ANTI-TAU TRIALS FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: A REPORT FROM THE EU/US/CTAD TASK FORCE

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
J. Cummings ◽  
K. Blennow ◽  
K. Johnson ◽  
M. Keeley ◽  
R.J. Bateman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Small Molecules ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Imaging Studies ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain ◽  
The Eu

Efforts to develop effective disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have mostly targeted the amyloid β (Aβ) protein; however, there has recently been increased interest in other targets including phosphorylated tau and other forms of tau. Aggregated tau appears to spread in a characteristic pattern throughout the brain and is thought to drive neurodegeneration. Both neuropathological and imaging studies indicate that tau first appears in the entorhinal cortex and then spreads to the neocortex. Anti-tau therapies currently in Phase 1 or 2 trials include passive and active immunotherapies designed to prevent aggregation, seeding, and spreading, as well as small molecules that modulate tau metabolism and function. EU/US/CTAD Task Force members support advancing the development of anti-tau therapies, which will require novel imaging agents and biomarkers, a deeper understanding of tau biology and the dynamic interaction of tau and Aβ protein, and development of multiple targets and candidate agents addressing the tauopathy of AD. Incorporating tau biomarkers in AD clinical trials will provide additional knowledge about the potential to treat AD by targeting tau.

scholarly journals Microglia-Based Sex-Biased Neuropathology in Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease Model Mice and the Potential Pharmacologic Efficacy of Dioscin

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3261
Author(s):  
Xiao Liu ◽  
Qian Zhou ◽  
Jia-He Zhang ◽  
Xiaoying Wang ◽  
Xiumei Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Disease Model ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Brain Lesions ◽  
Synaptic Dysfunction ◽  
Synaptic Loss ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation, microglia-associated neuroinflammation, and synaptic loss. The detailed neuropathologic characteristics in early-stage AD, however, are largely unclear. We evaluated the pathologic brain alterations in young adult App knock-in model AppNL-G-F mice at 3 and 6 months of age, which corresponds to early-stage AD. At 3 months of age, microglia expression in the cortex and hippocampus was significantly decreased. By the age of 6 months, the number and function of the microglia increased, accompanied by progressive amyloid-β deposition, synaptic dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and dysregulation of β-catenin and NF-κB signaling pathways. The neuropathologic changes were more severe in female mice than in male mice. Oral administration of dioscin, a natural product, ameliorated the neuropathologic alterations in young AppNL-G-F mice. Our findings revealed microglia-based sex-differential neuropathologic changes in a mouse model of early-stage AD and therapeutic efficacy of dioscin on the brain lesions. Dioscin may represent a potential treatment for AD.

scholarly journals A IS FOR AMYLOID

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
D.J. Selkoe
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Modern Medicine ◽  
Disease Modifying ◽  
The Brain ◽  
The Eu

In the age of COVID-19, we are reminded that despite the enormous strides modern medicine has made against acute infectious pathogens, we can still be overwhelmed. And in the field of chronic non-infectious diseases of the brain, we, too, have been traveling a long and unpredictable road. For years, there has been a sense of pessimism about the halting march toward disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. But recent events may have begun to part the clouds. In this issue of JPAD, Aisen et al. (1), representing the EU/US CTAD 2019 Task Force, provide a thoughtful perspective on progress in certain anti-amyloid trials and the resultant lessons for our next steps toward success.

scholarly journals Restoring Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a promising therapeutic strategy for Alzheimer’s disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Jia ◽  
Juan Piña-Crespo ◽  
Yonghe Li
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Rational Design ◽  
Signal Transduction Pathway ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Synaptic Loss ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Blood Brain Barrier Integrity

AbstractAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is an aging-related neurological disorder characterized by synaptic loss and dementia. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is an essential signal transduction pathway that regulates numerous cellular processes including cell survival. In brain, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is not only crucial for neuronal survival and neurogenesis, but it plays important roles in regulating synaptic plasticity and blood-brain barrier integrity and function. Moreover, activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibits amyloid-β production and tau protein hyperphosphorylation in the brain. Critically, Wnt/β-catenin signaling is greatly suppressed in AD brain via multiple pathogenic mechanisms. As such, restoring Wnt/β-catenin signaling represents a unique opportunity for the rational design of novel AD therapies.

scholarly journals Oral Amylin Treatment Reduces the Pathological Cascade of Alzheimer’s Disease in a Mouse Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 153331752110128
Author(s):  
Hana Na ◽  
Hua Tian ◽  
Zhengrong Zhang ◽  
Qiang Li ◽  
Jack B. Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Calcium Binding ◽  
Oral Delivery ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Enteric Neurons ◽  
Cyclin Dependent Kinase ◽  
Receptor Activity Modifying Proteins ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Cyclin Dependent Kinase 5

Intraperitoneal injection of amylin or its analog reduces Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology in the brains. However, self-injecting amylin analogs is difficult for patients due to cognitive deficits. This work aims to study the effects of amylin on the brain could be achieved by oral delivery as some study reported that amylin receptor may be present in the gastrointestinal tract. A 6-week course of oral amylin treatment reduced components of AD pathology, including the levels of amyloid-β, phosphorylated tau, and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1. The treatment reduced active forms of cyclin-dependent kinase 5. Oral amylin treatment led to improvements in social deficit in AD mouse. Using immunofluorescence, we observed the amylin receptor complexed with the calcitonin receptor and receptor activity-modifying proteins in the enteric neurons. The study suggests the potential of the oral delivery of amylin analogs for the treatment of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases through enteric neurons.

scholarly journals Microglial Function and Regulation during Development, Homeostasis and Alzheimer’s Disease

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 957
Author(s):  
Brad T. Casali ◽  
Erin G. Reed-Geaghan
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Expression Patterns ◽  
Brain Parenchyma ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
And Function ◽  
Inflammatory Milieu ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Homeostatic State

Microglia are the resident immune cells of the brain, deriving from yolk sac progenitors that populate the brain parenchyma during development. During development and homeostasis, microglia play critical roles in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity, in addition to their primary role as immune sentinels. In aging and neurodegenerative diseases generally, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) specifically, microglial function is altered in ways that significantly diverge from their homeostatic state, inducing a more detrimental inflammatory environment. In this review, we discuss the receptors, signaling, regulation and gene expression patterns of microglia that mediate their phenotype and function contributing to the inflammatory milieu of the AD brain, as well as strategies that target microglia to ameliorate the onset, progression and symptoms of AD.

scholarly journals Identification of Novel Cathepsin B Inhibitors with Implications in Alzheimer’s Disease: Computational Refining and Biochemical Evaluation

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1946
Author(s):  
Nitin Chitranshi ◽  
Ashutosh Kumar ◽  
Samran Sheriff ◽  
Veer Gupta ◽  
Angela Godinez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Hydrogen Bond ◽  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Cathepsin B ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Proteolytic Degradation ◽  
Hydrogen Bond Acceptor ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Brain

Amyloid precursor protein (APP), upon proteolytic degradation, forms aggregates of amyloid β (Aβ) and plaques in the brain, which are pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Cathepsin B is a cysteine protease enzyme that catalyzes the proteolytic degradation of APP in the brain. Thus, cathepsin B inhibition is a crucial therapeutic aspect for the discovery of new anti-Alzheimer’s drugs. In this study, we have employed mixed-feature ligand-based virtual screening (LBVS) by integrating pharmacophore mapping, docking, and molecular dynamics to detect small, potent molecules that act as cathepsin B inhibitors. The LBVS model was generated by using hydrophobic (HY), hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), and hydrogen bond donor (HBD) features, using a dataset of 24 known cathepsin B inhibitors of both natural and synthetic origins. A validated eight-feature pharmacophore hypothesis (Hypo III) was utilized to screen the Maybridge chemical database. The docking score, MM-PBSA, and MM-GBSA methodology was applied to prioritize the lead compounds as virtual screening hits. These compounds share a common amide scaffold, and showed important interactions with Gln23, Cys29, His110, His111, Glu122, His199, and Trp221. The identified inhibitors were further evaluated for cathepsin-B-inhibitory activity. Our study suggests that pyridine, acetamide, and benzohydrazide compounds could be used as a starting point for the development of novel therapeutics.

scholarly journals Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease from Circulating Blood Leukocytes Using a Fluorescent Amyloid Probe

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Stefanie A.G. Black ◽  
Anastasiia A. Stepanchuk ◽  
George W. Templeton ◽  
Yda Hernandez ◽  
Tomoko Ota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Protein Misfolding ◽  
Mononuclear Cells ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Csf Biomarkers ◽  
Blood Leukocytes ◽  
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear ◽  
The Brain

Background: Toxic amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides aggregate into higher molecular weight assemblies and accumulate not only in the extracellular space, but also in the walls of blood vessels in the brain, increasing their permeability, and promoting immune cell migration and activation. Given the prominent role of the immune system, phagocytic blood cells may contact pathological brain materials. Objective: To develop a novel method for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) detection, we used blood leukocytes, that could act as “sentinels” after trafficking through the brain microvasculature, to detect pathological amyloid by labelling with a conformationally-sensitive fluorescent amyloid probe and imaging with confocal spectral microscopy. Methods: Formalin-fixed peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from cognitively healthy control (HC) subjects, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients were stained with the fluorescent amyloid probe K114, and imaged. Results were validated against cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and clinical diagnosis. Results: K114-labeled leukocytes exhibited distinctive fluorescent spectral signatures in MCI/AD subjects. Comparing subjects with single CSF biomarker-positive AD/MCI to negative controls, our technique yielded modest AUCs, which improved to the 0.90 range when only MCI subjects were included in order to measure performance in an early disease state. Combining CSF Aβ 42 and t-Tau metrics further improved the AUC to 0.93. Conclusion: Our method holds promise for sensitive detection of AD-related protein misfolding in circulating leukocytes, particularly in the early stages of disease.

scholarly journals Sex Differences and the Influence of Sex Hormones on Cognition through Adulthood and the Aging Process

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Gurvich ◽  
Kate Hoy ◽  
Natalie Thomas ◽  
Jayashri Kulkarni
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Functioning ◽  
Sex Hormones ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Brain

Hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis that regulate reproductive function have multiple effects on the development, maintenance and function of the brain. Sex differences in cognitive functioning have been reported in both health and disease, which may be partly attributed to sex hormones. The aim of the current paper was to provide a theoretical review of how sex hormones influence cognitive functioning across the lifespan as well as provide an overview of the literature on sex differences and the role of sex hormones in cognitive decline, specifically in relation to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A summary of current hormone and sex-based interventions for enhancing cognitive functioning and/or reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is also provided.

MR Brain Screening using Optimization Techniques – A survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chitradevi D ◽  
Prabha S.
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Cell Loss ◽  
Optimization Techniques ◽  
Amyloid Β Protein ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Brain Tissues

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with Dementia, and it is also a memory syndrome in the brain. It affects the brain tissues and causes major changes in day-to-day activities. Aging is a major cause of Alzheimer's disease. AD is characterized by two pathological hallmarks as, Amyloid β protein and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The imaging hallmarks for Alzheimer’s disease are namely, swelling, shrinkage of brain tissues due to cell loss, and atrophy in the brain due to protein dissemination. Based on the survey, 60% to 80% of dementia patients belong to Alzheimer’s disease. Introduction: AD is now becoming an increasing and important brain disease. The goal of AD pathology is to cause changes/damage in brain tissues. Alzheimer's disease is thought to begin 20 years or more before symptoms appear, with tiny changes in the brain that are undetectable to the person affected. The changes in a person's brain after a few years are noticeable through symptoms such as language difficulties and memory loss. Neurons in different parts of the brain have detected symptoms such as cognitive impairments and learning disabilities. In this case, neuroimaging tools are necessary to identify the development of pathology which relates to the clinical symptoms. Methods: Several approaches have been tried during the last two decades for brain screening to analyse AD with the process of pre-processing, segmentation and classification. Different individual such as Grey Wolf optimization, Lion Optimization, Ant Lion Optimization and so on. Similarly, hybrid optimization techniques are also attempted to segment the brain sub-regions which helps in identifying the bio-markers to analyse AD. Conclusion: This study discusses a review of neuroimaging technologies for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease, as well as the discovery of hallmarks for the disease and the methodologies for finding hallmarks from brain images to evaluate AD. According to the literature review, most of the techniques predicted higher accuracy (more than 90%), which is beneficial for assessing and screening neurodegenerative illness, particularly Alzheimer's disease.

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