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Tsekrekou M, Giannakou M, Papanikolopoulou K, Skretas G. Protein aggregation and therapeutic strategies in SOD1- and TDP-43- linked ALS. Front Mol Biosci 2024; 11:1383453. [PMID: 38855322 PMCID: PMC11157337 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2024.1383453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with severe socio-economic impact. A hallmark of ALS pathology is the presence of aberrant cytoplasmic inclusions composed of misfolded and aggregated proteins, including both wild-type and mutant forms. This review highlights the critical role of misfolded protein species in ALS pathogenesis, particularly focusing on Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), and emphasizes the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies targeting these misfolded proteins directly. Despite significant advancements in understanding ALS mechanisms, the disease remains incurable, with current treatments offering limited clinical benefits. Through a comprehensive analysis, the review focuses on the direct modulation of the misfolded proteins and presents recent discoveries in small molecules and peptides that inhibit SOD1 and TDP-43 aggregation, underscoring their potential as effective treatments to modify disease progression and improve clinical outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Tsekrekou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Giannakou
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Katerina Papanikolopoulou
- Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
- ResQ Biotech, Patras Science Park, Rio, Greece
| | - Georgios Skretas
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, Athens, Greece
- ResQ Biotech, Patras Science Park, Rio, Greece
- Institute for Bio-innovation, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre “Alexander Fleming”, Vari, Greece
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2
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Das V, Miller JH, Alladi CG, Annadurai N, De Sanctis JB, Hrubá L, Hajdúch M. Antineoplastics for treating Alzheimer's disease and dementia: Evidence from preclinical and observational studies. Med Res Rev 2024. [PMID: 38530106 DOI: 10.1002/med.22033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
As the world population ages, there will be an increasing need for effective therapies for aging-associated neurodegenerative disorders, which remain untreatable. Dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the leading neurological diseases in the aging population. Current therapeutic approaches to treat this disorder are solely symptomatic, making the need for new molecular entities acting on the causes of the disease extremely urgent. One of the potential solutions is to use compounds that are already in the market. The structures have known pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, toxicity profiles, and patient data available in several countries. Several drugs have been used successfully to treat diseases different from their original purposes, such as autoimmunity and peripheral inflammation. Herein, we divulge the repurposing of drugs in the area of neurodegenerative diseases, focusing on the therapeutic potential of antineoplastics to treat dementia due to AD and dementia. We briefly touch upon the shared pathological mechanism between AD and cancer and drug repurposing strategies, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Next, we bring out the current status of research on the development of drugs, provide supporting evidence from retrospective, clinical, and preclinical studies on antineoplastic use, and bring in new areas, such as repurposing drugs for the prion-like spreading of pathologies in treating AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viswanath Das
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - John H Miller
- School of Biological Sciences and Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Charanraj Goud Alladi
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Narendran Annadurai
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Juan Bautista De Sanctis
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Hrubá
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University and University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Czech Advanced Technologies and Research Institute (CATRIN), Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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3
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Potenza RL, Armida M, Popoli P. Can Some Anticancer Drugs Be Repurposed to Treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis? A Brief Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1751. [PMID: 38339026 PMCID: PMC10855887 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031751] [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: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare progressive motor neuron disease that, due to its high complexity, still lacks effective treatments. Development of a new drug is a highly costly and time-consuming process, and the repositioning of approved drugs can represent an efficient strategy to provide therapeutic opportunities. This is particularly true for rare diseases, which are characterised by small patient populations and therefore attract little commercial interest. Based on the overlap between the biological background of cancer and neurodegeneration, the repurposing of antineoplastic drugs for ALS has been suggested. The objective of this narrative review was to summarise the current experimental evidence on the use of approved anticancer drugs in ALS. Specifically, anticancer drugs belonging to different classes were found to act on mechanisms involved in the ALS pathogenesis, and some of them proved to exert beneficial effects in ALS models. However, additional studies are necessary to confirm the real therapeutic potential of anticancer drugs for repositioning in ALS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Luisa Potenza
- National Centre for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.A.); (P.P.)
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4
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Gonzalo-Gobernado R, Moreno-Martínez L, González P, Dopazo XM, Calvo AC, Pidal-Ladrón de Guevara I, Seisdedos E, Díaz-Muñoz R, Mellström B, Osta R, Naranjo JR. Repaglinide Induces ATF6 Processing and Neuroprotection in Transgenic SOD1G93A Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15783. [PMID: 37958767 PMCID: PMC10648964 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The interaction of the activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), a key effector of the unfolded protein response (UPR) in the endoplasmic reticulum, with the neuronal calcium sensor Downstream Regulatory Element Antagonist Modulator (DREAM) is a potential therapeutic target in neurodegeneration. Modulation of the ATF6-DREAM interaction with repaglinide (RP) induced neuroprotection in a model of Huntington's disease. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder with no cure, characterized by the progressive loss of motoneurons resulting in muscle denervation, atrophy, paralysis, and death. The aim of this work was to investigate the potential therapeutic significance of DREAM as a target for intervention in ALS. We found that the expression of the DREAM protein was reduced in the spinal cord of SOD1G93A mice compared to wild-type littermates. RP treatment improved motor strength and reduced the expression of the ALS progression marker collagen type XIXα1 (Col19α1 mRNA) in the quadriceps muscle in SOD1G93A mice. Moreover, treated SOD1G93A mice showed reduced motoneuron loss and glial activation and increased ATF6 processing in the spinal cord. These results indicate that the modulation of the DREAM-ATF6 interaction ameliorates ALS symptoms in SOD1G93A mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Gonzalo-Gobernado
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Laura Moreno-Martínez
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
- LAGENBIO, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- AgriFood Institute of Aragon-IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Paz González
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Xose Manuel Dopazo
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
| | - Ana Cristina Calvo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
- LAGENBIO, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- AgriFood Institute of Aragon-IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Isabel Pidal-Ladrón de Guevara
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
| | - Elisa Seisdedos
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
| | - Rodrigo Díaz-Muñoz
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
| | - Britt Mellström
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
| | - Rosario Osta
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
- LAGENBIO, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
- Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), Biomedical Research Centre of Aragón (CIBA), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- AgriFood Institute of Aragon-IA2 (UNIZAR-CITA), 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - José Ramón Naranjo
- National Centre for Biotechnology (CNB), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain; (R.G.-G.); (P.G.); (X.M.D.); (I.P.-L.d.G.); (E.S.); (R.D.-M.); (B.M.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; (L.M.-M.); (A.C.C.)
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Garrigós MM, Oliveira FA, Nucci MP, Mamani JB, Dias OFM, Rego GNA, Junqueira MS, Costa CJS, Silva LRR, Alves AH, Valle NME, Marti L, Gamarra LF. Bioluminescence Imaging and ICP-MS Associated with SPION as a Tool for Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells Homing and Engraftment Evaluation. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15030828. [PMID: 36986690 PMCID: PMC10057125 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15030828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bone marrow transplantation is a treatment for a variety of hematological and non-hematological diseases. For the transplant success, it is mandatory to have a thriving engraftment of transplanted cells, which directly depends on their homing. The present study proposes an alternative method to evaluate the homing and engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells using bioluminescence imaging and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) associated with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. We have identified an enriched population of hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow following the administration of Fluorouracil (5-FU). Lately, the cell labeling with nanoparticles displayed the greatest internalization status when treated with 30 µg Fe/mL. The quantification by ICP-MS evaluate the stem cells homing by identifying 3.95 ± 0.37 µg Fe/mL in the control and 6.61 ± 0.84 µg Fe/mL in the bone marrow of transplanted animals. In addition, 2.14 ± 0.66 mg Fe/g in the spleen of the control group and 2.17 ± 0.59 mg Fe/g in the spleen of the experimental group was also measured. Moreover, the bioluminescence imaging provided the follow up on the hematopoietic stem cells behavior by monitoring their distribution by the bioluminescence signal. Lastly, the blood count enabled the monitoring of animal hematopoietic reconstitution and ensured the transplantation effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mariana P. Nucci
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo 05652-000, SP, Brazil
- LIM44—Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Javier B. Mamani
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo 05652-000, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Mara S. Junqueira
- Center for Translational Research in Oncology, Cancer Institute of the State of Sao Paulo—ICESP, São Paulo 01246-000, SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Arielly H. Alves
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo 05652-000, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Luciana Marti
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo 05652-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Lionel F. Gamarra
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo 05652-000, SP, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-11-2151-0243
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6
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Liu W, Wang G, Wang Z, Wang G, Huang J, Liu B. Repurposing small-molecule drugs for modulating toxic protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases. Drug Discov Today 2022; 27:1994-2007. [PMID: 35395400 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.04.003] [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: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are often age-related disorders that can cause dementia in people, usually over 65 years old, are still lacking effective therapies. Some NDs have recently been linked to toxic protein aggregates, for example Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington disease; therefore, mulating toxic protein aggregates would be a promising therapeutic strategy. Moreover, drug repurposing, in other words exploiting drugs that are already in use for another indication, has been attracting mounting attention for potential therapeutic purposes in NDs. Thus, in this review, we focus on summarizing a series of repurposed small-molecule drugs for eliminating or inhibiting toxic protein aggregates and further discuss their intricate molecular mechanisms to improve the current ND treatment. Taken together, these findings will shed new light on exploiting more repurposed small-molecule drugs targeting different types of toxic proteins to fight NDs in the future. Teaser: Drug repurposing has been gaining attention to yield therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, and Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Gang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, and Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhiwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, and Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Guan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, and Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | | | - Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, and Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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7
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Smart releasing CuS/ZnS nanocomposite dual drug carrier and photothermal agent for use as a theranostic tool for cancer therapy. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2022.103252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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8
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McAlary L, Shephard VK, Wright GSA, Yerbury JJ. A copper chaperone-mimetic polytherapy for SOD1-associated amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101612. [PMID: 35065969 PMCID: PMC8885447 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons progressively and rapidly degenerate, eventually leading to death. The first protein found to contain ALS-associated mutations was copper/zinc superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), which is conformationally stable when it contains its metal ligands and has formed its native intramolecular disulfide. Mutations in SOD1 reduce protein folding stability via disruption of metal binding and/or disulfide formation, resulting in misfolding, aggregation, and ultimately cellular toxicity. A great deal of effort has focused on preventing the misfolding and aggregation of SOD1 as a potential therapy for ALS; however, the results have been mixed. Here, we utilize a small-molecule polytherapy of diacetylbis(N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazonato)copper(II) (CuATSM) and ebselen to mimic the metal delivery and disulfide bond promoting activity of the cellular chaperone of SOD1, the “copper chaperone for SOD1.” Using microscopy with automated image analysis, we find that polytherapy using CuATSM and ebselen is highly effective and acts in synergy to reduce inclusion formation in a cell model of SOD1 aggregation for multiple ALS-associated mutants. Polytherapy reduces mutant SOD1-associated cell death, as measured by live-cell microscopy. Measuring dismutase activity via zymography and immunoblotting for disulfide formation showed that polytherapy promoted more effective maturation of transfected SOD1 variants beyond either compound alone. Our data suggest that a polytherapy of CuATSM and ebselen may merit more study as an effective method of treating SOD1-associated ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- L McAlary
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
| | - V K Shephard
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - G S A Wright
- Department of Biochemistry & Systems Biology, Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - J J Yerbury
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia; Molecular Horizons and School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
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9
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Orienti I, Armida M, Dobrowolny G, Pepponi R, Sollazzini G, Pezzola A, Casola I, Musarò A, Popoli P, Potenza RL. Fenretinide Beneficial Effects on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-associated SOD1 G93A Mutant Protein Toxicity: In Vitro and In Vivo Evidences. Neuroscience 2021; 473:1-12. [PMID: 34363869 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most frequent motor neuron disease for which effective treatment options are still lacking. ALS occurs in sporadic and familial forms which are clinically indistinguishable; about 20% of familial ALS cases are linked to mutations of the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene. Fenretinide (FEN), a cancer chemopreventive and antiproliferative agent currently used in several clinical trials, is a multi-target drug which also exhibits redox regulation activities. We analyzed the effects of FEN on mutant SOD1 (mSOD1) toxicity in motoneuronal (NSC34) and a muscle (C2C12) cell lines and evaluated the impacts of chronic administration of a new nanomicellar fenretinide formulation (NanoMFen) on ALS disease progression in the SOD1G93A mouse model. The results showed that FEN significantly prevents the toxicity of mSOD1 expression in NSC34 motor neuron; furthermore, FEN is able to partially overcome the toxic effect of mSOD1 on the myogenic program of C2C12 muscle cells. Administration of NanoMFen ameliorates the disease progression and increases median survival of mSOD1G93A ALS mice, even when given after disease onset; beneficial effects in ALS mice, however, is restricted to female sex. Our data support the therapeutic potential of FEN against ALS-associated SOD1G93A mutant protein toxicity and promote further studies to elucidate specific cellular targets of the drug in ALS. Furthermore, the sex-related efficacy of NanoMFen in mSOD1G93A ALS mice strengthens the importance, in the perspective of a precision medicine approach, of gender pharmacology in ALS research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Orienti
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Monica Armida
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Dobrowolny
- DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Pepponi
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella Sollazzini
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Pezzola
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Casola
- DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Musarò
- DAHFMO-Unit of Histology and Medical Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Rome, Italy
| | - Patrizia Popoli
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa Luisa Potenza
- National Center for Drug Research and Evaluation, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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10
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Advani D, Gupta R, Tripathi R, Sharma S, Ambasta RK, Kumar P. Protective role of anticancer drugs in neurodegenerative disorders: A drug repurposing approach. Neurochem Int 2020; 140:104841. [PMID: 32853752 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The disease heterogeneity and little therapeutic progress in neurodegenerative diseases justify the need for novel and effective drug discovery approaches. Drug repurposing is an emerging approach that reinvigorates the classical drug discovery method by divulging new therapeutic uses of existing drugs. The common biological background and inverse tuning between cancer and neurodegeneration give weight to the conceptualization of repurposing of anticancer drugs as novel therapeutics. Many studies are available in the literature, which highlights the success story of anticancer drugs as repurposed therapeutics. Among them, kinase inhibitors, developed for various oncology indications evinced notable neuroprotective effects in neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we shed light on the salient role of multiple protein kinases in neurodegenerative disorders. We also proposed a feasible explanation of the action of kinase inhibitors in neurodegenerative disorders with more attention towards neurodegenerative disorders. The problem of neurotoxicity associated with some anticancer drugs is also highlighted. Our review encourages further research to better encode the hidden potential of anticancer drugs with the aim of developing prospective repurposed drugs with no toxicity for neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dia Advani
- Department of Biotechnology, Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Room# FW4TF3, Mechanical Engineering Building, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Rohan Gupta
- Department of Biotechnology, Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Room# FW4TF3, Mechanical Engineering Building, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Rahul Tripathi
- Department of Biotechnology, Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Room# FW4TF3, Mechanical Engineering Building, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Sudhanshu Sharma
- Department of Biotechnology, Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Room# FW4TF3, Mechanical Engineering Building, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Rashmi K Ambasta
- Department of Biotechnology, Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Room# FW4TF3, Mechanical Engineering Building, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India
| | - Pravir Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, Molecular Neuroscience and Functional Genomics Laboratory, Room# FW4TF3, Mechanical Engineering Building, Shahbad Daulatpur, Bawana Road, Delhi, 110042, India.
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Potential use of edaravone to reduce specific side effects of chemo-, radio- and immuno-therapy of cancers. Int Immunopharmacol 2019; 77:105967. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Abstract
Few proteins have come under such intense scrutiny as superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1). For almost a century, scientists have dissected its form, function and then later its malfunction in the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We now know SOD1 is a zinc and copper metalloenzyme that clears superoxide as part of our antioxidant defence and respiratory regulation systems. The possibility of reduced structural integrity was suggested by the first crystal structures of human SOD1 even before deleterious mutations in the sod1 gene were linked to the ALS. This concept evolved in the intervening years as an impressive array of biophysical studies examined the characteristics of mutant SOD1 in great detail. We now recognise how ALS-related mutations perturb the SOD1 maturation processes, reduce its ability to fold and reduce its thermal stability and half-life. Mutant SOD1 is therefore predisposed to monomerisation, non-canonical self-interactions, the formation of small misfolded oligomers and ultimately accumulation in the tell-tale insoluble inclusions found within the neurons of ALS patients. We have also seen that several post-translational modifications could push wild-type SOD1 down this toxic pathway. Recently we have come to view ALS as a prion-like disease where both the symptoms, and indeed SOD1 misfolding itself, are transmitted to neighbouring cells. This raises the possibility of intervention after the initial disease presentation. Several small-molecule and biologic-based strategies have been devised which directly target the SOD1 molecule to change the behaviour thought to be responsible for ALS. Here we provide a comprehensive review of the many biophysical advances that sculpted our view of SOD1 biology and the recent work that aims to apply this knowledge for therapeutic outcomes in ALS.
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