Crowley SM, Yu H, Jacobson K, Xia L, Priatel JJ, Vallance BA. Highly Sensitive, Flow Cytometry-Based Measurement of Intestinal Permeability in Models of Experimental Colitis. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 15:425-438. [PMID: 36244647 PMCID: PMC9791122 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Increased intestinal permeability is seen in a variety of inflammatory conditions such as enteric infections and inflammatory bowel disease. Because barrier function can provide a key biomarker of disease severity, it often is assayed in animal models. A common methodology involves gavaging mice with fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated dextran (FITC-D), followed by cardiac puncture to assay plasma fluorescence on a spectrophotometer. Although the FITC-D method is relatively simple, its sensitivity is limited and enables only a single measurement because the test requires killing the subject. Herein, we describe a novel flow cytometry-based method of intestinal permeability measurement based on detection of orally gavaged ovalbumin (OVA) that leaks out of the gut. Our approach uses minute blood volumes collected from the tail vein, permitting repeated testing of the same subject at multiple time points. By comparing this assay against the gold standard FITC-D method, we show the expanded utility of our OVA assay in measuring intestinal permeability. METHODS We directly compared our OVA assay against the FITC-D assay by co-administering both probes orally to the same animals and subsequently using their respective methodologies to measure intestinal permeability by detecting probe levels in the plasma. Permeability was assessed in mice genetically deficient in intestinal mucus production or glycosylation. In addition, wild-type mice undergoing dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis or infected by the enteric bacterial pathogen Citrobacter rodentium also were tested. RESULTS The OVA assay showed very high efficacy in all animal models of intestinal barrier dysfunction tested. Besides identifying intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice with impaired mucin glycosylation, the assay also allowed for repeated tracking of intestinal permeability within the same animal over time, providing data that cannot be easily acquired with other currently applied methods. CONCLUSIONS The OVA assay is a highly sensitive and effective method of measuring intestinal permeability in mouse models of barrier dysfunction and experimental colitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Tsai
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Caixia Ma
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xiao Han
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joannie Allaire
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Genelle R Healey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shauna M Crowley
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hongbing Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kevan Jacobson
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lijun Xia
- Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - John J Priatel
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bruce A Vallance
- British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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13
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Taghian T, Gallagher J, Batcho E, Pullan C, Kuchel T, Denney T, Perumal R, Moore S, Muirhead R, Herde P, Johns D, Christou C, Taylor A, Passler T, Pulaparthi S, Hall E, Chandra S, O’Neill CA, Gray-Edwards H. Brain Alterations in Aged OVT73 Sheep Model of Huntington's Disease: An MRI Based Approach. J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11:391-406. [PMID: 36189602 PMCID: PMC9837686 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-220526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative autosomal dominant disorder with prevalence of 1 : 20000 that has no effective treatment to date. Translatability of candidate therapeutics could be enhanced by additional testing in large animal models because of similarities in brain anatomy, size, and immunophysiology. These features enable realistic pre-clinical studies of biodistribution, efficacy, and toxicity. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS Here we non-invasively characterized alterations in brain white matter microstructure, neurochemistry, neurological status, and mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT) levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of aged OVT73 HD sheep. RESULTS Similar to HD patients, CSF mHTT differentiates HD from normal sheep. Our results are indicative of a decline in neurological status, and alterations in brain white matter diffusion and spectroscopy metric that are more severe in aged female HD sheep. Longitudinal analysis of aged female HD sheep suggests that the decline is detectable over the course of a year. In line with reports of HD human studies, white matter alterations in corpus callosum correlates with a decline in gait of HD sheep. Moreover, alterations in the occipital cortex white matter correlates with a decline in clinical rating score. In addition, the marker of energy metabolism in striatum of aged HD sheep, shows a correlation with decline of clinical rating score and eye coordination. CONCLUSION This data suggests that OVT73 HD sheep can serve as a pre-manifest large animal model of HD providing a platform for pre-clinical testing of HD therapeutics and non-invasive tracking of the efficacy of the therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toloo Taghian
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,
Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Jillian Gallagher
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin Batcho
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Caitlin Pullan
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Tim Kuchel
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Thomas Denney
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Raj Perumal
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Shamika Moore
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Robb Muirhead
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Paul Herde
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Daniel Johns
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Chris Christou
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Gillies Plains, SA, Australia
| | - Amanda Taylor
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Thomas Passler
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Sanjana Pulaparthi
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Erin Hall
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Sundeep Chandra
- Sana Biotechnology, South San Francisco, CA, USA,Bio Marin Pharmaceutical Inc., San Rafael, CA, USA
| | | | - Heather Gray-Edwards
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,
Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA,Correspondence to: Heather L. Gray-Edwards, DVM, PhD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Radiology and Horae Gene Therapy Center, 368 Plantation Street, ASC6-2055, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. Tel.: +1 508 856 4051; Fax: +1 508 856 1552; E-mail:
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14
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Caron NS, Haqqani AS, Sandhu A, Aly AE, Findlay Black H, Bone JN, McBride JL, Abulrob A, Stanimirovic D, Leavitt BR, Hayden MR. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for assessing Huntington disease onset and severity. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac309. [PMID: 36523269 PMCID: PMC9746690 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of molecular biomarkers in CSF from individuals affected by Huntington disease may help improve predictions of disease onset, better define disease progression and could facilitate the evaluation of potential therapies. The primary objective of our study was to investigate novel CSF protein candidates and replicate previously reported protein biomarker changes in CSF from Huntington disease mutation carriers and healthy controls. Our secondary objective was to compare the discriminatory potential of individual protein analytes and combinations of CSF protein markers for stratifying individuals based on the severity of Huntington disease. We conducted a hypothesis-driven analysis of 26 pre-specified protein analytes in CSF from 16 manifest Huntington disease subjects, eight premanifest Huntington disease mutation carriers and eight healthy control individuals using parallel-reaction monitoring mass spectrometry. In addition to reproducing reported changes in previously investigated CSF biomarkers (NEFL, PDYN, and PENK), we also identified novel exploratory CSF proteins (C1QB, CNR1, GNAL, IDO1, IGF2, and PPP1R1B) whose levels were altered in Huntington disease mutation carriers and/or across stages of disease. Moreover, we report strong associations of select CSF proteins with clinical measures of disease severity in manifest Huntington disease subjects (C1QB, CNR1, NEFL, PDYN, PPP1R1B, and TTR) and with years to predicted disease onset in premanifest Huntington disease mutation carriers (ALB, C4B, CTSD, IGHG1, and TTR). Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, we identified PENK as being the most discriminant CSF protein for stratifying Huntington disease mutation carriers from controls. We also identified exploratory multi-marker CSF protein panels that improved discrimination of premanifest Huntington disease mutation carriers from controls (PENK, ALB and NEFL), early/mid-stage Huntington disease from premanifest mutation carriers (PPP1R1B, TTR, CHI3L1, and CTSD), and late-stage from early/mid-stage Huntington disease (CNR1, PPP1R1B, BDNF, APOE, and IGHG1) compared with individual CSF proteins. In this study, we demonstrate that combinations of CSF proteins can outperform individual markers for stratifying individuals based on Huntington disease mutation status and disease severity. Moreover, we define exploratory multi-marker CSF protein panels that, if validated, may be used to improve the accuracy of disease-onset predictions, complement existing clinical and imaging biomarkers for monitoring the severity of Huntington disease, and potentially for assessing therapeutic response in clinical trials. Additional studies with CSF collected from larger cohorts of Huntington disease mutation carriers are needed to replicate these exploratory findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Arsalan S Haqqani
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Akshdeep Sandhu
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Amirah E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Jeffrey N Bone
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Abedelnasser Abulrob
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Danica Stanimirovic
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
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15
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Galyan SM, Ewald CY, Jalencas X, Masrani S, Meral S, Mestres J. Fragment-based virtual screening identifies a first-in-class preclinical drug candidate for Huntington's disease. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19642. [PMID: 36385140 PMCID: PMC9668931 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21900-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there are no therapies available to modify the disease progression of Huntington's disease (HD). Recent clinical trial failures of antisense oligonucleotide candidates in HD have demonstrated the need for new therapeutic approaches. Here, we developed a novel in-silico fragment scanning approach across the surface of mutant huntingtin (mHTT) polyQ and predicted four hit compounds. Two rounds of compound analoging using a strategy of testing structurally similar compounds in an affinity assay rapidly identified GLYN122. In vitro, GLYN122 directly binds and reduces mHTT and induces autophagy in neurons. In vivo, our results confirm that GLYN122 can reduce mHTT in the cortex and striatum of the R/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease and subsequently improve motor symptoms. Thus, the in-vivo pharmacology profile of GLYN122 is a potential new preclinical candidate for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Collin Y. Ewald
- grid.5801.c0000 0001 2156 2780Laboratory of Extracellular Matrix Regeneration, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Translational Medicine, ETH Zürich, 8603 Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
| | - Xavier Jalencas
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Chemotargets SL, Parc Científic de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain ,IMIM Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona (PRBB), 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
| | - Shyam Masrani
- Medicxi Ventures, 25 Great Pulteney St, London, W1F 9NH UK
| | - Selin Meral
- Biomedical Center Munich of the University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 9, 82152 Planegg, Germany
| | - Jordi Mestres
- grid.5841.80000 0004 1937 0247Chemotargets SL, Parc Científic de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain ,IMIM Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona (PRBB), 08003 Barcelona, Catalonia Spain
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16
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Current Diagnostic Methods and Non-Coding RNAs as Possible Biomarkers in Huntington’s Disease. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13112017. [PMID: 36360254 PMCID: PMC9689996 DOI: 10.3390/genes13112017] [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] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether as a cause or a symptom, RNA transcription is recurrently altered in pathologic conditions. This is also true for non-coding RNAs, with regulatory functions in a variety of processes such as differentiation, cell identity and metabolism. In line with their increasingly recognized roles in cellular pathways, RNAs are also currently evaluated as possible disease biomarkers. They could be informative not only to follow disease progression and assess treatment efficacy in clinics, but also to aid in the development of new therapeutic approaches. This is especially important for neurological and genetic disorders, where the administration of appropriate treatment during the disease prodromal stage could significantly delay, if not halt, disease progression. In this review we focus on the current status of biomarkers in Huntington’s Disease (HD), a fatal hereditary and degenerative disease condition. First, we revise the sources and type of wet biomarkers currently in use. Then, we explore the feasibility of different RNA types (miRNA, ncRNA, circRNA) as possible biomarker candidates, discussing potential advantages, disadvantages, sources of origin and the ongoing investigations on this topic.
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17
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Layburn FE, Tan AY, Mehrabi NF, Curtis MA, Tippett LJ, Turner CP, Riguet N, Aeschbach L, Lashuel HA, Dragunow M, Faull RL, Singh-Bains MK. N-terminal mutant huntingtin deposition correlates with CAG repeat length and symptom onset, but not neuronal loss in Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 174:105884. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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18
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Abstract
The brain harbors a unique ability to, figuratively speaking, shift its gears. During wakefulness, the brain is geared fully toward processing information and behaving, while homeostatic functions predominate during sleep. The blood-brain barrier establishes a stable environment that is optimal for neuronal function, yet the barrier imposes a physiological problem; transcapillary filtration that forms extracellular fluid in other organs is reduced to a minimum in brain. Consequently, the brain depends on a special fluid [the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)] that is flushed into brain along the unique perivascular spaces created by astrocytic vascular endfeet. We describe this pathway, coined the term glymphatic system, based on its dependency on astrocytic vascular endfeet and their adluminal expression of aquaporin-4 water channels facing toward CSF-filled perivascular spaces. Glymphatic clearance of potentially harmful metabolic or protein waste products, such as amyloid-β, is primarily active during sleep, when its physiological drivers, the cardiac cycle, respiration, and slow vasomotion, together efficiently propel CSF inflow along periarterial spaces. The brain's extracellular space contains an abundance of proteoglycans and hyaluronan, which provide a low-resistance hydraulic conduit that rapidly can expand and shrink during the sleep-wake cycle. We describe this unique fluid system of the brain, which meets the brain's requisites to maintain homeostasis similar to peripheral organs, considering the blood-brain-barrier and the paths for formation and egress of the CSF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kaag Rasmussen
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Humberto Mestre
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
| | - Maiken Nedergaard
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York
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19
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Benatar M, Wuu J, McHutchison C, Postuma RB, Boeve BF, Petersen R, Ross CA, Rosen H, Arias JJ, Fradette S, McDermott MP, Shefner J, Stanislaw C, Abrahams S, Cosentino S, Andersen PM, Finkel RS, Granit V, Grignon AL, Rohrer JD, McMillan CT, Grossman M, Al-Chalabi A, Turner MR. Preventing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: insights from pre-symptomatic neurodegenerative diseases. Brain 2022; 145:27-44. [PMID: 34677606 PMCID: PMC8967095 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Significant progress has been made in understanding the pre-symptomatic phase of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. While much is still unknown, advances in other neurodegenerative diseases offer valuable insights. Indeed, it is increasingly clear that the well-recognized clinical syndromes of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, spinal muscular atrophy and frontotemporal dementia are also each preceded by a pre-symptomatic or prodromal period of varying duration, during which the underlying disease process unfolds, with associated compensatory changes and loss of inherent system redundancy. Key insights from these diseases highlight opportunities for discovery in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The development of biomarkers reflecting amyloid and tau has led to a shift in defining Alzheimer's disease based on inferred underlying histopathology. Parkinson's disease is unique among neurodegenerative diseases in the number and diversity of non-genetic biomarkers of pre-symptomatic disease, most notably REM sleep behaviour disorder. Huntington's disease benefits from an ability to predict the likely timing of clinically manifest disease based on age and CAG-repeat length alongside reliable neuroimaging markers of atrophy. Spinal muscular atrophy clinical trials have highlighted the transformational value of early therapeutic intervention, and studies in frontotemporal dementia illustrate the differential role of biomarkers based on genotype. Similar advances in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis would transform our understanding of key events in pathogenesis, thereby dramatically accelerating progress towards disease prevention. Deciphering the biology of pre-symptomatic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis relies on a clear conceptual framework for defining the earliest stages of disease. Clinically manifest amyotrophic lateral sclerosis may emerge abruptly, especially among those who harbour genetic mutations associated with rapidly progressive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. However, the disease may also evolve more gradually, revealing a prodromal period of mild motor impairment preceding phenoconversion to clinically manifest disease. Similarly, cognitive and behavioural impairment, when present, may emerge gradually, evolving through a prodromal period of mild cognitive impairment or mild behavioural impairment before progression to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biomarkers are critically important to studying pre-symptomatic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and essential to efforts to intervene therapeutically before clinically manifest disease emerges. The use of non-genetic biomarkers, however, presents challenges related to counselling, informed consent, communication of results and limited protections afforded by existing legislation. Experiences from pre-symptomatic genetic testing and counselling, and the legal protections against discrimination based on genetic data, may serve as a guide. Building on what we have learned-more broadly from other pre-symptomatic neurodegenerative diseases and specifically from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis gene mutation carriers-we present a road map to early intervention, and perhaps even disease prevention, for all forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Benatar
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Joanne Wuu
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Caroline McHutchison
- Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ronald B Postuma
- Department of Neurology, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | | | - Christopher A Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Howard Rosen
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jalayne J Arias
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Michael P McDermott
- Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jeremy Shefner
- Department of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | | | - Sharon Abrahams
- Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Peter M Andersen
- Department of Clinical Science, Neurosciences, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Richard S Finkel
- Department of Pediatric Medicine, Center for Experimental Neurotherapeutics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Volkan Granit
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, UK
| | - Corey T McMillan
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Murray Grossman
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, King's College London, London, UK.,Department of Neurology, King's College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Martin R Turner
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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20
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Rook ME, Southwell AL. Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy: From Design to the Huntington Disease Clinic. BioDrugs 2022; 36:105-119. [PMID: 35254632 PMCID: PMC8899000 DOI: 10.1007/s40259-022-00519-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by an inherited mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, which encodes mutant HTT protein. Though HD remains incurable, various preclinical studies have reported a favorable response to HTT suppression, emphasizing HTT lowering strategies as prospective disease-modifying treatments. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) lower HTT by targeting transcripts and are well suited for treating neurodegenerative disorders as they distribute broadly throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and are freely taken up by neurons, glia, and ependymal cells. With the FDA approval of an ASO therapy for another disease of the CNS, spinal muscular atrophy, ASOs have become a particularly attractive therapeutic option for HD. However, two types of ASOs were recently assessed in human clinical trials for the treatment of HD, and both were halted early. In this review, we will explore the differences in chemistry, targeting, and specificity of these HTT ASOs as well as preliminary clinical findings and potential reasons for and implications of these halted trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E Rook
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA.
| | - Amber L Southwell
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32827, USA
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21
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Cerebrospinal fluid mutant huntingtin is a biomarker for huntingtin lowering in the striatum of Huntington disease mice. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 166:105652. [PMID: 35143966 PMCID: PMC8901112 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a trinucleotide repeat expansion in the HTT gene encoding an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. Expanded mutant HTT (mHTT) is toxic and leads to regional atrophy and neuronal cell loss in the brain, which occurs earliest in the striatum. Therapeutic lowering of mHTT in the central nervous system (CNS) has shown promise in preclinical studies, with multiple approaches currently in clinical development for HD. Quantitation of mHTT in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is being used as a clinical pharmacodynamic biomarker of target engagement in the CNS. We have previously shown that the CNS is a major source of mHTT in the CSF. However, little is known about the specific brain regions and cell types that contribute to CSF mHTT. Therefore, a better understanding of the origins of CSF mHTT and whether therapies targeting mHTT in the striatum would be expected to be associated with significant lowering of mHTT in the CSF is needed. Here, we use complementary pharmacological and genetic-based approaches to either restrict expression of mHTT to the striatum or selectively deplete mHTT in the striatum to evaluate the contribution of this brain region to mHTT in the CSF. We show that viral expression of a mHTT fragment restricted to the striatum leads to detectable mHTT in the CSF. We demonstrate that targeted lowering of mHTT selectively in the striatum using an antisense oligonucleotide leads to a significant reduction of mHTT in the CSF of HD mice. Furthermore, using a transgenic mouse model of HD that expresses full length human mHTT and wild type HTT, we show that genetic inactivation of mHTT selectively in the striatum results in a significant reduction of mHTT in the CSF. Taken together, our data supports the conclusion that the striatum contributes sufficiently to the pool of mHTT in the CSF that therapeutic levels of mHTT lowering in the striatum can be detected by this measure in HD mice. This suggests that CSF mHTT may represent a pharmacodynamic biomarker for therapies that lower mHTT in the striatum.
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22
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Drew CJG, Busse M. Considerations for clinical trial design and conduct in the evaluation of novel advanced therapeutics in neurodegenerative disease. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2022; 166:235-279. [PMID: 36424094 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2022.09.006] [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] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The recent advances in the development of potentially disease modifying cell and gene therapies for neurodegenerative disease has resulted in the production of a number of promising novel therapies which are now moving forward to clinical evaluation. The robust evaluation of these therapies pose a significant number of challenges when compared to more traditional evaluations of pharmacotherapy, which is the current mainstay of neurodegenerative disease symptom management. Indeed, there is an inherent complexity in the design and conduct of these trials at multiple levels. Here we discuss specific aspects requiring consideration in the context of investigating novel cell and gene therapies for neurodegenerative disease. This extends to overarching trial designs that could be employed and the factors that underpin design choices such outcome assessments, participant selection and methods for delivery of cell and gene therapies. We explore methods of data collection that may improve efficiency in trials of cell and gene therapy to maximize data sharing and collaboration. Lastly, we explore some of the additional context beyond efficacy evaluations that should be considered to ensure implementation across relevant healthcare settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheney J G Drew
- Centre For Trials Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit (BRAIN), College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
| | - Monica Busse
- Centre For Trials Research, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit (BRAIN), College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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23
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Lemarié FL, Caron NS, Sanders SS, Schmidt ME, Nguyen YTN, Ko S, Xu X, Pouladi MA, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Rescue of aberrant huntingtin palmitoylation ameliorates mutant huntingtin-induced toxicity. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 158:105479. [PMID: 34390831 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the HTT gene that codes for an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. HTT is subject to multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs) that regulate its cellular function. Mutating specific PTM sites within mutant HTT (mHTT) in HD mouse models can modulate disease phenotypes, highlighting the key role of HTT PTMs in the pathogenesis of HD. These findings have led to increased interest in developing small molecules to modulate HTT PTMs in order to decrease mHTT toxicity. However, the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacological modulation of HTT PTMs in preclinical HD models remains largely unknown. HTT is palmitoylated at cysteine 214 by the huntingtin-interacting protein 14 (HIP14 or ZDHHC17) and 14-like (HIP14L or ZDHHC13) acyltransferases. Here, we assessed if HTT palmitoylation should be regarded as a therapeutic target to treat HD by (1) investigating palmitoylation dysregulation in rodent and human HD model systems, (2) measuring the impact of mHTT-lowering therapy on brain palmitoylation, and (3) evaluating if HTT palmitoylation can be pharmacologically modulated. We show that palmitoylation of mHTT and some HIP14/HIP14L-substrates is decreased early in multiple HD mouse models, and that mHTT palmitoylation decreases further with aging. Lowering mHTT in the brain of YAC128 mice is not sufficient to rescue aberrant palmitoylation. However, we demonstrate that mHTT palmitoylation can be normalized in COS-7 cells, in YAC128 cortico-striatal primary neurons and HD patient-derived lymphoblasts using an acyl-protein thioesterase (APT) inhibitor. Moreover, we show that modulating palmitoylation reduces mHTT aggregation and mHTT-induced cytotoxicity in COS-7 cells and YAC128 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny L Lemarié
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yen T N Nguyen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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24
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Vallès A, Evers MM, Stam A, Sogorb-Gonzalez M, Brouwers C, Vendrell-Tornero C, Acar-Broekmans S, Paerels L, Klima J, Bohuslavova B, Pintauro R, Fodale V, Bresciani A, Liscak R, Urgosik D, Starek Z, Crha M, Blits B, Petry H, Ellederova Z, Motlik J, van Deventer S, Konstantinova P. Widespread and sustained target engagement in Huntington's disease minipigs upon intrastriatal microRNA-based gene therapy. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/588/eabb8920. [PMID: 33827977 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb8920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Huntingtin (HTT)-lowering therapies hold promise to slow down neurodegeneration in Huntington's disease (HD). Here, we assessed the translatability and long-term durability of recombinant adeno-associated viral vector serotype 5 expressing a microRNA targeting human HTT (rAAV5-miHTT) administered by magnetic resonance imaging-guided convention-enhanced delivery in transgenic HD minipigs. rAAV5-miHTT (1.2 × 1013 vector genome (VG) copies per brain) was successfully administered into the striatum (bilaterally in caudate and putamen), using age-matched untreated animals as controls. Widespread brain biodistribution of vector DNA was observed, with the highest concentration in target (striatal) regions, thalamus, and cortical regions. Vector DNA presence and transgene expression were similar at 6 and 12 months after administration. Expression of miHTT strongly correlated with vector DNA, with a corresponding reduction of mutant HTT (mHTT) protein of more than 75% in injected areas, and 30 to 50% lowering in distal regions. Translational pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic measures in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were largely in line with the effects observed in the brain. CSF miHTT expression was detected up to 12 months, with CSF mHTT protein lowering of 25 to 30% at 6 and 12 months after dosing. This study demonstrates widespread biodistribution, strong and durable efficiency of rAAV5-miHTT in disease-relevant regions in a large brain, and the potential of using CSF analysis to determine vector expression and efficacy in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Vallès
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Anouk Stam
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marina Sogorb-Gonzalez
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Cynthia Brouwers
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Carlos Vendrell-Tornero
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Seyda Acar-Broekmans
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lieke Paerels
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jiri Klima
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Bozena Bohuslavova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Roberta Pintauro
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Valentina Fodale
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Alberto Bresciani
- Department of Translational Biology, IRBM Science Park S.p.A., Via Pontina km 30,600, 00071 Pomezia, Italy
| | - Roman Liscak
- Department of Stereotactic Radioneurosurgery, Na Homolce Hospital, Roentgenova 37/2, 150 30, Prague 5, Czech Republic
| | - Dusan Urgosik
- Department of Stereotactic Radioneurosurgery, Na Homolce Hospital, Roentgenova 37/2, 150 30, Prague 5, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Starek
- Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology, St. Anne's University Hospital, Pekařská 53, 656 91 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Crha
- Small Animal Clinic, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical University, Palackého třída 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Bas Blits
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Harald Petry
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Zdenka Ellederova
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Motlik
- Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Rumburská 89, 277 21 Libechov, Czech Republic
| | - Sander van Deventer
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- Department of Research and Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Paasheuvelweg 25a, 1105 BP Amsterdam, Netherlands
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25
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Li J, Stolee JA, Meda A. Simultaneous quantitation of inorganic ions in oligonucleotides using mixed-mode liquid chromatography coupled with a charged aerosol detector. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 204:114244. [PMID: 34280819 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The amounts of inorganic ions (e.g. sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and phosphate) in intrathecally administered oligonucleotide drug products need to be controlled in order to meet the final target formulation composition. During process development, these ions are measured to ensure the solution composition does not change during purification or drug product compounding and to ensure the final drug product targets are achieved. A quantitative method for ion analysis in antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs was developed by mixed-mode anion exchange/cation exchange-hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (AEX/CEX-HILIC) with a charged aerosol detector (CAD). This thirteen-minute method measures monovalent and multivalent cations and anions simultaneously. LC separation conditions, CAD parameters, and sample preparation were judiciously optimized to ensure that the method is specific, accurate, precise, linear, robust, and rugged. With this LC-CAD approach, ion analysis for oligonucleotide drugs can be performed in most analytical labs to support drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangwei Li
- Department of Analytical Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Jessica A Stolee
- Department of Analytical Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alvin Meda
- Department of Analytical Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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26
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Caron NS, Anderson C, Black HF, Sanders SS, Lemarié FL, Doty CN, Hayden MR. Reliable Resolution of Full-Length Huntingtin Alleles by Quantitative Immunoblotting. J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 10:355-365. [PMID: 34092649 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-200463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutics that lower mutant huntingtin (mHTT) have shown promise in preclinical studies and are in clinical development for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD). Multiple assays have been developed that either quantify mHTT or total HTT but may not accurately measure levels of wild type HTT (wtHTT) in biological samples. OBJECTIVE To optimize a method that can be used to resolve, quantify and directly compare levels of full length wtHTT and mHTT in HD samples. METHODS We provide a detailed quantitative immunoblotting protocol to reproducibly resolve full length wtHTT and mHTT in multiple HD mouse and patient samples. RESULTS We show that this assay can be modified, depending on the sample, to resolve wtHTT and mHTT with a wide range of polyglutamine differences (ΔQs 22-179). We also demonstrate that this method can be used to quantify allele-selective lowering of mHTT using an antisense oligonucleotide in HD patient-derived cells. CONCLUSION This quantitative immunoblotting method can be used to reliably resolve full length HTT alleles with ΔQs≥22 and allows for direct comparison of wtHTT and mHTT levels in HD samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Current address: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Fanny L Lemarié
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Crystal N Doty
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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27
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Przybyl L, Wozna-Wysocka M, Kozlowska E, Fiszer A. What, When and How to Measure-Peripheral Biomarkers in Therapy of Huntington's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22041561. [PMID: 33557131 PMCID: PMC7913877 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22041561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the main challenges in further advancing therapeutic strategies for Huntington’s disease (HD) is the development of biomarkers which must be applied to assess the efficiency of the treatment. HD is a dreadful neurodegenerative disorder which has its source of pathogenesis in the central nervous system (CNS) but is reflected by symptoms in the periphery. Visible symptoms include motor deficits and slight changes in peripheral tissues, which can be used as hallmarks for prognosis of the course of HD, e.g., the onset of the disease symptoms. Knowing how the pathology develops in the context of whole organisms is crucial for the development of therapy which would be the most beneficial for patients, as well as for proposing appropriate biomarkers to monitor disease progression and/or efficiency of treatment. We focus here on molecular peripheral biomarkers which could be used as a measurable outcome of potential therapy. We present and discuss a list of wet biomarkers which have been proposed in recent years to measure pre- and postsymptomatic HD. Interestingly, investigation of peripheral biomarkers in HD can unravel new aspects of the disease pathogenesis. This especially refers to inflammatory proteins or specific immune cells which attract scientific attention in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Przybyl
- Laboratory of Mammalian Model Organisms, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
- Correspondence: (L.P.); (A.F.)
| | - Magdalena Wozna-Wysocka
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland; (M.W.-W.); (E.K.)
| | - Emilia Kozlowska
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland; (M.W.-W.); (E.K.)
| | - Agnieszka Fiszer
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Polish Academy of Sciences, 61-704 Poznan, Poland; (M.W.-W.); (E.K.)
- Correspondence: (L.P.); (A.F.)
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28
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Analysis of mutant and total huntingtin expression in Huntington's disease murine models. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22137. [PMID: 33335120 PMCID: PMC7746729 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78790-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a monogenetic neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by the expansion of a polyglutamine region within the huntingtin (HTT) protein, but there is still an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that drive pathology. Expression of the mutant form of HTT is a key aspect of diseased tissues, and the most promising therapeutic approaches aim to lower expanded HTT levels. Consequently, the investigation of HTT expression in time and in multiple tissues, with assays that accurately quantify expanded and non-expanded HTT, are required to delineate HTT homeostasis and to best design and interpret pharmacodynamic readouts for HTT lowering therapeutics. Here we evaluate mutant polyglutamine-expanded (mHTT) and polyglutamine-independent HTT specific immunoassays for validation in human HD and control fibroblasts and use to elucidate the CSF/brain and peripheral tissue expression of HTT in preclinical HD models.
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29
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Rodrigues FB, Byrne LM, Tortelli R, Johnson EB, Wijeratne PA, Arridge M, De Vita E, Ghazaleh N, Houghton R, Furby H, Alexander DC, Tabrizi SJ, Schobel S, Scahill RI, Heslegrave A, Zetterberg H, Wild EJ. Mutant huntingtin and neurofilament light have distinct longitudinal dynamics in Huntington's disease. Sci Transl Med 2020; 12:eabc2888. [PMID: 33328328 PMCID: PMC7611886 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abc2888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
The longitudinal dynamics of the most promising biofluid biomarker candidates for Huntington's disease (HD)-mutant huntingtin (mHTT) and neurofilament light (NfL)-are incompletely defined. Characterizing changes in these candidates during disease progression could increase our understanding of disease pathophysiology and help the identification of effective therapies. In an 80-participant cohort over 24 months, mHTT in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), as well as NfL in CSF and blood, had distinct longitudinal trajectories in HD mutation carriers compared with controls. Baseline analyte values predicted clinical disease status, subsequent clinical progression, and brain atrophy, better than did the rate of change in analytes. Overall, NfL was a stronger monitoring and prognostic biomarker for HD than mHTT. Nonetheless, mHTT has prognostic value and might be a valuable pharmacodynamic marker for huntingtin-lowering trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe B Rodrigues
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Lauren M Byrne
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Rosanna Tortelli
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Eileanoir B Johnson
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Peter A Wijeratne
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marzena Arridge
- Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Neuroradiological Academic Unit, Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Enrico De Vita
- Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Neuroradiological Academic Unit, Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Naghmeh Ghazaleh
- PD Personalised Healthcare, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Richard Houghton
- PD Personalised Healthcare, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Hannah Furby
- PD Personalised Healthcare, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Daniel C Alexander
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Scott Schobel
- Product Development Neuroscience, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK
| | - Amanda Heslegrave
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, 431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, 431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Edward J Wild
- UCL Huntington's Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1B 5EH, UK.
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Mutant Huntingtin Is Cleared from the Brain via Active Mechanisms in Huntington Disease. J Neurosci 2020; 41:780-796. [PMID: 33310753 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1865-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Therapeutics that lower HTT have shown preclinical promise and are being evaluated in clinical trials. However, clinical assessment of brain HTT lowering presents challenges. We have reported that mutant HTT (mHTT) in the CSF of HD patients correlates with clinical measures, including disease burden as well as motor and cognitive performance. We have also shown that lowering HTT in the brains of HD mice results in correlative reduction of mHTT in the CSF, prompting the use of this measure as an exploratory marker of target engagement in clinical trials. In this study, we investigate the mechanisms of mHTT clearance from the brain in adult mice of both sexes to elucidate the significance of therapy-induced CSF mHTT changes. We demonstrate that, although neurodegeneration increases CSF mHTT concentrations, mHTT is also present in the CSF of mice in the absence of neurodegeneration. Importantly, we show that secretion of mHTT from cells in the CNS followed by glymphatic clearance from the extracellular space contributes to mHTT in the CSF. Furthermore, we observe secretion of wild type HTT from healthy control neurons, suggesting that HTT secretion is a normal process occurring in the absence of pathogenesis. Overall, our data support both passive release and active clearance of mHTT into CSF, suggesting that its treatment-induced changes may represent a combination of target engagement and preservation of neurons.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Changes in CSF mutant huntingtin (mHTT) are being used as an exploratory endpoint in HTT lowering clinical trials for the treatment of Huntington disease (HD). Recently, it was demonstrated that intrathecal administration of a HTT lowering agent leads to dose-dependent reduction of CSF mHTT in HD patients. However, little is known about how HTT, an intracellular protein, reaches the extracellular space and ultimately the CSF. Our findings that HTT enters CSF by both passive release and active secretion followed by glymphatic clearance may have significant implications for interpretation of treatment-induced changes of CSF mHTT in clinical trials for HD.
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31
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Lee CYD, Wang N, Shen K, Stricos M, Langfelder P, Cheon KH, Cortés EP, Vinters HV, Vonsattel JP, Wexler NS, Damoiseaux R, Frydman J, Yang XW. Disease-related Huntingtin seeding activities in cerebrospinal fluids of Huntington's disease patients. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20295. [PMID: 33219289 PMCID: PMC7679413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77164-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In Huntington's disease (HD), the mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) is postulated to mediate template-based aggregation that can propagate across cells. It has been difficult to quantitatively detect such pathological seeding activities in patient biosamples, e.g. cerebrospinal fluids (CSF), and study their correlation with the disease manifestation. Here we developed a cell line expressing a domain-engineered mHTT-exon 1 reporter, which showed remarkably high sensitivity and specificity in detecting mHTT seeding species in HD patient biosamples. We showed that the seeding-competent mHTT species in HD CSF are significantly elevated upon disease onset and with the progression of neuropathological grades. Mechanistically, we showed that mHTT seeding activities in patient CSF could be ameliorated by the overexpression of chaperone DNAJB6 and by antibodies against the polyproline domain of mHTT. Together, our study developed a selective and scalable cell-based tool to investigate mHTT seeding activities in HD CSF, and demonstrated that the CSF mHTT seeding species are significantly associated with certain disease states. This seeding activity can be ameliorated by targeting specific domain or proteostatic pathway of mHTT, providing novel insights into such pathological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Y Daniel Lee
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, The Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nan Wang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, The Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Koning Shen
- Department of Biology and BioX Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Stricos
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, The Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Peter Langfelder
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, The Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kristina H Cheon
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, The Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Etty P Cortés
- Division of Aging and Dementia, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Harry V Vinters
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jean Paul Vonsattel
- Division of Aging and Dementia, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nancy S Wexler
- Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Hereditary Disease Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert Damoiseaux
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Judith Frydman
- Department of Biology and BioX Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - X William Yang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, The Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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32
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Wright GEB, Black HF, Collins JA, Gall-Duncan T, Caron NS, Pearson CE, Hayden MR. Interrupting sequence variants and age of onset in Huntington's disease: clinical implications and emerging therapies. Lancet Neurol 2020; 19:930-939. [PMID: 33098802 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30343-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by CAG-CAA repeat expansion, encoding polyglutamine, in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Current age-of-clinical-onset prediction models for Huntington's disease are based on polyglutamine length and explain only a proportion of the variability in age of onset observed between patients. These length-based assays do not interrogate the underlying genetic variation, because known genetic variants in this region do not alter the protein coding sequence. Given that individuals with identical repeat lengths can present with Huntington's disease decades apart, the search for genetic modifiers of clinical age of onset has become an active area of research. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Results from three independent genetic studies of Huntington's disease have shown that glutamine-encoding CAA variants that interrupt DNA CAG repeat tracts, but do not alter polyglutamine length or polyglutamine homogeneity, are associated with substantial differences in age of onset of Huntington's disease in carriers. A variant that results in the loss of CAA interruption is associated with early onset and is particularly relevant to individuals that carry alleles in the reduced penetrance range (ie, CAG 36-39). Approximately a third of clinically manifesting carriers of reduced penetrance alleles, defined by current diagnostics, carry this variant. Somatic repeat instability, modified by interrupted CAG tracts, is the most probable cause mediating this effect. This relationship is supported by genome-wide screens for disease modifiers, which have revealed the importance of DNA-repair genes in Huntington's disease (ie, FAN1, LIG1, MLH1, MSH3, PMS1, and PMS2). WHERE NEXT?: Focus needs to be placed on refining our understanding of the effect of the loss-of-interruption and duplication-of-interruption variants and other interrupting sequence variants on age of onset, and assessing their effect in disease-relevant brain tissues, as well as in diverse population groups, such as individuals from Africa and Asia. Diagnostic tests should be augmented or updated, since current tests do not assess the underlying DNA sequence variation, especially when assessing individuals that carry alleles in the reduced penetrance range. Future studies should explore somatic repeat instability and DNA repair as new therapeutic targets to modify age of onset in Huntington's disease and in other repeat-mediated disorders. Disease-modifying therapies could potentially be developed by therapeutically targeting these processes. Promising approaches include therapeutically targeting the expanded repeat or directly perturbing key DNA-repair genes (eg, with antisense oligonucleotides or small molecules). Targeting the CAG repeat directly with naphthyridine-azaquinolone, a compound that induces contractions, and altering the expression of MSH3, represent two viable therapeutic strategies. However, as a first step, the capability of such novel therapeutic approaches to delay clinical onset in animal models should be assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen E B Wright
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Neuroscience Research Program, Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Collins
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Terence Gall-Duncan
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Program of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christopher E Pearson
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Program of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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33
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Dash D, Mestre TA. Therapeutic Update on Huntington's Disease: Symptomatic Treatments and Emerging Disease-Modifying Therapies. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:1645-1659. [PMID: 32705582 PMCID: PMC7851270 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00891-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder that presents with progressive motor, behavior, and cognitive symptoms leading to early disability and mortality. HD is caused by an expanded CAG repeats in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The corresponding genetic test allows a clinical, definite diagnosis in life and the identification of a fully penetrant mutation carrier in a premanifest stage. In addition to the development of symptomatic treatments that attempt to address unmet care needs such as apathy, irritability, and cognition, novel therapies that target pathways specific to HD biology are being developed with the intent of slowing disease progression. Among these approaches, HTT protein lowering therapies hold great promise. There are currently active programs using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), RNA interference, small-molecule splicing modulators, and zinc-finger protein transcription factor. Except for ASOs and RNA interference approaches, the remaining therapeutic strategies are at a preclinical stage of development. While the current therapeutic landscape in HD may bring an unparalleled change in the lives of people with HD and their families with the first-ever disease-modifying therapy, the evaluation of these therapies requires novel tools that enable a more efficient and expedited discovery and evaluative process. Examples are biomarkers targeting the HTT protein to measure target engagement or disease progression and rating scales more sensitive to the earliest clinical changes. These tools will be instrumental in the next phase of disease-modifying clinical trials in HD likely to target the phenoconversion period of the disease, including the prodromal HD stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepa Dash
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Centre, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Tiago A Mestre
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
- The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
- Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Centre, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
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34
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Tabrizi SJ, Flower MD, Ross CA, Wild EJ. Huntington disease: new insights into molecular pathogenesis and therapeutic opportunities. Nat Rev Neurol 2020; 16:529-546. [PMID: 32796930 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-020-0389-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT) and involves a complex web of pathogenic mechanisms. Mutant HTT (mHTT) disrupts transcription, interferes with immune and mitochondrial function, and is aberrantly modified post-translationally. Evidence suggests that the mHTT RNA is toxic, and at the DNA level, somatic CAG repeat expansion in vulnerable cells influences the disease course. Genome-wide association studies have identified DNA repair pathways as modifiers of somatic instability and disease course in HD and other repeat expansion diseases. In animal models of HD, nucleocytoplasmic transport is disrupted and its restoration is neuroprotective. Novel cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma biomarkers are among the earliest detectable changes in individuals with premanifest HD and have the sensitivity to detect therapeutic benefit. Therapeutically, the first human trial of an HTT-lowering antisense oligonucleotide successfully, and safely, reduced the CSF concentration of mHTT in individuals with HD. A larger trial, powered to detect clinical efficacy, is underway, along with trials of other HTT-lowering approaches. In this Review, we discuss new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of HD and future therapeutic strategies, including the modulation of DNA repair and targeting the DNA mutation itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London, London, UK. .,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK. .,UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Michael D Flower
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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35
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Marxreiter F, Stemick J, Kohl Z. Huntingtin Lowering Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062146. [PMID: 32245050 PMCID: PMC7139361 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Trials using antisense oligonucleotide technology to lower Huntingtin levels in Huntington’s disease (HD) are currently ongoing. This progress, taking place only 27 years after the identification of the Huntingtin gene (HTT) in 1993 reflects the enormous development in genetic engineering in the last decades. It is also the result of passionate basic scientific work and large worldwide registry studies that have advanced the understanding of HD. Increased knowledge of the pathophysiology of this autosomal dominantly inherited CAG-repeat expansion mediated neurodegenerative disease has led to the development of several putative treatment strategies, currently under investigation. These strategies span the whole spectrum of potential targets from genome editing via RNA interference to promoting protein degradation. Yet, recent studies revealed the importance of huntingtin RNA in the pathogenesis of the disease. Therefore, huntingtin-lowering by means of RNA interference appears to be a particular promising strategy. As a matter of fact, these approaches have entered, or are on the verge of entering, the clinical trial period. Here, we provide an overview of huntingtin-lowering approaches via DNA or RNA interference in present clinical trials as well as strategies subject to upcoming therapeutic options. We furthermore discuss putative implications for future treatment of HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franz Marxreiter
- Huntington’s Disease Outpatient Clinic, Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany;
- Center for Rare Movement Disorders, Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Judith Stemick
- Huntington’s Disease Outpatient Clinic, Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany;
| | - Zacharias Kohl
- Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany;
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Caron NS, Southwell AL, Brouwers CC, Cengio LD, Xie Y, Black HF, Anderson LM, Ko S, Zhu X, van Deventer SJ, Evers MM, Konstantinova P, Hayden MR. Potent and sustained huntingtin lowering via AAV5 encoding miRNA preserves striatal volume and cognitive function in a humanized mouse model of Huntington disease. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:36-54. [PMID: 31745548 PMCID: PMC7145682 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by a pathogenic expansion of a CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. There are no disease-modifying therapies for HD. Artificial microRNAs targeting HTT transcripts for degradation have shown preclinical promise and will soon enter human clinical trials. Here, we examine the tolerability and efficacy of non-selective HTT lowering with an AAV5 encoded miRNA targeting human HTT (AAV5-miHTT) in the humanized Hu128/21 mouse model of HD. We show that intrastriatal administration of AAV5-miHTT results in potent and sustained HTT suppression for at least 7 months post-injection. Importantly, non-selective suppression of huntingtin was generally tolerated, however high dose AAV5-miHTT did induce astrogliosis. We observed an improvement of select behavioural and modest neuropathological HD-like phenotypes in Hu128/21 mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic benefit of miRNA-mediated non-selective HTT lowering. Finally, we also observed that potent reduction of wild type HTT (wtHTT) in Hu21 control mice was tolerated up to 7 months post-injection but may induce impairment of motor coordination and striatal atrophy. Taken together, our data suggests that in the context of HD, the therapeutic benefits of mHTT reduction may outweigh the potentially detrimental effects of wtHTT loss following non-selective HTT lowering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amber L Southwell
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Cynthia C Brouwers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xiang Zhu
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Sander J van Deventer
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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37
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Sava V, Fihurka O, Khvorova A, Sanchez-Ramos J. Enriched chitosan nanoparticles loaded with siRNA are effective in lowering Huntington's disease gene expression following intranasal administration. NANOMEDICINE : NANOTECHNOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND MEDICINE 2020; 24:102119. [PMID: 31666200 PMCID: PMC7098382 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2019.102119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Therapies to lower gene expression in brain disease currently require chronic administration into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by intrathecal infusions or direct intracerebral injections. Though well-tolerated in the short-term, this approach is not tenable for a life-time of administration. Nose-to-brain delivery of enriched chitosan-based nanoparticles loaded with anti-HTT siRNA was studied in a transgenic YAC128 mouse model of Huntington's Disease (HD). A series of chitosan-based nanoparticle (NP) formulations encapsulating anti-HTT small interfering RNA (siRNA) was designed to protect the payload from degradation "en route" to the target. Factors to improve production of effective nanocarriers of anti-HTT siRNA were identified and tested in a YAC128 mouse model of Huntington's disease. Four formulations of nanocarriers were identified to be effective in lowering HTT mRNA expression by at least 50%. Intranasal administration of nanoparticles carrying siRNA is a promising therapeutic alternative for safe and effective lowering of mutant HTT expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasyl Sava
- Department of Neurology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
| | - Oksana Fihurka
- Department of Neurology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
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38
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Gregory S, Johnson E, Byrne LM, Rodrigues FB, Henderson A, Moss J, Thomas D, Zhang H, De Vita E, Tabrizi SJ, Rees G, Scahill RI, Wild EJ. Characterizing White Matter in Huntington's Disease. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2020; 7:52-60. [PMID: 31970212 PMCID: PMC6962665 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.12866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Investigating early white matter (WM) change in Huntington's disease (HD) can improve our understanding of the way in which disease spreads from the striatum. OBJECTIVES We provide a detailed characterization of pathology-related WM change in HD. We first examined WM microstructure using diffusion-weighted imaging and then investigated both underlying biological properties of WM and products of WM damage including iron, myelin plus neurofilament light, a biofluid marker of axonal degeneration-in parallel with the mutant huntingtin protein. METHODS We examined WM change in HD gene carriers from the HD-CSFcohort, baseline visit. We used standard-diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to measure metrics including fractional anisotropy, a marker of WM integrity, and diffusivity; a novel diffusion model (neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging) to measure axonal density and organization; T1-weighted and T2-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging images to derive proxy iron content and myelin-contrast measures; and biofluid concentrations of neurofilament light (in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma) and mutant huntingtin protein (in CSF). RESULTS HD gene carriers displayed reduced fractional anisotropy and increased diffusivity when compared with controls, both of which were also associated with disease progression, CSF, and mutant huntingtin protein levels. HD gene carriers also displayed proxy measures of reduced myelin contrast and iron in the striatum. CONCLUSION Collectively, these findings present a more complete characterization of HD-related microstructural brain changes. The correlation between reduced fractional anisotropy, increased axonal orientation, and biofluid markers suggest that axonal breakdown is associated with increased WM degeneration, whereas higher quantitative T2 signal and lower myelin-contrast may indicate a process of demyelination limited to the striatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Gregory
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Eileanoir Johnson
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Lauren M. Byrne
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Filipe B. Rodrigues
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Henderson
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - John Moss
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - David Thomas
- Department of Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, University College London Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonUnited Kingdom
- Leonard Wolfson Experimental Neurology Centre, University College London Queen Square Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Hui Zhang
- Department of Computer Science and Centre for Medical Image ComputingUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Enrico De Vita
- Lysholm Department of NeuroradiologyNational Hospital for Neurology and NeurosurgeryLondonUnited Kingdom
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging SciencesKing's College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sarah J. Tabrizi
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Geraint Rees
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of NeurologyUniversity College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Rachael I. Scahill
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Wild
- University College London Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative DiseaseUniversity College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
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Assessing average somatic CAG repeat instability at the protein level. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19152. [PMID: 31844074 PMCID: PMC6915696 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55202-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sandwich ELISA-based methods use Abs that target the expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract to quantify mutant huntingtin (mHTT). Using Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) assay, the mHTT signal detected with MW1 Ab correlated with polyQ length and doubled with a difference of only 7 glutamine residues between equivalent amounts of purified mHTTexon1 proteins. Similar polyQ length-dependent effects on MSD signals were confirmed using endogenous full length mHTT from brains of Huntington’s disease (HD) knock-in (KI) mice. We used this avidity bias to devise a method to assess average CAG repeat instability at the protein level in a mixed population of HTT proteins present in tissues. Signal detected for average polyQ length quantification at the protein level by our method exhibited a strong correlation with average CAG repeat length at the genomic DNA level determined by PCR method in striatal tissue homogenates from HdhQ140 KI mice and in human HD postmortem cortex. This work establishes that CAG repeat instability in mutant HTT is reflected at the protein level.
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40
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Silajdžić E, Björkqvist M. A Critical Evaluation of Wet Biomarkers for Huntington's Disease: Current Status and Ways Forward. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:109-135. [PMID: 29614689 PMCID: PMC6004896 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
There is an unmet clinical need for objective biomarkers to monitor disease progression and treatment response in Huntington's disease (HD). The aim of this review is, therefore, to provide practical advice for biomarker discovery and to summarise studies on biofluid markers for HD. A PubMed search was performed to review literature with regard to candidate saliva, urine, blood and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for HD. Information has been organised into tables to allow a pragmatic approach to the discussion of the evidence and generation of practical recommendations for future studies. Many of the markers published converge on metabolic and inflammatory pathways, although changes in other analytes representing antioxidant and growth factor pathways have also been found. The most promising markers reflect neuronal and glial degeneration, particularly neurofilament light chain. International collaboration to standardise assays and study protocols, as well as to recruit sufficiently large cohorts, will facilitate future biomarker discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edina Silajdžić
- Division of Cell Matrix Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Maria Björkqvist
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Brain Disease Biomarker Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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41
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Byrne LM, Rodrigues FB, Johnson EB, Wijeratne PA, De Vita E, Alexander DC, Palermo G, Czech C, Schobel S, Scahill RI, Heslegrave A, Zetterberg H, Wild EJ. Evaluation of mutant huntingtin and neurofilament proteins as potential markers in Huntington's disease. Sci Transl Med 2019; 10:10/458/eaat7108. [PMID: 30209243 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat7108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a genetic progressive neurodegenerative disorder, caused by a mutation in the HTT gene, for which there is currently no cure. The identification of sensitive indicators of disease progression and therapeutic outcome could help the development of effective strategies for treating HD. We assessed mutant huntingtin (mHTT) and neurofilament light (NfL) protein concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood in parallel with clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging in premanifest and manifest HD mutation carriers. Among HD mutation carriers, NfL concentrations in plasma and CSF correlated with all nonbiofluid measures more closely than did CSF mHTT concentration. Longitudinal analysis over 4 to 8 weeks showed that CSF mHTT, CSF NfL, and plasma NfL concentrations were highly stable within individuals. In our cohort, concentration of CSF mHTT accurately distinguished between controls and HD mutation carriers, whereas NfL concentration, in both CSF and plasma, was able to segregate premanifest from manifest HD. In silico modeling indicated that mHTT and NfL concentrations in biofluids might be among the earliest detectable alterations in HD, and sample size prediction suggested that low participant numbers would be needed to incorporate these measures into clinical trials. These findings provide evidence that biofluid concentrations of mHTT and NfL have potential for early and sensitive detection of alterations in HD and could be integrated into both clinical trials and the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Byrne
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Filipe B Rodrigues
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Eileanor B Johnson
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Peter A Wijeratne
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, UCL, London WC1E 6EA, UK
| | - Enrico De Vita
- Lysholm Department of Neuroradiology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Daniel C Alexander
- Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, UCL, London WC1E 6EA, UK.,Clinical Imaging Research Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
| | - Giuseppe Palermo
- Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, and Rare Diseases, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Czech
- Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, and Rare Diseases, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Scott Schobel
- Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, and Rare Diseases, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd., 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Amanda Heslegrave
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London WC1E 6BT, UK.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.,Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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42
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Srinivasan SR, Shakkottai VG. Moving Towards Therapy in SCA1: Insights from Molecular Mechanisms, Identification of Novel Targets, and Planning for Human Trials. Neurotherapeutics 2019; 16:999-1008. [PMID: 31338702 PMCID: PMC6985354 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-019-00763-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. The SCAs result in progressive gait imbalance, incoordination of the limbs, speech changes, and oculomotor dysfunction, among other symptoms. Over the past few decades, significant strides have been made in understanding the pathogenic mechanisms underlying these diseases. Although multiple efforts using a combination of genetics and pharmacology with small molecules have been made towards developing new therapeutics, no FDA approved treatment currently exists. In this review, we focus on SCA1, a common SCA subtype, in which some of the greatest advances have been made in understanding disease biology, and consequently potential therapeutic targets. Understanding of the underlying basic biology and targets of therapy in SCA1 is likely to give insight into treatment strategies in other SCAs. The diversity of the biology in the SCAs, and insight from SCA1 suggests, however, that both shared treatment strategies and specific approaches tailored to treat distinct genetic causes of SCA are likely needed for this group of devastating neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikram G Shakkottai
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, 4009 BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
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43
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Lautz JD, Gniffke EP, Brown EA, Immendorf KB, Mendel RD, Smith SEP. Activity-dependent changes in synaptic protein complex composition are consistent in different detergents despite differential solubility. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10890. [PMID: 31350430 PMCID: PMC6659712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46690-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
At the post-synaptic density (PSD), large protein complexes dynamically form and dissociate in response to synaptic activity, comprising the biophysical basis for learning and memory. The use of detergents to isolate the PSD and release its membrane-associated proteins complicates studies of these activity-dependent protein interaction networks, because detergents can simultaneously disrupt the very interactions under study. Despite widespread recognition that different detergents yield different experimental results, the effect of detergent on activity-dependent synaptic protein complexes has not been rigorously examined. Here, we characterize the effect of three detergents commonly used to study synaptic proteins on activity-dependent protein interactions. We first demonstrate that SynGAP-containing interactions are more abundant in 1% Deoxycholate (DOC), while Shank-, Homer- and mGluR5-containing interactions are more abundant in 1% NP-40 or Triton. All interactions were detected preferentially in high molecular weight complexes generated by size exclusion chromatography, although the detergent-specific abundance of proteins in high molecular weight fractions did not correlate with the abundance of detected interactions. Activity-dependent changes in protein complexes were consistent across detergent types, suggesting that detergents do not isolate distinct protein pools with unique behaviors. However, detection of activity-dependent changes is more or less feasible in different detergents due to baseline solubility. Collectively, our results demonstrate that detergents affect the solubility of individual proteins, but activity-dependent changes in protein interactions, when detectable, are consistent across detergent types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D Lautz
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Edward P Gniffke
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Emily A Brown
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Karen B Immendorf
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ryan D Mendel
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stephen E P Smith
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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44
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Tabrizi SJ, Leavitt BR, Landwehrmeyer GB, Wild EJ, Saft C, Barker RA, Blair NF, Craufurd D, Priller J, Rickards H, Rosser A, Kordasiewicz HB, Czech C, Swayze EE, Norris DA, Baumann T, Gerlach I, Schobel SA, Paz E, Smith AV, Bennett CF, Lane RM. Targeting Huntingtin Expression in Patients with Huntington's Disease. N Engl J Med 2019; 380:2307-2316. [PMID: 31059641 DOI: 10.1056/nejmoa1900907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 412] [Impact Index Per Article: 82.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in HTT, resulting in a mutant huntingtin protein. IONIS-HTTRx (hereafter, HTTRx) is an antisense oligonucleotide designed to inhibit HTT messenger RNA and thereby reduce concentrations of mutant huntingtin. METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind, multiple-ascending-dose, phase 1-2a trial involving adults with early Huntington's disease. Patients were randomly assigned in a 3:1 ratio to receive HTTRx or placebo as a bolus intrathecal administration every 4 weeks for four doses. Dose selection was guided by a preclinical model in mice and nonhuman primates that related dose level to reduction in the concentration of huntingtin. The primary end point was safety. The secondary end point was HTTRx pharmacokinetics in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Prespecified exploratory end points included the concentration of mutant huntingtin in CSF. RESULTS Of the 46 patients who were enrolled in the trial, 34 were randomly assigned to receive HTTRx (at ascending dose levels of 10 to 120 mg) and 12 were randomly assigned to receive placebo. Each patient received all four doses and completed the trial. Adverse events, all of grade 1 or 2, were reported in 98% of the patients. No serious adverse events were seen in HTTRx-treated patients. There were no clinically relevant adverse changes in laboratory variables. Predose (trough) concentrations of HTTRx in CSF showed dose dependence up to doses of 60 mg. HTTRx treatment resulted in a dose-dependent reduction in the concentration of mutant huntingtin in CSF (mean percentage change from baseline, 10% in the placebo group and -20%, -25%, -28%, -42%, and -38% in the HTTRx 10-mg, 30-mg, 60-mg, 90-mg, and 120-mg dose groups, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Intrathecal administration of HTTRx to patients with early Huntington's disease was not accompanied by serious adverse events. We observed dose-dependent reductions in concentrations of mutant huntingtin. (Funded by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and F. Hoffmann-La Roche; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02519036.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Tabrizi
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - G Bernhard Landwehrmeyer
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Edward J Wild
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Carsten Saft
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Roger A Barker
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Nick F Blair
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - David Craufurd
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Josef Priller
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Hugh Rickards
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Anne Rosser
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Holly B Kordasiewicz
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Christian Czech
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Eric E Swayze
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Daniel A Norris
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Tiffany Baumann
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Irene Gerlach
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Scott A Schobel
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Erika Paz
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Anne V Smith
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - C Frank Bennett
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
| | - Roger M Lane
- From University College London (UCL) Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London (S.J.T., E.J.W.), the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (R.A.B., N.F.B.), Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, St. Mary's Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and the Division of Evolution and Genomic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine, and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester (D.C.), the University of Edinburgh and the U.K. Dementia Research Institute, Edinburgh (J.P.), the Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham (H.R.), and the Cardiff University Brain Repair Group, Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and School of Biosciences, Cardiff (A.R.) - all in the United Kingdom; the Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics, and the Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, B.C. Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada (B.R.L.); the Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Huntington's Disease Centre, Ulm (G.B.L.), the Department of Neurology, Huntington Center North Rhine-Westphalia, Ruhr University Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital, Bochum (C.S.), and the Department of Neuropsychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Berlin (J.P.) - all in Germany; Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA (H.B.K., E.E.S., D.A.N., T.B., E.P., A.V.S., C.F.B., R.M.L.); and F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel, Switzerland (C.C., I.G., S.A.S.)
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Zeun P, Scahill RI, Tabrizi SJ, Wild EJ. Fluid and imaging biomarkers for Huntington's disease. Mol Cell Neurosci 2019; 97:67-80. [PMID: 30807825 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a chronic progressive neurodegenerative condition for which there is no disease-modifying treatment. The known genetic cause of Huntington's disease makes it possible to identify individuals destined to develop the disease and instigate treatments before the onset of symptoms. Multiple trials are already underway that target the cause of HD, yet clinical measures are often insensitive to change over typical clinical trial duration. Robust biomarkers of drug target engagement, disease severity and progression are required to evaluate the efficacy of treatments and concerted efforts are underway to achieve this. Biofluid biomarkers have potential advantages of direct quantification of biological processes at the molecular level, whilst imaging biomarkers can quantify related changes at a structural level in the brain. The most robust biofluid and imaging biomarkers can offer complementary information, providing a more comprehensive evaluation of disease stage and progression to inform clinical trial design and endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Zeun
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
| | - Rachael I Scahill
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
| | - Edward J Wild
- Huntington's Disease Centre, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom.
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Hartlage-Rübsamen M, Ratz V, Zeitschel U, Finzel L, Machner L, Köppen J, Schulze A, Demuth HU, von Hörsten S, Höfling C, Roßner S. Endogenous mouse huntingtin is highly abundant in cranial nerve nuclei, co-aggregates to Abeta plaques and is induced in reactive astrocytes in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:79. [PMID: 31109380 PMCID: PMC6526682 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0726-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variants of the huntingtin (HTT) protein and their aggregation have been investigated in great detail in brains of Huntington's disease patients and HTT-transgenic animals. However, little is known about the physiological brain region- and cell type-specific HTT expression pattern in wild type mice and a potential recruitment of endogenous HTT to other pathogenic protein aggregates such as amyloid plaques in cross seeding events. Employing a monoclonal anti-HTT antibody directed against the HTT mid-region and using brain tissue of three different mouse strains, we detected prominent immunoreactivity in a number of brain areas, particularly in cholinergic cranial nerve nuclei, while ubiquitous neuronal staining appeared faint. The region-specific distribution of endogenous HTT was found to be comparable in wild type rat and hamster brain. In human amyloid precursor protein transgenic Tg2576 mice with amyloid plaque pathology, similar neuronal HTT expression patterns and a distinct association of HTT with Abeta plaques were revealed by immunohistochemical double labelling. Additionally, the localization of HTT in reactive astrocytes was demonstrated for the first time in a transgenic Alzheimer's disease animal model. Both, plaque association of HTT and occurrence in astrocytes appeared to be age-dependent. Astrocytic HTT gene and protein expression was confirmed in primary cultures by RT-qPCR and by immunocytochemistry. We provide the first detailed analysis of physiological HTT expression in rodent brain and, under pathological conditions, demonstrate HTT aggregation in proximity to Abeta plaques and Abeta-induced astrocytic expression of endogenous HTT in Tg2576 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Veronika Ratz
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Preclinical Experimental Center, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ulrike Zeitschel
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lukas Finzel
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lisa Machner
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Janett Köppen
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Anja Schulze
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Hans-Ulrich Demuth
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Department of Molecular Drug Design and Target Validation, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Stephan von Hörsten
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Preclinical Experimental Center, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Corinna Höfling
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Steffen Roßner
- Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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Tabrizi SJ, Ghosh R, Leavitt BR. Huntingtin Lowering Strategies for Disease Modification in Huntington's Disease. Neuron 2019; 101:801-819. [PMID: 30844400 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is caused by an abnormally expanded CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene, which confers a predominant toxic gain of function in the mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein. There are currently no disease-modifying therapies available, but approaches that target proximally in disease pathogenesis hold great promise. These include DNA-targeting techniques such as zinc-finger proteins, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and CRISPR/Cas9; post-transcriptional huntingtin-lowering approaches such as RNAi, antisense oligonucleotides, and small-molecule splicing modulators; and novel methods to clear the mHTT protein, such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras. Improvements in the delivery and distribution of such agents as well as the development of objective biomarkers of disease and of HTT lowering pharmacodynamic outcomes have brought these potential therapies to the forefront of Huntington's disease research, with clinical trials in patients already underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute (DRI) at UCL, London, UK.
| | - Rhia Ghosh
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- UBC Centre for Huntington's Disease, Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Quantification of Total and Mutant Huntingtin Protein Levels in Biospecimens Using a Novel alphaLISA Assay. eNeuro 2018; 5:eN-MNT-0234-18. [PMID: 30310861 PMCID: PMC6179573 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0234-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurodegenerative Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) amplification in the huntingtin protein (HTT). Currently there is no effective therapy available for HD; however, several efforts are directed to develop and optimize HTT-lowering methods to improve HD phenotypes. To validate these approaches, there is an immediate need for reliable, sensitive, and easily accessible methods to quantify HTT expression. Using the AlphaLISA platform, we developed two novel sensitive and robust assays for quantification of HTT in biological samples using commercially available antibodies. The first, a polyQ-independent assay, measures the total pool of HTT, while the second, a polyQ-dependent assay, preferentially detects the mutant form of HTT. Using purified HTT protein standards and brain homogenates from an HD mouse model, we determine a lower limit of quantification of 1 and 3 pm and optimal reproducibility with CV values lower than 7% for intra- and 20% for interassay. In addition, we used the assays to quantify HTT in neural stem cells generated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells in vitro and in human brain tissue lysates. Finally, we could detect changes in HTT levels in a mouse model where mutant HTT was conditionally deleted in neural tissue, verifying the potential to monitor the outcome of HTT-lowering strategies. This analytical platform is ideal for high-throughput screens and thus has an added value for the HD community as a tool to optimize novel therapeutic approaches aimed at modulating HTT protein levels.
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Abstract
The 25 years since the identification of the gene responsible for Huntington disease (HD) have stood witness to profound discoveries about the nature of the disease and its pathogenesis. Despite this progress, however, the development of disease-modifying therapies has thus far been slow. Preclinical validation of the therapeutic potential of disrupted pathways in HD has led to the advancement of pharmacological agents, both novel and repurposed, for clinical evaluation. The most promising therapeutic approaches include huntingtin (HTT) lowering and modification as well as modulation of neuroinflammation and synaptic transmission. With clinical trials for many of these approaches imminent or currently ongoing, the coming years are promising not only for HD but also for more prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer and Parkinson disease, in which many of these pathways have been similarly implicated.
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