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Wei X, Campagna JJ, Jagodzinska B, Wi D, Cohn W, Lee J, Zhu C, Huang CS, Molnár L, Houser CR, John V, Mody I. A therapeutic small molecule lead enhances γ-oscillations and improves cognition/memory in Alzheimer's disease model mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.04.569994. [PMID: 38106006 PMCID: PMC10723366 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.04.569994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Brain rhythms provide the timing and concurrence of brain activity required for linking together neuronal ensembles engaged in specific tasks. In particular, the γ-oscillations (30-120 Hz) orchestrate neuronal circuits underlying cognitive processes and working memory. These oscillations are reduced in numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders, including early cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we report on a potent brain permeable small molecule, DDL-920 that increases γ-oscillations and improves cognition/memory in a mouse model of AD, thus showing promise as a new class of therapeutics for AD. As a first in CNS pharmacotherapy, our lead candidate acts as a potent, efficacious, and selective negative allosteric modulator (NAM) of the γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABA A Rs) assembled from α1β2δ subunits. We identified these receptors through anatomical and pharmacological means to mediate the tonic inhibition of parvalbumin (PV) expressing interneurons (PV+INs) critically involved in the generation of γ-oscillations. Our approach is unique as it is meant to enhance cognitive performance and working memory in a state-dependent manner by engaging and amplifying the brain's endogenous γ-oscillations through enhancing the function of PV+INs.
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Shoob S, Buchbinder N, Shinikamin O, Gold O, Baeloha H, Langberg T, Zarhin D, Shapira I, Braun G, Habib N, Slutsky I. Deep brain stimulation of thalamic nucleus reuniens promotes neuronal and cognitive resilience in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7002. [PMID: 37919286 PMCID: PMC10622498 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42721-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms that confer cognitive resilience to Alzheimer's Disease (AD) are not fully understood. Here, we describe a neural circuit mechanism underlying this resilience in a familial AD mouse model. In the prodromal disease stage, interictal epileptiform spikes (IESs) emerge during anesthesia in the CA1 and mPFC regions, leading to working memory disruptions. These IESs are driven by inputs from the thalamic nucleus reuniens (nRE). Indeed, tonic deep brain stimulation of the nRE (tDBS-nRE) effectively suppresses IESs and restores firing rate homeostasis under anesthesia, preventing further impairments in nRE-CA1 synaptic facilitation and working memory. Notably, applying tDBS-nRE during the prodromal phase in young APP/PS1 mice mitigates age-dependent memory decline. The IES rate during anesthesia in young APP/PS1 mice correlates with later working memory impairments. These findings highlight the nRE as a central hub of functional resilience and underscore the clinical promise of DBS in conferring resilience to AD pathology by restoring circuit-level homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiri Shoob
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nadav Buchbinder
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ortal Shinikamin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Or Gold
- Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Halit Baeloha
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tomer Langberg
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Daniel Zarhin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ilana Shapira
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gabriella Braun
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Naomi Habib
- Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Inna Slutsky
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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