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Bivona G, Iemmolo M, Ghersi G. Cerebrospinal and Blood Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease: Did Mild Cognitive Impairment Definition Affect Their Clinical Usefulness? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16908. [PMID: 38069230 PMCID: PMC10706963 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316908] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite Alzheimer's Disease (AD) being known from the times of Alois Alzheimer, who lived more than one century ago, many aspects of the disease are still obscure, including the pathogenesis, the clinical spectrum definition, and the therapeutic approach. Well-established biomarkers for AD come from the histopathological hallmarks of the disease, which are Aβ and phosphorylated Tau protein aggregates. Consistently, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Amyloid β (Aβ) and phosphorylated Tau level measurements are currently used to detect AD presence. However, two central biases affect these biomarkers. Firstly, incomplete knowledge of the pathogenesis of diseases legitimates the search for novel molecules that, reasonably, could be expressed by neurons and microglia and could be detected in blood simpler and earlier than the classical markers and in a higher amount. Further, studies have been performed to evaluate whether CSF biomarkers can predict AD onset in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients. However, the MCI definition has changed over time. Hence, the studies on MCI patients seem to be biased at the beginning due to the imprecise enrollment and heterogeneous composition of the miscellaneous MCI subgroup. Plasma biomarkers and novel candidate molecules, such as microglia biomarkers, have been tentatively investigated and could represent valuable targets for diagnosing and monitoring AD. Also, novel AD markers are urgently needed to identify molecular targets for treatment strategies. This review article summarizes the main CSF and blood AD biomarkers, underpins their advantages and flaws, and mentions novel molecules that can be used as potential biomarkers for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Bivona
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
| | - Matilda Iemmolo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Giulio Ghersi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
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Dalmasso MC, Arán M, Galeano P, Perin S, Giavalisco P, Martino Adami PV, Novack GV, Castaño EM, Cuello AC, Scherer M, Maier W, Wagner M, Riedel-Heller S, Ramirez A, Morelli L. Nicotinamide as potential biomarker for Alzheimer's disease: A translational study based on metabolomics. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 9:1067296. [PMID: 36685284 PMCID: PMC9853457 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.1067296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The metabolic routes altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain are poorly understood. As the metabolic pathways are evolutionarily conserved, the metabolic profiles carried out in animal models of AD could be directly translated into human studies. Methods: We performed untargeted Nuclear Magnetic Resonance metabolomics in hippocampus of McGill-R-Thy1-APP transgenic (Tg) rats, a model of AD-like cerebral amyloidosis and the translational potential of these findings was assessed by targeted Gas Chromatography-Electron Impact-Mass Spectrometry in plasma of participants in the German longitudinal cohort AgeCoDe. Results: In rat hippocampus 26 metabolites were identified. Of these 26 metabolites, nine showed differences between rat genotypes that were nominally significant. Two of them presented partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) loadings with the larger absolute weights and the highest Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) scores and were specifically assigned to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and nicotinamide (Nam). NAD levels were significantly decreased in Tg rat brains as compared to controls. In agreement with these results, plasma of AD patients showed significantly reduced levels of Nam in respect to cognitively normal participants. In addition, high plasma levels of Nam showed a 27% risk reduction of progressing to AD dementia within the following 2.5 years, this hazard ratio is lost afterwards. Discussion: To our knowledge, this is the first report showing that a decrease of Nam plasma levels is observed couple of years before conversion to AD, thereby suggesting its potential use as biomarker for AD progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- María C. Dalmasso
- Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration-Fundación Instituto Leloir-IIBBA-National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,Division of Neurogenetics and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany,Studies in Neuroscience and Complex Systems Unit (ENyS-CONICET-HEC-UNAJ). Florencio Varela, Florencio Varela, Argentina
| | - Martín Arán
- Laboratory of NMR-Fundación Instituto Leloir-IIBBA-National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Cologne, Argentina
| | - Pablo Galeano
- Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration-Fundación Instituto Leloir-IIBBA-National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvina Perin
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Pamela V. Martino Adami
- Division of Neurogenetics and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Gisela V. Novack
- Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration-Fundación Instituto Leloir-IIBBA-National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo M. Castaño
- Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration-Fundación Instituto Leloir-IIBBA-National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - A. Claudio Cuello
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, CA, Canada
| | - Martin Scherer
- Department of Primary Medical Care, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Maier
- Department of Neurodegenerative and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Wagner
- Department of Neurodegenerative and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Steffi Riedel-Heller
- Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alfredo Ramirez
- Division of Neurogenetics and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany,Department of Neurodegenerative and Geriatric Psychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany,Department of Psychiatry and Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Antonio, TX, United States,Cluster of Excellence Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Laura Morelli
- Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegeneration-Fundación Instituto Leloir-IIBBA-National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina,*Correspondence: Laura Morelli,
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Chowdhury MR, Jin HK, Bae JS. Diverse Roles of Ceramide in the Progression and Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081956. [PMID: 36009503 PMCID: PMC9406151 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder, and is associated with several pathophysiological features, including cellular dysfunction, failure of neurotransmission, cognitive impairment, cell death, and other clinical consequences. Advanced research on the pathogenesis of AD has elucidated a mechanistic framework and revealed many therapeutic possibilities. Among the mechanisms, sphingolipids are mentioned as distinctive mediators to be associated with the pathology of AD. Reportedly, alteration in the metabolism of sphingolipids and their metabolites result in the dysfunction of mitochondria, autophagy, amyloid beta regulation, and neuronal homeostasis, which exacerbates AD progression. Considering the importance of sphingolipids, in this review, we discuss the role of ceramide, a bioactive sphingolipid metabolite, in the progression and pathogenesis of AD. Herein, we describe the ceramide synthesis pathway and its involvement in the dysregulation of homeostasis, which eventually leads to AD. Furthermore, this review references different therapeutics proposed to modulate the ceramide pathway to maintain ceramide levels and prevent the disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Riad Chowdhury
- KNU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Korea
| | - Hee Kyung Jin
- KNU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
- Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
- Correspondence: (H.K.J.); (J.-s.B.); Tel.: +82-53-950-5966 (H.K.J.); +82-53-420-4815 (J.-s.B.); Fax: +82-53-950-5955 (H.K.J.); +82-53-424-3349 (J.-s.B.)
| | - Jae-sung Bae
- KNU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Korea
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41944, Korea
- Correspondence: (H.K.J.); (J.-s.B.); Tel.: +82-53-950-5966 (H.K.J.); +82-53-420-4815 (J.-s.B.); Fax: +82-53-950-5955 (H.K.J.); +82-53-424-3349 (J.-s.B.)
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Genetically modified mice for research on human diseases: A triumph for Biotechnology or a work in progress? THE EUROBIOTECH JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.2478/ebtj-2022-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Genetically modified mice are engineered as models for human diseases. These mouse models include inbred strains, mutants, gene knockouts, gene knockins, and ‘humanized’ mice. Each mouse model is engineered to mimic a specific disease based on a theory of the genetic basis of that disease. For example, to test the amyloid theory of Alzheimer’s disease, mice with amyloid precursor protein genes are engineered, and to test the tau theory, mice with tau genes are engineered. This paper discusses the importance of mouse models in basic research, drug discovery, and translational research, and examines the question of how to define the “best” mouse model of a disease. The critiques of animal models and the caveats in translating the results from animal models to the treatment of human disease are discussed. Since many diseases are heritable, multigenic, age-related and experience-dependent, resulting from multiple gene-gene and gene-environment interactions, it will be essential to develop mouse models that reflect these genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors from a developmental perspective. Such models would provide further insight into disease emergence, progression and the ability to model two-hit and multi-hit theories of disease. The summary examines the biotechnology for creating genetically modified mice which reflect these factors and how they might be used to discover new treatments for complex human diseases such as cancers, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Czapski GA, Strosznajder JB. Glutamate and GABA in Microglia-Neuron Cross-Talk in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222111677. [PMID: 34769106 PMCID: PMC8584169 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological balance between excitation and inhibition in the brain is significantly affected in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Several neuroactive compounds and their signaling pathways through various types of receptors are crucial in brain homeostasis, among them glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Activation of microglial receptors regulates the immunological response of these cells, which in AD could be neuroprotective or neurotoxic. The novel research approaches revealed the complexity of microglial function, including the interplay with other cells during neuroinflammation and in the AD brain. The purpose of this review is to describe the role of several proteins and multiple receptors on microglia and neurons, and their involvement in a communication network between cells that could lead to different metabolic loops and cell death/survival. Our review is focused on the role of glutamatergic, GABAergic signaling in microglia–neuronal cross-talk in AD and neuroinflammation. Moreover, the significance of AD-related neurotoxic proteins in glutamate/GABA-mediated dialogue between microglia and neurons was analyzed in search of novel targets in neuroprotection, and advanced pharmacological approaches.
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Chan HJ, Yanshree, Roy J, Tipoe GL, Fung ML, Lim LW. Therapeutic Potential of Human Stem Cell Implantation in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10151. [PMID: 34576314 PMCID: PMC8471075 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221810151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive debilitating neurodegenerative disease and the most common form of dementia in the older population. At present, there is no definitive effective treatment for AD. Therefore, researchers are now looking at stem cell therapy as a possible treatment for AD, but whether stem cells are safe and effective in humans is still not clear. In this narrative review, we discuss both preclinical studies and clinical trials on the therapeutic potential of human stem cells in AD. Preclinical studies have successfully differentiated stem cells into neurons in vitro, indicating the potential viability of stem cell therapy in neurodegenerative diseases. Preclinical studies have also shown that stem cell therapy is safe and effective in improving cognitive performance in animal models, as demonstrated in the Morris water maze test and novel object recognition test. Although few clinical trials have been completed and many trials are still in phase I and II, the initial results confirm the outcomes of the preclinical studies. However, limitations like rejection, tumorigenicity, and ethical issues are still barriers to the advancement of stem cell therapy. In conclusion, the use of stem cells in the treatment of AD shows promise in terms of effectiveness and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Lee Wei Lim
- School of Biomedical, Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; (H.J.C.); (Y.); (J.R.); (G.L.T.); (M.-L.F.)
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Duangjan C, Rangsinth P, Zhang S, Gu X, Wink M, Tencomnao T. Neuroprotective Effects of Glochidion zeylanicum Leaf Extract against H 2O 2/Glutamate-Induced Toxicity in Cultured Neuronal Cells and Aβ-Induced Toxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10080800. [PMID: 34440032 PMCID: PMC8389654 DOI: 10.3390/biology10080800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Antioxidants that are interrelated in the process of overcoming oxidative-stress-induced toxicity and neurite-outgrowth-inducing activity have become the main targets of neuroprotective therapy. The methanol extract of Glochidion zeylanicum (GZM) exhibits neuroprotective properties that are not only limited against H2O2/glutamate/Aβ insults but also promote neurite outgrowth activity. The neuroprotective effects of GZM extract were confirmed in cultured neuronal (HT-22 and Neuro-2a) cells and C. elegans models. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to report for the neuroprotective effects of GZM extract, suggesting that G. zeylanicum may be a neuroprotectant applicant for the prevention and alleviation of oxidative stress-induced neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. However, additional studies are required to identify the mechanistic pathways involved in neuroprotection and to confirm the efficacy of the extract in more complex model organisms. Abstract Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Previously, Glochidion zeylanicum methanol (GZM) extract has been reported to have antioxidant and anti-aging properties. However, the effect of GZM on neuroprotection has not been reported yet; furthermore, the mechanism involved in its antioxidant properties remains unresolved. The study is aimed to demonstrate the neuroprotective properties of GZM extract and their underlying mechanisms in cultured neuronal (HT-22 and Neuro-2a) cells and Caenorhabditis elegans models. GZM extract exhibited protective effects against glutamate/H2O2-induced toxicity in cultured neuronal cells by suppressing the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and enhancing the expression of endogenous antioxidant enzymes (SODs, GPx, and GSTs). GZM extract also triggered the expression of SIRT1/Nrf2 proteins and mRNA transcription of antioxidant genes (NQO1, GCLM, and EAAT3) which are the master regulators of cellular defense against oxidative stress. Additionally, GZM extract exhibited protective effects to counteract β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced toxicity in C. elegans and promoted neuritogenesis properties in Neuro-2a cells. Our observations suggest that GZM leaf extract has interesting neuritogenesis and neuroprotective potential and can possibly act as potential contender for the treatment of oxidative stress-induced Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative conditions; however, this needs to be studied further in other in vivo systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chatrawee Duangjan
- Graduate Program in Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (C.D.); (P.R.)
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Panthakarn Rangsinth
- Graduate Program in Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (C.D.); (P.R.)
| | - Shaoxiong Zhang
- College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China;
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Xiaojie Gu
- Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
| | - Michael Wink
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Jiaotong University, Dalian 116028, China
- Correspondence: (M.W.); (T.T.); Tel.: +49-6221-544881 (M.W.); +66-2181081 (ext. 313) (T.T.)
| | - Tewin Tencomnao
- Graduate Program in Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand; (C.D.); (P.R.)
- Natural Products for Neuroprotection and Anti-Ageing Research Unit, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Correspondence: (M.W.); (T.T.); Tel.: +49-6221-544881 (M.W.); +66-2181081 (ext. 313) (T.T.)
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