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Louçã M, El Akrouti D, Lemesle A, Louessard M, Dufour N, Baroin C, de la Fouchardière A, Cotter L, Jean-Jacques H, Redeker V, Perrier AL. Huntingtin lowering impairs the maturation and synchronized synaptic activity of human cortical neuronal networks derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 200:106630. [PMID: 39106928 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106630] [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: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite growing descriptions of wild-type Huntingtin (wt-HTT) roles in both adult brain function and, more recently, development, several clinical trials are exploring HTT-lowering approaches that target both wt-HTT and the mutant isoform (mut-HTT) responsible for Huntington's disease (HD). This non-selective targeting is based on the autosomal dominant inheritance of HD, supporting the idea that mut-HTT exerts its harmful effects through a toxic gain-of-function or a dominant-negative mechanism. However, the precise amount of wt-HTT needed for healthy neurons in adults and during development remains unclear. In this study, we address this question by examining how wt-HTT loss affects human neuronal network formation, synaptic maturation, and homeostasis in vitro. Our findings establish a role of wt-HTT in the maturation of dendritic arborization and the acquisition of network-wide synchronized activity by human cortical neuronal networks modeled in vitro. Interestingly, the network synchronization defects only became apparent when more than two-thirds of the wt-HTT protein was depleted. Our study underscores the critical need to precisely understand wt-HTT role in neuronal health. It also emphasizes the potential risks of excessive wt-HTT loss associated with non-selective therapeutic approaches targeting both wt- and mut-HTT isoforms in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Louçã
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Donya El Akrouti
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aude Lemesle
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Morgane Louessard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Chloé Baroin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aurore de la Fouchardière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Laurent Cotter
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Hélène Jean-Jacques
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Virginie Redeker
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
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Jellinger KA. Pathomechanisms of behavioral abnormalities in Huntington disease: an update. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:999-1012. [PMID: 38874766 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-024-02794-y] [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: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD), a devastating autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by an expanded CAG trinucleotide repeat, is clinically characterized by a triad of symptoms including involuntary motions, behavior problems and cognitive deficits. Behavioral symptoms with anxiety, irritability, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, apathy and other neuropsychiatric symptoms, occurring in over 50% of HD patients are important features of this disease and contribute to impairment of quality of life, but their pathophysiology is poorly understood. Behavior problems, more frequent than depression, can be manifest before obvious motor symptoms and occur across all HD stages, usually correlated with duration of illness. While specific neuropathological data are missing, the relations between gene expression and behavior have been elucidated in transgenic models of HD. Disruption of interneuronal communications, with involvement of prefronto-striato-thalamic networks and hippocampal dysfunctions produce deficits in multiple behavioral domains. These changes that have been confirmed by multistructural neuroimaging studies are due to a causal cascade linking molecular pathologies (glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunctions inducing multiple biochemical and structural alterations) and deficits in multiple behavioral domains. The disruption of large-scale connectivities may explain the variability of behavior profiles and is useful in understanding the biological backgrounds of functional decline in HD. Such findings offer new avenues for targeted treatments in terms of minimizing neurobehavioral impairment in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt A Jellinger
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, Alberichgasse 5/13, Vienna, A-1150, Austria.
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Fang M, Liu Y, Gao X, Yu J, Tu X, Mo X, Zhu H, Zou Y, Huang C, Fan S. Perillaldehyde alleviates polyQ-induced neurodegeneration through the induction of autophagy and mitochondrial UPR in Caenorhabditis elegans. Biofactors 2024. [PMID: 38990058 DOI: 10.1002/biof.2089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease associated with autophagy disorder and mitochondrial dysfunction. Here, we identified therapeutic potential of perillaldehyde (PAE), a monoterpene compound obtained from Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., in the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model of HD, which included lifespan extension, healthspan improvement, decrease in polyglutamine (polyQ) aggregation, and preservation of mitochondrial network. Further analyses indicated that PAE was able to induce autophagy and mitochondrial unfolded protein reaction (UPRmt) activation and positively regulated expression of associated genes. In lgg-1 RNAi C. elegans or C. elegans with UPRmt-related genes knockdown, the effects of PAE treatment on polyQ aggregation or rescue polyQ-induced toxicity were attenuated, suggesting that its neuroprotective activity depended on autophagy and UPRmt. Moreover, we found that pharmacological and genetic activation of UPRmt generally protected C. elegans from polyQ-induced cytotoxicity. Finally, PAE promoted serotonin synthesis by upregulating expression of TPH-1, and serotonin synthesis and neurosecretion were required for PAE-mediated UPRmt activation and its neuroprotective activity. In conclusion, PAE is a potential therapy for polyQ-related diseases including HD, which is dependent on autophagy and cell-non-autonomous UPRmt activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglv Fang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ying Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoyan Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaohui Tu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueying Mo
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Huanhu Zhu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zou
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengjie Fan
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Abdulla M, Hussain MK, Ahamad S. Trifluoromethylnitrone: a versatile building block for synthesizing trifluoromethyl-containing heterocyclic compounds. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:5242-5256. [PMID: 38881404 DOI: 10.1039/d4ob00849a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
This review explores the significance of trifluoromethylnitrones in synthesizing fluorine-containing compounds, with a particular focus on trifluoromethylated heterocycles. It explores the versatility of trifluoromethylnitrones, especially in [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions, highlighting their unique reactivity with various dienophile substrates. Trifluoromethylnitrones are valuable precursors for the rapid synthesis of medicinally important trifluoromethylated heterocycles, including isoxazolidines, dihydroisoxazoles, oxathiazolidines, β-lactams, and aziridines. These heterocycles, in turn, serve as synthons for synthesizing trifluoromethylated lactams and aminoalcohols. Additionally, nitrone chemistry extends to synthesizing trifluoromethylated nucleosides and trifluorinated organoborane heterocycles, demonstrating their versatility. While sharing similarities with trifluorodiazoethane reactivity, trifluoromethylnitrones offer distinct advantages by enabling the synthesis of heterocycles typically inaccessible with trifluorodiazoethane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Abdulla
- Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow-226025, India
| | | | - Shakir Ahamad
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002, India.
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Kaszyńska AA. Cannabinoids: Potential for Modulation and Enhancement When Combined with Vitamin B12 in Case of Neurodegenerative Disorders. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:813. [PMID: 38931480 PMCID: PMC11207064 DOI: 10.3390/ph17060813] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The enduring relationship between humanity and the cannabis plant has witnessed significant transformations, particularly with the widespread legalization of medical cannabis. This has led to the recognition of diverse pharmacological formulations of medical cannabis, containing 545 identified natural compounds, including 144 phytocannabinoids like Δ9-THC and CBD. Cannabinoids exert distinct regulatory effects on physiological processes, prompting their investigation in neurodegenerative diseases. Recent research highlights their potential in modulating protein aggregation and mitochondrial dysfunction, crucial factors in conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease, multiple sclerosis, or Parkinson's disease. The discussion emphasizes the importance of maintaining homeodynamics in neurodegenerative disorders and explores innovative therapeutic approaches such as nanoparticles and RNA aptamers. Moreover, cannabinoids, particularly CBD, demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects through the modulation of microglial activity, offering multifaceted neuroprotection including mitigating aggregation. Additionally, the potential integration of cannabinoids with vitamin B12 presents a holistic framework for addressing neurodegeneration, considering their roles in homeodynamics and nervous system functioning including the hippocampal neurogenesis. The potential synergistic therapeutic benefits of combining CBD with vitamin B12 underscore a promising avenue for advancing treatment strategies in neurodegenerative diseases. However, further research is imperative to fully elucidate their effects and potential applications, emphasizing the dynamic nature of this field and its potential to reshape neurodegenerative disease treatment paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Aleksandra Kaszyńska
- The Centre of Neurocognitive Research, Institute of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Chodakowska 19/31, 03-815 Warszawa, Poland
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Ahamad S, Bano N, Khan S, Hussain MK, Bhat SA. Unraveling the Puzzle of Therapeutic Peptides: A Promising Frontier in Huntington's Disease Treatment. J Med Chem 2024; 67:783-815. [PMID: 38207096 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative genetic disorder characterized by a mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, resulting in the production of a mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT). The accumulation of mHTT leads to the development of toxic aggregates in neurons, causing cell dysfunction and, eventually, cell death. Peptide therapeutics target various aspects of HD pathology, including mHTT reduction and aggregation inhibition, extended CAG mRNA degradation, and modulation of dysregulated signaling pathways, such as BDNF/TrkB signaling. In addition, these peptide therapeutics also target the detrimental interactions of mHTT with InsP3R1, CaM, or Caspase-6 proteins to mitigate HD. This Perspective provides a detailed perspective on anti-HD therapeutic peptides, highlighting their design, structural characteristics, neuroprotective effects, and specific mechanisms of action. Peptide therapeutics for HD exhibit promise in preclinical models, but further investigation is required to confirm their effectiveness as viable therapeutic strategies, recognizing that no approved peptide therapy for HD currently exists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakir Ahamad
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Nargis Bano
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Sameera Khan
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | | | - Shahnawaz A Bhat
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
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