Alzheimer & Parkinson

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive accumulation of abnormal α-synuclein (α-syn) within dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra region of the brain. Despite excessive accumulation of α-syn being key to the pathogenesis of PD, the mechanisms governing its clearance remain elusive. In this study, we found that the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) system plays a crucial role in capturing and facilitating the...

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) containing intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) are present in diverse molecular complexes where they function as dynamic regulators. Their characteristics promote liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) and the formation of membraneless organelles such as stress granules and nucleoli. IDR-RBPs are particularly relevant in the nervous system and their dysfunction is associated with neurodegenerative diseases and brain tumor development. Serpine1 mRNA-binding protein...

Dementia, characterized by loss of cognitive abilities in the elderly, poses a significant global health challenge. This study explores the role of astrocytes, one of most representative glial cells in the brain, in mitigating cognitive decline. Specifically, we investigated the impact of Hevin (also known as SPARC-like1/SPARCL-1), a secreted glycoprotein, on cognitive decline in both normal and pathological brain aging. By using adeno-associated viruses, we overexpressed Hevin in hippocampal...

Murine models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) are crucial for elucidating disease mechanisms but have limitations in fully representing AD molecular complexities. Here we present the comprehensive, age-dependent brain proteome and phosphoproteome across multiple mouse models of amyloidosis. We identified shared pathways by integrating with human metadata and prioritized components by multi-omics analysis. Collectively, two commonly used models (5xFAD and APP-KI) replicate 30% of the human protein...

Missense mutations in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin-1 (PSEN1) cause early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) and alter proteolytic production of secreted 38-to-43-residue amyloid β-peptides (Aβ) by the PSEN1-containing γ-secretase complex, ostensibly supporting the amyloid hypothesis of pathogenesis. However, proteolysis of APP substrate by γ-secretase is processive, involving initial endoproteolysis to produce long Aβ peptides of 48 or 49 residues followed by...

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We conducted an in-depth longitudinal study on an individual carrying the presenilin 2 p.Asn141Ile mutation, traditionally associated with dominantly inherited Alzheimer's disease (AD), who has remarkably remained asymptomatic past the expected age of clinical onset. This study combines genetic, neuroimaging and biomarker analyses to explore the underpinnings of this resilience. Unlike typical progression in dominantly inherited AD, tau pathology in this case was confined to the occipital region...

Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) with little or no quantifiable insoluble brain tau neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) pathology demonstrate stronger clinical benefits of therapies than those with advanced NFTs. The formation of NFTs can be prevented by targeting the intermediate soluble tau assemblies (STAs). However, biochemical understanding and biomarkers of STAs are lacking. We show that Tris-buffered saline-soluble tau aggregates from autopsy-verified AD brain tissues include the core...

Cell surface receptors, including erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular A4 (EphA4), are important in regulating hippocampal synapse loss, which is the key driver of memory decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the cell-specific roles and mechanisms of EphA4 are unclear. Here, we show that EphA4 expression is elevated in hippocampal CA1 astrocytes in AD conditions. Specific knockout of astrocytic EphA4 ameliorates excitatory synapse loss in the hippocampus in AD transgenic mouse models....

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, neurotransmitter imbalance, tau hyperphosphorylation, and amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation in brain regions. The gut microbiota (GM) has a major impact on brain function due to its bidirectional interaction with the gut through the gut-brain axis. The gut dysbiosis has been associated with neurological disorders, emphasizing the importance of gut...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a leading cause of dementia, affecting more than 24.3 million people worldwide in 2024. Sporadic AD (SAD) is more common and occurs in the geriatric population, while familial AD (FAD) is rare and appears before the age of 65 years. Due to progressive cholinergic neuronal loss and modulation in the PKC/MAPK pathway, β-secretase gets upregulated, leading to Aβ aggregation, which further activates tau kinases that form neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Simultaneously,...

Flavonoids are a broad family of polyphenolic chemicals that are present in a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. Because of their neuroprotective qualities, flavonoids have attracted a lot of interest. The potential of flavonoids to control synaptic plasticity-a crucial process underlying memory, learning, and cognitive function-is becoming more and more clear. Dysregulation of synaptic plasticity is a feature of neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral...

BACKGROUND: GLP-1 receptor agonists have neurotrophic properties in in-vitro and in-vivo models of Parkinson's disease and results of epidemiological studies and small randomised trials have suggested possible benefits for risk and progression of Parkinson's disease. We aimed to establish whether the GLP-1 receptor agonist, exenatide, could slow the rate of progression of Parkinson's disease.

Aspirin is a potent lysine acetylation inducer, but its impact on lysine ubiquitination and ubiquitination-directed protein degradation is unclear. Herein, we develop the reversed-pulsed-SILAC strategy to systematically profile protein degradome in response to aspirin. By integrating degradome, acetylome, and ubiquitinome analyses, we show that aspirin impairs proteasome activity to inhibit proteasomal degradation, rather than directly suppressing lysine ubiquitination. Interestingly, aspirin...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative brain disease and represents the most frequent type of dementia characterized by cognitive impairment and amnesia. AD neuropathology is connected to the development of synaptic dysfunction and loss of synaptic homeostasis due to an imbalance in the production and clearance of β-amyloid (Aβ) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). However, AD neuropathology is complex and may relate to the deposition of other misfolded...

An artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled electrocardiogram (ECG) model has been developed in a healthy adult population to predict ECG biological age (ECG-BA). This ECG-BA exhibited a robust correlation with chronological age (CA) in healthy adults and additionally significantly enhanced the prediction of aging-related diseases' onset in adults with subclinical diseases. The model showed particularly strong predictive power for cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular diseases such as stroke,...

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease and is difficult to treat due to its elusive mechanisms. Recent studies have identified a striking association between oligodendrocytes and PD progression, yet how oligodendrocytes regulate the pathogenesis of PD is still unknown. Here, we show that G-protein-coupled receptor 37 (GPR37) is upregulated in oligodendrocytes of the substantia nigra and that prosaposin (PSAP) secretion is increased in parkinsonian mice. The released PSAP...

The ubiquitin kinase and ligase PINK1 and PRKN together label damaged mitochondria for their elimination in lysosomes by selective autophagy (mitophagy). This cytoprotective quality control pathway is genetically linked to familial Parkinson disease but is also altered during aging and in other neurodegenerative disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms of these mitophagy changes remain uncertain. In healthy mitochondria, PINK1 protein is continuously imported, cleaved, and degraded, but...

Aging leads to progressive decline in organ and tissue integrity and function, partly due to loss of proteostasis and autophagy malfunctioning. A decrease with age in chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), a selective type of lysosomal degradation, has been reported in various organs and cells from rodents and humans. Disruption of CMA recapitulates features of aging, whereas activating CMA in mice protects against age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's, retinal degeneration and/or...