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Malan A, Choudhary M, Kaur Bamrah P, Kumari D. Potential benefits of marine-derived compounds for slowing the advancement of Alzheimer's disease. JOURNAL OF ASIAN NATURAL PRODUCTS RESEARCH 2024:1-26. [PMID: 39373659 DOI: 10.1080/10286020.2024.2409869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 09/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
The incidence of Alzheimer's is increasing and poses a significant social and economic burden. The pathogenesis involved in the expansion of AD includes neuronal oxidative damage, tau phosphorylation, amyloid beta aggregation, neuroinflammation, etc. Despite enormous efforts, there is currently no effective treatment or cure for this condition in the allopathic system. Marine compounds are appealing options and have a strong neuroprotective impact. Marine-derived compounds from sponges, algae, and marine invertebrates can be used for neuroprotection, with fewer adverse effects than synthetic drugs. Various compounds such as bryostatin-1, docosahexaenoic acid, spirolides, and astaxanthin, GV-971, have demonstrated outstanding activity and bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditya Malan
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136119, India
| | - Manjusha Choudhary
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136119, India
| | - Prabhjeet Kaur Bamrah
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136119, India
| | - Dipender Kumari
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136119, India
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Soelter TM, Howton TC, Wilk EJ, Whitlock JH, Clark AD, Birnbaum A, Patterson DC, Cortes CJ, Lasseigne BN. Evaluation of altered cell-cell communication between glia and neurons in the hippocampus of 3xTg-AD mice at two time points. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.21.595199. [PMID: 38826305 PMCID: PMC11142088 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.21.595199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and is characterized by progressive memory loss and cognitive decline, affecting behavior, speech, and motor abilities. The neuropathology of AD includes the formation of extracellular amyloid-β plaque and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles of phosphorylated tau, along with neuronal loss. While neuronal loss is an AD hallmark, cell-cell communication between neuronal and non-neuronal cell populations maintains neuronal health and brain homeostasis. To study changes in cellcell communication during disease progression, we performed snRNA-sequencing of the hippocampus from female 3xTg-AD and wild-type littermates at 6 and 12 months. We inferred differential cell-cell communication between 3xTg-AD and wild-type mice across time points and between senders (astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, and OPCs) and receivers (excitatory and inhibitory neurons) of interest. We also assessed the downstream effects of altered glia-neuron communication using pseudobulk differential gene expression, functional enrichment, and gene regulatory analyses. We found that glia-neuron communication is increasingly dysregulated in 12-month 3xTg-AD mice. We also identified 23 AD-associated ligand-receptor pairs that are upregulated in the 12-month-old 3xTg-AD hippocampus. Our results suggest increased AD association of interactions originating from microglia. Signaling mediators were not significantly differentially expressed but showed altered gene regulation and TF activity. Our findings indicate that altered glia-neuron communication is increasingly dysregulated and affects the gene regulatory mechanisms in neurons of 12-month-old 3xTg-AD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tabea M. Soelter
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Timothy C. Howton
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth J. Wilk
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Jordan H. Whitlock
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Amanda D. Clark
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Allison Birnbaum
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Dalton C. Patterson
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Constanza J. Cortes
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Brittany N. Lasseigne
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
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Kamburova K, Dimitrov IL, Hodzhaoglu F, Milkova V. Investigation of the Aggregation of Aβ Peptide (1-40) in the Presence of κ-Carrageenan-Stabilised Liposomes Loaded with Homotaurine. Molecules 2024; 29:3460. [PMID: 39124866 PMCID: PMC11313970 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29153460] [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: 07/07/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The kinetics of amyloid aggregation was studied indirectly by monitoring the changes in the polydispersity of mixed dispersion of amyloid β peptide (1-40) and composite liposomes. The liposomes were prepared from the 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glicero-3-phoshocholine (DOPC) phospholipid and stabilised by the electrostatic adsorption of κ-carrageenan. The produced homotaurine-loaded and unloaded liposomes had a highly negative electrokinetic potential and remarkable stability in phosphate buffer (pH 4 and 7.4). For the first time, the appearance and evolution of the aggregation of Aβ were presented through the variation in the standard percentile readings (D10, D50, and D90) obtained from the particle size distribution analysis. The kinetic experiments indicated the appearance of the first aggregates almost 30 min after mixing the liposomes and peptide solution. It was observed that by adding unloaded liposomes, the size of 90% of the particles in the dispersion (D90) increased. In contrast, the addition of homotaurine-loaded liposomes had almost minimal impact on the size of the fractions of larger particles during the kinetic experiments. Despite the specific bioactivity of homotaurine in the presence of natural cell membranes, this study reported an additional inhibitory effect of the compound on the amyloid peptide aggregation due to the charge effects and 'molecular crowding'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Viktoria Milkova
- Institute of Physical Chemistry ‘Acad. R. Kaischew’, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (K.K.); (I.L.D.); (F.H.)
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4
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Turgutalp B, Kizil C. Multi-target drugs for Alzheimer's disease. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2024; 45:628-638. [PMID: 38853102 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2024.05.005] [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: 04/06/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), a leading cause of dementia, increasingly challenges our healthcare systems and society. Traditional therapies aimed at single targets have fallen short owing to the complex, multifactorial nature of AD that necessitates simultaneous targeting of various disease mechanisms for clinical success. Therefore, targeting multiple pathologies at the same time could provide a synergistic therapeutic effect. The identification of new disease targets beyond the classical hallmarks of AD offers a fertile ground for the design of new multi-target drugs (MTDs), and building on existing compounds have the potential to yield in successful disease modifying therapies. This review discusses the evolving landscape of MTDs, focusing on their potential as AD therapeutics. Analysis of past and current trials of compounds with multi-target activity underscores the capacity of MTDs to offer synergistic therapeutic effects, and the flourishing genetic understanding of AD will inform and inspire the development of MTD-based AD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bengisu Turgutalp
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, 650 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Caghan Kizil
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, 650 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY, USA.
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5
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Marques S, Kouba P, Legrand A, Sedlar J, Disson L, Planas-Iglesias J, Sanusi Z, Kunka A, Damborsky J, Pajdla T, Prokop Z, Mazurenko S, Sivic J, Bednar D. CoVAMPnet: Comparative Markov State Analysis for Studying Effects of Drug Candidates on Disordered Biomolecules. JACS AU 2024; 4:2228-2245. [PMID: 38938816 PMCID: PMC11200249 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Computational study of the effect of drug candidates on intrinsically disordered biomolecules is challenging due to their vast and complex conformational space. Here, we developed a comparative Markov state analysis (CoVAMPnet) framework to quantify changes in the conformational distribution and dynamics of a disordered biomolecule in the presence and absence of small organic drug candidate molecules. First, molecular dynamics trajectories are generated using enhanced sampling, in the presence and absence of small molecule drug candidates, and ensembles of soft Markov state models (MSMs) are learned for each system using unsupervised machine learning. Second, these ensembles of learned MSMs are aligned across different systems based on a solution to an optimal transport problem. Third, the directional importance of inter-residue distances for the assignment to different conformational states is assessed by a discriminative analysis of aggregated neural network gradients. This final step provides interpretability and biophysical context to the learned MSMs. We applied this novel computational framework to assess the effects of ongoing phase 3 therapeutics tramiprosate (TMP) and its metabolite 3-sulfopropanoic acid (SPA) on the disordered Aβ42 peptide involved in Alzheimer's disease. Based on adaptive sampling molecular dynamics and CoVAMPnet analysis, we observed that both TMP and SPA preserved more structured conformations of Aβ42 by interacting nonspecifically with charged residues. SPA impacted Aβ42 more than TMP, protecting α-helices and suppressing the formation of aggregation-prone β-strands. Experimental biophysical analyses showed only mild effects of TMP/SPA on Aβ42 and activity enhancement by the endogenous metabolization of TMP into SPA. Our data suggest that TMP/SPA may also target biomolecules other than Aβ peptides. The CoVAMPnet method is broadly applicable to study the effects of drug candidates on the conformational behavior of intrinsically disordered biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio
M. Marques
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kouba
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
- Faculty
of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical
University in Prague, Technicka 2, Dejvice, Praha 6 166 27, Czech Republic
| | - Anthony Legrand
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Sedlar
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Lucas Disson
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Joan Planas-Iglesias
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Zainab Sanusi
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Antonin Kunka
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Damborsky
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Pajdla
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - Zbynek Prokop
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Mazurenko
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
| | - Josef Sivic
- Czech
Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Jugoslavskych partyzanu 1580/3, Dejvice, Praha 6 160 00, Czech Republic
| | - David Bednar
- Loschmidt
Laboratories, Department of Experimental Biology and RECETOX, Faculty
of Science, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
- International
Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s
University Hospital Brno, Pekarska 53, Brno 656
91, Czech Republic
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Dadi P, Pauling CW, Shrivastava A, Shah DD. Synthesis of versatile neuromodulatory molecules by a gut microbial glutamate decarboxylase. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.02.583032. [PMID: 38915512 PMCID: PMC11195143 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.02.583032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Dysbiosis of the microbiome correlates with many neurological disorders, yet very little is known about the chemistry that controls the production of neuromodulatory molecules by gut microbes. Here, we found that an enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (BfGAD) of a gut microbe Bacteroides fragilis forms multiple neuromodulatory molecules such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), hypotaurine, taurine, homotaurine, and β-alanine. We evolved BfGAD and doubled its taurine productivity. Additionally, we increased its specificity towards the substrate L-glutamate. Here, we provide a chemical strategy via which the BfGAD activity could be fine-tuned. In future, this strategy could be used to modulate the production of neuromodulatory molecules by gut microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavani Dadi
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
| | - Clint W. Pauling
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ 85306
| | - Abhishek Shrivastava
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
| | - Dhara D. Shah
- Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University, Glendale, AZ 85306
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7
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Lee D, Antonsdottir IM, Clark ED, Porsteinsson AP. Review of valiltramiprosate (ALZ-801) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: a novel small molecule with disease modifying potential. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2024; 25:791-799. [PMID: 38814590 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2024.2360069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration, functional impairments, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Valiltramiprosate is a tramiprosate prodrug being investigated as a novel treatment for AD. AREAS COVERED The online databases PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched using the terms 'ALZ-801' or 'valiltramiprosate.' Alzheon press releases were reviewed for emerging clinical information. Valiltramiprosate is an oral, well-tolerated synthetic valine-conjugate prodrug of tramiprosate. Valiltramiprosate's active metabolite include tramiprosate and 3-sulfopropanoic acid. Proposed mechanism of action is multiligand binding to Aβ42 which stabilizes amyloid monomers to prevent peptide aggregation and oligomerization. Pharmacokinetic studies show 52% oral bioavailability, rapid absorption, approximately 40% brain-drug exposure, and near complete renal clearance. Compared to tramiprosate, valiltramiprosate extends plasma tramiprosate half-life and improves interindividual pharmacokinetic variability. Interim analyses from valiltramiprosate's phase II biomarker trial show: (1) significant reductions in plasma p-tau181 and related AD fluid biomarkers; (2) brain structure preservation and reduced hippocampal atrophy by MRI; and (3) improvements on cognitive assessments at multiple timepoints. Its phase III clinical trial in ApoE ε4 homozygotes is near completion. EXPERT OPINION Valiltramiprosate's clinical trial data show early indications of efficacy with potential disease modifying effect in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lee
- Alzheimer's Disease Care, Research and Education (AD-CARE), Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Inga M Antonsdottir
- Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer's Disease, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bayview, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Emily D Clark
- Alzheimer's Disease Care, Research and Education (AD-CARE), Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Anton P Porsteinsson
- Alzheimer's Disease Care, Research and Education (AD-CARE), Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
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Gomez-Sequeda N, Jimenez-Del-Rio M, Velez-Pardo C. Combination of Tramiprosate, Curcumin, and SP600125 Reduces the Neuropathological Phenotype in Familial Alzheimer Disease PSEN1 I416T Cholinergic-like Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4925. [PMID: 38732141 PMCID: PMC11084854 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is a complex and multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder for which no curative therapies are yet available. Indeed, no single medication or intervention has proven fully effective thus far. Therefore, the combination of multitarget agents has been appealing as a potential therapeutic approach against FAD. Here, we investigated the potential of combining tramiprosate (TM), curcumin (CU), and the JNK inhibitor SP600125 (SP) as a treatment for FAD. The study analyzed the individual and combined effects of these two natural agents and this pharmacological inhibitor on the accumulation of intracellular amyloid beta iAβ; hyperphosphorylated protein TAU at Ser202/Thr205; mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm); generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); oxidized protein DJ-1; proapoptosis proteins p-c-JUN at Ser63/Ser73, TP53, and cleaved caspase 3 (CC3); and deficiency in acetylcholine (ACh)-induced transient Ca2+ influx response in cholinergic-like neurons (ChLNs) bearing the mutation I416T in presenilin 1 (PSEN1 I416T). We found that single doses of TM (50 μM), CU (10 μM), or SP (1 μM) were efficient at reducing some, but not all, pathological markers in PSEN 1 I416T ChLNs, whereas a combination of TM, CU, and SP at a high (50, 10, 1 μM) concentration was efficient in diminishing the iAβ, p-TAU Ser202/Thr205, DJ-1Cys106-SO3, and CC3 markers by -50%, -75%, -86%, and -100%, respectively, in PSEN1 I417T ChLNs. Although combinations at middle (10, 2, 0.2) and low (5, 1, 0.1) concentrations significantly diminished p-TAU Ser202/Thr205, DJ-1Cys106-SO3, and CC3 by -69% and -38%, -100% and -62%, -100% and -62%, respectively, these combinations did not alter the iAβ compared to untreated mutant ChLNs. Moreover, a combination of reagents at H concentration was able to restore the dysfunctional ACh-induced Ca2+ influx response in PSEN 1 I416T. Our data suggest that the use of multitarget agents in combination with anti-amyloid (TM, CU), antioxidant (e.g., CU), and antiapoptotic (TM, CU, SP) actions might be beneficial for reducing iAβ-induced ChLN damage in FAD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carlos Velez-Pardo
- Neuroscience Research Group, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical Research, University of Antioquia, University Research Headquarters, Calle 62#52-59, Building 1, Laboratory 411/412, Medellin 050010, Colombia; (N.G.-S.); (M.J.-D.-R.)
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9
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Abdallah AE. Review on anti-alzheimer drug development: approaches, challenges and perspectives. RSC Adv 2024; 14:11057-11088. [PMID: 38586442 PMCID: PMC10995770 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra08333k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer is an irreversible progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes failure of cerebral neurons and disability of the affected person to practice normal daily life activities. There is no concrete evidence to identify the exact reason behind the disease, so several relevant hypotheses emerged, highlighting many possible therapeutic targets, such as acetylcholinesterase, cholinergic receptors, N-methyl d-aspartate receptors, phosphodiesterase, amyloid β protein, protein phosphatase 2A, glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta, β-secretase, γ-secretase, α-secretase, serotonergic receptors, glutaminyl cyclase, tumor necrosis factor-α, γ-aminobutyric acid receptors, and mitochondria. All of these targets have been involved in the design of new potential drugs. An extensive number of these drugs have been studied in clinical trials. However, only galantamine, donepezil, and rivastigmine (ChEIs), memantine (NMDA antagonist), and aducanumab and lecanemab (selective anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies) have been approved for AD treatment. Many drugs failed in the clinical trials to such an extent that questions have been posed about the significance of some of the aforementioned targets. On the contrary, the data of other drugs were promising and shed light on the significance of their targets for the development of new potent anti-alzheimer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdallah E Abdallah
- Pharmaceutical Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Design Department, Faculty of Pharmacy (Boys), Al-Azhar University 11884 Cairo Egypt
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10
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Zhang M, Wang W, Ye Q, Fu Y, Li X, Yang K, Gao F, Zhou A, Wei Y, Tian S, Li S, Wei F, Shi W, Li WD. Histone deacetylase inhibitors VPA and WT161 ameliorate the pathological features and cognitive impairments of the APP/PS1 Alzheimer's disease mouse model by regulating the expression of APP secretases. Alzheimers Res Ther 2024; 16:15. [PMID: 38245771 PMCID: PMC10799458 DOI: 10.1186/s13195-024-01384-0] [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: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative neurological disorder. Recent studies have indicated that histone deacetylases (HDACs) are among the most prominent epigenetic therapy targets and that HDAC inhibitors have therapeutic effects on AD. Here, we identified sodium valproate (VPA), a pan-HDAC inhibitor, and WT161, a novel HDAC6 selective inhibitor, as potential therapeutic agents for AD. Underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated. METHODS A cellular model, N2a-APPswe, was established via lentiviral infection, and the APPswe/PSEN1dE9 transgenic mouse model was employed in the study. LC-MS/MS was applied to quantify the concentration of WT161 in the mouse brain. Western blotting, immunohistochemical staining, thioflavin-S staining and ELISA were applied to detect protein expression in cells, tissues, or serum. RNA interference was utilized to knockdown the expression of specific genes in cells. The cognitive function of mice was assessed via the nest-building test, novel object recognition test and Morris water maze test. RESULTS Previous studies have focused mainly on the impact of HDAC inhibitors on histone deacetylase activity. Our study discovered that VPA and WT161 can downregulate the expression of multiple HDACs, such as HDAC1 and HDAC6, in both AD cell and mouse models. Moreover, they also affect the expression of APP and APP secretases (BACE1, PSEN1, ADAM10). RNA interference and subsequent vitamin C induction further confirmed that the expression of APP and APP secretases is indeed regulated by HDAC1 and HDAC6, with the JNK pathway being the intermediate link in this regulatory process. Through the above pathways, VPA and WT161 effectively reduced Aβ deposition in both AD cell and mouse models and significantly improved cognitive function in AD mice. CONCLUSIONS In general, we have discovered that the HDAC6-JNK-APP secretases cascade is an important pathway for VPA and WT161 to exert their therapeutic effects on AD. Investigations into the safety and efficacy of VPA and WT161 were also conducted, providing essential preclinical evidence for assessing these two epigenetic drugs for the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Zhang
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
- Prenatal Diagnostic Center, Yiwu Maternity and Children Hospital, Yiwu, 322000, China
| | - Wanyao Wang
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Qun Ye
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yun Fu
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
- College of Clinical Medicine for Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatrics, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350000, China
| | - Xuemin Li
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Ke Yang
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Fan Gao
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - An Zhou
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Yonghui Wei
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Shuang Tian
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Shen Li
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300222, China
| | - Fengjiang Wei
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Wentao Shi
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
| | - Wei-Dong Li
- Department of Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China.
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11
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Gadara D, Berka V, Spacil Z. High-Throughput Microbore LC-MS Lipidomics to Investigate APOE Phenotypes. Anal Chem 2024; 96:59-66. [PMID: 38113351 PMCID: PMC10782415 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c02652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Microflow liquid chromatography interfaced with mass spectrometry (μLC-MS/MS) is increasingly applied for high-throughput profiling of biological samples and has been proven to have an acceptable trade-off between sensitivity and reproducibility. However, lipidomics applications are scarce. We optimized a μLC-MS/MS system utilizing a 1 mm inner diameter × 100 mm column coupled to a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer to establish a sensitive, high-throughput, and robust single-shot lipidomics workflow. Compared to conventional lipidomics methods, we achieve a ∼4-fold increase in response, facilitating quantification of 351 lipid species from a single iPSC-derived cerebral organoid during a 15 min LC-MS analysis. Consecutively, we injected 303 samples over ∼75 h to prove the robustness and reproducibility of the microflow separation. As a proof of concept, μLC-MS/MS analysis of Alzheimer's disease patient-derived iPSC cerebral organoid reveals differential lipid metabolism depending on APOE phenotype (E3/3 vs E4/4). Microflow separation proves to be an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method as it reduces the consumption of harmful solvents. Also, the data demonstrate robust, in-depth, high-throughput performance to enable routine clinical or biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darshak Gadara
- RECETOX
Centre, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Vratislav Berka
- RECETOX
Centre, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Spacil
- RECETOX
Centre, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 625 00, Czech Republic
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12
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Arora R, Babbar R, Dabra A, Chopra B, Deswal G, Grewal AS. Marine-derived Compounds: A Powerful Platform for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Cent Nerv Syst Agents Med Chem 2024; 24:166-181. [PMID: 38305396 DOI: 10.2174/0118715249269050231129103002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating form of dementia that primarily affects cholinergic neurons in the brain, significantly reducing an individual's capacity for learning and creative skills and ultimately resulting in an inability to carry out even basic daily tasks. As the elderly population is exponentially increasing, the disease has become a significant concern for society. Therefore, neuroprotective substances have garnered considerable interest in addressing this universal issue. Studies have shown that oxidative damage to neurons contributes to the pathophysiological processes underlying AD progression. In AD, tau phosphorylation and glutamate excitotoxicity may play essential roles, but no permanent cure for AD is available. The existing therapies only manage the early symptoms of AD and often come with numerous side effects and toxicities. To address these challenges, researchers have turned to nature and explored various sources such as plants, animals, and marine organisms. Many historic holy books from different cultures emphasize that adding marine compounds to the regular diet enhances brain function and mitigates its decline. Consequently, researchers have devoted significant time to identifying potentially active neuroprotective substances from marine sources. Marine-derived compounds are gaining recognition due to their abundant supply of diverse chemical compounds with biological and pharmacological potential and unique mechanisms of action. Several studies have reported that plants exhibit multitarget potential in treating AD. In light of this, the current study focuses on marine-derived components with excellent potential for treating this neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Arora
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Chandigarh, Punjab, India
| | - Ritchu Babbar
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Chandigarh, Punjab, India
| | - Abhishek Dabra
- Guru Gobind Singh College of Pharmacy, Yamunanagar, Haryana, India
| | - Bhawna Chopra
- Guru Gobind Singh College of Pharmacy, Yamunanagar, Haryana, India
| | - Geeta Deswal
- Guru Gobind Singh College of Pharmacy, Yamunanagar, Haryana, India
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13
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Ozawa T, Franguridi G, Mattke S. Medical Costs and Caregiver Burden of Delivering Disease-Modifying Alzheimer's Treatments with Different Duration and Route of Administration. J Prev Alzheimers Dis 2024; 11:1384-1389. [PMID: 39350384 PMCID: PMC11436425 DOI: 10.14283/jpad.2024.81] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Multiple disease modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease are currently in clinical development or have been recently approved for use. They have vastly different treatment properties but so far, little work has been done to quantify the impact of treatment properties on the treatment's value in terms of medical and social care costs and caregiver burden. OBJECTIVES This study aims to analyze how the mode of treatment administration, treatment frequency and duration, and monitoring requirements affect the value of disease modifying treatments. In order to isolate these effects, we compare five hypothetical disease modifying treatments with equal efficacy and safety: (1) chronic bi-weekly intravenous infusion, (2) chronic four-weekly intravenous infusion, (3) 52 weeks fixed duration four-weekly intravenous infusion, (4) chronic subcutaneous injections, and (5) chronic oral prescription on their direct medical costs, caregiver burden, and preservation of treatment value. DESIGN Survey of Alzheimer's disease treatment clinics and retrospective data analysis. SETTING United States. MEASUREMENTS Direct medical cost and caregiver burden of treatment administration and monitoring compared to gross treatment benefit. RESULTS Chronic bi-weekly infusion treatment had the highest direct medical cost ($45,208) and caregiver burden ($6,095), reducing the treatment value by 44%, while oral treatment with the lowest direct medical cost ($1,983) and caregiver burden ($457) reduced the treatment value by only 2%. Substantial caregiver burden was reported from the survey, with a reported average of 2.3 hours for an office visit and infusion, 44 minutes of round-trip travel time, and 78% of patients being accompanied by a caregiver for treatment. CONCLUSION Burden of chronic intravenous treatments exceed the gross medical and social care cost savings and value of caregiver benefit. The results suggest the need for less complex treatments that require fewer clinic visits to preserve the economic value of disease modifying treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ozawa
- Soeren Mattke, M.D., D.Sc. Director, The USC Brain Health Observatory, Research Professor of Economics, USC Dornsife, 635 Downey Way, #505N, Los Angeles, CA 90089, Mobile: +1 202 468 5797,
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14
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Grover S, Narang RK, Singh S. GABA-transaminase: A Key Player and Potential Therapeutic Target for Neurological Disorders. Cent Nerv Syst Agents Med Chem 2024; 24:57-67. [PMID: 38243961 DOI: 10.2174/0118715249267700231116053516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Neurological disorders such as epilepsy, autism, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease alter brain functions like cognition, mood, movements, and language, severely compromising the well-being of persons, suffering from their negative effects. The neurotransmitters (GABA, glutamate, norepinephrine, dopamine) are found to be involved in neuronal signaling and neurotransmission. GABA, a "commanding neurotransmitter" is directly or indirectly associated with various neurological disorders. GABA is metabolized to succinic semialdehyde by a mitochondrial gamma-aminobutyric acid-transaminase (GABA-T) enzyme. Therefore, the alterations in the GABA performance in the distinct regions of the brain via GABA-T overstimulation or inhibition would play a vital role in the pathogenesis of various neurological disorders. This review emphasizes the leading participation of GABA-T in neurological disorders like Huntington's disease, epilepsy, autism, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis. In Huntington's disease, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis, the surfeited performance of GABA-T results in diminished levels of GABA, whereas in autism, the subsidence of GABA-T activity causes the elevation in GABA contents, which is responsible for behavioral changes in these disorders. Therefore, GABA-T inhibitors (in Huntington's disease, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis) or agonists (in autism) can be used therapeutically. In the context of Alzheimer's disease, some researchers favor the stimulation of GABA-T activity whereas some disagree with it. Therefore, the activity of GABA-T concerning Alzheimer's disease is still unclear. In this way, studies of GABA-T enzymatic activity in contrast to neurological disorders could be undertaken to understand and be considered a therapeutic target for several GABA-ergic CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sania Grover
- Department of Pharmacology, Indo Soviet Friendship College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy (An Autonomous College), Moga-142001, Punjab, India
| | - Raj Kumar Narang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College of Pharmacy (An Autonomous College), Moga-142001, Punjab, India
| | - Shamsher Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy (An Autonomous College), Moga-142001, Punjab, India
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15
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Sohn MN, Brown JC, Sharma P, Ziemann U, McGirr A. Pharmacological adjuncts and transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced synaptic plasticity: a systematic review. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2024; 49:E59-E76. [PMID: 38359933 PMCID: PMC10890793 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.230090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a noninvasive neurostimulation modality that has been used to study human synaptic plasticity. Leveraging work in ex vivo preparations, mechanistically informed pharmacological adjuncts to TMS have been used to improve our fundamental understanding of TMS-induced synaptic plasticity. METHODS We systematically reviewed the literature pairing pharmacological adjuncts with TMS plasticity-induction protocols in humans. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase from 2013 to Mar. 10, 2023. Studies published before 2013 were extracted from a previous systematic review. We included studies using repetitive TMS, theta-burst stimulation, paired associative stimulation, and quadripulse stimulation paradigms in healthy and clinical populations. RESULTS Thirty-six studies met our inclusion criteria (28 in healthy and 8 in clinical populations). Most pharmacological agents have targeted the glutamatergic N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA; 15 studies) or dopamine receptors (13 studies). The NMDA receptor is necessary for TMS-induced plasticity; however, sufficiency has not been shown across protocols. Dopaminergic modulation of TMS-induced plasticity appears to be dose-dependent. The GABAergic, cholinergic, noradrenergic, and serotonergic neurotransmitter systems have small evidence bases supporting modulation of TMS-induced plasticity, as do voltage-gated calcium and sodium channels. Studies in clinical populations suggest that pharmacological adjuncts to TMS may rescue motor cortex plasticity, with implications for therapeutic applications of TMS and a promising clinical trial in depression. LIMITATIONS This review is limited by the predominance in the literature of studies with small sample sizes and crossover designs. CONCLUSION Pharmacologically enhanced TMS largely parallels findings from ex vivo preparations. As this area expands and novel targets are tested, adequately powered samples in healthy and clinical populations will inform the mechanisms of TMS-induced plasticity in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myren N Sohn
- From the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the McLean Hospital, Division of Neurotherapeutics, Belmont, Mass., USA (Brown, Sharma); the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA (Brown); the Department of Neurology & Stroke, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann); and the Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann)
| | - Joshua C Brown
- From the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the McLean Hospital, Division of Neurotherapeutics, Belmont, Mass., USA (Brown, Sharma); the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA (Brown); the Department of Neurology & Stroke, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann); and the Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann)
| | - Prayushi Sharma
- From the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the McLean Hospital, Division of Neurotherapeutics, Belmont, Mass., USA (Brown, Sharma); the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA (Brown); the Department of Neurology & Stroke, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann); and the Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann)
| | - Ulf Ziemann
- From the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the McLean Hospital, Division of Neurotherapeutics, Belmont, Mass., USA (Brown, Sharma); the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA (Brown); the Department of Neurology & Stroke, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann); and the Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann)
| | - Alexander McGirr
- From the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Calgary, Alta., Canada (Sohn, McGirr); the McLean Hospital, Division of Neurotherapeutics, Belmont, Mass., USA (Brown, Sharma); the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA (Brown); the Department of Neurology & Stroke, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann); and the Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls University, Tübingen, Germany (Ziemann)
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16
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Meera P, Uusi-Oukari M, Lipshutz GS, Wallner M. GABA A receptors as plausible molecular targets and mediators for taurine and homotaurine actions. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1271203. [PMID: 38155909 PMCID: PMC10752957 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1271203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Dementia and autoimmune diseases are prevalent conditions with limited treatment options. Taurine and homotaurine (HT) are naturally occurring sulfonate amino acids, with taurine being highly abundant in animal tissues, but declining with age in the blood. HT is a blood-brain barrier permeable drug under investigation for Alzheimer's disease. HT also has beneficial effects in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis likely through an anti-inflammatory mechanism mediated by GABAA receptor (GABAAR) agonism in immune cells. While both taurine and HT are structural GABA analogs and thought to be GABA mimetics at GABAARs, there is uncertainty concerning their potency as GABA mimetics on native GABAARs. We show that HT is a very potent GABA mimetic, as it evokes GABAAR-mediated currents with an EC50 of 0.4 μM (vs. 3.7 μM for GABA and 116 µM for taurine) in murine cerebellar granule cells in brain slices, with both taurine and HT having similar efficacy in activating native GABAARs. Furthermore, HT displaces the high affinity GABAAR ligand [3H]muscimol at similarly low concentrations (HT IC50 of 0.16 μM vs. 125 μM for taurine) in mouse brain homogenates. The potency of taurine and HT as GABAAR agonists aligns with endogenous concentrations of taurine in the blood and with HT concentrations achieved in the brain following oral administration of HT or the HT pro-drug ALZ-801. Consequently, we discuss that GABAARs subtypes, similar to the ones we studied here in neurons, are plausible targets for mediating the potential beneficial effects of taurine in health and life-span extension and the beneficial HT effects in dementia and autoimmune conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratap Meera
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Mikko Uusi-Oukari
- Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Gerald S. Lipshutz
- Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Martin Wallner
- Department of Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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17
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Kim J, Jeon H, Yun Kim H, Kim Y. Failure, Success, and Future Direction of Alzheimer Drugs Targeting Amyloid-β Cascade: Pros and Cons of Chemical and Biological Modalities. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300328. [PMID: 37497809 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300328] [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: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent cause of dementia and has become a health concern worldwide urging for an effective therapeutic. The amyloid hypothesis, currently the most pursued basis of AD drug discovery, points the cause of AD to abnormal production and ineffective removal of pathogenic aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ). AD therapeutic research has been focused on targeting different species of Aβ in the amyloidogenic process to control Aβ content and recover cognitive decline. Among the different processes targeted, the clearance mechanism has been found to be the most effective, supported by the recent clinical approval of an Aβ-targeting immunotherapeutic drug which significantly slowed cognitive decline. Although the current AD drug discovery field is extensively researching immunotherapeutic drugs, there are numerous properties of immunotherapy in need of improvements that could be overcome by an equally performing chemical drug. Here, we review chemical and immunotherapy drug candidates, based on their mechanism of modulating the amyloid cascade, selected from the AlzForum database. Through this review, we aim to summarize and evaluate the prospect of Aβ-targeting chemical drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- JiMin Kim
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, South Korea
| | - Hanna Jeon
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, South Korea
| | - Hye Yun Kim
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, South Korea
| | - YoungSoo Kim
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, 21983, South Korea
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18
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Arar S, Haque MA, Kayed R. Protein aggregation and neurodegenerative disease: Structural outlook for the novel therapeutics. Proteins 2023:10.1002/prot.26561. [PMID: 37530227 PMCID: PMC10834863 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26561] [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: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Before the controversial approval of humanized monoclonal antibody lecanemab, which binds to the soluble amyloid-β protofibrils, all the treatments available earlier, for Alzheimer's disease (AD) were symptomatic. The researchers are still struggling to find a breakthrough in AD therapeutic medicine, which is partially attributable to lack in understanding of the structural information associated with the intrinsically disordered proteins and amyloids. One of the major challenges in this area of research is to understand the structural diversity of intrinsically disordered proteins under in vitro conditions. Therefore, in this review, we have summarized the in vitro applications of biophysical methods, which are aimed to shed some light on the heterogeneity, pathogenicity, structures and mechanisms of the intrinsically disordered protein aggregates associated with proteinopathies including AD. This review will also rationalize some of the strategies in modulating disease-relevant pathogenic protein entities by small molecules using structural biology approaches and biophysical characterization. We have also highlighted tools and techniques to simulate the in vivo conditions for native and cytotoxic tau/amyloids assemblies, urge new chemical approaches to replicate tau/amyloids assemblies similar to those in vivo conditions, in addition to designing novel potential drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharif Arar
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
| | - Md Anzarul Haque
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Rakez Kayed
- Mitchell Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
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19
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Satriano A, Laganà ML, Licastro E, Nucci C, Bagetta G, Russo R, Adornetto A. Neuroprotective Effect of a Nutritional Supplement Containing Spearmint Extract, Forskolin, Homotaurine and Group B Vitamins in a Mouse Model of Transient Ocular Hypertension. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1478. [PMID: 37239149 PMCID: PMC10216629 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051478] [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: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is one of the most common sight-threatening eye disorders and one of the main causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. The current therapies focusing on reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) are often insufficient to prevent the progression of the disease, so the therapeutic management of glaucoma remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective, IOP-lowering independent effects of a nutritional supplement containing forskolin, homotaurine, spearmint extract and vitamins of the B group in a model of acute glaucoma developed in mice. Glaucoma was induced in adult wild-type C57BL/6J mice by transient elevation of IOP. The dietary supplement, branded as Gangliomix® (125 mg/kg/day), was administered by oral gavage for 17 days and ocular hypertension was induced on the 10th day of treatment. A histological analysis of the retinas was performed and RGC survival was evaluated with fluorogold labeling and Brn3a immunostaining on wholemount and retinal sections. Expression of alpha-spectrin, caspase-3, PARP-1 and GFAP was studied with western blotting or immunofluorescence. A significant increase in RGC survival was reported in the retina of mice treated with the dietary supplement as compared to vehicle-treated animals. The observed neuroprotection was associated with a calpain activity decrease, reduction in caspase-3 and PARP-1 activation, and prevention of GFAP upregulation. These effects were independent from the hypotensive effects of the supplement. Altogether, our data suggest that the dietary supplementation with forskolin, homotaurine, spearmint extract and vitamins of the B group supports RGC survival and may offer beneficial effects in glaucoma patients in combination with the currently used IOP-lowering therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Satriano
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Glaucoma Unit, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Laganà
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Glaucoma Unit, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Ester Licastro
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Glaucoma Unit, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Carlo Nucci
- Ophthalmology Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00173 Rome, Italy
| | - Giacinto Bagetta
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Glaucoma Unit, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Rossella Russo
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Glaucoma Unit, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Annagrazia Adornetto
- Preclinical and Translational Pharmacology, Glaucoma Unit, Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
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20
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Saurabh S, Nadendla K, Purohit SS, Sivakumar PM, Cetinel S. Fuzzy Drug Targets: Disordered Proteins in the Drug-Discovery Realm. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:9729-9747. [PMID: 36969402 PMCID: PMC10034788 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and regions (IDRs) form a large part of the eukaryotic proteome. Contrary to the structure-function paradigm, the disordered proteins perform a myriad of functions in vivo. Consequently, they are involved in various disease pathways and are plausible drug targets. Unlike folded proteins, that have a defined structure and well carved out drug-binding pockets that can guide lead molecule selection, the disordered proteins require alternative drug-development methodologies that are based on an acceptable picture of their conformational ensemble. In this review, we discuss various experimental and computational techniques that contribute toward understanding IDP "structure" and describe representative pursuances toward IDP-targeting drug development. We also discuss ideas on developing rational drug design protocols targeting IDPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Saurabh
- Molecular
Sciences Research Hub, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, U.K.
| | - Karthik Nadendla
- Center
for Misfolding Diseases, Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, Lensfield
Road, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
| | - Shubh Sanket Purohit
- Department
of Clinical Haematology, Sahyadri Superspeciality
Hospital, Pune, Maharashtra 411038, India
| | - Ponnurengam Malliappan Sivakumar
- Institute
of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
- School
of Medicine and Pharmacy, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam
- Nanotechnology
Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
| | - Sibel Cetinel
- Nanotechnology
Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
- Faculty of
Engineering and Natural Sciences, Molecular Biology, Genetics and
Bioengineering Program, Sabanci University, Istanbul 34956, Turkey
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The GABA and GABA-Receptor System in Inflammation, Anti-Tumor Immune Responses, and COVID-19. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020254. [PMID: 36830790 PMCID: PMC9953446 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020254] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
GABA and GABAA-receptors (GABAA-Rs) play major roles in neurodevelopment and neurotransmission in the central nervous system (CNS). There has been a growing appreciation that GABAA-Rs are also present on most immune cells. Studies in the fields of autoimmune disease, cancer, parasitology, and virology have observed that GABA-R ligands have anti-inflammatory actions on T cells and antigen-presenting cells (APCs), while also enhancing regulatory T cell (Treg) responses and shifting APCs toward anti-inflammatory phenotypes. These actions have enabled GABAA-R ligands to ameliorate autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes (T1D), multiple sclerosis (MS), and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as type 2 diabetes (T2D)-associated inflammation in preclinical models. Conversely, antagonism of GABAA-R activity promotes the pro-inflammatory responses of T cells and APCs, enhancing anti-tumor responses and reducing tumor burden in models of solid tumors. Lung epithelial cells also express GABA-Rs, whose activation helps maintain fluid homeostasis and promote recovery from injury. The ability of GABAA-R agonists to limit both excessive immune responses and lung epithelial cell injury may underlie recent findings that GABAA-R agonists reduce the severity of disease in mice infected with highly lethal coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2 and MHV-1). These observations suggest that GABAA-R agonists may provide off-the-shelf therapies for COVID-19 caused by new SARS-CoV-2 variants, as well as novel beta-coronaviruses, which evade vaccine-induced immune responses and antiviral medications. We review these findings and further advance the notions that (1) immune cells possess GABAA-Rs to limit inflammation in the CNS, and (2) this natural "braking system" on inflammatory responses may be pharmacologically engaged to slow the progression of autoimmune diseases, reduce the severity of COVID-19, and perhaps limit neuroinflammation associated with long COVID.
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22
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Khan SS, Khatik GL, Datusalia AK. Strategies for Treatment of Disease-Associated Dementia Beyond Alzheimer's Disease: An Update. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:309-339. [PMID: 35410602 PMCID: PMC10190146 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x20666220411083922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory, cognition, dementia, and neurodegeneration are complexly interlinked processes with various mechanistic pathways, leading to a range of clinical outcomes. They are strongly associated with pathological conditions like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and stroke and are a growing concern for their timely diagnosis and management. Several cognitionenhancing interventions for management include non-pharmacological interventions like diet, exercise, and physical activity, while pharmacological interventions include medicinal agents, herbal agents, and nutritional supplements. This review critically analyzed and discussed the currently available agents under different drug development phases designed to target the molecular targets, including cholinergic receptor, glutamatergic system, GABAergic targets, glycine site, serotonergic targets, histamine receptors, etc. Understanding memory formation and pathways involved therein aids in opening the new gateways to treating cognitive disorders. However, clinical studies suggest that there is still a dearth of knowledge about the pathological mechanism involved in neurological conditions, making the dropouts of agents from the initial phases of the clinical trial. Hence, a better understanding of the disease biology, mode of drug action, and interlinked mechanistic pathways at a molecular level is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabiya Samim Khan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Raebareli, Lucknow (UP) India
| | - Gopal L. Khatik
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Raebareli, Lucknow (UP) India
| | - Ashok K. Datusalia
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Raebareli, Lucknow (UP) India
- Department of Regulatory Toxicology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) Raebareli, Lucknow (UP) India
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23
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Guo F, Li Q, Zhang X, Liu Y, Jiang J, Cheng S, Yu S, Zhang X, Liu F, Li Y, Rose G, Zhang H. Applications of Carbon Dots for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Nanomedicine 2022; 17:6621-6638. [PMID: 36582459 PMCID: PMC9793737 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s388030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There are currently approximately 50 million victims of Alzheimer's disease (AD) worldwide. The exact cause of the disease is unknown at this time, but amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain are hallmarks of the disease. Current drug treatments for AD may slow the progression of the disease and improve the quality of life of patients, but they are often only minimally effective and are not cures. A major obstacle to developing and delivering more effective drug therapies is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which prevents many compounds with therapeutic potential from reaching the central nervous system. Nanotechnology may provide a solution to this problem. Among the medical nanomaterials currently being studied, carbon dots (CDs) have attracted widespread attention because of their ability to cross the BBB, non-toxicity, and potential for drug/gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Guo
- Public Research Laboratory of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qingman Li
- Public Research Laboratory of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaolin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Child Cognition & Behavior Development of Hainan Province, Qiongtai Normal University, Haikou, 571127, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiheng Liu
- Haikou Hospital Affiliated to Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, Haikou, 570208, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jie Jiang
- Scientific Experiment Center of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuanghuai Cheng
- Public Research Laboratory of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China
| | - Si Yu
- Public Research Laboratory of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingfang Zhang
- Public Research Laboratory of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China,The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou, 570102, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fangfang Liu
- Laboratory Department, Nanping First Hospital Affiliated to Fujian Medical University, Fujian, 353006, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yiying Li
- Public Research Laboratory of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China
| | - Gregory Rose
- Departments of Anatomy and Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA,Correspondence: Gregory Rose, Departments of Anatomy and Physiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA, Tel +1 618-303-6503, Email
| | - Haiying Zhang
- Public Research Laboratory of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China,Haiying Zhang, Public Research Laboratory of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13907533247, Email
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Terriente-Palacios C, Rubiño S, Hortós M, Peteiro C, Castellari M. Taurine, homotaurine, GABA and hydrophobic amino acids content influences "in vitro" antioxidant and SIRT1 modulation activities of enzymatic protein hydrolysates from algae. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20832. [PMID: 36460715 PMCID: PMC9718854 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25130-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prevention and control of diseases and delaying the signs of ageing are nowadays one of the major goals of biomedicine. Sirtuins, a family of NAD+ dependent deacylase enzymes, could be pivotal targets of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies to achieve such aims. SIRT1 activating and inhibiting compounds, such as polyphenols and bioactive peptides, have been proposed to be involved in the development of many human diseases. The objective of this work was to assess and compare the antioxidant and SIRT1 modulation activities of enzymatic protein hydrolysates (EPHs) from a wide number of algae species (24 commercial samples and 12 samples harvested off the Atlantic coast of northern Spain). High antioxidant activities were observed in EPHs from red and green seaweed species. Moreover, 19 samples exhibited SIRT1 activation, while EPHs from the 16 samples were SIRT1 inhibitors. Pearson's correlation test and Principal Component Analysis revealed significant correlations between (1) total peptide and hydrophobic amino acid content in EPHs and their antioxidant activities, and (2) concentrations of taurine, homotaurine, and amino acid gamma aminobutyric acid in EPHs and their SIRT1 modulation activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Terriente-Palacios
- IRTA, Food Safety and Functionality Programe, Finca Camps I Armet s/n, Monells, 17121 Girona, Spain ,grid.10702.340000 0001 2308 8920Escuela Internacional de Doctorado de la Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (EIDUNED), Calle Bravo Murillo 38, 28015 Madrid, Spain
| | - Susana Rubiño
- IRTA, Food Safety and Functionality Programe, Finca Camps I Armet s/n, Monells, 17121 Girona, Spain
| | - Maria Hortós
- IRTA, Food Safety and Functionality Programe, Finca Camps I Armet s/n, Monells, 17121 Girona, Spain
| | - César Peteiro
- Spanish Institute of Oceanography of the Spanish National Research Council (IEO, CSIC), Oceanographic Center of Santander, Marine Culture Units “El Bocal”, Seaweeds Center, Barrio Corbanera s/n., Monte, 39012 Santander, Spain
| | - Massimo Castellari
- IRTA, Food Safety and Functionality Programe, Finca Camps I Armet s/n, Monells, 17121 Girona, Spain
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Yao W, Yang H, Yang J. Small-molecule drugs development for Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:1019412. [PMID: 36389082 PMCID: PMC9664938 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.1019412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder with no effective therapeutic drugs currently. The complicated pathophysiology of AD is not well understood, although beta-amyloid (Aβ) cascade and hyperphosphorylated tau protein were regarded as the two main causes of AD. Other mechanisms, such as oxidative stress, deficiency of central cholinergic neurotransmitters, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation, were also proposed and studied as targets in AD. This review aims to summarize the small-molecule drugs that were developed based on the pathogenesis and gives a deeper understanding of the AD. We hope that it could help scientists find new and better treatments to gradually conquer the problems related to AD in future.
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Tian J, Dillion BJ, Henley J, Comai L, Kaufman DL. A GABA-receptor agonist reduces pneumonitis severity, viral load, and death rate in SARS-CoV-2-infected mice. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1007955. [PMID: 36389819 PMCID: PMC9640739 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1007955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and GABA-receptors (GABA-Rs) form a major neurotransmitter system in the brain. GABA-Rs are also expressed by 1) cells of the innate and adaptive immune system and act to inhibit their inflammatory activities, and 2) lung epithelial cells and GABA-R agonists/potentiators have been observed to limit acute lung injuries. These biological properties suggest that GABA-R agonists may have potential for treating COVID-19. We previously reported that GABA-R agonist treatments protected mice from severe disease induced by infection with a lethal mouse coronavirus (MHV-1). Because MHV-1 targets different cellular receptors and is biologically distinct from SARS-CoV-2, we sought to test GABA therapy in K18-hACE2 mice which develop severe pneumonitis with high lethality following SARS-CoV-2 infection. We observed that GABA treatment initiated immediately after SARS-CoV-2 infection, or 2 days later near the peak of lung viral load, reduced pneumonitis severity and death rates in K18-hACE2 mice. GABA-treated mice had reduced lung viral loads and displayed shifts in their serum cytokine/chemokine levels that are associated with better outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Thus, GABA-R activation had multiple effects that are also desirable for the treatment of COVID-19. The protective effects of GABA against two very different beta coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2 and MHV-1) suggest that it may provide a generalizable off-the-shelf therapy to help treat diseases induced by new SARS-CoV-2 variants and novel coronaviruses that evade immune responses and antiviral medications. GABA is inexpensive, safe for human use, and stable at room temperature, making it an attractive candidate for testing in clinical trials. We also discuss the potential of GABA-R agonists for limiting COVID-19-associated neuroinflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jide Tian
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Barbara J. Dillion
- High Containment Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jill Henley
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lucio Comai
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Daniel L. Kaufman
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Morató X, Pytel V, Jofresa S, Ruiz A, Boada M. Symptomatic and Disease-Modifying Therapy Pipeline for Alzheimer's Disease: Towards a Personalized Polypharmacology Patient-Centered Approach. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:9305. [PMID: 36012569 PMCID: PMC9409252 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23169305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Since 1906, when Dr. Alois Alzheimer first described in a patient "a peculiar severe disease process of the cerebral cortex", people suffering from this pathology have been waiting for a breakthrough therapy. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible, progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder and the most common form of dementia in the elderly with a long presymptomatic phase. Worldwide, approximately 50 million people are living with dementia, with AD comprising 60-70% of cases. Pathologically, AD is characterized by the deposition of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) in the neuropil (neuritic plaques) and blood vessels (amyloid angiopathy), and by the accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau in neurons (neurofibrillary tangles) in the brain, with associated loss of synapses and neurons, together with glial activation, and neuroinflammation, resulting in cognitive deficits and eventually dementia. The current competitive landscape in AD consists of symptomatic treatments, of which there are currently six approved medications: three AChEIs (donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine), one NMDA-R antagonist (memantine), one combination therapy (memantine/donepezil), and GV-971 (sodium oligomannate, a mixture of oligosaccharides derived from algae) only approved in China. Improvements to the approved therapies, such as easier routes of administration and reduced dosing frequencies, along with the developments of new strategies and combined treatments are expected to occur within the next decade and will positively impact the way the disease is managed. Recently, Aducanumab, the first disease-modifying therapy (DMT) has been approved for AD, and several DMTs are in advanced stages of clinical development or regulatory review. Small molecules, mAbs, or multimodal strategies showing promise in animal studies have not confirmed that promise in the clinic (where small to moderate changes in clinical efficacy have been observed), and therefore, there is a significant unmet need for a better understanding of the AD pathogenesis and the exploration of alternative etiologies and therapeutic effective disease-modifying therapies strategies for AD. Therefore, a critical review of the disease-modifying therapy pipeline for Alzheimer's disease is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Morató
- Research Center and Memory Clinic, Fundació ACE, Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vanesa Pytel
- Research Center and Memory Clinic, Fundació ACE, Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Jofresa
- Research Center and Memory Clinic, Fundació ACE, Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Agustín Ruiz
- Research Center and Memory Clinic, Fundació ACE, Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercè Boada
- Research Center and Memory Clinic, Fundació ACE, Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08017 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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28
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Oumata N, Lu K, Teng Y, Cavé C, Peng Y, Galons H, Roques BP. Molecular mechanisms in Alzheimer's disease and related potential treatments such as structural target convergence of antibodies and simple organic molecules. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 240:114578. [PMID: 35841881 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The amyloid cascade is the most frequently accepted hypothesis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). According to this hypothesis, the formation of plaques precedes the appearance of fibrillary tangles. Therapeutic agents able to inhibit the formation of plaques are therefore considered as potential disease-modifying treatments (DMT) that could prevent or limit the progression of AD. Plaques are deposits formed by aggregates of amyloid-β (Aβ)-peptides. These peptides are metabolites of amyloid precursor protein (APP) first mediated by two enzymes: β-secretase 1 (BACE1) and γ-secretase. Molecular identification of these two enzymes has stimulated the development of their inhibitors. The clinical testing of these two classes of molecules has not been successful to date. The oligomerization of Aβ-peptides into plaques is now targeted by immunological approaches such as antibodies and vaccines. Structural consideration of the Aβ-peptide sequence led to the launch of the antibody Aducanumab. Several other antibodies are in late clinical phases. Progress in the understanding of the effects of N-truncated Aβ-peptides such as pE3-42, formed by the action of recently well characterized enzymes (aminopeptidase A, dipeptidylpeptidase-4 and glutaminyl cyclase) suggests that oligomerization can be limited either by enzyme inhibitors or antibody approaches. This strategy associating two structurally interconnected mechanisms is focused in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nassima Oumata
- Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Université Paris Cité INSERM U1267, CNRS UMR 8258, 4 Avenue de l'Observatoire, Paris, 75006, France
| | - Kui Lu
- Tianjin International Cooperation Research Centre of Food Nutrition/Safety and Medicinal Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Yuou Teng
- Tianjin International Cooperation Research Centre of Food Nutrition/Safety and Medicinal Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Christian Cavé
- UMR CNRS 8076 BioCIS, Faculty of Pharmacy, University Paris-Saclay, France
| | - Yu Peng
- Tianjin International Cooperation Research Centre of Food Nutrition/Safety and Medicinal Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China
| | - Hervé Galons
- Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Université Paris Cité INSERM U1267, CNRS UMR 8258, 4 Avenue de l'Observatoire, Paris, 75006, France; Tianjin International Cooperation Research Centre of Food Nutrition/Safety and Medicinal Chemistry, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, 300457, China.
| | - Bernard P Roques
- Unité de Technologies Chimiques et Biologiques pour la Santé, Université Paris Cité INSERM U1267, CNRS UMR 8258, 4 Avenue de l'Observatoire, Paris, 75006, France.
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Lee DH, Lee JY, Hong DY, Lee EC, Park SW, Jo YN, Park YJ, Cho JY, Cho YJ, Chae SH, Lee MR, Oh JS. ROCK and PDE-5 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Dementia: Literature Review and Meta-Analysis. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061348. [PMID: 35740369 PMCID: PMC9219677 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Dementia is a disease in which memory, thought, and behavior-related disorders progress gradually due to brain damage caused by injury or disease. It is mainly caused by Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia and several other risk factors, including genetic factors. It is difficult to treat as its incidence continues to increase worldwide. Many studies have been performed concerning the treatment of this condition. Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) and phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) are attracting attention as pharmacological treatments to improve the symptoms. This review discusses how ROCK and PDE-5 affect Alzheimer’s disease, vascular restructuring, and exacerbation of neuroinflammation, and how their inhibition helps improve cognitive function. In addition, the results of the animal behavior analysis experiments utilizing the Morris water maze were compared through meta-analysis to analyze the effects of ROCK inhibitors and PDE-5 inhibitors on cognitive function. According to the selection criteria, 997 publications on ROCK and 1772 publications on PDE-5 were screened, and conclusions were drawn through meta-analysis. Both inhibitors showed good improvement in cognitive function tests, and what is expected of the synergy effect of the two drugs was confirmed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Hun Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (J.Y.L.); (D.-Y.H.); (E.C.L.); (S.-W.P.)
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science (SIMS), Soon Chun Hyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea
| | - Ji Young Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (J.Y.L.); (D.-Y.H.); (E.C.L.); (S.-W.P.)
| | - Dong-Yong Hong
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (J.Y.L.); (D.-Y.H.); (E.C.L.); (S.-W.P.)
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science (SIMS), Soon Chun Hyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea
| | - Eun Chae Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (J.Y.L.); (D.-Y.H.); (E.C.L.); (S.-W.P.)
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science (SIMS), Soon Chun Hyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea
| | - Sang-Won Park
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (J.Y.L.); (D.-Y.H.); (E.C.L.); (S.-W.P.)
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science (SIMS), Soon Chun Hyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea
| | - Yu Na Jo
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (Y.N.J.); (Y.J.P.); (J.Y.C.); (Y.J.C.); (S.H.C.)
| | - Yu Jin Park
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (Y.N.J.); (Y.J.P.); (J.Y.C.); (Y.J.C.); (S.H.C.)
| | - Jae Young Cho
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (Y.N.J.); (Y.J.P.); (J.Y.C.); (Y.J.C.); (S.H.C.)
| | - Yoo Jin Cho
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (Y.N.J.); (Y.J.P.); (J.Y.C.); (Y.J.C.); (S.H.C.)
| | - Su Hyun Chae
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (Y.N.J.); (Y.J.P.); (J.Y.C.); (Y.J.C.); (S.H.C.)
| | - Man Ryul Lee
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science (SIMS), Soon Chun Hyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea
- Correspondence: (M.R.L.); (J.S.O.)
| | - Jae Sang Oh
- Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan 31151, Korea; (D.-H.L.); (J.Y.L.); (D.-Y.H.); (E.C.L.); (S.-W.P.)
- Soonchunhyang Institute of Medi-bio Science (SIMS), Soon Chun Hyang University, Cheonan 31151, Korea
- Correspondence: (M.R.L.); (J.S.O.)
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Biological Potential, Gastrointestinal Digestion, Absorption, and Bioavailability of Algae-Derived Compounds with Neuroprotective Activity: A Comprehensive Review. Mar Drugs 2022; 20:md20060362. [PMID: 35736165 PMCID: PMC9227170 DOI: 10.3390/md20060362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is no known cure for neurodegenerative disease. However, the available therapies aim to manage some of the symptoms of the disease. Human neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of illnesses characterized by progressive loss of neuronal cells and nervous system dysfunction related to several mechanisms such as protein aggregation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neurotransmission dysfunction. Neuroprotective compounds are essential in the prevention and management of neurodegenerative diseases. This review will focus on the neurodegeneration mechanisms and the compounds (proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), polysaccharides, carotenoids, phycobiliproteins, phenolic compounds, among others) present in seaweeds that have shown in vivo and in vitro neuroprotective activity. Additionally, it will cover the recent findings on the neuroprotective effects of bioactive compounds from macroalgae, with a focus on their biological potential and possible mechanism of action, including microbiota modulation. Furthermore, gastrointestinal digestion, absorption, and bioavailability will be discussed. Moreover, the clinical trials using seaweed-based drugs or extracts to treat neurodegenerative disorders will be presented, showing the real potential and limitations that a specific metabolite or extract may have as a new therapeutic agent considering the recent approval of a seaweed-based drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
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Prebble DW, Er S, Hlushchuk I, Domanskyi A, Airavaara M, Ekins MG, Mellick GD, Carroll AR. α-Synuclein binding activity of the plant growth promoter asterubine. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 64:128677. [PMID: 35301136 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Preventing the aggregation of certain amyloid proteins has the potential to slow down the progression of diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. During a high-throughput screen of 300 Australian marine invertebrate extracts, the extract of the marine sponge Thorectandra sp. 4408 displayed binding activity to the Parkinson's disease-associated protein, α-synuclein. Isolation of the active component led to its identification as the known plant growth promoter asterubine (1). This molecule shares distinct structural similarities with potent amyloid beta aggregation inhibitors tramiprosate (homotaurine) and ALZ-801. Herein we report the isolation, NMR data acquired in DMSO and α-synuclein binding activity of asterubine (1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale W Prebble
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus), Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University (Brisbane Innovation Park), Don Young Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Safak Er
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland; Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Irena Hlushchuk
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Andrii Domanskyi
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Mikko Airavaara
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland; Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Merrick G Ekins
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University (Brisbane Innovation Park), Don Young Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia; Queensland Museum, South Brisbane BC, QLD 4101, Australia
| | - George D Mellick
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus), Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University (Brisbane Innovation Park), Don Young Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Anthony R Carroll
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University (Gold Coast Campus), Parklands Drive, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia; Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University (Brisbane Innovation Park), Don Young Road, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia.
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Toppi E, Sireno L, Lembo M, Banaj N, Messina B, Golesorkhtafti S, Spalletta G, Bossù P. IL-33 and IL-10 Serum Levels Increase in MCI Patients Following Homotaurine Treatment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:813951. [PMID: 35515001 PMCID: PMC9061963 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.813951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Homotaurine is a potential therapeutic compound for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but its efficacy is still under investigation. Emerging data have shown that other than neuroprotective, homotaurine is endowed with anti-inflammatory activities, though with still unclear underlying mechanisms. Inflammation plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of AD and we previously suggested that homotaurine supplementation in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) plays beneficial effects associated to a decrease in the circulating levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18. Here we report that MCI patients supplemented with homotaurine for 12 months show elevated serum levels of IL-10 and IL-33, as compared to baseline, in addition to the described IL-18 decrease. Furthermore, we observed a significant positive correlation between IL-10 and IL-33 levels after treatment but not at the baseline, underlining the effectiveness of the compound in modulating both cytokines in an inter-related fashion and in regulating the pro/anti-inflammation balance. Furthermore, the elevation of both IL-10 and IL-33 is significantly associated with an improvement of episodic memory of treated patients, as measured by the Delayed Verbal Ray Test. In conclusion, our results confirm that homotaurine treatment exerts an overall anti-inflammatory action in MCI patients, based not only on the down-regulation of pro-inflammatory IL-18, but also on up-regulation of the anti-inflammatory IL-33 and IL-10 cytokines, which in turn are associated with an amelioration of patient’s cognitive functions. Future studies should be addressed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of homotaurine anti-inflammatory activity and its therapeutic exploitation in early AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Toppi
- Experimental Neuropsicobiology Lab, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Sireno
- Experimental Neuropsicobiology Lab, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Micaela Lembo
- Experimental Neuropsicobiology Lab, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Nerisa Banaj
- Neuropsychiatry Lab, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Beatrice Messina
- Experimental Neuropsicobiology Lab, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Sedigheh Golesorkhtafti
- Experimental Neuropsicobiology Lab, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Spalletta
- Neuropsychiatry Lab, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Bossù
- Experimental Neuropsicobiology Lab, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Pomilio AB, Vitale AA, Lazarowski AJ. Neuroproteomics Chip-Based Mass Spectrometry and Other Techniques for Alzheimer´S Disease Biomarkers – Update. Curr Pharm Des 2022; 28:1124-1151. [DOI: 10.2174/1381612828666220413094918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of growing interest given that there is cognitive damage and symptom onset acceleration. Therefore, it is important to find AD biomarkers for early diagnosis, disease progression, and discrimination of AD and other diseases.
Objective:
To update the relevance of mass spectrometry for the identification of peptides and proteins involved in AD useful as discriminating biomarkers.
Methods:
Proteomics and peptidomics technologies that show the highest possible specificity and selectivity for AD biomarkers are analyzed, together with the biological fluids used. In addition to positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry is widely used to identify proteins and peptides involved in AD. The use of protein chips in SELDI technology and electroblotting chips for peptides makes feasible small amounts (L) of samples for analysis.
Results:
Suitable biomarkers are related to AD pathology, such as intracellular neurofibrillary tangles; extraneuronal senile plaques; neuronal and axonal degeneration; inflammation and oxidative stress. Recently, peptides were added to the candidate list, which are not amyloid-b or tau fragments, but are related to coagulation, brain plasticity, and complement/neuroinflammation systems involving the neurovascular unit.
Conclusion:
The progress made in the application of mass spectrometry and recent chip techniques is promising for discriminating between AD, mild cognitive impairment, and matched healthy controls. The application of this technique to blood samples from patients with AD has shown to be less invasive and fast enough to determine the diagnosis, stage of the disease, prognosis, and follow-up of the therapeutic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia B. Pomilio
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Área Hematología, Hospital de Clínicas “José de San Martín”, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Córdoba 2351, C1120AAF Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Arturo A. Vitale
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Área Hematología, Hospital de Clínicas “José de San Martín”, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Av. Córdoba 2351, C1120AAF Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alberto J. Lazarowski
- Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Instituto de Fisiopatología y Bioquímica Clínica (INFIBIOC), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Córdoba 2351, C1120AAF Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Deigin VI, Poluektova EA, Beniashvili AG, Kozin SA, Poluektov YM. Development of Peptide Biopharmaceuticals in Russia. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040716. [PMID: 35456550 PMCID: PMC9030433 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptides are low-molecular-weight substances that participate in numerous important physiological functions, such as human growth and development, stress, regulation of the emotional state, sexual behavior, and immune responses. Their mechanisms of action are based on receptor–ligand interactions, which result in highly selective effects. These properties and low toxicity enable them to be considered potent drugs. Peptide preparations became possible at the beginning of the 20th century after a method was developed for selectively synthesizing peptides; however, after synthesis of the first peptide drugs, several issues related to increasing the stability, bioavailability, half-life, and ability to move across cell membranes remain unresolved. Here, we briefly review the history of peptide production and development in the biochemical industry and outline potential areas of peptide biopharmaceutical applications and modern approaches for creating pharmaceuticals based on synthetic peptides and their analogs. We also focus on original peptide drugs and the approaches used for their development by the Russian Federation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav I. Deigin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Elena A. Poluektova
- Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Allan G. Beniashvili
- Mental Health Research Center, Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 115522 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Sergey A. Kozin
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Yuri M. Poluektov
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +7-916-407-7570
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Prodrug Therapies for Infectious and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14030518. [PMID: 35335894 PMCID: PMC8953076 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14030518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prodrugs are bioreversible drug derivatives which are metabolized into a pharmacologically active drug following chemical or enzymatic modification. This approach is designed to overcome several obstacles that are faced by the parent drug in physiological conditions that include rapid drug metabolism, poor solubility, permeability, and suboptimal pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles. These suboptimal physicochemical features can lead to rapid drug elimination, systemic toxicities, and limited drug-targeting to disease-affected tissue. Improving upon these properties can be accomplished by a prodrug design that includes the careful choosing of the promoiety, the linker, the prodrug synthesis, and targeting decorations. We now provide an overview of recent developments and applications of prodrugs for treating neurodegenerative, inflammatory, and infectious diseases. Disease interplay reflects that microbial infections and consequent inflammation affects neurodegenerative diseases and vice versa, independent of aging. Given the high prevalence, personal, social, and economic burden of both infectious and neurodegenerative disorders, therapeutic improvements are immediately needed. Prodrugs are an important, and might be said a critical tool, in providing an avenue for effective drug therapy.
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Alzheimer's disease clinical trial update 2019-2021. J Neurol 2021; 269:1038-1051. [PMID: 34609602 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-021-10790-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The current clinical trial landscape targeting Alzheimer's disease (AD) is reviewed in the context of studies completed from 2019 to 2021. This review focuses on available data for observational and phase II/III clinical trial results, which will have the most impact on the field. ClinicalTrials.gov, the United States (US) comprehensive federal registry, was queried to identify completed trials. There are currently 226 interventional clinical trials and 51 observational studies completed, suspended, terminated, or withdrawn within our selected time frame. This review reveals that the role of biomarkers is expanding and although many lessons have been learned, many challenges remain when targeting disease modification of AD through amyloid and tau. In addition, to halt or slow clinical progression of AD, new clinical and observational trials are focusing on prevention as well as the role of more diverse biological processes known to influence AD pathology.
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Cai R, Wang Y, Huang Z, Zou Q, Pu Y, Yu C, Cai Z. Role of RhoA/ROCK signaling in Alzheimer's disease. Behav Brain Res 2021; 414:113481. [PMID: 34302876 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Rho-associated coiled-coil kinase (ROCK), a serine/threonine kinase regulated by the small GTPase RhoA, is involved in regulating cell migration, proliferation, and survival. Numerous studies have shown that the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway can promote Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurrence. ROCK activation increases β-secretase activity and promotes amyloid-beta (Aβ) production; moreover, Aβ further activates ROCK. This is suggestive of a possible positive feedback role for Aβ and ROCK. Moreover, ROCK activation promotes the formation of neurofibrillary tangles and abnormal synaptic contraction. Additionally, ROCK activation can promote the neuroinflammatory response by activating microglia and astrocytes to release inflammatory cytokines. Therefore, ROCK is a promising drug target in AD; further, there is a need to elucidate the specific mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- RuoLan Cai
- Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563003, China; Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - YangYang Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - ZhenTing Huang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - Qian Zou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - YinShuang Pu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China
| | - Changyin Yu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, 563000, China.
| | - Zhiyou Cai
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Chongqing, 400013, China; Department of Neurology, Chongqing General Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, 400013, China.
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Silva M, Seijas P, Otero P. Exploitation of Marine Molecules to Manage Alzheimer's Disease. Mar Drugs 2021; 19:md19070373. [PMID: 34203244 PMCID: PMC8307759 DOI: 10.3390/md19070373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are sociosanitary challenges of today, as a result of increased average life expectancy, with Alzheimer’s disease being one of the most prevalent. This pathology is characterized by brain impairment linked to a neurodegenerative process culminating in cognitive decline and behavioral disorders. Though the etiology of this pathology is still unknown, it is usually associated with the appearance of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The most used prophylaxis relies on anticholinesterase drugs and NMDA receptor antagonists, whose main action is to relieve symptoms and not to treat or prevent the disease. Currently, the scientific community is gathering efforts to disclose new natural compounds effective against Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative pathologies. Marine natural products have been shown to be promising candidates, and some have been proven to exert a high neuroprotection effect, constituting a large reservoir of potential drugs and nutraceutical agents. The present article attempts to describe the processes of extraction and isolation of bioactive compounds derived from sponges, algae, marine bacteria, invertebrates, crustaceans, and tunicates as drug candidates against AD, with a focus on the success of pharmacological activity in the process of finding new and effective drug compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Silva
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal;
- Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Lisbon, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Paula Seijas
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
| | - Paz Otero
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain;
- Department of Production and Characterization of Novel Foods, Institute of Food Science Research (CIAL), Campus of International Excellence UAM+CSIC, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, CITACA, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University of Vigo, Ourense Campus, 32004 Ourense, Spain
- Correspondence: or
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Miziak B, Błaszczyk B, Czuczwar SJ. Some Candidate Drugs for Pharmacotherapy of Alzheimer's Disease. PHARMACEUTICALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 14:ph14050458. [PMID: 34068096 PMCID: PMC8152728 DOI: 10.3390/ph14050458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD; progressive neurodegenerative disorder) is associated with cognitive and functional impairment with accompanying neuropsychiatric symptoms. The available pharmacological treatment is of a symptomatic nature and, as such, it does not modify the cause of AD. The currently used drugs to enhance cognition include an N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist (memantine) and cholinesterase inhibitors. The PUBMED, Medical Subject Heading and Clinical Trials databases were used for searching relevant data. Novel treatments are focused on already approved drugs for other conditions and also searching for innovative drugs encompassing investigational compounds. Among the approved drugs, we investigated, are intranasal insulin (and other antidiabetic drugs: liraglitude, pioglitazone and metformin), bexarotene (an anti-cancer drug and a retinoid X receptor agonist) or antidepressant drugs (citalopram, escitalopram, sertraline, mirtazapine). The latter, especially when combined with antipsychotics (for instance quetiapine or risperidone), were shown to reduce neuropsychiatric symptoms in AD patients. The former enhanced cognition. Procognitive effects may be also expected with dietary antioxidative and anti-inflammatory supplements—curcumin, myricetin, and resveratrol. Considering a close relationship between brain ischemia and AD, they may also reduce post-brain ischemia neurodegeneration. An investigational compound, CN-105 (a lipoprotein E agonist), has a very good profile in AD preclinical studies, and its clinical trial for postoperative dementia is starting soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Miziak
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Barbara Błaszczyk
- Faculty of Health Sciences, High School of Economics, Law and Medical Sciences, 25-734 Kielce, Poland;
| | - Stanisław J. Czuczwar
- Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-090 Lublin, Poland;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-81-448-65-00; Fax: +48-81-65-00-01
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Zou X, Himbert S, Dujardin A, Juhasz J, Ros S, Stöver HDH, Rheinstädter MC. Curcumin and Homotaurine Suppress Amyloid-β 25-35 Aggregation in Synthetic Brain Membranes. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:1395-1405. [PMID: 33826295 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides spontaneously aggregate into β- and cross-β-sheets in model brain membranes. These nanometer sized can fuse into larger micrometer sized clusters and become extracellular and serve as nuclei for further plaque and fibril growth. Curcumin and homotaurine represent two different types of Aβ aggregation inhibitors. While homotaurine is a peptic antiaggregant that binds to amyloid peptides, curcumin is a nonpeptic molecule that can inhibit aggregation by changing membrane properties. By using optical and fluorescent microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and UV-vis spectroscopy, we study the effect of curcumin and homotaurine on Aβ25-35 aggregates in synthetic brain membranes. Both molecules partition spontaneously and uniformly in membranes and do not lead to observable membrane defects or disruption in our experiments. Both curcumin and homotaurine were found to significantly reduce the number of small, nanoscopic Aβ aggregates and the corresponding β- and cross-β-sheet signals. While a number of research projects focus on potential drug candidates that target Aβ peptides directly, membrane-lipid therapy explores membrane-mediated pathways to suppress peptide aggregation. Based on the results obtained, we conclude that membrane active drugs can be as efficient as peptide targeting drugs in inhibiting amyloid aggregation in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingyuan Zou
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
- Origins Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Sebastian Himbert
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
- Origins Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Alix Dujardin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
- Origins Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Janos Juhasz
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
- Department of Medical Physics, Juravinski Cancer Centre, Hamilton, ON L8V 5C2, Canada
| | - Samantha Ros
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Harald D. H. Stöver
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Maikel C. Rheinstädter
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
- Origins Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
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Aftab A, Lam JA, Liu F, Ghosh A, Sajatovic M. Recent developments in geriatric psychopharmacology. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2021; 14:341-355. [PMID: 33499693 DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2021.1882848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION There is a tremendous growing need to address the burden of geriatric psychiatric disorders. Recent developments relevant to geriatric psychiatry have focused on Alzheimer's disease (AD), severe/refractory depression, and cancer/end of life care. AREAS COVERED This is a non-systematic, narrative review (databases and websites for search: PubMed, Google Scholar, Medscape, ClinicalTrials.gov; focusing on the last 6 years), and covers developments in disease-modifying therapies for AD, diagnostic radiotracers for AD, medications for neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, ketamine/esketamine, psychedelics, and cannabinoids. EXPERT OPINION The focus of on-going trials of anti-amyloid agents has been on individuals with very early stage AD; several agents are under phase 3 investigation, and aducanumab is under FDA review. Amyloid and tau PET scans have been approved by the FDA to assist in the diagnoses of AD. Promising pharmaceuticals for neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia include pimavanserin, brexpiprazole, escitalopram, dextromethorphan/quinidine, and lithium. Esketamine, although approved for treatment-resistant depression in general adults, failed to demonstrate efficacy in elderly patients in a phase 3 trial. There is preliminary evidence for benefit of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in end-of-life and cancer-related depression/anxiety. Evidence for the use of cannabinoids is currently lacking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awais Aftab
- Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Lam
- Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Fred Liu
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anjan Ghosh
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Martha Sajatovic
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Zhu H, Dronamraju V, Xie W, More SS. Sulfur-containing therapeutics in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Med Chem Res 2021; 30:305-352. [PMID: 33613018 PMCID: PMC7889054 DOI: 10.1007/s00044-020-02687-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sulfur is widely existent in natural products and synthetic organic compounds as organosulfur, which are often associated with a multitude of biological activities. OBenzothiazole, in which benzene ring is fused to the 4,5-positions of the thiazolerganosulfur compounds continue to garner increasing amounts of attention in the field of medicinal chemistry, especially in the development of therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a fatal neurodegenerative disease and the primary cause of age-related dementia posing severe societal and economic burdens. Unfortunately, there is no cure for AD. A lot of research has been conducted on sulfur-containing compounds in the context of AD due to their innate antioxidant potential and some are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. In this review, we have described emerging trends in the field, particularly the concept of multi-targeting and formulation of disease-modifying strategies. SAR, pharmacological targets, in vitro/vivo ADMET, efficacy in AD animal models, and applications in clinical trials of such sulfur compounds have also been discussed. This article provides a comprehensive review of organosulfur-based AD therapeutic agents and provides insights into their future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haizhou Zhu
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Venkateshwara Dronamraju
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Wei Xie
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Swati S. More
- Center for Drug Design, College of Pharmacy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Masuoka N, Lei C, Li H, Hisatsune T. Influence of Imidazole-Dipeptides on Cognitive Status and Preservation in Elders: A Narrative Review. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13020397. [PMID: 33513893 PMCID: PMC7912684 DOI: 10.3390/nu13020397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The worldwide increase in the number of patients with dementia is becoming a growing problem, while Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a primary neurodegenerative disorder, accounts for more than 70% of all dementia cases. Research on the prevention or reduction of AD occurrence through food ingredients has been widely conducted. In particular, histidine-containing dipeptides, also known as imidazole dipeptides derived from meat, have received much attention. Imidazole dipeptides are abundant in meats such as poultry, fish, and pork. As evidenced by data from recent human intervention trials conducted worldwide, daily supplementation of carnosine and anserine, which are both imidazole dipeptides, can improve memory loss in the elderly and reduce the risk of developing AD. This article also summarizes the latest researches on the biochemical properties of imidazole dipeptides and their effects on animal models associated with age-related cognitive decline. In this review, we focus on the results of human intervention studies using supplements of poultry-derived imidazole dipeptides, including anserine and carnosine, affecting the preservation of cognitive function in the elderly, and discuss how imidazole dipeptides act in the brain to prevent age-related cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.
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Pardridge WM. Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and Blood-Brain Barrier Drug Delivery. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:E394. [PMID: 33207605 PMCID: PMC7697739 DOI: 10.3390/ph13110394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the enormity of the societal and health burdens caused by Alzheimer's disease (AD), there have been no FDA approvals for new therapeutics for AD since 2003. This profound lack of progress in treatment of AD is due to dual problems, both related to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). First, 98% of small molecule drugs do not cross the BBB, and ~100% of biologic drugs do not cross the BBB, so BBB drug delivery technology is needed in AD drug development. Second, the pharmaceutical industry has not developed BBB drug delivery technology, which would enable industry to invent new therapeutics for AD that actually penetrate into brain parenchyma from blood. In 2020, less than 1% of all AD drug development projects use a BBB drug delivery technology. The pathogenesis of AD involves chronic neuro-inflammation, the progressive deposition of insoluble amyloid-beta or tau aggregates, and neural degeneration. New drugs that both attack these multiple sites in AD, and that have been coupled with BBB drug delivery technology, can lead to new and effective treatments of this serious disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M Pardridge
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
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Uddin MS, Kabir MT, Rahman MS, Behl T, Jeandet P, Ashraf GM, Najda A, Bin-Jumah MN, El-Seedi HR, Abdel-Daim MM. Revisiting the Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis: From Anti-Aβ Therapeutics to Auspicious New Ways for Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165858. [PMID: 32824102 PMCID: PMC7461598 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder related to age, characterized by the cerebral deposition of fibrils, which are made from the amyloid-β (Aβ), a peptide of 40–42 amino acids. The conversion of Aβ into neurotoxic oligomeric, fibrillar, and protofibrillar assemblies is supposed to be the main pathological event in AD. After Aβ accumulation, the clinical symptoms fall out predominantly due to the deficient brain clearance of the peptide. For several years, researchers have attempted to decline the Aβ monomer, oligomer, and aggregate levels, as well as plaques, employing agents that facilitate the reduction of Aβ and antagonize Aβ aggregation, or raise Aβ clearance from brain. Unluckily, broad clinical trials with mild to moderate AD participants have shown that these approaches were unsuccessful. Several clinical trials are running involving patients whose disease is at an early stage, but the preliminary outcomes are not clinically impressive. Many studies have been conducted against oligomers of Aβ which are the utmost neurotoxic molecular species. Trials with monoclonal antibodies directed against Aβ oligomers have exhibited exciting findings. Nevertheless, Aβ oligomers maintain equivalent states in both monomeric and aggregation forms; so, previously administered drugs that precisely decrease Aβ monomer or Aβ plaques ought to have displayed valuable clinical benefits. In this article, Aβ-based therapeutic strategies are discussed and several promising new ways to fight against AD are appraised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Sahab Uddin
- Department of Pharmacy, Southeast University, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh
- Pharmakon Neuroscience Research Network, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +880-171-022-0110
| | - Md. Tanvir Kabir
- Department of Pharmacy, BRAC University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh;
| | - Md. Sohanur Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh;
| | - Tapan Behl
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab 140401, India;
| | - Philippe Jeandet
- Research Unit, Induced Resistance and Plant Bioprotection, EA 4707, SFR Condorcet FR CNRS 3417, Faculty of Sciences, University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, PO Box 1039, 51687 Reims CEDEX 2, France;
| | - Ghulam Md Ashraf
- King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia;
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Agnieszka Najda
- Laboratory of Quality of Vegetables and Medicinal Plants, Department of Vegetable Crops and Medicinal Plants, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 15 Akademicka Street, 20-950 Lublin, Poland;
| | - May N. Bin-Jumah
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11474, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Hesham R. El-Seedi
- International Research Center for Food Nutrition and Safety, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China;
- Pharmacognosy Group, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University, SE-751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Koom 32512, Egypt
| | - Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
- Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41522, Egypt
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