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Marschallinger J, Altendorfer B, Rockenstein E, Holztrattner M, Garnweidner-Raith J, Pillichshammer N, Leister I, Hutter-Paier B, Strempfl K, Unger MS, Chishty M, Felder T, Johnson M, Attems J, Masliah E, Aigner L. The Leukotriene Receptor Antagonist Montelukast Reduces Alpha-Synuclein Load and Restores Memory in an Animal Model of Dementia with Lewy Bodies. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:1061-1074. [PMID: 32072462 PMCID: PMC7609773 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00836-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [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] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) represents a huge medical need as it accounts for up to 30% of all dementia cases, and there is no cure available. The underyling spectrum of pathology is complex and creates a challenge for targeted molecular therapies. We here tested the hypothesis that leukotrienes are involved in the pathology of DLB and that blocking leukotrienes through Montelukast, a leukotriene receptor antagonist and approved anti-asthmatic drug, might alleviate pathology and restore cognitive functions. Expression of 5-lipoxygenase, the rate-limiting enzyme for leukotriene production, was indeed elevated in brains with DLB. Treatment of cognitively deficient human alpha-synuclein overexpressing transgenic mice with Montelukast restored memory. Montelukast treatment resulted in modulation of beclin-1 expression, a marker for autophagy, and in a reduction in the human alpha-synulcein load in the transgenic mice. Reducing the protein aggregation load in neurodegenerative diseases might be a novel model of action of Montelukast. Moreover, this work presents leukotriene signaling as a potential drug target for DLB and shows that Montelukast might be a promising drug candidate for future DLB therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Marschallinger
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Barbara Altendorfer
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Edward Rockenstein
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Miriam Holztrattner
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Julia Garnweidner-Raith
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Nadine Pillichshammer
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Iris Leister
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Katharina Strempfl
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- QPS Austria GmbH, Neuropharmacology, Grambach, Austria
| | - Michael S Unger
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Thomas Felder
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Mary Johnson
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Johannes Attems
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Eliezer Masliah
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | - Ludwig Aigner
- Institute of Molecular Regenerative Medicine, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
- Spinal Cord Injury and Tissue Regeneration Center Salzburg (SCI-TReCS), Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
- Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Vienna, Austria.
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