| 1. |
- Bett, Cyrus, et al.
(författare)
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Defining the Conformational Features of Anchorless, Poorly Neuroinvasive Prions
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLoS Pathogens. - : Public Library of Science. - 1553-7366 .- 1553-7374. ; 9:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Infectious prions cause diverse clinical signs and form an extraordinary range of structures, from amorphous aggregates to fibrils. How the conformation of a prion dictates the disease phenotype remains unclear. Mice expressing GPI-anchorless or GPI-anchored prion protein exposed to the same infectious prion develop fibrillar or nonfibrillar aggregates, respectively, and show a striking divergence in the disease pathogenesis. To better understand how a prion's physical properties govern the pathogenesis, infectious anchorless prions were passaged in mice expressing anchorless prion protein and the resulting prions were biochemically characterized. Serial passage of anchorless prions led to a significant decrease in the incubation period to terminal disease and altered the biochemical properties, consistent with a transmission barrier effect. After an intraperitoneal exposure, anchorless prions were only weakly neuroinvasive, as prion plaques rarely occurred in the brain yet were abundant in extracerebral sites such as heart and adipose tissue. Anchorless prions consistently showed very high stability in chaotropes or when heated in SDS, and were highly resistant to enzyme digestion. Consistent with the results in mice, anchorless prions from a human patient were also highly stable in chaotropes. These findings reveal that anchorless prions consist of fibrillar and highly stable conformers. The additional finding from our group and others that both anchorless and anchored prion fibrils are poorly neuroinvasive strengthens the hypothesis that a fibrillar prion structure impedes efficient CNS invasion.
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| 2. |
- Crary, John F., et al.
(författare)
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Primary age-related tauopathy (PART) : a common pathology associated with human aging
- 2014
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Ingår i: Acta Neuropathologica. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0001-6322 .- 1432-0533. ; 128:6, s. 755-766
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We recommend a new term, "primary age-related tauopathy" (PART), to describe a pathology that is commonly observed in the brains of aged individuals. Many autopsy studies have reported brains with neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) that are indistinguishable from those of Alzheimer's disease (AD), in the absence of amyloid (A beta) plaques. For these "NFT+/A beta-aEuroe brains, for which formal criteria for AD neuropathologic changes are not met, the NFTs are mostly restricted to structures in the medial temporal lobe, basal forebrain, brainstem, and olfactory areas (bulb and cortex). Symptoms in persons with PART usually range from normal to amnestic cognitive changes, with only a minority exhibiting profound impairment. Because cognitive impairment is often mild, existing clinicopathologic designations, such as "tangle-only dementia" and "tangle-predominant senile dementia", are imprecise and not appropriate for most subjects. PART is almost universally detectable at autopsy among elderly individuals, yet this pathological process cannot be specifically identified pre-mortem at the present time. Improved biomarkers and tau imaging may enable diagnosis of PART in clinical settings in the future. Indeed, recent studies have identified a common biomarker profile consisting of temporal lobe atrophy and tauopathy without evidence of A beta accumulation. For both researchers and clinicians, a revised nomenclature will raise awareness of this extremely common pathologic change while providing a conceptual foundation for future studies. Prior reports that have elucidated features of the pathologic entity we refer to as PART are discussed, and working neuropathological diagnostic criteria are proposed.
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| 3. |
- Gallagher, Michael D., et al.
(författare)
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TMEM106B is a genetic modifier of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions
- 2014
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Ingår i: Acta Neuropathologica. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0001-6322 .- 1432-0533. ; 127:3, s. 407-418
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9orf72) have recently been linked to frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and may be the most common genetic cause of both neurodegenerative diseases. Genetic variants at TMEM106B influence risk for the most common neuropathological subtype of FTLD, characterized by inclusions of TAR DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (FTLD-TDP). Previous reports have shown that TMEM106B is a genetic modifier of FTLD-TDP caused by progranulin (GRN) mutations, with the major (risk) allele of rs1990622 associating with earlier age at onset of disease. Here, we report that rs1990622 genotype affects age at death in a single-site discovery cohort of FTLD patients with C9orf72 expansions (n = 14), with the major allele correlated with later age at death (p = 0.024). We replicate this modifier effect in a 30-site international neuropathological cohort of FTLD-TDP patients with C9orf72 expansions (n = 75), again finding that the major allele associates with later age at death (p = 0.016), as well as later age at onset (p = 0.019). In contrast, TMEM106B genotype does not affect age at onset or death in 241 FTLD-TDP cases negative for GRN mutations or C9orf72 expansions. Thus, TMEM106B is a genetic modifier of FTLD with C9orf72 expansions. Intriguingly, the genotype that confers increased risk for developing FTLD-TDP (major, or T, allele of rs1990622) is associated with later age at onset and death in C9orf72 expansion carriers, providing an example of sign epistasis in human neurodegenerative disease.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Kun-Rodrigues, Celia, et al.
(författare)
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A comprehensive screening of copy number variability in dementia with Lewy bodies.
- 2019
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of aging. - : Elsevier BV. - 1558-1497 .- 0197-4580. ; 75
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The role of genetic variability in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is now indisputable; however, data regarding copy number variation (CNV) in this disease has been lacking. Here, we used whole-genome genotyping of 1454 DLB cases and 1525 controls to assess copy number variability. We used 2 algorithms to confidently detect CNVs, performed a case-control association analysis, screened for candidate CNVs previously associated with DLB-related diseases, and performed a candidate gene approach to fully explore the data. We identified 5 CNV regions with a significant genome-wide association to DLB; 2 of these were only present in cases and absent from publicly available databases: one of the regions overlapped LAPTM4B, a known lysosomal protein, whereas the other overlapped the NME1 locus and SPAG9. We also identified DLB cases presenting rare CNVs in genes previously associated with DLB or related neurodegenerative diseases, such as SNCA, APP, and MAPT. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting genome-wide CNVs in a large DLB cohort. These results provide preliminary evidence for the contribution of CNVs in DLB risk.
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| 6. |
- Kun-Rodrigues, Celia, et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of C9orf72 repeat expansions in a large international cohort of dementia with Lewy bodies
- 2017
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Aging. - : Elsevier BV. - 0197-4580 .- 1558-1497. ; 49
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- . C9orf72 repeat expansions are a common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. To date, no large-scale study of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has been undertaken to assess the role of . C9orf72 repeat expansions in the disease. Here, we investigated the prevalence of . C9orf72 repeat expansions in a large cohort of DLB cases and identified no pathogenic repeat expansions in neuropathologically or clinically defined cases, showing that . C9orf72 repeat expansions are not causally associated with DLB.
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| 7. |
- Kwan, Wanda, et al.
(författare)
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Bone Marrow Transplantation Confers Modest Benefits in Mouse Models of Huntington's Disease.
- 2012
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Ingår i: The Journal of Neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. - 1529-2401. ; 32:1, s. 133-142
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by an expanded polyglutamine tract in the protein huntingtin (htt). Although HD has historically been viewed as a brain-specific disease, htt is expressed ubiquitously, and recent studies indicate that mutant htt might cause changes to the immune system that could contribute to pathogenesis. Monocytes from HD patients and mouse models are hyperactive in response to stimulation, and increased levels of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines are found in pre-manifest patients that correlate with pathogenesis. In this study, wild-type (WT) bone marrow cells were transplanted into two lethally irradiated transgenic mouse models of HD that ubiquitously express full-length htt (YAC128 and BACHD mice). Bone marrow transplantation partially attenuated hypokinetic and motor deficits in HD mice. Increased levels of synapses in the cortex were found in HD mice that received bone marrow transplants. Importantly, serum levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-10, CXC chemokine ligand 1, and interferon-γ were significantly higher in HD than WT mice but were normalized in mice that received a bone marrow transplant. These results suggest that immune cell dysfunction might be an important modifier of pathogenesis in HD.
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| 8. |
- Nelson, Peter T., et al.
(författare)
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Correlation of Alzheimer Disease Neuropathologic Changes With Cognitive Status : A Review of the Literature
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. - 0022-3069 .- 1554-6578. ; 71:5, s. 362-381
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Clinicopathologic correlation studies are critically important for the field of Alzheimer disease (AD) research. Studies on human subjects with autopsy confirmation entail numerous potential biases that affect both their general applicability and the validity of the correlations. Many sources of data variability can weaken the apparent correlation between cognitive status and AD neuropathologic changes. Indeed, most persons in advanced old age have significant non-AD brain lesions that may alter cognition independently of AD. Worldwide research efforts have evaluated thousands of human subjects to assess the causes of cognitive impairment in the elderly, and these studies have been interpreted in different ways. We review the literature focusing on the correlation of AD neuropathologic changes (i.e. beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles) with cognitive impairment. We discuss the various patterns of brain changes that have been observed in elderly individuals to provide a perspective for understanding AD clinicopathologic correlation and conclude that evidence from many independent research centers strongly supports the existence of a specific disease, as defined by the presence of AA plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Although AA plaques may play a key role in AD pathogenesis, the severity of cognitive impairment correlates best with the burden of neocortical neurofibrillary tangles.
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| 9. |
- Roshanbin, Sahar, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Age-related increase of alpha-synuclein oligomers is associated with motor disturbances in L61 transgenic mice
- 2021
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Ingår i: Neurobiology of Aging. - : Elsevier. - 0197-4580 .- 1558-1497. ; 101, s. 207-220
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease involves fibrillization and deposition of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) into Lewy bodies. Accumulating evidence suggests that alpha-syn oligomers are particularly neurotoxic. Transgenic (tg) mice overexpressing wild-type human alpha-syn under the Thy-1 promoter (L61) reproduce many Parkinson's disease features, but the pathogenetic relevance of alpha-syn oligomers in this mouse model has not been studied in detail. Here, we report an age progressive increase of alpha-syn oligomers in the brain of L61 tg mice. Interestingly, more profound motor symptoms were observed in animals with higher levels of membrane-bound oligomers. As this tg model is X-linked, we also performed subset analyses, indicating that both sexes display a similar age-related increase in alpha-syn oligomers. However, compared with females, males featured increased brain levels of oligomers from an earlier age, in addition to a more severe behavioral phenotype with hyperactivity and thigmotaxis in the open field test. Taken together, our data indicate that alpha-syn oligomers are central to the development of brain pathology and behavioral deficits in the L61 tg alpha-syn mouse model.
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| 10. |
- Roshanbin, Sahar, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Reduction of alpha SYN Pathology in a Mouse Model of PD Using a Brain-Penetrating Bispecific Antibody
- 2022
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Ingår i: Pharmaceutics. - : MDPI AG. - 1999-4923. ; 14:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Immunotherapy targeting aggregated alpha-synuclein (alpha SYN) is a promising approach for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, brain penetration of antibodies is hampered by their large size. Here, RmAbSynO2-scFv8D3, a modified bispecific antibody that targets aggregated alpha SYN and binds to the transferrin receptor for facilitated brain uptake, was investigated to treat alpha SYN pathology in transgenic mice. Ex vivo analyses of the blood and brain distribution of RmAbSynO2-scFv8D3 and the unmodified variant RmAbSynO2, as well as in vivo analyses with microdialysis and PET, confirmed fast and efficient brain uptake of the bispecific format. In addition, intravenous administration was shown to be superior to intraperitoneal injections in terms of brain uptake and distribution. Next, aged female alpha SYN transgenic mice (L61) were administered either RmAbSynO2-scFv8D3, RmAbSynO2, or PBS intravenously three times over five days. Levels of TBS-T soluble aggregated alpha SYN in the brain following treatment with RmAbSynO2-scFv8D3 were decreased in the cortex and midbrain compared to RmAbSynO2 or PBS controls. Taken together, our results indicate that facilitated brain uptake of alpha SYN antibodies can improve treatment of alpha SYN pathology.
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