Mitophagy is activated by a number of stimuli, including hypoxia, energy stress, and increased oxidative phosphorylation activity. Mitophagy is associated with oxidative stress conditions and central neurodegenerative...Mitophagy is activated by a number of stimuli, including hypoxia, energy stress, and increased oxidative phosphorylation activity. Mitophagy is associated with oxidative stress conditions and central neurodegenerative diseases. Proper regulation of mitophagy is crucial for maintaining homeostasis; conversely, inadequate removal of mitochondria through mitophagy leads to the generation of oxidative species, including reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species, resulting in various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These diseases are most prevalent in older adults whose bodies fail to maintain proper mitophagic functions to combat oxidative species. As mitophagy is essential for normal body function, by targeting mitophagic pathways we can improve these disease conditions. The search for effective remedies to treat these disease conditions is an ongoing process, which is why more studies are needed. Additionally, more relevant studies could help establish therapeutic conditions, which are currently in high demand. In this review, we discuss how mitophagy plays a significant role in homeostasis and how its dysregulation causes neurodegeneration. We also discuss how combating oxidative species and targeting mitophagy can help treat these neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Progressively loss of neural and glial cells is the key event that leads to nervous system dysfunctions and diseases. Several neurodegenerative diseases, for instance Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ...Progressively loss of neural and glial cells is the key event that leads to nervous system dysfunctions and diseases. Several neurodegenerative diseases, for instance Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, are associated to aging and suggested to be a consequence of deficiency of neural stem cell pool in the affected brain regions. Endogenous neural stem cells exist throughout life and are found inspecific niches of human brain. These neural stem cells are responsible for the regeneration of new neurons to restore, in the normal circumstance, the functions of the brain. Endogenous neural stem cells can be isolated, propagated, and, notably, differentiated to most cell types of the brain. On the other hand, other types of stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells can also serve as a source for neural stem cell production, that hold a great promise for regeneration of the brain. The replacement of neural stem cells, either endogenous or stem cell-derived neural stem cells, into impaired brain is highly expected as a possible therapeutic mean for neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, clinical features and current routinely treatments of agerelated neurodegenerative diseases are documented. Noteworthy, we presented the promising evidence of neural stem cells and their derivatives in curing such diseases, together with the remaining challenges to achieve the best outcome for patients.展开更多
Biomarkers are very important indicators of normal and abnormal biological processes. Specific changes in pathologies, biochemistries and genetics can give us comprehensive information regarding the nature of any part...Biomarkers are very important indicators of normal and abnormal biological processes. Specific changes in pathologies, biochemistries and genetics can give us comprehensive information regarding the nature of any particular disease. A good biomarker should be precise and reliable, distinguishable between normal and interested disease, and differential between different diseases. It is believed that biomarkers have great potential in predicting chances for diseases, aiding in early diagnosis, and setting standards for the development of new remedies to treat diseases. New technologies have enabled scientists to identify biomarkers of several different neurodegenerative diseases. The followings, for instance, are only a few of the many new biomarkers that have been recently identified: the phosphorylated tau protein and aggregated β-amyloid peptide for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), α-synuclein contained Lewy bodies and altered dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging for Parkinson’s disease (PD), SOD mutations for familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and CAG repeats resulted from Huntington’s gene mutations in Huntington’s disease (HD). This article will focus on the most-recent findings of biomarkers belonging to the four mentioned neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Glutamate is the most commonly engaged neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system,acting to mediate excitatory neurotransmission.However,high levels of glutamatergic input elicit excitotoxicity,contribut...Glutamate is the most commonly engaged neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system,acting to mediate excitatory neurotransmission.However,high levels of glutamatergic input elicit excitotoxicity,contribut-ing to neuronal cell death following acute brain injuries such as stroke and trauma.While excitotoxic cell death has also been implicated in some neurodegenerative disease models,the role of acute apoptotic cell death remains controversial in the setting of chronic neurodegeneration.Nevertheless,it is clear that excitatory synaptic dysregula-tion contributes to neurodegeneration,as evidenced by protective effects of partial N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists.Here,we review evidence for sublethal excitatory injuries in relation to neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease,Alzheimer’s disease,amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington’s disease.In contrast to classic excitotoxicity,emerging evidence implicates dysregulation of mitochondrial calcium handling in excitatory post-synaptic neurodegeneration.We discuss mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial calcium uptake and release,the impact of LRRK2,PINK1,Parkin,beta-amyloid and glucocerebrosidase on mitochondrial calcium transporters,and the role of autophagic mitochondrial loss in axodendritic shrinkage.Finally,we discuss strategies for normalizing the flux of calcium into and out of the mitochondrial matrix,thereby preventing mitochondrial calcium toxicity and excitotoxic dendritic loss.While the mechanisms that underlie increased uptake or decreased release of mitochondrial calcium vary in different model systems,a common set of strategies to normalize mitochondrial calcium flux can prevent excitatory mitochondrial toxicity and may be neuroprotective in multiple disease contexts.展开更多
The onset and mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases remain uncertain. The main features of neurodegenerative diseases have been related with cellular and molecular events like neuronal loss, mitochondrial d...The onset and mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases remain uncertain. The main features of neurodegenerative diseases have been related with cellular and molecular events like neuronal loss, mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant accumulation of misfolded proteins or peptides in specific areas of the brain. The most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases belonging to age-related pathologies are Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Interestingly, mitochondrial dysfunction has been observed to occur during the early onset of several neuropathological events associated to neurodegenerative diseases. The master regulator of mitochondrial quality control and energetic metabolism is the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha(PGC-1α). Additionally, it has been observed that PGC-1α appears to be a key factor in maintaining neuronal survival and synaptic transmission. In fact, PGC-1α downregulation in different brain areas(hippocampus, substantia nigra, cortex, striatum and spinal cord) that occurs in function of neurological damage including oxidative stress, neuronal loss, and motor disorders has been seen in several animal and cellular models of neurodegenerative diseases. Current evidence indicates that PGC-1α upregulation may serve as a potent therapeutic approach against development and progression of neuronal damage. Remarkably, increasing evidence shows that PGC-1α deficient mice have neurodegenerative diseases-like features, as well as neurological abnormalities. Finally, we discuss recent studies showing novel specific PGC-1α isoforms in the central nervous system that appear to exert a key role in the age of onset of neurodegenerative diseases and have a neuroprotective function in the central nervous system, thus opening a new molecular strategy for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of the PGC-1α role in the展开更多
Common neurodegenerative diseases include Parkinson’s disease(PD),Alzheimer’s disease(AD),amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)and Huntington’s disease(HD).Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS)is a noninvasive and pa...Common neurodegenerative diseases include Parkinson’s disease(PD),Alzheimer’s disease(AD),amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)and Huntington’s disease(HD).Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS)is a noninvasive and painless method to stimulate the human brain.Single-and paired-pulse TMS paradigms are powerful ways to study the pathophysiological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.Motor evoked potential studied with single-pulse TMS is increased in PD,AD and ALS,but is decreased in HD.Changes in motor cortical excitability in neurodegenerative diseases may be related to functional deficits in cortical circuits or to compensatory mechanisms.Reduction or even absence of short interval intracortical inhibition induced by paired-pulse TMS is common in neurodegenerative diseases,suggesting that there are functional impairments of inhibitory cortical circuits.Decreased short latency afferent inhibition in AD,PD and HD may be related to the cortical cholinergic deficits in these conditions.Cortical plasticity tested by paired associative stimulation or theta burst stimulation is impaired in PD,AD and HD.Repetitive TMS(rTMS)refers to the application of trains of regularly repeating TMS pulses.High-frequency facilitatory rTMS may improve motor symptoms in PD patients whereas low-frequency inhibitory stimulation is a potential treatment for levodopa induced dyskinesia.rTMS delivered both to the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves memory in AD patients.Supplementary motor cortical stimulation in low frequency may be useful for HD patients.However,the effects of treatment with multiple sessions of rTMS for neurodegenerative diseases need to be tested in large,sham-controlled studies in the future before they can be adopted for routine clinical practice.展开更多
Studies in neurodegenerative diseases,including Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,Huntington’s disease,and so on,have suggested that inflammation is not only a result of neur...Studies in neurodegenerative diseases,including Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,Huntington’s disease,and so on,have suggested that inflammation is not only a result of neurodegeneration but also a crucial player in this process.Protein aggregates which are very common pathological phenomenon in neurodegeneration can induce neuroinflammation which further aggravates protein aggregation and neurodegeneration.Actually,inflammation even happens earlier than protein aggregation.Neuroinflammation induced by genetic variations in CNS cells or by peripheral immune cells may induce protein deposition in some susceptible population.Numerous signaling pathways and a range of CNS cells have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration,although they are still far from being completely understood.Due to the limited success of traditional treatment methods,blocking or enhancing inflammatory signaling pathways involved in neurodegeneration are considered to be promising strategies for the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases,and many of them have got exciting results in animal models or clinical trials.Some of them,although very few,have been approved by FDA for clinical usage.Here we comprehensively review the factors affecting neuroinflammation and the major inflammatory signaling pathways involved in the pathogenicity of neurodegenerative diseases,including Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease,and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.We also summarize the current strategies,both in animal models and in the clinic,for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Progress to date from our group and others indicate that using genetically-engineered mesenchymal stem cells（MSC） to secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor（BDNF） supports our plan to submit an Investigational N...Progress to date from our group and others indicate that using genetically-engineered mesenchymal stem cells（MSC） to secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor（BDNF） supports our plan to submit an Investigational New Drug application to the Food and Drug Administration for the future planned Phase 1 safety and tolerability trial of MSC/BDNF in patients with Huntington＇s disease（HD）. There are also potential applications of this approach beyond HD. Our biological delivery system for BDNF sets the precedent for adult stem cell therapy in the brain and could potentially be modified for other neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis（ALS）, spinocerebellar ataxia（SCA）, Alzheimer＇s disease, and some forms of Parkinson＇s disease. The MSC/BDNF product could also be considered for studies of regeneration in traumatic brain injury, spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. This work also provides a platform for our future gene editing studies, since we will again use MSCs to deliver the needed molecules into the central nervous system.展开更多
Gene therapy is rapidly emerging as a powerful therapeutic strategy for a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease(AD), Parkinson’s disease(PD) and Huntington’s disease(HD). Some ear...Gene therapy is rapidly emerging as a powerful therapeutic strategy for a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease(AD), Parkinson’s disease(PD) and Huntington’s disease(HD). Some early clinical trials have failed to achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects. Efforts to enhance effectiveness are now concentrating on three major fields: identification of new vectors,novel therapeutic targets, and reliable of delivery routes for transgenes. These approaches are being assessed closely in preclinical and clinical trials, which may ultimately provide powerful treatments for patients. Here, we discuss advances and challenges of gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders,highlighting promising technologies, targets, and future prospects.展开更多
Berberine(BBR) is an organic small molecule isolated from various plants that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Isolation of this compound was its induction into modern medicine, and its usefulness becam...Berberine(BBR) is an organic small molecule isolated from various plants that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Isolation of this compound was its induction into modern medicine, and its usefulness became quickly apparent as seen in its ability to combat bacterial diarrhea, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, inflammation, heart diseases, and more. However, BBR's effects on neurodegenerative diseases remained relatively unexplored until its ability to stunt Alzheimer's disease(AD) progression was characterized. In this review, we will delve into the multi-faceted defensive capabilities and bio-molecular pathways of BBR against AD, Parkinson's disease(PD), and trauma-induced neurodegeneration. The multiple effects of BBR, some of which enhance neuro-protective factors/pathways and others counteract targets that induce neurodegeneration, suggest that there are many more branches to the diverse capabilities of BBR that have yet to be uncovered. The promising results seen provide a convincing and substantial basis to support further scientific exploration and development of the therapeutic potential of BBR against neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Common neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system are characterized by progressive damage to the function of neurons, even leading to the permanent loss of function. Gene therapy via gene replacement or ...Common neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system are characterized by progressive damage to the function of neurons, even leading to the permanent loss of function. Gene therapy via gene replacement or gene correction provides the potential for transformative therapies to delay or possibly stop further progression of the neurodegenerative disease in affected patients. Adeno-associated virus has been the vector of choice in recent clinical trials of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases due to its safety and efficiency in mediating gene transfer to the central nervous system. This review aims to discuss and summarize the progress and clinical applications of adeno-associated virus in neurodegenerative disease in central nervous system. Results from some clinical trials and successful cases of central neurodegenerative diseases deserve further study and exploration.展开更多
Exosomes are cup-shaped extracellular vesicles with a lipid bilayer that is approximately 30 to 200 nm in thickness.Exosomes are widely distributed in a range of body fluids,including urine,blood,milk,and saliva.Exoso...Exosomes are cup-shaped extracellular vesicles with a lipid bilayer that is approximately 30 to 200 nm in thickness.Exosomes are widely distributed in a range of body fluids,including urine,blood,milk,and saliva.Exosomes exert biological function by transporting factors between different cells and by regulating biological pathways in recipient cells.As an important form of intercellular communication,exosomes are increasingly being investigated due to their ability to transfer bioactive molecules such as lipids,proteins,mRNAs,and microRNAs between cells,and because they can regulate physiological and pathological processes in the central nervous system.Adult neurogenesis is a multistage process by which new neurons are generated and migrate to be integrated into existing neuronal circuits.In the adult brain,neurogenesis is mainly localized in two specialized niches:the subventricular zone adjacent to the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus.An increasing body of evidence indicates that adult neurogenesis is tightly controlled by environmental conditions with the niches.In recent studies,exosomes released from different sources of cells were shown to play an active role in regulating neurogenesis both in vitro and in vivo,thereby participating in the progression of neurodegenerative disorders in patients and in various disease models.Here,we provide a state-of-the-art synopsis of existing research that aimed to identify the diverse components of exosome cargoes and elucidate the therapeutic potential of exosomal contents in the regulation of neurogenesis in several neurodegenerative diseases.We emphasize that exosomal cargoes could serve as a potential biomarker to monitor functional neurogenesis in adults.In addition,exosomes can also be considered as a novel therapeutic approach to treat various neurodegenerative disorders by improving endogenous neurogenesis to mitigate neuronal loss in the central nervous system.展开更多
Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion mutation of a cytosine-adenine-guanine triplet in the exon 1 of the HTT gene which is responsible for the production of the huntingtin (Htt)...Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion mutation of a cytosine-adenine-guanine triplet in the exon 1 of the HTT gene which is responsible for the production of the huntingtin (Htt) protein. In physiological conditions, Htt is involved in many cellular processes such as cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, energy metabolism regulation, DNA maintenance, axonal trafficking, and antiapoptotic activity. When the genetic alteration is present, the production of a mutant version of Htt (mHtt) occurs, which is characterized by a plethora of pathogenic activities that, finally, lead to cell death. Among all the cells in which mHtt exerts its dangerous activity, the GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons seem to be the most affected by the mHtt-induced excitotoxicity both in the cortex and in the striatum. However, as the neurodegeneration proceeds ahead the neuronal loss grows also in other brain areas such as the cerebellum, hypothalamus, thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, and substantia nigra, determining the variety of symptoms that characterize Huntington’s disease. From a clinical point of view, Huntington’s disease is characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms spanning from motor impairment to cognitive disorders and dementia. Huntington’s disease shows a prevalence of around 3.92 cases every 100,000 worldwide and an incidence of 0.48 new cases every 100,000/year. To date, there is no available cure for Huntington’s disease. Several treatments have been developed so far, aiming to reduce the severity of one or more symptoms to slow down the inexorable decline caused by the disease. In this context, the search for reliable strategies to target the different aspects of Huntington’s disease become of the utmost interest. In recent years, a variety of studies demonstrated the detrimental role of neuronal loss in Huntington’s disease condition highlighting how the replacement of lost cells would be a reasonable strategy to overcome the neurodegeneration. In 展开更多
Huntington'sdisease(HD)isahereditary neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no effectivetreatmentavailable.Consequently,the development of appropriate disease models is critical to thoroughly inve...Huntington'sdisease(HD)isahereditary neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no effectivetreatmentavailable.Consequently,the development of appropriate disease models is critical to thoroughly investigate disease progression.The genetic basis of HD involves the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin(HTT)gene,leading to the expansion of a polyglutamine repeat in the HTT protein.Mutant HTT carrying the expanded polyglutamine repeat undergoes misfolding and forms aggregates in the brain,which precipitate selective neuronal loss in specific brain regions.Animal models play an important role in elucidating the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as HD and in identifying potential therapeutic targets.Due to the marked species differences between rodents and larger animals,substantial efforts have been directed toward establishing large animal models for HD research.These models are pivotal for advancing the discovery of novel therapeutic targets,enhancing effective drug delivery methods,and improving treatment outcomes.We have explored the advantages of utilizing large animal models,particularly pigs,in previous reviews.Since then,however,significant progress has been made in developing more sophisticated animal models that faithfully replicate the typical pathology of HD.In the current review,we provide a comprehensive overview of large animal models of HD,incorporating recent findings regarding the establishment of HD knock-in(KI)pigs and their genetic therapy.We also explore the utilization of large animal models in HD research,with a focus on sheep,non-human primates(NHPs),and pigs.Our objective is to provide valuable insights into the application of these large animal models for the investigation and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.展开更多
Neurological disorders are a diverse group of conditions that affect the nervous system and include neurodegenerative diseases(Alzheimer’s disease,multiple sclerosis,Parkinson’s disease,Huntington’s disease),cerebr...Neurological disorders are a diverse group of conditions that affect the nervous system and include neurodegenerative diseases(Alzheimer’s disease,multiple sclerosis,Parkinson’s disease,Huntington’s disease),cerebrovascular conditions(stroke),and neurodevelopmental disorders(autism spectrum disorder).Although they affect millions of individuals around the world,only a limited number of effective treatment options are available today.Since most neurological disorders express mitochondria-related metabolic perturbations,metformin,a biguanide type II antidiabetic drug,has attracted a lot of attention to be repurposed to treat neurological disorders by correcting their perturbed energy metabolism.However,controversial research emerges regarding the beneficial/detrimental effects of metformin on these neurological disorders.Given that most neurological disorders have complex etiology in their pathophysiology and are influenced by various risk factors such as aging,lifestyle,genetics,and environment,it is important to identify perturbed molecular functions that can be targeted by metformin in these neurological disorders.These molecules can then be used as biomarkers to stratify subpopulations of patients who show distinct molecular/pathological properties and can respond to metformin treatment,ultimately developing targeted therapy.In this review,we will discuss mitochondria-related metabolic perturbations and impaired molecular pathways in these neurological disorders and how these can be used as biomarkers to guide metformin-responsive treatment for the targeted therapy to treat neurological disorders.展开更多
基金supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science,ICT and Future Planning,No.2018R1C1B5029745(to HJC),2011-0030072(to YH),2018R1D1A1B07040282(to JJ),2018R1A2B6001123(to NYJ)
文摘Mitophagy is activated by a number of stimuli, including hypoxia, energy stress, and increased oxidative phosphorylation activity. Mitophagy is associated with oxidative stress conditions and central neurodegenerative diseases. Proper regulation of mitophagy is crucial for maintaining homeostasis; conversely, inadequate removal of mitochondria through mitophagy leads to the generation of oxidative species, including reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species, resulting in various neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These diseases are most prevalent in older adults whose bodies fail to maintain proper mitophagic functions to combat oxidative species. As mitophagy is essential for normal body function, by targeting mitophagic pathways we can improve these disease conditions. The search for effective remedies to treat these disease conditions is an ongoing process, which is why more studies are needed. Additionally, more relevant studies could help establish therapeutic conditions, which are currently in high demand. In this review, we discuss how mitophagy plays a significant role in homeostasis and how its dysregulation causes neurodegeneration. We also discuss how combating oxidative species and targeting mitophagy can help treat these neurodegenerative diseases.
文摘Progressively loss of neural and glial cells is the key event that leads to nervous system dysfunctions and diseases. Several neurodegenerative diseases, for instance Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease, are associated to aging and suggested to be a consequence of deficiency of neural stem cell pool in the affected brain regions. Endogenous neural stem cells exist throughout life and are found inspecific niches of human brain. These neural stem cells are responsible for the regeneration of new neurons to restore, in the normal circumstance, the functions of the brain. Endogenous neural stem cells can be isolated, propagated, and, notably, differentiated to most cell types of the brain. On the other hand, other types of stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells can also serve as a source for neural stem cell production, that hold a great promise for regeneration of the brain. The replacement of neural stem cells, either endogenous or stem cell-derived neural stem cells, into impaired brain is highly expected as a possible therapeutic mean for neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, clinical features and current routinely treatments of agerelated neurodegenerative diseases are documented. Noteworthy, we presented the promising evidence of neural stem cells and their derivatives in curing such diseases, together with the remaining challenges to achieve the best outcome for patients.
文摘Biomarkers are very important indicators of normal and abnormal biological processes. Specific changes in pathologies, biochemistries and genetics can give us comprehensive information regarding the nature of any particular disease. A good biomarker should be precise and reliable, distinguishable between normal and interested disease, and differential between different diseases. It is believed that biomarkers have great potential in predicting chances for diseases, aiding in early diagnosis, and setting standards for the development of new remedies to treat diseases. New technologies have enabled scientists to identify biomarkers of several different neurodegenerative diseases. The followings, for instance, are only a few of the many new biomarkers that have been recently identified: the phosphorylated tau protein and aggregated β-amyloid peptide for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), α-synuclein contained Lewy bodies and altered dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging for Parkinson’s disease (PD), SOD mutations for familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and CAG repeats resulted from Huntington’s gene mutations in Huntington’s disease (HD). This article will focus on the most-recent findings of biomarkers belonging to the four mentioned neurodegenerative diseases.
文摘Glutamate is the most commonly engaged neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system,acting to mediate excitatory neurotransmission.However,high levels of glutamatergic input elicit excitotoxicity,contribut-ing to neuronal cell death following acute brain injuries such as stroke and trauma.While excitotoxic cell death has also been implicated in some neurodegenerative disease models,the role of acute apoptotic cell death remains controversial in the setting of chronic neurodegeneration.Nevertheless,it is clear that excitatory synaptic dysregula-tion contributes to neurodegeneration,as evidenced by protective effects of partial N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists.Here,we review evidence for sublethal excitatory injuries in relation to neurodegeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease,Alzheimer’s disease,amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Huntington’s disease.In contrast to classic excitotoxicity,emerging evidence implicates dysregulation of mitochondrial calcium handling in excitatory post-synaptic neurodegeneration.We discuss mechanisms that regulate mitochondrial calcium uptake and release,the impact of LRRK2,PINK1,Parkin,beta-amyloid and glucocerebrosidase on mitochondrial calcium transporters,and the role of autophagic mitochondrial loss in axodendritic shrinkage.Finally,we discuss strategies for normalizing the flux of calcium into and out of the mitochondrial matrix,thereby preventing mitochondrial calcium toxicity and excitotoxic dendritic loss.While the mechanisms that underlie increased uptake or decreased release of mitochondrial calcium vary in different model systems,a common set of strategies to normalize mitochondrial calcium flux can prevent excitatory mitochondrial toxicity and may be neuroprotective in multiple disease contexts.
基金supported by Fondecyt 1200908(to JF)the Conicyt 21141247(to JDP)。
文摘The onset and mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases remain uncertain. The main features of neurodegenerative diseases have been related with cellular and molecular events like neuronal loss, mitochondrial dysfunction and aberrant accumulation of misfolded proteins or peptides in specific areas of the brain. The most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases belonging to age-related pathologies are Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Interestingly, mitochondrial dysfunction has been observed to occur during the early onset of several neuropathological events associated to neurodegenerative diseases. The master regulator of mitochondrial quality control and energetic metabolism is the transcriptional coactivator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha(PGC-1α). Additionally, it has been observed that PGC-1α appears to be a key factor in maintaining neuronal survival and synaptic transmission. In fact, PGC-1α downregulation in different brain areas(hippocampus, substantia nigra, cortex, striatum and spinal cord) that occurs in function of neurological damage including oxidative stress, neuronal loss, and motor disorders has been seen in several animal and cellular models of neurodegenerative diseases. Current evidence indicates that PGC-1α upregulation may serve as a potent therapeutic approach against development and progression of neuronal damage. Remarkably, increasing evidence shows that PGC-1α deficient mice have neurodegenerative diseases-like features, as well as neurological abnormalities. Finally, we discuss recent studies showing novel specific PGC-1α isoforms in the central nervous system that appear to exert a key role in the age of onset of neurodegenerative diseases and have a neuroprotective function in the central nervous system, thus opening a new molecular strategy for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. The purpose of this review is to provide an up-to-date overview of the PGC-1α role in the
文摘Common neurodegenerative diseases include Parkinson’s disease(PD),Alzheimer’s disease(AD),amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS)and Huntington’s disease(HD).Transcranial magnetic stimulation(TMS)is a noninvasive and painless method to stimulate the human brain.Single-and paired-pulse TMS paradigms are powerful ways to study the pathophysiological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases.Motor evoked potential studied with single-pulse TMS is increased in PD,AD and ALS,but is decreased in HD.Changes in motor cortical excitability in neurodegenerative diseases may be related to functional deficits in cortical circuits or to compensatory mechanisms.Reduction or even absence of short interval intracortical inhibition induced by paired-pulse TMS is common in neurodegenerative diseases,suggesting that there are functional impairments of inhibitory cortical circuits.Decreased short latency afferent inhibition in AD,PD and HD may be related to the cortical cholinergic deficits in these conditions.Cortical plasticity tested by paired associative stimulation or theta burst stimulation is impaired in PD,AD and HD.Repetitive TMS(rTMS)refers to the application of trains of regularly repeating TMS pulses.High-frequency facilitatory rTMS may improve motor symptoms in PD patients whereas low-frequency inhibitory stimulation is a potential treatment for levodopa induced dyskinesia.rTMS delivered both to the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves memory in AD patients.Supplementary motor cortical stimulation in low frequency may be useful for HD patients.However,the effects of treatment with multiple sessions of rTMS for neurodegenerative diseases need to be tested in large,sham-controlled studies in the future before they can be adopted for routine clinical practice.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81773265,No.82101443)the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province(2023-JC-YB-160)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(GK202202006).
文摘Studies in neurodegenerative diseases,including Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,Huntington’s disease,and so on,have suggested that inflammation is not only a result of neurodegeneration but also a crucial player in this process.Protein aggregates which are very common pathological phenomenon in neurodegeneration can induce neuroinflammation which further aggravates protein aggregation and neurodegeneration.Actually,inflammation even happens earlier than protein aggregation.Neuroinflammation induced by genetic variations in CNS cells or by peripheral immune cells may induce protein deposition in some susceptible population.Numerous signaling pathways and a range of CNS cells have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration,although they are still far from being completely understood.Due to the limited success of traditional treatment methods,blocking or enhancing inflammatory signaling pathways involved in neurodegeneration are considered to be promising strategies for the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases,and many of them have got exciting results in animal models or clinical trials.Some of them,although very few,have been approved by FDA for clinical usage.Here we comprehensively review the factors affecting neuroinflammation and the major inflammatory signaling pathways involved in the pathogenicity of neurodegenerative diseases,including Alzheimer’s disease,Parkinson’s disease,and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.We also summarize the current strategies,both in animal models and in the clinic,for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
基金provided by a NIH NIGMS Predoctoral Fellowship T32GM099608(Deng)NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellowship F32NS090722(Fink)+2 种基金a NIH Director’s transformative award 1R01GM099688(Nolta)A Stewart’s and Dake Family Gift(Fink),California Institute for Regenerative Medicine(CIRM)DR2-05415(Wheelock/Nolta)philanthropic donors from the HD community,including the Roberson family and Team KJ
文摘Progress to date from our group and others indicate that using genetically-engineered mesenchymal stem cells（MSC） to secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor（BDNF） supports our plan to submit an Investigational New Drug application to the Food and Drug Administration for the future planned Phase 1 safety and tolerability trial of MSC/BDNF in patients with Huntington＇s disease（HD）. There are also potential applications of this approach beyond HD. Our biological delivery system for BDNF sets the precedent for adult stem cell therapy in the brain and could potentially be modified for other neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis（ALS）, spinocerebellar ataxia（SCA）, Alzheimer＇s disease, and some forms of Parkinson＇s disease. The MSC/BDNF product could also be considered for studies of regeneration in traumatic brain injury, spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. This work also provides a platform for our future gene editing studies, since we will again use MSCs to deliver the needed molecules into the central nervous system.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.81773620 and 81573332)National Key Basic Research Program of China(No.2015CB931800)to Dianwen JuNIH NEI(EY024932,EY023295 and EY028106,USA)to Yang Hu
文摘Gene therapy is rapidly emerging as a powerful therapeutic strategy for a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease(AD), Parkinson’s disease(PD) and Huntington’s disease(HD). Some early clinical trials have failed to achieve satisfactory therapeutic effects. Efforts to enhance effectiveness are now concentrating on three major fields: identification of new vectors,novel therapeutic targets, and reliable of delivery routes for transgenes. These approaches are being assessed closely in preclinical and clinical trials, which may ultimately provide powerful treatments for patients. Here, we discuss advances and challenges of gene therapy for neurodegenerative disorders,highlighting promising technologies, targets, and future prospects.
文摘Berberine(BBR) is an organic small molecule isolated from various plants that have been used in traditional Chinese medicine. Isolation of this compound was its induction into modern medicine, and its usefulness became quickly apparent as seen in its ability to combat bacterial diarrhea, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, inflammation, heart diseases, and more. However, BBR's effects on neurodegenerative diseases remained relatively unexplored until its ability to stunt Alzheimer's disease(AD) progression was characterized. In this review, we will delve into the multi-faceted defensive capabilities and bio-molecular pathways of BBR against AD, Parkinson's disease(PD), and trauma-induced neurodegeneration. The multiple effects of BBR, some of which enhance neuro-protective factors/pathways and others counteract targets that induce neurodegeneration, suggest that there are many more branches to the diverse capabilities of BBR that have yet to be uncovered. The promising results seen provide a convincing and substantial basis to support further scientific exploration and development of the therapeutic potential of BBR against neurodegenerative diseases.
文摘Common neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system are characterized by progressive damage to the function of neurons, even leading to the permanent loss of function. Gene therapy via gene replacement or gene correction provides the potential for transformative therapies to delay or possibly stop further progression of the neurodegenerative disease in affected patients. Adeno-associated virus has been the vector of choice in recent clinical trials of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases due to its safety and efficiency in mediating gene transfer to the central nervous system. This review aims to discuss and summarize the progress and clinical applications of adeno-associated virus in neurodegenerative disease in central nervous system. Results from some clinical trials and successful cases of central neurodegenerative diseases deserve further study and exploration.
基金supported by grants from the Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province,Nos.2021ZYD0093(to LY),2022YFS0597(to LY),2021YJ0480(to YT),and 2022ZYD0076(to JY)。
文摘Exosomes are cup-shaped extracellular vesicles with a lipid bilayer that is approximately 30 to 200 nm in thickness.Exosomes are widely distributed in a range of body fluids,including urine,blood,milk,and saliva.Exosomes exert biological function by transporting factors between different cells and by regulating biological pathways in recipient cells.As an important form of intercellular communication,exosomes are increasingly being investigated due to their ability to transfer bioactive molecules such as lipids,proteins,mRNAs,and microRNAs between cells,and because they can regulate physiological and pathological processes in the central nervous system.Adult neurogenesis is a multistage process by which new neurons are generated and migrate to be integrated into existing neuronal circuits.In the adult brain,neurogenesis is mainly localized in two specialized niches:the subventricular zone adjacent to the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus.An increasing body of evidence indicates that adult neurogenesis is tightly controlled by environmental conditions with the niches.In recent studies,exosomes released from different sources of cells were shown to play an active role in regulating neurogenesis both in vitro and in vivo,thereby participating in the progression of neurodegenerative disorders in patients and in various disease models.Here,we provide a state-of-the-art synopsis of existing research that aimed to identify the diverse components of exosome cargoes and elucidate the therapeutic potential of exosomal contents in the regulation of neurogenesis in several neurodegenerative diseases.We emphasize that exosomal cargoes could serve as a potential biomarker to monitor functional neurogenesis in adults.In addition,exosomes can also be considered as a novel therapeutic approach to treat various neurodegenerative disorders by improving endogenous neurogenesis to mitigate neuronal loss in the central nervous system.
文摘Huntington’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion mutation of a cytosine-adenine-guanine triplet in the exon 1 of the HTT gene which is responsible for the production of the huntingtin (Htt) protein. In physiological conditions, Htt is involved in many cellular processes such as cell signaling, transcriptional regulation, energy metabolism regulation, DNA maintenance, axonal trafficking, and antiapoptotic activity. When the genetic alteration is present, the production of a mutant version of Htt (mHtt) occurs, which is characterized by a plethora of pathogenic activities that, finally, lead to cell death. Among all the cells in which mHtt exerts its dangerous activity, the GABAergic Medium Spiny Neurons seem to be the most affected by the mHtt-induced excitotoxicity both in the cortex and in the striatum. However, as the neurodegeneration proceeds ahead the neuronal loss grows also in other brain areas such as the cerebellum, hypothalamus, thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus, and substantia nigra, determining the variety of symptoms that characterize Huntington’s disease. From a clinical point of view, Huntington’s disease is characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms spanning from motor impairment to cognitive disorders and dementia. Huntington’s disease shows a prevalence of around 3.92 cases every 100,000 worldwide and an incidence of 0.48 new cases every 100,000/year. To date, there is no available cure for Huntington’s disease. Several treatments have been developed so far, aiming to reduce the severity of one or more symptoms to slow down the inexorable decline caused by the disease. In this context, the search for reliable strategies to target the different aspects of Huntington’s disease become of the utmost interest. In recent years, a variety of studies demonstrated the detrimental role of neuronal loss in Huntington’s disease condition highlighting how the replacement of lost cells would be a reasonable strategy to overcome the neurodegeneration. In
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFA0805300,2021YFA0805200)National Natural Science Foundation of China (32170981,82371874,82394422,82171244,82071421,82271902)+1 种基金Guangzhou Key Research Program on Brain Science (202007030008)Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (2021ZT09Y007,2020B121201006,2018B030337001)。
文摘Huntington'sdisease(HD)isahereditary neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no effectivetreatmentavailable.Consequently,the development of appropriate disease models is critical to thoroughly investigate disease progression.The genetic basis of HD involves the abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the huntingtin(HTT)gene,leading to the expansion of a polyglutamine repeat in the HTT protein.Mutant HTT carrying the expanded polyglutamine repeat undergoes misfolding and forms aggregates in the brain,which precipitate selective neuronal loss in specific brain regions.Animal models play an important role in elucidating the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders such as HD and in identifying potential therapeutic targets.Due to the marked species differences between rodents and larger animals,substantial efforts have been directed toward establishing large animal models for HD research.These models are pivotal for advancing the discovery of novel therapeutic targets,enhancing effective drug delivery methods,and improving treatment outcomes.We have explored the advantages of utilizing large animal models,particularly pigs,in previous reviews.Since then,however,significant progress has been made in developing more sophisticated animal models that faithfully replicate the typical pathology of HD.In the current review,we provide a comprehensive overview of large animal models of HD,incorporating recent findings regarding the establishment of HD knock-in(KI)pigs and their genetic therapy.We also explore the utilization of large animal models in HD research,with a focus on sheep,non-human primates(NHPs),and pigs.Our objective is to provide valuable insights into the application of these large animal models for the investigation and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.
文摘Neurological disorders are a diverse group of conditions that affect the nervous system and include neurodegenerative diseases(Alzheimer’s disease,multiple sclerosis,Parkinson’s disease,Huntington’s disease),cerebrovascular conditions(stroke),and neurodevelopmental disorders(autism spectrum disorder).Although they affect millions of individuals around the world,only a limited number of effective treatment options are available today.Since most neurological disorders express mitochondria-related metabolic perturbations,metformin,a biguanide type II antidiabetic drug,has attracted a lot of attention to be repurposed to treat neurological disorders by correcting their perturbed energy metabolism.However,controversial research emerges regarding the beneficial/detrimental effects of metformin on these neurological disorders.Given that most neurological disorders have complex etiology in their pathophysiology and are influenced by various risk factors such as aging,lifestyle,genetics,and environment,it is important to identify perturbed molecular functions that can be targeted by metformin in these neurological disorders.These molecules can then be used as biomarkers to stratify subpopulations of patients who show distinct molecular/pathological properties and can respond to metformin treatment,ultimately developing targeted therapy.In this review,we will discuss mitochondria-related metabolic perturbations and impaired molecular pathways in these neurological disorders and how these can be used as biomarkers to guide metformin-responsive treatment for the targeted therapy to treat neurological disorders.
