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Mubeen H, Masood A, Zafar A, Khan ZQ, Khan MQ, Nisa AU. Insights into AlphaFold's breakthrough in neurodegenerative diseases. Ir J Med Sci 2024; 193:2577-2588. [PMID: 38833116 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-024-03721-6] [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: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases (ND) are disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) characterized by impairment in neurons' functions, and complete loss, leading to memory loss, and difficulty in learning, language, and movement processes. The most common among these NDs are Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), although several other disorders also exist. These are frontotemporal dementia (FTD), amyotrophic lateral syndrome (ALS), Huntington's disease (HD), and others; the major pathological hallmark of NDs is the proteinopathies, either of amyloid-β (Aβ), tauopathies, or synucleinopathies. Aggregation of proteins that do not undergo normal configuration, either due to mutations or through some disturbance in cellular pathway contributes to the diseases. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and deep learning (DL) have proven to be successful in the diagnosis and treatment of various congenital diseases. DL approaches like AlphaFold (AF) are a major leap towards success in CNS disorders. This 3D protein geometry modeling algorithm developed by DeepMind has the potential to revolutionize biology. AF has the potential to predict 3D-protein confirmation at an accuracy level comparable to experimentally predicted one, with the additional advantage of precisely estimating protein interactions. This breakthrough will be beneficial to identify diseases' advancement and the disturbance of signaling pathways stimulating impaired functions of proteins. Though AlphaFold has solved a major problem in structural biology, it cannot predict membrane proteins-a beneficial approach for drug designing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hira Mubeen
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Ammara Masood
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Asma Zafar
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Zohaira Qayyum Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muneeza Qayyum Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Alim Un Nisa
- Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Lahore, Pakistan
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Yadav S, Deepika, Moar K, Kumar A, Khola N, Pant A, Kakde GS, Maurya PK. Reconsidering red blood cells as the diagnostic potential for neurodegenerative disorders. Biol Cell 2024; 116:e2400019. [PMID: 38822416 DOI: 10.1111/boc.202400019] [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: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Red blood cells (RBCs) are usually considered simple cells and transporters of gases to tissues. HYPOTHESIS However, recent research has suggested that RBCs may have diagnostic potential in major neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs). RESULTS This review summarizes the current knowledge on changes in RBC in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and other NDDs. It discusses the deposition of neuronal proteins like amyloid-β, tau, and α-synuclein, polyamines, changes in the proteins of RBCs like band-3, membrane transporter proteins, heat shock proteins, oxidative stress biomarkers, and altered metabolic pathways in RBCs during neurodegeneration. It also highlights the comparison of RBC diagnostic markers to other in-market diagnoses and discusses the challenges in utilizing RBCs as diagnostic tools, such as the need for standardized protocols and further validation studies. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The evidence suggests that RBCs have diagnostic potential in neurodegenerative disorders, and this study can pave the foundation for further research which may lead to the development of novel diagnostic approaches and treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somu Yadav
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India
| | - Deepika
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India
| | - Kareena Moar
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India
| | - Akshay Kumar
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India
| | - Nikhila Khola
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India
| | - Anuja Pant
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India
| | - Ganseh S Kakde
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India
| | - Pawan Kumar Maurya
- Department of Biochemistry, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, India
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Chatziefstathiou A, Canaslan S, Kanata E, Vekrellis K, Constantinides VC, Paraskevas GP, Kapaki E, Schmitz M, Zerr I, Xanthopoulos K, Sklaviadis T, Dafou D. SIMOA Diagnostics on Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia. Biomedicines 2024; 12:1253. [PMID: 38927460 PMCID: PMC11201638 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12061253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represents a health issue due to the absence of disease traits. We assessed the performance of a SIMOA panel in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from 43 AD and 33 FTD patients with 60 matching Control subjects in combination with demographic-clinical characteristics. METHODS 136 subjects (AD: n = 43, FTD: n = 33, Controls: n = 60) participated. Single-molecule array (SIMOA), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NfL), TAU, and ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCH-L1) in CSF were analyzed with a multiplex neuro 4plex kit. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis compared area under the curve (AUC), while the principal of the sparse partial least squares discriminant analysis (sPLS-DA) was used with the intent to strengthen the identification of confident disease clusters. RESULTS CSF exhibited increased levels of all SIMOA biomarkers in AD compared to Controls (AUCs: 0.71, 0.86, 0.92, and 0.94, respectively). Similar patterns were observed in FTD with NfL, TAU, and UCH-L1 (AUCs: 0.85, 0.72, and 0.91). sPLS-DA revealed two components explaining 19% and 9% of dataset variation. CONCLUSIONS CSF data provide high diagnostic accuracy among AD, FTD, and Control discrimination. Subgroups of demographic-clinical characteristics and biomarker concentration highlighted the potential of combining different kinds of data for successful and more efficient cohort clustering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Athanasia Chatziefstathiou
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Sezgi Canaslan
- Department of Neurology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University Medicine Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; (S.C.); (M.S.); (I.Z.)
| | - Eirini Kanata
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.K.); (K.X.); (T.S.)
| | - Kostas Vekrellis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece;
| | - Vasilios C. Constantinides
- Neurochemistry and Biological Markers Unit, First Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 11528 Athens, Greece; (V.C.C.); (E.K.)
| | - George P. Paraskevas
- Second Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, “Attikon” University General Hospital, 12462 Athens, Greece;
| | - Elisabeth Kapaki
- Neurochemistry and Biological Markers Unit, First Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, 11528 Athens, Greece; (V.C.C.); (E.K.)
| | - Matthias Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University Medicine Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; (S.C.); (M.S.); (I.Z.)
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University Medicine Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; (S.C.); (M.S.); (I.Z.)
| | - Konstantinos Xanthopoulos
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.K.); (K.X.); (T.S.)
| | - Theodoros Sklaviadis
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece; (E.K.); (K.X.); (T.S.)
| | - Dimitra Dafou
- Department of Genetics, Development, and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
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Gamez N, Bravo-Alegria J, Huang Y, Perez-Urrutia N, Dongarwar D, Soto C, Morales R. Altering Brain Amyloidosis by Intra-Lingual and Extra-Nasal Exposure of Aβ Aggregates. Cells 2022; 11:3442. [PMID: 36359840 PMCID: PMC9654398 DOI: 10.3390/cells11213442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive experimental and human-derived evidence suggest that misfolded Aβ particles spread similarly to infectious prions. Moreover, peripheral administration of Aβ seeds accelerates brain amyloidosis in both susceptible experimental animals and humans. The mechanisms and elements governing the transport of misfolded Aβ from the periphery to the brain are not fully understood, although circulation and retrograde axonal transport have been proposed. Here, we demonstrate that injection of Aβ seeds in the tongue, a highly innervated organ, substantially accelerates the appearance of plaques in Tg2576 mice. In addition, the extra-nasal exposure of Aβ aggregates increased amyloid pathology in the olfactory bulb. Our results show that exposing highly innervated tissues to Aβ seeds accelerates AD-like pathological features, and suggest that Aβ seeds can be transported from peripheral compartments to the brain by retrograde axonal transport. Research in this direction may be relevant on different fronts, including disease mechanisms, diagnosis, and risk-evaluation of potential iatrogenic transmission of Aβ misfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazaret Gamez
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Dpto. Biología Celular, Genética y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga-IBIMA, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad of Malaga, 29010 Malaga, Spain
| | - Javiera Bravo-Alegria
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Medicina, Av. San Carlos de Apoquindo 2200, Las Condes, Santiago 7620001, Chile
| | - Yumeng Huang
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nelson Perez-Urrutia
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastian, Lientur 1456, Concepcion 4080871, Chile
| | - Deepa Dongarwar
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Claudio Soto
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Rodrigo Morales
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6431 Fannin St., Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Centro Integrativo de Biologia y Quimica Aplicada (CIBQA), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile
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Terriza M, Navarro J, Retuerta I, Alfageme N, San-Segundo R, Kontaxakis G, Garcia-Martin E, Marijuan PC, Panetsos F. Use of Laughter for the Detection of Parkinson's Disease: Feasibility Study for Clinical Decision Support Systems, Based on Speech Recognition and Automatic Classification Techniques. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10884. [PMID: 36078600 PMCID: PMC9518165 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disorder which affects over 10 million people worldwide. Early detection and correct evaluation of the disease is critical for appropriate medication and to slow the advance of the symptoms. In this scenario, it is critical to develop clinical decision support systems contributing to an early, efficient, and reliable diagnosis of this illness. In this paper we present a feasibility study for a clinical decision support system for the diagnosis of PD based on the acoustic characteristics of laughter. Our decision support system is based on laugh analysis with speech recognition methods and automatic classification techniques. We evaluated different cepstral coefficients to identify laugh characteristics of healthy and ill subjects combined with machine learning classification models. The decision support system reached 83% accuracy rate with an AUC value of 0.86 for PD-healthy laughs classification in a database of 20,000 samples randomly generated from a pool of 120 laughs from healthy and PD subjects. Laughter could be employed for the efficient and reliable detection of PD; such a detection system can be achieved using speech recognition and automatic classification techniques; a clinical decision support system can be built using the above techniques. Significance: PD clinical decision support systems for the early detection of the disease will help to improve the efficiency of available and upcoming therapeutic treatments which, in turn, would improve life conditions of the affected people and would decrease costs and efforts in public and private healthcare systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Terriza
- Neuro-Computing & Neuro-Robotics Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Innovation Group, Institute for Health Research San Carlos Clinical Hospital (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jorge Navarro
- Department of Economic Structure, CASETEM Research Group, Faculty of Economy, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Irene Retuerta
- Independent Researchers, Affiliated to Bioinformation and Systems Biology Group, Aragon Health Sciences Institute (IACS-IIS Aragon), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Nuria Alfageme
- Neuro-Computing & Neuro-Robotics Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Innovation Group, Institute for Health Research San Carlos Clinical Hospital (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ruben San-Segundo
- Speech Technology Group, Information Processing and Telecommunications Center, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - George Kontaxakis
- Biomedical Image Technologies Group, Information Processing and Telecommunications Center, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Elena Garcia-Martin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Miguel Servet University Hospital, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
- Miguel Servet Ophthalmology Research Group (GIMSO), Aragon Health Research Institute (IIS Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Pedro C. Marijuan
- Independent Researchers, Affiliated to Bioinformation and Systems Biology Group, Aragon Health Sciences Institute (IACS-IIS Aragon), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Fivos Panetsos
- Neuro-Computing & Neuro-Robotics Research Group, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Innovation Group, Institute for Health Research San Carlos Clinical Hospital (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Beatino MF, De Luca C, Campese N, Belli E, Piccarducci R, Giampietri L, Martini C, Perugi G, Siciliano G, Ceravolo R, Vergallo A, Hampel H, Baldacci F. α-synuclein as an emerging pathophysiological biomarker of Alzheimer's disease. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2022; 22:411-425. [PMID: 35443850 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2022.2068952] [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] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION α-syn aggregates represent the pathological hallmark of synucleinopathies as well as a frequent copathology (almost 1/3 of cases) in AD. Recent research indicates a potential role of α-syn species, measured in CSF with conventional analytical techniques, in the differential diagnosis between AD and synucleinopathies (such as DLB). Pioneering studies report the detection of α-syn in blood, however, conclusive investigations are controversial. Ultrasensitive seed amplification techniques, enabling the selective quantification of α-syn seeds, may represent an effective solution to identify the α-syn component in AD and facilitate a biomarker-guided stratification. AREAS COVERED We performed a PubMed-based review of the latest findings on α-syn-related biomarkers for AD, focusing on bodily fluids. A dissertation on the role of ultrasensitive seed amplification assays, detecting α-syn seeds from different biological samples, was conducted. EXPERT OPINION α-syn may contribute to progressive AD neurodegeneration through cross-seeding especially with tau protein. Ultrasensitive seed amplification techniques may support a biomarker-drug co-development pathway and may be a pathophysiological candidate biomarker for the evolving ATX(N) system to classify AD and the spectrum of primary NDDs. This would contribute to a precise approach to AD, aimed at implementing disease-modifying treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ciro De Luca
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicole Campese
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Belli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Linda Giampietri
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Giulio Perugi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Gabriele Siciliano
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roberto Ceravolo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Vergallo
- GRC N° 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Sorbonne University, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Boulevard De l'Hôpital, Paris, France
| | - Harald Hampel
- GRC N° 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Sorbonne University, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Boulevard De l'Hôpital, Paris, France
| | - Filippo Baldacci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.,GRC N° 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM), AP-HP, Sorbonne University, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Boulevard De l'Hôpital, Paris, France
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