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Ecker DJ, Aiello CD, Arron JR, Bennett CF, Bernard A, Breakefield XO, Broderick TJ, Callier SL, Canton B, Chen JS, Fishburn CS, Garrett B, Hecht SM, Janowitz T, Kliegman M, Krainer A, Louis CU, Lowe C, Sehgal A, Tozan Y, Tracey KJ, Urnov F, Wattendorf D, Williams TW, Zhao X, Hayden MR. Opportunities and challenges for innovative and equitable healthcare. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024; 23:321-322. [PMID: 38409339 DOI: 10.1038/d41573-024-00032-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
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2
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Bartl S, Xie Y, Potluri N, Kesineni R, Hencak K, Cengio LD, Balazs K, Oueslati A, Parth M, Salhat N, Siddu A, Smrzka O, Cicchetti F, Staffler G, Hayden MR, Southwell AL. Corrigendum to "Reducing huntingtin by immunotherapy delays disease progression in a mouse model of Huntington disease" [Neurobiology of Disease, 2024 Jan:190:106376]. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 193:106444. [PMID: 38402018 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America; University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nalini Potluri
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Ratnesh Kesineni
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Katlin Hencak
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Abid Oueslati
- Centre de recherche du CHU - Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | | | | | - Alberto Siddu
- Centre de recherche du CHU - Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Michael R Hayden
- University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Amber L Southwell
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America.
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3
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Caron NS, Aly AEE, Findlay Black H, Martin DDO, Schmidt ME, Ko S, Anderson C, Harvey EM, Casal LL, Anderson LM, Rahavi SMR, Reid GSD, Oda MN, Stanimirovic D, Abulrob A, McBride JL, Leavitt BR, Hayden MR. Systemic delivery of mutant huntingtin lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain using apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks for Huntington disease. J Control Release 2024; 367:27-44. [PMID: 38215984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system (CNS) remains a major challenge for the treatment of neurological diseases. Huntington disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion mutation in the HTT gene which codes for a toxic mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein. Pharmacological reduction of mHTT in the CNS using antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) ameliorates HD-like phenotypes in rodent models of HD, with such therapies being investigated in clinical trials for HD. In this study, we report the optimization of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as vehicles for delivery of a HTT-targeted ASO (HTT ASO) to the brain and peripheral organs for HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I wild type (WT) and the apoA-I K133C mutant incubated with a synthetic lipid, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, can self-assemble into monodisperse discoidal particles with diameters <20 nm that transmigrate across an in vitro blood-brain barrier model of HD. We demonstrate that apoA-I NDs are well tolerated in vivo, and that apoA-I K133C NDs show enhanced distribution to the CNS and peripheral organs compared to apoA-I WT NDs following systemic administration. ApoA-I K133C conjugated with HTT ASO forms NDs (HTT ASO NDs) that induce significant mHTT lowering in the liver, skeletal muscle and heart as well as in the brain when delivered intravenously in the BACHD mouse model of HD. Furthermore, HTT ASO NDs increase the magnitude of mHTT lowering in the striatum and cortex compared to HTT ASO alone following intracerebroventricular administration. These findings demonstrate the potential utility of apoA-I NDs as biocompatible vehicles for enhancing delivery of mutant HTT lowering ASOs to the CNS and peripheral organs for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emily M Harvey
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seyed M R Rahavi
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gregor S D Reid
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Danica Stanimirovic
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Abedelnasser Abulrob
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
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4
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Bartl S, Xie Y, Potluri N, Kesineni R, Hencak K, Cengio LD, Balazs K, Oueslati A, Parth M, Salhat N, Siddu A, Smrzka O, Cicchetti F, Straffler G, Hayden MR, Southwell AL. Reducing huntingtin by immunotherapy delays disease progression in a mouse model of Huntington disease. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106376. [PMID: 38092268 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In Huntington disease (HD), the mutant huntingtin (mtHTT) protein is the principal cause of pathological changes that initiate primarily along the cortico-striatal axis. mtHTT is ubiquitously expressed and there is, accordingly, growing recognition that HD is a systemic disorder with functional interplay between the brain and the periphery. We have developed a monoclonal antibody, C6-17, targeting an exposed region of HTT near the aa586 Caspase 6 cleavage site. As recently published, mAB C6-17 can block cell-to-cell propagation of mtHTT in vitro. In order to reduce the burden of the mutant protein in vivo, we queried whether extracellular mtHTT could be therapeutically targeted in YAC128 HD mice. In a series of proof of concept experiments, we found that systemic mAB C6-17 treatment resulted in the distribution of the mAB C6-17 to peripheral and CNS tissues and led to the reduction of HTT protein levels. Compared to CTRL mAB or vehicle treated mice, the mAB C6-17 treated YAC128 animals showed improved body weight and motor behaviors, a delayed progression in motor deficits and reduced striatal EM48 immunoreactivity. These results provide the first proof of concept for the feasibility and therapeutic efficacy of an antibody-based anti-HTT passive immunization approach and suggest this modality as a potential new HD treatment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America; University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nalini Potluri
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Ratnesh Kesineni
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Katlin Hencak
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Abid Oueslati
- Centre de recherche du CHU - Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | - Alberto Siddu
- Centre de recherche du CHU - Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Michael R Hayden
- University of British Columbia, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Amber L Southwell
- University of Central Florida, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, United States of America.
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Van Raamsdonk JM, Al-Shekaili HH, Wagner L, Bredy TW, Chan L, Pearson J, Schwab C, Murphy Z, Devon RS, Lu G, Kobor MS, Hayden MR, Leavitt BR. Huntingtin Decreases Susceptibility to a Spontaneous Seizure Disorder in FVN/B Mice. Aging Dis 2023; 14:2249-2266. [PMID: 37199581 PMCID: PMC10676795 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that codes for the protein huntingtin (HTT in humans or Htt in mice). HTT is a multi-functional, ubiquitously expressed protein that is essential for embryonic survival, normal neurodevelopment, and adult brain function. The ability of wild-type HTT to protect neurons against various forms of death raises the possibility that loss of normal HTT function may worsen disease progression in HD. Huntingtin-lowering therapeutics are being evaluated in clinical trials for HD, but concerns have been raised that decreasing wild-type HTT levels may have adverse effects. Here we show that Htt levels modulate the occurrence of an idiopathic seizure disorder that spontaneously occurs in approximately 28% of FVB/N mice, which we have called FVB/N Seizure Disorder with SUDEP (FSDS). These abnormal FVB/N mice demonstrate the cardinal features of mouse models of epilepsy including spontaneous seizures, astrocytosis, neuronal hypertrophy, upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and sudden seizure-related death. Interestingly, mice heterozygous for the targeted inactivation of Htt (Htt+/- mice) exhibit an increased frequency of this disorder (71% FSDS phenotype), while over-expression of either full length wild-type HTT in YAC18 mice or full length mutant HTT in YAC128 mice completely prevents it (0% FSDS phenotype). Examination of the mechanism underlying huntingtin's ability to modulate the frequency of this seizure disorder indicated that over-expression of full length HTT can promote neuronal survival following seizures. Overall, our results demonstrate a protective role for huntingtin in this form of epilepsy and provide a plausible explanation for the observation of seizures in the juvenile form of HD, Lopes-Maciel-Rodan syndrome, and Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Adverse effects caused by decreasing huntingtin levels have ramifications for huntingtin-lowering therapies that are being developed to treat HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M. Van Raamsdonk
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
- Metabolic Disorders and Complications (MeDiC) and Brain Repair and Integrated Neuroscience (BRaIN) Programs, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
| | - Hilal H. Al-Shekaili
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Laura Wagner
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Tim W Bredy
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia..
| | - Laura Chan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Jacqueline Pearson
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Claudia Schwab
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Zoe Murphy
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Rebecca S. Devon
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Ge Lu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Michael S. Kobor
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
| | - Blair R. Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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6
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Duarte F, Vachey G, Caron NS, Sipion M, Rey M, Perrier AL, Hayden MR, Déglon N. Limitations of Dual-Single Guide RNA CRISPR Strategies for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Genetic Disorders. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:958-974. [PMID: 37658843 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a toxic gain-of-function CAG expansion in the first exon of the huntingtin (HTT) gene. The monogenic nature of HD makes mutant HTT (mHTT) inactivation a promising therapeutic strategy. Single nucleotide polymorphisms frequently associated with CAG expansion have been explored to selectively inactivate mHTT allele using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. One of such allele-selective approaches consists of excising a region flanking the first exon of mHTT by inducing simultaneous double-strand breaks at upstream and downstream positions of the mHTT exon 1. The removal of the first exon of mHTT deletes the CAG expansion and important transcription regulatory sites, leading to mHTT inactivation. However, the frequency of deletion events is yet to be quantified either in vitro or in vivo. Here, we developed accurate quantitative digital polymerase chain reaction-based assays to assess HTT exon 1 deletion in vitro and in fully humanized HU97/18 mice. Our results demonstrate that dual-single guide RNA (sgRNA) strategies are efficient and that 67% of HTT editing events are leading to exon 1 deletion in HEK293T cells. In contrast, these sgRNA actively cleaved HTT in HU97/18 mice, but most editing events do not lead to exon 1 deletion (10% exon 1 deletion). We also showed that the in vivo editing pattern is not affected by CAG expansion but may potentially be due to the presence of multiple copies of wildtype (wt)/mHTT genes HU97/18 mice as well as the slow kinetics of AAV-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio Duarte
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gabriel Vachey
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital and Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Melanie Sipion
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maria Rey
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: mécanismes, thérapies, imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital and Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicole Déglon
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC)
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies (LCMN), Neuroscience Research Center (CRN); Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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7
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Mehta N, Gilbert R, Chahal PS, Moreno MJ, Nassoury N, Coulombe N, Lytvyn V, Mercier M, Fatehi D, Lin W, Harvey EM, Zhang LH, Nazemi-Moghaddam N, Elahi SM, Ross CJD, Stanimirovic DB, Hayden MR. Preclinical Development and Characterization of Novel Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors for the Treatment of Lipoprotein Lipase Deficiency. Hum Gene Ther 2023; 34:927-946. [PMID: 37597209 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2023.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD) results from mutations within the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene that lead to a complete lack of catalytically active LPL protein. Glybera was one of the first adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene replacement therapy to receive European Medicines Agency regulatory approval for the treatment of LPLD. However, Glybera is no longer marketed potentially due to a combination of economical, manufacturing, and vector-related issues. The aim of this study was to develop a more efficacious AAV gene therapy vector for LPLD. Following preclinical biodistribution, efficacy and non-Good Laboratory Practice toxicity studies with novel AAV1 and AAV8-based vectors in mice, we identified AAV8 pVR59. AAV8 pVR59 delivered a codon-optimized, human gain-of-function hLPLS447X transgene driven by a CAG promoter in an AAV8 capsid. AAV8 pVR59 was significantly more efficacious, at 10- to 100-fold lower doses, compared with an AAV1 vector based on Glybera, when delivered intramuscularly or intravenously, respectively, in mice with LPLD. Efficient gene transfer was observed within the injected skeletal muscle and liver following delivery of AAV8 pVR59, with long-term correction of LPLD phenotypes, including normalization of plasma triglycerides and lipid tolerance, for up to 6 months post-treatment. While intramuscular delivery of AAV8 pVR59 was well tolerated, intravenous administration augmented liver pathology. These results highlight the feasibility of developing a superior AAV vector for the treatment of LPLD and provide critical insight for initiating studies in larger animal models. The identification of an AAV gene therapy vector that is more efficacious at lower doses, when paired with recent advances in production and manufacturing technologies, will ultimately translate to increased safety and accessibility for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neel Mehta
- Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Rénald Gilbert
- Department of Production Platforms and Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Canada
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Parminder S Chahal
- Department of Production Platforms and Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Maria J Moreno
- Department of Translational Biosciences, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Nasha Nassoury
- Department of Production Platforms and Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Nathalie Coulombe
- Department of Production Platforms and Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Viktoria Lytvyn
- Department of Production Platforms and Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Mario Mercier
- Department of Translational Biosciences, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Dorothy Fatehi
- Department of Translational Biosciences, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Wendy Lin
- Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Emily M Harvey
- Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Lin-Hua Zhang
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nazila Nazemi-Moghaddam
- Department of Production Platforms and Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Seyyed Mehdy Elahi
- Department of Production Platforms and Analytics, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Montréal, Canada
| | - Colin J D Ross
- Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Danica B Stanimirovic
- Department of Translational Biosciences, Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, Center for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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8
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Aly AEE, Caron NS, Black HF, Schmidt ME, Anderson C, Ko S, Baddeley HJE, Anderson L, Casal LL, Rahavi RSM, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Delivery of mutant huntingtin-lowering antisense oligonucleotides to the brain by intranasally administered apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks. J Control Release 2023; 360:913-927. [PMID: 37468110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Lowering mutant huntingtin (mHTT) in the central nervous system (CNS) using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) is a promising approach currently being evaluated in clinical trials for Huntington disease (HD). However, the therapeutic potential of ASOs in HD patients is limited by their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In non-human primates, intrathecal infusion of ASOs results in limited brain distribution, with higher ASO concentrations in superficial regions and lower concentrations in deeper regions, such as the basal ganglia. To address the need for improved delivery of ASOs to the brain, we are evaluating the therapeutic potential of apolipoprotein A-I nanodisks (apoA-I NDs) as novel delivery vehicles for mHTT-lowering ASOs to the CNS after intranasal administration. Here, we have demonstrated the ability of apoA-I nanodisks to bypass the BBB after intranasal delivery in the BACHD model of HD. Following intranasal administration of apoA-I NDs, apoA-I protein levels were elevated along the rostral-caudal brain axis, with highest levels in the most rostral brain regions including the olfactory bulb and frontal cortex. Double-label immunohistochemistry indicates that both the apoA-I and ASO deposit in neurons. Most importantly, a single intranasal dose of apoA-I ASO-NDs significantly reduces mHTT levels in the brain regions most affected in HD, namely the cortex and striatum. This approach represents a novel non-invasive means for improving delivery and brain distribution of oligonucleotide therapies and enhancing likelihood of efficacy. Improved ASO delivery to the brain has widespread application for treatment of many other CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirah E-E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Christine Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Helen J E Baddeley
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lisa Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lorenzo L Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Reza S M Rahavi
- Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, British Columbia Children's a Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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9
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Mackay JP, Smith-Dijak AI, Koch ET, Zhang P, Fung E, Nassrallah WB, Buren C, Schmidt M, Hayden MR, Raymond LA. Axonal ER Ca 2+ Release Selectively Enhances Activity-Independent Glutamate Release in a Huntington Disease Model. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3743-3763. [PMID: 36944490 PMCID: PMC10198457 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1593-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Action potential (AP)-independent (miniature) neurotransmission occurs at all chemical synapses but remains poorly understood, particularly in pathologic contexts. Axonal endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ stores are thought to influence miniature neurotransmission, and aberrant ER Ca2+ handling is implicated in progression of Huntington disease (HD). Here, we report elevated mEPSC frequencies in recordings from YAC128 mouse (HD-model) neurons (from cortical cultures and striatum-containing brain slices, both from male and female animals). Pharmacological experiments suggest that this is mediated indirectly by enhanced tonic ER Ca2+ release. Calcium imaging, using an axon-localized sensor, revealed slow AP-independent ER Ca2+ release waves in both YAC128 and WT cultures. These Ca2+ waves occurred at similar frequencies in both genotypes but spread less extensively and were of lower amplitude in YAC128 axons, consistent with axonal ER Ca2+ store depletion. Surprisingly, basal cytosolic Ca2+ levels were lower in YAC128 boutons and YAC128 mEPSCs were less sensitive to intracellular Ca2+ chelation. Together, these data suggest that elevated miniature glutamate release in YAC128 cultures is associated with axonal ER Ca2+ depletion but not directly mediated by ER Ca2+ release into the cytoplasm. In contrast to increased mEPSC frequencies, cultured YAC128 cortical neurons showed less frequent AP-dependent (spontaneous) Ca2+ events in soma and axons, although evoked glutamate release detected by an intensity-based glutamate-sensing fluorescence reporter in brain slices was similar between genotypes. Our results indicate that axonal ER dysfunction selectively elevates miniature glutamate release from cortical terminals in HD. This, together with reduced spontaneous cortical neuron firing, may cause a shift from activity-dependent to -independent glutamate release in HD, with potential implications for fidelity and plasticity of cortical excitatory signaling.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Miniature neurotransmitter release persists at all chemical neuronal synapses in the absence of action potential firing but remains poorly understood, particularly in disease states. We show enhanced miniature glutamate release from cortical neurons in the YAC128 mouse Huntington disease model. This effect is mediated by axonal ER Ca2+ store depletion, but is not obviously due to elevated ER-to-cytosol Ca2+ release. Conversely, YAC128 cortical pyramidal neurons fired fewer action potentials and evoked cortical glutamate release was similar between WT an YAC128 preparations, indicating axonal ER depletion selectively enhances miniature glutamate release in YAC128 mice. These results extend our understanding of action potential independent neurotransmission and highlight a potential involvement of elevated miniature glutamate release in Huntington disease pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Mackay
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
| | - Amy I Smith-Dijak
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Ellen T Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106
| | - Evan Fung
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
| | - Wissam B Nassrallah
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- MD/PhD Program
| | - Caodu Buren
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
| | - Mandi Schmidt
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health
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10
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Roussakis AA, Gennaro M, Gordon MF, Reilmann R, Borowsky B, Rynkowski G, Lao-Kaim NP, Papoutsou Z, Savola JM, Hayden MR, Owen DR, Kalk N, Lingford-Hughes A, Gunn RN, Searle G, Tabrizi SJ, Piccini P. A PET-CT study on neuroinflammation in Huntington's disease patients participating in a randomized trial with laquinimod. Brain Commun 2023; 5:fcad084. [PMID: 37020532 PMCID: PMC10069663 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcad084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia activation, an indicator of central nervous system inflammation, is believed to contribute to the pathology of Huntington's disease. Laquinimod is capable of regulating microglia. By targeting the translocator protein, 11C-PBR28 PET-CT imaging can be used to assess the state of regional gliosis in vivo and explore the effects of laquinimod treatment. This study relates to the LEGATO-HD, multi-centre, double-blinded, Phase 2 clinical trial with laquinimod (US National Registration: NCT02215616). Fifteen patients of the UK LEGATO-HD cohort (mean age: 45.2 ± 7.4 years; disease duration: 5.6 ± 3.0 years) were treated with laquinimod (0.5 mg, N = 4; 1.0 mg, N = 6) or placebo (N = 5) daily. All participants had one 11C-PBR28 PET-CT and one brain MRI scan before laquinimod (or placebo) and at the end of treatment (12 months apart). PET imaging data were quantified to produce 11C-PBR28 distribution volume ratios. These ratios were calculated for the caudate and putamen using the reference Logan plot with the corpus callosum as the reference region. Partial volume effect corrections (Müller-Gartner algorithm) were applied. Differences were sought in Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale scores and regional distribution volume ratios between baseline and follow-up and between the two treatment groups (laquinimod versus placebo). No significant change in 11C-PBR28 distribution volume ratios was found post treatment in the caudate and putamen for both those treated with laquinimod (N = 10) and those treated with placebo (N = 5). Over time, the patients treated with laquinimod did not show a significant clinical improvement. Data from the 11C-PBR28 PET-CT study indicate that laquinimod may not have affected regional translocator protein expression and clinical performance over the studied period.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Gennaro
- Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Nicholas P Lao-Kaim
- Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Zoe Papoutsou
- Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
| | | | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital and Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - David R Owen
- Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Nicola Kalk
- Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Anne Lingford-Hughes
- Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Roger N Gunn
- Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
- Invicro, Hammersmith Hospital,, London W12 0NN, UK
| | | | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington’s Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Paola Piccini
- Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK
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11
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Joachimiak P, Ciesiołka A, Kozłowska E, Świtoński PM, Figura G, Ciołak A, Adamek G, Surdyka M, Kalinowska-Pośka Ż, Figiel M, Caron NS, Hayden MR, Fiszer A. Allele-specific quantitation of ATXN3 and HTT transcripts in polyQ disease models. BMC Biol 2023; 21:17. [PMID: 36726088 PMCID: PMC9893648 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01515-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The majority of genes in the human genome is present in two copies but the expression levels of both alleles is not equal. Allelic imbalance is an aspect of gene expression relevant not only in the context of genetic variation, but also to understand the pathophysiology of genes implicated in genetic disorders, in particular, dominant genetic diseases where patients possess one normal and one mutant allele. Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are caused by the expansion of CAG trinucleotide tracts within specific genes. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) and Huntington's disease (HD) patients harbor one normal and one mutant allele that differ in the length of CAG tracts. However, assessing the expression level of individual alleles is challenging due to the presence of abundant CAG repeats in the human transcriptome, which make difficult the design of allele-specific methods, as well as of therapeutic strategies to selectively engage CAG sequences in mutant transcripts. RESULTS To precisely quantify expression in an allele-specific manner, we used SNP variants that are linked to either normal or CAG expanded alleles of the ataxin-3 (ATXN3) and huntingtin (HTT) genes in selected patient-derived cell lines. We applied a SNP-based quantitative droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) protocol for precise determination of the levels of transcripts in cellular and mouse models. For HD, we showed that the process of cell differentiation can affect the ratio between endogenous alleles of HTT mRNA. Additionally, we reported changes in the absolute number of the ATXN3 and HTT transcripts per cell during neuronal differentiation. We also implemented our assay to reliably monitor, in an allele-specific manner, the silencing efficiency of mRNA-targeting therapeutic approaches for HD. Finally, using the humanized Hu128/21 HD mouse model, we showed that the ratio of normal and mutant HTT transgene expression in brain slightly changes with the age of mice. CONCLUSIONS Using allele-specific ddPCR assays, we observed differences in allele expression levels in the context of SCA3 and HD. Our allele-selective approach is a reliable and quantitative method to analyze low abundant transcripts and is performed with high accuracy and reproducibility. Therefore, the use of this approach can significantly improve understanding of allele-related mechanisms, e.g., related with mRNA processing that may be affected in polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Joachimiak
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Adam Ciesiołka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Emilia Kozłowska
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Paweł M. Świtoński
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Figura
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Agata Ciołak
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Grażyna Adamek
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Magdalena Surdyka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Żaneta Kalinowska-Pośka
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Maciej Figiel
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
| | - Nicholas S. Caron
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Agnieszka Fiszer
- grid.413454.30000 0001 1958 0162Department of Medical Biotechnology, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland
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12
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Lemarié FL, Sanders SS, Nguyen Y, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Full-length huntingtin is palmitoylated at multiple sites and post-translationally myristoylated following caspase-cleavage. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1086112. [PMID: 36711022 PMCID: PMC9880554 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1086112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the HTT gene that codes for an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. Huntingtin is subjected to multiple post-translational modifications which regulate its cellular functions and degradation. We have previously identified a palmitoylation site at cysteine 214 (C214), catalyzed by the enzymes ZDHHC17 and ZDHHC13. Reduced palmitoylation level of mutant huntingtin is linked to toxicity and loss of function. Moreover, we have described N-terminal myristoylation by the N-myristoyltransferases of a short fragment of huntingtin (HTT553-586) at glycine 553 (G553) following proteolysis at aspartate 552 (D552). Results: Here, we show that huntingtin is palmitoylated at numerous cysteines: C105, C433, C3134 and C3144. In addition, we confirm that full-length huntingtin is cleaved at D552 and post-translationally myristoylated at G553. Importantly, blocking caspase cleavage at the critical and pathogenic aspartate 586 (D586) significantly increases posttranslational myristoylation of huntingtin. In turn, myristoylation of huntingtin promotes the co-interaction between C-terminal and N-terminal huntingtin fragments, which is also protective. Discussion: This suggests that the protective effect of inhibiting caspase-cleavage at D586 may be mediated through post-translational myristoylation of huntingtin at G553.
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13
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Fão L, Coelho P, Duarte L, Vilaça R, Hayden MR, Mota SI, Rego AC. Restoration of c-Src/Fyn Proteins Rescues Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Huntington's Disease. Antioxid Redox Signal 2023; 38:95-114. [PMID: 35651273 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2022.0001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Aims: Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal-dominant neurodegenerative disorder with no effective therapies. Mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT), the main HD proteinaceous hallmark, has been linked to reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and mitochondrial dysfunction, among other pathological mechanisms. Importantly, Src-related kinases, c-Src and Fyn, are activated by ROS and regulate mitochondrial activity. However, c-Src/Fyn involvement in HD is largely unexplored. Thus, in this study, we aimed at exploring changes in Src/Fyn proteins in HD models and their role in defining altered mitochondrial function and dynamics and redox regulation. Results: We show, for the first time, that c-Src/Fyn phosphorylation/activation and proteins levels are decreased in several human and mouse HD models mainly due to autophagy degradation, concomitantly with mHtt-expressing cells showing enhanced TFEB-mediated autophagy induction and autophagy flux. c-Src/Fyn co-localization with mitochondria is also reduced. Importantly, the expression of constitutive active c-Src/Fyn to restore active Src kinase family (SKF) levels improves mitochondrial morphology and function, namely through improved mitochondrial transmembrane potential, mitochondrial basal respiration, and ATP production, but it did not affect mitophagy. In addition, constitutive active c-Src/Fyn expression diminishes the levels of reactive species in cells expressing mHTT. Innovation: This work supports a relevant role for c-Src/Fyn proteins in controlling mitochondrial function and redox regulation in HD, revealing a potential HD therapeutic target. Conclusion: c-Src/Fyn restoration in HD improves mitochondrial morphology and function, precluding the rise in oxidant species and cell death. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 38, 95-114.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lígia Fão
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Coelho
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Luís Duarte
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rita Vilaça
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sandra I Mota
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Cristina Rego
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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14
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Chan LL, Hill A, Lu G, Van Raamsdonk J, Gascoyne R, Hayden MR, Leavitt BR. Huntingtin Overexpression Does Not Alter Overall Survival in Murine Cancer Models. J Huntingtons Dis 2022; 11:383-389. [PMID: 36442204 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-220554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
A reduced incidence of various forms of cancer has been reported in Huntington's disease patients and may be due to pro-apoptotic effects of mutant huntingtin. We tested this hypothesis by assessing the effects of huntingtin protein overexpression on survival in two murine cancer models. We generated YAC HD mice containing human huntingtin transgenes with various CAG tract lengths (YAC18, YAC72, YAC128) on either an Msh2 or p53 null background which have increased cancer incidence. In both mouse models of cancer, the overexpression of either mutant or wild-type huntingtin had no significant effect on overall survival. These results do not support the hypothesis that mutant huntingtin expression is protective against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Lynn Chan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Austin Hill
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ge Lu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jeremy Van Raamsdonk
- Laboratory of Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease, Center for Neurodegenerative Science, Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, USA.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Metabolic Disorders and Complications Program, and Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Randy Gascoyne
- Center for Lymphoid Cancer, British Columbia Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Department of Medical Genetics and Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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15
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Caron NS, Haqqani AS, Sandhu A, Aly AE, Findlay Black H, Bone JN, McBride JL, Abulrob A, Stanimirovic D, Leavitt BR, Hayden MR. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers for assessing Huntington disease onset and severity. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac309. [PMID: 36523269 PMCID: PMC9746690 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The identification of molecular biomarkers in CSF from individuals affected by Huntington disease may help improve predictions of disease onset, better define disease progression and could facilitate the evaluation of potential therapies. The primary objective of our study was to investigate novel CSF protein candidates and replicate previously reported protein biomarker changes in CSF from Huntington disease mutation carriers and healthy controls. Our secondary objective was to compare the discriminatory potential of individual protein analytes and combinations of CSF protein markers for stratifying individuals based on the severity of Huntington disease. We conducted a hypothesis-driven analysis of 26 pre-specified protein analytes in CSF from 16 manifest Huntington disease subjects, eight premanifest Huntington disease mutation carriers and eight healthy control individuals using parallel-reaction monitoring mass spectrometry. In addition to reproducing reported changes in previously investigated CSF biomarkers (NEFL, PDYN, and PENK), we also identified novel exploratory CSF proteins (C1QB, CNR1, GNAL, IDO1, IGF2, and PPP1R1B) whose levels were altered in Huntington disease mutation carriers and/or across stages of disease. Moreover, we report strong associations of select CSF proteins with clinical measures of disease severity in manifest Huntington disease subjects (C1QB, CNR1, NEFL, PDYN, PPP1R1B, and TTR) and with years to predicted disease onset in premanifest Huntington disease mutation carriers (ALB, C4B, CTSD, IGHG1, and TTR). Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, we identified PENK as being the most discriminant CSF protein for stratifying Huntington disease mutation carriers from controls. We also identified exploratory multi-marker CSF protein panels that improved discrimination of premanifest Huntington disease mutation carriers from controls (PENK, ALB and NEFL), early/mid-stage Huntington disease from premanifest mutation carriers (PPP1R1B, TTR, CHI3L1, and CTSD), and late-stage from early/mid-stage Huntington disease (CNR1, PPP1R1B, BDNF, APOE, and IGHG1) compared with individual CSF proteins. In this study, we demonstrate that combinations of CSF proteins can outperform individual markers for stratifying individuals based on Huntington disease mutation status and disease severity. Moreover, we define exploratory multi-marker CSF protein panels that, if validated, may be used to improve the accuracy of disease-onset predictions, complement existing clinical and imaging biomarkers for monitoring the severity of Huntington disease, and potentially for assessing therapeutic response in clinical trials. Additional studies with CSF collected from larger cohorts of Huntington disease mutation carriers are needed to replicate these exploratory findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Arsalan S Haqqani
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Akshdeep Sandhu
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Amirah E Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Jeffrey N Bone
- BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Jodi L McBride
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Abedelnasser Abulrob
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Danica Stanimirovic
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Blair R Leavitt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
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16
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Zhong S, Chèvre R, Castaño Mayan D, Corlianò M, Cochran BJ, Sem KP, van Dijk TH, Peng J, Tan LJ, Hartimath SV, Ramasamy B, Cheng P, Groen AK, Kuipers F, Goggi JL, Drum C, van Dam RM, Tan RS, Rye KA, Hayden MR, Cheng CY, Chacko S, Flannick J, Sim X, Tan HC, Singaraja RR. Haploinsufficiency of CYP8B1 associates with increased insulin sensitivity in humans. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:152961. [PMID: 36107630 PMCID: PMC9621133 DOI: 10.1172/jci152961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDCytochrome P450 family 8 subfamily B member 1 (CYP8B1) generates 12α-hydroxylated bile acids (BAs) that are associated with insulin resistance in humans.METHODSTo determine whether reduced CYP8B1 activity improves insulin sensitivity, we sequenced CYP8B1 in individuals without diabetes and identified carriers of complete loss-of-function (CLOF) mutations utilizing functional assays.RESULTSMutation carriers had lower plasma 12α-hydroxylated/non-12α-hydroxylated BA and cholic acid (CA)/chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) ratios compared with age-, sex-, and BMI-matched controls. During insulin clamps, hepatic glucose production was suppressed to a similar magnitude by insulin, but glucose infusion rates to maintain euglycemia were higher in mutation carriers, indicating increased peripheral insulin sensitivity. Consistently, a polymorphic CLOF CYP8B1 mutation associated with lower fasting insulin in the AMP-T2D-GENES study. Exposure of primary human muscle cells to mutation-carrier CA/CDCA ratios demonstrated increased FOXO1 activity, and upregulation of both insulin signaling and glucose uptake, which were mediated by increased CDCA. Inhibition of FOXO1 attenuated the CDCA-mediated increase in muscle insulin signaling and glucose uptake. We found that reduced CYP8B1 activity associates with increased insulin sensitivity in humans.CONCLUSIONOur findings suggest that increased circulatory CDCA due to reduced CYP8B1 activity increases skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity, contributing to increased whole-body insulin sensitization.FUNDINGBiomedical Research Council/National Medical Research Council of Singapore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiqi Zhong
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Raphael Chèvre
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - David Castaño Mayan
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Maria Corlianò
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Blake J. Cochran
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kai Ping Sem
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Theo H. van Dijk
- Departments of Pediatrics and Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Liang Juin Tan
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | | | | | - Peter Cheng
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, A*STAR, Singapore
| | - Albert K. Groen
- Departments of Pediatrics and Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Folkert Kuipers
- Departments of Pediatrics and Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Netherlands
| | | | - Chester Drum
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Rob M. van Dam
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Ru San Tan
- Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre, Singapore
| | - Kerry-Anne Rye
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ching-Yu Cheng
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.,Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program (Eye ACP), Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Shaji Chacko
- USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Centre, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jason Flannick
- Program in Metabolism and,Program in Medical & Population Genetics, Broad Institute, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.,Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xueling Sim
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Hong Chang Tan
- Department of Endocrinology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
| | - Roshni R. Singaraja
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore.,Cardiovascular Research Institute, National University Health System, Singapore
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17
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Lenoir S, Lahaye RA, Vitet H, Scaramuzzino C, Virlogeux A, Capellano L, Genoux A, Gershoni-Emek N, Geva M, Hayden MR, Saudou F. Pridopidine rescues BDNF/TrkB trafficking dynamics and synapse homeostasis in a Huntington disease brain-on-a-chip model. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 173:105857. [PMID: 36075537 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by polyglutamine-encoding CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. HTT is involved in the axonal transport of vesicles containing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In HD, diminished BDNF transport leads to reduced BDNF delivery to the striatum, contributing to striatal and cortical neuronal death. Pridopidine is a selective and potent sigma-1 receptor (S1R) agonist currently in clinical development for HD. The S1R is located at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria interface, where it regulates key cellular pathways commonly impaired in neurodegenerative diseases. We used a microfluidic device that reconstitutes the corticostriatal network, allowing the investigation of presynaptic dynamics, synaptic morphology and transmission, and postsynaptic signaling. Culturing primary neurons from the HD mouse model HdhCAG140/+ provides a "disease-on-a-chip" platform ideal for investigating pathogenic mechanisms and drug activity. Pridopidine rescued the trafficking of BDNF and TrkB resulting in an increased neurotrophin signaling at the synapse. This increased the capacity of HD neurons to release glutamate and restored homeostasis at the corticostriatal synapse. These data suggest that pridopidine enhances the availability of corticostriatal BDNF via S1R activation, leading to neuroprotective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Lenoir
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Romane A Lahaye
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Hélène Vitet
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Chiara Scaramuzzino
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Amandine Virlogeux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Laetitia Capellano
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Aurélie Genoux
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Michael R Hayden
- Prilenia Therapeutics, Herzliya, Israel; The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France..
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18
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Geva M, Gershoni-Emek N, Naia L, Ly P, Mota S, Rego AC, Hayden MR, Levin LA. Neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells by the sigma-1 receptor agonist pridopidine in models of experimental glaucoma. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21975. [PMID: 34753986 PMCID: PMC8578336 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01077-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Optic neuropathies such as glaucoma are characterized by retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration and death. The sigma-1 receptor (S1R) is an attractive target for treating optic neuropathies as it is highly expressed in RGCs, and its absence causes retinal degeneration. Activation of the S1R exerts neuroprotective effects in models of retinal degeneration. Pridopidine is a highly selective and potent S1R agonist in clinical development. We show that pridopidine exerts neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells in two different rat models of glaucoma. Pridopidine strongly binds melanin, which is highly expressed in the retina. This feature of pridopidine has implications to its ocular distribution, bioavailability, and effective dose. Mitochondria dysfunction is a key contributor to retinal ganglion cell degeneration. Pridopidine rescues mitochondrial function via activation of the S1R, providing support for the potential mechanism driving its neuroprotective effect in retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luana Naia
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philip Ly
- The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sandra Mota
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Cristina Rego
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Prilenia Therapeutics, Herzliya, Israel
- The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Leonard A Levin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
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19
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Wright GEB, Caron NS, Ng B, Casal L, Casazza W, Xu X, Ooi J, Pouladi MA, Mostafavi S, Ross CJD, Hayden MR. Gene expression profiles complement the analysis of genomic modifiers of the clinical onset of Huntington disease. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2788-2802. [PMID: 32898862 PMCID: PMC7530525 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in HTT. The length of this repeat, however, only explains a proportion of the variability in age of onset in patients. Genome-wide association studies have identified modifiers that contribute toward a proportion of the observed variance. By incorporating tissue-specific transcriptomic information with these results, additional modifiers can be identified. We performed a transcriptome-wide association study assessing heritable differences in genetically determined expression in diverse tissues, with genome-wide data from over 4000 patients. Functional validation of prioritized genes was undertaken in isogenic HD stem cells and patient brains. Enrichment analyses were performed with biologically relevant gene sets to identify the core pathways. HD-associated gene coexpression modules were assessed for associations with neurological phenotypes in an independent cohort and to guide drug repurposing analyses. Transcriptomic analyses identified genes that were associated with age of HD onset and displayed colocalization with gene expression signals in brain tissue (FAN1, GPR161, PMS2, SUMF2), with supporting evidence from functional experiments. This included genes involved in DNA repair, as well as novel-candidate modifier genes that have been associated with other neurological conditions. Further, cortical coexpression modules were also associated with cognitive decline and HD-related traits in a longitudinal cohort. In summary, the combination of population-scale gene expression information with HD patient genomic data identified novel modifier genes for the disorder. Further, these analyses expanded the pathways potentially involved in modifying HD onset and prioritized candidate therapeutics for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen E B Wright
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Bernard Ng
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Lorenzo Casal
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - William Casazza
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Jolene Ooi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138648, Singapore
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138648, Singapore.,Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
| | - Sara Mostafavi
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Colin J D Ross
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.,Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3N1, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
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20
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Lemarié FL, Caron NS, Sanders SS, Schmidt ME, Nguyen YTN, Ko S, Xu X, Pouladi MA, Martin DDO, Hayden MR. Rescue of aberrant huntingtin palmitoylation ameliorates mutant huntingtin-induced toxicity. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 158:105479. [PMID: 34390831 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the HTT gene that codes for an elongated polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin (HTT) protein. HTT is subject to multiple post-translational modifications (PTMs) that regulate its cellular function. Mutating specific PTM sites within mutant HTT (mHTT) in HD mouse models can modulate disease phenotypes, highlighting the key role of HTT PTMs in the pathogenesis of HD. These findings have led to increased interest in developing small molecules to modulate HTT PTMs in order to decrease mHTT toxicity. However, the therapeutic efficacy of pharmacological modulation of HTT PTMs in preclinical HD models remains largely unknown. HTT is palmitoylated at cysteine 214 by the huntingtin-interacting protein 14 (HIP14 or ZDHHC17) and 14-like (HIP14L or ZDHHC13) acyltransferases. Here, we assessed if HTT palmitoylation should be regarded as a therapeutic target to treat HD by (1) investigating palmitoylation dysregulation in rodent and human HD model systems, (2) measuring the impact of mHTT-lowering therapy on brain palmitoylation, and (3) evaluating if HTT palmitoylation can be pharmacologically modulated. We show that palmitoylation of mHTT and some HIP14/HIP14L-substrates is decreased early in multiple HD mouse models, and that mHTT palmitoylation decreases further with aging. Lowering mHTT in the brain of YAC128 mice is not sufficient to rescue aberrant palmitoylation. However, we demonstrate that mHTT palmitoylation can be normalized in COS-7 cells, in YAC128 cortico-striatal primary neurons and HD patient-derived lymphoblasts using an acyl-protein thioesterase (APT) inhibitor. Moreover, we show that modulating palmitoylation reduces mHTT aggregation and mHTT-induced cytotoxicity in COS-7 cells and YAC128 neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny L Lemarié
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Yen T N Nguyen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Xiaohong Xu
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China; Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dale D O Martin
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
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21
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Shenkman M, Geva M, Gershoni-Emek N, Hayden MR, Lederkremer GZ. Pridopidine reduces mutant huntingtin-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress by modulation of the Sigma-1 receptor. J Neurochem 2021; 158:467-481. [PMID: 33871049 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 10/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized Sigma-1 receptor (S1R) is neuroprotective in models of neurodegenerative diseases, among them Huntington disease (HD). Recent clinical trials in HD patients and preclinical studies in cellular and mouse HD models suggest a therapeutic potential for the high-affinity S1R agonist pridopidine. However, the molecular mechanisms of the cytoprotective effect are unclear. We have previously reported strong induction of ER stress by toxic mutant huntingtin (mHtt) oligomers, which is reduced upon sequestration of these mHtt oligomers into large aggregates. Here, we show that pridopidine significantly ameliorates mHtt-induced ER stress in cellular HD models, starting at low nanomolar concentrations. Pridopidine reduced the levels of markers of the three branches of the unfolded protein response (UPR), showing the strongest effects on the PKR-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) branch. The effect is S1R-dependent, as it is abolished in cells expressing mHtt in which the S1R was deleted using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. mHtt increased the level of the detergent-insoluble fraction of S1R, suggesting a compensatory cellular mechanism that responds to increased ER stress. Pridopidine further enhanced the levels of insoluble S1R, suggesting the stabilization of activated S1R oligomers. These S1R oligomeric species appeared in ER-localized patches, and not in the mitochondria-associated membranes nor the ER-derived quality control compartment. The colocalization of S1R with the chaperone BiP was significantly reduced by mHtt, and pridopidine restored this colocalization to normal, unstressed levels. Pridopidine increased toxic oligomeric mHtt recruitment into less toxic large sodium dodecyl sulfate-insoluble aggregates, suggesting that this in turn reduces ER stress and cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Shenkman
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Cell Biology Division, George Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Geva
- Prilenia Therapeutics Development LTD, Herzliya, Israel
| | | | | | - Gerardo Z Lederkremer
- The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, Cell Biology Division, George Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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22
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Caron NS, Anderson C, Black HF, Sanders SS, Lemarié FL, Doty CN, Hayden MR. Reliable Resolution of Full-Length Huntingtin Alleles by Quantitative Immunoblotting. J Huntingtons Dis 2021; 10:355-365. [PMID: 34092649 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-200463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutics that lower mutant huntingtin (mHTT) have shown promise in preclinical studies and are in clinical development for the treatment of Huntington's disease (HD). Multiple assays have been developed that either quantify mHTT or total HTT but may not accurately measure levels of wild type HTT (wtHTT) in biological samples. OBJECTIVE To optimize a method that can be used to resolve, quantify and directly compare levels of full length wtHTT and mHTT in HD samples. METHODS We provide a detailed quantitative immunoblotting protocol to reproducibly resolve full length wtHTT and mHTT in multiple HD mouse and patient samples. RESULTS We show that this assay can be modified, depending on the sample, to resolve wtHTT and mHTT with a wide range of polyglutamine differences (ΔQs 22-179). We also demonstrate that this method can be used to quantify allele-selective lowering of mHTT using an antisense oligonucleotide in HD patient-derived cells. CONCLUSION This quantitative immunoblotting method can be used to reliably resolve full length HTT alleles with ΔQs≥22 and allows for direct comparison of wtHTT and mHTT levels in HD samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Current address: Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Fanny L Lemarié
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Crystal N Doty
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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23
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Zhemkov V, Geva M, Hayden MR, Bezprozvanny I. Sigma-1 Receptor (S1R) Interaction with Cholesterol: Mechanisms of S1R Activation and Its Role in Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4082. [PMID: 33920913 PMCID: PMC8071319 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22084082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The sigma-1 receptor (S1R) is a 223 amino acid-long transmembrane endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein. The S1R modulates the activity of multiple effector proteins, but its signaling functions are poorly understood. S1R is associated with cholesterol, and in our recent studies we demonstrated that S1R association with cholesterol induces the formation of S1R clusters. We propose that these S1R-cholesterol interactions enable the formation of cholesterol-enriched microdomains in the ER membrane. We hypothesize that a number of secreted and signaling proteins are recruited and retained in these microdomains. This hypothesis is consistent with the results of an unbiased screen for S1R-interacting partners, which we performed using the engineered ascorbate peroxidase 2 (APEX2) technology. We further propose that S1R agonists enable the disassembly of these cholesterol-enriched microdomains and the release of accumulated proteins such as ion channels, signaling receptors, and trophic factors from the ER. This hypothesis may explain the pleotropic signaling functions of the S1R, consistent with previously observed effects of S1R agonists in various experimental systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Zhemkov
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
| | - Michal Geva
- Prilenia Therapeutics Development LTD, Herzliya 4673304, Israel; (M.G.); (M.R.H.)
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- Prilenia Therapeutics Development LTD, Herzliya 4673304, Israel; (M.G.); (M.R.H.)
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3V5, Canada
| | - Ilya Bezprozvanny
- Department of Physiology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA;
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration, Peter the Great St Petersburg State Polytechnic University, 195251 St. Petersburg, Russia
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24
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Naia L, Ly P, Mota SI, Lopes C, Maranga C, Coelho P, Gershoni-Emek N, Ankarcrona M, Geva M, Hayden MR, Rego AC. The Sigma-1 Receptor Mediates Pridopidine Rescue of Mitochondrial Function in Huntington Disease Models. Neurotherapeutics 2021; 18:1017-1038. [PMID: 33797036 PMCID: PMC8423985 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-021-01022-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pridopidine is a selective Sigma-1 receptor (S1R) agonist in clinical development for Huntington disease (HD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. S1R is a chaperone protein localized in mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes, a signaling platform that regulates Ca2+ signaling, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial fission. Here, we investigate the protective effects of pridopidine on various mitochondrial functions in human and mouse HD models. Pridopidine effects on mitochondrial dynamics were assessed in primary neurons from YAC128 HD mice expressing the mutant human HTT gene. We observe that pridopidine prevents the disruption of mitochondria-ER contact sites and improves the co-localization of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) and its chaperone S1R with mitochondria in YAC128 neurons, leading to increased mitochondrial activity, elongation, and motility. Increased mitochondrial respiration is also observed in YAC128 neurons and in pridopidine-treated HD human neural stem cells (hNSCs). ROS levels were assessed after oxidative insult or S1R knockdown in pridopidine-treated YAC128 neurons, HD hNSCs, and human HD lymphoblasts. All HD models show increased ROS levels and deficient antioxidant response, which are efficiently rescued with pridopidine. Importantly, pridopidine treatment before H2O2-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and S1R presence are required for HD cytoprotection. YAC128 mice treated at early/pre-symptomatic age with pridopidine show significant improvement in motor coordination, indicating a delay in symptom onset. Additionally, in vivo pridopidine treatment reduces mitochondrial ROS levels by normalizing mitochondrial complex activity. In conclusion, S1R-mediated enhancement of mitochondrial function contributes to the neuroprotective effects of pridopidine, providing insight into its mechanism of action and therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Naia
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Philip Ly
- The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sandra I Mota
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carla Lopes
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carina Maranga
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Coelho
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Maria Ankarcrona
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Science and Society, Division of Neurogeriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Michael R Hayden
- The Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Prilenia Therapeutics LTD, Herzliya, Israel
| | - A Cristina Rego
- CNC-Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- FMUC-Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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25
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Ravalia AS, Lau J, Barron JC, Purchase SLM, Southwell AL, Hayden MR, Nafar F, Parsons MP. Super-resolution imaging reveals extrastriatal synaptic dysfunction in presymptomatic Huntington disease mice. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 152:105293. [PMID: 33556538 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic structure and function are compromised prior to cell death and symptom onset in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. In Huntington disease (HD), a CAG repeat expansion in the gene encoding the huntingtin protein results in a presymptomatic stage that typically spans multiple decades and is followed by striking degeneration of striatal tissue and the progression of debilitating motor symptoms. Many lines of evidence demonstrate that the HD presymptomatic window is associated with injurious effects to striatal synapses, many of which appear to be prerequisites to subsequent cell death. While the striatum is the most vulnerable region in the HD brain, it is widely recognized that HD is a brain-wide disease, affecting numerous extrastriatal regions that contribute to debilitating non-motor symptoms including cognitive dysfunction. Currently, we have a poor understanding of the synaptic integrity, or lack thereof, in extrastriatal regions in the presymptomatic HD brain. If early therapeutic intervention seeks to maintain healthy synaptic function, it is important to understand early HD-associated synaptopathy at a brain-wide, rather than striatal-exclusive, level. Here, we focused on the hippocampus as this structure is generally thought to be affected only in manifest HD despite the subtle cognitive deficits known to emerge in prodromal HD. We used super-resolution microscopy and multi-electrode array electrophysiology as sensitive measures of excitatory synapse structure and function, respectively, in the hippocampus of presymptomatic heterozygous HD mice (Q175FDN model). We found clear evidence for enhanced AMPA receptor subunit clustering and hyperexcitability well before the onset of a detectable HD-like behavioral phenotype. In addition, activity-dependent re-organization of synaptic protein nanostructure, and functional measures of synaptic plasticity were impaired in presymptomatic HD mice. These data demonstrate that synaptic abnormalities in the presymptomatic HD brain are not exclusive to the striatum, and highlight the need to better understand the region-dependent complexities of early synaptopathy in the HD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam S Ravalia
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - James Lau
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Jessica C Barron
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Stephanie L M Purchase
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Amber L Southwell
- University of Central Florida, College of Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, Orlando, FL, USA
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Firoozeh Nafar
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada
| | - Matthew P Parsons
- Division of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada.
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26
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Nistala R, Meuth AI, Smith C, An J, Habibi J, Hayden MR, Johnson M, Aroor A, Whaley-Connell A, Sowers JR, McKarns SC, Bender SB. DPP4 inhibition mitigates ANG II-mediated kidney immune activation and injury in male mice. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 2021; 320:F505-F517. [PMID: 33522410 DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00565.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibition with saxagliptin (Saxa) is renoprotective under comorbid conditions associated with activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension, which confer a high cardiovascular risk. Immune system activation is now recognized as a contributor to RAAS-mediated tissue injury, and, importantly, immunomodulatory effects of DPP4 have been reported. Accordingly, we examined the hypothesis that DPP4 inhibition with Saxa attenuates angiotensin II (ANG II)-induced kidney injury and albuminuria via attenuation of immune activation in the kidney. To this end, male mice were infused with either vehicle or ANG II (1,000 ng/kg/min, s.c.) for 3 wk and received either placebo or Saxa (10 mg/kg/day, p.o.) during the final 2 wk. ANG II infusion increased kidney, but not plasma, DPP4 activity in vivo as well as DPP4 activity in cultured proximal tubule cells. The latter was prevented by angiotensin receptor blockade with olmesartan. Further, ANG II induced hypertension and kidney injury characterized by mesangial expansion, mitochondrial damage, reduced brush border megalin expression, and albuminuria. Saxa inhibited DPP4 activity ∼50% in vivo and attenuated ANG II-mediated kidney injury, independent of blood pressure. Further mechanistic experiments revealed mitigation by Saxa of proinflammatory and profibrotic mediators activated by ANG II in the kidney, including CD8+ T cells, resident macrophages (CD11bhiF4/80loLy6C-), and neutrophils. In addition, Saxa improved ANG II suppressed anti-inflammatory regulatory T cell and T helper 2 lymphocyte activity. Taken together, these results demonstrate, for the first time, blood pressure-independent involvement of renal DPP4 activation contributing to RAAS-dependent kidney injury and immune activation.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work highlights the role of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) in promoting ANG II-mediated kidney inflammation and injury. Specifically, ANG II infusion in mice led to increases in blood pressure and kidney DPP4 activity, which then led to activation of CD8+ T cells, Ly6C- macrophages, and neutrophils and suppression of anti-inflammatory T helper 2 lymphocytes and regulatory T cells. Collectively, this led to kidney injury, characterized by mesangial expansion, mitochondrial damage, and albuminuria, which were mitigated by DPP4 inhibition independent of blood pressure reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Nistala
- Divisions of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Alex I Meuth
- Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Cassandra Smith
- Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri.,Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Jianzhong An
- Divisions of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Javad Habibi
- Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri.,Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri
| | - M R Hayden
- Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri.,Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Megan Johnson
- Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Annayya Aroor
- Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri.,Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Adam Whaley-Connell
- Divisions of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri
| | - James R Sowers
- Diabetes and Cardiovascular Center, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri.,Divisions of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri.,Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Susan C McKarns
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Surgery, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Shawn B Bender
- Department of Research, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital, Columbia, Missouri.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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27
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Niu J, Sanders SS, Jeong HK, Holland SM, Sun Y, Collura KM, Hernandez LM, Huang H, Hayden MR, Smith GM, Hu Y, Jin Y, Thomas GM. Coupled Control of Distal Axon Integrity and Somal Responses to Axonal Damage by the Palmitoyl Acyltransferase ZDHHC17. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108365. [PMID: 33207199 PMCID: PMC7803378 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
After optic nerve crush (ONC), the cell bodies and distal axons of most retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) degenerate. RGC somal and distal axon degenerations were previously thought to be controlled by two parallel pathways, involving activation of the kinase dual leucine-zipper kinase (DLK) and loss of the axon survival factor nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase-2 (NMNAT2), respectively. Here, we report that palmitoylation of both DLK and NMNAT2 by the palmitoyl acyltransferase ZDHHC17 couples these signals. ZDHHC17-dependent palmitoylation enables DLK-dependent somal degeneration after ONC and also ensures NMNAT-dependent distal axon integrity in healthy optic nerves. We provide evidence that ZDHHC17 also controls survival-versus-degeneration decisions in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, and we identify conserved motifs in NMNAT2 and DLK that govern their ZDHHC17-dependent regulation. These findings suggest that the control of somal and distal axon integrity should be considered as a single, holistic process, mediated by the concerted action of two palmitoylation-dependent pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Niu
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Hey-Kyeong Jeong
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Sabrina M Holland
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Yue Sun
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kaitlin M Collura
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Luiselys M Hernandez
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Haoliang Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - George M Smith
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Yang Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Yishi Jin
- Section of Neurobiology, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Gareth M Thomas
- Shriners Hospitals Pediatric Research Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
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28
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Schmidt ME, Caron NS, Aly AE, Lemarié FL, Dal Cengio L, Ko Y, Lazic N, Anderson L, Nguyen B, Raymond LA, Hayden MR. DAPK1 Promotes Extrasynaptic GluN2B Phosphorylation and Striatal Spine Instability in the YAC128 Mouse Model of Huntington Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:590569. [PMID: 33250715 PMCID: PMC7674490 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.590569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene. Disrupted cortico-striatal transmission is an early event that contributes to neuronal spine and synapse dysfunction primarily in striatal medium spiny neurons, the most vulnerable cell type in the disease, but also in neurons of other brain regions including the cortex. Although striatal and cortical neurons eventually degenerate, these synaptic and circuit changes may underlie some of the earliest motor, cognitive, and psychiatric symptoms. Moreover, synaptic dysfunction and spine loss are hypothesized to be therapeutically reversible before neuronal death occurs, and restoration of normal synaptic function may delay neurodegeneration. One of the earliest synaptic alterations to occur in HD mouse models is enhanced striatal extrasynaptic NMDA receptor expression and activity. This activity is mediated primarily through GluN2B subunit-containing receptors and is associated with increased activation of cell death pathways, inhibition of survival signaling, and greater susceptibility to excitotoxicity. Death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) is a pro-apoptotic kinase highly expressed in neurons during development. In the adult brain, DAPK1 becomes re-activated and recruited to extrasynaptic NMDAR complexes during neuronal death, where it phosphorylates GluN2B at S1303, amplifying toxic receptor function. Approaches to reduce DAPK1 activity have demonstrated benefit in animal models of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and chronic stress, indicating that DAPK1 may be a novel target for neuroprotection. Here, we demonstrate that dysregulation of DAPK1 occurs early in the YAC128 HD mouse model, and contributes to elevated extrasynaptic GluN2B S1303 phosphorylation. Inhibition of DAPK1 normalizes extrasynaptic GluN2B phosphorylation and surface expression, and completely prevents YAC128 striatal spine loss in cortico-striatal co-culture, thus validating DAPK1 as a potential target for synaptic protection in HD and warranting further development of DAPK1-targeted therapies for neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandi E. Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nicholas S. Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Amirah E. Aly
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Fanny L. Lemarié
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Yun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nikola Lazic
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lisa Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Betty Nguyen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lynn A. Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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29
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Wright GEB, Black HF, Collins JA, Gall-Duncan T, Caron NS, Pearson CE, Hayden MR. Interrupting sequence variants and age of onset in Huntington's disease: clinical implications and emerging therapies. Lancet Neurol 2020; 19:930-939. [PMID: 33098802 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30343-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's disease is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by CAG-CAA repeat expansion, encoding polyglutamine, in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Current age-of-clinical-onset prediction models for Huntington's disease are based on polyglutamine length and explain only a proportion of the variability in age of onset observed between patients. These length-based assays do not interrogate the underlying genetic variation, because known genetic variants in this region do not alter the protein coding sequence. Given that individuals with identical repeat lengths can present with Huntington's disease decades apart, the search for genetic modifiers of clinical age of onset has become an active area of research. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS Results from three independent genetic studies of Huntington's disease have shown that glutamine-encoding CAA variants that interrupt DNA CAG repeat tracts, but do not alter polyglutamine length or polyglutamine homogeneity, are associated with substantial differences in age of onset of Huntington's disease in carriers. A variant that results in the loss of CAA interruption is associated with early onset and is particularly relevant to individuals that carry alleles in the reduced penetrance range (ie, CAG 36-39). Approximately a third of clinically manifesting carriers of reduced penetrance alleles, defined by current diagnostics, carry this variant. Somatic repeat instability, modified by interrupted CAG tracts, is the most probable cause mediating this effect. This relationship is supported by genome-wide screens for disease modifiers, which have revealed the importance of DNA-repair genes in Huntington's disease (ie, FAN1, LIG1, MLH1, MSH3, PMS1, and PMS2). WHERE NEXT?: Focus needs to be placed on refining our understanding of the effect of the loss-of-interruption and duplication-of-interruption variants and other interrupting sequence variants on age of onset, and assessing their effect in disease-relevant brain tissues, as well as in diverse population groups, such as individuals from Africa and Asia. Diagnostic tests should be augmented or updated, since current tests do not assess the underlying DNA sequence variation, especially when assessing individuals that carry alleles in the reduced penetrance range. Future studies should explore somatic repeat instability and DNA repair as new therapeutic targets to modify age of onset in Huntington's disease and in other repeat-mediated disorders. Disease-modifying therapies could potentially be developed by therapeutically targeting these processes. Promising approaches include therapeutically targeting the expanded repeat or directly perturbing key DNA-repair genes (eg, with antisense oligonucleotides or small molecules). Targeting the CAG repeat directly with naphthyridine-azaquinolone, a compound that induces contractions, and altering the expression of MSH3, represent two viable therapeutic strategies. However, as a first step, the capability of such novel therapeutic approaches to delay clinical onset in animal models should be assessed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen E B Wright
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Neuroscience Research Program, Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Collins
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Terence Gall-Duncan
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Program of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christopher E Pearson
- Program of Genetics and Genome Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Program of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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30
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Grachev ID, Meyer PM, Becker GA, Bronzel M, Marsteller D, Pastino G, Voges O, Rabinovich L, Knebel H, Zientek F, Rullmann M, Sattler B, Patt M, Gerhards T, Strauss M, Kluge A, Brust P, Savola JM, Gordon MF, Geva M, Hesse S, Barthel H, Hayden MR, Sabri O. Sigma-1 and dopamine D2/D3 receptor occupancy of pridopidine in healthy volunteers and patients with Huntington disease: a [ 18F] fluspidine and [ 18F] fallypride PET study. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2020; 48:1103-1115. [PMID: 32995944 PMCID: PMC8041674 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-020-05030-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Pridopidine is an investigational drug for Huntington disease (HD). Pridopidine was originally thought to act as a dopamine stabilizer. However, pridopidine shows highest affinity to the sigma-1 receptor (S1R) and enhances neuroprotection via the S1R in preclinical studies. Using [18F] fluspidine and [18F] fallypride PET, the purpose of this study was to assess in vivo target engagement/receptor occupancy of pridopidine to the S1R and dopamine D2/D3 receptor (D2/D3R) at clinical relevant doses in healthy volunteers (HVs) and as proof-of-concept in a small number of patients with HD. METHODS Using [18F] fluspidine PET (300 MBq, 0-90 min), 11 male HVs (pridopidine 0.5 to 90 mg; six dose groups) and three male patients with HD (pridopidine 90 mg) were investigated twice, without and 2 h after single dose of pridopidine. Using [18F] fallypride PET (200 MBq, 0-210 min), four male HVs were studied without and 2 h following pridopidine administration (90 mg). Receptor occupancy was analyzed by the Lassen plot. RESULTS S1R occupancy as function of pridopidine dose (or plasma concentration) in HVs could be described by a three-parameter Hill equation with a Hill coefficient larger than one. A high degree of S1R occupancy (87% to 91%) was found throughout the brain at pridopidine doses ranging from 22.5 to 90 mg. S1R occupancy was 43% at 1 mg pridopidine. In contrast, at 90 mg pridopidine, the D2/D3R occupancy was only minimal (~ 3%). CONCLUSIONS Our PET findings indicate that at clinically relevant single dose of 90 mg, pridopidine acts as a selective S1R ligand showing near to complete S1R occupancy with negligible occupancy of the D2/D3R. The dose S1R occupancy relationship suggests cooperative binding of pridopidine to the S1R. Our findings provide significant clarification about pridopidine's mechanism of action and support further use of the 45-mg twice-daily dose to achieve full and selective targeting of the S1R in future clinical trials of neurodegenerative disorders. Clinical Trials.gov Identifier: NCT03019289 January 12, 2017; EUDRA-CT-Nr. 2016-001757-41.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor D Grachev
- Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc, Malvern, PA, 19355, USA.,Guide Pharmaceutical Consulting, LLC, Millstone, NJ, 08535, USA
| | - Philipp M Meyer
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Georg A Becker
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marcus Bronzel
- ABX-CRO Advanced Pharmaceutical Services Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Dresden, Germany
| | - Doug Marsteller
- Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc, Frazer, PA, 19355, USA
| | - Gina Pastino
- Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc, Frazer, PA, 19355, USA
| | - Ole Voges
- ABX-CRO Advanced Pharmaceutical Services Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Dresden, Germany
| | - Laura Rabinovich
- Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc, Frazer, PA, 19355, USA
| | - Helena Knebel
- Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc, Frazer, PA, 19355, USA
| | - Franziska Zientek
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Rullmann
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Bernhard Sattler
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Marianne Patt
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thilo Gerhards
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maria Strauss
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Kluge
- ABX-CRO Advanced Pharmaceutical Services Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter Brust
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Research Site Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Juha-Matti Savola
- Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc, Frazer, PA, 19355, USA
| | - Mark F Gordon
- Teva Branded Pharmaceutical Products R&D, Inc, Frazer, PA, 19355, USA
| | - Michal Geva
- Prilenia Therapeutics Development Ltd., Herzliya, Israel
| | - Swen Hesse
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Henryk Barthel
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Osama Sabri
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany.
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31
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Machiela E, Jeloka R, Caron NS, Mehta S, Schmidt ME, Baddeley HJE, Tom CM, Polturi N, Xie Y, Mattis VB, Hayden MR, Southwell AL. The Interaction of Aging and Cellular Stress Contributes to Pathogenesis in Mouse and Human Huntington Disease Neurons. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:524369. [PMID: 33192449 PMCID: PMC7531251 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.524369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal, inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. While mutant HTT is present ubiquitously throughout life, HD onset typically occurs in mid-life. Oxidative damage accumulates in the aging brain and is a feature of HD. We sought to interrogate the roles and interaction of age and oxidative stress in HD using primary Hu97/18 mouse neurons, neurons differentiated from HD patient induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and the brains of HD mice. We find that primary neurons must be matured in culture for canonical stress responses to occur. Furthermore, when aging is accelerated in mature HD neurons, mutant HTT accumulates and sensitivity to oxidative stress is selectively enhanced. Furthermore, we observe HD-specific phenotypes in neurons and mouse brains that have undergone accelerated aging, including a selective increase in DNA damage. These findings suggest a role for aging in HD pathogenesis and an interaction between the biological age of HD neurons and sensitivity to exogenous stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Machiela
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Ritika Jeloka
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Nicholas S. Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shagun Mehta
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Mandi E. Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Helen J. E. Baddeley
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Colton M. Tom
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Nalini Polturi
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
| | - Virginia B. Mattis
- The Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Michael R. Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Amber L. Southwell
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, United States
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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32
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Bartl S, Oueslati A, Southwell AL, Siddu A, Parth M, David LS, Maxan A, Salhat N, Burkert M, Mairhofer A, Friedrich T, Pankevych H, Balazs K, Staffler G, Hayden MR, Cicchetti F, Smrzka OW. Inhibiting cellular uptake of mutant huntingtin using a monoclonal antibody: Implications for the treatment of Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 141:104943. [PMID: 32407769 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a highly polymorphic CAG trinucleotide expansion in the gene encoding for the huntingtin protein (HTT). The resulting mutant huntingtin protein (mutHTT) is ubiquitously expressed but also exhibits the ability to propagate from cell-to-cell to disseminate pathology; a property which may serve as a new therapeutic focus. Accordingly, we set out to develop a monoclonal antibody (mAB) targeting a particularly exposed region close to the aa586 caspase-6 cleavage site of the HTT protein. This monoclonal antibody, designated C6-17, effectively binds mutHTT and is able to deplete the protein from cell culture supernatants. Using cell-based assays, we demonstrate that extracellular secretion of mutHTT into cell culture media and its subsequent uptake in recipient HeLa cells can be almost entirely blocked by mAB C6-17. Immunohistochemical stainings of post-mortem HD brain tissue confirmed the specificity of mAB C6-17 to human mutHTT aggregates. These findings demonstrate that mAB C6-17 not only successfully engages with its target, mutHTT, but also inhibits cell uptake suggesting that this antibody could interfere with the pathological processes of mutHTT spreading in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abid Oueslati
- Université Laval/Centre de recherche du CHU, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Alberto Siddu
- Université Laval/Centre de recherche du CHU, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Oskar W Smrzka
- AFFiRiS AG, Vienna, Austria; Ablevia biotech GmbH, Vienna, Austria
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33
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Caron NS, Southwell AL, Brouwers CC, Cengio LD, Xie Y, Black HF, Anderson LM, Ko S, Zhu X, van Deventer SJ, Evers MM, Konstantinova P, Hayden MR. Potent and sustained huntingtin lowering via AAV5 encoding miRNA preserves striatal volume and cognitive function in a humanized mouse model of Huntington disease. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:36-54. [PMID: 31745548 PMCID: PMC7145682 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by a pathogenic expansion of a CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. There are no disease-modifying therapies for HD. Artificial microRNAs targeting HTT transcripts for degradation have shown preclinical promise and will soon enter human clinical trials. Here, we examine the tolerability and efficacy of non-selective HTT lowering with an AAV5 encoded miRNA targeting human HTT (AAV5-miHTT) in the humanized Hu128/21 mouse model of HD. We show that intrastriatal administration of AAV5-miHTT results in potent and sustained HTT suppression for at least 7 months post-injection. Importantly, non-selective suppression of huntingtin was generally tolerated, however high dose AAV5-miHTT did induce astrogliosis. We observed an improvement of select behavioural and modest neuropathological HD-like phenotypes in Hu128/21 mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic benefit of miRNA-mediated non-selective HTT lowering. Finally, we also observed that potent reduction of wild type HTT (wtHTT) in Hu21 control mice was tolerated up to 7 months post-injection but may induce impairment of motor coordination and striatal atrophy. Taken together, our data suggests that in the context of HD, the therapeutic benefits of mHTT reduction may outweigh the potentially detrimental effects of wtHTT loss following non-selective HTT lowering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Amber L Southwell
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Cynthia C Brouwers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Hailey Findlay Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Seunghyun Ko
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Xiang Zhu
- Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Sander J van Deventer
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Melvin M Evers
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Pavlina Konstantinova
- Department of Research & Development, uniQure biopharma B.V., Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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34
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Southwell AL, Kordasiewicz HB, Langbehn D, Skotte NH, Parsons MP, Villanueva EB, Caron NS, Østergaard ME, Anderson LM, Xie Y, Cengio LD, Findlay-Black H, Doty CN, Fitsimmons B, Swayze EE, Seth PP, Raymond LA, Frank Bennett C, Hayden MR. Huntingtin suppression restores cognitive function in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Sci Transl Med 2019; 10:10/461/eaar3959. [PMID: 30282695 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aar3959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin (HTT) protein, resulting in acquisition of toxic functions. Previous studies have shown that lowering mutant HTT has the potential to be broadly beneficial. We previously identified HTT single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tightly linked to the HD mutation and developed antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting HD-SNPs that selectively suppress mutant HTT. We tested allele-specific ASOs in a mouse model of HD. Both early and late treatment reduced cognitive and behavioral impairments in mice. To determine the translational potential of the treatment, we examined the effect of ASO administration on HTT brain expression in nonhuman primates. The treatment induced robust HTT suppression throughout the cortex and limbic system, areas implicated in cognition and psychiatric function. The results suggest that ASOs specifically targeting mutated HTT might have therapeutic effects on HD-mediated cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber L Southwell
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | | | - Douglas Langbehn
- Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Niels H Skotte
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Matthew P Parsons
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Erika B Villanueva
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | | | - Lisa M Anderson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Hailey Findlay-Black
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Crystal N Doty
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | | | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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35
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Gordon MF, Grachev ID, Mazeh I, Dolan Y, Reilmann R, Loupe PS, Fine S, Navon-Perry L, Gross N, Papapetropoulos S, Savola JM, Hayden MR. Quantification of Motor Function in Huntington Disease Patients Using Wearable Sensor Devices. Digit Biomark 2019; 3:103-115. [PMID: 32095771 DOI: 10.1159/000502136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated the feasibility and promise of wearable sensors as objective measures of motor impairment in Parkinson disease and essential tremor. However, there are few published studies that have examined such an application in Huntington disease (HD). This report provides an evaluation of the potential to objectively quantify chorea in HD patients using wearable sensor data. Data were derived from a substudy of the phase 2 Open-PRIDE-HD study, where 17 patients were screened and 15 patients enrolled in the substudy and ultimately 10 patients provided sufficient wearable sensor data. The substudy was designed to provide high-resolution data to inform design of predictive algorithms for chorea quantification. During the entire course of the 6-month study, in addition to chorea ratings from 18 in-clinic assessments, 890 home assessments, and 1,388 responses to daily reminders, 33,000 h of high-resolution accelerometer data were captured continuously from wearable smartwatches and smartphones. Despite its limited sample size, our study demonstrates that arm chorea can be characterized using accelerometer data during static assessments. Nonetheless, the small sample size limits the generalizability of the model. The sensor-based model can quantify the chorea level with high correlation to the chorea severity reported by both clinicians and patients. In addition, our analysis shows that the chorea digital signature varies between patients. This work suggests that digital wearable sensors have the potential to support clinical development of medications in patients with movement disorders, such as chorea. However, additional data would be needed from a larger number of HD patients with a full range of chorea severity (none to severe) with and without intervention to validate this potentially predictive technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Forrest Gordon
- Specialty Clinical Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Frazer, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Igor D Grachev
- Guide Pharmaceutical Consulting, LLC, Millstone Township, New Jersey, USA
| | - Itzik Mazeh
- Advanced Analytics Department, Intel, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Yonatan Dolan
- Advanced Analytics Department, Intel, Petah Tikva, Israel
| | - Ralf Reilmann
- George Huntington Institute and Department of Radiology University of Münster, Münster, Germany.,Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Pippa S Loupe
- Specialty Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Shai Fine
- Data Science Institute, Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | | | - Nicholas Gross
- Specialty Clinical Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Frazer, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - Michael R Hayden
- Global Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Petah Tikva, Israel.,Prilenia Therapeutics, Herzliya, Israel
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36
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Eddings CR, Arbez N, Akimov S, Geva M, Hayden MR, Ross CA. Pridopidine protects neurons from mutant-huntingtin toxicity via the sigma-1 receptor. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 129:118-129. [PMID: 31108174 PMCID: PMC6996243 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene (HTT), translated into a Huntingtin protein with a polyglutamine expansion. There is preferential loss of medium spiny neurons within the striatum and cortical pyramidal neurons. Pridopidine is a small molecule showing therapeutic potential in HD preclinical and clinical studies. Pridopidine has nanomolar affinity to the sigma-1 receptor (sigma-1R), which is located predominantly at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrial associated ER membrane, and activates neuroprotective pathways. Here we evaluate the neuroprotective effects of pridopidine against mutant Huntingtin toxicity in mouse and human derived in vitro cell models. We also investigate the involvement of the sigma-1 receptor in the mechanism of pridopidine. Pridopidine protects mutant Huntingtin transfected mouse primary striatal and cortical neurons, with an EC50 in the mid nanomolar range, as well as HD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This protection by pridopidine is blocked by NE-100, a purported sigma-1 receptor antagonist, and not blocked by ANA-12, a reported TrkB receptor antagonist. 3PPP, a documented sigma-1 receptor agonist, shows similar neuroprotective effects. Genetic knock out of the sigma-1 receptor dramatically decreases protection from pridopidine and 3PPP, but not protection via brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). The neuroprotection afforded by pridopidine in our HD cell models is robust and sigma-1 receptor dependent. These studies support the further development of pridopidine, and other sigma-1 receptor agonists as neuroprotective agents for HD and perhaps for other disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsy R Eddings
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States of America
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States of America
| | - Sergey Akimov
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States of America
| | - Michal Geva
- Prilenia Therapeutics Development LTD, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Prilenia Therapeutics Development LTD, Herzliya, Israel; Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States of America; Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, United States of America.
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37
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Winther M, Shpitzen S, Yaacov O, Landau J, Oren L, Foroozan-Rosenberg L, Lev Cohain N, Schurr D, Meiner V, Szalat A, Carmi S, Hayden MR, Leitersdorf E, Durst R. In search of a genetic explanation for LDLc variability in an FH family: common SNPs and a rare mutation in MTTP explain only part of LDL variability in an FH family. J Lipid Res 2019; 60:1733-1740. [PMID: 31387896 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.m092049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously identified a highly consanguineous familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) family demonstrating segregation of the JD Bari mutation in the LDL receptor as well as a putative cholesterol-lowering trait. We aimed to identify genes related to the latter effect. LDL cholesterol (LDLc) values were normalized for FH affectation status, age, and gender. Using genome-wide SNP data, we examined whether known SNPs gleaned from a genome-wide association study could explain the variation observed in LDLc. Four individuals with markedly reduced LDL levels underwent whole exome sequencing. After prioritizing all potential mutations, we identified the most promising candidate genes and tested them for segregation with the lowering trait. We transfected a plasmid carrying the top candidate mutation, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) R634C, into COS-7 cells to test enzymatic activity. The SNP score explained 3% of the observed variability. MTTP R634C showed reduced activity (49.1 nmol/ml) compared with the WT allele (185.8 nmol/ml) (P = 0.0012) and was marginally associated with reduced LDLc in FH patients (P = 0.05). Phenotypic variability in a FH pedigree can only partially be explained by a combination of common SNPs and a rare mutation and a rare variant in the MTTP gene. LDLc variability in FH patients may have nongenetic causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Winther
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shoshi Shpitzen
- Center for Research, Prevention, and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Or Yaacov
- Center for Research, Prevention, and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.,Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jakob Landau
- Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Limor Oren
- Center for Research, Prevention, and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Linda Foroozan-Rosenberg
- Center for Research, Prevention, and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Naama Lev Cohain
- Radiology Department, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Daniel Schurr
- Center for Research, Prevention, and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Vardiela Meiner
- Department of Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Auryan Szalat
- Center for Research, Prevention, and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.,Internal Medicine Ward, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shai Carmi
- Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Eran Leitersdorf
- Center for Research, Prevention, and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ronen Durst
- Center for Research, Prevention, and Treatment of Atherosclerosis, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel .,Cardiology Division, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
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38
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Wright GEB, Collins JA, Kay C, McDonald C, Dolzhenko E, Xia Q, Bečanović K, Drögemöller BI, Semaka A, Nguyen CM, Trost B, Richards F, Bijlsma EK, Squitieri F, Ross CJD, Scherer SW, Eberle MA, Yuen RKC, Hayden MR. Length of Uninterrupted CAG, Independent of Polyglutamine Size, Results in Increased Somatic Instability, Hastening Onset of Huntington Disease. Am J Hum Genet 2019; 104:1116-1126. [PMID: 31104771 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene. Although the length of this repeat is inversely correlated with age of onset (AOO), it does not fully explain the variability in AOO. We assessed the sequence downstream of the CAG repeat in HTT [reference: (CAG)n-CAA-CAG], since variants within this region have been previously described, but no study of AOO has been performed. These analyses identified a variant that results in complete loss of interrupting (LOI) adenine nucleotides in this region [(CAG)n-CAG-CAG]. Analysis of multiple HD pedigrees showed that this LOI variant is associated with dramatically earlier AOO (average of 25 years) despite the same polyglutamine length as in individuals with the interrupting penultimate CAA codon. This LOI allele is particularly frequent in persons with reduced penetrance alleles who manifest with HD and increases the likelihood of presenting clinically with HD with a CAG of 36-39 repeats. Further, we show that the LOI variant is associated with increased somatic repeat instability, highlighting this as a significant driver of this effect. These findings indicate that the number of uninterrupted CAG repeats, which is lengthened by the LOI, is the most significant contributor to AOO of HD and is more significant than polyglutamine length, which is not altered in these individuals. In addition, we identified another variant in this region, where the CAA-CAG sequence is duplicated, which was associated with later AOO. Identification of these cis-acting modifiers have potentially important implications for genetic counselling in HD-affected families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen E B Wright
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Collins
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Chris Kay
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Cassandra McDonald
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | | | - Qingwen Xia
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Kristina Bečanović
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Britt I Drögemöller
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Alicia Semaka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada
| | - Charlotte M Nguyen
- The Hospital For Sick Children, The Centre for Applied Genomics, Genetics and Genome Biology, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Brett Trost
- The Hospital For Sick Children, The Centre for Applied Genomics, Genetics and Genome Biology, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Fiona Richards
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Emilia K Bijlsma
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333, the Netherlands
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo 71013, Italy
| | - Colin J D Ross
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Stephen W Scherer
- The Hospital For Sick Children, The Centre for Applied Genomics, Genetics and Genome Biology, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; McLaughlin Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | | | - Ryan K C Yuen
- The Hospital For Sick Children, The Centre for Applied Genomics, Genetics and Genome Biology, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; University of Toronto, Department of Molecular Genetics, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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39
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Smith-Dijak AI, Nassrallah WB, Zhang LYJ, Geva M, Hayden MR, Raymond LA. Impairment and Restoration of Homeostatic Plasticity in Cultured Cortical Neurons From a Mouse Model of Huntington Disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:209. [PMID: 31156395 PMCID: PMC6532531 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation in the huntingtin gene. The onset of symptoms is preceded by synaptic dysfunction. Homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP) refers to processes that maintain the stability of networks of neurons, thought to be required to enable new learning and cognitive flexibility. One type of HSP is synaptic scaling, in which the strength of all of the synapses onto a cell increases or decreases following changes in the cell’s level of activity. Several pathways implicated in synaptic scaling are dysregulated in HD, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and calcium signaling. Here, we investigated whether HSP is disrupted in cortical neurons from an HD mouse model. We treated cultured cortical neurons from wild-type (WT) FVB/N or YAC128 HD mice with tetrodotoxin (TTX) for 48 h to silence action potentials and then recorded miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents. In WT cultures, these increased in both amplitude and frequency after TTX treatment, and further experiments showed that this was a result of insertion of AMPA receptors and formation of new synapses, respectively. Manipulation of BDNF concentration in the culture medium revealed that BDNF signaling contributed to these changes. In contrast to WT cortical neurons, YAC128 cultures showed no response to action potential silencing. Strikingly, we were able to restore the TTX-induced changes in YAC128 cultures by treating them with pridopidine, a drug which enhances BDNF signaling through stimulation of the sigma-1 receptor (S1R), and with the S1R agonist 3-PPP. These data provide evidence for disruption of HSP in cortical neurons from an HD mouse model that is restored by stimulation of S1R. Our results suggest a potential new direction for developing therapy to mitigate cognitive deficits in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy I Smith-Dijak
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Wissam B Nassrallah
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lily Y J Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michal Geva
- Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Netanya, Israel
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Netanya, Israel.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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40
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Johnston TH, Geva M, Steiner L, Orbach A, Papapetropoulos S, Savola JM, Reynolds IJ, Ravenscroft P, Hill M, Fox SH, Brotchie JM, Laufer R, Hayden MR. Pridopidine, a clinic-ready compound, reduces 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine-induced dyskinesia in Parkinsonian macaques. Mov Disord 2019; 34:708-716. [PMID: 30575996 DOI: 10.1002/mds.27565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pridopidine, in development for Huntington's disease, may modulate aberrant l-dopa-induced effects including l-dopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). OBJECTIVE This study investigated whether pridopidine could reduce LID in the MPTP macaque model of Parkinson's disease and characterized the observed behavioral effects in terms of receptor occupancy. METHODS The pharmacokinetic profile and effects of pridopidine (15-30 mg/kg) on parkinsonism, dyskinesia, and quality of on-time, in combination with l-dopa, were assessed in MPTP macaques with LID. Pridopidine receptor occupancy was estimated using known in vitro binding affinities to σ1 and dopamine D2 receptors, in vivo PET imaging, and pharmacokinetic profiling across different species. RESULTS Pridopidine produced a dose-dependent reduction in dyskinesia (up to 71%, 30 mg/kg) and decreased the duration of on-time with disabling dyskinesia evoked by l-dopa by 37% (20 mg/kg) and 60% (30 mg/kg). Pridopidine did not compromise the anti-parkinsonian benefit of l-dopa. Plasma exposures following the ineffective dose (15 mg/kg) were associated with full σ1 occupancy (>80%), suggesting that σ1 engagement alone is unlikely to account for the antidyskinetic benefits of pridopidine. Exposures following effective doses (20-30 mg/kg), while providing full σ1 occupancy, provide only modest dopamine D2 occupancy (<40%). However, effective pridopidine doses clearly engage a range of receptors (including adrenergic-α2C , dopamine-D3 , and serotoninergic-5-HT1A sites) to a higher degree than D2 and might contribute to the antidyskinetic actions. CONCLUSIONS In MPTP macaques, pridopidine produced a significant decrease in LID without compromising the antiparkinsonian benefit of l-dopa. Although the actions of pridopidine were associated with full σ1 occupancy, effective exposures are more likely associated with occupancy of additional, non-sigma receptors. This complex pharmacology may underlie the effectiveness of pridopidine against LID. © 2018 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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MESH Headings
- 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine
- Animals
- Antiparkinson Agents/adverse effects
- Brain/diagnostic imaging
- Brain/metabolism
- Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced/drug therapy
- Dyskinesia, Drug-Induced/etiology
- Levodopa/adverse effects
- MPTP Poisoning/drug therapy
- Macaca fascicularis
- Movement/drug effects
- Parkinsonian Disorders/chemically induced
- Parkinsonian Disorders/drug therapy
- Piperidines/pharmacology
- Positron-Emission Tomography
- Receptor, Muscarinic M2/metabolism
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT1A/metabolism
- Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2A/metabolism
- Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D2/metabolism
- Receptors, Dopamine D3/metabolism
- Receptors, Histamine H3/metabolism
- Receptors, sigma/metabolism
- Sigma-1 Receptor
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom H Johnston
- Atuka Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michal Geva
- Prilenia Therapeutics Development Ltd., Herzliya, Israel (formerly 4)
| | - Lilach Steiner
- Global Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., Netanya, Israel
| | - Aric Orbach
- Global Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., Netanya, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Paula Ravenscroft
- Atuka Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Hill
- Atuka Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan H Fox
- Movement Disorders Clinic, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonathan M Brotchie
- Atuka Inc, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Krembil Research Institute, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ralph Laufer
- Lysogene S.A., Neuilly sur Seine, France (formerly 4)
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Prilenia Therapeutics Development Ltd., Herzliya, Israel (formerly 4)
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41
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Francardo V, Geva M, Bez F, Denis Q, Steiner L, Hayden MR, Cenci MA. Pridopidine Induces Functional Neurorestoration Via the Sigma-1 Receptor in a Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease. Neurotherapeutics 2019; 16:465-479. [PMID: 30756361 PMCID: PMC6554374 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-018-00699-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pridopidine is a small molecule in clinical development for the treatment of Huntington's disease. It was recently found to have high binding affinity to the sigma-1 receptor, a chaperone protein involved in cellular defense mechanisms and neuroplasticity. Here, we have evaluated the neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects of pridopidine in a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion model of parkinsonism in mice. By 5 weeks of daily administration, a low dose of pridopidine (0.3 mg/kg) had significantly improved deficits in forelimb use (cylinder test, stepping test) and abolished the ipsilateral rotational bias typical of hemiparkinsonian animals. A higher dose of pridopidine (1 mg/kg) significantly improved only the rotational bias, with a trend towards improvement in forelimb use. The behavioral recovery induced by pridopidine 0.3 mg/kg was accompanied by a significant protection of nigral dopamine cell bodies, an increased dopaminergic fiber density in the striatum, and striatal upregulation of GDNF, BDNF, and phosphorylated ERK1/2. The beneficial effects of pridopidine 0.3 mg/kg were absent in 6-OHDA-lesioned mice lacking the sigma-1 receptor. Pharmacokinetic data confirmed that the effective dose of pridopidine reached brain concentrations sufficient to bind S1R. Our results are the first to show that pridopidine promotes functional neurorestoration in the damaged nigrostriatal system acting via the sigma-1 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Francardo
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC F11, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Francesco Bez
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC F11, Lund, Sweden
| | - Quentin Denis
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC F11, Lund, Sweden
| | - Lilach Steiner
- Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Global Research and Development, Netanya, Israel
| | | | - M Angela Cenci
- Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Unit, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, BMC F11, Lund, Sweden.
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42
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Petrella LI, Castelhano JM, Ribeiro M, Sereno JV, Gonçalves SI, Laço MN, Hayden MR, Rego AC, Castelo-Branco M. A whole brain longitudinal study in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington's disease shows distinct trajectories of neurochemical, structural connectivity and volumetric changes. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:2125-2137. [PMID: 29668904 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder causing cognitive and motor impairments, evolving to death within 15-20 years after symptom onset. We previously established a mouse model with the entire human HD gene containing 128 CAG repeats (YAC128) which accurately recapitulates the natural history of the human disease. Defined time points in this natural history enable the understanding of longitudinal trajectories from the neurochemical and structural points of view using non-invasive high-resolution multi-modal imaging. Accordingly, we designed a longitudinal structural imaging (MRI and DTI) and spectroscopy (1H-MRS) study in YAC128, at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age, at 9.4 T. Structural analysis (MRI/DTI), confirmed that the striatum is the earliest affected brain region, but other regions were also identified through connectivity analysis (pre-frontal cortex, hippocampus, globus pallidus and thalamus), suggesting a striking homology with the human disease. Importantly, we found for the first time, a negative correlation between striatal and hippocampal changes only in YAC128. In fact, the striatum showed accelerated volumetric decay in HD, as opposed to the hippocampus. Neurochemical analysis of the HD striatum suggested early neurometabolic alterations in neurotransmission and metabolism, with a significant increase in striatal GABA levels, and specifically anticorrelated levels of N-acetyl aspartate and taurine, suggesting that the later is homeostatically adjusted for neuroprotection, as neural loss, indicated by the former, is progressing. These results provide novel insights into the natural history of HD and prove a valuable role for longitudinal multi-modal panels of structural and metabolite/neurotransmission in the YAC128 model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena I Petrella
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João M Castelhano
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mario Ribeiro
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José V Sereno
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sónia I Gonçalves
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Neuroplasticity and Neural Activity Laboratory, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mário N Laço
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - A Cristina Rego
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- Institute of Nuclear Science Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology-Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Life Science (CNC.IBILI), University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
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43
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Kang R, Wang L, Sanders SS, Zuo K, Hayden MR, Raymond LA. Altered Regulation of Striatal Neuronal N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Trafficking by Palmitoylation in Huntington Disease Mouse Model. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2019; 11:3. [PMID: 30846936 PMCID: PMC6393405 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2019.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) play a critical role in synaptic signaling, and alterations in the synaptic/extrasynaptic NMDAR balance affect neuronal survival. Studies have shown enhanced extrasynaptic GluN2B-type NMDAR (2B-NMDAR) activity in striatal neurons in the YAC128 mouse model of Huntington disease (HD), resulting in increased cell death pathway activation contributing to striatal vulnerability to degeneration. However, the mechanism(s) of altered GluN2B trafficking remains unclear. Previous work shows that GluN2B palmitoylation on two C-terminal cysteine clusters regulates 2B-NMDAR trafficking to the surface membrane and synapses in cortical neurons. Notably, two palmitoyl acyltransferases (PATs), zDHHC17 and zDHHC13, also called huntingtin-interacting protein 14 (HIP14) and HIP14-like (HIP14L), directly interact with the huntingtin protein (Htt), and mutant Htt disrupts this interaction. Here, we investigated whether GluN2B palmitoylation is involved in enhanced extrasynaptic surface expression of 2B-NMDARs in YAC128 striatal neurons and whether this process is regulated by HIP14 or HIP14L. We found reduced GluN2B palmitoylation in YAC128 striatum, specifically on cysteine cluster II. Consistent with that finding, the palmitoylation-deficient GluN2B Cysteine cluster II mutant exhibited enhanced, extrasynaptic surface expression in striatal neurons from wild-type mice, mimicking increased extrasynaptic 2B-NMDAR observed in YAC128 cultures. We also found that HIP14L palmitoylated GluN2B cysteine cluster II. Moreover, GluN2B palmitoylation levels were reduced in striatal tissue from HIP14L-deficient mice, and siRNA-mediated HIP14L knockdown in cultured neurons enhanced striatal neuronal GluN2B surface expression and susceptibility to NMDA toxicity. Thus, altered regulation of GluN2B palmitoylation levels by the huntingtin-associated PAT HIP14L may contribute to the cell death-signaling pathways underlying HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rujun Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Centre and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Centre and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Shaun S Sanders
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kurt Zuo
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Centre and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Research Centre and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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44
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Martin DDO, Schmidt ME, Nguyen YT, Lazic N, Hayden MR. Identification of a novel caspase cleavage site in huntingtin that regulates mutant huntingtin clearance. FASEB J 2018; 33:3190-3197. [PMID: 30423259 DOI: 10.1096/fj.201701510rrr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that initially affects the striatum and leads to changes in behavior and loss of motor coordination. It is caused by an expansion in the polyglutamine repeat at the N terminus of huntingtin (HTT) that leads to aggregation of mutant HTT. The loss of wild-type function, in combination with the toxic gain of function mutation, initiates various cell death pathways. Wild-type and mutant HTT are regulated by different posttranslational modifications that can positively or negatively regulate their function or toxicity. In particular, we have previously shown that caspase cleavage of mutant HTT at amino acid position aspartate 586 (D586) by caspase-6 is critical for the pathogenesis of the disease in an HD mouse model. Herein, we describe the identification of a new caspase cleavage site at position D572 that is mediated by caspase-1. Inhibition of caspase-1 also appeared to decrease proteolysis at D586, likely by blocking the downstream activation of caspase-6 through caspase-1. Inhibition of caspase cleavage at D572 significantly decreased mutant HTT aggregation and significantly increased the turnover of soluble mutant HTT. This suggests that caspase-1 may be a viable target to inhibit caspase cleavage of mutant HTT at both D572 and D586 to promote mutant HTT clearance.-Martin, D. D. O., Schmidt, M. E., Nguyen, Y. T., Lazic, N., Hayden, M. R. Identification of a novel caspase cleavage site in huntingtin that regulates mutant huntingtin clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale D O Martin
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mandi E Schmidt
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Yen T Nguyen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nikola Lazic
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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45
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Wright GEB, Amstutz U, Drögemöller BI, Shih J, Rassekh SR, Hayden MR, Carleton BC, Ross CJD. Pharmacogenomics of Vincristine-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Implicates Pharmacokinetic and Inherited Neuropathy Genes. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2018; 105:402-410. [PMID: 29999516 PMCID: PMC6519044 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.1179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Vincristine is an effective chemotherapeutic drug for various cancers, including acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Unfortunately, clinical utility is restricted by dose‐limiting vincristine‐induced peripheral neuropathies (VIPN). We sought to determine the association of VIPN with a recently identified risk variant, CEP72 rs924607, and drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) gene variants in pediatric ALL. This was followed by a meta‐analysis of pharmacogenomic data from over 500 patients. CEP72 rs924607 was significantly associated with VIPN (P = 0.02; odds ratio (OR) = 3.4). ADME analyses identified associations between VIPN and ABCC1 rs3784867 (P = 5.34 × 10−5; OR = 4.9), and SLC5A7 rs1013940 (P = 9.00 × 10−4; OR= 8.6); genes involved in vincristine transport and inherited neuropathies, respectively. Meta‐analysis identified an association with a variant related to TTPA (rs10504361: P = 6.85 × 10−4; OR = 2.0), a heritable neuropathy‐related gene. This study provides essential corroboratory evidence for CEP72 rs924607 and highlights the importance of drug transporter and inherited neuropathy genes in VIPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galen E B Wright
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Ursula Amstutz
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Division of Translational Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,University Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Inselspital Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Britt I Drögemöller
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joanne Shih
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Shahrad R Rassekh
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Division of Translational Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bruce C Carleton
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Division of Translational Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Colin J D Ross
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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46
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Schmidt ME, Buren C, Mackay JP, Cheung D, Dal Cengio L, Raymond LA, Hayden MR. Altering cortical input unmasks synaptic phenotypes in the YAC128 cortico-striatal co-culture model of Huntington disease. BMC Biol 2018; 16:58. [PMID: 29945611 PMCID: PMC6020351 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0526-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, leading to selective and progressive neuronal death predominantly in the striatum. Mutant HTT expression causes dysfunctional cortico-striatal (CS) transmission, loss of CS synapses, and striatal medium spiny neuron (MSN) dendritic spine instability prior to neuronal death. Co-culturing cortical and striatal neurons in vitro promotes the formation of functional CS synapses and is a widely used approach to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of HD and to validate potential synapto-protective therapies. A number of relevant in vivo synaptic phenotypes from the YAC128 HD mouse model, which expresses full-length transgenic human mutant HTT, are recapitulated in CS co-culture by 21 days in vitro (DIV). However, striatal spine loss, which occurs in HD patients and in vivo animal models, has been observed in YAC128 CS co-culture in some studies but not in others, leading to difficulties in reproducing and interpreting results. Here, we investigated whether differences in the relative proportion of cortical and striatal neurons alter YAC128 synaptic phenotypes in this model. RESULTS YAC128 MSNs in 1:1 CS co-culture exhibited impaired dendritic length and complexity compared to wild-type, whereas reducing cortical input using a 1:3 CS ratio revealed a dramatic loss of YAC128 MSN dendritic spines. Chimeric experiments determined that this spine instability was primarily cell autonomous, depending largely on mutant HTT expression in striatal neurons. Moreover, we found that spontaneous electrophysiological MSN activity correlated closely with overall dendritic length, with no differences observed between genotypes in 1:3 co-cultures despite significant YAC128 spine loss. Finally, limiting cortical input with a 1:3 CS ratio impaired the basal survival of YAC128 neurons at DIV21, and this was partially selective for dopamine- and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein 32-positive MSNs. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reconcile previous discordant reports of spine loss in this model, and improve the utility and reliability of the CS co-culture for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mandi E Schmidt
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Caodu Buren
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 4834-2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada.,Present address: The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - James P Mackay
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 4834-2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Daphne Cheung
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Louisa Dal Cengio
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry and Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, 4834-2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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47
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Kusko R, Dreymann J, Ross J, Cha Y, Escalante-Chong R, Garcia-Miralles M, Tan LJ, Burczynski ME, Zeskind B, Laifenfeld D, Pouladi M, Geva M, Grossman I, Hayden MR. Large-scale transcriptomic analysis reveals that pridopidine reverses aberrant gene expression and activates neuroprotective pathways in the YAC128 HD mouse. Mol Neurodegener 2018; 13:25. [PMID: 29783994 PMCID: PMC5963017 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-018-0259-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Huntington Disease (HD) is an incurable autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder driven by an expansion repeat giving rise to the mutant huntingtin protein (mHtt), which is known to disrupt a multitude of transcriptional pathways. Pridopidine, a small molecule in development for treatment of HD, has been shown to improve motor symptoms in HD patients. In HD animal models, pridopidine exerts neuroprotective effects and improves behavioral and motor functions. Pridopidine binds primarily to the sigma-1 receptor, (IC50 ~ 100 nM), which mediates its neuroprotective properties, such as rescue of spine density and aberrant calcium signaling in HD neuronal cultures. Pridopidine enhances brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) secretion, which is blocked by putative sigma-1 receptor antagonist NE-100, and was shown to upregulate transcription of genes in the BDNF, glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) pathways in the rat striatum. The impact of different doses of pridopidine on gene expression and transcript splicing in HD across relevant brain regions was explored, utilizing the YAC128 HD mouse model, which carries the entire human mHtt gene containing 128 CAG repeats. Methods RNAseq was analyzed from striatum, cortex, and hippocampus of wild-type and YAC128 mice treated with vehicle, 10 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg pridopidine from the presymptomatic stage (1.5 months of age) until 11.5 months of age in which mice exhibit progressive disease phenotypes. Results The most pronounced transcriptional effect of pridopidine at both doses was observed in the striatum with minimal effects in other regions. In addition, for the first time pridopidine was found to have a dose-dependent impact on alternative exon and junction usage, a regulatory mechanism known to be impaired in HD. In the striatum of YAC128 HD mice, pridopidine treatment initiation prior to symptomatic manifestation rescues the impaired expression of the BDNF, GR, D1R and cAMP pathways. Conclusions Pridopidine has broad effects on restoring transcriptomic disturbances in the striatum, particularly involving synaptic transmission and activating neuroprotective pathways that are disturbed in HD. Benefits of treatment initiation at early disease stages track with trends observed in the clinic. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13024-018-0259-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jennifer Dreymann
- Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Netanya, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Marta Garcia-Miralles
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Liang Juin Tan
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | | | - Ben Zeskind
- Immuneering Corporation, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Daphna Laifenfeld
- Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Netanya, Israel
| | - Mahmoud Pouladi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore.,Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore
| | - Michal Geva
- Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Netanya, Israel
| | - Iris Grossman
- Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Netanya, Israel
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Research and Development, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Netanya, Israel. .,Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore. .,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4H4, Canada. .,Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
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48
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Patankar JV, Wong CK, Morampudi V, Gibson WT, Vallance B, Ioannou GN, Hayden MR. Genetic ablation of Cyp8b1 preserves host metabolic function by repressing steatohepatitis and altering gut microbiota composition. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2018; 314:E418-E432. [PMID: 29066462 PMCID: PMC6008057 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00172.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Both type 2 diabetes (T2D) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are associated with reduced hepatic mitochondrial respiratory capacity. Cholic acid (CA) is the predominant 12α-hydroxylated bile acid that regulates hepatic lipid metabolism, and its circulating levels are negatively correlated with insulin resistance. Abolishing CA synthesis via the genetic disruption of the enzyme sterol 12α-hydroxylase ( Cyp8b1-/-) leads in resistance to diabetes and hepatic steatosis. Here, we show that long-term stimulation of hepatic lipogenesis leads to a severe impairment in overall metabolic and respiratory function in control mice ( Cyp8b1+/+) but strikingly not in Cyp8b1-/- mice. Cyp8b1-/- mice are protected from such metabolic impairments associated with T2D and NASH by inhibiting hepatic de novo lipogenic gene and protein expression and altering gut microbiota composition. The protective phenotype is compromised when NASH induction is independent of impairment in de novo lipogenesis (DNL). Consequently, Cyp8b1-/- mice also show a reduction in hepatic inflammation and fibrosis along with a shift in antimicrobial dynamics in the small intestine. Our data show that the altered bile acid composition of Cyp8b1-/- mice preserves metabolic and respiratory function by repressing hepatic DNL and driving favorable changes in gut antimicrobial responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay V Patankar
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - Chi K Wong
- Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - Vijay Morampudi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - William T Gibson
- Child and Family Research Institute, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - Bruce Vallance
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Child and Family Research Institute, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
| | - George N Ioannou
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and University of Washington , Seattle, Washington
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, British Columbia , Canada
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49
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Kay C, Collins JA, Wright GEB, Baine F, Miedzybrodzka Z, Aminkeng F, Semaka AJ, McDonald C, Davidson M, Madore SJ, Gordon ES, Gerry NP, Cornejo-Olivas M, Squitieri F, Tishkoff S, Greenberg JL, Krause A, Hayden MR. The molecular epidemiology of Huntington disease is related to intermediate allele frequency and haplotype in the general population. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2018; 177:346-357. [PMID: 29460498 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is the most common monogenic neurodegenerative disorder in populations of European ancestry, but occurs at lower prevalence in populations of East Asian or black African descent. New mutations for HD result from CAG repeat expansions of intermediate alleles (IAs), usually of paternal origin. The differing prevalence of HD may be related to the rate of new mutations in a population, but no comparative estimates of IA frequency or the HD new mutation rate are available. In this study, we characterize IA frequency and the CAG repeat distribution in fifteen populations of diverse ethnic origin. We estimate the HD new mutation rate in a series of populations using molecular IA expansion rates. The frequency of IAs was highest in Hispanic Americans and Northern Europeans, and lowest in black Africans and East Asians. The prevalence of HD correlated with the frequency of IAs by population and with the proportion of IAs found on the HD-associated A1 haplotype. The HD new mutation rate was estimated to be highest in populations with the highest frequency of IAs. In European ancestry populations, one in 5,372 individuals from the general population and 7.1% of individuals with an expanded CAG repeat in the HD range are estimated to have a molecular new mutation. Our data suggest that the new mutation rate for HD varies substantially between populations, and that IA frequency and haplotype are closely linked to observed epidemiological differences in the prevalence of HD across major ancestry groups in different countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Kay
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jennifer A Collins
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Galen E B Wright
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Fiona Baine
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Human Genetics, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Zosia Miedzybrodzka
- Medical Genetics Group, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Folefac Aminkeng
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
| | - Alicia J Semaka
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Cassandra McDonald
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mark Davidson
- Medical Genetics Group, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Steven J Madore
- Molecular Biology Group, Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey
| | - Erynn S Gordon
- Molecular Biology Group, Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey
| | - Norman P Gerry
- Molecular Biology Group, Coriell Institute for Medical Research, Camden, New Jersey
| | - Mario Cornejo-Olivas
- Neurogenetics Research Center, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurologicas, Lima, Peru
| | - Ferdinando Squitieri
- IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, Huntington and Rare Diseases Unit (CSS-Mendel Rome), San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Sarah Tishkoff
- Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jacquie L Greenberg
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Amanda Krause
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Michael R Hayden
- Centre for Molecular Medicine Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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50
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Ladha S, Qiu X, Casal L, Caron NS, Ehrnhoefer DE, Hayden MR. Constitutive ablation of caspase-6 reduces the inflammatory response and behavioural changes caused by peripheral pro-inflammatory stimuli. Cell Death Discov 2018; 4:40. [PMID: 29560279 PMCID: PMC5849887 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-018-0043-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally, the family of caspases has been subcategorised according to their respective main roles in mediating apoptosis or inflammation. However, recent studies have revealed that caspases participate in diverse cellular functions beyond their canonical roles. Caspase-6 (C6) is one such protease known for its role as a pro-apoptotic executioner caspase and its aberrant activity in several neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to apoptosis, C6 has been shown to regulate B-cell activation and differentiation in plasma cells as well as macrophage activation. Furthermore, C6 has recently been postulated to play a role in mediating the inflammatory response through the production of TNF-α. In this study we further examine the role of C6 in mediating the inflammatory response and its contribution to the manifestation of behavioural abnormalities in mice. We find that C6 is a positive regulator of TNF-α transcription in macrophages and that ablation of C6 reduces lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TNF-α levels in plasma. Furthermore, loss of C6 attenuates LPS-induced behavioural changes in mice and protects neurons from cytokine-mediated toxicity. These data further support the involvement of C6 in the inflammatory response and point to a previously unknown role for C6 in the pathophysiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safia Ladha
- 1Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT), CFRI, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Xiaofan Qiu
- 1Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT), CFRI, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Lorenzo Casal
- 1Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT), CFRI, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Nicholas S Caron
- 1Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT), CFRI, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
| | - Dagmar E Ehrnhoefer
- 1Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT), CFRI, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada.,Present Address: BioMed X Innovation Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael R Hayden
- 1Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics (CMMT), CFRI, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4 Canada
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