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Devarakonda SS, Basha S, Pithakumar A, L B T, Mukunda DC, Rodrigues J, K A, Biswas S, Pai AR, Belurkar S, Mahato KK. Molecular mechanisms of neurofilament alterations and its application in assessing neurodegenerative disorders. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 102:102566. [PMID: 39481763 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102566] [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: 08/09/2024] [Revised: 10/04/2024] [Accepted: 10/24/2024] [Indexed: 11/02/2024]
Abstract
Neurofilaments are intermediate filaments present in neurons. These provide structural support and maintain the size and shape of the neurons. Dysregulation, mutation, and aggregation of neurofilaments raise the levels of these proteins in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which are characteristic features of axonal damage and certain rare neurological diseases, such as Giant Axonal Neuropathy and Charcot-Mare-Tooth disease. Understanding the structure, dynamics, and function of neurofilaments has been greatly enhanced by a diverse range of biochemical and preclinical investigations conducted over more than four decades. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in post-translational modifications of neurofilaments, such as phosphorylation, aggregation, mutation, oxidation, etc. Over the past twenty years, several rare disorders have been studied from structural alterations of neurofilaments. These disorders are monitored by fluid biomarkers such as neurofilament light chains. Currently, there are many tools, such as Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Electrochemiluminescence Assay, Single-Molecule Array, Western/immunoblotting, etc., in use to assess the neurofilament proteins in Blood and CSF. However, all these techniques utilize expensive, non-specific, or antibody-based methods, which make them unsuitable for routine screening of neurodegenerative disorders. This provides room to search for newer sensitive, cost-effective, point-of-care tools for rapid screening of the disease. For a long time, the molecular mechanisms of neurofilaments have been poorly understood due to insufficient research attempts, and a deeper understanding of them remains elusive. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the available literature on molecular mechanisms of neurofilaments and the function of neurofilaments in axonal transport, axonal conduction, axonal growth, and neurofilament aggregation, respectively. Further, this review discusses the role of neurofilaments as potential biomarkers for the identification of several neurodegenerative diseases in clinical laboratory practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shaik Basha
- Department of Biophysics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Anjana Pithakumar
- Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Thoshna L B
- Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India
| | | | - Jackson Rodrigues
- Department of Biophysics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Ameera K
- Department of Biophysics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Shimul Biswas
- Department of Biophysics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Aparna Ramakrishna Pai
- Department of Neurology, Kasturba Medical College-Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Sushma Belurkar
- Department of Pathology, Kasturba Medical College-Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India
| | - Krishna Kishore Mahato
- Department of Biophysics, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal - 576104, Karnataka, India.
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2
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Agah E, Mojtabavi H, Behkar A, Heidari A, Ajdari A, Shaka Z, Mousavi SV, Firoozeh N, Tafakhori A, Rezaei N. CSF and blood levels of Neurofilaments, T-Tau, P-Tau, and Abeta-42 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Transl Med 2024; 22:953. [PMID: 39434139 PMCID: PMC11492992 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05767-7] [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: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 10/15/2024] [Indexed: 10/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent literature suggests that markers of neuroaxonal damage, such as neurofilaments and tau protein, might serve as potential biomarkers for ALS. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis study to compare cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood levels of total tau (t-tau), phosphorylated tau (p-tau), amyloid beta peptide 42 (Abeta-42), and neurofilaments in ALS patients and controls. A systematic search of Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and ISI Web of Science was conducted on March 18, 2022, and updated on January 26, 2023. Observational studies that compared the concentrations of neurofilament light chain (NfL), neurofilament heavy chain (NFH), t-tau, p-tau, or Abeta-42 in CSF or peripheral blood of ALS patients and controls were included. Data from relevant studies were independently extracted and screened for quality using a standard tool, by at least two authors. Meta-analysis was conducted when a minimum of 3 studies reported the same biomarker within the same biofluid. A total of 100 studies were eligible for at least one meta-analysis. CSF and blood levels of NfL (standardized mean difference (SMD) [95% CI]; CSF: 1.46 [1.25-1.68]; blood: 1.35 [1.09-1.60]) and NFH (CSF: 1.32 [1.13-1.50], blood: 0.90 [0.58-1.22]) were significantly higher in ALS patients compared with controls. The pooled differences between ALS patients and controls were not significant for CSF t-tau, blood t-tau, and CSF Abeta-42, but CSF p-tau was lower in ALS patients (-0.27 [-0.47- -0.07]). Significantly decreased p-tau/t-tau ratios were found in ALS patients compared with controls (-0.84 [-1.16- -0.53]). Heterogeneity was considerable in most of our meta-analyses. CSF and blood neurofilament levels, as well as the CSF p-tau/t-tau ratio, might be potential candidates for improving ALS diagnosis. Further research is warranted to better understand the underlying mechanisms and the clinical implications of these biomarker alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmira Agah
- Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Expert Group (SRMEG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Helia Mojtabavi
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Expert Group (SRMEG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
- National Center for Adaptive Neurotechnologies (NCAN), Albany, NY, USA
| | - Atefeh Behkar
- Occupational Sleep Research Center, Baharloo Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Arash Heidari
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Research Center for Immunodeficiencies (RCID), Children's Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atra Ajdari
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Expert Group (SRMEG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Zoha Shaka
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Expert Group (SRMEG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Vahid Mousavi
- Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negar Firoozeh
- Department of Radiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Abbas Tafakhori
- Iranian Center of Neurological Research, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Nima Rezaei
- Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Expert Group (SRMEG), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
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Hatami-Fard G, Anastasova-Ivanova S. Advancements in Cerebrospinal Fluid Biosensors: Bridging the Gap from Early Diagnosis to the Detection of Rare Diseases. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:3294. [PMID: 38894085 PMCID: PMC11174891 DOI: 10.3390/s24113294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a body fluid that can be used for the diagnosis of various diseases. However, CSF collection requires an invasive and painful procedure called a lumbar puncture (LP). This procedure is applied to any patient with a known risk of central nervous system (CNS) damage or neurodegenerative disease, regardless of their age range. Hence, this can be a very painful procedure, especially in infants and elderly patients. On the other hand, the detection of disease biomarkers in CSF makes diagnoses as accurate as possible. This review aims to explore novel electrochemical biosensing platforms that have impacted biomedical science. Biosensors have emerged as techniques to accelerate the detection of known biomarkers in body fluids such as CSF. Biosensors can be designed and modified in various ways and shapes according to their ultimate applications to detect and quantify biomarkers of interest. This process can also significantly influence the detection and diagnosis of CSF. Hence, it is important to understand the role of this technology in the rapidly progressing field of biomedical science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghazal Hatami-Fard
- The Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Kodali MC, Antone J, Alsop E, Jayakumar R, Parikh K, Chiot A, Sanchez-Molina P, Ajami B, Arnold SE, Jensen K, Das S, Weinberg MS. Cryopreservation of cerebrospinal fluid cells preserves the transcriptional landscape for single-cell analysis. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:71. [PMID: 38521932 PMCID: PMC10960996 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03047-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) matrix biomarkers have become increasingly valuable surrogate markers of neuropsychiatric diseases in research and clinical practice. In contrast, CSF cells have been rarely investigated due to their relative scarcity and fragility, and lack of common collection and cryopreservation protocols, with limited exceptions for neurooncology and primary immune-based diseases like multiple sclerosis. the advent of a microfluidics-based multi-omics approach to studying individual cells has allowed for the study of cellular phenotyping, intracellular dynamics, and intercellular relationships that provide multidimensionality unable to be obtained through acellular fluid-phase analyses. challenges to cell-based research include site-to-site differences in handling, storage, and thawing methods, which can lead to inaccuracy and inter-assay variability. In the present study, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (10x Genomics) on fresh or previously cryopreserved human CSF samples from three alternative cryopreservation methods: Fetal Bovine Serum with Dimethyl sulfoxide (FBS/DMSO), FBS/DMSO after a DNase step (a step often included in epigenetic studies), and cryopreservation using commercially available Recovery© media. In comparing relative differences between fresh and cryopreserved samples, we found little effect of the cryopreservation method on being able to resolve donor-linked cell type proportions, markers of cellular stress, and overall gene expression at the single-cell level, whereas donor-specific differences were readily discernable. We further demonstrate the compatibility of fresh and cryopreserved CSF immune cell sequencing using biologically relevant sexually dimorphic gene expression differences by donor. Our findings support the utility and interchangeability of FBS/DMSO and Recovery cryopreservation with fresh sample analysis, providing a methodological grounding that will enable researchers to further expand our understanding of the CSF immune cell contributions to neurological and psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahesh Chandra Kodali
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jerry Antone
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Eric Alsop
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | | | - Khushi Parikh
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Aude Chiot
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Paula Sanchez-Molina
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Bahareh Ajami
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Steven E Arnold
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kendall Jensen
- Neurogenomics Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Sudeshna Das
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marc S Weinberg
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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5
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Zhang Y, Xia Y, Sun J. Probiotics and microbial metabolites maintain barrier and neuromuscular functions and clean protein aggregation to delay disease progression in TDP43 mutation mice. Gut Microbes 2024; 16:2363880. [PMID: 38860943 PMCID: PMC11174066 DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2024.2363880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease. The ALS mice expressing human mutant of transactive response DNA binding protein of 43 kDa (hmTDP43) showed intestinal dysfunction before neuromuscular symptoms. We hypothesize that restoring the intestinal and microbial homeostasis with a bacterial metabolite or probiotics delays the ALS disease onset. We investigate the pathophysiological changes in the intestine and neurons, intestinal and blood-brain barriers, and inflammation during the ALS progression. We then cultured enteric glial cells (EGCs) isolated from TDP43 mice for mechanistic studies. TDP43 mice had significantly decreased intestinal mobility, increased permeability, and weakened muscle, compared with the age-matched wild-type mice. We observed increased hmTDP43 and Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and decreased expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and Claudin-5) in the colon, spinal cord, and brain in TDP43 mice. TDP43 mice had reduced Butyryl-coenzyme A CoA transferase, decreased butyrate-producing bacteria Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and increased Bacteroides fragilis, compared to the WT mice. Serum inflammation cytokines (IL-6, IL-17, and IFN-γ) and LPS were elevated in TDP43 mice. EGCs from TDP43 mice showed aggregation of hmTDP43 associated with increased GFAP and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule (IBA1, a microglia marker). TDP43 mice treated with butyrate or probiotic VSL#3 had significantly increased rotarod time, increased intestinal mobility and decreased permeability, compared to the untreated group. Butyrate or probiotics treatment decreased the expression of GFAP, TDP43, and increased α-SMA, ZO-1, and Claudin-5 in the colon, spinal cord, and brain. Also, butyrate or probiotics treatment enhanced the Butyryl-coenzyme A CoA transferase, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and reduced inflammatory cytokines in TDP43 mice. The TDP43 EGCs treated with butyrate or probiotics showed reduced GFAP, IBA1, and TDP43 aggregation. Restoring the intestinal and microbial homeostasis by beneficial bacteria and metabolites provide a potential therapeutic strategy to treat ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongguo Zhang
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Yinglin Xia
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jun Sun
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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6
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Fröhlich A, Pfaff AL, Bubb VJ, Quinn JP, Koks S. Transcriptomic profiling of cerebrospinal fluid identifies ALS pathway enrichment and RNA biomarkers in MND individuals. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2023; 248:2325-2331. [PMID: 38001563 PMCID: PMC10903246 DOI: 10.1177/15353702231209427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND) which is characterized by the damage and death of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord of affected individuals. Due to the heterogeneity of the disease, a better understanding of the interaction between genetics and biochemistry with the identification of biomarkers is crucial for therapy development. In this study, we used cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) RNA-sequencing data from the New York Genome Center (NYGC) ALS Consortium and analyzed differential gene expression between 47 MND individuals and 29 healthy controls. Pathway analysis showed that the affected genes are enriched in many pathways associated with ALS, including nucleocytoplasmic transport, autophagy, and apoptosis. Moreover, we assessed differential expression on both gene- and transcript-based levels and demonstrate that the expression of previously identified potential biomarkers, including CAPG, CCL3, and MAP2, was significantly higher in MND individuals. Ultimately, this study highlights the transcriptomic composition of CSF which enables insights into changes in the brain in ALS and therefore increases the confidence in the use of CSF for biomarker development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Fröhlich
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Abigail L Pfaff
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Vivien J Bubb
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - John P Quinn
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Sulev Koks
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
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7
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Thermodynamic Signatures of Blood Plasma Proteome in Neurodegenerative Pathologies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24010789. [PMID: 36614231 PMCID: PMC9821040 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Discovery of diagnostic biomarkers for age-related neurodegenerative pathologies (NDDs) is essential for accurate diagnosis, following disease progression and drug development. Blood plasma and blood cells are important peripheral sources for NDDs' biomarkers that, although present in lower concentrations than in cerebrospinal fluid, would allow noninvasive diagnostics. To identify new biomarkers for Parkinson's disease (PD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in this work we have evaluated the modifications in the thermodynamic behavior of blood plasma proteome exploring differential scanning calorimetry. The plasma thermodynamics reflected the complexity and heterogeneity of the two pathologies. The unfolding temperature of the most abundant plasma protein albumin and the weighted average center of the calorimetric profile appeared as the two thermodynamic signatures that reflected modifications of the plasma proteome, i.e., strong thermal stabilization of albumin and plasma proteins' interaction network, related to both pathologies. Based on those two signatures, both PD and ALS patients were stratified in two sets, except several cases with thermodynamic parameters that strongly differed from those of the calorimetric sets. Along with modifications of the plasma thermodynamic behavior, we found altered globulin levels in all PD and ALS patients' plasma (higher level of α- and β-globulin fractions and lower level of γ-globulin fraction than the respective reference values) employing capillary electrophoresis. The presented results reveal the potential of calorimetry to indirectly identify NDDs' biomarkers in blood plasma.
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Chen X, Zhou L, Cui C, Sun J. Evolving markers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Adv Clin Chem 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.acc.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
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Petzold A. The 2022 Lady Estelle Wolfson lectureship on neurofilaments. J Neurochem 2022; 163:179-219. [PMID: 35950263 PMCID: PMC9826399 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Neurofilament proteins (Nf) have been validated and established as a reliable body fluid biomarker for neurodegenerative pathology. This review covers seven Nf isoforms, Nf light (NfL), two splicing variants of Nf medium (NfM), two splicing variants of Nf heavy (NfH),α -internexin (INA) and peripherin (PRPH). The genetic and epigenetic aspects of Nf are discussed as relevant for neurodegenerative diseases and oncology. The comprehensive list of mutations for all Nf isoforms covers Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Charcot-Marie Tooth disease, Spinal muscular atrophy, Parkinson Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. Next, emphasis is given to the expanding field of post-translational modifications (PTM) of the Nf amino acid residues. Protein structural aspects are reviewed alongside PTMs causing neurodegenerative pathology and human autoimmunity. Molecular visualisations of NF PTMs, assembly and stoichiometry make use of Alphafold2 modelling. The implications for Nf function on the cellular level and axonal transport are discussed. Neurofilament aggregate formation and proteolytic breakdown are reviewed as relevant for biomarker tests and disease. Likewise, Nf stoichiometry is reviewed with regard to in vitro experiments and as a compensatory mechanism in neurodegeneration. The review of Nf across a spectrum of 87 diseases from all parts of medicine is followed by a critical appraisal of 33 meta-analyses on Nf body fluid levels. The review concludes with considerations for clinical trial design and an outlook for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Petzold
- Department of NeurodegenerationQueen Square Insitute of Neurology, UCLLondonUK
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10
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Cavalcanti F, Gonzalez-Rey E, Delgado M, Falo CP, Mestre L, Guaza C, O’Valle F, Lufino MMP, Xaus J, Mascaró C, Lunardi S, Sacilotto N, Dessanti P, Rotllant D, Navarro X, Herrando-Grabulosa M, Buesa C, Maes T. Efficacy of Vafidemstat in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis Highlights the KDM1A/RCOR1/HDAC Epigenetic Axis in Multiple Sclerosis. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071420. [PMID: 35890315 PMCID: PMC9323733 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1; also known as KDM1A), is an epigenetic modulator that modifies the histone methylation status. KDM1A forms a part of protein complexes that regulate the expression of genes involved in the onset and progression of diseases such as cancer, central nervous system (CNS) disorders, viral infections, and others. Vafidemstat (ORY-2001) is a clinical stage inhibitor of KDM1A in development for the treatment of neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. However, the role of ORY-2001 targeting KDM1A in neuroinflammation remains to be explored. Here, we investigated the effect of ORY-2001 on immune-mediated and virus-induced encephalomyelitis, two experimental models of multiple sclerosis and neuronal damage. Oral administration of ORY-2001 ameliorated clinical signs, reduced lymphocyte egress and infiltration of immune cells into the spinal cord, and prevented demyelination. Interestingly, ORY-2001 was more effective and/or faster acting than a sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor antagonist in the effector phase of the disease and reduced the inflammatory gene expression signature characteristic ofEAE in the CNS of mice more potently. In addition, ORY-2001 induced gene expression changes concordant with a potential neuroprotective function in the brain and spinal cord and reduced neuronal glutamate excitotoxicity-derived damage in explants. These results pointed to ORY-2001 as a promising CNS epigenetic drug able to target neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases and provided preclinical support for the subsequent design of early-stage clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Cavalcanti
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - Elena Gonzalez-Rey
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine López-Neyra, IPBLN-CSIC, PTS-Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (E.G.-R.); (M.D.)
| | - Mario Delgado
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine López-Neyra, IPBLN-CSIC, PTS-Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (E.G.-R.); (M.D.)
| | - Clara P. Falo
- Institute of Parasitology and Biomedicine López-Neyra, IPBLN-CSIC, PTS-Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain; (E.G.-R.); (M.D.)
| | - Leyre Mestre
- Department of Functional and Systems Neurobiology, Cajal Institute (CSIC), 28034 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Carmen Guaza
- Department of Functional and Systems Neurobiology, Cajal Institute (CSIC), 28034 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Francisco O’Valle
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, IBIMER and IBS-Granada, Granada University, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Michele M. P. Lufino
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - Jordi Xaus
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - Cristina Mascaró
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - Serena Lunardi
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - Natalia Sacilotto
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - Paola Dessanti
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - David Rotllant
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - Xavier Navarro
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (X.N.); (M.H.-G.)
| | - Mireia Herrando-Grabulosa
- Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (X.N.); (M.H.-G.)
| | - Carlos Buesa
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
| | - Tamara Maes
- Oryzon Genomics S.A., Carrer Sant Ferran 74, 08940 Cornellà de Llobregat, Spain; (F.C.); (M.M.P.L.); (J.X.); (C.M.); (N.S.); (P.D.); (D.R.); (C.B.)
- Correspondence:
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11
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Reyes-Leiva D, Dols-Icardo O, Sirisi S, Cortés-Vicente E, Turon-Sans J, de Luna N, Blesa R, Belbin O, Montal V, Alcolea D, Fortea J, Lleó A, Rojas-García R, Illán-Gala I. Pathophysiological Underpinnings of Extra-Motor Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: New Insights From Biomarker Studies. Front Neurol 2022; 12:750543. [PMID: 35115992 PMCID: PMC8804092 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.750543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) lie at opposing ends of a clinical, genetic, and neuropathological continuum. In the last decade, it has become clear that cognitive and behavioral changes in patients with ALS are more frequent than previously recognized. Significantly, these non-motor features can impact the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of ALS. Partially overlapping neuropathological staging systems have been proposed to describe the distribution of TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) aggregates outside the corticospinal tract. However, the relationship between TDP-43 inclusions and neurodegeneration is not absolute and other pathophysiological processes, such as neuroinflammation (with a prominent role of microglia), cortical hyperexcitability, and synaptic dysfunction also play a central role in ALS pathophysiology. In the last decade, imaging and biofluid biomarker studies have revealed important insights into the pathophysiological underpinnings of extra-motor neurodegeneration in the ALS-FTLD continuum. In this review, we first summarize the clinical and pathophysiological correlates of extra-motor neurodegeneration in ALS. Next, we discuss the diagnostic and prognostic value of biomarkers in ALS and their potential to characterize extra-motor neurodegeneration. Finally, we debate about how biomarkers could improve the diagnosis and classification of ALS. Emerging imaging biomarkers of extra-motor neurodegeneration that enable the monitoring of disease progression are particularly promising. In addition, a growing arsenal of biofluid biomarkers linked to neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation are improving the diagnostic accuracy and identification of patients with a faster progression rate. The development and validation of biomarkers that detect the pathological aggregates of TDP-43 in vivo are notably expected to further elucidate the pathophysiological underpinnings of extra-motor neurodegeneration in ALS. Novel biomarkers tracking the different aspects of ALS pathophysiology are paving the way to precision medicine approaches in the ALS-FTLD continuum. These are essential steps to improve the diagnosis and staging of ALS and the design of clinical trials testing novel disease-modifying treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Reyes-Leiva
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Valencia, Spain
| | - Oriol Dols-Icardo
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sonia Sirisi
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Cortés-Vicente
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Valencia, Spain
| | - Janina Turon-Sans
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Valencia, Spain
| | - Noemi de Luna
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rafael Blesa
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Olivia Belbin
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victor Montal
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniel Alcolea
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Fortea
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Lleó
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ricard Rojas-García
- Neuromuscular Diseases Unit, Department of Neurology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, CIBERER, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ignacio Illán-Gala
- Sant Pau Memory Unit, Department of Neurology, Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, CIBERNED, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Ignacio Illán-Gala
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12
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Theunissen F, Flynn LL, Anderton RS, Akkari PA. Short structural variants as informative genetic markers for ALS disease risk and progression. BMC Med 2022; 20:11. [PMID: 35034660 PMCID: PMC8762977 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-021-02206-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There is considerable variability in disease progression for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including the age of disease onset, site of disease onset, and survival time. There is growing evidence that short structural variations (SSVs) residing in frequently overlooked genomic regions can contribute to complex disease mechanisms and can explain, in part, the phenotypic variability in ALS patients. Here, we discuss SSVs recently characterized by our laboratory and how these discoveries integrate into the current literature on ALS, particularly in the context of application to future clinical trials. These markers may help to identify and differentiate patients for clinical trials that have a similar ALS disease mechanism(s), thereby reducing the impact of participant heterogeneity. As evidence accumulates for the genetic markers discovered in SQSTM1, SCAF4, and STMN2, we hope to improve the outcomes of future ALS clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Theunissen
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, First floor, RR block, QEII Medical Centre, 8 Verdun St, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.
| | - Loren L Flynn
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, First floor, RR block, QEII Medical Centre, 8 Verdun St, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Black Swan Pharmaceuticals, Wake Forrest, NC, USA
| | - Ryan S Anderton
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing, Midwifery and Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA, 6160, Australia
| | - P Anthony Akkari
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, First floor, RR block, QEII Medical Centre, 8 Verdun St, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Black Swan Pharmaceuticals, Wake Forrest, NC, USA
- Division of Neurology, Duke University Medical Centre, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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13
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Ghanemi A, Yoshioka M, St-Amand J. Measuring Exercise-Induced Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine Expression as a Molecular Tool to Optimize Personalized Medicine. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:1832. [PMID: 34828438 PMCID: PMC8621187 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The numerous exercise benefits for health as well as applications for diseases has lead to exercise being prescribed in many pathological conditions. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) gene expression is stimulated by exercise and SPARC has been suggested as a molecular mediator of exercise. Therefore, we suggest using this property for personalized medicine. This can be achieved by prescribing the exercise with a pattern (duration, intensity, etc.) that corresponds to the optimum SPARC/Sparc expression. We expect this approach to optimize the exercise therapy in both the preventive and curative contexts. In the research field, measuring exercise -dependent expression of Sparc would represent a molecular tool to further optimize the selection of exercise animal models as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelaziz Ghanemi
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (A.G.); (M.Y.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Mayumi Yoshioka
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (A.G.); (M.Y.)
| | - Jonny St-Amand
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (A.G.); (M.Y.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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14
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Molecular Classification and Interpretation of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using Deep Convolution Neural Networks and Shapley Values. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111754. [PMID: 34828360 PMCID: PMC8626003 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a prototypical neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive degeneration of motor neurons to severely effect the functionality to control voluntary muscle movement. Most of the non-additive genetic aberrations responsible for ALS make its molecular classification very challenging along with limited sample size, curse of dimensionality, class imbalance and noise in the data. Deep learning methods have been successful in many other related areas but have low minority class accuracy and suffer from the lack of explainability when used directly with RNA expression features for ALS molecular classification. In this paper, we propose a deep-learning-based molecular ALS classification and interpretation framework. Our framework is based on training a convolution neural network (CNN) on images obtained from converting RNA expression values into pixels based on DeepInsight similarity technique. Then, we employed Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) to extract pixels with higher relevance to ALS classifications. These pixels were mapped back to the genes which made them up. This enabled us to classify ALS samples with high accuracy for a minority class along with identifying genes that might be playing an important role in ALS molecular classifications. Taken together with RNA expression images classified with CNN, our preliminary analysis of the genes identified by SHAP interpretation demonstrate the value of utilizing Machine Learning to perform molecular classification of ALS and uncover disease-associated genes.
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15
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Agnello L, Colletti T, Lo Sasso B, Vidali M, Spataro R, Gambino CM, Giglio RV, Piccoli T, Bivona G, La Bella V, Ciaccio M. Tau protein as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Eur J Neurol 2021; 28:1868-1875. [PMID: 33638255 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To test the hypothesis that total tau (tTau), tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (pTau) and pTau/tTau ratio in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we performed a retrospective observational study in a large cohort of ALS patients and controls. METHODS We enrolled 196 ALS patients and 91 controls, who included patients with ALS-mimicking diseases and those with non-neurodegenerative diseases. All patients underwent lumbar puncture for CSF analysis at the time of the diagnostic evaluation or to first referral. We measured tTau and pTau levels in the CSF by chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS Patients with ALS showed significantly higher levels of CSF tTau and a lower pTau/tTau ratio than controls (tTau: 245 vs. 146 pg/ml; p < 0.001; pTau/tTau ratio: 0.12 vs. 0.18; p < 0.001, respectively). No differences in pTau levels were detected. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed a good diagnostic accuracy of tTau and pTau/tTau ratio (tTau: area under the curve [AUC] 0.685, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.616-0.754, p = 0.039; pTau/tTau ratio: AUC 0.777, 95% CI 0.707-0.848, p < 0.001). Among ALS patients, increased tTau levels were associated with advanced age of onset, increased revised amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) score (ΔFS) rate of progression, and spinal onset. Multivariate analysis showed that in ALS patients, this biomarker was an independent negative predictor of overall survival. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that tTau and pTau/tTau ratio can be diagnostic biomarkers of ALS. In addition, CSF tTau level at diagnosis might play a relevant prognostic role in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Agnello
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Tiziana Colletti
- ALS Clinical Research Center and Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Bruna Lo Sasso
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital "P. Giaccone", Palermo, Italy
| | - Matteo Vidali
- Unit of Clinical Chemistry, Maggiore della Carità Hospital, Novara, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Maria Gambino
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Rosaria Vincenza Giglio
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Tommaso Piccoli
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulia Bivona
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Vincenzo La Bella
- ALS Clinical Research Center and Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Marcello Ciaccio
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, Institute of Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Molecular Medicine and Laboratory Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital "P. Giaccone", Palermo, Italy
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16
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Li R, Wang J, Xie W, Liu J, Wang C. UCHL1 from serum and CSF is a candidate biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2020; 7:1420-1428. [PMID: 32729234 PMCID: PMC7448153 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify potential ALS biomarkers in patients and to evaluate their diagnostic performance using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum. METHOD We recruited a discovery cohort, comprising 20 ALS patients and 20 controls to screen for potential CSF biomarker, UCHL1, using a Luminex neurodegenerative disease panel. To validate UCHL1's diagnostic performance, we used receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine the potential for early diagnosis in another cohort comprising 23 CSF and 69 serum ALS samples. Finally, we analyzed its correlation with clinical features. RESULTS We found significantly elevated levels of CSF-derived UCHL1 in both discovery and validation cohorts (P < 0.05). ROC curves revealed an AUC of 0.8288, with a sensitivity and specificity of 73.91% and 81.25%, respectively, when the cut-off value for UCHL1 was >291.9 pg/mL. A similar result was observed in the serum cohort, with the ALS group exhibiting significantly higher serum UCHL1 levels than the controls (P < 0.05). AUC of the ROC in the serum UCHL1 cohort was 0.7709, with sensitivity and specificity of 61.43% and 79.59%, respectively, when the cut-off value of serum UCHL1 was >15.22 pg/mL. At the early stage CSF and serum UCHL1 were significantly different between ALS patients and controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, serum UCHL1 levels showed a positive relationship with the burden of UMN and LMN dysfunction, albeit with no statistical significance. INTERPRETATION Taken together, our findings suggest that ALS patients exhibit significantly elevated CSF- and serum-derived UCHL1. Moreover, our data warrant that UCHL1 displays good diagnostic performance and provide novel options for ALS early diagnosis. However, its prognostic value needs to be further investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruibing Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, P.R. China
| | - Jianan Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, P.R. China
| | - Wei Xie
- Department of Neurology, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, P.R. China
| | - Jiayu Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, P.R. China
| | - Chengbin Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, P.R. China
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17
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Theunissen F, Flynn LL, Anderton RS, Mastaglia F, Pytte J, Jiang L, Hodgetts S, Burns DK, Saunders A, Fletcher S, Wilton SD, Akkari PA. Structural Variants May Be a Source of Missing Heritability in sALS. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:47. [PMID: 32082115 PMCID: PMC7005198 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms that drive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remain poorly understood. Structural variants within the genome can play a significant role in neurodegenerative disease risk, such as the repeat expansion in C9orf72 and the tri-nucleotide repeat in ATXN2, both of which are associated with familial and sporadic ALS. Many such structural variants reside in uncharacterized regions of the human genome, and have been under studied. Therefore, characterization of structural variants located in and around genes associated with ALS could provide insight into disease pathogenesis, and lead to the discovery of highly informative genetic tools for stratification in clinical trials. Such genomic variants may provide a deeper understanding of how gene expression can affect disease etiology, disease severity and trajectory, patient response to treatment, and may hold the key to understanding the genetics of sporadic ALS. This article outlines the current understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis genetics and how structural variations may underpin some of the missing heritability of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Theunissen
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Loren L Flynn
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Ryan S Anderton
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,School of Health Sciences, Institute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA, Australia
| | - Frank Mastaglia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Julia Pytte
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Leanne Jiang
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Stuart Hodgetts
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,School of Human Sciences, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Daniel K Burns
- Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Ann Saunders
- Zinfandel Pharmaceuticals, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Sue Fletcher
- Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Steve D Wilton
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Patrick Anthony Akkari
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Neuromuscular and Neurological Disorders, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Innovative Therapeutics, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
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18
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Wirsching I, Ort N, Üçeyler N. ALS or ALS mimic by neuroborreliosis-A case report. Clin Case Rep 2020; 8:86-91. [PMID: 31998493 PMCID: PMC6982520 DOI: 10.1002/ccr3.2569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive investigation in motor neuron disease is vital not to miss a treatable differential diagnosis. Neuroborreliosis should be considered during an ALS work-up. However, false-positive CSF results do occur, and thus, results should be interpreted carefully in context of all clinical test results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Wirsching
- Present address:
Charité Department of NeurologyUniversity of BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Nora Ort
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
| | - Nurcan Üçeyler
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of WürzburgWürzburgGermany
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