1
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Soeda Y, Yoshimura H, Bannai H, Koike R, Shiiba I, Takashima A. Intracellular tau fragment droplets serve as seeds for tau fibrils. Structure 2024; 32:1793-1807.e6. [PMID: 39032487 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2024.06.018] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Intracellular tau aggregation requires a local protein concentration increase, referred to as "droplets". However, the cellular mechanism for droplet formation is poorly understood. Here, we expressed OptoTau, a P301L mutant tau fused with CRY2olig, a light-sensitive protein that can form homo-oligomers. Under blue light exposure, OptoTau increased tau phosphorylation and was sequestered in aggresomes. Suppressing aggresome formation by nocodazole formed tau granular clusters in the cytoplasm. The granular clusters disappeared by discontinuing blue light exposure or 1,6-hexanediol treatment suggesting that intracellular tau droplet formation requires microtubule collapse. Expressing OptoTau-ΔN, a species of N-terminal cleaved tau observed in the Alzheimer's disease brain, formed 1,6-hexanediol and detergent-resistant tau clusters in the cytoplasm with blue light stimulation. These intracellular stable tau clusters acted as a seed for tau fibrils in vitro. These results suggest that tau droplet formation and N-terminal cleavage are necessary for neurofibrillary tangles formation in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Soeda
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan.
| | - Hideaki Yoshimura
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroko Bannai
- School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Biosciences, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsucho, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 162-0056, Japan
| | - Riki Koike
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Isshin Shiiba
- Laboratory of Molecular Biochemistry, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
| | - Akihiko Takashima
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, 1-5-1 Mejiro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171-8588, Japan
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2
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Gomez-Sequeda N, Jimenez-Del-Rio M, Velez-Pardo C. The Antiproteinopathy, Antioxidant, and Antiapoptotic Effects of Methylene Blue and 4-Phenylbutyric Acid Alone, and in Combination on Familial Alzheimer's Disease PSEN1 I416T Cholinergic-Like Neurons. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:3563-3575. [PMID: 39259845 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is a chronic neurological condition that progresses over time. Currently, lacking a viable treatment, the use of multitarget medication combinations has generated interest as a potential FAD therapy approach. In this study, we examined the effects of 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) and methylene blue (MB) either separately or in combination on PSEN1 I416T cholinergic-like neuron cells (ChLNs), which serve as a model for FAD. We found that MB was significantly efficient at reducing the accumulation of intracellular Aβ, phosphorylation of TAU Ser202/Thr205, and increasing Δψm, whereas 4-PBA was significantly efficient at diminishing oxidation of DJ-1Cys106-SH, expression of TP53, and increasing ACh-induced Ca2+ influx. Both agents were equally effective at blunting phosphorylated c-JUN at Ser63/Ser73 and activating caspase 3 (CASP3) into cleaved caspase 3 (CC3) on mutant cells. Combination of MB and 4-PBA at middle (0.1, 1) concentration significantly reduced iAβ, p-TAU, and oxDJ-1 and augmented the ACh-induced Ca2+ influx compared to combined agents at low (0.05, 0.5) or high (0.5, 5) concentration. However, combined MB and 4-PBA were efficient only at dropping DJ-1Cys106-SO3 and increasing ACh-induced Ca2+ inward in mutant ChLNs. Our data show that the reagents MB and 4-PBA alone possess more than one action (e.g., antiamyloid, antioxidant, anti-TAU, antiapoptotic, and ACh-induced Ca2+ influx enhancers), that in combination might cancel or diminish each other. Together, these results strongly argue that MB and 4-PBA might protect PSEN1 I416T ChLNs from Aβ-induced toxicity by working intracellularly as anti-Aβ and anti-Tau agents, improving Δψm and cell survival, and extracellularly, by increasing ACh-induced Ca2+ ion influx. MB and 4-PBA are promising drugs with potential for repurposing in familial AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Gomez-Sequeda
- Neuroscience Research Group, Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, University Research Headquarters, Calle 62#52-59, Building 1, Laboratory 411/412, Medellin 050010, Colombia
| | - Marlene Jimenez-Del-Rio
- Neuroscience Research Group, Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, University Research Headquarters, Calle 62#52-59, Building 1, Laboratory 411/412, Medellin 050010, Colombia
| | - Carlos Velez-Pardo
- Neuroscience Research Group, Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, University Research Headquarters, Calle 62#52-59, Building 1, Laboratory 411/412, Medellin 050010, Colombia
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3
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Singh H, Das A, Khan MM, Pourmotabbed T. New insights into the therapeutic approaches for the treatment of tauopathies. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1020-1026. [PMID: 37862204 PMCID: PMC10749630 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.385288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are a group of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia, which involve progressive neurodegeneration, cognitive deficits, and aberrant tau protein accumulation. The development of tauopathies cannot currently be stopped or slowed down by treatment measures. Given the significant contribution of tau burden in primary tauopathies and the strong association between pathogenic tau accumulation and cognitive deficits, there has been a lot of interest in creating therapies that can alleviate tau pathology and render neuroprotective effects. Recently, small molecules, immunotherapies, and gene therapy have been used to reduce the pathological tau burden and prevent neurodegeneration in animal models of tauopathies. However, the major pitfall of the current therapeutic approach is the difficulty of drugs and gene-targeting modalities to cross the blood-brain barrier and their unintended side effects. In this review, the current therapeutic strategies used for tauopathies including the use of oligonucleotide-based gene therapy approaches that have shown a promising result for the treatment of tauopathies and Alzheimer's disease in preclinical animal models, have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshi Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Delhi, India
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Asmita Das
- Department of Biotechnology, Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Delhi, India
| | - Mohammad Moshahid Khan
- Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
- Center for Muscle, Metabolism and Neuropathology, Division of Regenerative and Rehabilitation Sciences and Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Tayebeh Pourmotabbed
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
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4
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Song Z, Wang KW, Hagar HTC, Chen HR, Kuan CY, Zhang K, Kuo MH. Hyperphosphorylated Tau Inflicts Intracellular Stress Responses that Are Mitigated by Apomorphine. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2653-2671. [PMID: 37919601 PMCID: PMC11043184 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03689-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-binding protein tau in the brain is a key pathological marker for Alzheimer's disease and additional neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, how hyperphosphorylated tau causes cellular dysfunction or death that underlies neurodegeneration remains an unsolved question critical for the understanding of disease mechanism and the design of efficacious drugs. Using a recombinant hyperphosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) synthesized by the PIMAX approach, we examined how cells responded to the cytotoxic tau and explored means to enhance cellular resistance to tau attack. Upon p-tau uptake, the intracellular calcium levels rose promptly. Gene expression analyses revealed that p-tau potently triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, unfolded protein response (UPR), ER stress-associated apoptosis, and pro-inflammation in cells. Proteomics studies showed that p-tau diminished heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an ER stress-associated anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress regulator, while stimulated the accumulation of MIOS and other proteins. p-Tau-induced ER stress-associated apoptosis and pro-inflammation are ameliorated by apomorphine, a brain-permeable prescription drug widely used to treat Parkinson's disease symptoms, and by overexpression of HO-1. Our results reveal probable cellular functions targeted by hyperphosphorylated tau. Some of these dysfunctions and stress responses have been linked to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The observations that the ill effects of p-tau can be mitigated by a small compound and by overexpressing HO-1 that is otherwise diminished in the treated cells inform new directions of Alzheimer's disease drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenfeng Song
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Kuang-Wei Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Hsiao-Tien Chien Hagar
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Hong-Ru Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
- Present address: Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, 112304
| | - Chia-Yi Kuan
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Kezhong Zhang
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
| | - Min-Hao Kuo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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5
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Sharma M, Aggarwal N, Mishra J, Panda JJ. Neuroglia targeting nano-therapeutic approaches to rescue aging and neurodegenerating brain. Int J Pharm 2024; 654:123950. [PMID: 38430951 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.123950] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Despite intense efforts at the bench, the development of successful brain-targeting therapeutics to relieve malicious neural diseases remains primitive. The brain, being a beautifully intricate organ, consists of heterogeneous arrays of neuronal and glial cells. Primarily acting as the support system for neuronal functioning and maturation, glial cells have been observed to be engaged more apparently in the progression and worsening of various neural pathologies. The diseased state is often related to metabolic alterations in glial cells, thereby modulating their physiological homeostasis in conjunction with neuronal dysfunction. A plethora of data indicates the effect of oxidative stress, protein aggregation, and DNA damage in neuroglia impairments. Still, a deeper insight is needed to gain a conflict-free understanding in this arena. As a consequence, glial cells hold the potential to be identified as promising targets for novel therapeutic approaches aimed at brain protection. In this review, we describe the recent strides taken in the direction of understanding the impact of oxidative stress, protein aggregation, and DNA damage on neuroglia impairment and neuroglia-directed nanotherapeutic approaches to mitigate the burden of various neural disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manju Sharma
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Nidhi Aggarwal
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India
| | - Jibanananda Mishra
- School of Biosciences, RIMT University, Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab 147301, India.
| | - Jiban Jyoti Panda
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India.
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6
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Huang Y, Wen J, Ramirez LM, Gümüşdil E, Pokhrel P, Man VH, Ye H, Han Y, Liu Y, Li P, Su Z, Wang J, Mao H, Zweckstetter M, Perrett S, Wu S, Gao M. Methylene blue accelerates liquid-to-gel transition of tau condensates impacting tau function and pathology. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5444. [PMID: 37673952 PMCID: PMC10482834 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41241-6] [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: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Preventing tau aggregation is a potential therapeutic strategy in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Recently, liquid-liquid phase separation has been found to facilitate the formation of pathogenic tau conformations and fibrillar aggregates, although many aspects of the conformational transitions of tau during the phase transition process remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the tau aggregation inhibitor methylene blue promotes tau liquid-liquid phase separation and accelerates the liquid-to-gel transition of tau droplets independent of the redox activity of methylene blue. We further show that methylene blue inhibits the conversion of tau droplets into fibrils and reduces the cytotoxicity of tau aggregates. Although gelation slows down the mobility of tau and tubulin, it does not impair microtubule assembly within tau droplets. These findings suggest that methylene blue inhibits tau amyloid fibrillization and accelerates tau droplet gelation via distinct mechanisms, thus providing insights into the activity of tau aggregation inhibitors in the context of phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongqi Huang
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, 430068, Wuhan, China.
| | - Jitao Wen
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Lisa-Marie Ramirez
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Eymen Gümüşdil
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Gebze Technical University, 41400, Gebze Çayirova, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Pravin Pokhrel
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Viet H Man
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Haiqiong Ye
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, 430068, Wuhan, China
| | - Yue Han
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, 430068, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunfei Liu
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, 430068, Wuhan, China
| | - Ping Li
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, 430068, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhengding Su
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, 430068, Wuhan, China
| | - Junmei Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Computational Chemical Genomics Screening Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Hanbin Mao
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA
| | - Markus Zweckstetter
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Von-Siebold-Str. 3a, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
- Department for NMR-based Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Am Fassberg 11, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Perrett
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Si Wu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China.
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
| | - Meng Gao
- Cooperative Innovation Center of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education & Hubei Province), Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Hubei University of Technology, 430068, Wuhan, China.
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7
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Torraville SE, Flynn CM, Kendall TL, Yuan Q. Life Experience Matters: Enrichment and Stress Can Influence the Likelihood of Developing Alzheimer's Disease via Gut Microbiome. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1884. [PMID: 37509523 PMCID: PMC10377385 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the presence of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) formed from abnormally phosphorylated tau proteins (ptau). To date, there is no cure for AD. Earlier therapeutic efforts have focused on the clinical stages of AD. Despite paramount efforts and costs, pharmaceutical interventions including antibody therapies targeting Aβ have largely failed. This highlights the need to alternate treatment strategies and a shift of focus to early pre-clinical stages. Approximately 25-40% of AD cases can be attributed to environmental factors including chronic stress. Gut dysbiosis has been associated with stress and the pathogenesis of AD and can increase both Aβ and NFTs in animal models of the disease. Both stress and enrichment have been shown to alter AD progression and gut health. Targeting stress-induced gut dysbiosis through probiotic supplementation could provide a promising intervention to delay disease progression. In this review, we discuss the effects of stress, enrichment, and gut dysbiosis in AD models and the promising evidence from probiotic intervention studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Torraville
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Cassandra M Flynn
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Tori L Kendall
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
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8
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Majid N, Khan RH. Protein aggregation: Consequences, mechanism, characterization and inhibitory strategies. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 242:125123. [PMID: 37270122 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Proteins play a major role in the regulation of various cellular functions including the synthesis of structural components. But proteins are stable under physiological conditions only. A slight variation in environmental conditions can cost them huge in terms of conformational stability ultimately leading to aggregation. Under normal conditions, aggregated proteins are degraded or removed from the cell by a quality control system including ubiquitin-proteasomal machinery and autophagy. But they are burdened under diseased conditions or are impaired by the aggregated proteins leading to the generation of toxicity. The misfolding and aggregation of protein such as amyloid-β, α-synuclein, human lysozyme etc., are responsible for certain diseases including Alzheimer, Parkinson, and non- neuropathic systemic amyloidosis respectively. Extensive research has been done to find the therapeutics for such diseases but till now we have got only symptomatic treatment that will reduce the disease severity but will not target the initial formation of nucleus responsible for disease progression and propagation. Hence there is an urgent need to develop the drugs targeting the cause of the disease. For this, a wide knowledge related to misfolding and aggregation under the same heading is required as described in this review alongwith the strategies hypothesized and implemented till now. This will contribute a lot to the work of researchers in the field of neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabeela Majid
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Rizwan Hasan Khan
- Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India.
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9
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Hill SE, Beaulieu-Abdelahad D, Lemus A, Webster JM, Ospina SR, Darling AL, Martin MD, Patel S, Bridenstine L, Swonger R, Paul S, Blackburn R, Calcul L, Dickey CA, Leahy JW, Blair LJ. Benzothiazole Substitution Analogs of Rhodacyanine Hsp70 Inhibitors Modulate Tau Accumulation. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:1124-1135. [PMID: 37144894 PMCID: PMC10443619 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00919] [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] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation and aggregation of the microtubule-associated protein tau (tau) into intracellular neuronal tangles are a hallmark of a range of progressive neurodegenerative tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia, Pick's disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy. The aberrant phosphorylation of tau is associated with tau aggregates in AD. Members of the heat shock protein 70 kDa (Hsp70) family of chaperones bind directly to tau and modulate tau clearance and aggregation. Small molecules that inhibit the Hsp70 family of chaperones have been shown to reduce the accumulation of tau, including phosphorylated tau. Here, eight analogs of the rhodacyanine inhibitor, JG-98, were synthesized and evaluated. Like JG-98, many of the compounds inhibited ATPase activity of the cytosolic heat shock cognate 70 protein (Hsc70) and reduced total, aggregated, and phosphorylated tau accumulation in cultured cells. Three compounds, representing divergent clogP values, were evaluated for in vivo blood-brain barrier penetration and tau reduction in an ex vivo brain slice model. AL69, the compound with the lowest clogP and the lowest membrane retention in a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA), reduced phosphorylated tau accumulation. Our results suggest that benzothiazole substitutions of JG-98 that increase hydrophilicity may increase the efficacy of these Hsp70 inhibitors to reduce phosphorylated tau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon E. Hill
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - David Beaulieu-Abdelahad
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Andrea Lemus
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CHE 205, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Jack M. Webster
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Santiago Rodriguez Ospina
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - April L. Darling
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Mackenzie D. Martin
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Shreya Patel
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CHE 205, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Liznair Bridenstine
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CHE 205, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Ronald Swonger
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CHE 205, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Steven Paul
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Roy Blackburn
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - Laurent Calcul
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CHE 205, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Chad A. Dickey
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Research Service, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, 13000 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
| | - James W. Leahy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CHE 205, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
- Center for Drug Discovery and Innovation, University of South Florida, 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 303, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Laura J. Blair
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Research Service, James A Haley Veterans Hospital, 13000 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
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10
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Song Z, Wang KW, Hagar HTC, Chen HR, Kuan CY, Zhang K, Kuo MH. Hyperphosphorylated tau Inflicts Intracellular Stress Responses That Are Mitigated by Apomorphine. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.13.540661. [PMID: 37292976 PMCID: PMC10245566 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.13.540661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Background Abnormal phosphorylation of the microtubule-binding protein tau in the brain is a key pathological marker for Alzheimer's disease and additional neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, how hyperphosphorylated tau causes cellular dysfunction or death that underlie neurodegeneration remains an unsolved question critical for the understanding of disease mechanism and the design of efficacious drugs. Methods Using a recombinant hyperphosphorylated tau protein (p-tau) synthesized by the PIMAX approach, we examined how cells responded to the cytotoxic tau and explored means to enhance cellular resistance to tau attack. Results Upon p-tau uptake, the intracellular calcium levels rose promptly. Gene expression analyses revealed that p-tau potently triggered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, Unfolded Protein Response (UPR), ER stress-associated apoptosis, and pro-inflammation in cells. Proteomics studies showed that p-tau diminished heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an ER stress associated anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress regulator, while stimulated the accumulation of MIOS and other proteins. P-tau-induced ER stress-associated apoptosis and pro-inflammation are ameliorated by apomorphine, a brain-permeable prescription drug widely used to treat Parkinson's disease symptoms, and by overexpression of HO-1. Conclusion Our results reveal probable cellular functions targeted by hyperphosphorylated tau. Some of these dysfunctions and stress responses have been linked to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease. The observations that the ill effects of p-tau can be mitigated by a small compound and by overexpressing HO-1 that is otherwise diminished in the treated cells inform new directions of Alzheimer's disease drug discovery.
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11
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Rayman JB. Focusing on oligomeric tau as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37140480 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2206561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tau has commanded much attention as a potential therapeutic target in neurodegenerative diseases. Tau pathology is a hallmark of primary tauopathies, such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and subtypes of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), as well as secondary tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). The development of tau therapeutics must reconcile with the structural complexity of the tau proteome, as well as an incomplete understanding of the role of tau in both physiology and disease. AREAS COVERED This review offers a current perspective on tau biology, discusses key barriers to the development of effective tau-based therapeutics, and promotes the idea that pathogenic (as opposed to merely pathological) tau should be at the center of drug development efforts. EXPERT OPINION An efficacious tau therapeutic will exhibit several primary features: 1) selectivity for pathogenic tau versus other tau species; 2) blood-brain barrier and cell membrane permeability, enabling access to intracellular tau in disease-relevant brain regions; and 3) minimal toxicity. Oligomeric tau is proposed as a major pathogenic form of tau and a compelling drug target in tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph B Rayman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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12
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Lim S, Shin S, Sung Y, Lee HE, Kim KH, Song JY, Lee GH, Aziz H, Lukianenko N, Kang DM, Boesen N, Jeong H, Abdildinova A, Lee J, Yu BY, Lim SM, Lee JS, Ryu H, Pae AN, Kim YK. Levosimendan inhibits disulfide tau oligomerization and ameliorates tau pathology in Tau P301L-BiFC mice. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:612-627. [PMID: 36914856 PMCID: PMC10073126 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-00959-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Tau oligomers play critical roles in tau pathology and are responsible for neuronal cell death and transmitting the disease in the brain. Accordingly, preventing tau oligomerization has become an important therapeutic strategy to treat tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease. However, progress has been slow because detecting tau oligomers in the cellular context is difficult. Working toward tau-targeted drug discovery, our group has developed a tau-BiFC platform to monitor and quantify tau oligomerization. By using the tau-BiFC platform, we screened libraries with FDA-approved and passed phase I drugs and identified levosimendan as a potent anti-tau agent that inhibits tau oligomerization. 14C-isotope labeling of levosimendan revealed that levosimendan covalently bound to tau cysteines, directly inhibiting disulfide-linked tau oligomerization. In addition, levosimendan disassembles tau oligomers into monomers, rescuing neurons from aggregation states. In comparison, the well-known anti-tau agents methylene blue and LMTM failed to protect neurons from tau-mediated toxicity, generating high-molecular-weight tau oligomers. Levosimendan displayed robust potency against tau oligomerization and rescued cognitive declines induced by tauopathy in the TauP301L-BiFC mouse model. Our data present the potential of levosimendan as a disease-modifying drug for tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungsu Lim
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Seulgi Shin
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonsik Sung
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Ha Eun Lee
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu Hyeon Kim
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Yeon Song
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwan-Ho Lee
- Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Hira Aziz
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Nataliia Lukianenko
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Min Kang
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,Department of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea
| | - Nicolette Boesen
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeanjeong Jeong
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Aizhan Abdildinova
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghee Lee
- Boston University Alzheimer's disease Research Center and VA Boston Health care System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
| | - Byung-Yong Yu
- Advanced Analysis Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Min Lim
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Seok Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Hoon Ryu
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.,Boston University Alzheimer's disease Research Center and Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Ae Nim Pae
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yun Kyung Kim
- Center for Brain Disorders, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea. .,Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, Korea University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea.
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13
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Moore KBE, Hung TJ, Fortin JS. Hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) and drug discovery in the context of Alzheimer's disease and related tauopathies. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103487. [PMID: 36634842 PMCID: PMC9975055 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and extracellular β-amyloid (βA) plaques. No disease-modifying therapy is currently available to prevent the progression of, or cure, the disease. Misfolded hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) is considered a pivotal point in the pathogenesis of AD and other tauopathies. Compelling evidence suggests that it is a key driver of the accumulation of NFTs and can be directly correlated with the extent of dementia in patients with AD. Therefore, inhibiting tau hyperphosphorylation-induced aggregation could be a viable strategy to discover and develop therapeutics for patients with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendall B E Moore
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Ta-Jung Hung
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jessica S Fortin
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, 625 Harrison Street, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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14
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Varesi A, Campagnoli LIM, Carrara A, Pola I, Floris E, Ricevuti G, Chirumbolo S, Pascale A. Non-Enzymatic Antioxidants against Alzheimer's Disease: Prevention, Diagnosis and Therapy. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:180. [PMID: 36671042 PMCID: PMC9855271 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12010180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline. Although substantial research has been conducted to elucidate the complex pathophysiology of AD, the therapeutic approach still has limited efficacy in clinical practice. Oxidative stress (OS) has been established as an early driver of several age-related diseases, including neurodegeneration. In AD, increased levels of reactive oxygen species mediate neuronal lipid, protein, and nucleic acid peroxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, synaptic damage, and inflammation. Thus, the identification of novel antioxidant molecules capable of detecting, preventing, and counteracting AD onset and progression is of the utmost importance. However, although several studies have been published, comprehensive and up-to-date overviews of the principal anti-AD agents harboring antioxidant properties remain scarce. In this narrative review, we summarize the role of vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, non-flavonoids, mitochondria-targeting molecules, organosulfur compounds, and carotenoids as non-enzymatic antioxidants with AD diagnostic, preventative, and therapeutic potential, thereby offering insights into the relationship between OS and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelica Varesi
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Adelaide Carrara
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ilaria Pola
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Elena Floris
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Ricevuti
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Salvatore Chirumbolo
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
| | - Alessia Pascale
- Department of Drug Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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15
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Kim S, Nam Y, Shin SJ, Prajapati R, Shin SM, Kim MJ, soo Kim H, Leem SH, Kim TJ, Park YH, Kim JJ, Choi JS, Moon M. Dual modulators of aggregation and dissociation of amyloid beta and tau: In vitro, in vivo, and in silico studies of Uncaria rhynchophylla and its bioactive components. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 156:113865. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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16
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Microtubule-affinity regulating kinase 4: A potential drug target for cancer therapy. Cell Signal 2022; 99:110434. [PMID: 35961526 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2022.110434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The human genome encodes more than 500 protein kinases that work by transferring the γ-phosphate group from ATP to serine, threonine, or tyrosine (Ser/Thr/Tyr) residues. Various kinases are associated with the onset of cancer and its further progression. The recent advancements in developing small-molecule kinase inhibitors to treat different cancer types have shown noticeable results in clinical therapies. Microtubule-affinity regulating kinase 4 (MARK-4) is a Ser/Thr protein kinase that relates structurally to AMPK/Snf1 subfamily of the CaMK kinases. The protein kinase modulates major signalling pathways such as NF-κB, mTOR and the Hippo-signalling pathway. MARK4 is associated with various cancer types due to its important role in regulating microtubule dynamics and subsequent cell division. Aberrant expression of MARK4 is linked with several pathologies such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, etc. This review provides detailed information on structural aspects of MARK4 and its role in various signalling pathways related to cancer. Several therapeutic molecules were designed to inhibit the MARK4 activity from controlling associated diseases. The review further highlights kinase-targeted drug discovery and development in oncology and cancer therapies. Finally, we summarize the latest findings regarding the role of MARK4 in cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disease path to provide a solid rationale for future investigation and therapeutic intervention.
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17
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Blevins HM, Xu Y, Biby S, Zhang S. The NLRP3 Inflammasome Pathway: A Review of Mechanisms and Inhibitors for the Treatment of Inflammatory Diseases. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:879021. [PMID: 35754962 PMCID: PMC9226403 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.879021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The NLRP3 inflammasome is a multiprotein complex that plays a pivotal role in regulating the innate immune system and inflammatory signaling. Upon activation by PAMPs and DAMPs, NLRP3 oligomerizes and activates caspase-1 which initiates the processing and release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. NLRP3 is the most extensively studied inflammasome to date due to its array of activators and aberrant activation in several inflammatory diseases. Studies using small molecules and biologics targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway have shown positive outcomes in treating various disease pathologies by blocking chronic inflammation. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in understanding the NLRP3 mechanism, its role in disease pathology, and provide a broad review of therapeutics discovered to target the NLRP3 pathway and their challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Shijun Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, United States
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18
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Han G, Bai K, Yang X, Sun C, Ji Y, Zhou J, Zhang H, Ding Y. "Drug-Carrier" Synergy Therapy for Amyloid-β Clearance and Inhibition of Tau Phosphorylation via Biomimetic Lipid Nanocomposite Assembly. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2106072. [PMID: 35307993 PMCID: PMC9108666 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202106072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) toxicity is considered to be companioned by Tau phosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The clinical AD therapy is usually subjected to low blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration and complex interaction mechanisms between Aβ and phosphorylated Tau. A "Drug-Carrier" synergy therapy is herein designed to simultaneously target Aβ and Tau-associated pathways for AD treatment. To imitate natural nanoparticle configuration, the endogenous apolipoprotein A-I and its mimicking peptide 4F fused angiopep-2 (Ang) are sequentially grafted onto lipid nanocomposite (APLN), providing liberty of BBB crossing and microglia targeted Aβ clearance. For synergy treatment, methylene blue (MB) is further assembled into APLN (APLN/MB) for Tau aggregation inhibition. After intravenous administration, the optimized density (5 wt%) of Ang ligands dramatically enhances APLN/MB intracerebral shuttling and accumulation, which is 2.15-fold higher than that Ang absent-modification. The site-specific release of MB collaborates APLN to promote Aβ capture for microglia endocytosis clearance and reduce p-Tau level by 25.31% in AD pathogenesis. In AD-Aβ-Tau bearing mouse models, APLN/MB can relieve AD symptoms, rescue neuron viability and cognitive functions. Collectively, it is confirmed that "Drug-Carrier" synergy therapy of APLN/MB is a promising approach in the development of AD treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guochen Han
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education)State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesDepartment of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Kaiwen Bai
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education)State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesDepartment of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Xiaoyu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education)State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesDepartment of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Chenhua Sun
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education)State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesDepartment of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Yi Ji
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education)State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesDepartment of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Jianping Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education)State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesDepartment of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Huaqing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education)State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesDepartment of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Yang Ding
- Key Laboratory of Drug Quality Control and Pharmacovigilance (Ministry of Education)State Key Laboratory of Natural MedicinesDepartment of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
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19
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Zhang Y, Wu KM, Yang L, Dong Q, Yu JT. Tauopathies: new perspectives and challenges. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:28. [PMID: 35392986 PMCID: PMC8991707 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00533-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tauopathies are a class of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by neuronal and/or glial tau-positive inclusions. MAIN BODY Clinically, tauopathies can present with a range of phenotypes that include cognitive/behavioral-disorders, movement disorders, language disorders and non-specific amnestic symptoms in advanced age. Pathologically, tauopathies can be classified based on the predominant tau isoforms that are present in the inclusion bodies (i.e., 3R, 4R or equal 3R:4R ratio). Imaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood-based tau biomarkers have the potential to be used as a routine diagnostic strategy and in the evaluation of patients with tauopathies. As tauopathies are strongly linked neuropathologically and genetically to tau protein abnormalities, there is a growing interest in pursuing of tau-directed therapeutics for the disorders. Here we synthesize emerging lessons on tauopathies from clinical, pathological, genetic, and experimental studies toward a unified concept of these disorders that may accelerate the therapeutics. CONCLUSIONS Since tauopathies are still untreatable diseases, efforts have been made to depict clinical and pathological characteristics, identify biomarkers, elucidate underlying pathogenesis to achieve early diagnosis and develop disease-modifying therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Kai-Min Wu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Qiang Dong
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Jin-Tai Yu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, National Center for Neurological Disorders, 12th Wulumuqi Zhong Road, Shanghai, 200040 China
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20
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Beshir SA, Aadithsoorya AM, Parveen A, Goh SSL, Hussain N, Menon VB. Aducanumab Therapy to Treat Alzheimer's Disease: A Narrative Review. Int J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 2022:9343514. [PMID: 35308835 PMCID: PMC8926483 DOI: 10.1155/2022/9343514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aducanumab, a new monoclonal antibody that targets β-amyloid aggregates, has been granted conditional approval by the U.S. FDA for treatment of mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). The approval of this drug without a confirmed significant clinical impact has resulted in several debates. Objective In this narrative review, aducanumab approval-related controversy, the drug's pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic characteristics, evidence from the efficacy and safety trials of aducanumab, implications of the drug approval, and the future directions in the management of patients with AD are summarized. Methods Using relevant keywords, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and MEDLINE databases and manufacturer's website were searched. Results Infusion of aducanumab at a higher dose resulted in a modest slowing of cognitive decline among patients with mild cognitive impairment or early-onset AD dementia. The drug however can cause amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. Due to modest impact on cognition, the use of this drug by patients with AD will most likely be limited. The manufacturer is required to run an extended phase IIIb trial to verify the benefit of this drug. Access to therapy requires a careful selection of patients and periodic monitoring to ensure the optimal use of the drug. Conclusion Despite the limitations, aducanumab is the first disease-modifying therapy approved for the treatment of AD. Aducanumab addresses a part of the pathogenesis of AD; therefore, drugs that can act on multiple targets are needed. In addition, the search for preventive strategies, validated plasma-based assays, and newer drugs for AD, which are effective, safe, convenient, and affordable, is vital.
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Affiliation(s)
- Semira Abdi Beshir
- Clinical Pharmacy & Pharmacotherapeutics Department, Dubai Pharmacy College, Dubai, UAE
| | | | - Affana Parveen
- College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, UAE
| | - Sheron Sir Loon Goh
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nadia Hussain
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE
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21
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Subedi S, Sasidharan S, Nag N, Saudagar P, Tripathi T. Amyloid Cross-Seeding: Mechanism, Implication, and Inhibition. Molecules 2022; 27:1776. [PMID: 35335141 PMCID: PMC8955620 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27061776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Most neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, etc. are caused by inclusions and plaques containing misfolded protein aggregates. These protein aggregates are essentially formed by the interactions of either the same (homologous) or different (heterologous) sequences. Several experimental pieces of evidence have revealed the presence of cross-seeding in amyloid proteins, which results in a multicomponent assembly; however, the molecular and structural details remain less explored. Here, we discuss the amyloid proteins and the cross-seeding phenomena in detail. Data suggest that targeting the common epitope of the interacting amyloid proteins may be a better therapeutic option than targeting only one species. We also examine the dual inhibitors that target the amyloid proteins participating in the cross-seeding events. The future scopes and major challenges in understanding the mechanism and developing therapeutics are also considered. Detailed knowledge of the amyloid cross-seeding will stimulate further research in the practical aspects and better designing anti-amyloid therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushma Subedi
- Molecular and Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India; (S.S.); (N.N.)
| | - Santanu Sasidharan
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal 506004, India;
| | - Niharika Nag
- Molecular and Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India; (S.S.); (N.N.)
| | - Prakash Saudagar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal 506004, India;
| | - Timir Tripathi
- Molecular and Structural Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India; (S.S.); (N.N.)
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22
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Shahpasand‐Kroner H, Portillo J, Lantz C, Seidler PM, Sarafian N, Loo JA, Bitan G. Three-repeat and four-repeat tau isoforms form different oligomers. Protein Sci 2022; 31:613-627. [PMID: 34902187 PMCID: PMC8862439 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Different tauopathies are characterized by the isoform-specific composition of the aggregates found in the brain and by structurally distinct tau strains. Although tau oligomers have been implicated as important neurotoxic species, little is known about how the primary structures of the six human tau isoforms affect tau oligomerization because the oligomers are metastable and difficult to analyze. To address this knowledge gap, here, we analyzed the initial oligomers formed by the six tau isoforms in the absence of posttranslational modifications or other manipulations using dot blots probed by an oligomer-specific antibody, native-PAGE/western blots, photo-induced cross-linking of unmodified proteins, mass-spectrometry, and ion-mobility spectroscopy. We found that under these conditions, three-repeat (3R) isoforms are more prone than four-repeat (4R) isoforms to form oligomers. We also tested whether known inhibitors of tau aggregation affect its oligomerization using three small molecules representing different classes of tau aggregation inhibitors, Methylene Blue (MB), the molecular tweezer CLR01, and the all-D peptide TLKIVW, for their ability to inhibit or modulate the oligomerization of the six tau isoforms. Unlike their reported inhibitory effect on tau fibrillation, the inhibitors had little or no effect on the initial oligomerization. Our study provides novel insight into the primary-quaternary structure relationship of human tau and suggests that 3R-tau oligomers may be an important target for future development of compounds targeting pathological tau assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hedieh Shahpasand‐Kroner
- Department of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Jennifer Portillo
- Department of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Carter Lantz
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Paul M. Seidler
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical SciencesUniversity of Southern California School of PharmacyLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Natalie Sarafian
- Department of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Joseph A. Loo
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Department of Biological ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Gal Bitan
- Department of NeurologyDavid Geffen School of Medicine, University of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Molecular Biology InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA,Brain Research InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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23
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Administration of mucuna beans (Mucuna pruriences (L.) DC. var. utilis) improves cognition and neuropathology of 3 × Tg-AD mice. Sci Rep 2022; 12:996. [PMID: 35046433 PMCID: PMC8770455 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04777-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the accumulation of extracellular amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ) resulting in senile plaques and intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau protein resulting in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Mucuna beans (Mucuna pruriences (L.) DC. var. utilis) are unique plants containing 3–9% L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA). Here we investigated the effect of the administration of Mucuna beans on AD prevention by feeding triple-transgenic mice (3 × Tg-AD mice) with a diet containing Mucuna beans for 13 months. The levels of Aβ oligomers and detergent-insoluble phosphorylated tau decreased in the brain of mice fed with Mucuna beans (Mucuna group) compared to those of the Control group. Aβ accumulation and phosphorylated tau accumulation in the brain in the Mucuna group were also reduced. In addition, administration of Mucuna beans improved cognitive function. These results suggest that administration of Mucuna beans may have a preventive effect on AD development in 3 × Tg-AD mice.
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24
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Limorenko G, Lashuel HA. Revisiting the grammar of Tau aggregation and pathology formation: how new insights from brain pathology are shaping how we study and target Tauopathies. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 51:513-565. [PMID: 34889934 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00127b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Converging evidence continues to point towards Tau aggregation and pathology formation as central events in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and other Tauopathies. Despite significant advances in understanding the morphological and structural properties of Tau fibrils, many fundamental questions remain about what causes Tau to aggregate in the first place. The exact roles of cofactors, Tau post-translational modifications, and Tau interactome in regulating Tau aggregation, pathology formation, and toxicity remain unknown. Recent studies have put the spotlight on the wide gap between the complexity of Tau structures, aggregation, and pathology formation in the brain and the simplicity of experimental approaches used for modeling these processes in research laboratories. Embracing and deconstructing this complexity is an essential first step to understanding the role of Tau in health and disease. To help deconstruct this complexity and understand its implication for the development of effective Tau targeting diagnostics and therapies, we firstly review how our understanding of Tau aggregation and pathology formation has evolved over the past few decades. Secondly, we present an analysis of new findings and insights from recent studies illustrating the biochemical, structural, and functional heterogeneity of Tau aggregates. Thirdly, we discuss the importance of adopting new experimental approaches that embrace the complexity of Tau aggregation and pathology as an important first step towards developing mechanism- and structure-based therapies that account for the pathological and clinical heterogeneity of Alzheimer's disease and Tauopathies. We believe that this is essential to develop effective diagnostics and therapies to treat these devastating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galina Limorenko
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Hilal A Lashuel
- Laboratory of Molecular and Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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25
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Bomasang-Layno E, Bronsther R. Diagnosis and Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease:: An Update. Dela J Public Health 2021; 7:74-85. [PMID: 34604768 PMCID: PMC8482985 DOI: 10.32481/djph.2021.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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26
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Wang D, Huang X, Yan L, Zhou L, Yan C, Wu J, Su Z, Huang Y. The Structure Biology of Tau and Clue for Aggregation Inhibitor Design. Protein J 2021; 40:656-668. [PMID: 34401998 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-021-10017-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Tau is a microtubule-associated protein that is mainly expressed in central and peripheral nerve systems. Tau binds to tubulin and regulates assembly and stabilization of microtubule, thus playing a critical role in neuron morphology, axon development and navigation. Tau is highly stable under normal conditions; however, there are several factors that can induce or promote aggregation of tau, forming neurofibrillary tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles are toxic to neurons, which may be related to a series of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. Thus, tau is widely accepted as an important therapeutic target for neurodegenerative diseases. While the monomeric structure of tau is highly disordered, the aggregate structure of tau is formed by closed packing of β-stands. Studies on the structure of tau and the structural transition mechanism provide valuable information on the occurrence, development, and therapy of tauopathies. In this review, we summarize recent progress on the structural investigation of tau and based on which we discuss aggregation inhibitor design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Xianlong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Lu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Luoqi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Chang Yan
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Jinhu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Zhengding Su
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China
| | - Yongqi Huang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation (Ministry of Education), Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, China. .,Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biological Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan, 430068, Hubei, China.
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27
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Liu Y, Cong L, Han C, Li B, Dai R. Recent Progress in the Drug Development for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease Especially on Inhibition of Amyloid-peptide Aggregation. Mini Rev Med Chem 2021; 21:969-990. [PMID: 33245270 DOI: 10.2174/1389557520666201127104539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
As the world 's population is aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become a big concern since AD has started affecting younger people and the population of AD patients is increasing worldwide. It has been revealed that the neuropathological hallmarks of AD are typically characterized by the presence of neurotoxic extracellular amyloid plaques in the brain, which are surrounded by tangles of neuronal fibers. However, the causes of AD have not been completely understood yet. Currently, there is no drug to effectively prevent AD or to completely reserve the symptoms in the patients. This article reviews the pathological features associated with AD, the recent progress in research on the drug development to treat AD, especially on the discovery of natural product derivatives to inhibit Aβ peptide aggregation as well as the design and synthesis of Aβ peptide aggregation inhibitors to treat AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Liu
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Lin Cong
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Separation and Analysis in Biomedicine and Pharmaceuticals, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 10081, China
| | - Chu Han
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Bo Li
- Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Rongji Dai
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Separation and Analysis in Biomedicine and Pharmaceuticals, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 10081, China
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28
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Yu TW, Lane HY, Lin CH. Novel Therapeutic Approaches for Alzheimer's Disease: An Updated Review. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158208. [PMID: 34360973 PMCID: PMC8348485 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and accounts for most cases of dementia. The prevalence of AD has increased in the current rapidly aging society and contributes to a heavy burden on families and society. Despite the profound impact of AD, current treatments are unable to achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects or stop the progression of the disease. Finding novel treatments for AD has become urgent. In this paper, we reviewed novel therapeutic approaches in five categories: anti-amyloid therapy, anti-tau therapy, anti-neuroinflammatory therapy, neuroprotective agents including N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor modulators, and brain stimulation. The trend of therapeutic development is shifting from a single pathological target to a more complex mechanism, such as the neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative processes. While drug repositioning may accelerate pharmacological development, non-pharmacological interventions, especially repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), also have the potential for clinical application. In the future, it is possible for physicians to choose appropriate interventions individually on the basis of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien-Wei Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan;
| | - Hsien-Yuan Lane
- Department of Psychiatry and Brain Disease Research Center, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, College of Medical and Health Sciences, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (H.-Y.L.); (C.-H.L.); Tel.: +886-921-067-260 (H.-Y.L.); +886-7-7317123 (ext. 8753) (C.-H.L.); Fax: +886-4-2236-1042 (H.-Y.L.); +886-7-7326817 (C.-H.L.)
| | - Chieh-Hsin Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan;
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (H.-Y.L.); (C.-H.L.); Tel.: +886-921-067-260 (H.-Y.L.); +886-7-7317123 (ext. 8753) (C.-H.L.); Fax: +886-4-2236-1042 (H.-Y.L.); +886-7-7326817 (C.-H.L.)
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29
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Morgan GJ. Barriers to Small Molecule Drug Discovery for Systemic Amyloidosis. Molecules 2021; 26:3571. [PMID: 34208058 PMCID: PMC8230685 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibition of amyloid fibril formation could benefit patients with systemic amyloidosis. In this group of diseases, deposition of amyloid fibrils derived from normally soluble proteins leads to progressive tissue damage and organ failure. Amyloid formation is a complex process, where several individual steps could be targeted. Several small molecules have been proposed as inhibitors of amyloid formation. However, the exact mechanism of action for a molecule is often not known, which impedes medicinal chemistry efforts to develop more potent molecules. Furthermore, commonly used assays are prone to artifacts that must be controlled for. Here, potential mechanisms by which small molecules could inhibit aggregation of immunoglobulin light-chain dimers, the precursor proteins for amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, are studied in assays that recapitulate different aspects of amyloidogenesis in vitro. One molecule reduced unfolding-coupled proteolysis of light chains, but no molecules inhibited aggregation of light chains or disrupted pre-formed amyloid fibrils. This work demonstrates the challenges associated with drug development for amyloidosis, but also highlights the potential to combine therapies that target different aspects of amyloidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth J Morgan
- Section of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Amyloidosis Center, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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30
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Ingham DJ, Blankenfeld BR, Chacko S, Perera C, Oakley BR, Gamblin TC. Fungally Derived Isoquinoline Demonstrates Inducer-Specific Tau Aggregation Inhibition. Biochemistry 2021; 60:1658-1669. [PMID: 34009955 PMCID: PMC8173610 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.1c00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
The microtubule-associated
protein tau promotes the stabilization
of the axonal cytoskeleton in neurons. In several neurodegenerative
diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, tau has been found to
dissociate from microtubules, leading to the formation of pathological
aggregates that display an amyloid fibril-like structure. Recent structural
studies have shown that the tau filaments isolated from different
neurodegenerative disorders have structurally distinct fibril cores
that are specific to the disease. These “strains” of
tau fibrils appear to propagate between neurons in a prion-like fashion
that maintains their initial template structure. In addition, the
strains isolated from diseased tissue appear to have structures that
are different from those made by the most commonly used in
vitro modeling inducer molecule, heparin. The structural
differences among strains in different diseases and in vitro-induced tau fibrils may contribute to recent failures in clinical
trials of compounds designed to target tau pathology. This study identifies
an isoquinoline compound (ANTC-15) isolated from the fungus Aspergillus nidulans that can both inhibit filaments induced
by arachidonic acid (ARA) and disassemble preformed ARA fibrils. When
compared to a tau aggregation inhibitor currently in clinical trials
(LMTX, LMTM, or TRx0237), ANTC-15 and LMTX were found to have opposing
inducer-specific activities against ARA and heparin in vitro-induced tau filaments. These findings may help explain the disappointing
results in translating potent preclinical inhibitor candidates to
successful clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Ingham
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Bryce R Blankenfeld
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Shibin Chacko
- Synthetic Chemical Biology Core Facility, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Chamani Perera
- Synthetic Chemical Biology Core Facility, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66047, United States
| | - Berl R Oakley
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Truman Christopher Gamblin
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States.,Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas 78249, United States
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31
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Gumeni S, Vantaggiato C, Montopoli M, Orso G. Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia and Future Therapeutic Directions: Beneficial Effects of Small Compounds Acting on Cellular Stress. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:660714. [PMID: 34025345 PMCID: PMC8134669 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.660714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a group of inherited neurodegenerative conditions that share a characteristic feature of degeneration of the longest axons within the corticospinal tract, which leads to progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. Mutations of over 70 genes produce defects in various biological pathways: axonal transport, lipid metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) shaping, mitochondrial function, and endosomal trafficking. HSPs suffer from an adequate therapeutic plan. Currently the treatments foreseen for patients affected by this pathology are physiotherapy, to maintain the outgoing tone, and muscle relaxant therapies for spasticity. Very few clinical studies have been conducted, and it's urgent to implement preclinical animal studies devoted to pharmacological test and screening, to expand the rose of compounds potentially attractive for clinical trials. Small animal models, such as Drosophila melanogaster and zebrafish, have been generated, analyzed, and used as preclinical model for screening of compounds and their effects. In this work, we briefly described the role of HSP-linked proteins in the organization of ER endomembrane system and in the regulation of ER homeostasis and stress as a common pathological mechanism for these HSP forms. We then focused our attention on the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic features of some recently identified molecules with antioxidant property, such as salubrinal, guanabenz, N-acetyl cysteine, methylene blue, rapamycin, and naringenin, and on their potential use in future clinical studies. Expanding the models and the pharmacological screening for HSP disease is necessary to give an opportunity to patients and clinicians to test new molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sentiljana Gumeni
- Department of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Chiara Vantaggiato
- Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Monica Montopoli
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Genny Orso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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32
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Whitmore CA, Boules MI, Behof WJ, Haynes JR, Koktysh D, Rosenberg AJ, Tantawy MN, Pham W. Design, Synthesis, and Validation of a Novel [ 11C]Promethazine PET Probe for Imaging Abeta Using Autoradiography. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26082182. [PMID: 33920113 PMCID: PMC8070574 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26082182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Promethazine, an antihistamine drug used in the clinical treatment of nausea, has been demonstrated the ability to bind Abeta in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. However, so far, all of the studies were performed in vitro using extracted tissues. In this work, we report the design and synthesis of a novel [11C]promethazine PET radioligand for future in vivo studies. The [11C]promethazine was isolated by RP-HPLC with radiochemical purity >95% and molar activity of 48 TBq/mmol. The specificity of the probe was demonstrated using human hippocampal tissues via autoradiography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton A. Whitmore
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (C.A.W.); (M.I.B.); (W.J.B.); (J.R.H.); (A.J.R.); (M.N.T.)
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Mariam I. Boules
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (C.A.W.); (M.I.B.); (W.J.B.); (J.R.H.); (A.J.R.); (M.N.T.)
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - William J. Behof
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (C.A.W.); (M.I.B.); (W.J.B.); (J.R.H.); (A.J.R.); (M.N.T.)
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Justin R. Haynes
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (C.A.W.); (M.I.B.); (W.J.B.); (J.R.H.); (A.J.R.); (M.N.T.)
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Dmitry Koktysh
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, VU Station, Nashville, TN 37235, USA;
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Adam J. Rosenberg
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (C.A.W.); (M.I.B.); (W.J.B.); (J.R.H.); (A.J.R.); (M.N.T.)
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Mohammed N. Tantawy
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (C.A.W.); (M.I.B.); (W.J.B.); (J.R.H.); (A.J.R.); (M.N.T.)
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Wellington Pham
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (C.A.W.); (M.I.B.); (W.J.B.); (J.R.H.); (A.J.R.); (M.N.T.)
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Institute of Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37212, USA
- Institute of Imaging Science, Vanderbilt University, 1161, 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(615)-936-7621
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33
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Süer C, Yıldız N, Barutçu Ö, Tan B, Dursun N. Long-term depression-related tau phosphorylation is enhanced by methylene blue in healthy rat hippocampus. Pharmacol Rep 2021; 73:828-840. [PMID: 33797746 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-021-00254-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study examined whether inhibition of guanylate cyclase (GC) is associated with the plasticity-related microtubule-stabilizing protein tau phosphorylation in the dentate gyrus (DG) of hippocampal formation. METHODS To address this issue, methylene blue (MB 50 μM) or saline was infused into the DG starting from the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) or depression (LTD) for 1 h. Then, protein phosphatase 1 alpha (PP1α), glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β), and tau total and phosphorylated protein levels were measured in these hippocampi using western blotting. LTP and LTD were induced by application of high- and low-frequency stimulation protocols (HFS and LFS), respectively. 5-min averages of the excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) slopes and population spike amplitudes at the end of recording were averaged to measure the magnitude of LTP or LTD. RESULTS Low-frequency stimulation protocols was unable to phosphorylate thr181 and thr231epitopes of tau, but possessed kinase activity similar to the HFS in phosphorylation of ser396 and ser416 epitopes. MB infusion during LTD induction attenuated LTD, prevented EPSP/spike dissociation and increased tau phosphorylation at ser396 and ser416 epitopes, without changing tau phosphorylation at thr181 and thr231 epitopes. Neither LTP nor LTP-related tau phosphorylation state was changed by MB infusion. CONCLUSION Although MB can benefit to stabilize the balance between LTP and LTD, and to fix the increased spike wave discharges, it might trigger deregulation of tau phosphorylation, leading to the development of Alzheimer's disease by a mechanism that goes awry during induction of LTD. Thereby detailed studies to reveal more precise evidence for the use of MB in this disease are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cem Süer
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Nurbanu Yıldız
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Özlem Barutçu
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
| | - Burak Tan
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
| | - Nurcan Dursun
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
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Gabr MT, Barbault F. First dual binder of microRNA-146a and monomeric tau: a novel approach for multitargeted therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 56:9695-9698. [PMID: 32699863 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc04249h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We report a new approach for the development of multitargeted therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on dual targeting of monomeric tau and biogenesis of microRNA-146a. Compound MG-1102 displayed a superior neuroprotective activity, in comparison to mono-targeted therapeutics, which validates the likelihood of the success of this approach in AD drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moustafa T Gabr
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Florent Barbault
- Universite de Paris, ITODYS, CNRS, UMR 7086, 15 Rue J-A de Baïf, F-75013, Paris, France
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35
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Giunta M, Solje E, Gardoni F, Borroni B, Benussi A. Experimental Disease-Modifying Agents for Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration. J Exp Pharmacol 2021; 13:359-376. [PMID: 33790662 PMCID: PMC8005747 DOI: 10.2147/jep.s262352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia is a clinically, genetically and pathologically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorder, enclosing a wide range of different pathological entities, associated with the accumulation of proteins such as tau and TPD-43. Characterized by a high hereditability, mutations in three main genes, MAPT, GRN and C9orf72, can drive the neurodegenerative process. The connection between different genes and proteinopathies through specific mechanisms has shed light on the pathophysiology of the disease, leading to the identification of potential pharmacological targets. New experimental strategies are emerging, in both preclinical and clinical settings, which focus on small molecules rather than gene therapy. In this review, we provide an insight into the aberrant mechanisms leading to FTLD-related proteinopathies and discuss recent therapies with the potential to ameliorate neurodegeneration and disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Giunta
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Eino Solje
- Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Fabrizio Gardoni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Borroni
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alberto Benussi
- Neurology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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36
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Paul A, Viswanathan GK, Huber A, Arad E, Engel H, Jelinek R, Gazit E, Segal D. Inhibition of tau amyloid formation and disruption of its preformed fibrils by Naphthoquinone-Dopamine hybrid. FEBS J 2021; 288:4267-4290. [PMID: 33523571 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Misfolding and aggregation of tau protein, into pathological amyloids, are hallmarks of a group of neurodegenerative diseases collectively termed tauopathies and their modulation may be therapeutically valuable. Herein, we describe the synthesis and characterization of a dopamine-based hybrid molecule, naphthoquinone-dopamine (NQDA). Using thioflavin S assay, CD, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Congo Red birefringence, and large unilamellar vesicle leakage assays, we demonstrated its efficacy in inhibiting the in vitro aggregation of key tau-derived amyloidogenic fragments, PHF6 (VQIVYK) and PHF6* (VQIINK), prime drivers of aggregation of full-length tau in disease pathology. Isothermal titration calorimetry analysis revealed that the interaction between NQDA and PHF6 is spontaneous and has significant binding efficiency driven by both entropic and enthalpic processes. Furthermore, NQDA efficiently disassembled preformed fibrils of PHF6 and PHF6* into nontoxic species. Molecular dynamic simulations supported the in vitro results and provided a plausible mode of binding of NQDA with PHF6 fibril. NQDA was also capable of inhibiting the aggregation of full-length tau protein and disrupting its preformed fibrils in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. In a comparative study, the IC50 value (50% inhibition of fibril formation) of NQDA in inhibiting the aggregation of PHF6 (25 µm) was ~ 17 µm, which is lower than for other bona fide amyloid inhibitors, naphthoquinone-tryptophan, rosmarinic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, ~ 21, ~ 77, or ~ 19 µm, respectively. Comparable superiority of NQDA was observed for inhibition of PHF6*. These findings suggest that NQDA can be a useful scaffold for designing new therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashim Paul
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Guru KrishnaKumar Viswanathan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Adi Huber
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Elad Arad
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology & Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Hamutal Engel
- Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Raz Jelinek
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology & Department of Chemistry, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Ehud Gazit
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Israel.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Daniel Segal
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Tel Aviv University, Israel.,Sagol Interdisciplinary School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Israel
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Yang CC, Luo Y, Guo KW, Zheng CC, Li L, Zhang L. Cornel Iridoid Glycoside Regulates Modification of Tau and Alleviates Synaptic Abnormalities in Aged P301S Mice. Curr Med Sci 2021; 40:1040-1046. [PMID: 33428131 DOI: 10.1007/s11596-020-2285-y] [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: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), also defined as a tauopathology, is a common neurodegenerative disease. Hyper-phosphorylation, cleavage or truncation, and aggregation of tau contribute to AD. Thus, targeting the post-translational modifications on tau may be a therapeutic strategy to treat AD. This study understood how cornel iridoid glycoside (CIG) affects tau post-translational modifications and synaptic abnormalities. The 10-month old P301S tau transgenic mice were given CIG at 100 and 200 mg/kg every day orally for 1 month. Hyperphosphorylated and truncated tau, synapse-associated proteins and glutamatergic receptors were all detected using Western blotting. The interactions between Morroniside (MOR) or Loganin (LOG) and tau were detected using Autodock and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). The effects of CIG on the aggregation of tau were investigated using a cell-free system. CIG attenuated tau hyperphosphorylation at Thr205, Ser212, Ser262, Thr231 and Ser235 (AT180), but had no effect on tau truncation in the brains of 10-month old P301S mice. Binding free energies and interactions revealed that MOR and LOG bound with tau. We also found that CIG upregulated synapse-associated proteins such as PSD-95, syntaxin1A and synaptotagmin. In addition, CIG restored N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor and glutamate receptor levels. CIG improves post-translational modification of tau as well as synaptic abnormalities. The data presented here reveal that CIG may be used in the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui-Cui Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Kai-Wen Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Ceng-Ceng Zheng
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China
| | - Lan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Beijing Engineering Research Center for Nervous System Drugs, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Diseases of Ministry of Education, Beijing, 100053, China.
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38
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Niewiadomska G, Niewiadomski W, Steczkowska M, Gasiorowska A. Tau Oligomers Neurotoxicity. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:28. [PMID: 33418848 PMCID: PMC7824853 DOI: 10.3390/life11010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the mechanisms of toxic activity of tau are not fully recognized, it is supposed that the tau toxicity is related rather not to insoluble tau aggregates but to its intermediate forms. It seems that neurofibrillar tangles (NFTs) themselves, despite being composed of toxic tau, are probably neither necessary nor sufficient for tau-induced neuronal dysfunction and toxicity. Tau oligomers (TauOs) formed during the early stages of tau aggregation are the pathological forms that play a key role in eliciting the loss of neurons and behavioral impairments in several neurodegenerative disorders called tauopathies. They can be found in tauopathic diseases, the most common of which is Alzheimer's disease (AD). Evidence of co-occurrence of b-amyloid, α-synuclein, and tau into their most toxic forms, i.e., oligomers, suggests that these species interact and influence each other's aggregation in several tauopathies. The mechanism responsible for oligomeric tau neurotoxicity is a subject of intensive investigation. In this review, we summarize the most recent literature on the damaging effect of TauOs on the stability of the genome and the function of the nucleus, energy production and mitochondrial function, cell signaling and synaptic plasticity, the microtubule assembly, neuronal cytoskeleton and axonal transport, and the effectiveness of the protein degradation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grazyna Niewiadomska
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wiktor Niewiadomski
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (W.N.); (M.S.); (A.G.)
| | - Marta Steczkowska
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (W.N.); (M.S.); (A.G.)
| | - Anna Gasiorowska
- Mossakowski Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland; (W.N.); (M.S.); (A.G.)
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39
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Recent studies of atomic-resolution structures of tau protein and structure-based inhibitors. QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.15302/j-qb-021-0271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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40
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Soeda Y, Takashima A. New Insights Into Drug Discovery Targeting Tau Protein. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:590896. [PMID: 33343298 PMCID: PMC7744460 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.590896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein tau is characterized by the fact that it is an intrinsically disordered protein due to its lack of a stable conformation and high flexibility. Intracellular inclusions of fibrillar forms of tau with a β-sheet structure accumulate in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Accordingly, detachment of tau from microtubules and transition of tau from a disordered state to an abnormally aggregated state are essential events preceding the onset of tau-related diseases. Many reports have shown that this transition is caused by post-translational modifications, including hyperphosphorylation and acetylation. The misfolded tau is self-assembled and forms a tau oligomer before the appearance of tau inclusions. Animal and pathological studies using human samples have demonstrated that tau oligomer formation contributes to neuronal loss. During the progression of tauopathies, tau seeds are released from cells and incorporated into other cells, leading to the propagation of pathological tau aggregation. Accumulating evidence suggests several potential approaches for blocking tau-mediated toxicity: (1) direct inhibition of pathological tau aggregation and (2) inhibition of tau post-translational modifications that occur prior to pathological tau aggregation, (3) inhibition of tau propagation and (4) stabilization of microtubules. In addition to traditional low-molecular-weight compounds, newer drug discovery approaches such as the development of medium-molecular-weight drugs (peptide- or oligonucleotide-based drugs) and high-molecular-weight drugs (antibody-based drugs) provide alternative pathways to preventing the formation of abnormal tau. Of particular interest are recent studies suggesting that tau droplet formation by liquid-liquid phase separation may be the initial step in aberrant tau aggregation, as well results that implicate roles for tau in dendritic and nuclear functions. Here, we review the mechanisms through which drugs can target tau and consider recent clinical trials for the treatment of tauopathies. In addition, we discuss the utility of these newer strategies and propose future directions for research on tau-targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiyuki Soeda
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiko Takashima
- Laboratory for Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, Tokyo, Japan
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41
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Masnata M, Salem S, de Rus Jacquet A, Anwer M, Cicchetti F. Targeting Tau to Treat Clinical Features of Huntington's Disease. Front Neurol 2020; 11:580732. [PMID: 33329322 PMCID: PMC7710872 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.580732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by severe motor, cognitive and psychiatric impairments. While motor deficits often confirm diagnosis, cognitive dysfunctions usually manifest early in the disease process and are consistently ranked among the leading factors that impact the patients' quality of life. The genetic component of HD, a mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, is traditionally presented as the main contributor to disease pathology. However, accumulating evidence suggests the implication of the microtubule-associated tau protein to the pathogenesis and therefore, proposes an alternative conceptual framework where tau and mutant huntingtin (mHTT) act conjointly to drive neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. This perspective on disease etiology offers new avenues to design therapeutic interventions and could leverage decades of research on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other tauopathies to rapidly advance drug discovery. In this mini review, we examine the breadth of tau-targeting treatments currently tested in the preclinical and clinical settings for AD and other tauopathies, and discuss the potential application of these strategies to HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Masnata
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Shireen Salem
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Aurelie de Rus Jacquet
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Mehwish Anwer
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Francesca Cicchetti
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Axe Neurosciences, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Département de Médecine Moléculaire, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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42
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Dominguez-Meijide A, Vasili E, Outeiro TF. Pharmacological Modulators of Tau Aggregation and Spreading. Brain Sci 2020; 10:E858. [PMID: 33203009 PMCID: PMC7696562 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tauopathies are neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the deposition of aggregates composed of abnormal tau protein in the brain. Additionally, misfolded forms of tau can propagate from cell to cell and throughout the brain. This process is thought to lead to the templated misfolding of the native forms of tau, and thereby, to the formation of newer toxic aggregates, thereby propagating the disease. Therefore, modulation of the processes that lead to tau aggregation and spreading is of utmost importance in the fight against tauopathies. In recent years, several molecules have been developed for the modulation of tau aggregation and spreading. In this review, we discuss the processes of tau aggregation and spreading and highlight selected chemicals developed for the modulation of these processes, their usefulness, and putative mechanisms of action. Ultimately, a stronger understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved, and the properties of the substances developed to modulate them, will lead to the development of safer and better strategies for the treatment of tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Dominguez-Meijide
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
- Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Experimental Neurology, Dept. of Morphological Sciences, CIMUS, IDIS, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Eftychia Vasili
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; (A.D.-M.); (E.V.)
- Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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43
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Shevtsova EF, Maltsev AV, Vinogradova DV, Shevtsov PN, Bachurin SO. Mitochondria as a promising target for developing novel agents for treating Alzheimer's disease. Med Res Rev 2020; 41:803-827. [PMID: 32687230 DOI: 10.1002/med.21715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The mitochondria-targeting drugs can be conventionally divided into the following groups: those compensating for the energy deficit involved in neurodegeneration, including stimulants of mitochondrial bioenergetics and activators of mitochondrial biogenesis; and neuroprotectors, that are compounds increasing the resistance of mitochondria to opening of mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) pores. Although compensating for the energy deficit and inhibition of MPT are obvious targets for drugs used in the very early stages of Alzheimer-like pathology, but their use as the monotherapy for patients with severe symptoms is unlikely to be sufficiently effective. It would be optimal to combine targets that would provide the cognitive-stimulating, the neuroprotective effects and the ability to affect specific disease-forming mechanisms. In the design of such drugs, assessment of their potential mitochondrial-targeted effects is of particular importance. The possibility of targeted drug design for simultaneous action on mitochondrial and neurotransmitter's receptors targets is, in particularly, based on the known interplay of various cellular pathways and the presence of common structural components. Of particular interest is directed search for multitarget drugs that would act simultaneously on mitochondrial calcium-dependent functions, the targets (receptors, enzymes, etc.) facilitating neurotransmission, and the molecular targets related to the action of so-called disease-modifying factors, in particular, the formation and overcoming of the toxicity of β-amyloid or hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The examples of such approaches realized on the level of preclinical and clinical trials are presented below.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena F Shevtsova
- Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Andrey V Maltsev
- Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Darya V Vinogradova
- Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Pavel N Shevtsov
- Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia
| | - Sergey O Bachurin
- Department of Medicinal and Biological Chemistry, Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia
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44
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Guo T, Zhang D, Zeng Y, Huang TY, Xu H, Zhao Y. Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2020; 15:40. [PMID: 32677986 PMCID: PMC7364557 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-020-00391-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 431] [Impact Index Per Article: 107.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder seen in age-dependent dementia. There is currently no effective treatment for AD, which may be attributed in part to lack of a clear underlying mechanism. Studies within the last few decades provide growing evidence for a central role of amyloid β (Aβ) and tau, as well as glial contributions to various molecular and cellular pathways in AD pathogenesis. Herein, we review recent progress with respect to Aβ- and tau-associated mechanisms, and discuss glial dysfunction in AD with emphasis on neuronal and glial receptors that mediate Aβ-induced toxicity. We also discuss other critical factors that may affect AD pathogenesis, including genetics, aging, variables related to environment, lifestyle habits, and describe the potential role of apolipoprotein E (APOE), viral and bacterial infection, sleep, and microbiota. Although we have gained much towards understanding various aspects underlying this devastating neurodegenerative disorder, greater commitment towards research in molecular mechanism, diagnostics and treatment will be needed in future AD research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Guo
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Denghong Zhang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yuzhe Zeng
- Department of Orthopaedics, Orthopaedic Center of People's Liberation Army, The Affiliated Southeast Hospital of Xiamen University, Zhangzhou, China
| | - Timothy Y Huang
- Neuroscience Initiative, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.
| | - Huaxi Xu
- Neuroscience Initiative, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA.
| | - Yingjun Zhao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Disease and Aging Research, Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
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45
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van Dam L, Dansen TB. Cross-talk between redox signalling and protein aggregation. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:379-397. [PMID: 32311028 PMCID: PMC7200635 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It is well established that both an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS: i.e. O2•-, H2O2 and OH•), as well as protein aggregation, accompany ageing and proteinopathies such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. However, it is far from clear whether there is a causal relation between the two. This review describes how protein aggregation can be affected both by redox signalling (downstream of H2O2), as well as by ROS-induced damage, and aims to give an overview of the current knowledge of how redox signalling affects protein aggregation and vice versa. Redox signalling has been shown to play roles in almost every step of protein aggregation and amyloid formation, from aggregation initiation to the rapid oligomerization of large amyloids, which tend to be less toxic than oligomeric prefibrillar aggregates. We explore the hypothesis that age-associated elevated ROS production could be part of a redox signalling-dependent-stress response in an attempt to curb protein aggregation and minimize toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loes van Dam
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Molecular Cancer Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tobias B. Dansen
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Molecular Cancer Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584CG Utrecht, The Netherlands
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46
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Husna Ibrahim N, Yahaya MF, Mohamed W, Teoh SL, Hui CK, Kumar J. Pharmacotherapy of Alzheimer's Disease: Seeking Clarity in a Time of Uncertainty. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:261. [PMID: 32265696 PMCID: PMC7105678 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is recognized as a major health hazard that mostly affects people older than 60 years. AD is one of the biggest medical, economic, and social concerns to patients and their caregivers. AD was ranked as the 5th leading cause of global deaths in 2016 by the World Health Organization (WHO). Many drugs targeting the production, aggregation, and clearance of Aβ plaques failed to give any conclusive clinical outcomes. This mainly stems from the fact that AD is not a disease attributed to a single-gene mutation. Two hallmarks of AD, Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), can simultaneously induce other AD etiologies where every pathway is a loop of consequential events. Therefore, the focus of recent AD research has shifted to exploring other etiologies, such as neuroinflammation and central hyperexcitability. Neuroinflammation results from the hyperactivation of microglia and astrocytes that release pro-inflammatory cytokines due to the neurological insults caused by Aβ plaques and NFTs, eventually leading to synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death. This review will report the failures and side effects of many anti-Aβ drugs. In addition, emerging treatments targeting neuroinflammation in AD, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), that restore calcium dyshomeostasis and microglia physiological function in clearing Aβ plaques, respectively, will be deliberately discussed. Other novel pharmacotherapy strategies in treating AD, including disease-modifying agents (DMTs), repurposing of medications used to treat non-AD illnesses, and multi target-directed ligands (MTDLs) are also reviewed. These approaches open new doors to the development of AD therapy, especially combination therapy that can cater for several targets simultaneously, hence effectively slowing or stopping AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurul Husna Ibrahim
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohamad Fairuz Yahaya
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Wael Mohamed
- Basic Medical Science Department, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
| | - Seong Lin Teoh
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Chua Kien Hui
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Glycofood Sdn Bhd, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Jaya Kumar
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Targeting Aggrephagy for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Cells 2020; 9:cells9020311. [PMID: 32012902 PMCID: PMC7072705 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in older individuals with specific neuropsychiatric symptoms. It is a proteinopathy, pathologically characterized by the presence of misfolded protein (Aβ and Tau) aggregates in the brain, causing progressive dementia. Increasing studies have provided evidence that the defect in protein-degrading systems, especially the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP), plays an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. Recent studies have demonstrated that AD-associated protein aggregates can be selectively recognized by some receptors and then be degraded by ALP, a process termed aggrephagy. In this study, we reviewed the role of aggrephagy in AD development and discussed the strategy of promoting aggrephagy using small molecules for the treatment of AD.
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Davidowitz EJ, Krishnamurthy PK, Lopez P, Jimenez H, Adrien L, Davies P, Moe JG. In Vivo Validation of a Small Molecule Inhibitor of Tau Self-Association in htau Mice. J Alzheimers Dis 2020; 73:147-161. [PMID: 31771053 PMCID: PMC6957711 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Tau oligomers have been shown to transmit tau pathology from diseased neurons to healthy neurons through seeding, tau misfolding, and aggregation that is thought to play an influential role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related tauopathies. To develop a small molecule therapeutic for AD and related tauopathies, we have developed in vitro and cellular assays to select molecules inhibiting the first step in tau aggregation, the self-association of tau into oligomers. In vivo validation studies of an optimized lead compound were independently performed in the htau mouse model of tauopathy that expresses the human isoforms of tau without inherited tauopathy mutations that are irrelevant to AD. Treated mice did not show any adverse events related to the compound. The lead compound significantly reduced the level of self-associated tau and total and phosphorylated insoluble tau aggregates. The dose response was linear with respect to levels of compound in the brain. A confirmatory study was performed with male htau mice that gave consistent results. The results validated our screening approach by showing that targeting tau self-association can inhibit the entire tau aggregation pathway by using the selected and optimized lead compound whose activity translated from in vitro and cellular assays to an in vivo model of tau aggregation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Heidy Jimenez
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Leslie Adrien
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | - Peter Davies
- The Litwin-Zucker Research Center for the Study of Alzheimer’s Disease, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Northwell Health, Manhasset, NY, USA
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De Simone A, Naldi M, Tedesco D, Bartolini M, Davani L, Andrisano V. Advanced analytical methodologies in Alzheimer’s disease drug discovery. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2020; 178:112899. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2019.112899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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