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Shijo M, Yoshimura M, Omae T, Hashimoto G, Mizoguchi T, Kuwashiro T, Komori T, Tsuboi Y, Saito T, Nakagawa M, Itoh K, Honda H. Altered properties of amyloidogenic prion protein in genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease with PRNP V180I mutation in response to pentosan polysulfate. Brain Pathol 2023; 33:e13197. [PMID: 37525413 PMCID: PMC10467033 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13197] [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: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (gCJD) with V180I prion protein gene (PRNP) mutation shows weaker prion protein (PrP) deposition histologically compared with sporadic CJD, and it is more difficult to detect protease-resistant prion protein in immunoblotting. However, we previously reported the autopsy case of a patient with V180I gCJD who was treated with pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS); this case had increased protease-resistant PrP deposition. It has been suggested that PPS might reduce protease-resistant PrP; however, the detailed pharmacological and histopathological effects of PPS in humans remain unknown. We examined autopsied human brain tissue from four cases with V180I gCJD that were added to our archives between 2011 and 2021: two cases treated with PPS and two cases without PPS. We conducted a neuropathological assessment, including immunohistochemistry for PrP. We also performed immunoblotting for PrP on homogenate samples from each brain to detect protease-resistant PrP using both a conventional procedure and size-exclusion gel chromatography for the purification of oligomeric PrP. Both PPS-treated cases showed long survival time over 5 years from onset and increased PrP deposition with a characteristic pattern of coarse granular depositions and congophilic PrP microspheres, whereas the cases without PPS showed around 1-year survival from onset and relatively mild neuronal loss and synaptic PrP deposition. Although cortical gliosis seemed similar among all cases, aquaporin 4-expression as a hallmark of astrocytic function was increased predominantly in PPS cases. Immunoblotting of non-PPS cases revealed protease-resistant PrP in the oligomeric fraction only, whereas the PPS-treated cases showed clear signals using conventional procedures and in the oligomeric fraction. These unique biochemical and histopathological changes may reflect the progression of V180I gCJD and its modification by PPS, suggesting the possible existence of toxic PrP-oligomer in the pathophysiology of V180I gCJD and beneficial effects of PPS toward the aggregation and detoxication of toxic PrP-oligomer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Shijo
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
- Department of Internal MedicineFukuoka Dental College Medical and Dental HospitalFukuokaJapan
- Department of NeurologyKyushu Central Hospital of the Mutual Aid Association of Public School TeachersFukuokaJapan
| | - Motoi Yoshimura
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Tsuyoshi Omae
- Department of MedicineImazu Red Cross HospitalFukuokaJapan
| | - Go Hashimoto
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine and NeurologyNational Hospital Organization, Kyushu Medical CenterFukuokaJapan
| | - Tadataka Mizoguchi
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine and NeurologyNational Hospital Organization, Kyushu Medical CenterFukuokaJapan
| | - Takahiro Kuwashiro
- Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine and NeurologyNational Hospital Organization, Kyushu Medical CenterFukuokaJapan
| | - Takashi Komori
- Departmemnt of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyTokyo Metropolitan Neurological HospitalTokyoJapan
| | - Yoshio Tsuboi
- Department of NeurologyFukuoka UniversityFukuokaJapan
| | - Tomoko Saito
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital OrganizationOsaka Toneyama Medical CenterOsakaJapan
| | - Masanori Nakagawa
- Department of NeurologyKyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical ScienceKyotoJapan
| | - Kyoko Itoh
- Department of Pathology and Applied NeurobiologyKyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Graduate School of Medical ScienceKyotoJapan
| | - Hiroyuki Honda
- Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medical SciencesKyushu UniversityFukuokaJapan
- Department of Neurology, Neuropathology Center, National Hospital OrganizationOmuta National HospitalFukuokaJapan
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Aguilar-Calvo P, Malik A, Sandoval DR, Barback C, Orrù CD, Standke HG, Thomas OR, Dwyer CA, Pizzo DP, Bapat J, Soldau K, Ogawa R, Riley MB, Nilsson KPR, Kraus A, Caughey B, Iliff JJ, Vera DR, Esko JD, Sigurdson CJ. Neuronal Ndst1 depletion accelerates prion protein clearance and slows neurodegeneration in prion infection. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011487. [PMID: 37747931 PMCID: PMC10586673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011487] [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] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Select prion diseases are characterized by widespread cerebral plaque-like deposits of amyloid fibrils enriched in heparan sulfate (HS), a abundant extracellular matrix component. HS facilitates fibril formation in vitro, yet how HS impacts fibrillar plaque growth within the brain is unclear. Here we found that prion-bound HS chains are highly sulfated, and that the sulfation is essential for accelerating prion conversion in vitro. Using conditional knockout mice to deplete the HS sulfation enzyme, Ndst1 (N-deacetylase / N-sulfotransferase) from neurons or astrocytes, we investigated how reducing HS sulfation impacts survival and prion aggregate distribution during a prion infection. Neuronal Ndst1-depleted mice survived longer and showed fewer and smaller parenchymal plaques, shorter fibrils, and increased vascular amyloid, consistent with enhanced aggregate transit toward perivascular drainage channels. The prolonged survival was strain-dependent, affecting mice infected with extracellular, plaque-forming, but not membrane bound, prions. Live PET imaging revealed rapid clearance of recombinant prion protein monomers into the CSF of neuronal Ndst1- deficient mice, neuronal, further suggesting that HS sulfate groups hinder transit of extracellular prion protein monomers. Our results directly show how a host cofactor slows the spread of prion protein through the extracellular space and identify an enzyme to target to facilitate aggregate clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adela Malik
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel R. Sandoval
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Christopher Barback
- Department of Radiology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Christina D. Orrù
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Heidi G. Standke
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Olivia R. Thomas
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Chrissa A. Dwyer
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Donald P. Pizzo
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jaidev Bapat
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Katrin Soldau
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Ryotaro Ogawa
- Department of Radiology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Mckenzie B. Riley
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - K. Peter R. Nilsson
- Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Allison Kraus
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID, NIH, Hamilton, Montana, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey J. Iliff
- VISN 20 NW Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Department of Neurology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David R. Vera
- Department of Radiology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey D. Esko
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Christina J. Sigurdson
- Department of Pathology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, UC Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
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The Effect of Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Zingiberaceae) Extract on Prion Propagation in Cell-Based and Animal Models. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010182. [PMID: 36613636 PMCID: PMC9820341 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are neurodegenerative disorders in humans and animals for which no therapies are currently available. Here, we report that Curcuma phaeocaulis Valeton (Zingiberaceae) (CpV) extract was partly effective in decreasing prion aggregation and propagation in both in vitro and in vivo models. CpV extract inhibited self-aggregation of recombinant prion protein (PrP) in a test tube assay and decreased the accumulation of scrapie PrP (PrPSc) in ScN2a cells, a cultured neuroblastoma cell line with chronic prion infection, in a concentration-dependent manner. CpV extract also modified the course of the disease in mice inoculated with mouse-adapted scrapie prions, completely preventing the onset of prion disease in three of eight mice. Biochemical and neuropathological analyses revealed a statistically significant reduction in PrPSc accumulation, spongiosis, astrogliosis, and microglia activation in the brains of mice that avoided disease onset. Furthermore, PrPSc accumulation in the spleen of mice was also reduced. CpV extract precluded prion infection in cultured cells as demonstrated by the modified standard scrapie cell assay. This study suggests that CpV extract could contribute to investigating the modulation of prion propagation.
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Teruya K, Doh-Ura K. Therapeutic development of polymers for prion disease. Cell Tissue Res 2022; 392:349-365. [PMID: 35307792 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03604-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases, also known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, are caused by the accumulation of abnormal isoforms of the prion protein (scrapie isoform of the prion protein, PrPSc) in the central nervous system. Many compounds with anti-prion activities have been found using in silico screening, in vitro models, persistently prion-infected cell models, and prion-infected rodent models. Some of these compounds include several types of polymers. Although the inhibition or removal of PrPSc production is the main target of therapy, the unique features of prions, namely protein aggregation and assembly accompanied by steric structural transformation, may require different strategies for the development of anti-prion drugs than those for conventional therapeutics targeting enzyme inhibition, agonist ligands, or modulation of signaling. In this paper, we first overview the history of the application of polymers to prion disease research. Next, we describe the characteristics of each type of polymer with anti-prion activity. Finally, we discuss the common features of these polymers. Although drug delivery of these polymers to the brain is a challenge, they are useful not only as leads for therapeutic drugs but also as tools to explore the structure of PrPSc and are indispensable for prion disease research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Teruya
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan.
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Human cerebral organoids as a therapeutic drug screening model for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5165. [PMID: 33727594 PMCID: PMC7943797 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84689-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is a fatal, currently incurable, neurodegenerative disease. The search for candidate treatments would be greatly facilitated by the availability of human cell-based models of prion disease. Recently, an induced pluripotent stem cell derived human cerebral organoid model was shown to take up and propagate human CJD prions. This model offers new opportunities to screen drug candidates for the treatment of human prion diseases in an entirely human genetic background. Here we provide the first evidence that human cerebral organoids can be a viable model for CJD drug screening by using an established anti-prion compound, pentosan polysulfate (PPS). PPS delayed prion propagation in a prophylactic-like treatment paradigm and also alleviated propagation when applied following establishment of infection in a therapeutic-like treatment paradigm. This study demonstrates the utility of cerebral organoids as the first human 3D cell culture system for screening therapeutic drug candidates for human prion diseases.
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Colini Baldeschi A, Vanni S, Zattoni M, Legname G. Novel regulators of PrP C expression as potential therapeutic targets in prion diseases. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2020; 24:759-776. [PMID: 32631090 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2020.1782384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prion diseases are rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorders. The key molecular event in these disorders is the misfolding of the physiological form of the cellular prion protein, PrPC, leading to the accumulation of a pathological isoform, PrPSc, with unique features. Both isoforms share the same primary sequence, lacking detectable differences in posttranslational modification, a major hurdle for their biochemical or biophysical independent characterization. The mechanism underlying the conversion of PrPC to PrPSc is not completely understood, so finding an effective therapy to cure prion disorders is extremely challenging. AREAS COVERED This review discusses the strategies for decreasing prion replication and throws a spotlight on the relevance of PrPC in the prion accumulation process. EXPERT OPINION PrPC is the key substrate for prion pathology; hence, the most promising therapeutic approach appears to be the targeting of PrPC to block the production of the infectious isoform. The use of RNA interference and antisense oligonucleotide technologies may offer opportunities for treatment because of their success in clinical trials for other neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Colini Baldeschi
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Vanni
- Osteoncology and Rare Tumors Center, Istituto Scientifico Romagnolo per Lo Studio E La Cura Dei Tumori (IRST) IRCCS , Meldola, Italy
| | - Marco Zattoni
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Legname
- Laboratory of Prion Biology, Department of Neuroscience, Scuola Internazionale Superiore Di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) , Trieste, Italy
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Shortening heparan sulfate chains prolongs survival and reduces parenchymal plaques in prion disease caused by mobile, ADAM10-cleaved prions. Acta Neuropathol 2020; 139:527-546. [PMID: 31673874 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-02085-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cofactors are essential for driving recombinant prion protein into pathogenic conformers. Polyanions promote prion aggregation in vitro, yet the cofactors that modulate prion assembly in vivo remain largely unknown. Here we report that the endogenous glycosaminoglycan, heparan sulfate (HS), impacts prion propagation kinetics and deposition sites in the brain. Exostosin-1 haploinsufficient (Ext1+/-) mice, which produce short HS chains, show a prolonged survival and a redistribution of plaques from the parenchyma to vessels when infected with fibrillar prions, and a modest delay when infected with subfibrillar prions. Notably, the fibrillar, plaque-forming prions are composed of ADAM10-cleaved prion protein lacking a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor, indicating that these prions are mobile and assemble extracellularly. By analyzing the prion-bound HS using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), we identified the disaccharide signature of HS differentially bound to fibrillar compared to subfibrillar prions, and found approximately 20-fold more HS bound to the fibrils. Finally, LC-MS of prion-bound HS from human patients with familial and sporadic prion disease also showed distinct HS signatures and higher HS levels associated with fibrillar prions. This study provides the first in vivo evidence of an endogenous cofactor that accelerates prion disease progression and enhances parenchymal deposition of ADAM10-cleaved, mobile prions.
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Krance SH, Luke R, Shenouda M, Israwi AR, Colpitts SJ, Darwish L, Strauss M, Watts JC. Cellular models for discovering prion disease therapeutics: Progress and challenges. J Neurochem 2020; 153:150-172. [PMID: 31943194 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Prions, which cause fatal neurodegenerative disorders such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, are misfolded and infectious protein aggregates. Currently, there are no treatments available to halt or even delay the progression of prion disease in the brain. The infectious nature of prions has resulted in animal paradigms that accurately recapitulate all aspects of prion disease, and these have proven to be instrumental for testing the efficacy of candidate therapeutics. Nonetheless, infection of cultured cells with prions provides a much more powerful system for identifying molecules capable of interfering with prion propagation. Certain lines of cultured cells can be chronically infected with various types of mouse prions, and these models have been used to unearth candidate anti-prion drugs that are at least partially efficacious when administered to prion-infected rodents. However, these studies have also revealed that not all types of prions are equal, and that drugs active against mouse prions are not necessarily effective against prions from other species. Despite some recent progress, the number of cellular models available for studying non-mouse prions remains limited. In particular, human prions have proven to be particularly challenging to propagate in cultured cells, which has severely hindered the discovery of drugs for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. In this review, we summarize the cellular models that are presently available for discovering and testing drugs capable of blocking the propagation of prions and highlight challenges that remain on the path towards developing therapies for prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saffire H Krance
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Russell Luke
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marc Shenouda
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ahmad R Israwi
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah J Colpitts
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lina Darwish
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maximilian Strauss
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Joel C Watts
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Stopschinski BE, Thomas TL, Nadji S, Darvish E, Fan L, Holmes BB, Modi AR, Finnell JG, Kashmer OM, Estill-Terpack S, Mirbaha H, Luu HS, Diamond MI. A synthetic heparinoid blocks Tau aggregate cell uptake and amplification. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:2974-2983. [PMID: 31974166 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau aggregation underlies neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. We and others have proposed that transcellular propagation of pathology is mediated by Tau prions, which are ordered protein assemblies that faithfully replicate in vivo and cause specific biological effects. The prion model predicts the release of aggregates from a first-order cell and subsequent uptake into a second-order cell. The assemblies then serve as templates for their own replication, a process termed "seeding." We have previously observed that heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the cell surface mediate the cellular uptake of Tau aggregates. This interaction is blocked by heparin, a sulfated glycosaminoglycan. Indeed, heparin-like molecules, or heparinoids, have previously been proposed as a treatment for PrP prion disorders. However, heparin is not ideal for managing chronic neurodegeneration, because it is difficult to synthesize in defined sizes, may have poor brain penetration because of its negative charge, and is a powerful anticoagulant. Therefore, we sought to generate an oligosaccharide that would bind Tau and block its cellular uptake and seeding, without exhibiting anticoagulation activity. We created a compound, SN7-13, from pentasaccharide units and tested it in a range of assays that measured direct binding of Tau to glycosaminoglycans and inhibition of Tau uptake and seeding in cells. SN7-13 does not inhibit coagulation, binds Tau with low nanomolar affinity, and inhibits cellular Tau aggregate propagation similarly to standard porcine heparin. This synthetic heparinoid could facilitate the development of agents to treat tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara E Stopschinski
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390; Department of Neurology, RWTH University Aachen, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Talitha L Thomas
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Sourena Nadji
- PharmaRen Discovery LLC, Berkeley, Missouri 63134-3115
| | - Eric Darvish
- PharmaRen Discovery LLC, Berkeley, Missouri 63134-3115
| | - Linfeng Fan
- Shanghai Acana Pharmtech Co. Ltd., Berkeley, Missouri 63134-3115
| | - Brandon B Holmes
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390; Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Anuja R Modi
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Jordan G Finnell
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Omar M Kashmer
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Sandi Estill-Terpack
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Hilda Mirbaha
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Hung S Luu
- Department of Pathology, Children's Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390
| | - Marc I Diamond
- Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390.
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Holec SA, Block AJ, Bartz JC. The role of prion strain diversity in the development of successful therapeutic treatments. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:77-119. [PMID: 32958242 PMCID: PMC8939712 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prions are a self-propagating misfolded conformation of a cellular protein. Prions are found in several eukaryotic organisms with mammalian prion diseases encompassing a wide range of disorders. The first recognized prion disease, the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), affect several species including humans. Alzheimer's disease, synucleinopathies, and tauopathies share a similar mechanism of self-propagation of the prion form of the disease-specific protein reminiscent of the infection process of TSEs. Strain diversity in prion disease is characterized by differences in the phenotype of disease that is hypothesized to be encoded by strain-specific conformations of the prion form of the disease-specific protein. Prion therapeutics that target the prion form of the disease-specific protein can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of prions, consistent with the hypothesis that prion strains exist as a dynamic mixture of a dominant strain in combination with minor substrains. To overcome this obstacle, therapies that reduce or eliminate the template of conversion are efficacious, may reverse neuropathology, and do not result in the emergence of drug resistance. Recent advancements in preclinical diagnosis of prion infection may allow for a combinational approach that treats the prion form and the precursor protein to effectively treat prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A.M. Holec
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Alyssa J. Block
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States,Corresponding author:
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Abstract
Recent advances in understanding of the molecular biology of prion diseases and improved clinical diagnostic techniques might allow researchers to think about therapeutic trials in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) patients. Some attempts have been made in the past and various compounds have been tested in single case reports and patient series. Controlled trials are rare. However, in the past few years, it has been demonstrated that clinical trials are feasible. The clinicians might face several specific problems when evaluating the efficacy of the drug in CJD, such as rareness of the disease, lack of appropriate preclinical tests and heterogeneous clinical presentation in humans. These problems have to be carefully addressed in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Zafar
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Biomedical Engineering and Sciences Department, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Aneeqa Noor
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Clinical Dementia Center and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Neurology, Georg-August University, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
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12
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Nishitsuji K, Uchimura K. Sulfated glycosaminoglycans in protein aggregation diseases. Glycoconj J 2017; 34:453-466. [DOI: 10.1007/s10719-017-9769-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Abstract
Although an effective therapy for prion disease has not yet been established, many advances have been made toward understanding its pathogenesis, which has facilitated research into therapeutics for the disease. Several compounds, including flupirtine, quinacrine, pentosan polysulfate, and doxycycline, have recently been used on a trial basis for patients with prion disease. Concomitantly, several lead antiprion compounds, including compound B (compB), IND series, and anle138b, have been discovered. However, clinical trials are still far from yielding significantly beneficial results, and the findings of lead compound studies in animals have highlighted new challenges. These efforts have highlighted areas that need improvement or further exploration to achieve more effective therapies. In this work, we review recent advances in prion-related therapeutic research and discuss basic scientific issues to be resolved for meaningful medical intervention of prion disease.
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Therapeutic Approaches to Prion Diseases. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2017; 150:433-453. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2017.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
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Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephathalopathies or prion diseases are a group of neurological disorders characterized by neuronal loss, spongiform degeneration, and activation of astrocytes or microglia. These diseases affect humans and animals with an extremely high prevalence in some species such as deer and elk in North America. Although rare in humans, they result in a devastatingly swift neurological progression with dementia and ataxia. Patients usually die within a year of diagnosis. Prion diseases are familial, sporadic, iatrogenic, or transmissible. Human prion diseases include Kuru, sporadic, iatrogenic, and familial forms of Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker disease, and fatal familial insomnia. The causative agent is a misfolded version of the physiological prion protein called PrPSc in the brain. There are a number of therapeutic options currently under investigation. A number of small molecules have had some success in delaying disease progression in animal models and mixed results in clinical trials, including pentosan polysulfate, quinacrine, and amphotericin B. More promisingly, immunotherapy has reported success in vitro and in vivo in animal studies and clinical trials. The three main branches of immunotherapy research are focus on antibody vaccines, dendritic cell vaccines, and adoptive transfer of physiological prion protein-specific CD4+ T-lymphocytes. Vaccines utilizing antibodies generally target disease-specific epitopes that are only exposed in the misfolded PrPSc conformation. Vaccines utilizing antigen-loaded dendritic cell have the ability to bypass immune tolerance and prime CD4+ cells to initiate an immune response. Adoptive transfer of CD4+ T-cells is another promising target as this cell type can orchestrate the adaptive immune response. Although more research into mechanisms and safety is required, these immunotherapies offer novel therapeutic targets for prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T Burchell
- Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd, West Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Peter K Panegyres
- Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd, West Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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Pentosan Polysulfate: Oral Versus Subcutaneous Injection in Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I Dogs. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153136. [PMID: 27064989 PMCID: PMC4827827 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background We previously demonstrated the therapeutic benefits of pentosan polysulfate (PPS) in a rat model of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type VI. Reduction of inflammation, reduction of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) storage, and improvement in the skeletal phenotype were shown. Herein, we evaluate the long-term safety and therapeutic effects of PPS in a large animal model of a different MPS type, MPS I dogs. We focused on the arterial phenotype since this is one of the most consistent and clinically significant features of the model. Methodology/Principal Findings MPS I dogs were treated with daily oral or biweekly subcutaneous (subQ) PPS at a human equivalent dose of 1.6 mg/kg for 17 and 12 months, respectively. Safety parameters were assessed at 6 months and at the end of the study. Following treatment, cytokine and GAG levels were determined in fluids and tissues. Assessments of the aorta and carotid arteries also were performed. No drug-related increases in liver enzymes, coagulation factors, or other adverse effects were observed. Significantly reduced IL-8 and TNF-alpha were found in urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). GAG reduction was observed in urine and tissues. Increases in the luminal openings and reduction of the intimal media thickening occurred in the carotids and aortas of PPS-treated animals, along with a reduction of storage vacuoles. These results were correlated with a reduction of GAG storage, reduction of clusterin 1 staining, and improved elastin integrity. No significant changes in the spines of the treated animals were observed. Conclusions PPS treatment led to reductions of pro-inflammatory cytokines and GAG storage in urine and tissues of MPS I dogs, which were most evident after subQ administration. SubQ administration also led to significant cytokine reductions in the CSF. Both treatment groups exhibited markedly reduced carotid and aortic inflammation, increased vessel integrity, and improved histopathology. We conclude that PPS may be a safe and useful therapy for MPS I, either as an adjunct or as a stand-alone treatment that reduces inflammation and GAG storage.
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Diack AB, Head MW, McCutcheon S, Boyle A, Knight R, Ironside JW, Manson JC, Will RG. Variant CJD. 18 years of research and surveillance. Prion 2014; 8:286-95. [PMID: 25495404 PMCID: PMC4601215 DOI: 10.4161/pri.29237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
It is now 18 years since the first identification of a case of vCJD in the UK. Since that time, there has been much speculation over how vCJD might impact human health. To date there have been 177 case reports in the UK and a further 51 cases worldwide in 11 different countries. Since establishing that BSE and vCJD are of the same strain of agent, we have also shown that there is broad similarity between UK and non-UK vCJD cases on first passage to mice. Transgenic mouse studies have indicated that all codon 129 genotypes are susceptible to vCJD and that genotype may influence whether disease appears in a clinical or asymptomatic form, supported by the appearance of the first case of potential asymptomatic vCJD infection in a PRNP 129MV patient. Following evidence of blood transfusion as a route of transmission, we have ascertained that all blood components and leucoreduced blood in a sheep model of vCJD have the ability to transmit disease. Importantly, we recently established that a PRNP 129MV patient blood recipient with an asymptomatic infection and limited PrP(Sc) deposition in the spleen could readily transmit disease into mice, demonstrating the potential for peripheral infection in the absence of clinical disease. This, along with the recent appendix survey which identified 16 positive appendices in a study of 32,441 cases, underlines the importance of continued CJD surveillance and maintaining control measures already in place to protect human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail B Diack
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
| | - Mark W Head
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
| | - Sandra McCutcheon
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK
| | - Aileen Boyle
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK
| | - Richard Knight
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - James W Ironside
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Jean C Manson
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS; University of Edinburgh; Easter Bush; Midlothian, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.,Correspondence to: Jean C Manson;
| | - Robert G Will
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit; School of Clinical Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Western General Hospital; Edinburgh, Scotland, UK,These authors contributed equally to this work.
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18
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Newman PK, Todd NV, Scoones D, Mead S, Knight RSG, Will RG, Ironside JW. Postmortem findings in a case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease treated with intraventricular pentosan polysulfate. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2014; 85:921-4. [PMID: 24554103 PMCID: PMC4112497 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2013-305590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A small number of patients with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) have been treated with intraventicular pentosan polysulfate (iPPS) and extended survival has been reported in some cases. To date, there have been no reports on the findings of postmortem examination of the brain in treated patients and the reasons for the extended survival are uncertain. We report on the neuropathological findings in a case of vCJD treated with PPS. METHODS Data on survival in vCJD is available from information held at the National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit and includes the duration of illness in 176 cases of vCJD, five of which were treated with iPPS. One of these individuals, who received iPPS for 8 years and lived for 105 months, underwent postmortem examination, including neuropathological examination of the brain. RESULTS The mean survival in vCJD is 17 months, with 40 months the maximum survival in patients not treated with PPS. In the 5 patients treated with PPS survival was 16 months, 45 months, 84 months, 105 months and 114 months. The patient who survived 105 months underwent postmortem examination which confirmed the diagnosis of vCJD and showed severe, but typical, changes, including neuronal loss, astrocytic gliosis and extensive prion protein (PrP) deposition in the brain. The patient was also given PPS for a short period by peripheral infusion and there was limited PrP immunostaining in lymphoreticular tissues such as spleen and appendix. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with iPPS did not reduce the overall neuropathological changes in the brain. The reduced peripheral immunostaining for PrP may reflect atrophy of these tissues in relation to chronic illness rather than a treatment effect. The reason for the long survival in patients treated with iPPS is unclear, but a treatment effect on the disease process cannot be excluded.
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Affiliation(s)
- P K Newman
- Department of Neurology, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesborough, UK
| | - N V Todd
- Department of Neurosurgery, Northern Medical Services, Newcastle, UK
| | - D Scoones
- Department of Neurology, James Cook University Hospital, Middlesborough, UK
| | - S Mead
- National Prion Clinic, London, UK
| | - R S G Knight
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - R G Will
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J W Ironside
- National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
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Vieira TCRG, Cordeiro Y, Caughey B, Silva JL. Heparin binding confers prion stability and impairs its aggregation. FASEB J 2014; 28:2667-76. [PMID: 24648544 DOI: 10.1096/fj.13-246777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The conversion of the prion protein (PrP) into scrapie PrP (PrP(Sc)) is a central event in prion diseases. Several molecules work as cofactors in the conversion process, including glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). GAGs exhibit a paradoxical effect, as they convert PrP into protease-resistant PrP (PrP-res) but also exert protective activity. We compared the stability and aggregation propensity of PrP and the heparin-PrP complex through the application of different in vitro aggregation approaches, including real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC). Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy-associated forms from mouse and hamster brain homogenates were used to seed RT-QuIC-induced fibrillization. In our study, interaction between heparin and cellular PrP (PrP(C)) increased thermal PrP stability, leading to an 8-fold decrease in temperature-induced aggregation. The interaction of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWHep) with the PrP N- or C-terminal domain affected not only the extent of PrP fibrillization but also its kinetics, lowering the reaction rate constant from 1.04 to 0.29 s(-1) and increasing the lag phase from 12 to 19 h in RT-QuIC experiments. Our findings explain the protective effect of heparin in different models of prion and prion-like neurodegenerative diseases and establish the groundwork for the development of therapeutic strategies based on GAGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuane C R G Vieira
- Centro Nacional de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear Jiri Jonas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo De Meis, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, and
| | - Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, U.S. National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, Montana, USA
| | - Jerson L Silva
- Centro Nacional de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear Jiri Jonas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo De Meis, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Biologia Estrutural e Bioimagem, and
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Ludewigs H, Zuber C, Vana K, Nikles D, Zerr I, Weiss S. Therapeutic approaches for prion disorders. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2014; 5:613-30. [PMID: 17678425 DOI: 10.1586/14787210.5.4.613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are lethal for both humans and animals, and affected individuals die after several months following a rapid disease progression. Although researchers have attempted for decades to develop effective therapeutics for the therapy of human prion disorders, until now no efficient drug has been available on the market for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) treatment or cure. Approximately 200 patients worldwide have died or suffer from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Incidences for sporadic and familial CJD are approximately 1.5-2 per million per year and one per 10 million per year, respectively, in Europe. This review summarizes classical and modern trials for the development of effective anti-TSE drugs, introduces potential effective delivery systems, such as lentiviral and adeno-associated virus systems for antiprion components, including antibodies and siRNAs, and presents vaccination trials. Most of the antiprion drugs target prion protein PrP(c) and/or PrP(Sc). Alternative targets are receptors and coreceptors for PrP, that is, the 37/67-kDa laminin receptor and heparan sulfate proteoglycanes. We review clinical trials for the treatment of TSEs and describe hindrances and chances for a breakthrough in therapy of prion disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Ludewigs
- Laboratorium für Molekulare Biologie, Genzentrum, Institut für Biochemie der LMU München, München, Germany.
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Panegyres PK, Armari E. Therapies for human prion diseases. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASE 2013; 2:176-186. [PMID: 24093082 PMCID: PMC3783831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The pathological foundation of human prion diseases is a result of the conversion of the physiological form of prion protein (PrP(c)) to the pathological protease resistance form PrP(res). Most patients with prion disease have unknown reasons for this conversion and the subsequent development of a devastating neurodegenerative disorder. The conversion of PrP(c) to PrP(res), with resultant propagation and accumulation results in neuronal death and amyloidogenesis. However, with increasing understanding of neurodegenerative processes it appears that protein-misfolding and subsequent propagation of these rouge proteins, is a generic phenomenon shared with diseases caused by tau, α-synucleins and β-amyloid proteins. Consequently, effective anti-prion agents may have wider implications. A number of therapeutic approaches include polyanionic, polycyclic drugs such as pentosan polysulfate (PPS), which prevent the conversion of PrP(c) to PrP(res) and might also sequester and down-regulate PrP(res). Polyanionic compounds might also help to clear PrP(res). Treatments aimed at the laminin receptor, which is an important accessory molecule in the conversion of PrP(c) to PrP(res) - neuroprotection, immunotherapy, siRNA and antisense approaches have provided some experimental promise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter K Panegyres
- Neurodegenerative Disorders Research Pty Ltd 185 York St, Subiaco WA, Australia
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Leidel F, Eiden M, Geissen M, Kretzschmar HA, Giese A, Hirschberger T, Tavan P, Schätzl HM, Groschup MH. Diphenylpyrazole-derived compounds increase survival time of mice after prion infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2011; 55:4774-81. [PMID: 21746938 PMCID: PMC3186986 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00151-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2011] [Accepted: 07/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) represent a group of fatal neurodegenerative disorders that can be transmitted by natural infection or inoculation. TSEs include scrapie in sheep, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans. The emergence of a variant form of CJD (vCJD), which has been associated with BSE, produced strong pressure to search for effective treatments with new drugs. Up to now, however, TSEs have proved incurable, although many efforts have been made both in vitro and in vivo to search for potent therapeutic and prophylactic compounds. For this purpose, we analyzed a compound library consisting of 10,000 compounds with a cell-based high-throughput screening assay dealing with scrapie-infected scrapie mouse brain and ScN(2)A cells and identified a new class of inhibitors consisting of 3,5-diphenylpyrazole (DPP) derivatives. The most effective DPP derivative showed half-maximal inhibition of PrP(Sc) formation at concentrations (IC(50)) of 0.6 and 1.2 μM, respectively. This compound was subsequently subjected to a number of animal experiments using scrapie-infected wild-type C57BL/6 and transgenic Tga20 mice. The DPP derivative induced a significant increase of incubation time both in therapeutic and prophylactic experiments. The onset of the prion disease was delayed by 37 days after intraperitoneal and 42 days after oral application, respectively. In summary, we demonstrate a high in vitro efficiency of DPP derivatives against prion infections that was substantiated in vivo for one of these compounds. These results indicate that the novel class of DPP compounds should comprise excellent candidates for future therapeutic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabienne Leidel
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Eiden
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Markus Geissen
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Hans A. Kretzschmar
- Institute for Neuropathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Armin Giese
- Institute for Neuropathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Hirschberger
- Arbeitsgruppe Theoretische Biophysik, Lehrstuhl für BioMolekulare Optik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Tavan
- Arbeitsgruppe Theoretische Biophysik, Lehrstuhl für BioMolekulare Optik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany
| | - Hermann M. Schätzl
- Department of Molecular Biology and of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Martin H. Groschup
- Institute for Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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Appleby BS, Lyketsos CG. Rapidly progressive dementias and the treatment of human prion diseases. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2010; 12:1-12. [PMID: 21091283 DOI: 10.1517/14656566.2010.514903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) has many possible etiologies and definitive treatment is reliant upon an accurate diagnosis from an appropriate diagnostic work-up. A large portion of the neurodegenerative causes of RPD are due to prion diseases (e.g., Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). The study of prion diseases, for which there is no currently available treatment, has public health implications and is becoming increasingly more relevant to our understanding of other protein misfolding disorders including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal degeneration, and Parkinson's disease. AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW This article begins with an overview of the etiologies and diagnostic work-up of RPD followed by a detailed review of the literature concerning the treatment of human prion diseases (1971 to present). WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN The reader will understand the differential diagnosis and work-up of RPD as it pertains to its treatment, as well as an in-depth understanding of treatments of human prion diseases. TAKE HOME MESSAGE An accurate diagnosis of the cause of RPD is of paramount importance when determining appropriate treatment. Most studies of the treatment for human prion diseases are case reports or case series, and results from only one randomized, placebo-controlled study have been reported in the literature (flupirtine). Studies have been hindered by disease heterogeneity and lack of standardized outcome measures. Although no effective prion disease treatment has been revealed through these studies, they provide important considerations for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian S Appleby
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Meyer 279, 600 N. Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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Lawson VA, Lumicisi B, Welton J, Machalek D, Gouramanis K, Klemm HM, Stewart JD, Masters CL, Hoke DE, Collins SJ, Hill AF. Glycosaminoglycan sulphation affects the seeded misfolding of a mutant prion protein. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12351. [PMID: 20808809 PMCID: PMC2925953 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2010] [Accepted: 07/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The accumulation of protease resistant conformers of the prion protein (PrPres) is a key pathological feature of prion diseases. Polyanions, including RNA and glycosaminoglycans have been identified as factors that contribute to the propagation, transmission and pathogenesis of prion disease. Recent studies have suggested that the contribution of these cofactors to prion propagation may be species specific. Methodology/Principal Finding In this study a cell-free assay was used to investigate the molecular basis of polyanion stimulated PrPres formation using brain tissue or cell line derived murine PrP. Enzymatic depletion of endogenous nucleic acids or heparan sulphate (HS) from the PrPC substrate was found to specifically prevent PrPres formation seeded by mouse derived PrPSc. Modification of the negative charge afforded by the sulphation of glycosaminoglycans increased the ability of a familial PrP mutant to act as a substrate for PrPres formation, while having no effect on PrPres formed by wildtype PrP. This difference may be due to the observed differences in the binding of wild type and mutant PrP for glycosaminoglycans. Conclusions/Significance Cofactor requirements for PrPres formation are host species and prion strain specific and affected by disease associated mutations of the prion protein. This may explain both species and strain dependent propagation characteristics and provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of familial prion disease. It further highlights the challenge of designing effective therapeutics against a disease which effects a range of mammalian species, caused by range of aetiologies and prion strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria A. Lawson
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The Mental Health Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail: (VAL); (AFH)
| | - Brooke Lumicisi
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeremy Welton
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dorothy Machalek
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Katrina Gouramanis
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Helen M. Klemm
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - James D. Stewart
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin L. Masters
- The Mental Health Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - David E. Hoke
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Steven J. Collins
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The Mental Health Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew F. Hill
- Department of Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- The Mental Health Research Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail: (VAL); (AFH)
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Terada T, Tsuboi Y, Obi T, Doh-ura K, Murayama S, Kitamoto T, Yamada T, Mizoguchi K. Less protease-resistant PrP in a patient with sporadic CJD treated with intraventricular pentosan polysulphate. Acta Neurol Scand 2010; 121:127-30. [PMID: 19804470 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2009.01272.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Treatment with intraventricular pentosan polysulphate (PPS) might be beneficial in patients with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. We report a 68-year-old woman with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease who received continuous intraventricular PPS infusion (1-120 microg/kg/day) for 17 months starting 10 months after the onset of clinical symptoms. Treatment with PPS was well tolerated but was associated with a minor, transient intraventricular hemorrhage and a non-progressive collection of subdural fluid. The patient's overall survival time was well above the mean time expected for the illness but still within the normal range. Post-mortem examination revealed that the level of abnormal protease-resistant prion protein in the brain was markedly decreased compared with levels in brains without PPS treatment. These findings suggest that intraventricular PPS infusion might modify the accumulation of abnormal prion proteins in the brains of patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Terada
- Department of Neurology, Shizuoka Institute of Epilepsy and Neurological Disorders, Shizuoka, Japan
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Tsuboi Y, Doh-Ura K, Yamada T. Continuous intraventricular infusion of pentosan polysulfate: clinical trial against prion diseases. Neuropathology 2010; 29:632-6. [PMID: 19788637 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1789.2009.01058.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are progressive neurological disorders due to abnormal prion protein (PrP(Sc)) deposition in the central nervous system. At present, there is no effective treatment available for any form of prion disease. Pentosan polysulfate (PPS) has been shown to prolong significantly the incubation period in mice with PrP(Sc) infection when administered to the cerebral ventricles in preclinical trials. In human studies conducted in European countries and Japan, intraventricular PPS was administered to patients with different forms of prion disease and was well tolerated. We report 11 patients with prion disease treated with intraventricular PPS at Fukuoka University from 2004. Cases included three familial CJD (two with V180I mutation, one GSS with P102L mutation), two iatrogenic CJD, and six sporadic CJD cases. At present, average survival period after treatment was 24.2 months (range, 4-49). Seven cases died of sepsis and pneumonia. Subdural effusion with various degrees was seen on CT scan in most cases. Except for these, adverse effects did not occur in the treatment period. Although our preliminary study of the new treatment with PPS by continuous intraventricular infusion showed no apparent improvement of clinical features in patients with prion disease, the possibility of extended survival in some patients receiving long-term PPS was suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Tsuboi
- Department of Neurology, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
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27
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Gilch S, Krammer C, Schätzl HM. Targeting prion proteins in neurodegenerative disease. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2008; 8:923-40. [PMID: 18549323 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.8.7.923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spongiform neurodegeneration is the pathological hallmark of individuals suffering from prion disease. These disorders, whose manifestation is sporadic, familial or acquired by infection, are caused by accumulation of the aberrantly folded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrP(c)), termed PrP(Sc). Although usually rare, prion disorders are inevitably fatal and transferrable by infection. OBJECTIVE Pathology is restricted to the central nervous system and premortem diagnosis is usually not possible. Yet, promising approaches towards developing therapeutic regimens have been made recently. METHODS The biology of prion proteins and current models of neurotoxicity are discussed and prophylactic and therapeutic concepts are introduced. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS Although various promising drug candidates with antiprion activity have been identified, this proof-of-concept cannot be transferred into translational medicine yet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Gilch
- Technische Universität München, Institute of Virology, Prion Research Group, Trogerstreet 30, 81675 Munich, Germany
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Liras A. The variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Risk, uncertainty or safety in the use of blood and blood derivatives? Int Arch Med 2008; 1:9. [PMID: 18573217 PMCID: PMC2443133 DOI: 10.1186/1755-7682-1-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2008] [Accepted: 06/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been long since French physician Jean-Baptiste Denys carried out the first successful blood transfusion to a human being. Using bird feathers as canules, sheep blood was transfused to a young man. The patient died soon after Denys' treatment and Denys was accused of murder. In the XXI century, known as the biotechnology century, we face new challenges in Medicine. New emerging and reemerging diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) or "mad cow disease" and its human variant (vCJD), challenge the biosafety aspects of a widely extended and extremely useful technique, that is, the perfusion of blood, of its derived components and of other pharmacological products obtained from plasma. To face these new challenges we need innovative prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Liras
- Department of Physiology, Biology School, Universidad Complutense of Madrid, Spain.
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Bone I, Belton L, Walker AS, Darbyshire J. Intraventricular pentosan polysulphate in human prion diseases: an observational study in the UK. Eur J Neurol 2008; 15:458-64. [PMID: 18355301 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2008.02108.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED BACKGROUND, PURPOSE AND METHODS: This observational study assessed the effect of continuous intraventricular infusion of pentosan polysulphate (PPS) in seven patients at different clinical centres in the UK. RESULTS Complications of intraventricular catheterization were frequent. PPS was well-tolerated over a wide dose range (11-110 microg/kg/day) during the 6-month study. Four patients were assessed for the entire study period: one remained stable, two showed minimal deterioration and one progressed significantly. CONCLUSION Mean survival of all patients was longer than reported values for natural history of specific prion disorders. Possible reasons for these findings are explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Bone
- Department of Medical and Cardiovascular Studies, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
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Kawasaki Y, Kawagoe K, Chen CJ, Teruya K, Sakasegawa Y, Doh-ura K. Orally administered amyloidophilic compound is effective in prolonging the incubation periods of animals cerebrally infected with prion diseases in a prion strain-dependent manner. J Virol 2007; 81:12889-98. [PMID: 17881452 PMCID: PMC2169081 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01563-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The establishment of effective therapeutic interventions for prion diseases is necessary. We report on a newly developed amyloidophilic compound that displays therapeutic efficacy when administered orally. This compound inhibited abnormal prion protein formation in prion-infected neuroblastoma cells in a prion strain-dependent manner: effectively for RML prion and marginally for 22L prion and Fukuoka-1 prion. When the highest dose (0.2% [wt/wt] in feed) was given orally to cerebrally RML prion-inoculated mice from inoculation until the terminal stage of disease, it extended the incubation periods by 2.3 times compared to the control. The compound exerted therapeutic efficacy in a prion strain-dependent manner such as that observed in the cell culture study: most effective for RML prion, less effective for 22L prion or Fukuoka-1 prion, and marginally effective for 263K prion. Its effectiveness depended on an earlier start of administration. The glycoform pattern of the abnormal prion protein in the treated mice was modified and showed predominance of the diglycosylated form, which resembled that of 263K prion, suggesting that diglycosylated forms of abnormal prion protein might be least sensitive or resistant to the compound. The mechanism of the prion strain-dependent effectiveness needs to be elucidated and managed. Nevertheless, the identification of an orally available amyloidophilic chemical encourages the pursuit of chemotherapy for prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuri Kawasaki
- Department of Prion Research, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
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Lefebvre-Roque M, Kremmer E, Gilch S, Zou WQ, Féraudet C, Gilles CM, Salès N, Grassi J, Gambetti P, Baron T, Schätzl H, Lasmézas CI. Toxic effects of intracerebral PrP antibody administration during the course of BSE infection in mice. Prion 2007; 1:198-206. [PMID: 19164902 DOI: 10.4161/pri.1.3.4870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The absence of specific immune response is a hallmark of prion diseases. However, in vitro and in vivo experiments have provided evidence that an anti-PrP humoral response could have beneficial effects. Prophylactic passive immunization performed at the time of infection delayed or prevented disease. Nonetheless, the potential therapeutic effect of PrP antibodies administered shortly before the clinical signs has never been tested in vivo. Moreover, a recent study showed the potential toxicity of PrP antibodies administered intracerebrally. We aimed at evaluating the effect of a prolonged intracerebral anti-PrP antibody administration at the time of neuroinvasion in BSE infected Tg20 mice. Unexpectedly, despite a good penetration of the antibodies in the brain parenchyma, the treatment was not protective against the development of BSE. Instead, it led to an extensive neuronal loss, strong astrogliosis and microglial activation. Since this effect was observed after injection of anti-PrP antibodies as whole IgGs, F(ab')(2) or Fab fragments, the toxicity was directly related to the ability of the antibodies to recognize native PrP and to the intracerebral concentration achieved, and not to the Fc portion or the divalence of the antibodies. This experiment shows that a prolonged treatment with anti-PrP antibodies by the intracerebral route can induce severe side-effects and calls for caution with regard to the use of similar approaches for late therapeutic interventions in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Lefebvre-Roque
- Department of Infectology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida 33458, USA
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