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Moos WH, Faller DV, Glavas IP, Harpp DN, Kanara I, Mavrakis AN, Pernokas J, Pernokas M, Pinkert CA, Powers WR, Sampani K, Steliou K, Vavvas DG, Zamboni RJ, Kodukula K, Chen X. Klotho Pathways, Myelination Disorders, Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Epigenetic Drugs. Biores Open Access 2020; 9:94-105. [PMID: 32257625 PMCID: PMC7133426 DOI: 10.1089/biores.2020.0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review we outline a rationale for identifying neuroprotectants aimed at inducing endogenous Klotho activity and expression, which is epigenetic action, by definition. Such an approach should promote remyelination and/or stimulate myelin repair by acting on mitochondrial function, thereby heralding a life-saving path forward for patients suffering from neuroinflammatory diseases. Disorders of myelin in the nervous system damage the transmission of signals, resulting in loss of vision, motion, sensation, and other functions depending on the affected nerves, currently with no effective treatment. Klotho genes and their single-pass transmembrane Klotho proteins are powerful governors of the threads of life and death, true to the origin of their name, Fates, in Greek mythology. Among its many important functions, Klotho is an obligatory co-receptor that binds, activates, and/or potentiates critical fibroblast growth factor activity. Since the discovery of Klotho a little over two decades ago, it has become ever more apparent that when Klotho pathways go awry, oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction take over, and age-related chronic disorders are likely to follow. The physiological consequences can be wide ranging, potentially wreaking havoc on the brain, eye, kidney, muscle, and more. Central nervous system disorders, neurodegenerative in nature, and especially those affecting the myelin sheath, represent worthy targets for advancing therapies that act upon Klotho pathways. Current drugs for these diseases, even therapeutics that are disease modifying rather than treating only the symptoms, leave much room for improvement. It is thus no wonder that this topic has caught the attention of biomedical researchers around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walter H. Moos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
- ShangPharma Innovation, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Douglas V. Faller
- Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Cancer Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ioannis P. Glavas
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - David N. Harpp
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Anastasios N. Mavrakis
- Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, St. Elizabeth's Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Julie Pernokas
- Advanced Dental Associates of New England, Woburn, Massachusetts
| | - Mark Pernokas
- Advanced Dental Associates of New England, Woburn, Massachusetts
| | - Carl A. Pinkert
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama
| | - Whitney R. Powers
- Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Anatomy, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Konstantina Sampani
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Beetham Eye Institute, Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Kosta Steliou
- Cancer Research Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- PhenoMatriX, Inc., Natick, Massachusetts
| | - Demetrios G. Vavvas
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Retina Service, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | - Xiaohong Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Retina Service, Angiogenesis Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts
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