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Hermann P, Zerr I. Unmet needs of biochemical biomarkers for human prion diseases. Prion 2024; 18:89-93. [PMID: 38734978 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2024.2349017] [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] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the development of aggregation assays has noticeably improved the accuracy of the clinical diagnosis of prion diseases, research on biomarkers remains vital. The major challenges to overcome are non-invasive sampling and the exploration of new biomarkers that may predict the onset or reflect disease progression. This will become extremely important in the near future, when new therapeutics are clinically evaluated and eventually become available for treatment. This article aims to provide an overview of the achievements of biomarker research in human prion diseases, addresses unmet needs in the field, and points out future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Hermann
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
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Vallabh SM, Mortberg MA, Allen SW, Kupferschmid AC, Kivisakk P, Hammerschlag BL, Bolling A, Trombetta BA, Devitte-McKee K, Ford AM, Sather LE, Duffy G, Rivera A, Gerber J, McManus AJ, Minikel EV, Arnold SE. Fluid Biomarkers in Individuals at Risk for Genetic Prion Disease up to Disease Conversion. Neurology 2024; 103:e209506. [PMID: 38896810 PMCID: PMC11226308 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000209506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To longitudinally characterize disease-relevant CSF and plasma biomarkers in individuals at risk for genetic prion disease up to disease conversion. METHODS This single-center longitudinal cohort study has followed known carriers of PRNP pathogenic variants at risk for prion disease, individuals with a close relative who died of genetic prion disease but who have not undergone predictive genetic testing, and controls. All participants were asymptomatic at first visit and returned roughly annually. We determined PRNP genotypes, measured NfL and GFAP in plasma, and RT-QuIC, total PrP, NfL, T-tau, and beta-synuclein in CSF. RESULTS Among 41 carriers and 21 controls enrolled, 28 (68%) and 15 (71%) were female, and mean ages were 47.5 and 46.1. At baseline, all individuals were asymptomatic. We observed RT-QuIC seeding activity in the CSF of 3 asymptomatic E200K carriers who subsequently converted to symptomatic and died of prion disease. 1 P102L carrier remained RT-QuIC negative through symptom conversion. No other individuals developed symptoms. The prodromal window from detection of RT-QuIC positivity to disease onset was 1 year long in an E200K individual homozygous (V/V) at PRNP codon 129 and 2.5 and 3.1 years in 2 codon 129 heterozygotes (M/V). Changes in neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory markers were variably observed prior to onset, with increases observed for plasma NfL in 4/4 converters, and plasma GFAP, CSF NfL, CSF T-tau, and CSF beta-synuclein each in 2/4 converters, although values relative to age and fold changes relative to individual baseline were not remarkable for any of these markers. CSF PrP was longitudinally stable with mean coefficient of variation 9.0% across all individuals over up to 6 years, including data from converting individuals at RT-QuIC-positive timepoints. DISCUSSION CSF prion seeding activity may represent the earliest detectable prodromal sign in E200K carriers. Neuronal damage and neuroinflammation markers show limited sensitivity in the prodromal phase. CSF PrP levels remain stable even in the presence of RT-QuIC seeding activity. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05124392 posted 2017-12-01, updated 2023-01-27.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia M Vallabh
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Meredith A Mortberg
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Shona W Allen
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Ashley C Kupferschmid
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Pia Kivisakk
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Bruno L Hammerschlag
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Anna Bolling
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Bianca A Trombetta
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Kelli Devitte-McKee
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Abaigeal M Ford
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Lauren E Sather
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Griffin Duffy
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Ashley Rivera
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Jessica Gerber
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Alison J McManus
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Eric V Minikel
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Steven E Arnold
- From the McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.) and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., M.A.M., S.W.A., A.C.K., P.K., B.L.H., A.B., B.A.T., K.D.-M., A.M.F., L.E.S., G.D., A.R., J.G., A.J.M., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research (S.M.V., M.A.M., E.V.M.), Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge; and Department of Neurology (S.M.V., P.K., E.V.M., S.E.A.), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
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Gentile JE, Heiss C, Corridon TL, Mortberg MA, Fruhwürth S, Guzman K, Grötschel L, Chan K, Herring NC, Janicki T, Nhass R, Sarathy JM, Erickson B, Kunz R, Erickson A, Braun C, Henry KT, Bry L, Arnold SE, Minikel EV, Zetterberg H, Vallabh SM. Evidence that minocycline treatment confounds the interpretation of neurofilament as a biomarker. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.05.01.24306384. [PMID: 38746398 PMCID: PMC11092701 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.01.24306384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Neurofilament light (NfL) concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood serves as an important biomarker in neurology drug development. Changes in NfL are generally assumed to reflect changes in neuronal damage, while little is known about the clearance of NfL from biofluids. We observed an NfL increase of 3.5-fold in plasma and 5.7-fold in CSF in an asymptomatic individual at risk for genetic prion disease following 6 weeks' treatment with oral minocycline for a dermatologic indication. Other biomarkers remained normal, and proteomic analysis of CSF revealed that the spike was exquisitely specific to neurofilaments. NfL dropped nearly to normal levels 5 weeks after minocycline cessation, and the individual remained free of disease 2 years later. Plasma NfL in dermatology patients was not elevated above normal controls. Dramatically high plasma NfL (>500 pg/mL) was variably observed in some hospitalized individuals receiving minocycline. In mice, treatment with minocycline resulted in variable increases of 1.3- to 4.0-fold in plasma NfL, with complete washout 2 weeks after cessation. In neuron-microglia co-cultures, minocycline increased NfL concentration in conditioned media by 3.0-fold without any visually obvious impact on neuronal health. We hypothesize that minocycline does not cause or exacerbate neuronal damage, but instead impacts the clearance of NfL from biofluids, a potential confounder for interpretation of this biomarker.
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Zerr I, Ladogana A, Mead S, Hermann P, Forloni G, Appleby BS. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other prion diseases. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2024; 10:14. [PMID: 38424082 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-024-00497-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Prion diseases share common clinical and pathological characteristics such as spongiform neuronal degeneration and deposition of an abnormal form of a host-derived protein, termed prion protein. The characteristic features of prion diseases are long incubation times, short clinical courses, extreme resistance of the transmissible agent to degradation and lack of nucleic acid involvement. Sporadic and genetic forms of prion diseases occur worldwide, of which genetic forms are associated with mutations in PRNP. Human to human transmission of these diseases has occurred due to iatrogenic exposure, and zoonotic forms of prion diseases are linked to bovine disease. Significant progress has been made in the diagnosis of these disorders. Clinical tools for diagnosis comprise brain imaging and cerebrospinal fluid tests. Aggregation assays for detection of the abnormally folded prion protein have a clear potential to diagnose the disease in peripherally accessible biofluids. After decades of therapeutic nihilism, new treatment strategies and clinical trials are on the horizon. Although prion diseases are relatively rare disorders, understanding their pathogenesis and mechanisms of prion protein misfolding has significantly enhanced the field in research of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Zerr
- National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Peter Hermann
- National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gianluigi Forloni
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Brian S Appleby
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Vallabh SM, Mortberg MA, Allen SW, Kupferschmid AC, Kivisäkk P, Hammerschlag BL, Bolling A, Trombetta BA, Devitte-McKee K, Ford AM, Sather L, Duffy G, Rivera A, Gerber J, McManus AJ, Minikel EV, Arnold SE. Biomarker changes preceding symptom onset in genetic prion disease. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.12.18.23300042. [PMID: 38196583 PMCID: PMC10775317 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.18.23300042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Importance Genetic prion disease is a universally fatal and rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease for which genetically targeted therapies are currently under development. Preclinical proofs of concept indicate that treatment before symptoms will offer outsize benefit. Though early treatment paradigms will be informed by the longitudinal biomarker trajectory of mutation carriers, to date limited cases have been molecularly tracked from the presymptomatic phase through symptomatic onset. Objective To longitudinally characterize disease-relevant cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma biomarkers in individuals at risk for genetic prion disease up to disease conversion, alongside non-converters and healthy controls. Design setting and participants This single-center longitudinal cohort study has followed 41 PRNP mutation carriers and 21 controls for up to 6 years. Participants spanned a range of known pathogenic PRNP variants; all subjects were asymptomatic at first visit and returned roughly annually. Four at-risk individuals experienced prion disease onset during the study. Main outcomes and measures RT-QuIC prion seeding activity, prion protein (PrP), neurofilament light chain (NfL) total tau (t-tau), and beta synuclein were measured in CSF. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and NfL were measured in plasma. Results We observed RT-QuIC seeding activity in the CSF of three E200K carriers prior to symptom onset and death, while the CSF of one P102L carrier remained RT-QuIC negative through symptom conversion. The prodromal window of RT-QuIC positivity was one year long in an E200K individual homozygous (V/V) at PRNP codon 129 and was longer than two years in two codon 129 heterozygotes (M/V). Other neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory markers gave less consistent signal prior to symptom onset, whether analyzed relative to age or individual baseline. CSF PrP was longitudinally stable (mean CV 10%) across all individuals over up to 6 years, including at RT-QuIC positive timepoints. Conclusion and relevance In this study, we demonstrate that at least for the E200K mutation, CSF prion seeding activity may represent the earliest detectable prodromal sign, and that its prognostic value may be modified by codon 129 genotype. Neuronal damage and neuroinflammation markers show limited sensitivity in the prodromal phase. CSF PrP levels remain stable even in the presence of RT-QuIC seeding activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia M Vallabh
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Meredith A Mortberg
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Shona W. Allen
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Ashley C Kupferschmid
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Pia Kivisäkk
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Bruno L Hammerschlag
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Anna Bolling
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Bianca A. Trombetta
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Kelli Devitte-McKee
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Abaigeal M. Ford
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Lauren Sather
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Griffin Duffy
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Ashley Rivera
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Jessica Gerber
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Alison J McManus
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
| | - Eric Vallabh Minikel
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Steven E Arnold
- McCance Center for Brain Health and Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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Shi Q, Xiao K, Gao L, Wu Y, Zhou W, Liang D, Chen C, Dong X. Geographic Diversity in the Incidence of Human Prion Diseases - China, 2006-2019. China CDC Wkly 2023; 5:958-965. [PMID: 38025513 PMCID: PMC10652079 DOI: 10.46234/ccdcw2023.181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Human prion diseases (PrDs) are rare, fatal encephalopathies requiring comprehensive diagnostic analysis. This study examines hospital referral patterns to the Chinese National Surveillance for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CNS-CJD) from 2006 to 2019. Methods We assessed 1,970 PrD cases referred by various hospitals to CNS-CJD. Referral distributions were analyzed based on provincial-level administrative divisions (PLADs). Differences in referral numbers and confirmed cases between monitored and non-monitored PLADs were statistically evaluated. Results The study included cases from 344 hospitals across 29 Chinese PLADs. Hospital referrals increased over the surveillance years: from 28.2 hospitals annually during 2006-2010, to 64 in 2011-2015, and 107 in 2016-2019. Of these, 12.2% (42/344) of hospitals reported ≥10 PrD cases, accounting for 70.0% (1,379/1,970) of total cases. Referral numbers varied across PLADs, with the top 5 of Beijing (41), Henan (26), Shanghai (21), Guangdong (21), and Jiangsu (21) leading. Additionally, 12 CJD-surveillance PLADs had more referring hospitals and PrD cases than the other 17 non-surveillance PLADs. Conclusions Geographical variations in PrD recognition exist across Chinese PLADs, with certain regions and major cities reporting notably higher case numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Shi
- National Key-Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Disease, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Kang Xiao
- National Key-Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Disease, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Liping Gao
- National Key-Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Disease, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Yuezhang Wu
- National Key-Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Disease, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- National Key-Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Disease, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Donglin Liang
- National Key-Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Disease, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Cao Chen
- National Key-Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Disease, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoping Dong
- National Key-Laboratory of Intelligent Tracking and Forecasting for Infectious Disease, National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
- Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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7
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Baiardi S, Mammana A, Capellari S, Parchi P. Human prion disease: molecular pathogenesis, and possible therapeutic targets and strategies. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023; 27:1271-1284. [PMID: 37334903 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2199923] [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] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human prion diseases are heterogeneous, and often rapidly progressive, transmissible neurodegenerative disorders associated with misfolded prion protein (PrP) aggregation and self-propagation. Despite their rarity, prion diseases comprise a broad spectrum of phenotypic variants determined at the molecular level by different conformers of misfolded PrP and host genotype variability. Moreover, they uniquely occur in idiopathic, genetically determined, and acquired forms with distinct etiologies. AREA COVERED This review provides an up-to-date overview of potential therapeutic targets in prion diseases and the main results obtained in cell and animal models and human trials. The open issues and challenges associated with developing effective therapies and informative clinical trials are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION Currently tested therapeutic strategies target the cellular PrP to prevent the formation of misfolded PrP or to favor its elimination. Among them, passive immunization and gene therapy with antisense oligonucleotides against prion protein mRNA are the most promising. However, the disease's rarity, heterogeneity, and rapid progression profoundly frustrate the successful undertaking of well-powered therapeutic trials and patient identification in the asymptomatic or early stage before the development of significant brain damage. Thus, the most promising therapeutic goal to date is preventing or delaying phenoconversion in carriers of pathogenic mutations by lowering prion protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Baiardi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Angela Mammana
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sabina Capellari
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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8
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Mok TH, Nihat A, Majbour N, Sequeira D, Holm-Mercer L, Coysh T, Darwent L, Batchelor M, Groveman BR, Orr CD, Hughson AG, Heslegrave A, Laban R, Veleva E, Paterson RW, Keshavan A, Schott JM, Swift IJ, Heller C, Rohrer JD, Gerhard A, Butler C, Rowe JB, Masellis M, Chapman M, Lunn MP, Bieschke J, Jackson GS, Zetterberg H, Caughey B, Rudge P, Collinge J, Mead S. Seed amplification and neurodegeneration marker trajectories in individuals at risk of prion disease. Brain 2023; 146:2570-2583. [PMID: 36975162 PMCID: PMC10232278 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human prion diseases are remarkable for long incubation times followed typically by rapid clinical decline. Seed amplification assays and neurodegeneration biofluid biomarkers are remarkably useful in the clinical phase, but their potential to predict clinical onset in healthy people remains unclear. This is relevant not only to the design of preventive strategies in those at-risk of prion diseases, but more broadly, because prion-like mechanisms are thought to underpin many neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we report the accrual of a longitudinal biofluid resource in patients, controls and healthy people at risk of prion diseases, to which ultrasensitive techniques such as real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) and single molecule array (Simoa) digital immunoassays were applied for preclinical biomarker discovery. We studied 648 CSF and plasma samples, including 16 people who had samples taken when healthy but later developed inherited prion disease (IPD) ('converters'; range from 9.9 prior to, and 7.4 years after onset). Symptomatic IPD CSF samples were screened by RT-QuIC assay variations, before testing the entire collection of at-risk samples using the most sensitive assay. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NfL), tau and UCH-L1 levels were measured in plasma and CSF. Second generation (IQ-CSF) RT-QuIC proved 100% sensitive and specific for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), iatrogenic and familial CJD phenotypes, and subsequently detected seeding activity in four presymptomatic CSF samples from three E200K carriers; one converted in under 2 months while two remain asymptomatic after at least 3 years' follow-up. A bespoke HuPrP P102L RT-QuIC showed partial sensitivity for P102L disease. No compatible RT-QuIC assay was discovered for classical 6-OPRI, A117V and D178N, and these at-risk samples tested negative with bank vole RT-QuIC. Plasma GFAP and NfL, and CSF NfL levels emerged as proximity markers of neurodegeneration in the typically slow IPDs (e.g. P102L), with significant differences in mean values segregating healthy control from IPD carriers (within 2 years to onset) and symptomatic IPD cohorts; plasma GFAP appears to change before NfL, and before clinical conversion. In conclusion, we show distinct biomarker trajectories in fast and slow IPDs. Specifically, we identify several years of presymptomatic seeding positivity in E200K, a new proximity marker (plasma GFAP) and sequential neurodegenerative marker evolution (plasma GFAP followed by NfL) in slow IPDs. We suggest a new preclinical staging system featuring clinical, seeding and neurodegeneration aspects, for validation with larger prion at-risk cohorts, and with potential application to other neurodegenerative proteopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tze How Mok
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Akin Nihat
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Nour Majbour
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Danielle Sequeira
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Leah Holm-Mercer
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Thomas Coysh
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Lee Darwent
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Mark Batchelor
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Bradley R Groveman
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Christina D Orr
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Andrew G Hughson
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Amanda Heslegrave
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Rhiannon Laban
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Elena Veleva
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ross W Paterson
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Ashvini Keshavan
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jonathan M Schott
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Imogen J Swift
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Carolin Heller
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Jonathan D Rohrer
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, University College London Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Alexander Gerhard
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, University Medicine Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, University Medicine Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Christopher Butler
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
| | - Mario Masellis
- Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Miles Chapman
- Neuroimmunology and CSF Laboratory, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Michael P Lunn
- Neuroimmunology and CSF Laboratory, University College London Hospitals NHS Trust National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jan Bieschke
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Graham S Jackson
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-43180 Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, S-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
- Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53792-2420, USA
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
| | - Peter Rudge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - John Collinge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London W1W 7FF, UK
- NHS National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
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9
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Minikel EV, Vallabh SM. Where have prions been all our lives? Brain 2023; 146:2206-2207. [PMID: 37161596 PMCID: PMC10232229 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad143] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
This scientific commentary refers to ‘Seed amplification and neurodegeneration marker trajectories in individuals at risk of prion disease’ by Mok et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad101).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Sonia M Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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10
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Eisenmenger LB, Peret A, Famakin BM, Spahic A, Roberts GS, Bockholt JH, Johnson KM, Paulsen JS. Vascular contributions to Alzheimer's disease. Transl Res 2023; 254:41-53. [PMID: 36529160 PMCID: PMC10481451 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and is characterized by progressive neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Understanding the pathophysiology underlying AD is paramount for the management of individuals at risk of and suffering from AD. The vascular hypothesis stipulates a relationship between cardiovascular disease and AD-related changes although the nature of this relationship remains unknown. In this review, we discuss several potential pathological pathways of vascular involvement in AD that have been described including dysregulation of neurovascular coupling, disruption of the blood brain barrier, and reduced clearance of metabolite waste such as beta-amyloid, a toxic peptide considered the hallmark of AD. We will also discuss the two-hit hypothesis which proposes a 2-step positive feedback loop in which microvascular insults precede the accumulation of Aß and are thought to be at the origin of the disease development. At neuroimaging, signs of vascular dysfunction such as chronic cerebral hypoperfusion have been demonstrated, appearing early in AD, even before cognitive decline and alteration of traditional biomarkers. Cerebral small vessel disease such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, characterized by the aggregation of Aß in the vessel wall, is highly prevalent in vascular dementia and AD patients. Current data is unclear whether cardiovascular disease causes, precipitates, amplifies, precedes, or simply coincides with AD. Targeted imaging tools to quantitatively evaluate the intracranial vasculature and longitudinal studies in individuals at risk for or in the early stages of the AD continuum could be critical in disentangling this complex relationship between vascular disease and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura B Eisenmenger
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Anthony Peret
- Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Bolanle M Famakin
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Alma Spahic
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Grant S Roberts
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jeremy H Bockholt
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kevin M Johnson
- Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Jane S Paulsen
- Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.
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11
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Vallabh SM, Zou D, Pitstick R, O’Moore J, Peters J, Silvius D, Kriz J, Jackson WS, Carlson GA, Minikel EV, Cabin DE. Therapeutic Trial of anle138b in Mouse Models of Genetic Prion Disease. J Virol 2023; 97:e0167222. [PMID: 36651748 PMCID: PMC9973041 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01672-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic screening has yielded small-molecule inhibitors of prion replication that are effective in vivo against certain prion strains but not others. Here, we sought to test the small molecule anle138b in multiple mouse models of prion disease. In mice inoculated with the RML strain of prions, anle138b doubled survival and durably suppressed astrogliosis measured by live-animal bioluminescence imaging. In knock-in mouse models of the D178N and E200K mutations that cause genetic prion disease, however, we were unable to identify a clear, quantifiable disease endpoint against which to measure therapeutic efficacy. Among untreated animals, the mutations did not impact overall survival, and bioluminescence remained low out to >20 months of age. Vacuolization and PrP deposition were observed in some brain regions in a subset of mutant animals but appeared to be unable to carry the weight of a primary endpoint in a therapeutic study. We conclude that not all animal models of prion disease are suited to well-powered therapeutic efficacy studies, and care should be taken in choosing the models that will support drug development programs. IMPORTANCE There is an urgent need to develop drugs for prion disease, a currently untreatable neurodegenerative disease. In this effort, there is a debate over which animal models can best support a drug development program. While the study of prion disease benefits from excellent animal models because prions naturally afflict many different mammals, different models have different capabilities and limitations. Here, we conducted a therapeutic efficacy study of the drug candidate anle138b in mouse models with two of the most common mutations that cause genetic prion disease. In a more typical model where prions are injected directly into the brain, we found anle138b to be effective. In the genetic models, however, the animals never reached a clear, measurable point of disease onset. We conclude that not all prion disease animal models are ideally suited to drug efficacy studies, and well-defined, quantitative disease metrics should be a priority.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia M. Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dan Zou
- Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Bozeman, Montana, USA
| | - Rose Pitstick
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Jill O’Moore
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Janet Peters
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Derek Silvius
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, Montana, USA
| | - Jasna Kriz
- Cervo Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Walker S. Jackson
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - George A. Carlson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California—San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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12
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Goldman JS, Vallabh SM. Genetic counseling for prion disease: Updates and best practices. Genet Med 2022; 24:1993-2003. [PMID: 35819418 DOI: 10.1016/j.gim.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion disease is a rare, fatal, and often rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease. Ten to fifteen percent of cases are caused by autosomal dominant gain-of-function variants in the prion protein gene, PRNP. Rarity and phenotypic variability complicate diagnosis, often obscuring family history and leaving families unprepared for the genetic implications of an index case. Several recent developments inspire this update in best practices for prion disease genetic counseling. A new prion-detection assay has transformed symptomatic diagnosis. Meanwhile, penetrance, age of onset, and duration of illness have been systematically characterized across PRNP variants in a global cohort. Clinically, the traditional genotype-phenotype correlation has weakened over time, and the term genetic prion disease may now better serve providers than the historical subtypes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker disease. Finally, in the age of genetically targeted therapies, clinical trials for prion disease are being envisaged, and healthy at-risk individuals may be best positioned to benefit. Such individuals need to be able to access clinical services for genetic counseling and testing. Thus, this update on the genetics of prion disease and best practices for genetic counseling for this disease aims to provide the information needed to expand genetic counseling services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonia M Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA; Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA.
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13
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Yakovleva O, Bett C, Pilant T, Asher DM, Gregori L. Abnormal prion protein, infectivity and neurofilament light-chain in blood of macaques with experimental variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. J Gen Virol 2022; 103. [PMID: 35816369 PMCID: PMC10027005 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001764] [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: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative infections. Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) and sporadic CJD (sCJD) are human TSEs that, in rare cases, have been transmitted by human-derived therapeutic products. There is a need for a blood test to detect infected donors, identify infected individuals in families with TSEs and monitor progression of disease in patients, especially during clinical trials. We prepared panels of blood from cynomolgus and rhesus macaques experimentally infected with vCJD, as a surrogate for human blood, to support assay development. We detected abnormal prion protein (PrPTSE) in those blood samples using the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) assay. PrPTSE first appeared in the blood of pre-symptomatic cynomolgus macaques as early as 2 months post-inoculation (mpi). In contrast, PMCA detected PrPTSE much later in the blood of two pre-symptomatic rhesus macaques, starting at 19 and 20 mpi, and in one rhesus macaque only when symptomatic, at 38 mpi. Once blood of either species of macaque became PMCA-positive, PrPTSE persisted through terminal illness at relatively constant concentrations. Infectivity in buffy coat samples from terminally ill cynomolgus macaques as well as a sample collected 9 months before clinical onset of disease in one of the macaques was assayed in vCJD-susceptible transgenic mice. The infectivity titres varied from 2.7 to 4.3 infectious doses ml-1. We also screened macaque blood using a four-member panel of biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases to identify potential non-PrPTSE pre-symptomatic diagnostic markers. Neurofilament light-chain protein (NfL) increased in blood before the onset of clinical vCJD. Cumulatively, these data confirmed that, while PrPTSE is the first marker to appear in blood of vCJD-infected cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, NfL might offer a useful, though less specific, marker for forthcoming neurodegeneration. These studies support the use of macaque blood panels to investigate PrPTSE and other biomarkers to predict onset of CJD in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Yakovleva
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Blood Research and Review, Division of Emerging and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Cyrus Bett
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Blood Research and Review, Division of Emerging and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Teresa Pilant
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Blood Research and Review, Division of Emerging and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - David M Asher
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Blood Research and Review, Division of Emerging and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Luisa Gregori
- US Food and Drug Administration, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Office of Blood Research and Review, Division of Emerging and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
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14
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Coysh T, Mead S. The Future of Seed Amplification Assays and Clinical Trials. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:872629. [PMID: 35813946 PMCID: PMC9257179 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.872629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion-like seeded misfolding of host proteins is the leading hypothesised cause of neurodegenerative diseases. The exploitation of the mechanism in the protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) and real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) assays have transformed prion disease research and diagnosis and have steadily become more widely used for research into other neurodegenerative disorders. Clinical trials in adult neurodegenerative diseases have been expensive, slow, and disappointing in terms of clinical benefits. There are various possible factors contributing to the failure to identify disease-modifying treatments for adult neurodegenerative diseases, some of which include: limited accuracy of antemortem clinical diagnosis resulting in the inclusion of patients with the “incorrect” pathology for the therapeutic; the role of co-pathologies in neurodegeneration rendering treatments targeting one pathology alone ineffective; treatment of the primary neurodegenerative process too late, after irreversible secondary processes of neurodegeneration have become established or neuronal loss is already extensive; and preclinical models used to develop treatments not accurately representing human disease. The use of seed amplification assays in clinical trials offers an opportunity to tackle these problems by sensitively detecting in vivo the proteopathic seeds thought to be central to the biology of neurodegenerative diseases, enabling improved diagnostic accuracy of the main pathology and co-pathologies, and very early intervention, particularly in patients at risk of monogenic forms of neurodegeneration. The possibility of quantifying proteopathic seed load, and its reduction by treatments, is an attractive pharmacodynamic biomarker in the preclinical and early clinical stages of drug development. Here we review some potential applications of seed amplification assays in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Coysh
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Prion Diseases, London, United Kingdom
- National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Poleggi A, Baiardi S, Ladogana A, Parchi P. The Use of Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion for the Diagnosis of Human Prion Diseases. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:874734. [PMID: 35547619 PMCID: PMC9083464 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.874734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are rapidly progressive, invariably fatal, transmissible neurodegenerative disorders associated with the accumulation of the amyloidogenic form of the prion protein in the central nervous system (CNS). In humans, prion diseases are highly heterogeneous both clinically and neuropathologically. Prion diseases are challenging to diagnose as many other neurologic disorders share the same symptoms, especially at clinical onset. Definitive diagnosis requires brain autopsy to identify the accumulation of the pathological prion protein, which is the only specific disease biomarker. Although brain post-mortem investigation remains the gold standard for diagnosis, antemortem clinical, instrumental, and laboratory tests showing variable sensitivities and specificity, being surrogate disease biomarkers, have been progressively introduced in clinical practice to reach a diagnosis. More recently, the ultrasensitive Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (RT-QuIC) assay, exploiting, for the first time, the detection of misfolded prion protein through an amplification strategy, has highly improved the “in-vitam” diagnostic process, reaching in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and olfactory mucosa (OM) around 96% sensitivity and close to 100% specificity. RT-QuIC also improved the detection of the pathologic prion protein in several peripheral tissues, possibly even before the clinical onset of the disease. The latter aspect is of great interest for the early and even preclinical diagnosis in subjects at genetic risk of developing the disease, who will likely be the main target population in future clinical trials. This review presents an overview of the current knowledge and future perspectives on using RT-QuIC to diagnose human prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Poleggi
- Unit of Clinic, Diagnostics and Therapy of the Central Nervous System Diseases, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Baiardi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Programma Neuropatologia delle Malattie Neurodegenerative, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Unit of Clinic, Diagnostics and Therapy of the Central Nervous System Diseases, Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Programma Neuropatologia delle Malattie Neurodegenerative, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- *Correspondence: Piero Parchi,
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16
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Zerr
- From the National Reference Center for Human Prion Diseases, Clinical Dementia Center, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
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17
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Zerr I. Investigating new treatments for Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Lancet Neurol 2022; 21:299-300. [DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(22)00083-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Altuna M, Ruiz I, Zelaya MV, Mendioroz M. Role of Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Prion Diseases: A Narrative Review. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58040473. [PMID: 35454316 PMCID: PMC9030755 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58040473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are progressive and irreversible neurodegenerative disorders with a low incidence (1.5–2 cases per million per year). Genetic (10–15%), acquired (anecdotal) and sporadic (85%) forms of the disease have been described. The clinical spectrum of prion diseases is very varied, although the most common symptoms are rapidly progressive dementia, cerebellar ataxia and myoclonus. Mean life expectancy from the onset of symptoms is 6 months. There are currently diagnostic criteria based on clinical phenotype, as well as neuroimaging biomarkers (magnetic resonance imaging), neurophysiological tests (electroencephalogram and polysomnogram), and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (14-3-3 protein and real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC)). The sensitivity and specificity of some of these tests (electroencephalogram and 14-3-3 protein) is under debate and the applicability of other tests, such as RT-QuIC, is not universal. However, the usefulness of these biomarkers beyond the most frequent prion disease, sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, remains unclear. Therefore, research is being carried out on new, more efficient cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (total tau, ratio total tau/phosphorylated tau and neurofilament light chain) and potential blood biomarkers (neurofilament light chain, among others) to try to universalize access to early diagnosis in the case of prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miren Altuna
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau—Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau—Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08041 Barcelona, Spain;
- Centre of Biomedical Investigation Network for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIBERNED), 28031 Madrid, Spain
- CITA-Alzheimer Foundation, 20009 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-935-56-59-86; Fax: +34-935-56-56-02
| | - Iñigo Ruiz
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau—Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau—Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08041 Barcelona, Spain;
| | - María Victoria Zelaya
- Department of Pathological Anatomy, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
| | - Maite Mendioroz
- Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain;
- Neuroepigenetics Laboratory-Navarrabiomed, Hospital Universitario de Navarra, Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), 31006 Pamplona, Spain
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19
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Hermann P, Canaslan S, Villar-Piqué A, Bunck T, Goebel S, Llorens F, Schmitz M, Zerr I. Plasma neurofilament light chain as a biomarker for Fatal Familial Insomnia. Eur J Neurol 2022; 29:1841-1846. [PMID: 35212083 DOI: 10.1111/ene.15302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fatal Familial Insomnia is a rare hereditary prion disease associated with the D178N-129M PRNP mutation. Early diagnosis is difficult because the clinical syndrome may overlap with affective disorders. In addition, most known cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for prion diseases and magnetic resonance imaging do not show a good diagnostic accuracy for Fatal Familial Insomnia. In this context, data on plasma biomarkers are scarce. METHODS We analyzed levels of neurofilament light chain, glial fibrillary acidic protein, chitinase-3-like protein 1, calcium-binding protein B, and total Tau protein in six serial plasma samples from a patient with Fatal Familial Insomnia. Subsequently, plasma neurofilament light chain was analyzed in n=25 patients and n=19 controls. The diagnostic accuracy and associations with disease stage and duration were explored. RESULTS Among all biomarker candidates in the case study, only neurofilament light chain levels showed a constant evolution and increased over time. It discriminated Fatal Familial Insomnia from controls with an area under the curve of 0.992 (95%CI:0.974 to 1) in the case-control study. Higher concentrations were associated with methionine homozygosity at Codon 129 PRNP (p=0.006), shorter total disease duration (rho=-0.467, p=0.019, 95%CI:-0.790 to -0.015), and shorter time from sampling to death (rho=-0.467, p=0.019, 95%CI -0.773 to -0.019). CONCLUSION Plasma neurofilament light chain may be a valuable minimal-invasive diagnostic biomarker for Fatal Familial Insomnia after clinical onset. Most important, stage-related increase and association with disease duration indicate potential as a prognostic marker and as a surrogate marker in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Hermann
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sezgi Canaslan
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Anna Villar-Piqué
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERNED, 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Timothy Bunck
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Goebel
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Franc Llorens
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), 08908, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain.,Network Center for Biomedical Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, CIBERNED, 28031, Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for CJD Surveillance, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)-Göttingen campus, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
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20
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Mortberg MA, Zhao HT, Reidenbach AG, Gentile JE, Kuhn E, O'Moore J, Dooley PM, Connors TR, Mazur C, Allen SW, Trombetta BA, McManus AJ, Moore MR, Liu J, Cabin DE, Kordasiewicz HB, Mathews J, Arnold SE, Vallabh SM, Minikel EV. PrP concentration in the central nervous system: regional variability, genotypic effects, and pharmacodynamic impact. JCI Insight 2022; 7:156532. [PMID: 35133987 PMCID: PMC8986079 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.156532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion protein (PrP) concentration controls the kinetics of prion replication and is a genetically and pharmacologically validated therapeutic target for prion disease. In order to evaluate PrP concentration as a pharmacodynamic biomarker and assess its contribution to known prion disease risk factors, we developed and validated a plate-based immunoassay reactive for PrP across six species of interest and applicable to brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). PrP concentration varies dramatically between different brain regions in mice, cynomolgus macaques, and humans. PrP expression does not appear to contribute to the known risk factors of age, sex, or common PRNP genetic variants. CSF PrP is lowered in the presence of rare pathogenic PRNP variants, with heterozygous carriers of P102L displaying 55% and of D178N just 31% the CSF PrP concentration of mutation-negative controls. In rodents, pharmacologic reduction of brain Prnp RNA is reflected in brain parenchyma PrP, and in turn in CSF PrP, validating CSF as a sampling compartment for the effect of PrP-lowering therapy. Our findings support the use of CSF PrP as a pharmacodynamic biomarker for PrP-lowering drugs, and suggest that relative reduction from individual baseline CSF PrP concentration may be an appropriate marker for target engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith A Mortberg
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT, Cambridge, United States of America
| | - Hien T Zhao
- Neuroscience, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, United States of America
| | - Andrew G Reidenbach
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT, Cambridge, United States of America
| | - Juliana E Gentile
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT, Cambridge, United States of America
| | - Eric Kuhn
- Proteomics Platform, Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT, Cambridge, United States of America
| | - Jill O'Moore
- Comparative Medicine, McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, United States of America
| | - Patrick M Dooley
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States of America
| | - Theresa R Connors
- Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States of America
| | - Curt Mazur
- Neuroscience, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, United States of America
| | - Shona W Allen
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States of America
| | - Bianca A Trombetta
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States of America
| | - Alison J McManus
- McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States of America
| | | | - Jiewu Liu
- Bioagilytix, Bioagilytix, Boston, United States of America
| | - Deborah E Cabin
- Comparative Medicine, McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, United States of America
| | | | - Joel Mathews
- Neuroscience, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Carlsbad, United States of America
| | - Steven E Arnold
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States of America
| | - Sonia M Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT, Cambridge, United States of America
| | - Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard & MIT, Cambridge, United States of America
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21
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Halbgebauer S, Abu-Rumeileh S, Oeckl P, Steinacker P, Roselli F, Wiesner D, Mammana A, Beekes M, Kortazar-Zubizarreta I, Perez de Nanclares G, Capellari S, Giese A, Castilla J, Ludolph AC, Žáková D, Parchi P, Otto M. Blood β-Synuclein and Neurofilament Light Chain During the Course of Prion Disease. Neurology 2022; 98:e1434-e1445. [PMID: 35110380 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000200002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES For early diagnosis and disease monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) reliable blood biomarkers are needed. Elevated levels of neurofilament light chain protein (NfL), an axonal damage marker, have been described across different NDs with highest values in prion diseases and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Synaptic degeneration is a common early feature in most NDs and seems to precede neuronal degeneration in prion disease. However, synaptic markers in blood are still missing. Here we investigated if the brain specific protein beta-synuclein might be a suitable blood biomarker for early diagnosis and evaluation of synaptic integrity in prion disease. METHODS We analyzed blood beta-synuclein with a newly established digital ELISA and NfL with single molecule array in samples obtained from human subjects and prion and ALS animal models. Furthermore, beta-synuclein was investigated in brain tissue of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and control cases. RESULTS We investigated 308 patients including 129 prion disease cases, 8 presymptomatic PRNP mutation carriers, 60 ALS, 68 other ND and 43 control patients. In CJD symptomatic cases beta-synuclein and NfL were markedly increased compared to all other diagnostic groups (p<0.001). In the large majority of pre-symptomatic PRNP mutation carriers beta-synuclein and NfL levels were within normal range. In prion disease animal models, beta-synuclein and NfL displayed normal levels in the pre-symptomatic phase with a sudden elevation at disease onset and a plateau in the symptomatic phase. In contrast to NfL, beta-synuclein was neither elevated in symptomatic ALS patients nor in an ALS animal model. In the discrimination between prion disease and all other groups beta-synuclein (AUC: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.94-0.99, p<0.001) was superior to NfL (AUC: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.88-0.94, p<0.001). Additionally, brain tissue beta-synuclein showed significantly reduced levels in CJD compared to control patients (p<0.001). DISCUSSION Blood beta-synuclein was significantly elevated in CJD patients reflecting ongoing synaptic damage and showed good discriminative characteristics. We therefore propose it as a candidate blood marker for early diagnosis and monitoring of synaptic integrity in prion disease. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE This study provides Class III evidence that serum beta synuclein concentration accurately distinguishes patients with symptomatic CJD from controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Halbgebauer
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Samir Abu-Rumeileh
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Halle University Hospital, Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube Strasse 49, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Patrick Oeckl
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Petra Steinacker
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Francesco Roselli
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Diana Wiesner
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Angela Mammana
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michael Beekes
- Centre for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - Sabina Capellari
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Armin Giese
- Department of Neuropathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Dana Žáková
- Department of Prion Diseases, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Markus Otto
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University Hospital, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081 Ulm, Germany .,Department of Neurology, Halle University Hospital, Martin Luther University Halle/Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube Strasse 49, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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22
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Thompson AGB, Anastasiadis P, Druyeh R, Whitworth I, Nayak A, Nihat A, Mok TH, Rudge P, Wadsworth JDF, Rohrer J, Schott JM, Heslegrave A, Zetterberg H, Collinge J, Jackson GS, Mead S. Evaluation of plasma tau and neurofilament light chain biomarkers in a 12-year clinical cohort of human prion diseases. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:5955-5966. [PMID: 33674752 PMCID: PMC8758487 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01045-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative conditions with highly accurate CSF and imaging diagnostic tests, but major unmet needs for blood biomarkers. Using ultrasensitive immuno-assays, we measured tau and neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein concentrations in 709 plasma samples taken from 377 individuals with prion disease during a 12 year prospective clinical study, alongside healthy and neurological control groups. This provides an unprecedented opportunity to evaluate their potential as biomarkers. Plasma tau and NfL were increased across all prion disease types. For distinguishing sCJD from control groups including clinically-relevant "CJD mimics", both show considerable diagnostic value. In sCJD, NfL was substantially elevated in every sample tested, including during early disease with minimal functional impairment and in all follow-up samples. Plasma tau was independently associated with rate of clinical progression in sCJD, while plasma NfL showed independent association with severity of functional impairment. In asymptomatic PRNP mutation carriers, plasma NfL was higher on average in samples taken within 2 years of symptom onset than in samples taken earlier. We present biomarker trajectories for nine mutation carriers healthy at enrolment who developed symptoms during follow-up. NfL started to rise as early as 2 years before onset in those with mutations typically associated with more slowly progressive clinical disease. This shows potential for plasma NfL as a "proximity marker", but further work is needed to establish predictive value on an individual basis, and how this varies across different PRNP mutations. We conclude that plasma tau and NfL have potential to fill key unmet needs for biomarkers in prion disease: as a secondary outcome for clinical trials (NfL and tau); for predicting onset in at-risk individuals (NfL); and as an accessible test for earlier identification of patients that may have CJD and require more definitive tests (NfL). Further studies should evaluate their performance directly in these specific roles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ronald Druyeh
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Ines Whitworth
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Annapurna Nayak
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Akin Nihat
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
- National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), London, UK
| | - Tze How Mok
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
- National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), London, UK
| | - Peter Rudge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
- National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), London, UK
| | | | - Jonathan Rohrer
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegeneration, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Jonathan M Schott
- Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurodegeneration, University College London (UCL) Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Amanda Heslegrave
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London (UCL), London, UK
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University College London (UCL), London, UK
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
- National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), London, UK
| | | | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK.
- National Prion Clinic, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH), London, UK.
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23
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Figgie MP, Appleby BS. Clinical Use of Improved Diagnostic Testing for Detection of Prion Disease. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050789. [PMID: 33925126 PMCID: PMC8146465 DOI: 10.3390/v13050789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are difficult to recognize as many symptoms are shared among other neurologic pathologies and the full spectra of symptoms usually do not appear until late in the disease course. Additionally, many commonly used laboratory markers are non-specific to prion disease. The recent introduction of second-generation real time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC) has revolutionized pre-mortem diagnosis of prion disease due to its extremely high sensitivity and specificity. However, RT-QuIC does not provide prognostic data and has decreased diagnostic accuracy in some rarer, atypical prion diseases. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the current clinical utility of fluid-based biomarkers, neurodiagnostic testing, and brain imaging in the diagnosis of prion disease and to suggest guidelines for their clinical use, with a focus on rarer prion diseases with atypical features. Recent advancements in laboratory-based testing and imaging criteria have shown improved diagnostic accuracy and prognostic potential in prion disease, but because these diagnostic tests are not sensitive in some prion disease subtypes and diagnostic test sensitivities are unknown in the event that CWD transmits to humans, it is important to continue investigations into the clinical utility of various testing modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark P. Figgie
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
| | - Brian S. Appleby
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Correspondence:
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24
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Abu-Rumeileh S, Parchi P. Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood Neurofilament Light Chain Protein in Prion Disease and Other Rapidly Progressive Dementias: Current State of the Art. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:648743. [PMID: 33776643 PMCID: PMC7994519 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.648743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is an umbrella term referring to several conditions causing a rapid neurological deterioration associated with cognitive decline and short disease duration. They comprise Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD), the archetypal RPD, rapidly progressive variants of the most common neurodegenerative dementias (NDs), and potentially treatable conditions such as infectious or autoimmune encephalitis and cerebrovascular disease. Given the significant clinical and, sometimes, neuroradiological overlap between these different disorders, biofluid markers also contribute significantly to the differential diagnosis. Among them, the neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) has attracted growing attention in recent years as a biofluid marker of neurodegeneration due to its sensitivity to axonal damage and the reliability of its measurement in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. Here, we summarize current knowledge regarding biological and clinical implications of NfL evaluation in biofluids across RPDs, emphasizing CJD, and other prion diseases. In the latter, NfL demonstrated a good diagnostic and prognostic accuracy and a potential value as a marker of proximity to clinical onset in pre-symptomatic PRNP mutation carriers. Similarly, in Alzheimer’s disease and other NDs, higher NfL concentrations seem to predict a faster disease progression. While increasing evidence indicates a potential clinical value of NfL in monitoring cerebrovascular disease, the association between NfL and prediction of outcome and/or disease activity in autoimmune encephalitis and infectious diseases has only been investigated in few cohorts and deserves confirmatory studies. In the era of precision medicine and evolving therapeutic options, CSF and blood NfL might aid the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of RPDs and the stratification and management of patients according to disease progression in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Piero Parchi
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Sciente Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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25
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Hermann P, Appleby B, Brandel JP, Caughey B, Collins S, Geschwind MD, Green A, Haïk S, Kovacs GG, Ladogana A, Llorens F, Mead S, Nishida N, Pal S, Parchi P, Pocchiari M, Satoh K, Zanusso G, Zerr I. Biomarkers and diagnostic guidelines for sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Lancet Neurol 2021; 20:235-246. [PMID: 33609480 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30477-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by misfolded prion proteins (PrPSc). Effective therapeutics are currently not available and accurate diagnosis can be challenging. Clinical diagnostic criteria use a combination of characteristic neuropsychiatric symptoms, CSF proteins 14-3-3, MRI, and EEG. Supportive biomarkers, such as high CSF total tau, could aid the diagnostic process. However, discordant studies have led to controversies about the clinical value of some established surrogate biomarkers. Development and clinical application of disease-specific protein aggregation and amplification assays, such as real-time quaking induced conversion (RT-QuIC), have constituted major breakthroughs for the confident pre-mortem diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Updated criteria for the diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, including application of RT-QuIC, should improve early clinical confirmation, surveillance, assessment of PrPSc seeding activity in different tissues, and trial monitoring. Moreover, emerging blood-based, prognostic, and potentially pre-symptomatic biomarker candidates are under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Hermann
- National Reference Center for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Brian Appleby
- National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Pathology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Brandel
- Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Byron Caughey
- Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Steven Collins
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Registry, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Alison Green
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stephane Haïk
- Cellule Nationale de Référence des Maladies de Creutzfeldt-Jakob, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France; Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Gabor G Kovacs
- Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Disease and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Laboratory Medicine Program, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Department of Neuroscience, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Franc Llorens
- National Reference Center for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Network Center For Biomedical Research Of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Institute Carlos III, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Simon Mead
- National Prion Clinic, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Medical Research Council Prion Unit at University College London, Institute of Prion Diseases, London, UK
| | - Noriyuki Nishida
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Suvankar Pal
- National CJD Research & Surveillance Unit, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Piero Parchi
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura e Carattere Scientifico, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Katsuya Satoh
- Department of Locomotive Rehabilitation Science, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Gianluigi Zanusso
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Inga Zerr
- National Reference Center for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Göttingen, Germany
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Mok TH, Nihat A, Luk C, Sequeira D, Batchelor M, Mead S, Collinge J, Jackson GS. Bank vole prion protein extends the use of RT-QuIC assays to detect prions in a range of inherited prion diseases. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5231. [PMID: 33664355 PMCID: PMC7933407 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84527-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) is an ultrasensitive prion amyloid seeding assay for diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) but several prion strains remain unexplored or resistant to conversion with commonly used recombinant prion protein (rPrP) substrates. Here, bank vole (BV) rPrP was used to study seeding by a wide range of archived post-mortem human CSF samples from cases of sporadic, acquired and various inherited prion diseases in high throughput 384-well format. BV rPrP substrate yielded positive reactions in 70/79 cases of sporadic CJD [Sensitivity 88.6% (95% CI 79.5-94.7%)], 1/2 variant CJD samples, and 9/20 samples from various inherited prion diseases; 5/57 non-prion disease control CSFs had positive reactions, yielding an overall specificity of 91.2% (95% CI 80.1-97.1%). Despite limitations of using post-mortem samples and our results' discrepancy with other studies, we demonstrated for the first time that BV rPrP is susceptible to conversion by human CSF samples containing certain prion strains not previously responsive in conventional rPrPs, thus justifying further optimisation for wider diagnostic and prognostic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tze How Mok
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Akin Nihat
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Connie Luk
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Danielle Sequeira
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Mark Batchelor
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - John Collinge
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK
| | - Graham S Jackson
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, Institute of Prion Diseases, Courtauld Building, 33 Cleveland Street, London, W1W 7FF, UK.
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27
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Minikel EV, Zhao HT, Le J, O'Moore J, Pitstick R, Graffam S, Carlson GA, Kavanaugh MP, Kriz J, Kim JB, Ma J, Wille H, Aiken J, McKenzie D, Doh-Ura K, Beck M, O'Keefe R, Stathopoulos J, Caron T, Schreiber SL, Carroll JB, Kordasiewicz HB, Cabin DE, Vallabh SM. Prion protein lowering is a disease-modifying therapy across prion disease stages, strains and endpoints. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:10615-10631. [PMID: 32776089 PMCID: PMC7641729 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lowering of prion protein (PrP) expression in the brain is a genetically validated therapeutic hypothesis in prion disease. We recently showed that antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated PrP suppression extends survival and delays disease onset in intracerebrally prion-infected mice in both prophylactic and delayed dosing paradigms. Here, we examine the efficacy of this therapeutic approach across diverse paradigms, varying the dose and dosing regimen, prion strain, treatment timepoint, and examining symptomatic, survival, and biomarker readouts. We recapitulate our previous findings with additional PrP-targeting ASOs, and demonstrate therapeutic benefit against four additional prion strains. We demonstrate that <25% PrP suppression is sufficient to extend survival and delay symptoms in a prophylactic paradigm. Rise in both neuroinflammation and neuronal injury markers can be reversed by a single dose of PrP-lowering ASO administered after the detection of pathological change. Chronic ASO-mediated suppression of PrP beginning at any time up to early signs of neuropathology confers benefit similar to constitutive heterozygous PrP knockout. Remarkably, even after emergence of frank symptoms including weight loss, a single treatment prolongs survival by months in a subset of animals. These results support ASO-mediated PrP lowering, and PrP-lowering therapeutics in general, as a promising path forward against prion disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vallabh Minikel
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hien T Zhao
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals Inc, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Jason Le
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jill O'Moore
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, MT 59405, USA
| | - Rose Pitstick
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, MT 59405, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jasna Kriz
- Cervo Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1J 2G3, Canada
| | | | - Jiyan Ma
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
| | - Holger Wille
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
| | - Judd Aiken
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M8, Canada
| | | | - Katsumi Doh-Ura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan
| | - Matthew Beck
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Rhonda O'Keefe
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Tyler Caron
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Stuart L Schreiber
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | | | | | | | - Sonia M Vallabh
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
- Prion Alliance, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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28
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Mead S. Marked abnormalities of plasma protein biomarkers in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 91:1137. [PMID: 32928938 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-324307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Mead
- MRC Prion Unit at UCL, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, London, UK
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Abu-Rumeileh S, Baiardi S, Ladogana A, Zenesini C, Bartoletti-Stella A, Poleggi A, Mammana A, Polischi B, Pocchiari M, Capellari S, Parchi P. Comparison between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for the early diagnosis and association with survival in prion disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2020; 91:1181-1188. [PMID: 32928934 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-323826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare the diagnostic accuracy and the prognostic value of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests across prion disease subtypes. METHODS We used a single-molecule immunoassay to measure tau and neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein levels in the plasma and assessed CSF total(t)-tau, NfL and protein 14-3-3 levels in patients with prion disease (n=336), non-prion rapidly progressive dementias (n=106) and non-neurodegenerative controls (n=37). We then evaluated each plasma and CSF marker for diagnosis and their association with survival, taking into account the disease subtype, which is a strong independent prognostic factor in prion disease. RESULTS Plasma tau and NfL concentrations were higher in patients with prion disease than in non-neurodegenerative controls and non-prion rapidly progressive dementias. Plasma tau showed higher diagnostic value than plasma NfL, but a lower accuracy than the CSF proteins t-tau and 14-3-3. In the whole prion cohort, both plasma (tau and NfL) and CSF (t-tau, 14-3-3 and NfL) markers were significantly associated with survival and showed similar prognostic values. However, the intrasubtype analysis revealed that only CSF t-tau in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) MM(V)1, plasma tau and CSF t-tau in sCJD VV2, and plasma NfL in slowly progressive prion diseases were significantly associated with survival after accounting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS Plasma markers have lower diagnostic accuracy than CSF biomarkers. Plasma tau and NfL and CSF t-tau are significantly associated with survival in prion disease in a subtype-specific manner and can be used to improve clinical trial stratification and clinical care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samir Abu-Rumeileh
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Baiardi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Ladogana
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy
| | - Corrado Zenesini
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Anna Poleggi
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy
| | - Angela Mammana
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Polischi
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Sabina Capellari
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Neuromotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto Delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy .,Dipartimento di Medicina Specialistica Diagnostica e Sperimentale, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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30
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Ascari LM, Rocha SC, Gonçalves PB, Vieira TCRG, Cordeiro Y. Challenges and Advances in Antemortem Diagnosis of Human Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:585896. [PMID: 33195151 PMCID: PMC7606880 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.585896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), also known as prion diseases, arise from the structural conversion of the monomeric, cellular prion protein (PrPC) into its multimeric scrapie form (PrPSc). These pathologies comprise a group of intractable, rapidly evolving neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, a definitive diagnosis of TSE relies on the detection of PrPSc and/or the identification of pathognomonic histological features in brain tissue samples, which are usually obtained postmortem or, in rare cases, by brain biopsy (antemortem). Over the past two decades, several paraclinical tests for antemortem diagnosis have been developed to preclude the need for brain samples. Some of these alternative methods have been validated and can provide a probable diagnosis when combined with clinical evaluation. Paraclinical tests include in vitro cell-free conversion techniques, such as the real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC), as well as immunoassays, electroencephalography (EEG), and brain bioimaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), whose importance has increased over the years. PrPSc is the main biomarker in TSEs, and the RT-QuIC assay stands out for its ability to detect PrPSc in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), olfactory mucosa, and dermatome skin samples with high sensitivity and specificity. Other biochemical biomarkers are the proteins 14-3-3, tau, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), astroglial protein S100B, α-synuclein, and neurofilament light chain protein (NFL), but they are not specific for TSEs. This paper reviews the techniques employed for definite diagnosis, as well as the clinical and paraclinical methods for possible and probable diagnosis, both those in use currently and those no longer employed. We also discuss current criteria, challenges, and perspectives for TSE diagnosis. An early and accurate diagnosis may allow earlier implementation of strategies to delay or stop disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas M. Ascari
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Stephanie C. Rocha
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Priscila B. Gonçalves
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tuane C. R. G. Vieira
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry Leopoldo de Meis, National Institute of Science and Technology for Structural Biology and Bioimaging, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Yraima Cordeiro
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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31
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Candelise N, Baiardi S, Franceschini A, Rossi M, Parchi P. Towards an improved early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases: the emerging role of in vitro conversion assays for protein amyloids. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:117. [PMID: 32711575 PMCID: PMC7382043 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-00990-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Tissue accumulation of abnormal aggregates of amyloidogenic proteins such as prion protein, α-synuclein, and tau represents the hallmark of most common neurodegenerative disorders and precedes the onset of symptoms by years. As a consequence, the sensitive and specific detection of abnormal forms of these proteins in patients' accessible tissues or fluids as biomarkers may have a significant impact on the clinical diagnosis of these disorders. By exploiting seeded polymerization propagation mechanisms to obtain cell-free reactions that allow highly amplified detection of these amyloid proteins, novel emerging in vitro techniques, such as the real-time quaking-induced conversion assay (RT-QuIC) have paved the way towards this important goal. Given its high accuracy in identifying misfolded forms of prion protein from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) CSF, RT-QuIC has already been included in the diagnostic criteria for the clinical diagnosis of sporadic CJD, the most common human prion disease. By showing that this assay may also accurately discriminate between Lewy body disorders and other forms of parkinsonisms or dementias, more recent studies strongly suggested that CSF RT-QuIC can also be successfully applied to synucleinopathies. Finally, preliminary encouraging data also suggested that CSF RT-QuIC might also work for tau protein, and accurately distinguish between 3R- and 4R tauopathies, including Pick's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and corticobasal degeneration. Here we will review the state of the art of cell-free aggregation assays, their current diagnostic value and putative limitations, and the future perspectives for their expanded use in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niccolò Candelise
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Simone Baiardi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, Via Altura 1/8, 40139 Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessia Franceschini
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, Via Altura 1/8, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Marcello Rossi
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, Via Altura 1/8, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS, Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Ospedale Bellaria, Via Altura 1/8, 40139 Bologna, Italy
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