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Miller WB, Baluška F, Reber AS, Slijepčević P. Why death and aging ? All memories are imperfect. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 187:21-35. [PMID: 38316274 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2024.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Recent papers have emphasized the primary role of cellular information management in biological and evolutionary development. In this framework, intelligent cells collectively measure environmental cues to improve informational validity to support natural cellular engineering as collaborative decision-making and problem-solving in confrontation with environmental stresses. These collective actions are crucially dependent on cell-based memories as acquired patterns of response to environmental stressors. Notably, in a cellular self-referential framework, all biological information is ambiguous. This conditional requirement imposes a previously unexplored derivative. All cellular memories are imperfect. From this atypical background, a novel theory of aging and death is proposed. Since cellular decision-making is memory-dependent and biology is a continuous natural learning system, the accumulation of previously acquired imperfect memories eventually overwhelms the flexibility cells require to react adroitly to contemporaneous stresses to support continued cellular homeorhetic balance. The result is a gradual breakdown of the critical ability to efficiently measure environmental information and effect cell-cell communication. This age-dependent accretion governs senescence, ultimately ending in death as an organism-wide failure of cellular networking. This approach to aging and death is compatible with all prior theories. Each earlier approach illuminates different pertinent cellular signatures of this ongoing, obliged, living process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - František Baluška
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Botany, University of Bonn, Germany.
| | - Arthur S Reber
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
| | - Predrag Slijepčević
- Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Brunel, UK.
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Whitson HE, Banks WA, Diaz MM, Frost B, Kellis M, Lathe R, Schmader KE, Spudich SS, Tanzi R, Garden G. New approaches for understanding the potential role of microbes in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Behav Immun Health 2024; 36:100743. [PMID: 38435720 PMCID: PMC10906156 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves a complex pathological process that evolves over years, and its etiology is understood as a classic example of gene-environment interaction. The notion that exposure to microbial organisms may play some role in AD pathology has been proposed and debated for decades. New evidence from model organisms and -omic studies, as well as epidemiological data from the recent COVID-19 pandemic and widespread use of vaccines, offers new insights into the "germ hypothesis" of AD. To review new evidence and identify key research questions, the Duke/University of North Carolina (Duke/UNC) Alzheimer's Disease Research Center hosted a virtual symposium and workshop: "New Approaches for Understanding the Potential Role of Microbes in Alzheimer's disease." Discussion centered around the antimicrobial protection hypothesis of amyloid accumulation, and other mechanisms by which microbes could influence AD pathology including immune cell activation, changes in blood-brain barrier, or direct neurotoxicity. This summary of proceedings reviews the content presented in the symposium and provides a summary of major topics and key questions discussed in the workshop.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E. Whitson
- Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University School of Medicine, Busse Bldg Rm 3502, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Durham VA Medical Center, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - William A. Banks
- Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, 1660 S Columbian Way, Seattle, WA, 98108, USA
| | - Monica M. Diaz
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 170 Manning Dr, CB 7025, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Bess Frost
- Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, 4939 Charles Katz Rm 1041, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Manolis Kellis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 32 Vassar St., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection Medicine, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh BioQuarter, Little France, Edinburgh, EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Kenneth E. Schmader
- Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University School of Medicine, Busse Bldg Rm 3502, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Durham VA Medical Center, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Serena S. Spudich
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, 300 George Street, Room 8300, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA
| | - Rudolph Tanzi
- Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 114 16th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Gwenn Garden
- University of North Carolina - Dept of Neurology, 170 Manning Drive, Campus Box 7025, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7025, USA
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Janbek J, Laursen TM, Frimodt-Møller N, Magyari M, Haas JG, Lathe R, Waldemar G. Risk of Major Types of Dementias Following Hospital-Diagnosed Infections and Autoimmune Diseases. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 98:1503-1514. [PMID: 38640163 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Background Population-based studies have shown an increased risk of dementia after infections, but weaker links were reported for autoimmune diseases. Evidence is scarce for whether the links may be modified by the dementia or exposure subtype. Objective We aimed to investigate the association between infections and/or autoimmune diseases and rates of major types of dementias in the short- and long terms. Methods Nationwide nested case-control study of dementia cases (65+ years) diagnosed in Denmark 2016-2020 and dementia-free controls. Exposures were hospital-diagnosed infections and autoimmune diseases in the preceding 35 years. Two groups of dementia cases were those diagnosed in memory clinics (MC) and those diagnosed outside memory clinics (non-memory clinic cases, NMC). Results In total, 26,738 individuals were MC and 12,534 were NMC cases. Following any infection, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) for MC cases was 1.23 (95% CI 1.20-1.27) and 1.70 for NMC cases (1.62-1.76). Long-term increased rates were seen for vascular dementia and NMC cases. IRRs for autoimmune diseases were overall statistically insignificant. Conclusions Cases with vascular dementia and not Alzheimer's disease, and a subgroup of cases identified with poorer health have increased long-term risk following infections. Autoimmune diseases were not associated with any type of dementia. Notably increased risks (attributed to the short term) and for NMC cases may indicate that immunosenescence rather than de novo infection explains the links. Future focus on such groups and on the role of vascular pathology will explain the infection-dementia links, especially in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Janbek
- Department of Neurology, Danish Dementia Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Thomas Munk Laursen
- Department of Economics and Business Economics, National Centre for Register-based Research, Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Niels Frimodt-Møller
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Melinda Magyari
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Jürgen G Haas
- Division of Infection Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gunhild Waldemar
- Department of Neurology, Danish Dementia Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
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Greenblatt CL, Lathe R. Vaccines and Dementia: Part II. Efficacy of BCG and Other Vaccines Against Dementia. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 98:361-372. [PMID: 38393913 DOI: 10.3233/jad-231323] [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] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
There is growing awareness that infections may contribute to the development of senile dementia including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and that immunopotentiation is therefore a legitimate target in the management of diseases of the elderly including AD. In Part I of this work, we provided a historical and molecular background to how vaccines, adjuvants, and their component molecules can elicit broad-spectrum protective effects against diverse agents, culminating in the development of the tuberculosis vaccine strain Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) as a treatment for some types of cancer as well as a prophylactic against infections of the elderly such as pneumonia. In Part II, we critically review studies that BCG and other vaccines may offer a measure of protection against dementia development. Five studies to date have determined that intravesicular BCG administration, the standard of care for bladder cancer, is followed by a mean ∼45% reduction in subsequent AD development in these patients. Although this could potentially be ascribed to confounding factors, the finding that other routine vaccines such as against shingles (herpes zoster virus) and influenza (influenza A virus), among others, also offer a degree of protection against AD (mean 29% over multiple studies) underlines the plausibility that the protective effects are real. We highlight clinical trials that are planned or underway and discuss whether BCG could be replaced by key components of the mycobacterial cell wall such as muramyl dipeptide. We conclude that BCG and similar agents merit far wider consideration as prophylactic agents against dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles L Greenblatt
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada (IMRIC), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Richard Lathe
- Division of Infection Medicine, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh, UK
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Maiese K. Cornerstone Cellular Pathways for Metabolic Disorders and Diabetes Mellitus: Non-Coding RNAs, Wnt Signaling, and AMPK. Cells 2023; 12:2595. [PMID: 37998330 PMCID: PMC10670256 DOI: 10.3390/cells12222595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Metabolic disorders and diabetes (DM) impact more than five hundred million individuals throughout the world and are insidious in onset, chronic in nature, and yield significant disability and death. Current therapies that address nutritional status, weight management, and pharmacological options may delay disability but cannot alter disease course or functional organ loss, such as dementia and degeneration of systemic bodily functions. Underlying these challenges are the onset of aging disorders associated with increased lifespan, telomere dysfunction, and oxidative stress generation that lead to multi-system dysfunction. These significant hurdles point to the urgent need to address underlying disease mechanisms with innovative applications. New treatment strategies involve non-coding RNA pathways with microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular ribonucleic acids (circRNAs), Wnt signaling, and Wnt1 inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) that are dependent upon programmed cell death pathways, cellular metabolic pathways with AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and nicotinamide, and growth factor applications. Non-coding RNAs, Wnt signaling, and AMPK are cornerstone mechanisms for overseeing complex metabolic pathways that offer innovative treatment avenues for metabolic disease and DM but will necessitate continued appreciation of the ability of each of these cellular mechanisms to independently and in unison influence clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Maiese
- Cellular and Molecular Signaling, New York, NY 10022, USA
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Maiese K. The impact of aging and oxidative stress in metabolic and nervous system disorders: programmed cell death and molecular signal transduction crosstalk. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1273570. [PMID: 38022638 PMCID: PMC10663950 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1273570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Life expectancy is increasing throughout the world and coincides with a rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially for metabolic disease that includes diabetes mellitus (DM) and neurodegenerative disorders. The debilitating effects of metabolic disorders influence the entire body and significantly affect the nervous system impacting greater than one billion people with disability in the peripheral nervous system as well as with cognitive loss, now the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. Metabolic disorders, such as DM, and neurologic disease remain a significant challenge for the treatment and care of individuals since present therapies may limit symptoms but do not halt overall disease progression. These clinical challenges to address the interplay between metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders warrant innovative strategies that can focus upon the underlying mechanisms of aging-related disorders, oxidative stress, cell senescence, and cell death. Programmed cell death pathways that involve autophagy, apoptosis, ferroptosis, and pyroptosis can play a critical role in metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders and oversee processes that include insulin resistance, β-cell function, mitochondrial integrity, reactive oxygen species release, and inflammatory cell activation. The silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (SIRT1), AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), and Wnt1 inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1) are novel targets that can oversee programmed cell death pathways tied to β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), nicotinamide, apolipoprotein E (APOE), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) exposure with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and trophic factors, such as erythropoietin (EPO). The pathways of programmed cell death, SIRT1, AMPK, and WISP1 offer exciting prospects for maintaining metabolic homeostasis and nervous system function that can be compromised during aging-related disorders and lead to cognitive impairment, but these pathways have dual roles in determining the ultimate fate of cells and organ systems that warrant thoughtful insight into complex autofeedback mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Maiese
- Innovation and Commercialization, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Maiese K. Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:871. [PMID: 37508898 PMCID: PMC10376413 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10070871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Almost three million individuals suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout the world, a demyelinating disease in the nervous system with increased prevalence over the last five decades, and is now being recognized as one significant etiology of cognitive loss and dementia. Presently, disease modifying therapies can limit the rate of relapse and potentially reduce brain volume loss in patients with MS, but unfortunately cannot prevent disease progression or the onset of cognitive disability. Innovative strategies are therefore required to address areas of inflammation, immune cell activation, and cell survival that involve novel pathways of programmed cell death, mammalian forkhead transcription factors (FoxOs), the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), the silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 1 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (SIRT1), and associated pathways with the apolipoprotein E (APOE-ε4) gene and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). These pathways are intertwined at multiple levels and can involve metabolic oversight with cellular metabolism dependent upon nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Insight into the mechanisms of these pathways can provide new avenues of discovery for the therapeutic treatment of dementia and loss in cognition that occurs during MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Maiese
- Cellular and Molecular Signaling, New York, NY 10022, USA
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