| 1. |
- Balusu, Sriram, et al.
(author)
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MEG3 activates necroptosis in human neuron xenografts modeling Alzheimer's disease.
- 2023
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In: Science (New York, N.Y.). - 1095-9203. ; 381:6663, s. 1176-1182
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Neuronal cell loss is a defining feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We xenografted human or mouse neurons into the brain of a mouse model of AD. Only human neurons displayed tangles, Gallyas silver staining, granulovacuolar neurodegeneration (GVD), phosphorylated tau blood biomarkers, and considerable neuronal cell loss. The long noncoding RNA MEG3 was strongly up-regulated in human neurons. This neuron-specific long noncoding RNA is also up-regulated in AD patients. MEG3 expression alone was sufficient to induce necroptosis in human neurons in vitro. Down-regulation of MEG3 and inhibition of necroptosis using pharmacological or genetic manipulation of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), RIPK3, or mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) rescued neuronal cell loss in xenografted human neurons. This model suggests potential therapeutic approaches for AD and reveals a human-specific vulnerability to AD.
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| 2. |
- Borgegard, Tomas, et al.
(author)
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Alzheimers Disease: Presenilin 2-Sparing gamma-Secretase Inhibition Is a Tolerable A beta Peptide-Lowering Strategy
- 2012
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In: Journal of Neuroscience. - : Society for Neuroscience. - 0270-6474 .- 1529-2401. ; 32:48, s. 17297-17305
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- gamma-Secretase inhibition represents a major therapeutic strategy for lowering amyloid beta (A beta) peptide production in Alzheimers disease (AD). Progress toward clinical use of gamma-secretase inhibitors has, however, been hampered due to mechanism-based adverse events, primarily related to impairment of Notch signaling. The gamma-secretase inhibitor MRK-560 represents an exception as it is largely tolerable in vivo despite displaying only a small selectivity between A beta production and Notch signaling in vitro. In exploring the molecular basis for the observed tolerability, we show that MRK-560 displays a strong preference for the presenilin 1(PS1) over PS2 subclass of gamma-secretases and is tolerable in wild-type mice but causes dose-dependent Notch-related side effect in PS2-deficient mice at drug exposure levels resulting in a substantial decrease in brain A beta levels. This demonstrates that PS2 plays an important role in mediating essential Notch signaling in several peripheral organs during pharmacological inhibition of PS1 and provide preclinical in vivo proof of concept for PS2-sparing inhibition as a novel, tolerable and efficacious gamma-secretase targeting strategy for AD.
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| 3. |
- Borgegård, Tomas, et al.
(author)
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Alzheimer's Disease : Presenilin 2-Sparing γ-Secretase Inhibition Is a Tolerable Aβ Peptide-Lowering Strategy
- 2012
-
In: Journal of Neuroscience. - 0270-6474 .- 1529-2401. ; 32:48, s. 17297-17305
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- γ-Secretase inhibition represents a major therapeutic strategy for lowering amyloid β (Aβ) peptide production in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Progress toward clinical use of γ-secretase inhibitors has, however, been hampered due to mechanism-based adverse events, primarily related to impairment of Notch signaling. The γ-secretase inhibitor MRK-560 represents an exception as it is largely tolerable in vivo despite displaying only a small selectivity between Aβ production and Notch signaling in vitro. In exploring the molecular basis for the observed tolerability, we show that MRK-560 displays a strong preference for the presenilin 1 (PS1) over PS2 subclass of γ-secretases and is tolerable in wild-type mice but causes dose-dependent Notch-related side effect in PS2-deficient mice at drug exposure levels resulting in a substantial decrease in brain Aβ levels. This demonstrates that PS2 plays an important role in mediating essential Notch signaling in several peripheral organs during pharmacological inhibition of PS1 and provide preclinical in vivo proof of concept for PS2-sparing inhibition as a novel, tolerable and efficacious γ-secretase targeting strategy for AD.
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| 4. |
- Brownjohn, Philip W, et al.
(author)
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Phenotypic Screening Identifies Modulators of Amyloid Precursor Protein Processing in Human Stem Cell Models of Alzheimer's Disease.
- 2017
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In: Stem cell reports. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-6711. ; 8:4, s. 870-882
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human stem cell models have the potential to provide platforms for phenotypic screens to identify candidate treatments and cellular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing and the accumulation of APP-derived amyloid β (Aβ) peptides are key processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We designed a phenotypic small-molecule screen to identify modulators of APP processing in trisomy 21/Down syndrome neurons, a complex genetic model of AD. We identified the avermectins, commonly used as anthelmintics, as compounds that increase the relative production of short Aβ peptides at the expense of longer, potentially more toxic peptides. Further studies demonstrated that this effect is not due to an interaction with the core γ-secretase responsible for Aβ production. This study demonstrates the feasibility of phenotypic drug screening in human stem cell models of Alzheimer-type dementia, and points to possibilities for indirectly modulating APP processing, independently of γ-secretase modulation.
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