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Baiardi S, Mammana A, Capellari S, Parchi P. Human prion disease: molecular pathogenesis, and possible therapeutic targets and strategies. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2023; 27:1271-1284. [PMID: 37334903 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2023.2199923] [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: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human prion diseases are heterogeneous, and often rapidly progressive, transmissible neurodegenerative disorders associated with misfolded prion protein (PrP) aggregation and self-propagation. Despite their rarity, prion diseases comprise a broad spectrum of phenotypic variants determined at the molecular level by different conformers of misfolded PrP and host genotype variability. Moreover, they uniquely occur in idiopathic, genetically determined, and acquired forms with distinct etiologies. AREA COVERED This review provides an up-to-date overview of potential therapeutic targets in prion diseases and the main results obtained in cell and animal models and human trials. The open issues and challenges associated with developing effective therapies and informative clinical trials are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION Currently tested therapeutic strategies target the cellular PrP to prevent the formation of misfolded PrP or to favor its elimination. Among them, passive immunization and gene therapy with antisense oligonucleotides against prion protein mRNA are the most promising. However, the disease's rarity, heterogeneity, and rapid progression profoundly frustrate the successful undertaking of well-powered therapeutic trials and patient identification in the asymptomatic or early stage before the development of significant brain damage. Thus, the most promising therapeutic goal to date is preventing or delaying phenoconversion in carriers of pathogenic mutations by lowering prion protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Baiardi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Angela Mammana
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sabina Capellari
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Piero Parchi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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2
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Napper S, Schatzl HM. Oral vaccination as a potential strategy to manage chronic wasting disease in wild cervid populations. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1156451. [PMID: 37122761 PMCID: PMC10140515 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1156451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Prion diseases are a novel class of infectious disease based in the misfolding of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) into a pathological, self-propagating isoform (PrPSc). These fatal, untreatable neurodegenerative disorders affect a variety of species causing scrapie in sheep and goats, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) in humans. Of the animal prion diseases, CWD is currently regarded as the most significant threat due its ongoing geographical spread, environmental persistence, uptake into plants, unpredictable evolution, and emerging evidence of zoonotic potential. The extensive efforts to manage CWD have been largely ineffective, highlighting the need for new disease management tools, including vaccines. Development of an effective CWD vaccine is challenged by the unique biology of these diseases, including the necessity, and associated dangers, of overcoming immune tolerance, as well the logistical challenges of vaccinating wild animals. Despite these obstacles, there has been encouraging progress towards the identification of safe, protective antigens as well as effective strategies of formulation and delivery that would enable oral delivery to wild cervids. In this review we highlight recent strategies for antigen selection and optimization, as well as considerations of various platforms for oral delivery, that will enable researchers to accelerate the rate at which candidate CWD vaccines are developed and evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Napper
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Hermann M. Schatzl
- Calgary Prion Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
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3
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Shafiq M, Da Vela S, Amin L, Younas N, Harris DA, Zerr I, Altmeppen HC, Svergun D, Glatzel M. The prion protein and its ligands: Insights into structure-function relationships. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2022; 1869:119240. [PMID: 35192891 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2022.119240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The prion protein is a multifunctional protein that exists in at least two different folding states. It is subject to diverse proteolytic processing steps that lead to prion protein fragments some of which are membrane-bound whereas others are soluble. A multitude of ligands bind to the prion protein and besides proteinaceous binding partners, interaction with metal ions and nucleic acids occurs. Although of great importance, information on structural and functional consequences of prion protein binding to its partners is limited. Here, we will reflect on the structure-function relationship of the prion protein and its binding partners considering the different folding states and prion protein fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsin Shafiq
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefano Da Vela
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg c/o German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ladan Amin
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Neelam Younas
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert-Koch-str. 40, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - David A Harris
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Inga Zerr
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Robert-Koch-str. 40, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Hermann C Altmeppen
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dmitri Svergun
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg c/o German Electron Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Glatzel
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistraße 52, 20251 Hamburg, Germany.
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Adhikari UK, Tayebi M. Epitope-specific anti-PrP antibody toxicity: a comparative in-silico study of human and mouse prion proteins. Prion 2021; 15:155-176. [PMID: 34632945 PMCID: PMC8900626 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2021.1964326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite having therapeutic potential, anti-PrP antibodies caused a major controversy due to their neurotoxic effects. For instance, treating mice with ICSM antibodies delayed prion disease onset, but both were found to be either toxic or innocuous to neurons by researchers following cross-linking PrPC. In order to elucidate and understand the reasons that led to these contradictory outcomes, we conducted a comprehensive in silico study to assess the antibody-specific toxicity. Since most therapeutic anti-PrP antibodies were generated against human truncated recombinant PrP91-231 or full-length mouse PrP23-231, we reasoned that host specificity (human vs murine) of PrPC might influence the nature of the specific epitopes recognized by these antibodies at the structural level possibly explaining the 'toxicity' discrepancies reported previously. Initially, molecular dynamics simulation and pro-motif analysis of full-length human (hu)PrP and mouse (mo)PrP 3D structure displayed conspicuous structural differences between huPrP and moPrP. We identified 10 huPrP and 6 moPrP linear B-cell epitopes from the prion protein 3D structure where 5 out of 10 huPrP and 3 out of 6 moPrP B-cell epitopes were predicted to be potentially toxic in immunoinformatics approaches. Herein, we demonstrate that some of the predicted potentially 'toxic' epitopes identified by the in silico analysis were similar to the epitopes recognized by the toxic antibodies such as ICSM18 (146-159), POM1 (138-147), D18 (133-157), ICSM35 (91-110), D13 (95-103) and POM3 (95-100). This in silico study reveals the role of host specificity of PrPC in epitope-specific anti-PrP antibody toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mourad Tayebi
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
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Adhikari UK, Sakiz E, Zhou X, Habiba U, Kumar S, Mikhael M, Senesi M, Guang Li C, Guillemin GJ, Ooi L, David MA, Collins S, Karl T, Tayebi M. Cross-Linking Cellular Prion Protein Induces Neuronal Type 2-Like Hypersensitivity. Front Immunol 2021; 12:639008. [PMID: 34394070 PMCID: PMC8361482 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.639008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Previous reports identified proteins associated with ‘apoptosis’ following cross-linking PrPC with motif-specific anti-PrP antibodies in vivo and in vitro. The molecular mechanisms underlying this IgG-mediated neurotoxicity and the role of the activated proteins in the apoptotic pathways leading to neuronal death has not been properly defined. Previous reports implicated a number of proteins, including apolipoprotein E, cytoplasmic phospholipase A2, prostaglandin and calpain with anti-PrP antibody-mediated ‘apoptosis’, however, these proteins are also known to play an important role in allergy. In this study, we investigated whether cross-linking PrPC with anti-PrP antibodies stimulates a neuronal allergenic response. Methods Initially, we predicted the allergenicity of the epitope sequences associated with ‘neurotoxic’ anti-PrP antibodies using allergenicity prediction servers. We then investigated whether anti-PrP antibody treatment of mouse primary neurons (MPN), neuroblastoma cells (N2a) and microglia (N11) cell lines lead to a neuronal allergenic response. Results In-Silico studies showed that both tail- and globular-epitopes were allergenic. Specifically, binding regions that contain epitopes for previously reported ‘neurotoxic’ antibodies such as ICSM18 (146-159), ICSM35 (91-110), POM 1 (138-147) and POM 3 (95-100) lead to activation of allergenic related proteins. Following direct application of anti-PrPC antibodies on N2a cells, we identified 4 neuronal allergenic-related proteins when compared with untreated cells. Furthermore, we identified 8 neuronal allergenic-related proteins following treatment of N11 cells with anti-PrPC antibodies prior to co-culture with N2a cells when compared with untreated cells. Antibody treatment of MPN or MPN co-cultured with antibody-treated N11 led to identifying 10 and 7 allergenic-related proteins when compared with untreated cells. However, comparison with 3F4 antibody treatment revealed 5 and 4 allergenic-related proteins respectively. Of importance, we showed that the allergenic effects triggered by the anti-PrP antibodies were more potent when antibody-treated microglia were co-cultured with the neuroblastoma cell line. Finally, co-culture of N2a or MPN with N11-treated with anti-PrP antibodies resulted in significant accumulation of NO and IL6 but not TNF-α in the cell culture media supernatant. Conclusions This study showed for the first time that anti-PrP antibody binding to PrPC triggers a neuronal hypersensitivity response and highlights the important role of microglia in triggering an IgG-mediated neuronal hypersensitivity response. Moreover, this study provides an important impetus for including allergenic assessment of therapeutic antibodies for neurodegenerative disorders to derive safe and targeted biotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elif Sakiz
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Xian Zhou
- National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Umma Habiba
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Sachin Kumar
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Meena Mikhael
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Matteo Senesi
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Chun Guang Li
- National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Gilles J Guillemin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Lezanne Ooi
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Steven Collins
- Australian National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Registry, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medicine, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Tim Karl
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Mourad Tayebi
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
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Chen C, Dong X. Therapeutic implications of prion diseases. BIOSAFETY AND HEALTH 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bsheal.2020.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Ma Y, Ma J. Immunotherapy against Prion Disease. Pathogens 2020; 9:E216. [PMID: 32183309 PMCID: PMC7157205 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9030216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The term "prion disease" encompasses a group of neurodegenerative diseases affecting both humans and animals. Currently, there is no effective therapy and all forms of prion disease are invariably fatal. Because of (a) the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in cattle and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans; (b) the heated debate about the prion hypothesis; and (c) the availability of a natural prion disease in rodents, the understanding of the pathogenic process in prion disease is much more advanced compared to that of other neurodegenerative disorders, which inspired many attempts to develop therapeutic strategies against these fatal diseases. In this review, we focus on immunotherapy against prion disease. We explain our rationale for immunotherapy as a plausible therapeutic choice, review previous trials using either active or passive immunization, and discuss potential strategies for overcoming the hurdles in developing a successful immunotherapy. We propose that immunotherapy is a plausible and practical therapeutic strategy and advocate more studies in this area to develop effective measures to control and treat these devastating disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiyan Ma
- Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Institute, 333 Bostwick Avenue N.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA;
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Holec SA, Block AJ, Bartz JC. The role of prion strain diversity in the development of successful therapeutic treatments. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 175:77-119. [PMID: 32958242 PMCID: PMC8939712 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Prions are a self-propagating misfolded conformation of a cellular protein. Prions are found in several eukaryotic organisms with mammalian prion diseases encompassing a wide range of disorders. The first recognized prion disease, the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), affect several species including humans. Alzheimer's disease, synucleinopathies, and tauopathies share a similar mechanism of self-propagation of the prion form of the disease-specific protein reminiscent of the infection process of TSEs. Strain diversity in prion disease is characterized by differences in the phenotype of disease that is hypothesized to be encoded by strain-specific conformations of the prion form of the disease-specific protein. Prion therapeutics that target the prion form of the disease-specific protein can lead to the emergence of drug-resistant strains of prions, consistent with the hypothesis that prion strains exist as a dynamic mixture of a dominant strain in combination with minor substrains. To overcome this obstacle, therapies that reduce or eliminate the template of conversion are efficacious, may reverse neuropathology, and do not result in the emergence of drug resistance. Recent advancements in preclinical diagnosis of prion infection may allow for a combinational approach that treats the prion form and the precursor protein to effectively treat prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A.M. Holec
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences and Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States,Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Alyssa J. Block
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Jason C. Bartz
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States,Corresponding author:
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Purro SA, Mead S, Khalili-Shirazi A, Nicoll AJ, Collinge J. Reply to: Intrinsic Toxicity of Antibodies to the Globular Domain of the Prion Protein. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:e53-e54. [PMID: 29752071 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia A Purro
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Mead
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Azadeh Khalili-Shirazi
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J Nicoll
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - John Collinge
- Medical Research Council Prion Unit, Institute of Prion Diseases, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Intrinsic Toxicity of Antibodies to the Globular Domain of the Prion Protein. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:e51-e52. [PMID: 29752074 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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McDonald AJ, Wu B, Harris DA. An inter-domain regulatory mechanism controls toxic activities of PrP C. Prion 2017; 11:388-397. [PMID: 28960140 DOI: 10.1080/19336896.2017.1384894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The normal function of PrPC, the cellular prion protein, has remained mysterious since its first description over 30 years ago. Amazingly, although complete deletion of the gene encoding PrPC has little phenotypic consequence, expression in transgenic mice of PrP molecules carrying certain internal deletions produces dramatic neurodegenerative phenotypes. In our recent paper, 1 we have demonstrated that the flexible, N-terminal domain of PrPC possesses toxic effector functions, which are regulated by a docking interaction with the structured, C-terminal domain. Disruption of this inter-domain interaction, for example by deletions of the hinge region or by binding of antibodies to the C-terminal domain, results in abnormal ionic currents and degeneration of dendritic spines in cultured neuronal cells. This mechanism may contribute to the neurotoxicity of PrPSc and possibly other protein aggregates, and could play a role in the physiological activity of PrPC. These results also provide a warning about the potential toxic side effects of PrP-directed antibody therapies for prion and Alzheimer's diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J McDonald
- a Department of Biochemistry , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Bei Wu
- a Department of Biochemistry , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
| | - David A Harris
- a Department of Biochemistry , Boston University School of Medicine , Boston , MA , USA
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Abstract
Three decades after the discovery of prions as the cause of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, we are still nowhere close to finding an effective therapy. Numerous pharmacological interventions have attempted to target various stages of disease progression, yet none has significantly ameliorated the course of disease. We still lack a mechanistic understanding of how the prions damage the brain, and this situation results in a dearth of validated pharmacological targets. In this review, we discuss the attempts to interfere with the replication of prions and to enhance their clearance. We also trace some of the possibilities to identify novel targets that may arise with increasing insights into prion biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Asvin K K Lakkaraju
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland;
| | - Karl Frontzek
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland;
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Reimann RR, Sonati T, Hornemann S, Herrmann US, Arand M, Hawke S, Aguzzi A. Differential Toxicity of Antibodies to the Prion Protein. PLoS Pathog 2016; 12:e1005401. [PMID: 26821311 PMCID: PMC4731068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1005401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies against the prion protein PrPC can antagonize prion replication and neuroinvasion, and therefore hold promise as possible therapeutics against prion diseases. However, the safety profile of such antibodies is controversial. It was originally reported that the monoclonal antibody D13 exhibits strong target-related toxicity, yet a subsequent study contradicted these findings. We have reported that several antibodies against certain epitopes of PrPC, including antibody POM1, are profoundly neurotoxic, yet antibody ICSM18, with an epitope that overlaps with POM1, was reported to be innocuous when injected into mouse brains. In order to clarify this confusing situation, we assessed the neurotoxicity of antibodies D13 and ICSM18 with dose-escalation studies using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and various histological techniques. We report that both D13 and ICSM18 induce rapid, dose-dependent, on-target neurotoxicity. We conclude that antibodies directed to this region may not be suitable as therapeutics. No such toxicity was found when antibodies against the flexible tail of PrPC were administered. Any attempt at immunotherapy or immunoprophylaxis of prion diseases should account for these potential untoward effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina R. Reimann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tiziana Sonati
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simone Hornemann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Uli S. Herrmann
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Arand
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Hawke
- Vascular Immunology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Brazier MW, Wall VA, Brazier BW, Masters CL, Collins SJ. Therapeutic interventions ameliorating prion disease. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2014; 7:83-105. [DOI: 10.1586/14787210.7.1.83] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Abstract
Individuals infected with prions succumb to brain damage, and prion infections continue to be inexorably lethal. However, many crucial steps in prion pathogenesis occur in lymphatic organs and precede invasion of the central nervous system. In the past two decades, a great deal has been learnt concerning the cellular and molecular mechanisms of prion lymphoinvasion. These properties are diagnostically useful and have, for example, facilitated preclinical diagnosis of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in the tonsils. Moreover, the early colonization of lymphoid organs can be exploited for post-exposure prophylaxis of prion infections. As stromal cells of lymphoid organs are crucial for peripheral prion infection, the dedifferentiation of these cells offers a powerful means of hindering prion spread in infected individuals. In this Review, we discuss the current knowledge of the immunobiology of prions with an emphasis on how basic discoveries might enable translational strategies.
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Wisniewski T, Goñi F. Could immunomodulation be used to prevent prion diseases? Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2012; 10:307-17. [PMID: 22397565 DOI: 10.1586/eri.11.177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
All prion diseases are currently without effective treatment and are universally fatal. The underlying pathogenesis of prion diseases (prionoses) is related to an autocatalytic conformational conversion of PrP(C) (C for cellular) to a pathological and infectious conformer known as PrP(Sc) (Sc for scrapie) or PrP(Res) (Res for proteinase K resistant). The past experience with variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which originated from bovine spongiform encephalopathy, as well as the ongoing epidemic of chronic wasting disease has highlighted the necessity for effective prophylactic and/or therapeutic approaches. Human prionoses are most commonly sporadic, and hence therapy is primarily directed to stop progression; however, in animals the majority of prionoses are infectious and, as a result, the emphasis is on prevention of transmission. These infectious prionoses are most commonly acquired via the alimentary tract as a major portal of infectious agent entry, making mucosal immunization a potentially attractive method to produce a local immune response that can partially or completely prevent prion entry across the gut barrier, while at the same time producing a modulated systemic immunity that is unlikely to be associated with toxicity. A critical factor in any immunomodulatory methodology that targets a self-antigen is the need to delicately balance an effective humoral immune response with potential autoimmune inflammatory toxicity. The ongoing epidemic of chronic wasting disease affecting the USA and Korea, with the potential to spread to human populations, highlights the need for such immunomodulatory approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wisniewski
- New York University School of Medicine, 560 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Cronier S, Carimalo J, Schaeffer B, Jaumain E, Béringue V, Miquel MC, Laude H, Peyrin JM. Endogenous prion protein conversion is required for prion-induced neuritic alterations and neuronal death. FASEB J 2012; 26:3854-61. [PMID: 22661006 DOI: 10.1096/fj.11-201772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Prions cause fatal neurodegenerative conditions and result from the conversion of host-encoded cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) into abnormally folded scrapie PrP (PrP(Sc)). Prions can propagate both in neurons and astrocytes, yet neurotoxicity mechanisms remain unclear. Recently, PrP(C) was proposed to mediate neurotoxic signaling of β-sheet-rich PrP and non-PrP conformers independently of conversion. To investigate the role of astrocytes and neuronal PrP(C) in prion-induced neurodegeneration, we set up neuron and astrocyte primary cocultures derived from PrP transgenic mice. In this system, prion-infected astrocytes delivered ovine PrP(Sc) to neurons lacking PrP(C) (prion-resistant), or expressing a PrP(C) convertible (sheep) or not (mouse, human). We show that interaction between neuronal PrP(C) and exogenous PrP(Sc) was not sufficient to induce neuronal death but that efficient PrP(C) conversion was required for prion-associated neurotoxicity. Prion-infected astrocytes markedly accelerated neurodegeneration in homologous cocultures compared to infected single neuronal cultures, despite no detectable neurotoxin release. Finally, PrP(Sc) accumulation in neurons led to neuritic damages and cell death, both potentiated by glutamate and reactive oxygen species. Thus, conversion of neuronal PrP(C) rather than PrP(C)-mediated neurotoxic signaling appears as the main culprit in prion-induced neurodegeneration. We suggest that active prion replication in neurons sensitizes them to environmental stress regulated by neighboring cells, including astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Cronier
- UR892, Virologie et Immunologie Moléculaires, Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, Jouy-en-Josas, France.
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Scalabrino G, Mutti E, Veber D, Rodriguez Menendez V, Novembrino C, Calligaro A, Tredici G. The octapeptide repeat PrPCregion and cobalamin-deficient polyneuropathy of the rat. Muscle Nerve 2011; 44:957-67. [DOI: 10.1002/mus.22225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Ishibashi D, Yamanaka H, Mori T, Yamaguchi N, Yamaguchi Y, Nishida N, Sakaguchi S. Antigenic mimicry-mediated anti-prion effects induced by bacterial enzyme succinylarginine dihydrolase in mice. Vaccine 2011; 29:9321-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2011] [Revised: 09/27/2011] [Accepted: 10/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Fujita K, Yamaguchi Y, Mori T, Muramatsu N, Miyamoto T, Yano M, Miyata H, Ootsuyama A, Sawada M, Matsuda H, Kaji R, Sakaguchi S. Effects of a brain-engraftable microglial cell line expressing anti-prion scFv antibodies on survival times of mice infected with scrapie prions. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2011; 31:999-1008. [PMID: 21516351 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-011-9696-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2011] [Accepted: 02/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We first verified that a single chain Fv fragment against prion protein (anti-PrP scFv) was secreted by HEK293T cells and prevented prion replication in infected cells. We then stably expressed anti-PrP scFv in brain-engraftable murine microglial cells and intracerebrally injected these cells into mice before or after infection with prions. Interestingly, the injection before or at an early time point after infection attenuated the infection marginally but significantly prolonged survival times of the mice. These suggest that the ex vivo gene transfer of anti-PrP scFvs using brain-engraftable cells could be a possible immunotherapeutic approach against prion diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Fujita
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, The Institute for Enzyme Research, The University of Tokushima, Kuramoto-cho 3-18-15, Tokushima 770-8503, Japan
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Wisniewski T, Goñi F. Immunomodulation for prion and prion-related diseases. Expert Rev Vaccines 2011; 9:1441-52. [PMID: 21105779 DOI: 10.1586/erv.10.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Prion diseases are a unique category of illness, affecting both animals and humans, where the underlying pathogenesis is related to a conformational change of a normal self protein called cellular prion protein to a pathological and infectious conformer known as scrapie prion protein (PrP(Sc)). Currently, all prion diseases lack effective treatment and are universally fatal. Past experiences with bovine spongiform encephalopathy and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease mainly in Europe, as well as the current epidemic of chronic wasting disease in North America, have highlighted the need to develop prophylactic and/or therapeutic approaches. In Alzheimer's disease that, like prion disease, is a conformational neurodegenerative disorder, both passive and active immunization has been shown to be highly effective in model animals at preventing disease and cognitive deficits, with emerging data from human trials suggesting that this approach is able to reduce amyloid-related pathology. However, any immunomodulatory approach aimed at a self-antigen has to finely balance an effective humoral immune response with potential autoimmune toxicity. The prion diseases most commonly acquired by infection typically have the alimentary tract as a portal of infectious agent entry. This makes mucosal immunization a potentially attractive method to produce a local immune response that partially or completely prevents prion entry across the gut barrier, while at the same time producing modulated systemic immunity that is unlikely to be associated with toxicity. Our results using an attenuated Salmonella vaccine strain expressing the prion protein showed that mucosal vaccination can protect against prion infection from a peripheral source, suggesting the feasibility of this approach. It is also possible to develop active and/or passive immunomodulatory approaches that more specifically target PrP(Sc) or target the shared pathological conformer found in numerous conformational disorders. Such approaches could have a significant impact on many of the common age-associated dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wisniewski
- Department of Psychiatry, Millhauser Laboratories, Room HN419, New York University School of Medicine, 560 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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Sakaguchi S, Ishibashi D, Matsuda H. Antibody-based immunotherapeutic attempts in experimental animal models of prion diseases. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2009; 19:907-17. [PMID: 19514955 DOI: 10.1517/13543770902988530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has been a dramatic decrease in the risk of transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy to humans. In contrast, the risk of human-to-human transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) via medical treatments became potentially high since 4 vCJD cases were reported to be possibly transmitted through blood transfusion in the UK. However, no treatments are yet available for curing prion diseases. OBJECTIVE Conversion of the normal prion protein, PrP(C), to the amyloidogenic PrP, PrP(Sc), plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis. Recently, certain anti-PrP or anti-37/67-kDa laminin receptor (LRP/LR) antibodies were shown to have the potential to cure chronically infected cells, clearing PrP(Sc) from the cells. This has raised the possibility of antibody based-immunotherapy for prion diseases. This article aims to introduce and discuss the recently published attempts of immunotherapy in prion diseases. METHODS Bibliographic research was carried out using the PubMed database. Patent literature was searched using the UK Intellectual Property Office website. RESULTS/CONCLUSION No satisfying consequences in animals could be detected with anti-PrP antibodies directly infused into the brains of animals by the intraventricular route or by anti-PrP or anti-LRP/LR single chain fragment antibodies directly delivered into the brain by virus vector-mediated gene transfer. This is probably because such delivery systems failed to deliver the antibodies to the neurons relevant for the treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suehiro Sakaguchi
- The University of Tokushima, The Institute for Enzyme Research, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, 3-18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima, Japan.
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