Alzheimer & Parkinson
Global collaboration is key to decoding Alzheimer's disease
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The Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium: biomarker and drug target discovery for common neurodegenerative diseases and aging
More than 57 million people globally suffer from neurodegenerative diseases, a figure expected to double every 20 years. Despite this growing burden, there are currently no cures, and treatment options remain limited due to disease heterogeneity, prolonged preclinical and prodromal phases, poor understanding of disease mechanisms, and diagnostic challenges. Identifying novel biomarkers is crucial for improving early detection, prognosis, staging and subtyping of these conditions....
APOE ε4 carriers share immune-related proteomic changes across neurodegenerative diseases
The APOE ε4 genetic variant is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is increasingly being implicated in other neurodegenerative diseases. Using the Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium SomaScan dataset covering 1,346 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and 9,924 plasma samples, we used machine learning-based proteome profiling to identify an APOE ε4 proteomic signature shared across individuals with AD, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Parkinson's disease...
Shared and disease-specific pathways in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), exhibit distinct yet overlapping pathological mechanisms. Leveraging large-scale plasma proteomics data from the Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium, we analyzed 10,527 plasma samples (1,936 AD, 525 PD, 163 FTD, 1,638 dementia and 6,265 controls) to identify disease-specific and shared proteins across NDs. We identified 5,187 proteins significantly associated...
The Rab3 family proteins in age-related neurodegeneration: unraveling molecular pathways and potential therapeutic targets
The Rab3 protein family is composed of a series of small GTP-binding proteins, including Rab3a, Rab3b, Rab3c, and Rab3d, termed Rab3s. They play crucial roles in health, including in brain function, such as through the regulation of synaptic transmission and neuronal activities. In the high-energy-demanding and high-traffic neurons, the Rab3s regulate essential cellular processes, including trafficking of synaptic vesicles and lysosomal positioning, which are pivotal for the maintenance of...
Response of spatially defined microglia states with distinct chromatin accessibility in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
Microglial spatial heterogeneity remains a crucial yet not fully answered question in the context of potential cell-directed therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). There is an unclear understanding of the dynamics of distinct microglia states adjacent to or far from amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques and their contributions to neurodegenerative diseases. Here we combine multicolor fluorescence cell fate mapping, single-cell transcriptional analysis, epigenetic profiling, immunohistochemistry and...
Targeting PBK with small-molecule 1-<em>O</em>-acetyl-4<em>R</em>,6<em>S</em>-britannilactone for the treatment of neuroinflammation
Neuroinflammation is a complex immunological phenomenon characterized by a dysregulated inflammatory response in the central nervous system (CNS) that can be triggered by various pathological injuries, such as toxins, which are involved in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases (PD and AD), therefore, suppressing neuroinflammation serves as an effective treatment for CNS diseases. Herein, we found that natural soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitor 1-O-acetyl-4R,6S-britannilactone (AB)...
Amyloid-β modulates the phase separation and aggregation of α-synuclein
The aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) and α-synuclein (αSyn) into insoluble proteinaceous deposits is a hallmark of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Recent evidence suggests that these amyloidogenic proteins act in synergy, with their coaggregation frequently observed in these disorders. In this study, we investigate the interaction of Aβ and αSyn using various biophysical tools. In particular, we explore the cocondensation of Aβ with αSyn, elucidating the pathways through which Aβ modulates...
Human stem cell-derived GABAergic interneuron development reveals early emergence of subtype diversity and gradual electrochemical maturation
Medial ganglionic eminence-derived inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABAergic) pallial interneurons (MGE-pINs) are essential regulators of cortical circuits, and their dysfunction is associated with neurological disorders. We developed human MGE-pINs from pluripotent stem cells for the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. Here, we analyzed xenografted MGE-pINs from human pluripotent stem cells (hMGE-pINs) over the lifespan of host mice in healthy and epileptic environments using single-nuclei...
Microglia-neuron crosstalk in Alzheimer's disease: an exploration of molecular mechanisms and pathological implications
Microglia, the resident immune sentinels of the central nervous system (CNS), engage in dynamic crosstalk with neurons, the principal units of information transmission, to maintain CNS homeostasis. Emerging research has established that dysregulation of this intricate communication network critically contributes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis, offering novel insights for therapeutic development. In this review, we dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying multifaceted...
Burst firing in Alzheimer's disease: A shift beyond amyloid?
In this issue of Cell, Harris et al. reveal that high-molecular-weight soluble tau-rather than amyloid-beta-impairs burst firing in hippocampal neurons, providing a mechanistic link to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. This disruption, linked to CaV2.3 downregulation, highlights soluble tau as a key driver of neuronal dysfunction and a promising therapeutic target.
Triglyceride metabolism controls inflammation and microglial phenotypes associated with APOE4
Changes to cellular lipids accompany shifts in microglial cell state, but the functional significance of these metabolic changes remains poorly understood. In human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia, we observed that both extrinsic activation (by lipopolysaccharide treatment) and intrinsic triggers (the Alzheimer's disease-associated APOE4 genotype) result in accumulation of triglyceride-rich lipid droplets. We demonstrate that lipid droplet accumulation is not simply concomitant...
Synaptic loss pattern is constrained by brain connectome and modulated by phosphorylated tau in Alzheimer's disease
Synaptic loss strongly correlates with cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD), yet the mechanism linking its origin and pattern remain unclear. Given that connected brain regions share molecular and synaptic features, and pathological tau, a key driver of synaptic degeneration, propagates through brain networks, we hypothesize that network architecture may influence synaptic loss in AD. By combining synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 A (SV2A) PET in 91 AD patients and 54 controls with...
Abnormal hyperactivity of specific striatal ensembles encodes distinct dyskinetic behaviors revealed by high-resolution clustering
L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LID) is a debilitating complication of dopamine replacement therapy in Parkinson's disease and the most common hyperkinetic disorder of basal ganglia origin. Abnormal activity of striatal D1 and D2 spiny projection neurons (SPNs) is critical for LID, yet the link between SPN activity patterns and specific dyskinetic movements remains unknown. To explore this, we implemented a data-driven method for clustering movements based on high-resolution motion sensors and video...
Glymphatic dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease: A critical appraisal
Thirteen years after the initial publication defining the glymphatic system, we critically reappraise the role of its dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our understanding of glymphatic function and its involvement in the pathogenesis of AD derives primarily from correlative clinical data and rodent studies. A causal role for glymphatic dysfunction in AD has not yet been established in humans. We review current approaches to assess glymphatic function clinically, which capture different...
Telomeric repeat-containing RNA increases in aged human cells
Telomeric repeat-containing RNA (TERRA), transcribed from subtelomeric regions toward telomeric ends, poses challenges in deciphering its complete sequences. Utilizing TERRA-capture RNA-seq and Oxford Nanopore direct RNA sequencing to acquire full-length TERRA, we annotate TERRA transcription regions in the human T2T-CHM13 reference genome. TERRA transcripts encompass hundreds to over a thousand nucleotides of telomeric repeats, predominantly originating from 61-29-37 bp repeat promoters...
How short peptides disassemble tau fibrils in Alzheimer's disease
Reducing fibrous aggregates of the protein tau is a possible strategy for halting the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD)¹. Previously, we found that in vitro, the D-enantiomeric peptide (D-peptide) D-TLKIVWC disassembles ultra-stable tau fibrils extracted from the autopsied brains of individuals with AD (hereafter, these tau fibrils are referred to as AD-tau) into benign segments, with no energy source other than ambient thermal agitation². To consider D-peptide-mediated disassembly as a...
Plasma proteomics links brain and immune system aging with healthspan and longevity
Plasma proteins derived from specific organs can estimate organ age and mortality, but their sensitivity to environmental factors and their robustness in forecasting onset of organ diseases and mortality remain unclear. To address this gap, we estimate the biological age of 11 organs using plasma proteomics data (2,916 proteins) from 44,498 individuals in the UK Biobank. Organ age estimates were sensitive to lifestyle factors and medications and were associated with future onset (within 17...
Synthetic efferocytic receptor microglia enhances anti-inflammatory clearance of amyloid-β for AD treatment in mice
Monoclonal antibody immunotherapy targeting the clearance of amyloid-β (Aβ) has shown promise in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, current antibody treatments trigger Fc receptors and induce proinflammatory responses, in turn exacerbating neuronal damage. Here, we report a synthetic efferocytic receptor (SER) integrating Aβ-targeting scFv, efferocytosis receptor backbone based on TIM4 and downstream signal for microglia (MG) reprogramming, which enabled selective elimination of Aβ without...
Mutant α-synuclein takes down autophagy
Parkinson's disease-associated α-synuclein impairs autophagy by hijacking the cell's acetylation machinery.
Alzheimer and Parkinson: Latest results from PubMed
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