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Camargo LC, Gering I, Mastalipour M, Kraemer-Schulien V, Bujnicki T, Willbold D, Coronado MA, Eberle RJ. A Snake Venom Peptide and Its Derivatives Prevent Aβ 42 Aggregation and Eliminate Toxic Aβ 42 Aggregates In Vitro. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38957957 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.4c00089] [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: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Over a century has passed since Alois Alzheimer first described Alzheimer's disease (AD), and since then, researchers have made significant strides in understanding its pathology. One key feature of AD is the presence of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, which form amyloid plaques, and therefore, it is a primary target for treatment studies. Naturally occurring peptides have garnered attention for their potential pharmacological benefits, particularly in the central nervous system. In this study, nine peptide derivatives of Crotamine, a polypeptide from Crotalus durissus terrificus Rattlesnake venom, as well as one d-enantiomer, were evaluated for their ability to modulate Aβ42 aggregation through various assays such as ThT, QIAD, SPR, and sFIDA. All tested peptides were able to decrease Aβ42 aggregation and eliminate Aβ42 aggregates. Additionally, all of the peptides showed an affinity for Aβ42. This study is the first to describe the potential of crotamine derivative peptides against Aβ42 aggregation and to identify a promising d-peptide that could be used as an effective pharmacological tool against AD in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Cristina Camargo
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Physical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Ian Gering
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Mohammadamin Mastalipour
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Physical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Victoria Kraemer-Schulien
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Tuyen Bujnicki
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Physical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Mônika A Coronado
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Physical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
| | - Raphael J Eberle
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich 52428, Germany
- Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Physical Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf 40225, Germany
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2
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Cimini M, Hansmann UHE, Gonzalez C, Chesney AD, Truongcao MM, Gao E, Wang T, Roy R, Forte E, Mallaredy V, Thej C, Magadum A, Joladarashi D, Benedict C, Koch WJ, Tükel Ç, Kishore R. Podoplanin Positive Cell-derived Extracellular Vesicles Contribute to Cardiac Amyloidosis After Myocardial Infarction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.28.601297. [PMID: 39005419 PMCID: PMC11244852 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.28.601297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Background Amyloidosis is a major long-term complication of chronic disease; however, whether it represents one of the complications of post-myocardial infarction (MI) is yet to be fully understood. Methods Using wild-type and knocked-out MI mouse models and characterizing in vitro the exosomal communication between bone marrow-derived macrophages and activated mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) isolated after MI, we investigated the mechanism behind Serum Amyloid A 3 (SAA3) protein overproduction in injured hearts. Results Here, we show that amyloidosis occurs after MI and that amyloid fibers are composed of macrophage-derived SAA3 monomers. SAA3 overproduction in macrophages is triggered by exosomal communication from a subset of activated MSC, which, in response to MI, acquire the expression of a platelet aggregation-inducing type I transmembrane glycoprotein named Podoplanin (PDPN). Cardiac MSC PDPN+ communicate with and activate macrophages through their extracellular vesicles or exosomes. Specifically, MSC PDPN+ derived exosomes (MSC PDPN+ Exosomes) are enriched in SAA3 and exosomal SAA3 protein engages with Toll-like receptor 2 (TRL2) on macrophages, triggering an overproduction and impaired clearance of SAA3 proteins, resulting in aggregation of SAA3 monomers as rigid amyloid deposits in the extracellular space. The onset of amyloid fibers deposition alongside extra-cellular-matrix (ECM) proteins in the ischemic heart exacerbates the rigidity and stiffness of the scar, hindering the contractility of viable myocardium and overall impairing organ function. Using SAA3 and TLR2 deficient mouse models, we show that SAA3 delivered by MSC PDPN+ exosomes promotes post-MI amyloidosis. Inhibition of SAA3 aggregation via administration of a retro-inverso D-peptide, specifically designed to bind SAA3 monomers, prevents the deposition of SAA3 amyloid fibrils, positively modulates the scar formation, and improves heart function post-MI. Conclusion Overall, our findings provide mechanistic insights into post-MI amyloidosis and suggest that SAA3 may be an attractive target for effective scar reversal after ischemic injury and a potential target in multiple diseases characterized by a similar pattern of inflammation and amyloid deposition. NOVELTY AND SIGNIFICANCE What is known? Accumulation of rigid amyloid structures in the left ventricular wall impairs ventricle contractility.After myocardial infarction cardiac Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSC) acquire Podoplanin (PDPN) to better interact with immune cells.Amyloid structures can accumulate in the heart after chronic inflammatory conditions. What information does this article contribute? Whether accumulation of cumbersome amyloid structures in the ischemic scar impairs left ventricle contractility, and scar reversal after myocardial infarction (MI) has never been investigated.The pathophysiological relevance of PDPN acquirement by MSC and the functional role of their secreted exosomes in the context of post-MI cardiac remodeling has not been investigated.Amyloid structures are present in the scar after ischemia and are composed of macrophage-derived Serum Amyloid A (SAA) 3 monomers, although mechanisms of SAA3 overproduction is not established. SUMMARY OF NOVELTY AND SIGNIFICANCE Here, we report that amyloidosis, a secondary phenomenon of an already preexisting and prolonged chronic inflammatory condition, occurs after MI and that amyloid structures are composed of macrophage-derived SAA3 monomers. Frequently studied cardiac amyloidosis are caused by aggregation of immunoglobulin light chains, transthyretin, fibrinogen, and apolipoprotein in a healthy heart as a consequence of systemic chronic inflammation leading to congestive heart failure with various types of arrhythmias and tissue stiffness. Although chronic MI is considered a systemic inflammatory condition, studies regarding the possible accumulation of amyloidogenic proteins after MI and the mechanisms involved in that process are yet to be reported. Here, we show that SAA3 overproduction in macrophages is triggered in a Toll-like Receptor 2 (TLR2)-p38MAP Kinase-dependent manner by exosomal communication from a subset of activated MSC, which, in response to MI, express a platelet aggregation-inducing type I transmembrane glycoprotein named Podoplanin. We provide the full mechanism of this phenomenon in murine models and confirm SAA3 amyloidosis in failing human heart samples. Moreover, we developed a retro-inverso D-peptide therapeutic approach, "DRI-R5S," specifically designed to bind SAA3 monomers and prevent post-MI aggregation and deposition of SAA3 amyloid fibrils without interfering with the innate immune response.
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3
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de Raffele D, Ilie IM. Unlocking novel therapies: cyclic peptide design for amyloidogenic targets through synergies of experiments, simulations, and machine learning. Chem Commun (Camb) 2024; 60:632-645. [PMID: 38131333 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc04630c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Existing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's address only their symptoms and do not prevent disease onset. Common therapeutic agents, such as small molecules and antibodies struggle with insufficient selectivity, stability and bioavailability, leading to poor performance in clinical trials. Peptide-based therapeutics are emerging as promising candidates, with successful applications for cardiovascular diseases and cancers due to their high bioavailability, good efficacy and specificity. In particular, cyclic peptides have a long in vivo stability, while maintaining a robust antibody-like binding affinity. However, the de novo design of cyclic peptides is challenging due to the lack of long-lived druggable pockets of the target polypeptide, absence of exhaustive conformational distributions of the target and/or the binder, unknown binding site, methodological limitations, associated constraints (failed trials, time, money) and the vast combinatorial sequence space. Hence, efficient alignment and cooperation between disciplines, and synergies between experiments and simulations complemented by popular techniques like machine-learning can significantly speed up the therapeutic cyclic-peptide development for neurodegenerative diseases. We review the latest advancements in cyclic peptide design against amyloidogenic targets from a computational perspective in light of recent advancements and potential of machine learning to optimize the design process. We discuss the difficulties encountered when designing novel peptide-based inhibitors and we propose new strategies incorporating experiments, simulations and machine learning to design cyclic peptides to inhibit the toxic propagation of amyloidogenic polypeptides. Importantly, these strategies extend beyond the mere design of cyclic peptides and serve as template for the de novo generation of (bio)materials with programmable properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria de Raffele
- University of Amsterdam, van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Science Park 904, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ioana M Ilie
- University of Amsterdam, van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences, Science Park 904, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Amsterdam Center for Multiscale Modeling (ACMM), University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94157, 1090 GD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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4
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Harrison K, Mackay AS, Kambanis L, Maxwell JWC, Payne RJ. Synthesis and applications of mirror-image proteins. Nat Rev Chem 2023; 7:383-404. [PMID: 37173596 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-023-00493-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The homochirality of biomolecules in nature, such as DNA, RNA, peptides and proteins, has played a critical role in establishing and sustaining life on Earth. This chiral bias has also given synthetic chemists the opportunity to generate molecules with inverted chirality, unlocking valuable new properties and applications. Advances in the field of chemical protein synthesis have underpinned the generation of numerous 'mirror-image' proteins (those comprised entirely of D-amino acids instead of canonical L-amino acids), which cannot be accessed using recombinant expression technologies. This Review seeks to highlight recent work on synthetic mirror-image proteins, with a focus on modern synthetic strategies that have been leveraged to access these complex biomolecules as well as their applications in protein crystallography, drug discovery and the creation of mirror-image life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katriona Harrison
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Angus S Mackay
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lucas Kambanis
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joshua W C Maxwell
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Richard J Payne
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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5
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Altendorf T, Gering I, Santiago-Schübel B, Aghabashlou Saisan S, Tamgüney G, Tusche M, Honold D, Schemmert S, Hoyer W, Mohrlüder J, Willbold D. Stabilization of Monomeric Tau Protein by All D-Enantiomeric Peptide Ligands as Therapeutic Strategy for Alzheimer's Disease and Other Tauopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032161. [PMID: 36768484 PMCID: PMC9917023 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032161] [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: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies are the world's leading causes of dementia and memory loss. These diseases are thought to be caused by the misfolding and aggregation of the intracellular tau protein, ultimately leading to neurodegeneration. The tau protein is involved in a multitude of different neurodegenerative diseases. During the onset of tauopathies, tau undergoes structural changes and posttranslational modifications and aggregates into amyloid fibrils that are able to spread with a prion-like behavior. Up to now, there is no therapeutic agent which effectively controls or reverses the disease. Most of the therapeutics that were developed and underwent clinical trials targeted misfolded or aggregated forms of tau. In the current manuscript, we present the selection and characterization of two all D-enantiomeric peptides that bind monomeric tau protein with a low nanomolar KD, stabilize tau in its monomeric intrinsically disordered conformation, and stop the conversion of monomers into aggregates. We show that the effect of the two all D-enantiomeric peptides is strong enough to stop ongoing tau aggregation in vitro and is able to significantly reduce tau fibril assembly in cell culture. Both compounds may serve as new lead components for the development of therapeutic agents against Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Altendorf
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ian Gering
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Beatrix Santiago-Schübel
- Zentralinstitut für Engineering, Elektronik und Analytik, ZEA-3, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Selma Aghabashlou Saisan
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Gültekin Tamgüney
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Markus Tusche
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Dominik Honold
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Sarah Schemmert
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Hoyer
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jeannine Mohrlüder
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.M.); (D.W.); Tel.: +49-2461-613518 (J.M.); +49-2461-612100 (D.W.)
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institut für Biologische Informationsprozesse, IBI-7, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Correspondence: (J.M.); (D.W.); Tel.: +49-2461-613518 (J.M.); +49-2461-612100 (D.W.)
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6
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Eberle R, Sevenich M, Gering I, Scharbert L, Strodel B, Lakomek NA, Santur K, Mohrlüder J, Coronado MA, Willbold D. Discovery of All-d-Peptide Inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3C-like Protease. ACS Chem Biol 2023; 18:315-330. [PMID: 36647580 PMCID: PMC9942092 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.2c00735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
During the replication process of SARS-CoV-2, the main protease of the virus [3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro)] plays a pivotal role and is essential for the life cycle of the pathogen. Numerous studies have been conducted so far, which have confirmed 3CLpro as an attractive drug target to combat COVID-19. We describe a novel and efficient next-generation sequencing (NGS) supported phage display selection strategy for the identification of a set of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro targeting peptide ligands that inhibit the 3CL protease, in a competitive or noncompetitive mode, in the low μM range. From the most efficient l-peptides obtained from the phage display, we designed all-d-peptides based on the retro-inverso (ri) principle. They had IC50 values also in the low μM range and in combination, even in the sub-micromolar range. Additionally, the combination with Rutinprivir decreases 10-fold the IC50 value of the competitive inhibitor. The inhibition modes of these d-ri peptides were the same as their respective l-peptide versions. Our results demonstrate that retro-inverso obtained all-d-peptides interact with high affinity and inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease, thus reinforcing their potential for further development toward therapeutic agents. The here described d-ri peptides address limitations associated with current l-peptide inhibitors and are promising lead compounds. Further optimization regarding pharmacokinetic properties will allow the development of even more potent d-peptides to be used for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael
J. Eberle
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany,Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße
1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marc Sevenich
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany,Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße
1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany,Priavoid
GmbH, Merowingerplatz
1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ian Gering
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany
| | - Lara Scharbert
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany,Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße
1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Birgit Strodel
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany,Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße
1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nils A. Lakomek
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany,Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße
1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karoline Santur
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany,Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße
1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jeannine Mohrlüder
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany
| | - Mônika A. Coronado
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany,
| | - Dieter Willbold
- Institute
of Biological Information Processing, Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425Jülich, Germany,Institut
für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstraße
1, 40225Düsseldorf, Germany,
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7
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Russ H, Mazzanti M, Parsons C, Riemann K, Gebauer A, Rammes G. The Small Molecule GAL-201 Efficiently Detoxifies Soluble Amyloid β Oligomers: New Approach towards Oral Disease-Modifying Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105794. [PMID: 35628602 PMCID: PMC9144469 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Soluble amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers have been shown to be highly toxic to neurons and are considered to be a major cause of the neurodegeneration underlying Alzheimer’s disease (AD). That makes soluble Aβ oligomers a promising drug target. In addition to eliminating these toxic species from the patients’ brain with antibody-based drugs, a new class of drugs is emerging, namely Aβ aggregation inhibitors or modulators, which aim to stop the formation of toxic Aβ oligomers at the source. Here, pharmacological data of the novel Aβ aggregation modulator GAL-201 are presented. This small molecule (288.34 g/mol) exhibits high binding affinity to misfolded Aβ1-42 monomers (KD = 2.5 ± 0.6 nM). Pharmacokinetic studies in rats using brain microdialysis are supportive of its oral bioavailability. The Aβ oligomer detoxifying potential of GAL-201 has been demonstrated by means of single cell recordings in isolated hippocampal neurons (perforated patch experiments) as well as in vitro and in vivo extracellular monitoring of long-term potentiation (LTP, in rat transverse hippocampal slices), a cellular correlate for synaptic plasticity. Upon preincubation, GAL-201 efficiently prevented the detrimental effect on LTP mediated by Aβ1-42 oligomers. Furthermore, the potential to completely reverse an already established neurotoxic process could also be demonstrated. Of particular note in this context is the self-propagating detoxification potential of GAL-201, leading to a neutralization of Aβ oligomer toxicity even if GAL-201 has been stepwise removed from the medium (serial dilution), likely due to prion-like conformational changes in Aβ1-42 monomer aggregates (trigger effect). The authors conclude that the data presented strongly support the further development of GAL-201 as a novel, orally available AD treatment with potentially superior clinical profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermann Russ
- Galimedix Therapeutics Inc., 2704 Calvend Lane, Kensington, MD 20895, USA; (C.P.); (A.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +41-79-876-3519
| | - Michele Mazzanti
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Department of Biosciences, University of Milano, Via Celoria 26, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Chris Parsons
- Galimedix Therapeutics Inc., 2704 Calvend Lane, Kensington, MD 20895, USA; (C.P.); (A.G.)
| | - Katrin Riemann
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Technical University Munich, Ismaningerstr. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.R.); (G.R.)
| | - Alexander Gebauer
- Galimedix Therapeutics Inc., 2704 Calvend Lane, Kensington, MD 20895, USA; (C.P.); (A.G.)
| | - Gerhard Rammes
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Technical University Munich, Ismaningerstr. 22, 81675 Munich, Germany; (K.R.); (G.R.)
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