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Bettegazzi B, Cattaneo S, Simonato M, Zucchini S, Soukupova M. Viral Vector-Based Gene Therapy for Epilepsy: What Does the Future Hold? Mol Diagn Ther 2024; 28:5-13. [PMID: 38103141 PMCID: PMC10786988 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-023-00687-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, many pre-clinical studies have tested gene therapy approaches as possible treatments for epilepsy, following the idea that they may provide an alternative to conventional pharmacological and surgical options. Multiple gene therapy approaches have been developed, including those based on anti-sense oligonucleotides, RNA interference, and viral vectors. In this opinion article, we focus on translational issues related to viral vector-mediated gene therapy for epilepsy. Research has advanced dramatically in addressing issues like viral vector optimization, target identification, strategies of gene expression, editing or regulation, and safety. Some of these pre-clinically validated potential gene therapies are now being tested in clinical trials, in patients with genetic or focal forms of drug-resistant epilepsy. Here, we discuss the ongoing translational research and the advancements that are needed and expected in the near future. We then describe the clinical trials in the pipeline and the further challenges that will need to be addressed at the clinical and economic levels. Our optimistic view is that all these issues and challenges can be overcome, and that gene therapy approaches for epilepsy will soon become a clinical reality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefano Cattaneo
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Michele Simonato
- Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Silvia Zucchini
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy.
- Laboratory of Technologies for Advanced Therapy (LTTA), Technopole of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Marie Soukupova
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, via Fossato di Mortara 70, 44121, Ferrara, Italy
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Boileau C, Deforges S, Peret A, Scavarda D, Bartolomei F, Giles A, Partouche N, Gautron J, Viotti J, Janowitz H, Penchet G, Marchal C, Lagarde S, Trebuchon A, Villeneuve N, Rumi J, Marissal T, Khazipov R, Khalilov I, Martineau F, Maréchal M, Lepine A, Milh M, Figarella-Branger D, Dougy E, Tong S, Appay R, Baudouin S, Mercer A, Smith JB, Danos O, Porter R, Mulle C, Crépel V. GluK2 Is a Target for Gene Therapy in Drug-Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. Ann Neurol 2023; 94:745-761. [PMID: 37341588 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is characterized by recurrent seizures generated in the limbic system, particularly in the hippocampus. In TLE, recurrent mossy fiber sprouting from dentate gyrus granule cells (DGCs) crea an aberrant epileptogenic network between DGCs which operates via ectopically expressed GluK2/GluK5-containing kainate receptors (KARs). TLE patients are often resistant to anti-seizure medications and suffer significant comorbidities; hence, there is an urgent need for novel therapies. Previously, we have shown that GluK2 knockout mice are protected from seizures. This study aims at providing evidence that downregulating KARs in the hippocampus using gene therapy reduces chronic epileptic discharges in TLE. METHODS We combined molecular biology and electrophysiology in rodent models of TLE and in hippocampal slices surgically resected from patients with drug-resistant TLE. RESULTS Here, we confirmed the translational potential of KAR suppression using a non-selective KAR antagonist that markedly attenuated interictal-like epileptiform discharges (IEDs) in TLE patient-derived hippocampal slices. An adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype-9 vector expressing anti-grik2 miRNA was engineered to specifically downregulate GluK2 expression. Direct delivery of AAV9-anti grik2 miRNA into the hippocampus of TLE mice led to a marked reduction in seizure activity. Transduction of TLE patient hippocampal slices reduced levels of GluK2 protein and, most importantly, significantly reduced IEDs. INTERPRETATION Our gene silencing strategy to knock down aberrant GluK2 expression demonstrates inhibition of chronic seizure in a mouse TLE model and IEDs in cultured slices derived from TLE patients. These results provide proof-of-concept for a gene therapy approach targeting GluK2 KARs for drug-resistant TLE patients. ANN NEUROL 2023;94:745-761.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Severine Deforges
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Didier Scavarda
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Marseille, France
| | - Fabrice Bartolomei
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | | | - Nicolas Partouche
- Aix-Marseille Univ. INSERM, Marseille, France
- Corlieve Therapeutics SAS, uniQure NV, Paris, France
| | - Justine Gautron
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
- Corlieve Therapeutics SAS, uniQure NV, Paris, France
| | - Julio Viotti
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | - Cécile Marchal
- Pellegrin Hospital, Neurosurgery Department, Bordeaux, France
| | - Stanislas Lagarde
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Agnès Trebuchon
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Nathalie Villeneuve
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Julie Rumi
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Marine Maréchal
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
| | - Anne Lepine
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Mathieu Milh
- APHM, INSERM, Aix Marseille Univ, INS, Timone Hospital, Epileptology Department, Marseille, France
| | - Dominique Figarella-Branger
- APHM, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, CHU Timone, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Neuropathologie, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Etienne Dougy
- APHM, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, CHU Timone, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Neuropathologie, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Soutsakhone Tong
- APHM, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, CHU Timone, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Neuropathologie, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - Romain Appay
- APHM, CNRS, INP, Inst Neurophysiopathol, CHU Timone, Service d'Anatomie Pathologique et de Neuropathologie, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Christophe Mulle
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience IINS, UMR 5297, Bordeaux, France
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Melin E, Andersson M, Gøtzsche CR, Wickham J, Huang Y, Szczygiel JA, Boender A, Christiansen SH, Pinborg L, Woldbye DPD, Kokaia M. Combinatorial gene therapy for epilepsy: Gene sequence positioning and AAV serotype influence expression and inhibitory effect on seizures. Gene Ther 2023; 30:649-658. [PMID: 37029201 PMCID: PMC10457185 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00399-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy with AAV vectors carrying genes for neuropeptide Y and its receptor Y2 has been shown to inhibit seizures in multiple animal models of epilepsy. It is however unknown how the AAV serotype or the sequence order of these two transgenes in the expression cassette affects the actual parenchymal gene expression levels and the seizure-suppressant efficacy. To address these questions, we compared three viral vector serotypes (AAV1, AAV2 and AAV8) and two transgene sequence orders (NPY-IRES-Y2 and Y2-IRES-NPY) in a rat model of acutely induced seizures. Wistar male rats were injected bilaterally with viral vectors and 3 weeks later acute seizures were induced by a subcutaneous injection of kainate. The latency until 1st motor seizure, time spent in motor seizure and latency to status epilepticus were measured to evaluate the seizure-suppressing efficacy of these vectors compared to an empty cassette control vector. Based on the results, the effect of the AAV1-NPY-IRES-Y2 vector was further investigated by in vitro electrophysiology, and its ability to achieve transgene overexpression in resected human hippocampal tissue was evaluated. The AAV1-NPY-IRES-Y2 proved to be better to any other serotype or gene sequence considering both transgene expression and ability to suppress induced seizures in rats. The vector also demonstrated transgene-induced decrease of glutamate release from excitatory neuron terminals and significantly increased both NPY and Y2 expression in resected human hippocampal tissue from patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. These results validate the feasibility of NPY/Y2 receptor gene therapy as a therapeutic opportunity in focal epilepsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esbjörn Melin
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, 17 Sölvegatan, 221 84, Lund, Sweden.
| | - My Andersson
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, 17 Sölvegatan, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Casper R Gøtzsche
- CombiGene AB, Medicon Village, 2 Scheelevägen, 223 81, Lund, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jenny Wickham
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, 17 Sölvegatan, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Yuzhe Huang
- Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Julia Alicja Szczygiel
- Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Arnie Boender
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, 17 Sölvegatan, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
| | - Søren H Christiansen
- Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Lars Pinborg
- Department of Neurology and Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, 9 Blegdamsvej, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David P D Woldbye
- Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Merab Kokaia
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, 17 Sölvegatan, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
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Drexel M, Sperk G. Seizure-induced overexpression of NPY induces epileptic tolerance in a mouse model of spontaneous recurrent seizures. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:974784. [PMID: 36311021 PMCID: PMC9608171 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.974784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Epileptic seizures result in pronounced over-expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY). In vivo and in vitro studies revealed that NPY exerts potent anticonvulsive actions through presynaptic Y2 receptors by suppressing glutamate release from principal neurons. We now investigated whether seizure-induced over-expression of NPY contributes to epileptic tolerance induced by preceding seizures. We used a previously established animal model based on selective inhibition of GABA release from parvalbumin (PV)-containing interneurons in the subiculum in mice. The animals present spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS) and clusters of interictal spikes (IS). The frequency of SRS declined after five to six weeks, indicating development of seizure tolerance. In interneurons of the subiculum and sector CA1, SRS induced over-expression of NPY that persisted there for a prolonged time despite of a later decrease in SRS frequency. In contrast to NPY, somatostatin was not overexpressed in the respective axon terminals. Contrary to interneurons, NPY was only transiently expressed in mossy fibers. To demonstrate a protective function of endogenous, over-expressed NPY, we injected the selective NPY-Y2 receptor antagonist JNJ 5207787 simultaneously challenging the mice by a low dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ, 30 or 40 mg/kg, i.p.). In control mice, neither PTZ nor PTZ plus JNJ 5207787 induced convulsions. In mice with silenced GABA/PV neurons, PTZ alone only modestly enhanced EEG activity. When we injected JNJ 5207787 together with PTZ (either dose) the number of seizures, however, became significantly increased. In addition, in the epileptic mice CB1 receptor immunoreactivity was reduced in terminal areas of basket cells pointing to reduced presynaptic inhibition of GABA release from these neurons. Our experiments demonstrate that SRS result in overexpression of NPY in hippocampal interneurons. NPY overexpression persists for several weeks and may be related to later decreasing SRS frequency. Injection of the Y2 receptor antagonist JNJ 5207787 prevents this protective action of NPY only when release of the peptide is triggered by injection of PTZ and induces pronounced convulsions. Thus, over-expressed NPY released “on demand” by seizures may help terminating acute seizures and may prevent from recurrent epileptic activity.
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Wang XY, Liu WG, Hou AS, Song YX, Ma YL, Wu XD, Cao JB, Mi WD. Dysfunction of EAAT3 Aggravates LPS-Induced Post-Operative Cognitive Dysfunction. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12030317. [PMID: 35323793 PMCID: PMC8951453 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12030317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Numerous results have revealed an association between inhibited function of excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3) and several neurodegenerative diseases. This was also corroborated by our previous studies which showed that the EAAT3 function was intimately linked to learning and memory. With this premise, we examined the role of EAAT3 in post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and explored the potential benefit of riluzole in countering POCD in the present study. We first established a recombinant adeno-associated-viral (rAAV)-mediated shRNA to knockdown SLC1A1/EAAT3 expression in the hippocampus of adult male mice. The mice then received an intracerebroventricular microinjection of 2 μg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to construct the POCD model. In addition, for old male mice, 4 mg/kg of riluzole was intraperitoneally injected for three consecutive days, with the last injection administered 2 h before the LPS microinjection. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze 24 h following the LPS microinjection. Animal behavioral tests, as well as pathological and biochemical assays, were performed to clarify the role of EAAT3 function in POCD and evaluate the effect of activating the EAAT3 function by riluzole. In the present study, we established a mouse model with hippocampal SLC1A1/EAAT3 knockdown and found that hippocampal SLC1A1/EAAT3 knockdown aggravated LPS-induced learning and memory deficits in adult male mice. Meanwhile, LPS significantly inhibited the expression of EAAT3 membrane protein and the phosphorylation level of GluA1 protein in the hippocampus of adult male mice. Moreover, riluzole pretreatment significantly increased the expression of hippocampal EAAT3 membrane protein and also ameliorated LPS-induced cognitive impairment in elderly male mice. Taken together, our results demonstrated that the dysfunction of EAAT3 is an important risk factor for POCD susceptibility and therefore, it may become a promising target for POCD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yan Wang
- Chinese PLA Medical School, Beijing 100853, China; (X.-Y.W.); (W.-G.L.)
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Wen-Gang Liu
- Chinese PLA Medical School, Beijing 100853, China; (X.-Y.W.); (W.-G.L.)
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; (A.-S.H.); (Y.-X.S.); (Y.-L.M.); (X.-D.W.)
| | - Ai-Sheng Hou
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; (A.-S.H.); (Y.-X.S.); (Y.-L.M.); (X.-D.W.)
| | - Yu-Xiang Song
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; (A.-S.H.); (Y.-X.S.); (Y.-L.M.); (X.-D.W.)
| | - Yu-Long Ma
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; (A.-S.H.); (Y.-X.S.); (Y.-L.M.); (X.-D.W.)
| | - Xiao-Dong Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; (A.-S.H.); (Y.-X.S.); (Y.-L.M.); (X.-D.W.)
| | - Jiang-Bei Cao
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; (A.-S.H.); (Y.-X.S.); (Y.-L.M.); (X.-D.W.)
- Correspondence: (J.-B.C.); (W.-D.M.)
| | - Wei-Dong Mi
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China; (A.-S.H.); (Y.-X.S.); (Y.-L.M.); (X.-D.W.)
- Correspondence: (J.-B.C.); (W.-D.M.)
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Riva A, Golda A, Balagura G, Amadori E, Vari MS, Piccolo G, Iacomino M, Lattanzi S, Salpietro V, Minetti C, Striano P. New Trends and Most Promising Therapeutic Strategies for Epilepsy Treatment. Front Neurol 2021; 12:753753. [PMID: 34950099 PMCID: PMC8690245 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.753753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Despite the wide availability of novel anti-seizure medications (ASMs), 30% of patients with epilepsy retain persistent seizures with a significant burden in comorbidity and an increased risk of premature death. This review aims to discuss the therapeutic strategies, both pharmacological and non-, which are currently in the pipeline. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE databases were screened for experimental and clinical studies, meta-analysis, and structured reviews published between January 2018 and September 2021. The terms “epilepsy,” “treatment” or “therapy,” and “novel” were used to filter the results. Conclusions: The common feature linking all the novel therapeutic approaches is the spasmodic rush toward precision medicine, aiming at holistically evaluating patients, and treating them accordingly as a whole. Toward this goal, different forms of intervention may be embraced, starting from the choice of the most suitable drug according to the type of epilepsy of an individual or expected adverse effects, to the outstanding field of gene therapy. Moreover, innovative insights come from in-vitro and in-vivo studies on the role of inflammation and stem cells in the brain. Further studies on both efficacy and safety are needed, with the challenge to mature evidence into reliable assets, ameliorating the symptoms of patients, and answering the challenges of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Riva
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alice Golda
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ganna Balagura
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Elisabetta Amadori
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Stella Vari
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Gianluca Piccolo
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Michele Iacomino
- Unit of Medical Genetics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Simona Lattanzi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Neurological Clinic, Marche Polytechnic University, Ancona, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Salpietro
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Carlo Minetti
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Pasquale Striano
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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Gene Therapy Approach with an Emphasis on Growth Factors: Theoretical and Clinical Outcomes in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 59:191-233. [PMID: 34655056 PMCID: PMC8518903 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-021-02555-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The etiology of many neurological diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS) is unknown and still needs more effective and specific therapeutic approaches. Gene therapy has a promising future in treating neurodegenerative disorders by correcting the genetic defects or by therapeutic protein delivery and is now an attraction for neurologists to treat brain disorders, like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, spinocerebellar ataxia, epilepsy, Huntington’s disease, stroke, and spinal cord injury. Gene therapy allows the transgene induction, with a unique expression in cells’ substrate. This article mainly focuses on the delivering modes of genetic materials in the CNS, which includes viral and non-viral vectors and their application in gene therapy. Despite the many clinical trials conducted so far, data have shown disappointing outcomes. The efforts done to improve outcomes, efficacy, and safety in the identification of targets in various neurological disorders are also discussed here. Adapting gene therapy as a new therapeutic approach for treating neurological disorders seems to be promising, with early detection and delivery of therapy before the neuron is lost, helping a lot the development of new therapeutic options to translate to the clinic.
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Cui C, Wang LF, Huang SB, Zhao P, Chen YQ, Wu YB, Qiao CM, Zhao WJ, Shen YQ. Adequate expression of neuropeptide Y is essential for the recovery of zebrafish motor function following spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2021; 345:113831. [PMID: 34363807 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113831] [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] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In strong contrast to limited repair within the mammalian central nervous system, the spinal cord of adult zebrafish is capable of almost complete recovery following injury. Understanding the mechanism underlying neural repair and functional recovery in zebrafish may lead to innovative therapies for human spinal cord injury (SCI). Since neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays a protective role in the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases, in the present study, we evaluated the effects of NPY on neuronal repair and subsequent recovery of motor function in adult zebrafish following SCI. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR), in situ hybridization and immunostaining for NPY revealed decreased NPY expression at 12 hours (h), 6 and 21 days (d) after SCI. Double-immunostaining for NPY and islet-1, a motoneuron marker, showed that NPY was expressed in spinal cord motoneurons. Morpholino (MO) treatment for suppressing the expression of NPY inhibited supraspinal axon regrowth and locomotor recovery, in which double-staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and islet-1 showed a reduction in motoneuron proliferation. Similarly, a downregulated mRNA level of Y1 receptor of NPY (NPY1R) was also detected at 12 h, 6 and 21 d after injury. Immunostaining for NPY and in situ hybridization for NPY1R revealed that NPY1R was co-localized with NPY. Collectively, the results suggest that NPY expression in motoneurons promotes descending axon regeneration and locomotor recovery in adult zebrafish after SCI, possibly by regulating motoneuron proliferation through activation of NPY1R.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Cui
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Injury, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lin-Fang Wang
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Injury, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China; School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shu-Bing Huang
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Injury, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yong-Quan Chen
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi-Bo Wu
- Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chen-Meng Qiao
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Injury, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei-Jiang Zhao
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Injury, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan-Qin Shen
- Department of Neurodegeneration and Injury, Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
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Przykaza Ł, Kozniewska E. Ligands of the Neuropeptide Y Y2 Receptors as a Potential Multitarget Therapeutic Approach for the Protection of the Neurovascular Unit Against Acute Ischemia/Reperfusion: View from the Perspective of the Laboratory Bench. Transl Stroke Res 2021; 13:12-24. [PMID: 34292517 PMCID: PMC8766383 DOI: 10.1007/s12975-021-00930-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Ischemic stroke is the third leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with no available satisfactory prevention or treatment approach. The current treatment is limited to the use of “reperfusion methods,” i.e., an intravenous or intra-arterial infusion of a fibrinolytic agent, mechanical removal of the clot by thrombectomy, or a combination of both methods. It should be stressed, however, that only approximately 5% of all acute strokes are eligible for fibrinolytic treatment and fewer than 10% for thrombectomy. Despite the tremendous progress in understanding of the pathomechanisms of cerebral ischemia, the promising results of basic research on neuroprotection are not currently transferable to human stroke. A possible explanation for this failure is that experiments on in vivo animal models involve healthy young animals, and the experimental protocols seldom consider the importance of protecting the whole neurovascular unit (NVU), which ensures intracranial homeostasis and is seriously damaged by ischemia/reperfusion. One of the endogenous protective systems activated during ischemia and in neurodegenerative diseases is represented by neuropeptide Y (NPY). It has been demonstrated that activation of NPY Y2 receptors (Y2R) by a specific ligand decreases the volume of the postischemic infarction and improves performance in functional tests of rats with arterial hypertension subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion. This functional improvement suggests the protection of the NVU. In this review, we focus on NPY and discuss the potential, multidirectional protective effects of Y2R agonists against acute focal ischemia/reperfusion injury, with special reference to the NVU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Przykaza
- Laboratory of Experimental and Clinical Neurosurgery, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Pawińskiego Str. 5, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Kozniewska
- Laboratory of Experimental and Clinical Neurosurgery, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Pawińskiego Str. 5, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland.
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10
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Ahmad MA, Pottoo FH, Akbar M. Gene Therapy Repairs for the Epileptic Brain: Potential for Treatment and Future Directions. Curr Gene Ther 2021; 19:367-375. [PMID: 32003688 DOI: 10.2174/1566523220666200131142423] [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] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a syndrome specified by frequent seizures and is one of the most prevalent neurological conditions, and that one-third of people of epilepsy are resistant to available drugs. Surgery is supposed to be the main treatment for the remedy of multiple drug-resistant epilepsy, but it is a drastic procedure. Advancement in genomic technologies indicates that gene therapy can make such surgery unnecessary. The considerable number of new studies show the significance of mutation in mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, NMDA receptors, GABA receptors, potassium channels and G-protein coupled receptors. Illustration of the meticulous drug in epilepsy targeting new expression of mutations in SCN8A, GRIN2A, GRIN2D and KCNT1 are conferred. Various methods are utilized to express a gene in a precise area of the brain; Transplantation of cells in an ex vivo approach (fetal cells, fibroblasts, immortalized cells), nonviral vector delivery and viral vector delivery like retrovirus, herpes simplex virus adenovirus and adeno-related virus. Gene therapy has thus been explored to generate anti-epileptogenic, anti-seizure and disease-modifying effects. Specific targeting of the epileptogenic region is facilitated by gene therapy, hence sparing the adjacent healthy tissue and decreasing the adverse effects that frequently go hand in hand with antiepileptic medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md A Ahmad
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Integral University, Lucknow, India
| | - Faheem H Pottoo
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Clinical Pharmacy, Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Akbar
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical, Education and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi- 110062, India
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11
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Puranik N, Yadav D, Chauhan PS, Kwak M, Jin JO. Exploring the Role of Gene Therapy for Neurological Disorders. Curr Gene Ther 2021; 21:11-22. [PMID: 32940177 DOI: 10.2174/1566523220999200917114101] [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] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy is one of the frontier fields of medical breakthroughs that poses as an effective solution to previously incurable diseases. The delivery of the corrective genetic material or a therapeutic gene into the cell restores the missing gene function and cures a plethora of diseases, incurable by the conventional medical approaches. This discovery holds the potential to treat many neurodegenerative disorders such as muscular atrophy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), among others. Gene therapy proves as a humane, cost-effective alternative to the exhaustive often arduous and timely impossible process of finding matched donors and extensive surgery. It also overcomes the shortcoming of conventional methods to cross the blood-brain barrier. However, the use of gene therapy is only possible after procuring the in-depth knowledge of the immuno-pathogenesis and molecular mechanism of the disease. The process of gene therapy can be broadly categorized into three main steps: elucidating the target gene, culling the appropriate vector, and determining the best mode of transfer; each step mandating pervasive research. This review aims to dissertate and summarize the role, various vectors and methods of delivery employed in gene therapy with special emphasis on therapy directed at the central nervous system (CNS) associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nidhi Puranik
- Biological Science Department, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu-641046, India
| | - Dhananjay Yadav
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, South Korea
| | - Pallavi Singh Chauhan
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh 474005, India
| | - Minseok Kwak
- Department of Chemistry, Pukyong National University, Busan, South Korea
| | - Jun-O Jin
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, South Korea
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12
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Cattaneo S, Verlengia G, Marino P, Simonato M, Bettegazzi B. NPY and Gene Therapy for Epilepsy: How, When,... and Y. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 13:608001. [PMID: 33551745 PMCID: PMC7862707 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.608001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a neuropeptide abundantly expressed in the mammalian central and peripheral nervous system. NPY is a pleiotropic molecule, which influences cell proliferation, cardiovascular and metabolic function, pain and neuronal excitability. In the central nervous system, NPY acts as a neuromodulator, affecting pathways that range from cellular (excitability, neurogenesis) to circuit level (food intake, stress response, pain perception). NPY has a broad repertoire of receptor subtypes, each activating specific signaling pathways in different tissues and cellular sub-regions. In the context of epilepsy, NPY is thought to act as an endogenous anticonvulsant that performs its action through Y2 and Y5 receptors. In fact, its overexpression in the brain with the aid of viral vectors can suppress seizures in animal models of epilepsy. Therefore, NPY-based gene therapy may represent a novel approach for the treatment of epilepsy patients, particularly for pharmaco-resistant and genetic forms of the disease. Nonetheless, considering all the aforementioned aspects of NPY signaling, the study of possible NPY applications as a therapeutic molecule is not devoid of critical aspects. The present review will summarize data related to NPY biology, focusing on its anti-epileptic effects, with a critical appraisal of key elements that could be exploited to improve the already existing NPY-based gene therapy approaches for epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Cattaneo
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Verlengia
- San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Pietro Marino
- Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Pediatrics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Michele Simonato
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, Section of Pharmacology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Barbara Bettegazzi
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.,San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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13
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Szczygieł JA, Danielsen KI, Melin E, Rosenkranz SH, Pankratova S, Ericsson A, Agerman K, Kokaia M, Woldbye DPD. Gene Therapy Vector Encoding Neuropeptide Y and Its Receptor Y2 for Future Treatment of Epilepsy: Preclinical Data in Rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:232. [PMID: 33343295 PMCID: PMC7746806 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.603409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy to treat pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy in humans is now being developed using an AAV vector (CG01) that encodes the combination of neuropeptide Y and its antiepileptic receptor Y2. With this in mind, the present study aimed to provide important preclinical data on the effects of CG01 on the duration of transgene expression, cellular tropism, and potential side effects on body weight and cognitive function. The CG01 vector was administered unilaterally into the dorsal and ventral hippocampus of adult male rats and expression of both transgenes was found to remain elevated without a sign of decline at 6 months post-injection. CG01 appeared to mediate expression selectively in hippocampal neurons, without expression in astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. No effects were seen on body weight as well as on short- or long-term memory as revealed by testing in the Y-maze or Morris water maze tests. Thus these data show that unilateral CG01 vector treatment as future gene therapy in pharmacoresistant temporal lobe epilepsy patients should result in stable and long-term expression predominantly in neurons and be well tolerated without side effects on body weight and cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kira Iben Danielsen
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | - Esbjörn Melin
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | - Merab Kokaia
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Lund, Sweden
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14
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Jiang Q, Tang G, Fu J, Yang J, Xu T, Tan CH, Wang Y, Chen YM. Lim Kinase1 regulates seizure activity via modulating actin dynamics. Neurosci Lett 2020; 729:134936. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.134936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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15
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Inhibition of epileptiform activity by neuropeptide Y in brain tissue from drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy patients. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19393. [PMID: 31852985 PMCID: PMC6920462 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56062-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In epilepsy patients, drug-resistant seizures often originate in one of the temporal lobes. In selected cases, when certain requirements are met, this area is surgically resected for therapeutic reasons. We kept the resected tissue slices alive in vitro for 48 h to create a platform for testing a novel treatment strategy based on neuropeptide Y (NPY) against drug-resistant epilepsy. We demonstrate that NPY exerts a significant inhibitory effect on epileptiform activity, recorded with whole-cell patch-clamp, in human hippocampal dentate gyrus. Application of NPY reduced overall number of paroxysmal depolarising shifts and action potentials. This effect was mediated by Y2 receptors, since application of selective Y2-receptor antagonist blocked the effect of NPY. This proof-of-concept finding is an important translational milestone for validating NPY-based gene therapy for targeting focal drug-resistant epilepsies, and increasing the prospects for positive outcome in potential clinical trials.
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16
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Effects of Huazhuo Jiedu Shugan Decoction on Cognitive and Emotional Disorders in a Rat Model of Epilepsy: Possible Involvement of AC-cAMP-CREB Signaling and NPY Expression. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 2019:4352879. [PMID: 31915447 PMCID: PMC6930777 DOI: 10.1155/2019/4352879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background Huazhuo Jiedu Shugan decoction (HJSD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used to treat epileptic seizures for many years. Some ingredients in these herbs have been demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of brain damage caused by epilepsy. Aim of the Study The object of the study is to determine the effects of HJSD on cognitive and emotional disorders in a rat model of epilepsy. Materials and Methods After a predetermined time period, rats were intraperitoneally injected with pentylenetetrazol and observed in different phases of convulsions. The cognitive and emotional changes in the epileptic rats were assessed using behavioral and immunohistochemical tests. Results Compared with the epilepsy group, the seizure grade was reduced and seizure latency was prolonged following HJSD-H treatment (P < 0.01). Compared with the control group, the epilepsy group displayed marked worse performance on the animal behavior tests (P < 0.05) and the HJSD-H group displayed improved behavioral performance (P < 0.05). After HJSD-H treatment, the expression of adenylate cyclase (AC), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) immunoreactive cells markedly increased in the hippocampus, compared with that of the epilepsy group (P < 0.05). Conclusions The current results demonstrate that HJSD treatment in epileptic rats markedly inhibits epileptic seizures and improves cognitive and emotional disorders, which may be related to the regulation of AC-cAMP-CREB signaling and NPY expression in the hippocampus. The effects of the HJSD treatment may provide a foundation for the use of HJSD as a prescription medicinal herb in the TCM for the treatment of epilepsy.
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17
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Melin E, Nanobashvili A, Avdic U, Gøtzsche CR, Andersson M, Woldbye DPD, Kokaia M. Disease Modification by Combinatorial Single Vector Gene Therapy: A Preclinical Translational Study in Epilepsy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2019; 15:179-193. [PMID: 31660420 PMCID: PMC6807261 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapy has been suggested as a plausible novel approach to achieve seizure control in patients with focal epilepsy that do not adequately respond to pharmacological treatment. We investigated the seizure-suppressant potential of combinatorial neuropeptide Y and Y2 receptor single vector gene therapy based on adeno-associated virus serotype 1 (AAV1) in rats. First, a dose-response study in the systemic kainate-induced acute seizure model was performed, whereby the 1012 genomic particles (gp)/mL titer of the vector was selected as an optimal concentration. Second, an efficacy study was performed in the intrahippocampal kainate chronic model of spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRSs), designed to reflect a likely clinical scenario, with magnetic resonance image (MRI)-guided focal unilateral administration of the vector in the hippocampus during the chronic stage of the disease. The efficacy study demonstrated a favorable outcome of the gene therapy, with a 31% responder rate (more than 50% reduction in SRS frequency) and 13% seizure-freedom rate, whereas no such effects were observed in the control animals. The inter-SRS and SRS cluster intervals were also significantly prolonged in the treated group compared to controls. In addition, the SRS duration was significantly reduced in the treated group but not in the controls. This study establishes the SRS-suppressant ability of the single vector combinatorial neuropeptide Y/Y2 receptor gene therapy in a clinically relevant chronic model of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esbjörn Melin
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Avtandil Nanobashvili
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden.,CombiGene AB, Medicon Village, Scheelevägen 2, 223 81 Lund, Sweden
| | - Una Avdic
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Casper R Gøtzsche
- CombiGene AB, Medicon Village, Scheelevägen 2, 223 81 Lund, Sweden.,Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Center for Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - My Andersson
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - David P D Woldbye
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Center for Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3B, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Merab Kokaia
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
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18
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Walker MC, Kullmann DM. Optogenetic and chemogenetic therapies for epilepsy. Neuropharmacology 2019; 168:107751. [PMID: 31494141 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Drug-resistant epilepsy remains a significant health-care burden. The most effective treatment is surgery, but this is suitable for very few patients because of the unacceptable consequences of removing brain tissue. In contrast, gene therapy can regulate neuronal excitability in the epileptic focus whilst preserving function. Optogenetics and chemogenetics have the advantage that they are titratable therapies. Optogenetics uses light to control the excitability of specific neuronal populations. Optogenetics can be used in a closed-loop paradigm in which the light source is activated only when seizures are detected. However, expression of foreign proteins raises concerns about immunogenicity. Chemogenetics relies on the modification of an endogenous receptor or the production of a modified chimeric receptor that responds to an exogenous ligand. The main chemogenetic approach applied to epilepsy is to use designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs), which have been mainly modified muscarinic receptors or kappa-opioid receptors. Genetically modified human muscarinic receptor DREADDs are activated not by acetylcholine but by specific drugs such as clozapine-n-oxide or olanzepine. The dose of the drugs can be titrated in order to suppress seizures without adverse effects. Lastly, there is a chemogenetic approach that is activated by an endogenous ligand, glutamate. This takes advantage of invertebrate glutamate receptors that are chloride permeable. These bind glutamate released during seizure activity, and the resultant chloride current inhibits neuronal activity. The exogenous ligand, ivermectin, can also be given to reduce neuronal activity either chronically or as a rescue medication. The translation of this technology is hampered by the expression of a foreign protein. This article is part of the special issue entitled 'New Epilepsy Therapies for the 21st Century - From Antiseizure Drugs to Prevention, Modification and Cure of Epilepsy'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Walker
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Dimitri M Kullmann
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
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19
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Mesraoua B, Deleu D, Kullmann DM, Shetty AK, Boon P, Perucca E, Mikati MA, Asadi-Pooya AA. Novel therapies for epilepsy in the pipeline. Epilepsy Behav 2019; 97:282-290. [PMID: 31284159 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.04.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite the availability of many antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) (old and newly developed) and, as recently suggested, their optimization in the treatment of patients with uncontrolled seizures, more than 30% of patients with epilepsy continue to experience seizures and have drug-resistant epilepsy; the management of these patients represents a real challenge for epileptologists and researchers. Resective surgery with the best rates of seizure control is not an option for all of them; therefore, research and discovery of new methods of treating resistant epilepsy are of extreme importance. In this article, we will discuss some innovative approaches, such as P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitors, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, traditional and novel antiepileptic devices, precision medicine, as well as therapeutic advances in epileptic encephalopathy in children; these treatment modalities open up new horizons for the treatment of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boulenouar Mesraoua
- Hamad Medical Corporation and Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Dirk Deleu
- Hamad Medical Corporation and Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
| | | | - Ashok K Shetty
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, College Station, TX, USA.
| | - Paul Boon
- Reference Center for Refractory Epilepsy, Ghent University Hospital Belgium - Academic Center for Epileptology, Heeze-Maastricht, the Netherlands.
| | - Emilio Perucca
- Unit of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, and Clinical Trial Center, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Mohamad A Mikati
- Division of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA.
| | - Ali A Asadi-Pooya
- Shiraz Medical School, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Jefferson Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.
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20
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Deng J, Xu T, Yang J, Zhang KM, Li Q, Yu XY, Li R, Fu J, Jiang Q, Ma JX, Chen YM. Sema7A, a brain immune regulator, regulates seizure activity in PTZ-kindled epileptic rats. CNS Neurosci Ther 2019; 26:101-116. [PMID: 31179640 PMCID: PMC6930824 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Semaphorin7A (Sema7A) plays an important role in the immunoregulation of the brain. In our study, we aimed to investigate the expression patterns of Sema7A in epilepsy and further explore the roles of Sema7A in the regulation of seizure activity and the inflammatory response in PTZ‐kindled epileptic rats. Methods First, we measured the Sema7A expression levels in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and in rats of a PTZ‐kindled epilepsy rat model. Second, to explore the role of Sema7A in the regulation of seizure activity, we conducted epilepsy‐related behavioral experiments after knockdown and overexpression of Sema7A in the rat hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Possible Sema7A‐related brain immune regulators (eg, ERK phosphorylation, IL‐6, and TNF‐α) were also investigated. Additionally, the growth of mossy fibers was visualized by anterograde tracing using injections of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the DG region. Results Sema7A expression was markedly upregulated in the brain tissues of TLE patients and rats of the epileptic model after PTZ kindling. After knockdown of Sema7A, seizure activity was suppressed based on the latency to the first epileptic seizure, number of seizures, and duration of seizures. Conversely, overexpression of Sema7A promoted seizures. Overexpression of Sema7A increased the expression levels of the inflammatory cytokines, IL‐6 and TNF‐α, ERK phosphorylation, and growth of mossy fibers in PTZ‐kindled epileptic rats. Conclusion Sema7A is upregulated in the epileptic brain and plays a potential role in the regulation of seizure activity in PTZ‐kindled epileptic rats, which may be related to neuroinflammation. Sema7A promotes the inflammatory cytokines TNF‐α and IL‐6 as well as the growth of mossy fibers through the ERK pathway, suggesting that Sema7A may promote seizures by increasing neuroinflammation and activating pathological neural circuits. Sema7A plays a critical role in epilepsy and could be a potential therapeutic target for this neurological disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Deng
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China.,Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chonqing, China
| | - Tao Xu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
| | - Juan Yang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
| | - Ke-Ming Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
| | - Qi Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
| | - Xin-Yuan Yu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
| | - Jie Fu
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
| | - Qian Jiang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
| | - Jing-Xi Ma
- Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chonqing, China.,Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, China
| | - Yang-Mei Chen
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chonqing, China
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21
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Lieb A, Weston M, Kullmann DM. Designer receptor technology for the treatment of epilepsy. EBioMedicine 2019; 43:641-649. [PMID: 31078519 PMCID: PMC6558262 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.04.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy remains refractory to medical treatment in ~30% of patients despite decades of new drug development. Neurosurgery to remove or disconnect the seizure focus is often curative but frequently contraindicated by risks of irreversible impairment to brain function. Novel therapies are therefore required that better balance seizure suppression against the risks of side effects. Among experimental gene therapies, chemogenetics has the major advantage that the action on the epileptogenic zone can be modulated on demand. Two broad approaches are to use a designer G-protein-coupled receptor or a modified ligand gated ion channel, targeted to specific neurons in the epileptogenic zone using viral vectors and cell-type selective promoters. The receptor can be activated on demand by either an exogenous compound or by pathological levels of extracellular glutamate that occur in epileptogenic tissue. We review the principal designer receptor technologies and their modes of action. We compare the drawbacks and benefits of each designer receptor with particular focus on the drug activators and the potential for clinical translation in epilepsy. Inhibitory designer receptors (DRs) allow on-demand suppression of seizures upon activation by exogenous drugs or endogenous neurotransmitters. DRs include modified G-protein coupled receptors, chimaeric ligand-gated ion channels, and mutated non-mammalian channels. Identification of drug activators of DRs that are already approved for use in humans significantly accelerates clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Lieb
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Mikail Weston
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK
| | - Dimitri M Kullmann
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, UK.
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22
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Snowball A, Chabrol E, Wykes RC, Shekh-Ahmad T, Cornford JH, Lieb A, Hughes MP, Massaro G, Rahim AA, Hashemi KS, Kullmann DM, Walker MC, Schorge S. Epilepsy Gene Therapy Using an Engineered Potassium Channel. J Neurosci 2019; 39:3159-3169. [PMID: 30755487 PMCID: PMC6468110 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1143-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Refractory focal epilepsy is a devastating disease for which there is frequently no effective treatment. Gene therapy represents a promising alternative, but treating epilepsy in this way involves irreversible changes to brain tissue, so vector design must be carefully optimized to guarantee safety without compromising efficacy. We set out to develop an epilepsy gene therapy vector optimized for clinical translation. The gene encoding the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.1, KCNA1, was codon optimized for human expression and mutated to accelerate the recovery of the channels from inactivation. For improved safety, this engineered potassium channel (EKC) gene was packaged into a nonintegrating lentiviral vector under the control of a cell type-specific CAMK2A promoter. In a blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled preclinical trial, the EKC lentivector robustly reduced seizure frequency in a male rat model of focal neocortical epilepsy characterized by discrete spontaneous seizures. When packaged into an adeno-associated viral vector (AAV2/9), the EKC gene was also effective at suppressing seizures in a male rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy. This demonstration of efficacy in a clinically relevant setting, combined with the improved safety conferred by cell type-specific expression and integration-deficient delivery, identify EKC gene therapy as being ready for clinical translation in the treatment of refractory focal epilepsy.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Pharmacoresistant epilepsy affects up to 0.3% of the population. Although epilepsy surgery can be effective, it is limited by risks to normal brain function. We have developed a gene therapy that builds on a mechanistic understanding of altered neuronal and circuit excitability in cortical epilepsy. The potassium channel gene KCNA1 was mutated to bypass post-transcriptional editing and was packaged in a nonintegrating lentivector to reduce the risk of insertional mutagenesis. A randomized, blinded preclinical study demonstrated therapeutic effectiveness in a rodent model of focal neocortical epilepsy. Adeno-associated viral delivery of the channel to both hippocampi was also effective in a model of temporal lobe epilepsy. These results support clinical translation to address a major unmet need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Snowball
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Elodie Chabrol
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Robert C Wykes
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Tawfeeq Shekh-Ahmad
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan H Cornford
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Lieb
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P Hughes
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom, and
| | - Giulia Massaro
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom, and
| | - Ahad A Rahim
- UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom, and
| | - Kevan S Hashemi
- Open Source Instruments Inc., Watertown, Massachusetts 02472
| | - Dimitri M Kullmann
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom,
| | - Matthew C Walker
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom,
| | - Stephanie Schorge
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom
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23
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Weston M, Kaserer T, Wu A, Mouravlev A, Carpenter JC, Snowball A, Knauss S, von Schimmelmann M, During MJ, Lignani G, Schorge S, Young D, Kullmann DM, Lieb A. Olanzapine: A potent agonist at the hM4D(Gi) DREADD amenable to clinical translation of chemogenetics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaaw1567. [PMID: 31001591 PMCID: PMC6469940 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw1567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) derived from muscarinic receptors not only are a powerful tool to test causality in basic neuroscience but also are potentially amenable to clinical translation. A major obstacle, however, is that the widely used agonist clozapine N-oxide undergoes conversion to clozapine, which penetrates the blood-brain barrier but has an unfavorable side effect profile. Perlapine has been reported to activate DREADDs at nanomolar concentrations but is not approved for use in humans by the Food and Drug Administration or the European Medicines Agency, limiting its translational potential. Here, we report that the atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine, widely available in various formulations, is a potent agonist of the human M4 muscarinic receptor-based DREADD, facilitating clinical translation of chemogenetics to treat central nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikail Weston
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Teresa Kaserer
- Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SM2 5NG, UK
| | - Angela Wu
- Department of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Alexandre Mouravlev
- Department of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jenna C. Carpenter
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Albert Snowball
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Samuel Knauss
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | | | | | - Gabriele Lignani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Stephanie Schorge
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Deborah Young
- Department of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Dimitri M. Kullmann
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andreas Lieb
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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24
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Tillmann S, Skibdal HE, Christiansen SH, Gøtzsche CR, Hassan M, Mathé AA, Wegener G, Woldbye DPD. Sustained overexpression of neuropeptide S in the amygdala reduces anxiety-like behavior in rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 367:28-34. [PMID: 30914309 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptide S (NPS) has shown anxiolytic-like effects in rodents after acute administration, but its long-term effects remain unknown. Gene therapy enables the targeted delivery of DNA to cell nuclei, and recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors have been identified as suitable tools for stable overexpression. Thus, to explore the effects of long-term expression of NPS, the present study examined anxiety- and depressive-like effects after rAAV-mediated NPS overexpression in the rat amygdala. Compared to rats injected with an empty control vector (rAAV-Empty), rAAV-NPS treatment was associated with reduced anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze and light-dark box, but did not affect depressive-like behavior in the forced swim test. Importantly, rAAV-NPS did not cause confounding effects on locomotion or bodyweight as opposed to currently used anxiolytic drugs. Immunohistochemical stainings revealed NPS-positive cells in the central and basolateral region of the amygdala in rAAV-NPS but not rAAV-Empty rats, indicating successful transduction. Our study provides novel evidence for sustained anxiolytic-like properties of NPS by transgenic overexpression. These data suggest that rAAV-NPS application deserves further attention as a potential treatment strategy for anxiety in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Tillmann
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Heidi E Skibdal
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren H Christiansen
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Casper R Gøtzsche
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Moustapha Hassan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine (LABMED), Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Aleksander A Mathé
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gregers Wegener
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, AUGUST Centre, Aarhus University, Risskov, Denmark.
| | - David P D Woldbye
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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25
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Ingusci S, Cattaneo S, Verlengia G, Zucchini S, Simonato M. A Matter of Genes: The Hurdles of Gene Therapy for Epilepsy. Epilepsy Curr 2019; 19:38-43. [PMID: 30838918 PMCID: PMC6610370 DOI: 10.1177/1535759718822846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy has recently advanced to the level of standard of care for several
diseases. However, its application to neurological disorders is still in the
experimental phase. In this review, we discuss recent advancements in the field
that provide optimism on the possibility to have first-in-human studies for gene
therapy of some forms of epilepsy in the not so distant future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selene Ingusci
- 1 Department of Medical Sciences and National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Stefano Cattaneo
- 2 School of Medicine, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Verlengia
- 1 Department of Medical Sciences and National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,2 School of Medicine, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Zucchini
- 1 Department of Medical Sciences and National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,3 Technopole of Ferrara, LTTA Laboratory for the Technologies for Advanced Therapies, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Michele Simonato
- 1 Department of Medical Sciences and National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.,2 School of Medicine, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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26
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Soud K, Jørgensen SH, Woldbye DPD, Sørensen AT. The C-terminal flanking peptide of neuropeptide Y (NPY) is not essential for seizure-suppressant actions of prepro-NPY overexpression in male rats. J Neurosci Res 2018; 97:362-372. [PMID: 30367522 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The full coding sequence of neuropeptide Y (NPY), prepro-NPY, is sequentially metabolized into three peptides; an N-terminus 28-amino acid signaling peptide, the NPY peptide itself (NPY1-36), and a 30-amino acid C-terminus peptide, known as the C-terminal flanking peptide of neuropeptide-Y (CPON). While the signaling peptide directs intracellular trafficking and NPY1-36 is well characterized, the biological function of CPON is unknown. This is noteworthy because CPON is co-stored and co-released along with NPY1-36 and could thus potentially serve important functions. To assess the role of CPON, we adapted a viral genetic approach using two different vector designs encoding NPY, but where the CPON coding sequence was excluded from one of the vectors. Thus, the effect of CPON was indirectly assessed. Male rats received intrahippocampal injections of either a vector encoding NPY1-39 whose metabolism yields NPY1-36 and not CPON, or a prepro-NPY vector encoding both NPY1-36 and CPON. A third vector encoding EGFP served as control. We subsequently studied to what extent CPON might affect seizure susceptibility and memory performance, respectively, to address two important questions to evaluate the potential of NPY gene therapy in epilepsy. Both NPY vectors, as compared to EGFP control, were found to be equally effective at suppressing acute kainate-induced seizures, and both did not influence learning and memory performance in the Morris water maze. Thus CPON itself does not appear to aid actions governed by vector-mediated overexpression of NPY1-36 within the hippocampus. Whether CPON serves other important functions remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katia Soud
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Søren Heide Jørgensen
- Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David Paul Drucker Woldbye
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andreas Toft Sørensen
- Neuropharmacology and Genetics Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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27
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Gschwind T, Lafourcade C, Gfeller T, Zaichuk M, Rambousek L, Knuesel I, Fritschy JM. Contribution of early Alzheimer's disease-related pathophysiology to the development of acquired epilepsy. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 47:1534-1562. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tilo Gschwind
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich; University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Carlos Lafourcade
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
- Laboratorio de Neurociencias; Universidad de los Andes; Santiago Chile
| | - Tim Gfeller
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Mariana Zaichuk
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich; University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Lukas Rambousek
- Institute of Experimental Immunology; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
| | - Irene Knuesel
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
- Roche Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development; NORD Discovery & Translational Area; Roche Innovation Center Basel; Basel Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marc Fritschy
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology; University of Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich; University of Zurich and ETH Zurich; Zurich Switzerland
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28
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Activation of NPY-Y2 receptors ameliorates disease pathology in the R6/2 mouse and PC12 cell models of Huntington's disease. Exp Neurol 2018; 302:112-128. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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29
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Xu Y, Li Z, Yao L, Zhang X, Gan D, Jiang M, Wang N, Chen G, Wang X. Altered Norbin Expression in Patients with Epilepsy and a Rat Model. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13970. [PMID: 29070854 PMCID: PMC5656659 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13248-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Norbin is widely distributed in neuronal tissues, is a regulator of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) phosphorylation. Norbin is also an important endogenous modulator of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) signaling, and nervous system-specific homozygous gene disruptions, result in epileptic seizures. In this study, we aimed to investigate norbin expression patterns in epilepsy and to elucidate the relationships between norbin and mGluR5 and p-CaMKII in epilepsy. Double-immunolabeling, immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting studies showed that norbin was downregulated in the temporal neocortex of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) compared with control subjects. Moreover, in a rat model of lithium chloride-pilocarpine-induced epilepsy, norbin expression began to decrease at 6 h after the onset of status epilepticus and remained at a low level until 60 days. In addition, p-CaMKII expression was significantly increased in both patients with TLE and in animal model. Norbin and mGluR5 were found to be co-expressed in neurons of epileptic tissues. Finally, norbin over-expression facilitated by injections of adeno-associated viral vector into the rat hippocampus increased latency and survival in the lithium chloride-pilocarpine model. Thus, our results indicate norbin participates in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, perhaps by modulating mGluR5 signaling, regulating CaMKII phosphorylation, and may exert antiepileptic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Xu
- Department of Geriatrics, Chongqing General Hospital, 104 Pipashan Street, Chongqing, China.,Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Zengyou Li
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Yao
- Health Checkup Center, Chongqing General Hospital, 104 Pipashan Street, Chongqing, China
| | - Xingping Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, Chongqing General Hospital, 104 Pipashan Street, Chongqing, China
| | - Dan Gan
- Department of Geriatrics, Chongqing General Hospital, 104 Pipashan Street, Chongqing, China
| | - Manchun Jiang
- Department of Geriatrics, Chongqing General Hospital, 104 Pipashan Street, Chongqing, China
| | - Na Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Guojun Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Road, Chongqing, China.
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30
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Wykes RC, Lignani G. Gene therapy and editing: Novel potential treatments for neuronal channelopathies. Neuropharmacology 2017; 132:108-117. [PMID: 28564577 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Pharmaceutical treatment can be inadequate, non-effective, or intolerable for many people suffering from a neuronal channelopathy. Development of novel treatment options, particularly those with the potential to be curative is warranted. Gene therapy approaches can permit cell-specific modification of neuronal and circuit excitability and have been investigated experimentally as a therapy for numerous neurological disorders, with clinical trials for several neurodegenerative diseases ongoing. Channelopathies can arise from a wide array of gene mutations; however they usually result in periods of aberrant network excitability. Therefore gene therapy strategies based on up or downregulation of genes that modulate neuronal excitability may be effective therapy for a wide range of neuronal channelopathies. As many channelopathies are paroxysmal in nature, optogenetic or chemogenetic approaches may be well suited to treat the symptoms of these diseases. Recent advances in gene-editing technologies such as the CRISPR-Cas9 system could in the future result in entirely novel treatment for a channelopathy by repairing disease-causing channel mutations at the germline level. As the brain may develop and wire abnormally as a consequence of an inherited or de novo channelopathy, the choice of optimal gene therapy or gene editing strategy will depend on the time of intervention (germline, neonatal or adult). This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Channelopathies.'
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Affiliation(s)
- R C Wykes
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK.
| | - G Lignani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK.
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31
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Xu X, Shangguan Y, Lu S, Wang W, Du C, Xiao F, Hu Y, Luo J, Wang L, He C, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Lu X, Yang Q, Wang X. Tubulin β-III modulates seizure activity in epilepsy. J Pathol 2017; 242:297-308. [PMID: 28378416 DOI: 10.1002/path.4903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Tubulin β-III (TUBB3) is the most dynamic β-tubulin isoform expressed in neurons, and is highly expressed in the central nervous system. However, the relationship between TUBB3 and epileptic seizures has not been thoroughly investigated. The aims of this study were to investigate the expression of TUBB3 in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and two different rat models of chronic epilepsy, and to determine the specific roles of TUBB3 in epilepsy. TUBB3 expression was upregulated in human and rat epileptic tissue. Moreover, TUBB3 expression was associated with inhibitory GABAergic neurons and the inhibitory postsynaptic scaffold protein gephyrin. TUBB3 downregulation attenuated the behavioural phenotypes of epileptic seizures during the pilocarpine-induced chronic phase of epileptic seizures and the pentylenetetrazole kindling process, whereas TUBB3 overexpression had the opposite effect. Whole-cell clamp recordings and western blotting revealed that the amplitude of GABA-A receptor-mediated miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents and the surface expression of the GABA-A receptor were increased in rats in which TUBB3 expression was downregulated. Importantly, TUBB3 interacted with GABA-A receptor-associated protein, which is known to be involved in GABA-A receptor trafficking. These results indicate that TUBB3 plays a critical role in the regulation of epileptic seizures via GABA-A receptor trafficking, suggesting a molecular mechanism for new therapeutic strategies. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Yafei Shangguan
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Shanshan Lu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Chao Du
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Fei Xiao
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Yida Hu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Changlong He
- Institute of Infectious Diseases, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Yong Yang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Yanke Zhang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Xi Lu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Qin Yang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Xuefeng Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, PR China.,Centre of Epilepsy, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, PR China
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32
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Engineered HSV vector achieves safe long-term transgene expression in the central nervous system. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1507. [PMID: 28473703 PMCID: PMC5431452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01635-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Previously we reported a new series of highly defective herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) vectors that were functionally devoid of all viral immediately early (IE) genes, resulting in virtual absence of viral gene expression. Nevertheless, a reporter gene cassette inserted into the vector flanked by boundary elements from the viral latency locus showed high, persistent reporter gene activity in non-neuronal cells while an independent expression cassette inserted into a deleted ICP4 locus remained almost silent. In contrast to non-neuronal cells, we show here that the ICP4 locus cassette permitted robust reporter gene expression in a diversity of neurons following stereotactic injection of different rat brain regions; transgene expression in the hippocampus lasted up to 6 months and was essentially restricted to neurons. No evidence of neuronal cell toxicity or induction of inflammatory cell infiltrates was observed. An independent reporter gene cassette located in an intergenic region remained silent, indicating that the transgene promoter and/or insertion site are critical for sustained expression. These findings suggest the suitability of this vector for therapeutic intervention into diseases of the central nervous system that require the expression of large and/or multiple therapeutic transgenes.
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33
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Natarajan G, Leibowitz JA, Zhou J, Zhao Y, McElroy JA, King MA, Ormerod BK, Carney PR. Adeno-associated viral vector-mediated preprosomatostatin expression suppresses induced seizures in kindled rats. Epilepsy Res 2017; 130:81-92. [PMID: 28167431 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Revised: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Somatostatin is expressed widely in the hippocampus and notably in hilar GABAergic neurons that are vulnerable to seizure neuropathology in chronic temporal lobe epilepsy. We previously demonstrated that sustained bilateral preprosomatostatin (preproSST) expression in the hippocampus prevents the development of generalized seizures in the amygdala kindling model of temporal lobe epilepsy. Here we tested whether sustained preproSST expression is anticonvulsant in rats already kindled to high-grade seizures. Rats were kindled until they exhibited 3 consecutive Racine Grade 5 seizures before adeno-associated virus serotype 5 (AAV5) vector driving either eGFP (AAV5-CBa-eGFP) or preproSST and eGFP (AAV5-CBa-preproSST-eGFP) expression was injected bilaterally into the hippocampal dentate gyrus and CA1 region. Retested 3 weeks later, rats that received control vector (AAV5-CBa-eGFP) continued to exhibit high-grade seizures whereas 6/13 rats that received preproSST vector (AAV5-CBa-preproSST-eGFP) were seizure-free. Of these rats, 5/6 remained seizure-free after repeated stimulation sessions and when the stimulation current was increased. These results suggest that vector-mediated expression of preproSST may be a viable therapeutic strategy for temporal lobe epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gowri Natarajan
- Wilder Center of Excellence for Epilepsy Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Leibowitz
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Junli Zhou
- Wilder Center of Excellence for Epilepsy Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jessica A McElroy
- Wilder Center of Excellence for Epilepsy Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Michael A King
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; NF/SG VA Medical Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Brandi K Ormerod
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Paul R Carney
- Wilder Center of Excellence for Epilepsy Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA; McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
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34
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Jensen M, Ratner C, Rudenko O, Christiansen SH, Skov LJ, Hundahl C, Woldbye DPD, Holst B. Anxiolytic-Like Effects of Increased Ghrelin Receptor Signaling in the Amygdala. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 19:pyv123. [PMID: 26578081 PMCID: PMC4886665 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyv123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Besides the well-known effects of ghrelin on adiposity and food intake regulation, the ghrelin system has been shown to regulate aspects of behavior including anxiety and stress. However, the effect of virus-mediated overexpression of the ghrelin receptor in the amygdala has not previously been addressed directly. METHODS First, we examined the acute effect of peripheral ghrelin administration on anxiety- and depression-like behavior using the open field, elevated plus maze, forced swim, and tail suspension tests. Next, we examined the effect of peripheral ghrelin administration and ghrelin receptor deficiency on stress in a familiar and social environment using the Intellicage system. Importantly, we also used a novel approach to study ghrelin receptor signaling in the brain by overexpressing the ghrelin receptor in the amygdala. We examined the effect of ghrelin receptor overexpression on anxiety-related behavior before and after acute stress and measured the modulation of serotonin receptor expression. RESULTS We found that ghrelin caused an anxiolytic-like effect in both the open field and elevated plus maze tests. Additionally, it attenuated air-puff-induced stress in the social environment, while the opposite was shown in ghrelin receptor deficient mice. Finally, we found that overexpression of the ghrelin receptor in the basolateral division of the amygdala caused an anxiolytic-like effect and decreased the 5HT1a receptor expression. CONCLUSIONS Ghrelin administration and overexpression of the ghrelin receptor in the amygdala induces anxiolytic-like behavior. Since the ghrelin receptor has high constitutive activity, ligand-independent signaling in vivo may be important for the observed anxiolytic-like effects. The anxiolytic effects seem to be mediated independently from the HPA axis, potentially engaging the central serotonin system.
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MESH Headings
- Amygdala/drug effects
- Amygdala/metabolism
- Amygdala/physiopathology
- Animals
- Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology
- Anxiety/genetics
- Anxiety/metabolism
- Anxiety/prevention & control
- Anxiety/psychology
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Disease Models, Animal
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Female
- Ghrelin/pharmacology
- Hindlimb Suspension
- Humans
- Locomotion/drug effects
- Male
- Maze Learning/drug effects
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Motor Activity/drug effects
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A/metabolism
- Receptors, Ghrelin/agonists
- Receptors, Ghrelin/genetics
- Receptors, Ghrelin/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Social Behavior
- Stress, Psychological/complications
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/psychology
- Swimming
- Time Factors
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Jensen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Cecilia Ratner
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Olga Rudenko
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Søren H Christiansen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Louise J Skov
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Cecilie Hundahl
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - David P D Woldbye
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye)
| | - Birgitte Holst
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark, and The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Mr Jensen, Ms Ratner, Dr Rudenko, Ms Skov, Ms Hundahl, and Dr Holst); Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Drs Christiansen and Woldbye).
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Lentiviral Vector-Induced Overexpression of RGMa in the Hippocampus Suppresses Seizures and Mossy Fiber Sprouting. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:1379-1391. [PMID: 26843113 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-9744-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Repulsive guidance molecule a (RGMa) is a membrane-bound protein that inhibits axon outgrowth in the central nervous system. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent spontaneous seizures. To explore the role of RGMa in epilepsy, we investigated the expression of RGMa in patients with TLE, pilocarpine-induced rat model, and pentylenetetrazol kindling model of epilepsy, and then we performed behavioral, histological, and electrophysiological analysis by lentivirus-mediated overexpression of RGMa in the hippocampus of animal model. We found that RGMa was significantly decreased in TLE patients and in experimental rats from 6 h to 60 days after pilocarpine-induced seizures. In two types of epileptic animal models, pilocarpine-induced model and pentylenetetrazol kindling model, overexpression of RGMa in the hippocampus of rats exerted seizure-suppressant effects. The reduced spontaneous seizures were accompanied by attenuation of hippocampal mossy fiber sprouting. In addition, overexpression of RGMa inhibited hyperexcitability of hippocampal neurons via suppressing NMDAR-mediated currents in Mg2+-free-induced organotypic slice model. Collectively, these results demonstrate that overexpression of RGMa could be an alternative strategy for epilepsy therapy.
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Naserpour Farivar T, Nassiri-Asl M, Johari P, Najafipour R, Hajiali F. The Effects of Kainic Acid-Induced Seizure on Gene Expression of Brain Neurotransmitter Receptors in Mice Using RT 2 PCR Array. Basic Clin Neurosci 2016; 7:291-298. [PMID: 27872690 PMCID: PMC5102558 DOI: 10.15412/j.bcn.03070402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Kainic acid (KA) induces neuropathological changes in specific regions of the mouse hippocampus comparable to changes seen in patients with chronic temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). According to different studies, the expression of a number of genes are altered in the adult rat hippocampus after status epilepticus (SE) induced by KA. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate changes in the gene expression of brain neurotransmitter receptors one week after administration of kainic acid in the mouse hippocampus. Methods: We used 12 BALB/c mice in this study and randomly divided them into 2 groups. To both groups, saline (IP) was administered for 7 days, and on the last day, KA (10 mg/kg, IP) was injected 30 minutes after administration of saline. Subsequently, behavioural changes were observed in mice. Then, in one group (1 day group), 2 hours and in another group (7 days group), 7 days after KA administration, the hippocampus tissue of mice was removed and used for gene expression analyses. Total brain RNA was isolated and reversely transcribed. We performed qPCR using RT2 Profiler TMPCR Array Mouse Neurotransmitter Receptors and Regulators (QIAGEN) containing primers for 84 genes. In this regard, we selected 50 related genes for KA model. Results: Our results showed significant changes in the gene expression of GABAA subunits receptors, including α1-α3, α5, α6, β2, β3, γ1, ρ, and rho1-2 on day 7 compared with the day 1. Conclusion: Expression of both inhibitory and excitatory receptors changed after one week. Further studies are needed to find more molecular changes in the gene expression of brain neurotransmitter receptors and regulators over longer periods of time in KA models using RT2 PCR array.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marjan Nassiri-Asl
- Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran.; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Pouran Johari
- Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Reza Najafipour
- Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Farid Hajiali
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
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Ledri LN, Melin E, Christiansen SH, Gøtzsche CR, Cifra A, Woldbye DPD, Kokaia M. Translational approach for gene therapy in epilepsy: Model system and unilateral overexpression of neuropeptide Y and Y2 receptors. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 86:52-61. [PMID: 26607785 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Revised: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Although novel treatment strategies based on the gene therapy approach for epilepsy has been encouraging, there is still a gap in demonstrating a proof-of-concept in a clinically relevant animal model and study design. In the present study, a conceptually novel framework reflecting a plausible clinical trial for gene therapy of temporal lobe epilepsy was explored: We investigated (i) whether the post intrahippocampal kainate-induced status epilepticus (SE) model of chronic epilepsy in rats could be clinically relevant; and (ii) whether a translationally designed neuropeptide Y (NPY)/Y2 receptor-based gene therapy approach targeting only the seizure-generating focus unilaterally can decrease seizure frequency in this chronic model of epilepsy. Our data suggest that the intrahippocampal kainate model resembles the disease development of human chronic mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE): (i) spontaneous seizures originate in the sclerotic hippocampus; (ii) only a part of the animals develops chronic epilepsy; (iii) animals show largely variable seizure frequency that (iv) tends to progressively increase over time. Despite significant hippocampal degeneration caused by the kainate injection, the use of MRI allowed targeting the recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vectors encoding NPY and Y2 receptor genes to the remaining dorsal and ventral hippocampal areas ipsilateral to the kainate injection. Continuous video-EEG monitoring demonstrated not only prevention of the progressive increase in seizure frequency in rAAV-NPY/Y2 treated animals as compared to the controls, but even 45% decrease of seizure frequency in 80% of the epileptic animals. This translationally designed study in a clinically relevant model of epilepsy suggests that simultaneous overexpression of NPY and Y2 receptors unilaterally in the seizure focus is a relevant and promising approach that can be further validated in more extensive preclinical studies to develop a future treatment strategy for severe, often pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy cases that cannot be offered alternative therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Litsa Nikitidou Ledri
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Esbjörn Melin
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - Søren H Christiansen
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Nørregade 10, 1017 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Casper R Gøtzsche
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Nørregade 10, 1017 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Alessandra Cifra
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden
| | - David P D Woldbye
- Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Nørregade 10, 1017 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mérab Kokaia
- Experimental Epilepsy Group, Epilepsy Centre, Lund University Hospital, Sölvegatan 17, 221 84 Lund, Sweden.
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Sawano E, Iwatani K, Tominaga-Yoshino K, Ogura A, Tashiro T. Reduction in NPY-positive neurons and dysregulation of excitability in young senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) hippocampus precede the onset of cognitive impairment. J Neurochem 2015; 135:287-300. [PMID: 26250996 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Revised: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2023]
Abstract
The senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) strain is considered a neurodegeneration model showing age-related cognitive deficits with little physical impairment. Young SAMP8 mice, however, exhibit signs of disturbances in development such as marked hyperactivity and reduced anxiety well before the onset of cognitive impairment. As the key enzyme in local regulation of thyroid hormone (TH) signaling, type 2 deiodinase, was significantly reduced in the SAMP8 hippocampus relative to that of the normally aging SAM-resistant 1 (SAMR1), we used these two strains to compare the development of the hippocampal GABAergic system, which is known to be strongly affected by hypothyroidism. Among GABAergic components, neuronal K+ /Cl- co-transporter 2 was down-regulated in SAMP8 transiently at 2 weeks. Although distribution of total GABAergic neurons was similar in both strains, 22-30% reduction was observed in the neuropeptide Y (NPY)-positive subpopulation of GABAergic neurons in SAMP8. Electrophysiological studies on hippocampal slices obtained at 4 weeks revealed that epileptiform activity, induced by high-frequency stimulation, lasted four times longer in SAMP8 compared with SAMR1, indicating a dysregulation of excitability that may be linked to the behavioral abnormalities of young SAMP8 and to neurodegeneration later on in life. Local attenuation of TH signaling may thus impact the normal development of the GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Sawano
- Department of Chemistry & Biological Science, School of Science & Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kanako Iwatani
- Department of Chemistry & Biological Science, School of Science & Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Keiko Tominaga-Yoshino
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka University Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Akihiko Ogura
- Department of Neuroscience, Osaka University Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoko Tashiro
- Department of Chemistry & Biological Science, School of Science & Engineering, Aoyama Gakuin University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
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Differential Effect of Neuropeptides on Excitatory Synaptic Transmission in Human Epileptic Hippocampus. J Neurosci 2015; 35:9622-31. [PMID: 26134645 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3973-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of novel disease-modifying treatment strategies for neurological disorders, which at present have no cure, represents a major challenge for today's neurology. Translation of findings from animal models to humans represents an unresolved gap in most of the preclinical studies. Gene therapy is an evolving innovative approach that may prove useful for clinical applications. In animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), gene therapy treatments based on viral vectors encoding NPY or galanin have been shown to effectively suppress seizures. However, how this translates to human TLE remains unknown. A unique possibility to validate these animal studies is provided by a surgical therapeutic approach, whereby resected epileptic tissue from temporal lobes of pharmacoresistant patients are available for neurophysiological studies in vitro. To test whether NPY and galanin have antiepileptic actions in human epileptic tissue as well, we applied these neuropeptides directly to human hippocampal slices in vitro. NPY strongly decreased stimulation-induced EPSPs in dentate gyrus and CA1 (up to 30 and 55%, respectively) via Y2 receptors, while galanin had no significant effect. Receptor autoradiographic binding revealed the presence of both NPY and galanin receptors, while functional receptor binding was only detected for NPY, suggesting that galanin receptor signaling may be impaired. These results underline the importance of validating findings from animal studies in human brain tissue, and advocate for NPY as a more appropriate candidate than galanin for future gene therapy trials in pharmacoresistant TLE patients.
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40
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Elbrønd-Bek H, Gøtzsche CR, Skinbjerg M, Christensen DZ, Plenge P, Woldbye DPD. Visualization of Functional Neuropeptide Y Receptors in the Mouse Hippocampus and Neocortex Using [35S]GTPγS Binding. Int J Pept Res Ther 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-015-9455-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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41
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Christiansen SH, Olesen MV, Gøtzsche CR, Woldbye DPD. Anxiolytic-like effects after vector-mediated overexpression of neuropeptide Y in the amygdala and hippocampus of mice. Neuropeptides 2014; 48:335-44. [PMID: 25267070 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2014] [Revised: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) causes anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects after central administration in rodents. These effects could theoretically be utilized in future gene therapy for anxiety and depression using viral vectors for induction of overexpression of NPY in specific brain regions. Using a recombinant adeno-associated viral (rAAV) vector, we addressed this idea by testing effects on anxiolytic- and depression-like behaviours in adult mice after overexpression of NPY transgene in the amygdala and/or hippocampus, two brain regions implicated in emotional behaviours. In the amygdala, injections of rAAV-NPY caused significant anxiolytic-like effect in the open field, elevated plus maze, and light-dark transition tests. In the hippocampus, rAAV-NPY treatment was associated with anxiolytic-like effect only in the elevated plus maze. No additive effect was observed after combined rAAV-NPY injection into both the amygdala and hippocampus where anxiolytic-like effect was found in the elevated plus maze and light-dark transition tests. Antidepressant-like effects were not detected in any of the rAAV-NPY injected groups. Immobility was even increased in the tail suspension and forced swim tests after intra-amygdaloid rAAV-NPY. Taken together, the present data show that rAAV-NPY treatment may confer non-additive anxiolytic-like effect after injection into the amygdala or hippocampus, being most pronounced in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- S H Christiansen
- Laboratory for Neural Plasticity, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M V Olesen
- Laboratory for Neural Plasticity, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - C R Gøtzsche
- Laboratory for Neural Plasticity, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - D P D Woldbye
- Laboratory for Neural Plasticity, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Fang M, Wei JL, Tang B, Liu J, Chen L, Tang ZH, Luo J, Chen GJ, Wang XF. Neuroligin-1 Knockdown Suppresses Seizure Activity by Regulating Neuronal Hyperexcitability. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 53:270-284. [PMID: 25428619 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8999-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Abnormally synchronized synaptic transmission in the brain leads to epilepsy. Neuroligin-1 (NL1) is a synaptic cell adhesion molecule localized at excitatory synapses. NL1 modulates synaptic transmission and determines the properties of neuronal networks in the mammalian central nervous system. We showed that the expression of NL1 and its binding partner neurexin-1β was increased in temporal lobe epileptic foci in patients and lithium-pilocarpine-treated epileptic rats. We investigated electrophysiological and behavioral changes in epileptic rats after lentivirally mediated NL1 knockdown in the hippocampus to determine whether NL1 suppression prevented seizures and, if so, to explore the probable underlying mechanisms. Our behavioral studies revealed that NL1 knockdown in epileptic rats reduced seizure severity and increased seizure latency. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of CA1 pyramidal neurons in hippocampal slices from NL1 knockdown epileptic rats revealed a decrease in spontaneous action potential frequency and a decrease in miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) frequency but not amplitude. The amplitude of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent EPSCs was also selectively decreased. Notably, NL1 knockdown reduced total NMDAR1 expression and the surface/total ratio in the hippocampus of epileptic rats. Taken together, these data indicate that NL1 knockdown in epileptic rats may reduce the frequency and severity of seizures and suppress neuronal hyperexcitability via changes in postsynaptic NMDARs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Fang
- Department of Emergency and Intensive Care Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jin-Lai Wei
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Bo Tang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Ling Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Zhao-Hua Tang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Guo-Jun Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China
| | - Xue-Feng Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 You Yi Road, Chongqing, 400016, China.
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Li Q, Dong C, Li W, Bu W, Wu J, Zhao W. Neuropeptide Y protects cerebral cortical neurons by regulating microglial immune function. Neural Regen Res 2014; 9:959-67. [PMID: 25206918 PMCID: PMC4146213 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.133140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y has been shown to inhibit the immunological activity of reactive microglia in the rat cerebral cortex, to reduce N-methyl-D-aspartate current (INMDA) in cortical neurons, and protect neurons. In this study, after primary cultured microglia from the cerebral cortex of rats were treated with lipopolysaccharide, interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α levels in the cell culture medium increased, and mRNA expression of these cytokines also increased. After primary cultured cortical neurons were incubated with the lipopolysaccharide-treated microglial conditioned medium, peak INMDA in neurons increased. These effects of lipopolysaccharide were suppressed by neuropeptide Y. After addition of the neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor antagonist BIBP3226, the effects of neuropeptide Y completely disappeared. These results suggest that neuropeptide Y prevents excessive production of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α by inhibiting microglial reactivity. This reduces INMDA in rat cortical neurons, preventing excitotoxicity, thereby protecting neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qijun Li
- Graduate School, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
| | - Changzheng Dong
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
| | - Wenling Li
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
| | - Wei Bu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Third Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
| | - Jiang Wu
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
| | - Wenqing Zhao
- Graduate School, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China ; Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China
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Abstract
Gene therapy may represent an effective alternative to standard pharmacological approaches for certain forms of epilepsy. Currently, the best candidates for this therapeutic approach appear to be epilepsies characterized by a focal lesion. Gene therapy has been attempted to produce antiepileptogenic (prevention of development of epilepsy in subject at risk after having received an epileptogenic insult), antiseizure (reduction of frequency and/or severity of seizures), and disease-modifying (alteration of the natural history of the disease) effects. An example of gene therapy aimed at producing antiepileptogenic effects is a combination therapy based on the supplementation of the neurotrophic factors brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2). Antiseizure effects have been obtained by increasing the strength of inhibitory signals (by supplementing specific GABAA receptor subunits or inhibitory neuropeptides like galanin or neuropeptide Y) or by reducing the strength of excitatory signals (by knocking down NMDA receptor subunits). This review summarizes the results obtained to date using gene therapy in epilepsy models and discusses the challenges and the opportunities that this approach can offer for the treatment of human epilepsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Simonato
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Center, University of Ferrara, Italy; National Institute of Neuroscience, University of Ferrara, Italy; Laboratory for Technologies of Advanced Therapies (LTTA), University of Ferrara, Italy.
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Botterill JJ, Guskjolen AJ, Marks WN, Caruncho HJ, Kalynchuk LE. Limbic but not non-limbic kindling impairs conditioned fear and promotes plasticity of NPY and its Y2 receptor. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:3641-55. [PMID: 25146309 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0880-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Epileptic seizures negatively affect cognition. However, the mechanisms that contribute to cognitive impairments after seizures are largely unknown. Here, we examined the effects of long-term kindling (i.e., 99 stimulations) of limbic (basolateral amygdala, dorsal hippocampus) and non-limbic (caudate nucleus) brain sites on conditioned fear and hippocampal plasticity. We first showed that kindling had no effect on acquisition of a hippocampal-dependent trace fear-conditioning task but limbic kindling impaired the retrieval of these fear memories. To determine the relationship between memory and hippocampal neuronal activity, we examined the expression of Fos protein 90 min after memory retrieval (i.e., 4 days after the last kindling stimulation). We found that limbic kindling, but not non-limbic kindling, decreased Fos expression in the granule cell layer, hilus, CA3 pyramidal cell layer, and CA1 pyramidal cell layer. Next, to investigate a mechanism that could contribute to dampen hippocampal neuronal activity in limbic-kindled rats, we focused on the endogenous anticonvulsant neuropeptide Y (NPY), which is expressed in a subset of GABAergic interneurons and can prevent glutamate release through interactions with its Y2 receptor. We found that limbic kindling significantly decreased the number of NPY-immunoreactive cells in several hippocampal subfields despite minimal staining of the neurodegenerative marker Fluoro-Jade B. However, we also noted that limbic kindling enhanced NPY immunoreactivity throughout the mossy fiber pathway. In these same regions, we observed limbic kindling-induced de novo expression of the NPY Y2 receptor. These novel findings demonstrate the site-specific effects of kindling on cognition and NPY plasticity, and they provide evidence that altered hippocampal NPY after limbic seizures coincides with dampened neural activity and cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Botterill
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A5, Canada
| | - A J Guskjolen
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A5, Canada
| | - W N Marks
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A5, Canada
| | - H J Caruncho
- College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5A5, Canada
| | - L E Kalynchuk
- Department of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5, Canada.
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Elbrønd-Bek H, Olling JD, Gøtzsche CR, Waterfield A, Wörtwein G, Woldbye DPD. Neuropeptide Y-stimulated [(35) S]GTPγs functional binding is reduced in the hippocampus after kainate-induced seizures in mice. Synapse 2014; 68:427-36. [PMID: 24985894 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Kainate-induced seizures constitute a model of temporal lobe epilepsy where prominent changes are observed in the hippocampal neuropeptide Y (NPY) system. However, little is known about the functional state and signal transduction of the NPY receptor population resulting from kainate exposure. Thus, in this study, we explored functional NPY receptor activity in the mouse hippocampus and neocortex after kainate-induced seizures using NPY-stimulated [(35) S]GTPγS binding. Moreover, we also studied levels of [(125) I]-peptide YY (PYY) binding and NPY, Y1, Y2, and Y5 receptor mRNA in these kainate-treated mice. Functional NPY binding was unchanged up to 12 h post-kainate, but decreased significantly in all hippocampal regions after 24 h and 1 week. Similarly, a decrease in [(125) I]-PYY binding was found in the dentate gyrus (DG) 1 week post-kainate. However, at 2 h, 6 h, and 12 h, [(125) I]-PYY binding was increased in all regions, and in the CA1 also at 24 h post-kainate. NPY mRNA levels were prominently increased in hippocampal regions, reaching maximum at 12 and 24 h. Y1 and Y5 mRNA levels were lowered in the DG at 24 and 2 h, respectively, while Y2 mRNA levels were elevated at 24 h in the DG and CA3. This study confirms rat kainate studies by showing pronounced adaptive changes in the mouse hippocampus both with regard to NPY synthesis and NPY receptor synthesis and binding, which may contribute to regulating neuronal seizure susceptibility after kainate. However, the potential seizure-suppressant effects of increased NPY gene expression at late time points post-kainate could be attenuated by the novel finding of reduced NPY-receptor G-protein activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Elbrønd-Bek
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neural Plasticity, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Xu X, Guo F, He Q, Cai X, Min D, Wang Q, Wang S, Tian L, Cai J, Zhao Y. Altered expression of neuropeptide Y, Y1 and Y2 receptors, but not Y5 receptor, within hippocampus and temporal lobe cortex of tremor rats. Neuropeptides 2014; 48:97-105. [PMID: 24444822 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
As an endogenous inhibitor of glutamate-mediated synaptic transmission in mammalian central nervous system, neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays a crucial role in regulating homeostasis of neuron excitability. Loss of balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission is thought to be a chief mechanism of epileptogenesis. The abnormal expression of NPY and its receptors observed following seizures have been demonstrated to be related to the production of epilepsy. The tremor rat (TRM) is a hereditary epileptic animal model. So far, there is no report concerning whether NPY and its receptors may be involved in TRM pathogenesis. In this study, we focused on the expression of NPY and its three receptor subtypes: Y1R, Y2R and Y5R in the TRM brain. We first found the expression of NPY in TRM hippocampus and temporal lobe cortex was increased compared with control (Wistar) rats. The mRNA and protein expression of Y1R was down-regulated in hippocampus but up-regulated in temporal lobe cortex, whereas Y2R expression was significantly increased in both areas. There was no significant change of Y5R expression in either area. The immunohistochemistry data showed that Y1R, Y2R, Y5R were present throughout CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus (DG) and the entorhinal cortex which is included in the temporal lobe cortex of TRM. In conclusion, our results showed the altered expression of NPY, Y1R and Y2R but not Y5R in hippocampus and temporal lobe cortex of TRM brain. This abnormal expression may be associated with the generation of epileptiform activity and provide a candidate target for treatment of genetic epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Xu
- Biochip Center, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China; Department of Neurology, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Feng Guo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Qun He
- Biochip Center, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Xinze Cai
- Central Lab, The First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Dongyu Min
- Experiment Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110032, China
| | - Qianhui Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Shaocheng Wang
- Biochip Center, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Liu Tian
- Biochip Center, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Jiqun Cai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, School of Pharmaceutical Science, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
| | - Yujie Zhao
- Biochip Center, College of Basic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China.
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Kormos V, Gaszner B. Role of neuropeptides in anxiety, stress, and depression: from animals to humans. Neuropeptides 2013; 47:401-19. [PMID: 24210138 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2013.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Major depression, with its strikingly high prevalence, is the most common cause of disability in communities of Western type, according to data of the World Health Organization. Stress-related mood disorders, besides their deleterious effects on the patient itself, also challenge the healthcare systems with their great social and economic impact. Our knowledge on the neurobiology of these conditions is less than sufficient as exemplified by the high proportion of patients who do not respond to currently available medications targeting monoaminergic systems. The search for new therapeutical strategies became therefore a "hot topic" in neuroscience, and there is a large body of evidence suggesting that brain neuropeptides not only participate is stress physiology, but they may also have clinical relevance. Based on data obtained in animal studies, neuropeptides and their receptors might be targeted by new candidate neuropharmacons with the hope that they will become important and effective tools in the management of stress related mood disorders. In this review, we attempt to summarize the latest evidence obtained using animal models for mood disorders, genetically modified rodent models for anxiety and depression, and we will pay some attention to previously published clinical data on corticotropin releasing factor, urocortin 1, urocortin 2, urocortin 3, arginine-vasopressin, neuropeptide Y, pituitary adenylate-cyclase activating polypeptide, neuropeptide S, oxytocin, substance P and galanin fields of stress research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktória Kormos
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Szigeti u. 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; Molecular Pharmacology Research Group, János Szentágothai Research Center, University of Pécs, Ifjúság útja 20, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Pécs, Szigeti u. 12, H-7624 Pécs, Hungary
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Association of age at onset in Huntington disease with functional promoter variations in NPY and NPY2R. J Mol Med (Berl) 2013; 92:177-84. [DOI: 10.1007/s00109-013-1092-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Revised: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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