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Cao C, Fu G, Xu R, Li N. Coupling of Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Risk Factors with Viral Susceptibility and Inflammation. Aging Dis 2024; 15:2028-2050. [PMID: 37962454 PMCID: PMC11346407 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.1017] [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: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by persistent cognitive decline. Amyloid plaque deposition and neurofibrillary tangles are the main pathological features of AD brain, though mechanisms leading to the formation of lesions remain to be understood. Genetic efforts through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified dozens of risk genes influencing the pathogenesis and progression of AD, some of which have been revealed in close association with increased viral susceptibilities and abnormal inflammatory responses in AD patients. In the present study, we try to present a list of AD candidate genes that have been shown to affect viral infection and inflammatory responses. Understanding of how AD susceptibility genes interact with the viral life cycle and potential inflammatory pathways would provide possible therapeutic targets for both AD and infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ruodan Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Institute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China.
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2
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Wang J, Du L, Zhang T, Chu Y, Wang Y, Wang Y, Ji X, Kang Y, Cui R, Zhang G, Liu J, Shi G. Edaravone Dexborneol ameliorates the cognitive deficits of APP/PS1 mice by inhibiting TLR4/MAPK signaling pathway via upregulating TREM2. Neuropharmacology 2024; 255:110006. [PMID: 38763325 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Currently, there are no effective therapeutic agents available to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, edaravone dexborneol (EDB), a novel composite agent used to treat acute ischemic stroke, has recently been shown to exert efficacious neuroprotective effects. However, whether EDB can ameliorate cognitive deficits in AD currently remains unclear. To this end, we explored the effects of EDB on AD and its potential mechanisms using an AD animal model (male APP/PS1 mice) treated with EDB for 10 weeks starting at 6 months of age. Subsequent analyses revealed that EDB-treated APP/PS1 mice exhibited improved cognitive abilities compared to untreated APP/PS1 mice. Administration of EDB in APP/PS1 mice further alleviated neuropathological alterations of the hippocampus, including Aβ deposition, pyramidal cell karyopyknosis, and oxidative damage, and significantly decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) and COX-2 in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. Transcriptome sequencing analysis demonstrated the critical role of the inflammatory reaction in EDB treatment in APP/PS1 mice, indicating that the alleviation of the inflammatory reaction by EDB in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice was linked to the action of the TREM2/TLR4/MAPK signaling pathway. Further in vitro investigations showed that EDB suppressed neuroinflammation in LPS-stimulated BV2 cells by inhibiting the TLR4/MAPK signaling pathway and upregulating TREM2 expression. Thus, the findings of the present study demonstrate that EDB is a promising therapeutic agent for AD-related cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyang Wang
- Department of Neurology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050051, China; Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Longyuan Du
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Tianyun Zhang
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Yun Chu
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Xiaoming Ji
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Yunxiao Kang
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Rui Cui
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Guoliang Zhang
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China
| | - Junyan Liu
- Department of Neurology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050051, China
| | - Geming Shi
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China; Neuroscience Research Center, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050017, China.
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3
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Shen Y, Liu F, Zhang M. Therapeutic potential of plant-derived natural compounds in Alzheimer's disease: Targeting microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 178:117235. [PMID: 39094545 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117235] [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: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 07/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Microglia are resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS) with roles in sensing, housekeeping, and defense. Exploring the role of microglia in the occurrence and development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and the possible therapeutic mechanism of plant-derived natural compounds (PDNCs) that regulate microglia-associated neuroinflammation may potentially help in elucidating the pathogenesis of AD and provide novel insights for its treatment. This review explores the role of abnormal microglial activation and its dominant neuroinflammatory response, as well as the activation of their target receptors and signaling pathways in AD pathogenesis. Additionally, we report an update on the potential pharmacological mechanisms of multiple PDNCs in modulating microglia-associated neuroinflammation in AD treatment. Dysregulated activation of microglial receptors and their downstream pathways impaired immune homeostasis in animal models of AD. Multiple signaling pathways, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and Toll-like receptors, play important roles in microglial activation and can exacerbate microglia-mediated neuroinflammation. PDNCs, such as magnolol, stigmasterol, matrine, naringenin, naringin, and resveratrol, can delay the progression of AD by inhibiting the proinflammatory receptors of microglia, activating its anti-inflammatory receptors, regulating the receptors related to β-amyloid (Aβ) clearance, reversing immune dysregulation, and maintaining the immune homeostasis of microglial downstream pathways. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which microglia cause chronic inflammation in AD and evaluates the beneficial effects of PDNCs on immune regulation in AD by regulating microglial receptors and their downstream pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Shen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, China.
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, China
| | - Mingjie Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, China.
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Codocedo JF, Mera-Reina C, Bor-Chian Lin P, Fallen PB, Puntambekar SS, Casali BT, Jury-Garfe N, Martinez P, Lasagna-Reeves CA, Landreth GE. Therapeutic targeting of immunometabolism reveals a critical reliance on hexokinase 2 dosage for microglial activation and Alzheimer's progression. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114488. [PMID: 39002124 PMCID: PMC11398604 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114488] [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: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is a prominent feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Activated microglia undergo a reprogramming of cellular metabolism necessary to power their cellular activities during disease. Thus, selective targeting of microglial immunometabolism might be of therapeutic benefit for treating AD. In the AD brain, the levels of microglial hexokinase 2 (HK2), an enzyme that supports inflammatory responses by promoting glycolysis, are significantly increased. In addition, HK2 displays non-metabolic activities that extend its inflammatory role beyond glycolysis. The antagonism of HK2 affects microglial phenotypes and disease progression in a gene-dose-dependent manner. HK2 complete loss fails to improve pathology by exacerbating inflammation, while its haploinsufficiency reduces pathology in 5xFAD mice. We propose that the partial antagonism of HK2 is effective in slowing disease progression by modulating NF-κB signaling through its cytosolic target, IKBα. The complete loss of HK2 affects additional inflammatory mechanisms related to mitochondrial dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan F Codocedo
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Claudia Mera-Reina
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Peter Bor-Chian Lin
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Paul B Fallen
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Shweta S Puntambekar
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Brad T Casali
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Nur Jury-Garfe
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Pablo Martinez
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Cristian A Lasagna-Reeves
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Gary E Landreth
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
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5
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Yin Y, Yang H, Li R, Wu G, Qin Q, Tang Y. A systematic review of the role of TREM2 in Alzheimer's disease. Chin Med J (Engl) 2024; 137:1684-1694. [PMID: 38915213 PMCID: PMC11268819 DOI: 10.1097/cm9.0000000000003000] [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: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given the established genetic linkage between triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), an expanding research body has delved into the intricate role of TREM2 within the AD context. However, a conflicting landscape of outcomes has emerged from both in vivo and in vitro investigations. This study aimed to elucidate the multifaceted nuances and gain a clearer comprehension of the role of TREM2. METHODS PubMed database was searched spanning from its inception to January 2022. The search criteria took the form of ("Alzheimer's disease" OR "AD") AND ("transgenic mice model" OR "transgenic mouse model") AND ("Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells" OR "TREM2"). Inclusion criteria consisted of the following: (1) publication of original studies in English; (2) utilization of transgenic mouse models for AD research; and (3) reports addressing the subject of TREM2. RESULTS A total of 43 eligible articles were identified. Our analysis addresses four pivotal queries concerning the interrelation of TREM2 with microglial function, Aβ accumulation, tau pathology, and inflammatory processes. However, the diverse inquiries posed yielded inconsistent responses. Nevertheless, the inconsistent roles of TREM2 within these AD mouse models potentially hinge upon factors such as age, sex, brain region, model type, and detection methodologies. CONCLUSIONS This review substantiates the evolving understanding of TREM2's disease progression-dependent impacts. Furthermore, it reviews the interplay between TREM2 and its effects across diverse tissues and temporal stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunsi Yin
- Department of Neurology & Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Hanchen Yang
- Department of Neurology & Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Ruiyang Li
- Department of Neurology & Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Guangshan Wu
- Department of Neurology & Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Qi Qin
- Department of Neurology & Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
| | - Yi Tang
- Department of Neurology & Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, Beijing 100053, China
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Etxeberria A, Shen YAA, Vito S, Silverman SM, Imperio J, Lalehzadeh G, Soung AL, Du C, Xie L, Choy MK, Hsiao YC, Ngu H, Cho CH, Ghosh S, Novikova G, Rezzonico MG, Leahey R, Weber M, Gogineni A, Elstrott J, Xiong M, Greene JJ, Stark KL, Chan P, Roth GA, Adrian M, Li Q, Choi M, Wong WR, Sandoval W, Foreman O, Nugent AA, Friedman BA, Sadekar S, Hötzel I, Hansen DV, Chih B, Yuen TJ, Weimer RM, Easton A, Meilandt WJ, Bohlen CJ. Neutral or Detrimental Effects of TREM2 Agonist Antibodies in Preclinical Models of Alzheimer's Disease and Multiple Sclerosis. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2347232024. [PMID: 38830764 PMCID: PMC11255434 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2347-23.2024] [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: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Human genetics and preclinical studies have identified key contributions of TREM2 to several neurodegenerative conditions, inspiring efforts to modulate TREM2 therapeutically. Here, we characterize the activities of three TREM2 agonist antibodies in multiple mixed-sex mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and remyelination. Receptor activation and downstream signaling are explored in vitro, and active dose ranges are determined in vivo based on pharmacodynamic responses from microglia. For mice bearing amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology (PS2APP) or combined Aβ and tau pathology (TauPS2APP), chronic TREM2 agonist antibody treatment had limited impact on microglia engagement with pathology, overall pathology burden, or downstream neuronal damage. For mice with demyelinating injuries triggered acutely with lysolecithin, TREM2 agonist antibodies unexpectedly disrupted injury resolution. Likewise, TREM2 agonist antibodies limited myelin recovery for mice experiencing chronic demyelination from cuprizone. We highlight the contributions of dose timing and frequency across models. These results introduce important considerations for future TREM2-targeting approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainhoa Etxeberria
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Yun-An A Shen
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Stephen Vito
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Sean M Silverman
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Jose Imperio
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Guita Lalehzadeh
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Allison L Soung
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Changchun Du
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Luke Xie
- Translational Imaging, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Man Kin Choy
- Translational Imaging, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Yi-Chun Hsiao
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Hai Ngu
- Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Chang Hoon Cho
- Human Pathobiology and OMNI Reverse Translation, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Soumitra Ghosh
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Gloriia Novikova
- Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | | | - Rebecca Leahey
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Martin Weber
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Alvin Gogineni
- Translational Imaging, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Justin Elstrott
- Translational Imaging, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Monica Xiong
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Jacob J Greene
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Kimberly L Stark
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Pamela Chan
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Gillie A Roth
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Max Adrian
- Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Qingling Li
- Microchemistry Lipidomics and Proteomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Meena Choi
- Microchemistry Lipidomics and Proteomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Weng Ruh Wong
- Microchemistry Lipidomics and Proteomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Wendy Sandoval
- Microchemistry Lipidomics and Proteomics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Oded Foreman
- Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Alicia A Nugent
- Human Pathobiology and OMNI Reverse Translation, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Brad A Friedman
- Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Shraddha Sadekar
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Isidro Hötzel
- Antibody Engineering, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - David V Hansen
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Ben Chih
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
- Biochemical and Cellular Pharmacology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Tracy J Yuen
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Robby M Weimer
- Translational Imaging, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Amy Easton
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - William J Meilandt
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
| | - Christopher J Bohlen
- Departments of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080
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7
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Eskandari-Sedighi G, Crichton M, Zia S, Gomez-Cardona E, Cortez LM, Patel ZH, Takahashi-Yamashiro K, St Laurent CD, Sidhu G, Sarkar S, Aghanya V, Sim VL, Tan Q, Julien O, Plemel JR, Macauley MS. Alzheimer's disease associated isoforms of human CD33 distinctively modulate microglial cell responses in 5XFAD mice. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:42. [PMID: 38802940 PMCID: PMC11129479 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00734-8] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Microglia play diverse pathophysiological roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD), with genetic susceptibility factors skewing microglial cell function to influence AD risk. CD33 is an immunomodulatory receptor associated with AD susceptibility through a single nucleotide polymorphism that modulates mRNA splicing, skewing protein expression from a long protein isoform (CD33M) to a short isoform (CD33m). Understanding how human CD33 isoforms differentially impact microglial cell function in vivo has been challenging due to functional divergence of CD33 between mice and humans. We address this challenge by studying transgenic mice expressing either of the human CD33 isoforms crossed with the 5XFAD mouse model of amyloidosis and find that human CD33 isoforms have opposing effects on the response of microglia to amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition. Mice expressing CD33M have increased Aβ levels, more diffuse plaques, fewer disease-associated microglia, and more dystrophic neurites compared to 5XFAD control mice. Conversely, CD33m promotes plaque compaction and microglia-plaque contacts, and minimizes neuritic plaque pathology, highlighting an AD protective role for this isoform. Protective phenotypes driven by CD33m are detected at an earlier timepoint compared to the more aggressive pathology in CD33M mice that appears at a later timepoint, suggesting that CD33m has a more prominent impact on microglia cell function at earlier stages of disease progression. In addition to divergent roles in modulating phagocytosis, scRNAseq and proteomics analyses demonstrate that CD33m+ microglia upregulate nestin, an intermediate filament involved in cell migration, at plaque contact sites. Overall, our work provides new functional insights into how CD33, as a top genetic susceptibility factor for AD, modulates microglial cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sameera Zia
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | - Leonardo M Cortez
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Zain H Patel
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | | | - Gaurav Sidhu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Susmita Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Vivian Aghanya
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Valerie L Sim
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Qiumin Tan
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Olivier Julien
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jason R Plemel
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Matthew S Macauley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
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8
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Shi Q, Gutierrez RA, Bhat MA. Microglia, Trem2, and Neurodegeneration. Neuroscientist 2024:10738584241254118. [PMID: 38769824 DOI: 10.1177/10738584241254118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Microglia are a specialized type of neuroimmune cells that undergo morphological and molecular changes through multiple signaling pathways in response to pathological protein aggregates, neuronal death, tissue injury, or infections. Microglia express Trem2, which serves as a receptor for a multitude of ligands enhancing their phagocytic activity. Trem2 has emerged as a critical modulator of microglial activity, especially in many neurodegenerative disorders. Human TREM2 mutations are associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases. Trem2 plays dual roles in neuroinflammation and more specifically in disease-associated microglia. Most recent developments on the molecular mechanisms of Trem2, emphasizing its role in uptake and clearance of amyloid β (Aβ) aggregates and other tissue debris to help protect and preserve the brain, are encouraging. Although Trem2 normally stimulates defense mechanisms, its dysregulation can intensify inflammation, which poses major therapeutic challenges. Recent therapeutic approaches targeting Trem2 via agonistic antibodies and gene therapy methodologies present possible avenues for reducing the burden of neurodegenerative diseases. This review highlights the promise of Trem2 as a therapeutic target, especially for Aβ-associated AD, and calls for more mechanistic investigations to understand the context-specific role of microglial Trem2 in developing effective therapies against neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Shi
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Raul A Gutierrez
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Manzoor A Bhat
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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9
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Fruhwürth S, Zetterberg H, Paludan SR. Microglia and amyloid plaque formation in Alzheimer's disease - Evidence, possible mechanisms, and future challenges. J Neuroimmunol 2024; 390:578342. [PMID: 38640827 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroim.2024.578342] [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: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive decline that severely affects patients and their families. Genetic and environmental risk factors, such as viral infections, synergize to accelerate the aging-associated neurodegeneration. Genetic risk factors for late-onset AD (LOAD), which accounts for most AD cases, are predominantly implicated in microglial and immune cell functions. As such, microglia play a major role in formation of amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, the major pathological hallmark of AD. This review aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge regarding the role of microglia in Aβ plaque formation, as well as their impact on morphological and functional diversity of Aβ plaques. Based on this discussion, we seek to identify challenges and opportunities in this field with potential therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Fruhwürth
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden; Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London Queen Square, London, UK; UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK; Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China; Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, USA
| | - Søren R Paludan
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammatory Research, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
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10
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Liu LC, Liang JY, Liu YH, Liu B, Dong XH, Cai WH, Zhang N. The Intersection of cerebral cholesterol metabolism and Alzheimer's disease: Mechanisms and therapeutic prospects. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30523. [PMID: 38726205 PMCID: PMC11079309 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly, the exact pathogenesis of which remains incompletely understood, and effective preventive and therapeutic drugs are currently lacking. Cholesterol plays a vital role in cell membrane formation and neurotransmitter synthesis, and its abnormal metabolism is associated with the onset of AD. With the continuous advancement of imaging techniques and molecular biology methods, researchers can more accurately explore the relationship between cholesterol metabolism and AD. Elevated cholesterol levels may lead to vascular dysfunction, thereby affecting neuronal function. Additionally, abnormal cholesterol metabolism may affect the metabolism of β-amyloid protein, thereby promoting the onset of AD. Brain cholesterol levels are regulated by multiple factors. This review aims to deepen the understanding of the subtle relationship between cholesterol homeostasis and AD, and to introduce the latest advances in cholesterol-regulating AD treatment strategies, thereby inspiring readers to contemplate deeply on this complex relationship. Although there are still many unresolved important issues regarding the risk of brain cholesterol and AD, and some studies may have opposite conclusions, further research is needed to enrich our understanding. However, these findings are expected to deepen our understanding of the pathogenesis of AD and provide important insights for the future development of AD treatment strategies targeting brain cholesterol homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-cheng Liu
- Pharmaceutical Branch, Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Co., Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Jun-yi Liang
- Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Yan-hong Liu
- Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Xiao-hong Dong
- Jiamusi College, Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Wen-hui Cai
- Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- Heilongjiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China
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11
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Wasén C, Beauchamp LC, Vincentini J, Li S, LeServe DS, Gauthier C, Lopes JR, Moreira TG, Ekwudo MN, Yin Z, da Silva P, Krishnan RK, Butovsky O, Cox LM, Weiner HL. Bacteroidota inhibit microglia clearance of amyloid-beta and promote plaque deposition in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3872. [PMID: 38719797 PMCID: PMC11078963 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47683-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota and microglia play critical roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and elevated Bacteroides is correlated with cerebrospinal fluid amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau levels in AD. We hypothesize that Bacteroides contributes to AD by modulating microglia. Here we show that administering Bacteroides fragilis to APP/PS1-21 mice increases Aβ plaques in females, modulates cortical amyloid processing gene expression, and down regulates phagocytosis and protein degradation microglial gene expression. We further show that administering Bacteroides fragilis to aged wild-type male and female mice suppresses microglial uptake of Aβ1-42 injected into the hippocampus. Depleting murine Bacteroidota with metronidazole decreases amyloid load in aged 5xFAD mice, and activates microglial pathways related to phagocytosis, cytokine signaling, and lysosomal degradation. Taken together, our study demonstrates that members of the Bacteroidota phylum contribute to AD pathogenesis by suppressing microglia phagocytic function, which leads to impaired Aβ clearance and accumulation of amyloid plaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Wasén
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Life Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Leah C Beauchamp
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julia Vincentini
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shuqi Li
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Danielle S LeServe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christian Gauthier
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juliana R Lopes
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thais G Moreira
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Millicent N Ekwudo
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zhuoran Yin
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Patrick da Silva
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rajesh K Krishnan
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Oleg Butovsky
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura M Cox
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Howard L Weiner
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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12
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Jackson RJ, Keiser MS, Meltzer JC, Fykstra DP, Dierksmeier SE, Hajizadeh S, Kreuzer J, Morris R, Melloni A, Nakajima T, Tecedor L, Ranum PT, Carrell E, Chen Y, Nishtar MA, Holtzman DM, Haas W, Davidson BL, Hyman BT. APOE2 gene therapy reduces amyloid deposition and improves markers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1373-1386. [PMID: 38504517 PMCID: PMC11081918 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.03.024] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies show that individuals who carry the relatively uncommon APOE ε2 allele rarely develop Alzheimer disease, and if they do, they have a later age of onset, milder clinical course, and less severe neuropathological findings than people without this allele. The contrast is especially stark when compared with the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease, APOE ε4, which has an age of onset several decades earlier, a more aggressive clinical course and more severe neuropathological findings, especially in terms of the amount of amyloid deposition. Here, we demonstrate that brain exposure to APOE ε2 via a gene therapy approach, which bathes the entire cortical mantle in the gene product after transduction of the ependyma, reduces Aβ plaque deposition, neurodegenerative synaptic loss, and, remarkably, reduces microglial activation in an APP/PS1 mouse model despite continued expression of human APOE ε4. This result suggests a promising protective effect of exogenous APOE ε2 and reveals a cell nonautonomous effect of the protein on microglial activation, which we show is similar to plaque-associated microglia in the brain of Alzheimer disease patients who inherit APOE ε2. These data increase the potential that an APOE ε2 therapeutic could be effective in Alzheimer disease, even in individuals born with the risky ε4 allele.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary J Jackson
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Megan S Keiser
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jonah C Meltzer
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Dustin P Fykstra
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Steven E Dierksmeier
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Soroush Hajizadeh
- Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, UK; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Johannes Kreuzer
- Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, UK; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Robert Morris
- Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, UK
| | - Alexandra Melloni
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Tsuneo Nakajima
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Luis Tecedor
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Paul T Ranum
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ellie Carrell
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - YongHong Chen
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Maryam A Nishtar
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - David M Holtzman
- Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Knight Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63108, USA
| | - Wilhelm Haas
- Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, UK; Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Beverly L Davidson
- Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Bradley T Hyman
- Alzheimer Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and NeuroDiscovery Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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13
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Ferguson CM, Hildebrand S, Godinho BMDC, Buchwald J, Echeverria D, Coles A, Grigorenko A, Vangjeli L, Sousa J, McHugh N, Hassler M, Santarelli F, Heneka MT, Rogaev E, Khvorova A. Silencing Apoe with divalent-siRNAs improves amyloid burden and activates immune response pathways in Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2024; 20:2632-2652. [PMID: 38375983 PMCID: PMC11032532 DOI: 10.1002/alz.13703] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The most significant genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is APOE4, with evidence for gain- and loss-of-function mechanisms. A clinical need remains for therapeutically relevant tools that potently modulate APOE expression. METHODS We optimized small interfering RNAs (di-siRNA, GalNAc) to potently silence brain or liver Apoe and evaluated the impact of each pool of Apoe on pathology. RESULTS In adult 5xFAD mice, siRNAs targeting CNS Apoe efficiently silenced Apoe expression and reduced amyloid burden without affecting systemic cholesterol, confirming that potent silencing of brain Apoe is sufficient to slow disease progression. Mechanistically, silencing Apoe reduced APOE-rich amyloid cores and activated immune system responses. DISCUSSION These results establish siRNA-based modulation of Apoe as a viable therapeutic approach, highlight immune activation as a key pathway affected by Apoe modulation, and provide the technology to further evaluate the impact of APOE silencing on neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M. Ferguson
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Samuel Hildebrand
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Bruno M. D. C. Godinho
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Julianna Buchwald
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Andrew Coles
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Anastasia Grigorenko
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Lorenc Vangjeli
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Jacquelyn Sousa
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Nicholas McHugh
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Matthew Hassler
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Michael T. Heneka
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB)Esch‐sur‐AlzetteLuxembourg
| | - Evgeny Rogaev
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
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14
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Tolar M, Hey JA, Power A, Abushakra S. The Single Toxin Origin of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Neurodegenerative Disorders Enables Targeted Approach to Treatment and Prevention. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2727. [PMID: 38473975 PMCID: PMC10932387 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052727] [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: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
New data suggest that the aggregation of misfolded native proteins initiates and drives the pathogenic cascade that leads to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other age-related neurodegenerative disorders. We propose a unifying single toxin theory of brain neurodegeneration that identifies new targets and approaches to the development of disease-modifying treatments. An extensive body of genetic evidence suggests soluble aggregates of beta-amyloid (Aβ) as the primary neurotoxin in the pathogenesis of AD. New insights from fluid biomarkers, imaging, and clinical studies provide further evidence for the decisive impact of toxic Aβ species in the initiation and progression of AD. Understanding the distinct roles of soluble and insoluble amyloid aggregates on AD pathogenesis has been the key missing piece of the Alzheimer's puzzle. Data from clinical trials with anti-amyloid agents and recent advances in the diagnosis of AD demonstrate that the driving insult in biologically defined AD is the neurotoxicity of soluble Aβ aggregates, called oligomers and protofibrils, rather than the relatively inert insoluble mature fibrils and amyloid plaques. Amyloid oligomers appear to be the primary factor causing the synaptic impairment, neuronal stress, spreading of tau pathology, and eventual cell death that lead to the clinical syndrome of AD dementia. All other biochemical effects and neurodegenerative changes in the brain that are observed in AD are a response to or a downstream effect of this initial toxic insult by oligomers. Other neurodegenerative disorders follow a similar pattern of pathogenesis, in which normal brain proteins with important biological functions become trapped in the aging brain due to impaired clearance and then misfold and aggregate into neurotoxic species that exhibit prion-like behavior. These aggregates then spread through the brain and cause disease-specific neurodegeneration. Targeting the inhibition of this initial step in neurodegeneration by blocking the misfolding and aggregation of healthy proteins has the potential to slow or arrest disease progression, and if treatment is administered early in the course of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders, it may delay or prevent the onset of clinical symptoms.
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15
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Lynch MA. A case for seeking sex-specific treatments in Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1346621. [PMID: 38414633 PMCID: PMC10897030 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1346621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
There is no satisfactory explanation for the sex-related differences in the incidence of many diseases and this is also true of Alzheimer's disease (AD), where females have a higher lifetime risk of developing the disease and make up about two thirds of the AD patient population. The importance of understanding the cause(s) that account for this disproportionate distribution cannot be overestimated, and is likely to be a significant factor in the search for therapeutic strategies that will combat the disease and, furthermore, potentially point to a sex-targeted approach to treatment. This review considers the literature in the context of what is known about the impact of sex on processes targeted by drugs that are in clinical trial for AD, and existing knowledge on differing responses of males and females to these drugs. Current knowledge strongly supports the view that trials should make assessing sex-related difference in responses a priority with a focus on exploring the sex-stratified treatments.
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16
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Guo X, Yan L, Zhang D, Zhao Y. Passive immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 94:102192. [PMID: 38219962 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102192] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive impairment with few therapeutic options. Despite many failures in developing AD treatment during the past 20 years, significant advances have been achieved in passive immunotherapy of AD very recently. Here, we review characteristics, clinical trial data, and mechanisms of action for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting key players in AD pathogenesis, including amyloid-β (Aβ), tau and neuroinflammation modulators. We emphasized the efficacy of lecanemab and donanemab on cognition and amyloid clearance in AD patients in phase III clinical trials and discussed factors that may contribute to the efficacy and side effects of anti-Aβ mAbs. In addition, we provided important information on mAbs targeting tau or inflammatory regulators in clinical trials, and indicated that mAbs against the mid-region of tau or pathogenic tau have therapeutic potential for AD. In conclusion, passive immunotherapy targeting key players in AD pathogenesis offers a promising strategy for effective AD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyi Guo
- Center for Brain Sciences, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Li Yan
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, 601 Huangpu Avenue West, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, China
| | - Denghong Zhang
- Center for Brain Sciences, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China
| | - Yingjun Zhao
- Center for Brain Sciences, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005, China.
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17
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Awogbindin I, Wanklin M, Verkhratsky A, Tremblay MÈ. Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 37:497-512. [PMID: 39207709 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-55529-9_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are manifested by a progressive death of neural cells, resulting in the deterioration of central nervous system (CNS) functions, ultimately leading to specific behavioural and cognitive symptoms associated with affected brain regions. Several neurodegenerative disorders are caused by genetic variants or mutations, although the majority of cases are sporadic and linked to various environmental risk factors, with yet an unknown aetiology. Neuroglial changes are fundamental and often lead to the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. In particular, microglial cells, which are essential for maintaining CNS health, become compromised in their physiological functions with the exposure to environmental risk factors, genetic variants or mutations, as well as disease pathology. In this chapter, we cover the contribution of neuroglia, especially microglia, to several neurodegenerative diseases, including Nasu-Hakola disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, infectious disease-associated neurodegeneration, and metal-precipitated neurodegeneration. Future research perspectives for the field pertaining to the therapeutic targeting of microglia across these disease conditions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ifeoluwa Awogbindin
- Department of Biochemistry, Neuroimmunology Group, Molecular Drug Metabolism and Toxicology Laboratory, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Division of Medical Sciences, Medical Sciences Building, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Michael Wanklin
- Division of Medical Sciences, Medical Sciences Building, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Alexei Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Life Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
- Department of Neurosciences, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Vilnius, Lithuania.
- Department of Forensic Analytical Toxicology, School of Forensic Medicine, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
- Axe neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.
- IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain.
| | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Division of Medical Sciences, Medical Sciences Building, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
- Axe neurosciences, Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Université Laval, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry, Québec City, QC, Canada.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of British Columbia, Life Sciences Center, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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18
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Dejanovic B, Sheng M, Hanson JE. Targeting synapse function and loss for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024; 23:23-42. [PMID: 38012296 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00823-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Synapse dysfunction and loss are hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases that correlate with cognitive decline. However, the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies to prevent or reverse synaptic damage remain elusive. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in understanding the molecular and cellular pathways that impair synapses in neurodegenerative diseases, including the effects of protein aggregation and neuroinflammation. We also highlight emerging therapeutic approaches that aim to restore synaptic function and integrity, such as enhancing synaptic plasticity, preventing synaptotoxicity, modulating neuronal network activity and targeting immune signalling. We discuss the preclinical and clinical evidence for each strategy, as well as the challenges and opportunities for developing effective synapse-targeting therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan Sheng
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jesse E Hanson
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, USA.
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19
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Horibe S, Emoto T, Mizoguchi T, Tanaka T, Kawauchi S, Sasaki N, Yamashita T, Ikeda K, Emoto N, Hirata KI, Rikitake Y. Endothelial senescence alleviates cognitive impairment in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Glia 2024; 72:51-68. [PMID: 37610154 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24461] [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: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is among the most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Endothelial cell (EC) senescence was discovered in the AD brain, but its function in AD pathogenesis was unidentified. Here we created an AD mouse model with EC senescence (APP/PS1;TERF2DN mice) by intercrossing APP/PS1 mice with Tie2 promoter-driven dominant negative telomeric repeat-binding factor 2 transgenic mice (TERF2DN-Tg mice). We evaluated cognitive functions and AD brain pathology in APP/PS1;TERF2DN mice. Surprisingly, compared with the control APP/PS1 mice, APP/PS1;TERF2DN mice demonstrated the attenuation of cognitive impairment and amyloid-β (Aβ) pathology, accompanied by the compaction of Aβ plaques with increased microglial coverage and reduced neurite dystrophy. Moreover, we evaluated whether EC senescence could affect microglial morphology and phagocytosis of Aβ. Compared with wild-type mice, microglia in TERF2DN-Tg mice display increased numbers of endpoints (a morphometric parameter to quantify the number of processes) and Aβ phagocytosis and related gene expression. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis showed that compared with APP/PS1 mouse microglia, APP/PS1;TERF2DN mouse microglia displayed a modest decline in disease-associated microglia, accompanied by an altered direction of biological process branching from antigen synthesis and arrangement to ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis. Our outcomes indicate that EC senescence alters microglia toward a protective phenotype with a rise in phagocytic and barrier roles, and may offer a clue to create a novel preventive/therapeutic method to treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayo Horibe
- Laboratory of Medical Pharmaceutics, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Takuo Emoto
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Taiji Mizoguchi
- Laboratory of Medical Pharmaceutics, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Toru Tanaka
- Laboratory of Medical Pharmaceutics, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shoji Kawauchi
- Comprehensive Education and Research Center, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Naoto Sasaki
- Laboratory of Medical Pharmaceutics, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Tomoya Yamashita
- Division of Advanced Medical Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Kobe, Japan
| | - Koji Ikeda
- Department of Epidemiology for Longevity and Regional Health, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Noriaki Emoto
- Laboratory of Clinical Pharmaceutical Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichi Hirata
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Rikitake
- Laboratory of Medical Pharmaceutics, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, Japan
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20
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Shi J, Huang S. Comparative Insight into Microglia/Macrophages-Associated Pathways in Glioblastoma and Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:16. [PMID: 38203185 PMCID: PMC10778632 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010016] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Microglia and macrophages are pivotal to the brain's innate immune response and have garnered considerable attention in the context of glioblastoma (GBM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) research. This review delineates the complex roles of these cells within the neuropathological landscape, focusing on a range of signaling pathways-namely, NF-κB, microRNAs (miRNAs), and TREM2-that regulate the behavior of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in GBM and disease-associated microglia (DAMs) in AD. These pathways are critical to the processes of neuroinflammation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis, which are hallmarks of GBM and AD. We concentrate on the multifaceted regulation of TAMs by NF-κB signaling in GBM, the influence of TREM2 on DAMs' responses to amyloid-beta deposition, and the modulation of both TAMs and DAMs by GBM- and AD-related miRNAs. Incorporating recent advancements in molecular biology, immunology, and AI techniques, through a detailed exploration of these molecular mechanisms, we aim to shed light on their distinct and overlapping regulatory functions in GBM and AD. The review culminates with a discussion on how insights into NF-κB, miRNAs, and TREM2 signaling may inform novel therapeutic approaches targeting microglia and macrophages in these neurodegenerative and neoplastic conditions. This comparative analysis underscores the potential for new, targeted treatments, offering a roadmap for future research aimed at mitigating the progression of these complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Shi
- Department of Neurology, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Shiwei Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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21
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Li X, Quan M, Wei Y, Wang W, Xu L, Wang Q, Jia J. Critical thinking of Alzheimer's transgenic mouse model: current research and future perspective. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2023; 66:2711-2754. [PMID: 37480469 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-022-2357-x] [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: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Transgenic models are useful tools for studying the pathogenesis of and drug development for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). AD models are constructed usually using overexpression or knock-in of multiple pathogenic gene mutations from familial AD. Each transgenic model has its unique behavioral and pathological features. This review summarizes the research progress of transgenic mouse models, and their progress in the unique mechanism of amyloid-β oligomers, including the first transgenic mouse model built in China based on a single gene mutation (PSEN1 V97L) found in Chinese familial AD. We further summarized the preclinical findings of drugs using the models, and their future application in exploring the upstream mechanisms and multitarget drug development in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Li
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Meina Quan
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yiping Wei
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Lingzhi Xu
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Jianping Jia
- Innovation Center for Neurological Disorders and Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- National Medical Center for Neurological Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Clinical Center for Neurodegenerative Disease and Memory Impairment, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Center of Alzheimer's Disease, Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100053, China.
- Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China.
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22
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Sudwarts A, Thinakaran G. Alzheimer's genes in microglia: a risk worth investigating. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:90. [PMID: 37986179 PMCID: PMC10662636 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00679-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite expressing many key risk genes, the role of microglia in late-onset Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology is somewhat ambiguous, with various phenotypes reported to be either harmful or protective. Herein, we review some key findings from clinical and animal model investigations, discussing the role of microglial genetics in mediating perturbations from homeostasis. We note that impairment to protective phenotypes may include prolonged or insufficient microglial activation, resulting in dysregulated metabolomic (notably lipid-related) processes, compounded by age-related inflexibility in dynamic responses. Insufficiencies of mouse genetics and aggressive transgenic modelling imply severe limitations in applying current methodologies for aetiological investigations. Despite the shortcomings, widely used amyloidosis and tauopathy models of the disease have proven invaluable in dissecting microglial functional responses to AD pathophysiology. Some recent advances have brought modelling tools closer to human genetics, increasing the validity of both aetiological and translational endeavours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Sudwarts
- Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33613, USA.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
| | - Gopal Thinakaran
- Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33613, USA.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
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23
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Zhong R, Xu Y, Williams JW, Li L. Loss of TREM2 exacerbates parenchymal amyloid pathology but diminishes CAA in Tg-SwDI mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.04.565659. [PMID: 37961542 PMCID: PMC10635150 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.04.565659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, and it is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified TREM2 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2) as one of the major risk factors for AD. TREM2 is a surface receptor expressed on microglia and largely mediates microglial functions and immune homeostasis in the brain. The functions of TREM2 in AD pathogenesis, including in the formation of the key pathology parenchymal amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, have been investigated by introducing Trem2 deficiency in AD mouse models. However, the role of TREM2 in cerebrovascular amyloidosis, in particular cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) remains unexplored. CAA features Aβ deposition along the cerebral vessels, signifying an intersection between AD and vascular dysfunction. Using a well-characterized CAA-prone, transgenic mouse model of AD, Tg-SwDI (SwDI), we found that loss of TREM2 led to a marked increase in overall Aβ load in the brain, but a dramatic decrease in CAA in microvessel-rich regions, along with reduced microglial association with CAA. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that in the absence of Trem2 , microglia were activated but trapped in transition to the fully reactive state. Like microglia, perivascular macrophages were activated with upregulation of cell junction related pathways in Trem2 -deficient SwDI mice. In addition, vascular mural cells and astrocytes exhibited distinct responses to Trem2 deficiency, contributing to the pathological changes in the brain of Trem2 -null SwDI mice. Our study provides the first evidence that TREM2 differentially modulates parenchymal and vascular Aβ pathologies, which may have significant implications for both TREM2- and Aβ-targeting therapies for AD.
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24
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Adrian M, Weber M, Tsai MC, Glock C, Kahn OI, Phu L, Cheung TK, Meilandt WJ, Rose CM, Hoogenraad CC. Polarized microtubule remodeling transforms the morphology of reactive microglia and drives cytokine release. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6322. [PMID: 37813836 PMCID: PMC10562429 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41891-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglial reactivity is a pathological hallmark in many neurodegenerative diseases. During stimulation, microglia undergo complex morphological changes, including loss of their characteristic ramified morphology, which is routinely used to detect and quantify inflammation in the brain. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms and the relation between microglial morphology and their pathophysiological function are unknown. Here, proteomic profiling of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-reactive microglia identifies microtubule remodeling pathways as an early factor that drives the morphological change and subsequently controls cytokine responses. We find that LPS-reactive microglia reorganize their microtubules to form a stable and centrosomally-anchored array to facilitate efficient cytokine trafficking and release. We identify cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk-1) as a critical upstream regulator of microtubule remodeling and morphological change in-vitro and in-situ. Cdk-1 inhibition also rescues tau and amyloid fibril-induced morphology changes. These results demonstrate a critical role for microtubule dynamics and reorganization in microglial reactivity and modulating cytokine-mediated inflammatory responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Adrian
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Martin Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Ming-Chi Tsai
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Caspar Glock
- Department of OMNI Bioinformatics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Olga I Kahn
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Lilian Phu
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Tommy K Cheung
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - William J Meilandt
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Christopher M Rose
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics and Lipidomics, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Casper C Hoogenraad
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA.
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25
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Singh J, Habean ML, Panicker N. Inflammasome assembly in neurodegenerative diseases. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:814-831. [PMID: 37633753 PMCID: PMC10530301 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the progressive dysfunction and death of selectively vulnerable neuronal populations, often associated with the accumulation of aggregated host proteins. Sustained brain inflammation and hyperactivation of inflammasome complexes have been increasingly demonstrated to contribute to neurodegenerative disease progression. Here, we review molecular mechanisms leading to inflammasome assembly in neurodegeneration. We focus primarily on four degenerative brain disorders in which inflammasome hyperactivation has been well documented: Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS), and the spectrum of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). We discuss shared and divergent principles of inflammasome assembly across these disorders, and underscore the differences between neurodegeneration-associated inflammasome activation pathways and their peripheral-immune counterparts. We examine how aberrant assembly of inflammasome complexes may amplify pathology in neurodegeneration, including misfolded protein aggregation, and highlight prospects for neurotherapeutic interventions based on targeting inflammasome pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagjit Singh
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Maria L Habean
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Biomedical Scientist Training Program (Department of Neurosciences), Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nikhil Panicker
- Department of Neurosciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Kent State University, Neurosciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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26
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Gandy S, Ehrlich ME. miR155, TREM2, INPP5D: Disease stage and cell type are essential considerations when targeting clinical interventions based on mouse models of Alzheimer's amyloidopathy. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:214. [PMID: 37749581 PMCID: PMC10518910 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02895-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of microglial gene manipulation in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) amyloidopathy can cause unpredictable effects on various key endpoints, including amyloidosis, inflammation, neuritic dystrophy, neurodegeneration, and learning behavior. In this Correspondence, we discuss three examples, microRNA 155 (miR155), TREM2, and INPP5D, in which observed results have been difficult to reconcile with predicted results based on precedent, because these six key endpoints do not reliably track together. The pathogenesis of AD involves multiple cell types and complex events that may change with disease stage. We propose that cell-type targeting and timing of intervention are responsible for the sometimes impossibility of predicting whether any prospective therapeutic intervention should aim at increasing or decreasing the level or activity of a particular molecular target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Gandy
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, 10468, USA.
| | - Michelle E Ehrlich
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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27
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Li Y, Xu H, Wang H, Yang K, Luan J, Wang S. TREM2: Potential therapeutic targeting of microglia for Alzheimer's disease. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115218. [PMID: 37517293 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, resulting in the loss of cognitive ability and memory. However, there is no specific treatment to mechanistically inhibit the progression of Alzheimer's disease, and most drugs only provide symptom relief and do not fundamentally reverse AD. Current studies show that triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is predominantly expressed in microglia of the central nervous system (CNS) and is involved in microglia proliferation, survival, migration and phagocytosis. The current academic view suggests that TREM2 and its ligands have CNS protective effects in AD. Specifically, TREM2 acts by regulating the function of microglia and promoting the clearance of neuronal toxic substances and abnormal proteins by microglia. In addition, TREM2 is also involved in regulating inflammatory response and cell signaling pathways, affecting the immune response and regulatory role of microglia. Although the relationship between TREM2 and Alzheimer's disease has been extensively studied, its specific mechanism of action is not fully understood. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the research of TREM2, including its regulation of the inflammatory response, lipid metabolism and phagocytosis in microglia of CNS in AD, and to explore the potential application prospects as well as limitations of targeting TREM2 for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueran Li
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Huifang Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Huifang Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Kui Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Jiajie Luan
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College), Wuhu, Anhui Province, China.
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28
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Yao AY, Halloran PJ, Ge Y, Singh N, Zhou J, Galske J, He W, Yan R, Hu X. Bace1 Deletion in the Adult Reverses Epileptiform Activity and Sleep-wake Disturbances in AD Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:6197-6211. [PMID: 37536983 PMCID: PMC10476643 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2124-22.2023] [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: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) increases the risk for seizures and sleep disorders. We show here that germline deletion of β-site amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1) in neurons, but not in astrocytes, increased epileptiform activity. However, Bace1 deletion at adult ages did not alter the normal EEG waveform, indicating less concern for BACE1 inhibition in patients. Moreover, we showed that deletion of Bace1 in the adult was able to reverse epileptiform activity in 5xFAD mice. Intriguingly, treating 5xFAD and APPNL-G-F/NL-G-F (APP KI) mice of either sex with one BACE1 inhibitor Lanabecestat (AZD3293) dramatically increased epileptiform spiking, likely resulting from an off-target effect. We also monitored sleep-wake pathologies in these mice and showed increased wakefulness, decreased non-rapid eye movement sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep in both 5xFAD and APP KI mice; BACE1 inhibition in the adult 5xFAD mice reversed plaque load and sleep disturbances, but this was not seen in APP KI mice. Further studies with and without BACE1 inhibitor treatment showed different levels of plaque-associated microgliosis and activated microglial proteins in 5xFAD mice compared with APP KI mice. Together, BACE1 inhibition should be developed to avoid off-target effect for achieving benefits in reducing epileptic activity and sleep disturbance in Alzheimer's patients.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT BACE1 is widely recognized as a therapeutic target for treating Alzheimer's disease patients. However, BACE1 inhibitors failed in clinical trials because of inability to show cognitive improvement in patients. Here we show that BACE1 inhibition actually reduces sleep disturbances and epileptic seizures; both are seen in AD patients. We further showed that one of clinically tested BACE1 inhibitors does have off-target effects, and development of safer BACE1 inhibitors will be beneficial to AD patients. Results from this study will provide useful guidance for additional drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Y Yao
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Patrick J Halloran
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Yingying Ge
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Neeraj Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - John Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - James Galske
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Wanxia He
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Riqiang Yan
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
| | - Xiangyou Hu
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut 06030
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29
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Jackson RJ, Keiser MS, Meltzer JC, Fykstra DP, Dierksmeier SE, Melloni A, Nakajima T, Tecedor L, Ranum PT, Carrell E, Chen Y, Holtzman DM, Davidson BL, Hyman BT. APOE2 gene therapy reduces amyloid deposition, and improves markers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.14.552850. [PMID: 37645718 PMCID: PMC10461997 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.14.552850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies show that individuals who carry the relatively uncommon APOE ε2 allele rarely develop Alzheimer disease, and if they do they have a later age of onset, milder clinical course, and less severe neuropathological findings than others with Alzheimer disease. The contrast is especially stark in comparison to the phenotype associated with the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer disease, APOE ε4, which has an age of onset several decades earlier, as well as a more aggressive clinical course and notably more severe neuropathological findings, especially in terms of the amount of amyloid deposition. Even one APOE ε2 allele improves phenotype, but it is uncertain if that is due to the replacement of a more toxic allele by APOE ε2, or if APOE ε2 has a protective, neuro-modulatory effect. Here, we demonstrate that brain exposure to APOE2 via a gene therapy approach which bathes the entire cortical mantle in the gene product after transduction of the ependyma, rapidly ameliorates established Aβ plaque deposition, neurodegenerative synaptic loss, and, remarkably, reduces microglial activation in an APP/PS1 mouse model despite continued expression of human APOE4. This result suggests a promising protective effect of exogenous APOE2, revealing a cell non-autonomous effect of the protein on microglial activation. We also show that plaque associated microglia in the brain of patients who inherit APOE2 similarly have less microglial reactivity to plaques. These data raise the potential that an APOE2 therapeutic could be effective in Alzheimer disease even in individuals born with the risk ε4 allele. One Sentence Summary Introduction of ApoE2 using an AAV that transduces the ependymal cells of the ventricle causes a reduction in amyloid load and plaque associated synapse loss, and reduces neuroinflammation by modulating microglial responsiveness to plaques.
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30
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Stern AM, Yang Y, Jin S, Yamashita K, Meunier AL, Liu W, Cai Y, Ericsson M, Liu L, Goedert M, Scheres SHW, Selkoe DJ. Abundant Aβ fibrils in ultracentrifugal supernatants of aqueous extracts from Alzheimer's disease brains. Neuron 2023; 111:2012-2020.e4. [PMID: 37167969 PMCID: PMC10330525 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Soluble oligomers of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) have been defined as aggregates in supernatants following ultracentrifugation of aqueous extracts from Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and are believed to be upstream initiators of synaptic dysfunction, but little is known about their structures. We now report the unexpected presence of Aβ fibrils in synaptotoxic high-speed supernatants from AD brains extracted by soaking in an aqueous buffer. The fibrils did not appear to form during preparation, and their counts by EM correlated with Aβ ELISA quantification. Cryo-EM structures of aqueous Aβ fibrils were identical to those from sarkosyl-insoluble homogenates. The fibrils in aqueous extracts were labeled by lecanemab, an Aβ aggregate-directed antibody reported to improve AD cognitive outcomes. Lecanemab provided protection against aqueous fibril synaptotoxicity. We conclude that fibrils are abundant in aqueous extracts from AD brains and have the same structures as those from plaques. These findings have implications for AD pathogenesis and drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Stern
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yang Yang
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Shanxue Jin
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Keitaro Yamashita
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Angela L Meunier
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wen Liu
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Yuqi Cai
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maria Ericsson
- Harvard Medical School Electron Microscopy Facility, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Lei Liu
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michel Goedert
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Sjors H W Scheres
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Dennis J Selkoe
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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31
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Miao J, Ma H, Yang Y, Liao Y, Lin C, Zheng J, Yu M, Lan J. Microglia in Alzheimer's disease: pathogenesis, mechanisms, and therapeutic potentials. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1201982. [PMID: 37396657 PMCID: PMC10309009 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1201982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by protein aggregation in the brain. Recent studies have revealed the critical role of microglia in AD pathogenesis. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of microglial involvement in AD, focusing on genetic determinants, phenotypic state, phagocytic capacity, neuroinflammatory response, and impact on synaptic plasticity and neuronal regulation. Furthermore, recent developments in drug discovery targeting microglia in AD are reviewed, highlighting potential avenues for therapeutic intervention. This review emphasizes the essential role of microglia in AD and provides insights into potential treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jifei Miao
- Shenzhen Bao’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haixia Ma
- Shenzhen Bao’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Shenzhen Bao’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuanpin Liao
- Shenzhen Bao’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cui Lin
- Shenzhen Bao’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Juanxia Zheng
- Shenzhen Bao’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Muli Yu
- Shenzhen Bao’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiao Lan
- Shenzhen Bao’an Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Byrnes AE, Dominguez SL, Yen CW, Laufer BI, Foreman O, Reichelt M, Lin H, Sagolla M, Hötzel K, Ngu H, Soendergaard C, Estevez A, Lin HC, Goyon A, Bian J, Lin J, Hinz FI, Friedman BA, Easton A, Hoogenraad CC. Lipid nanoparticle delivery limits antisense oligonucleotide activity and cellular distribution in the brain after intracerebroventricular injection. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 32:773-793. [PMID: 37346977 PMCID: PMC10280097 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapeutics are being investigated for a broad range of neurological diseases. While ASOs have been effective in the clinic, improving productive ASO internalization into target cells remains a key area of focus in the field. Here, we investigated how the delivery of ASO-loaded lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) affects ASO activity, subcellular trafficking, and distribution in the brain. We show that ASO-LNPs increase ASO activity up to 100-fold in cultured primary brain cells as compared to non-encapsulated ASO. However, in contrast to the widespread ASO uptake and activity observed following free ASO delivery in vivo, LNP-delivered ASOs did not downregulate mRNA levels throughout the brain after intracerebroventricular injection. This lack of activity was likely due to ASO accumulation in cells lining the ventricles and blood vessels. Furthermore, we reveal a formulation-dependent activation of the immune system post dosing, suggesting that LNP encapsulation cannot mask cellular ASO backbone-mediated toxicities. Together, these data provide insights into how LNP encapsulation affects ASO distribution as well as activity in the brain, and a foundation that enables future optimization of brain-targeting ASO-LNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy E. Byrnes
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Sara L. Dominguez
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Chun-Wan Yen
- Synthetic Molecule Pharmaceutical Sciences, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Benjamin I. Laufer
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
- Department of OMNI Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Oded Foreman
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Mike Reichelt
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Han Lin
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Meredith Sagolla
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Kathy Hötzel
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Hai Ngu
- Department of Pathology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Christoffer Soendergaard
- Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Alberto Estevez
- Department of Structural Biology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Hsiu-Chao Lin
- Synthetic Molecule Pharmaceutical Sciences, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Alexandre Goyon
- Synthetic Molecule Pharmaceutical Sciences, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Juan Bian
- Synthetic Molecule Pharmaceutical Sciences, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Jessica Lin
- Synthetic Molecule Pharmaceutical Sciences, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Flora I. Hinz
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Brad A. Friedman
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
- Department of OMNI Bioinformatics, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Amy Easton
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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Lee-Gosselin A, Jury-Garfe N, You Y, Dabin L, Soni D, Dutta S, Rochet JC, Kim J, Oblak AL, Lasagna-Reeves CA. TREM2-Deficient Microglia Attenuate Tau Spreading In Vivo. Cells 2023; 12:1597. [PMID: 37371067 PMCID: PMC10296847 DOI: 10.3390/cells12121597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of TREM2 in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is not fully understood. Previous studies investigating the effect of TREM2 deletion on tauopathy mouse models without the contribution of b-amyloid have focused only on tau overexpression models. Herein, we investigated the effects of TREM2 deficiency on tau spreading using a mouse model in which endogenous tau is seeded to produce AD-like tau features. We found that Trem2-/- mice exhibit attenuated tau pathology in multiple brain regions concomitant with a decreased microglial density. The neuroinflammatory profile in TREM2-deficient mice did not induce an activated inflammatory response to tau pathology. These findings suggest that reduced TREM2 signaling may alter the response of microglia to pathological tau aggregates, impairing their activation and decreasing their capacity to contribute to tau spreading. However, caution should be exercised when targeting TREM2 as a therapeutic entry point for AD until its involvement in tau aggregation and propagation is better understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Lee-Gosselin
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (A.L.-G.); (N.J.-G.)
| | - Nur Jury-Garfe
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (A.L.-G.); (N.J.-G.)
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Yanwen You
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (A.L.-G.); (N.J.-G.)
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Luke Dabin
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (A.L.-G.); (N.J.-G.)
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Disha Soni
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (A.L.-G.); (N.J.-G.)
- Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sayan Dutta
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Jean-Christophe Rochet
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Jungsu Kim
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (A.L.-G.); (N.J.-G.)
- Department of Medical & Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Adrian L. Oblak
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (A.L.-G.); (N.J.-G.)
- Department of Radiology & Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Cristian A. Lasagna-Reeves
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (A.L.-G.); (N.J.-G.)
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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Abstract
As resident immune cells of the brain, microglia serve pivotal roles in regulating neuronal function under both physiological and pathological conditions, including aging and the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease, Alzheimer's disease (AD). Instructed by neurons, microglia regulate synaptic function and guard brain homeostasis throughout life. Dysregulation of microglial function, however, can lead to dire consequences, including aggravated cognitive decline during aging and exacerbated neuropathology in diseases. The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) is a key regulator of microglial function. Loss-of-function variants of TREM2 are associated with an increased risk of AD. TREM2 orchestrates the switch of microglial transcriptome programming that modulates microglial chemotaxis, phagocytosis, and inflammatory responses, as well as microglial regulation of synaptic function in health and disease. Intriguingly, the outcome of microglial/TREM2 function is influenced by age and the context of neuropathology. This review summarizes the rapidly growing research on TREM2 under physiological conditions and in AD, particularly highlighting the impact of TREM2 on neuronal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Qu
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Ling Li
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Castranio EL, Hasel P, Haure-Mirande JV, Ramirez Jimenez AV, Hamilton BW, Kim RD, Glabe CG, Wang M, Zhang B, Gandy S, Liddelow SA, Ehrlich ME. Microglial INPP5D limits plaque formation and glial reactivity in the PSAPP mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement 2023; 19:2239-2252. [PMID: 36448627 PMCID: PMC10481344 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase D (INPP5D) gene encodes a dual-specificity phosphatase that can dephosphorylate both phospholipids and phosphoproteins. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in INPP5D impact risk for developing late onset sporadic Alzheimer's disease (LOAD). METHODS To assess the consequences of inducible Inpp5d knockdown in microglia of APPKM670/671NL /PSEN1Δexon9 (PSAPP) mice, we injected 3-month-old Inpp5dfl/fl /Cx3cr1CreER/+ and PSAPP/Inpp5dfl/fl /Cx3cr1CreER/+ mice with either tamoxifen (TAM) or corn oil (CO) to induce recombination. RESULTS At age 6 months, we found that the percent area of 6E10+ deposits and plaque-associated microglia in Inpp5d knockdown mice were increased compared to controls. Spatial transcriptomics identified a plaque-specific expression profile that was extensively altered by Inpp5d knockdown. DISCUSSION These results demonstrate that conditional Inpp5d downregulation in the PSAPP mouse increases plaque burden and recruitment of microglia to plaques. Spatial transcriptomics highlighted an extended gene expression signature associated with plaques and identified CST7 (cystatin F) as a novel marker of plaques. HIGHLIGHTS Inpp5d knockdown increases plaque burden and plaque-associated microglia number. Spatial transcriptomics identifies an expanded plaque-specific gene expression profile. Plaque-induced gene expression is altered by Inpp5d knockdown in microglia. Our plaque-associated gene signature overlaps with human Alzheimer's disease gene networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie L. Castranio
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Philip Hasel
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine,
New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - B. Wade Hamilton
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rachel D. Kim
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine,
New York, New York, USA
| | - Charles G. Glabe
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry,
University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Minghui Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School
of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School
of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sam Gandy
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Alzheimer’s Disease
Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York,
USA
- James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, New York,
USA
| | - Shane A. Liddelow
- Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine,
New York, New York, USA
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, NYU Grossman
School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, NYU Grossman School of
Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Parekh Center for Interdisciplinary Neurology, NYU Grossman
School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michelle E. Ehrlich
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School
of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at
Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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36
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Lefterov I, Fitz NF, Lu Y, Koldamova R. APOEε4 and risk of Alzheimer's disease - time to move forward. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1195724. [PMID: 37274212 PMCID: PMC10235508 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1195724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The inheritance of Apolipoprotein E4 (APOEε4) brings the highest genetic risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), arguably the highest genetic risk in human pathology. Since the discovery of the association, APOE protein isoforms have been at the center of tens of thousands of studies and reports. While, without a doubt, our knowledge about the normal physiological function of APOE isoforms in the brain has increased tremendously, the questions of how the inheritance of the APOEε4 allele translates into a risk of AD, and the risk is materialized, remain unanswered. Moreover, the knowledge about the risk associated with APOEε4 has not helped design a meaningful preventative or therapeutic strategy. Animal models with targeted replacement of Apoe have been generated and, thanks to the recent NIH/NIA/Alzheimer's disease Association initiative, are now freely available to AD researchers. While helpful in many aspects, none of the available models recapitulates normal physiological transcriptional regulation of the human APOE gene cluster. Changes in epigenetic regulation of APOE alleles in animal models in response to external insults have rarely been if ever, addressed. However, these animal models provide a useful tool to handle questions and investigate protein-protein interactions with proteins expressed by other recently discovered genes and gene variants considered genetic risk factors of AD, like Triggering Receptor expressed on Myeloid cells 2 (TREM2). In this review, we discuss genetic and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms controlling and influencing APOE expression and focus on interactions of APOE and TREM2 in the context of microglia and astrocytes' role in AD-like pathology in animal models.
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Iguchi A, Takatori S, Kimura S, Muneto H, Wang K, Etani H, Ito G, Sato H, Hori Y, Sasaki J, Saito T, Saido TC, Ikezu T, Takai T, Sasaki T, Tomita T. INPP5D modulates TREM2 loss-of-function phenotypes in a β-amyloidosis mouse model. iScience 2023; 26:106375. [PMID: 37035000 PMCID: PMC10074152 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic associations of TREM2 loss-of-function variants with Alzheimer disease (AD) indicate the protective roles of microglia in AD pathogenesis. Functional deficiencies of TREM2 disrupt microglial clustering around amyloid β (Aβ) plaques, impair their transcriptional response to Aβ, and worsen neuritic dystrophy. However, the molecular mechanism underlying these phenotypes remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the pathological role of another AD risk gene, INPP5D, encoding a phosphoinositide PI(3,4,5)P3 phosphatase expressed in microglia. In a Tyrobp-deficient TREM2 loss-of-function mouse model, Inpp5d haplodeficiency restored the association of microglia with Aβ plaques, partially restored plaque compaction, and astrogliosis, and reduced phosphorylated tau+ dystrophic neurites. Mechanistic analyses suggest that TREM2/TYROBP and INPP5D exert opposing effects on PI(3,4,5)P3 signaling pathways as well as on phosphoproteins involved in the actin assembly. Our results suggest that INPP5D acts downstream of TREM2/TYROBP to regulate the microglial barrier against Aβ toxicity, thereby modulates Aβ-dependent pathological conversion of tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Iguchi
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Sho Takatori
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Shingo Kimura
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroki Muneto
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kai Wang
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hayato Etani
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Genta Ito
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Pharma-Science, Teikyo University, 2-11-1 Kaga, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 173-8605, Japan
| | - Haruaki Sato
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yukiko Hori
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Junko Sasaki
- Department of Lipid Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, 1 Kawasumi, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
| | - Takaomi C. Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Tsuneya Ikezu
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Toshiyuki Takai
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryo, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
| | - Takehiko Sasaki
- Department of Lipid Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan
| | - Taisuke Tomita
- Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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Kostes WW, Brafman DA. The Multifaceted Role of WNT Signaling in Alzheimer's Disease Onset and Age-Related Progression. Cells 2023; 12:1204. [PMID: 37190113 PMCID: PMC10136584 DOI: 10.3390/cells12081204] [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: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary conserved WNT signaling pathway orchestrates numerous complex biological processes during development and is critical to the maintenance of tissue integrity and homeostasis in the adult. As it relates to the central nervous system, WNT signaling plays several roles as it relates to neurogenesis, synaptic formation, memory, and learning. Thus, dysfunction of this pathway is associated with multiple diseases and disorders, including several neurodegenerative disorders. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by several pathologies, synaptic dysfunction, and cognitive decline. In this review, we will discuss the various epidemiological, clinical, and animal studies that demonstrate a precise link between aberrant WNT signaling and AD-associated pathologies. In turn, we will discuss the manner in which WNT signaling influences multiple molecular, biochemical, and cellular pathways upstream of these end-point pathologies. Finally, we will discuss how merging tools and technologies can be used to generate next generation cellular models to dissect the relationship between WNT signaling and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David A. Brafman
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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Bonomi CG, Assogna M, Di Donna MG, Bernocchi F, De Lucia V, Nuccetelli M, Fiorelli D, Loizzo S, Mercuri NB, Koch G, Martorana A, Motta C. Cerebrospinal Fluid sTREM-2, GFAP, and β-S100 in Symptomatic Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease: Microglial, Astrocytic, and APOE Contributions Along the Alzheimer's Disease Continuum. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 92:1385-1397. [PMID: 36911936 DOI: 10.3233/jad-221010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many transversal mechanisms act synergistically at different time-points in the cascade of Alzheimer's disease (AD), since amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, tau pathology, and neuroinflammation influence each other. OBJECTIVE We explored the contributions of microglia and astrocytes in patients with symptomatic sporadic AD stratified according to AT(N) system and APOE genotype. METHODS We compared the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of sTREM-2 and markers of astrocytic activation (GFAP; β-S100) from 71 patients with AD (23 A+T-,48 A+T+; 38 APOEɛ3, 33 APOEɛ4) and 30 healthy controls (HC). With multivariate analyses we investigated associations between glial biomarkers, Aβ42, and p-tau in all subgroups. RESULTS CSF sTREM-2 was higher in A+T+ [1.437 (0.264)] and A+T- [1.355 (0.213)] than in HC [1.042 (0.198); both p < 0.001]; GFAP and β-S100 were comparable across groups. Considering all patients, sTREM-2 positively associated with Aβ 42 (p = 0.04) and p-tau (=0.016), with the first being present only in the A+T- subgroup (p = 0.023). GFAP positively associated with Aβ 42 in all patients (p = 0.020) and in the A+T+ subgroup (p = 0.04). Stratifying by APOE, a positive association of sTREM-2 and p-tau was confirmed selectively in carriers of ɛ4 (p = 0.018). Finally, sTREM-2 positively correlated with β-S100 in all subgroups, and with GFAP in A+T+ (p = 0.042). CONCLUSION Our results confirm the increase of CSF sTREM-2 in AD, which associates with reduced amyloidopathy in A+T- patients. Moreover, microglial activation seems to increase CSF tau levels in carriers of APOEɛ4, is associated with astrocytic reactivity (GFAP) in A+T+, and likely leads the acquisition of a more neurotoxic astrocytic phenotype (β-S100).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martina Assogna
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.,Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Gaia Di Donna
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Bernocchi
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Lucia
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Marzia Nuccetelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Denise Fiorelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Loizzo
- Department of Cardiovascular, Endocrine-Metabolic and Ageing-Associated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Neurology Unit, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Koch
- Non Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Human Physiology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessandro Martorana
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - Caterina Motta
- UOSD Centro Demenze, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
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40
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van Lengerich B, Zhan L, Xia D, Chan D, Joy D, Park JI, Tatarakis D, Calvert M, Hummel S, Lianoglou S, Pizzo ME, Prorok R, Thomsen E, Bartos LM, Beumers P, Capell A, Davis SS, de Weerd L, Dugas JC, Duque J, Earr T, Gadkar K, Giese T, Gill A, Gnörich J, Ha C, Kannuswamy M, Kim DJ, Kunte ST, Kunze LH, Lac D, Lechtenberg K, Leung AWS, Liang CC, Lopez I, McQuade P, Modi A, Torres VO, Nguyen HN, Pesämaa I, Propson N, Reich M, Robles-Colmenares Y, Schlepckow K, Slemann L, Solanoy H, Suh JH, Thorne RG, Vieira C, Wind-Mark K, Xiong K, Zuchero YJY, Diaz D, Dennis MS, Huang F, Scearce-Levie K, Watts RJ, Haass C, Lewcock JW, Di Paolo G, Brendel M, Sanchez PE, Monroe KM. A TREM2-activating antibody with a blood-brain barrier transport vehicle enhances microglial metabolism in Alzheimer's disease models. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:416-429. [PMID: 36635496 PMCID: PMC9991924 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01240-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Loss-of-function variants of TREM2 are associated with increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting that activation of this innate immune receptor may be a useful therapeutic strategy. Here we describe a high-affinity human TREM2-activating antibody engineered with a monovalent transferrin receptor (TfR) binding site, termed antibody transport vehicle (ATV), to facilitate blood-brain barrier transcytosis. Upon peripheral delivery in mice, ATV:TREM2 showed improved brain biodistribution and enhanced signaling compared to a standard anti-TREM2 antibody. In human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia, ATV:TREM2 induced proliferation and improved mitochondrial metabolism. Single-cell RNA sequencing and morphometry revealed that ATV:TREM2 shifted microglia to metabolically responsive states, which were distinct from those induced by amyloid pathology. In an AD mouse model, ATV:TREM2 boosted brain microglial activity and glucose metabolism. Thus, ATV:TREM2 represents a promising approach to improve microglial function and treat brain hypometabolism found in patients with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lihong Zhan
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dan Xia
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Darren Chan
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - David Joy
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joshua I Park
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Selina Hummel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Rachel Prorok
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Laura M Bartos
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Beumers
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Anja Capell
- Biomedical Center (BMC), Division of Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Lis de Weerd
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Jason C Dugas
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Joseph Duque
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Timothy Earr
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kapil Gadkar
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Tina Giese
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Audrey Gill
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Johannes Gnörich
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Connie Ha
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Do Jin Kim
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Sebastian T Kunte
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Lea H Kunze
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Diana Lac
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Isabel Lopez
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Paul McQuade
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anuja Modi
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Ida Pesämaa
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Marvin Reich
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | | | - Kai Schlepckow
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Luna Slemann
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Hilda Solanoy
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jung H Suh
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Karin Wind-Mark
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Ken Xiong
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Dolo Diaz
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Mark S Dennis
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Fen Huang
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Ryan J Watts
- Denali Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christian Haass
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Biomedical Center (BMC), Division of Metabolic Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Matthias Brendel
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Munich, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
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41
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Karahan H, Smith DC, Kim B, McCord B, Mantor J, John SK, Al-Amin MM, Dabin LC, Kim J. The effect of Abi3 locus deletion on the progression of Alzheimer's disease-related pathologies. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1102530. [PMID: 36895556 PMCID: PMC9988916 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1102530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Human genetics studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have identified the ABI3 gene as a candidate risk gene for AD. Because ABI3 is highly expressed in microglia, the brain's immune cells, it was suggested that ABI3 might impact AD pathogenesis by regulating the immune response. Recent studies suggest that microglia have multifaceted roles in AD. Their immune response and phagocytosis functions can have beneficial effects in the early stages of AD by clearing up amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques. However, they can be harmful at later stages due to their continuous inflammatory response. Therefore, it is important to understand the role of genes in microglia functions and their impact on AD pathologies along the progression of the disease. To determine the role of ABI3 at the early stage of amyloid pathology, we crossed Abi3 knock-out mice with the 5XFAD Aβ-amyloidosis mouse model and aged them until 4.5-month-old. Here, we demonstrate that deletion of the Abi3 locus increased Aβ plaque deposition, while there was no significant change in microgliosis and astrogliosis. Transcriptomic analysis indicates alterations in the expression of immune genes, such as Tyrobp, Fcer1g, and C1qa. In addition to the transcriptomic changes, we found elevated cytokine protein levels in Abi3 knock-out mouse brains, strengthening the role of ABI3 in neuroinflammation. These findings suggest that loss of ABI3 function may exacerbate AD progression by increasing Aβ accumulation and inflammation starting from earlier stages of the pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hande Karahan
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Daniel C. Smith
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Medical Neuroscience Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Byungwook Kim
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Brianne McCord
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Jordan Mantor
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Sutha K. John
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Md Mamun Al-Amin
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Luke C. Dabin
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Jungsu Kim
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
- Medical Neuroscience Graduate Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
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42
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Tran KM, Kawauchi S, Kramár EA, Rezaie N, Liang HY, Sakr JS, Gomez-Arboledas A, Arreola MA, Cunha CD, Phan J, Wang S, Collins S, Walker A, Shi KX, Neumann J, Filimban G, Shi Z, Milinkeviciute G, Javonillo DI, Tran K, Gantuz M, Forner S, Swarup V, Tenner AJ, LaFerla FM, Wood MA, Mortazavi A, MacGregor GR, Green KN. A Trem2 R47H mouse model without cryptic splicing drives age- and disease-dependent tissue damage and synaptic loss in response to plaques. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:12. [PMID: 36803190 PMCID: PMC9938579 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00598-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The TREM2 R47H variant is one of the strongest genetic risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Unfortunately, many current Trem2 R47H mouse models are associated with cryptic mRNA splicing of the mutant allele that produces a confounding reduction in protein product. To overcome this issue, we developed the Trem2R47H NSS (Normal Splice Site) mouse model in which the Trem2 allele is expressed at a similar level to the wild-type Trem2 allele without evidence of cryptic splicing products. METHODS Trem2R47H NSS mice were treated with the demyelinating agent cuprizone, or crossed with the 5xFAD mouse model of amyloidosis, to explore the impact of the TREM2 R47H variant on inflammatory responses to demyelination, plaque development, and the brain's response to plaques. RESULTS Trem2R47H NSS mice display an appropriate inflammatory response to cuprizone challenge, and do not recapitulate the null allele in terms of impeded inflammatory responses to demyelination. Utilizing the 5xFAD mouse model, we report age- and disease-dependent changes in Trem2R47H NSS mice in response to development of AD-like pathology. At an early (4-month-old) disease stage, hemizygous 5xFAD/homozygous Trem2R47H NSS (5xFAD/Trem2R47H NSS) mice have reduced size and number of microglia that display impaired interaction with plaques compared to microglia in age-matched 5xFAD hemizygous controls. This is associated with a suppressed inflammatory response but increased dystrophic neurites and axonal damage as measured by plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) level. Homozygosity for Trem2R47H NSS suppressed LTP deficits and loss of presynaptic puncta caused by the 5xFAD transgene array in 4-month-old mice. At a more advanced (12-month-old) disease stage 5xFAD/Trem2R47H NSS mice no longer display impaired plaque-microglia interaction or suppressed inflammatory gene expression, although NfL levels remain elevated, and a unique interferon-related gene expression signature is seen. Twelve-month old Trem2R47H NSS mice also display LTP deficits and postsynaptic loss. CONCLUSIONS The Trem2R47H NSS mouse is a valuable model that can be used to investigate age-dependent effects of the AD-risk R47H mutation on TREM2 and microglial function including its effects on plaque development, microglial-plaque interaction, production of a unique interferon signature and associated tissue damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine M. Tran
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Shimako Kawauchi
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, Office of Research, ULAR, Irvine, USA
| | - Enikö A. Kramár
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Narges Rezaie
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, Irvine, USA
| | - Heidi Yahan Liang
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, Irvine, USA
| | - Jasmine S. Sakr
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | | | - Miguel A. Arreola
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Celia da Cunha
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Jimmy Phan
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Shuling Wang
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, Office of Research, ULAR, Irvine, USA
| | - Sherilyn Collins
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, Office of Research, ULAR, Irvine, USA
| | - Amber Walker
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, Office of Research, ULAR, Irvine, USA
| | - Kai-Xuan Shi
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, Office of Research, ULAR, Irvine, USA
| | - Jonathan Neumann
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, Office of Research, ULAR, Irvine, USA
| | - Ghassan Filimban
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Zechuan Shi
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Giedre Milinkeviciute
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Dominic I. Javonillo
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Katelynn Tran
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Magdalena Gantuz
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Stefania Forner
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Vivek Swarup
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, Irvine, USA
| | - Andrea J. Tenner
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Frank M. LaFerla
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Marcelo A. Wood
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Ali Mortazavi
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, Irvine, USA
| | - Grant R. MacGregor
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, Office of Research, ULAR, Irvine, USA
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Kim N. Green
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, USA
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Qu W, Jeong A, Zhong R, Thieschafer JS, Gram A, Li L. Deletion of Small GTPase H-Ras Rescues Memory Deficits and Reduces Amyloid Plaque-Associated Dendritic Spine Loss in Transgenic Alzheimer's Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:495-511. [PMID: 36287323 PMCID: PMC10771223 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03082-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, affecting millions of lives without a cure. While the molecular mechanism of AD remains obscure, emerging evidence suggests that small GTPases, a group of GTP-binding proteins that regulate a plethora of essential cellular events, modulate the pathogenic process of AD. Among those, the small GTPase H-Ras, extensively studied in cancer, regulates synaptic function, and both upstream and downstream signaling pathways of H-Ras have been implicated in AD. However, the role of H-Ras per se in AD pathogenesis had not been explored previously. In the present study, the impact of Hras deletion on cognitive function and amyloid pathology was investigated in transgenic APP/PS1 mice of AD. Behavioral assessments showed that the absence of Hras rescued spatial memory deficit in APP/PS1 mice at 9 months of age. The pathological evaluation demonstrated that Hras deletion reduced cortical amyloid deposition and astrogliosis. Furthermore, Hras deficiency protected against amyloid plaque-associated loss of dendritic spines in APP/PS1 mice. Intriguingly, canonical signaling pathways downstream of H-Ras were not affected by the absence of Hras in the brain. Unbiased transcriptomic analysis revealed that lack of H-Ras affected the expression of select genes in the brain of AD mice and identified a novel connection between H-Ras and Annexin A4, a calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding protein that has been shown to regulate membrane repair, neuroinflammation, and calcium homeostasis. Taken together, these data indicate that H-Ras modifies the pathogenic process of AD and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhui Qu
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Angela Jeong
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
- Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Rui Zhong
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Josslen S Thieschafer
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Andrea Gram
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Ling Li
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
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44
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Ayyubova G. TREM2 signalling as a multifaceted player in brain homoeostasis and a potential target for Alzheimer's disease treatment. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 57:718-733. [PMID: 36637116 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2) has crucial roles in microglial physiology, differentiation, metabolism and survival. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) show that genetic mutations of the TREM2 increase the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) by two to four times, disrupting the microglial function in reducing the progression of the disease. Accumulating data show that TREM2 function in AD is related primarily to the clearance of soluble and insoluble amyloid beta (Aβ42) aggregates from the brain. TREM2 also ameliorates the pathological effects of activated microglia on neuronal tau pathology, demonstrating its protective anti-inflammatory effects. However, since the excessive activation of TREM2 signalling can inhibit pro-inflammatory reactions and suppress the role of microglia in immune surveillance, at the late stages of the disease, it might promote immune tolerance, which is detrimental. The contradictory effects of TREM2 mutations on brain amyloidopathy and tauopathy in multiple mouse models, as well as studies revealing various effects of TREM2 overexpression, complicate the understanding of the role that TREM2 plays in AD aetiopathogenesis. In this review, we summarize the latest developments regarding the significance of TREM2 signalling in the stability of microglial pro- and anti-inflammatory activations and propose the mechanisms that should be targeted in the future to treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunel Ayyubova
- Department of Cytology, Embryology and Histology, Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku, Azerbaijan
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45
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McKee CG, Hoffos M, Vecchiarelli HA, Tremblay MÈ. Microglia: A pharmacological target for the treatment of age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1125982. [PMID: 36969855 PMCID: PMC10034122 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1125982] [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: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
As individuals age, microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS), become less effective at preserving brain circuits. Increases in microglial inflammatory activity are thought to contribute to age-related declines in cognitive functions and to transitions toward mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). As microglia possess receptors for communicating with the CNS environment, pharmacological therapies targeting these pathways hold potential for promoting homeostatic microglial functions within the aging CNS. Preclinical and early phase clinical trials investigating the therapeutic effects of pharmacological agents acting on microglia, including reactive oxygen species, TREM2, fractalkine signaling, the complement cascade, and the NLRP3 inflammasome, are currently underway; however, important questions remain unanswered. Current challenges include target selectivity, as many of the signaling pathways are expressed in other cell types. Furthermore, microglia are a heterogenous cell population with transcriptomic, proteomic, and microscopy studies revealing distinct microglial states, whose activities and abundance shift across the lifespan. For example, homeostatic microglia can transform into pathological states characterized by markers of oxidative stress. Selective pharmacological targeting aimed at limiting transitions to pathological states or promoting homeostatic or protective states, could help to avoid potentially harmful off-target effects on beneficial states or other cell types. In this mini-review we cover current microglial pathways of interest for the prevention and treatment of age-related cognitive decline and CNS disorders of aging focusing on MCI and AD. We also discuss the heterogeneity of microglia described in these conditions and how pharmacological agents could target specific microglial states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe G. McKee
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Madison Hoffos
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | | | - Marie-Ève Tremblay
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
- Axe Neurosciences, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, QC, Canada
- Neurology and Neurosurgery Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Related Technology (CAMTEC), University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Institute for Aging and Lifelong Health, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Marie-Ève Tremblay,
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46
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Microglial Expression of the Wnt Signaling Modulator DKK2 Differs between Human Alzheimer's Disease Brains and Mouse Neurodegeneration Models. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0306-22.2022. [PMID: 36599670 PMCID: PMC9836029 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0306-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Wnt signaling is crucial for synapse and cognitive function. Indeed, deficient Wnt signaling is causally related to increased expression of DKK1, an endogenous negative Wnt regulator, and synapse loss, both of which likely contribute to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increasingly, AD research efforts have probed the neuroinflammatory role of microglia, the resident immune cells of the CNS, which have furthermore been shown to be modulated by Wnt signaling. The DKK1 homolog DKK2 has been previously identified as an activated response and/or disease-associated microglia (DAM/ARM) gene in a mouse model of AD. Here, we performed a detailed analysis of DKK2 in mouse models of neurodegeneration, and in human AD brain. In APP/PS1 and APPNL-G-F AD mouse model brains as well as in SOD1G93A ALS mouse model spinal cords, but not in control littermates, we demonstrated significant microgliosis and microglial Dkk2 mRNA upregulation in a disease-stage-dependent manner. In the AD models, these DAM/ARM Dkk2+ microglia preferentially accumulated close to βAmyloid plaques. Furthermore, recombinant DKK2 treatment of rat hippocampal primary neurons blocked WNT7a-induced dendritic spine and synapse formation, indicative of an anti-synaptic effect similar to that of DKK1. In stark contrast, no such microglial DKK2 upregulation was detected in the postmortem human frontal cortex from individuals diagnosed with AD or pathologic aging. In summary, the difference in microglial expression of the DAM/ARM gene DKK2 between mouse models and human AD brain highlights the increasingly recognized limitations of using mouse models to recapitulate facets of human neurodegenerative disease.
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47
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Hou J, Chen Y, Grajales-Reyes G, Colonna M. TREM2 dependent and independent functions of microglia in Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:84. [PMID: 36564824 PMCID: PMC9783481 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00588-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are central players in brain innate immunity and have been the subject of extensive research in Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this review, we aim to summarize the genetic and functional discoveries that have advanced our understanding of microglia reactivity to AD pathology. Given the heightened AD risk posed by rare variants of the microglial triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), we will focus on the studies addressing the impact of this receptor on microglia responses to amyloid plaques, tauopathy and demyelination pathologies in mouse and human. Finally, we will discuss the implications of recent discoveries on microglia and TREM2 biology on potential therapeutic strategies for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinchao Hou
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Yun Chen
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA ,grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Gary Grajales-Reyes
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
| | - Marco Colonna
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
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Kim DW, Tu KJ, Wei A, Lau AJ, Gonzalez-Gil A, Cao T, Braunstein K, Ling JP, Troncoso JC, Wong PC, Blackshaw S, Schnaar RL, Li T. Amyloid-beta and tau pathologies act synergistically to induce novel disease stage-specific microglia subtypes. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:83. [PMID: 36536457 PMCID: PMC9762062 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00589-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amongst risk alleles associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), those that converged on the regulation of microglia activity have emerged as central to disease progression. Yet, how canonical amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau pathologies regulate microglia subtypes during the progression of AD remains poorly understood. METHODS We use single-cell RNA-sequencing to profile microglia subtypes from mice exhibiting both Aβ and tau pathologies across disease progression. We identify novel microglia subtypes that are induced in response to both Aβ and tau pathologies in a disease-stage-specific manner. To validate the observation in AD mouse models, we also generated a snRNA-Seq dataset from the human superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and entorhinal cortex (ERC) at different Braak stages. RESULTS We show that during early-stage disease, interferon signaling induces a subtype of microglia termed Early-stage AD-Associated Microglia (EADAM) in response to both Aβ and tau pathologies. During late-stage disease, a second microglia subtype termed Late-stage AD-Associated Microglia (LADAM) is detected. While similar microglia subtypes are observed in other models of neurodegenerative disease, the magnitude and composition of gene signatures found in EADAM and LADAM are distinct, suggesting the necessity of both Aβ and tau pathologies to elicit their emergence. Importantly, the pattern of EADAM- and LADAM-associated gene expression is observed in microglia from AD brains, during the early (Braak II)- or late (Braak VI/V)- stage of the disease, respectively. Furthermore, we show that several Siglec genes are selectively expressed in either EADAM or LADAM. Siglecg is expressed in white-matter-associated LADAM, and expression of Siglec-10, the human orthologue of Siglecg, is progressively elevated in an AD-stage-dependent manner but not shown in non-AD tauopathy. CONCLUSIONS Using scRNA-Seq in mouse models bearing amyloid-β and/or tau pathologies, we identify novel microglia subtypes induced by the combination of Aβ and tau pathologies in a disease stage-specific manner. Our findings suggest that both Aβ and tau pathologies are required for the disease stage-specific induction of EADAM and LADAM. In addition, we revealed Siglecs as biomarkers of AD progression and potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Kevin J. Tu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Alice Wei
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Ashley J. Lau
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Anabel Gonzalez-Gil
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Tianyu Cao
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Kerstin Braunstein
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Jonathan P. Ling
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Juan C. Troncoso
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Philip C. Wong
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Ronald L. Schnaar
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
| | - Tong Li
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA
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Pereira JB, Janelidze S, Strandberg O, Whelan CD, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Palmqvist S, Stomrud E, Mattsson-Carlgren N, Hansson O. Microglial activation protects against accumulation of tau aggregates in nondemented individuals with underlying Alzheimer's disease pathology. NATURE AGING 2022; 2:1138-1144. [PMID: 37118533 PMCID: PMC10154192 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-022-00310-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The role of microglia in tau accumulation is currently unclear but could provide an important insight into the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD)1. Here, we measured the microglial marker soluble TREM2 and the disease-associated microglial activation stage 2 markers AXL, MERTK, GAS6, LPL, CST7, SPP1 and CSF1 in nondemented individuals from the Swedish BioFINDER-2 cohort who underwent longitudinal tau-positron emission tomography (PET), amyloid-PET and global cognitive assessment. To assess whether baseline microglial markers had an effect on AD-related changes, we studied three sub-groups of individuals: 121 with evidence of amyloid-PET pathology (A+), 64 with additional evidence of tau-PET pathology (A+T+) and 159 without amyloid- or tau-PET pathology (A-T-). Our results showed that increased levels of TREM2 were associated with slower amyloid accumulation in A+ individuals in addition to slower tau deposition and cognitive decline in A+T+ subjects. Similarly, higher levels of AXL, MERTK, GAS6, LPL, CST7 and CSF1 predicted slower tau accumulation and/or cognitive decline in the A+T+ group. These findings have important implications for future therapeutic strategies aiming to boost microglial protective functions in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana B Pereira
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
| | - Shorena Janelidze
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Olof Strandberg
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | | | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
- UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, UK
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Sebastian Palmqvist
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Erik Stomrud
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Wallenberg Center for Molecular Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Oskar Hansson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Clinical Memory Research Unit, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
- Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden.
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50
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Li Q, Wang X, Wang ZH, Lin Z, Yang J, Chen J, Wang R, Ye W, Li Y, Wu Y, Xuan A. Changes in dendritic complexity and spine morphology following BCG immunization in APP/PS1 mice. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2022; 18:2121568. [PMID: 36113067 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2121568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacillus Calmette - Guerin (BCG) is an immune regulator that can enhance hippocampal synaptic plasticity in rats; however, it is unclear whether it can improve synaptic function in a mouse model with Alzheimer's disease (AD). We hypothesized that BCG plays a protective role in AD mice and investigated its effect on dendritic morphology. The results obtained show that BCG immunization significantly increases dendritic complexity, as indicated by the increased number of dendritic intersections and branch points, as well as the increase in the fractal dimension. Furthermore, the number of primary neurites and dendritic length also increased following BCG immunization, which increased the number of spines and promoted maturation. IFN-γ and IL-4 levels increased, while TNF-α levels decreased following BCG immunization; expression levels of p-JAK2, P-STAT3, SYN, and PSD-95 also increased. Therefore, this study demonstrates that BCG immunization in APP/PS1 mice mitigated hippocampal dendritic spine pathology, especially after the third round of immunization. This effect could possibly be attributed to; changes in dendritic arborization and spine morphology or increases in SYN and PSD-95 expression levels. It could also be related to mechanisms of BCG-induced increases in IFN-γ or IL-4/JAK2/STAT3 levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Zhenzong Lin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Jieyi Yang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Jichun Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Wenfeng Ye
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Ya Li
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Yingying Wu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
| | - Aiguo Xuan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, PR China
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