scholarly journals Pharmacogenetic features of cathepsin B inhibitors that improve memory deficit and reduce β-amyloid related to Alzheimer's disease

2010 ◽  
Vol 391 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Hook ◽  
Gregory Hook ◽  
Mark Kindy

Abstract Beta-amyloid (Aβ) in the brain is a major factor involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) that results in severe memory deficit. Our recent studies demonstrate pharmacogenetic differences in the effects of inhibitors of cathepsin B to improve memory and reduce Aβ in different mouse models of AD. The inhibitors improve memory and reduce brain Aβ in mice expressing the wild-type (WT) β-secretase site of human APP, expressed in most AD patients. However, these inhibitors have no effect in mice expressing the rare Swedish (Swe) mutant amyloid precursor protein (APP). Knockout of the cathepsin B decreased brain Aβ in mice expressing WT APP, validating cathepsin B as the target. The specificity of cathepsin B to cleave the WT β-secretase site, but not the Swe mutant site, of APP for Aβ production explains the distinct inhibitor responses in the different AD mouse models. In contrast to cathepsin B, the BACE1 β-secretase prefers to cleave the Swe mutant site. Discussion of BACE1 data in the field indicate that they do not preclude cathepsin B as also being a β-secretase. Cathepsin B and BACE1 could participate jointly as β-secretases. Significantly, the majority of AD patients express WT APP and, therefore, inhibitors of cathepsin B represent candidate drugs for AD.

2001 ◽  
Vol 3 (16) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar K. Gouras

Over the past decade, the prevailing view for the molecular and cellular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has centred on the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide that accumulates in vulnerable brain areas in the disease. The amyloid cascade hypothesis postulates that the build up of Aβ in the brain causes damage to neurons, leading to dysfunction and loss of neurons, and the clinical phenotype of the amnestic dementia characteristic of AD. All known mutations that result in autosomal dominant forms of early-onset familial AD cause increased production of Aβ42, a form of Aβ that is particularly relevant in AD. Other proteins that are crucial to the pathogenesis of AD are the presenilins 1 and 2, which are intimately involved with Aβ production and when mutated in familial forms of AD cause increases in Aβ42. Currently, challenges in AD research include determining the earliest pathological effects of Aβ42, how the important AD risk factor apolipoprotein E affects the disease process, whether presenilin is the elusive γ-secretase, and how levels of Aβ can be effectively reduced therapeutically.


Genes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1794
Author(s):  
Laura Ibanez ◽  
Justin B. Miller

Alzheimer’s disease is a complex and multifactorial condition regulated by both genetics and lifestyle, which ultimately results in the accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) and tau proteins in the brain, loss of gray matter, and neuronal death [...]


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 993
Author(s):  
Francheska Delgado-Peraza ◽  
Carlos J. Nogueras-Ortiz ◽  
Olga Volpert ◽  
Dong Liu ◽  
Edward J. Goetzl ◽  
...  

Circulating neuronal extracellular vesicles (NEVs) of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients show high Tau and β-amyloid (Aβ) levels, whereas their astrocytic EVs (AEVs) contain high complement levels. To validate EV proteins as AD biomarkers, we immunocaptured NEVs and AEVs from plasma collected from fifteen wild type (WT), four 2xTg-AD, nine 5xFAD, and fifteen 3xTg-AD mice and assessed biomarker relationships with brain tissue levels. NEVs from 3xTg-AD mice had higher total Tau (p = 0.03) and p181-Tau (p = 0.0004) compared to WT mice. There were moderately strong correlations between biomarkers in NEVs and cerebral cortex and hippocampus (total Tau: cortex, r = 0.4, p = 0.009; p181-Tau: cortex, r = 0.7, p < 0.0001; hippocampus, r = 0.6, p < 0.0001). NEVs from 5xFAD compared to other mice had higher Aβ42 (p < 0.005). NEV Aβ42 had moderately strong correlations with Aβ42 in cortex (r = 0.6, p = 0.001) and hippocampus (r = 0.7, p < 0.0001). AEV C1q was elevated in 3xTg-AD compared to WT mice (p = 0.005); AEV C1q had moderate-strong correlations with C1q in cortex (r = 0.9, p < 0.0001) and hippocampus (r = 0.7, p < 0.0001). Biomarkers in circulating NEVs and AEVs reflect their brain levels across multiple AD mouse models supporting their potential use as a “liquid biopsy” for neurological disorders.


2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. nrs.02001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilay V. Patel ◽  
Barry Marc Forman

Deposition of the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide is thought to underlie development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This pathological linkage has spurred considerable interest in therapeutic strategies to reduce Aβ production. It is becoming increasingly clear that altered cholesterol homeostasis can modulate Aβ production and/or accumulation. In this review, we discuss the molecular pathology of AD, the cholesterol connection and recent data suggesting that the oxysterol receptor, liver X receptor LXR (NR1H2 and NR1H3), may modulate these events.


2017 ◽  
Vol 131 (12) ◽  
pp. 1207-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shereen Nizari ◽  
Ignacio A. Romero ◽  
Cheryl A. Hawkes

Neuronal death is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and considerable work has been done to understand how the loss of interconnectivity between neurons contributes to the associated dementia. Often overlooked however, is how the loss of neuronal innervation of blood vessels, termed perivascular innervation, may also contribute to the pathogenesis of AD. There is now considerable evidence supporting a crucial role for the neurovascular unit (NVU) in mediating the clearance of the β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide, one of the main pathological constituents of AD, from the brain. Moreover, efficient removal appears to be dependent on the communication of cells within the NVU to maintain adequate vascular tone and pulsatility. This review summarizes the composition of the NVU, including the sources of perivascular innervation and how the NVU mediates Aβ clearance from the brain. It also explores evidence supporting the hypothesis that loss of neurally mediated vasoreactivity contributes to Aβ pathology in the AD brain.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Zhifu Fei ◽  
Song Luo ◽  
Hai Wang

Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD), also known as senile dementia, is a common neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and personality changes. Numerous evidences have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the pathogenesis and development of AD. However, the exact role of miR-335-5p in the progression of AD is still not clearly clarified. Methods: The protein and mRNA levels were measured by western blot and RNA extraction and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), respectively. The relationship between miR-335-5p and c-jun-N-terminal kinase 3 (JNK3) was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. SH-SY5Y cells were transfected with APP mutant gene to establish the in vitro AD cell model. Flow cytometry and western blot were performed to evaluate cell apoptosis. The APP/PS1 transgenic mice were used as an in vivo AD model. Morris water maze test was performed to assess the effect of miR- 335-5p on the cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Results: The JNK3 mRNA expression and protein levels of JNK3 and β-Amyloid (Aβ) were significantly up-regulated, and the mRNA expression of miR-335-5p was down-regulated in the brain tissues of AD patients. The expression levels of miR-335-5p and JNK3 were significantly inversely correlated. Further, the dual Luciferase assay verified the relationship between miR-335- 5p and JNK3. Overexpression of miR-335-5p significantly decreased the protein levels of JNK3 and Aβ and inhibited apoptosis in SH-SY5Y/APPswe cells, whereas the inhibition of miR-335-5p obtained the opposite results. Moreover, the overexpression of miR-335-5p remarkably improved the cognitive abilities of APP/PS1 mice. Conclusion: The results revealed that the increased JNK3 expression, negatively regulated by miR-335-5p, may be a potential mechanism that contributes to Aβ accumulation and AD progression, indicating a novel approach for AD treatment.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1946
Author(s):  
Nitin Chitranshi ◽  
Ashutosh Kumar ◽  
Samran Sheriff ◽  
Veer Gupta ◽  
Angela Godinez ◽  
...  

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.


2005 ◽  
Vol 171 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Haung Yu ◽  
Ana Maria Cuervo ◽  
Asok Kumar ◽  
Corrinne M. Peterhoff ◽  
Stephen D. Schmidt ◽  
...  

Macroautophagy, which is a lysosomal pathway for the turnover of organelles and long-lived proteins, is a key determinant of cell survival and longevity. In this study, we show that neuronal macroautophagy is induced early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and before β-amyloid (Aβ) deposits extracellularly in the presenilin (PS) 1/Aβ precursor protein (APP) mouse model of β-amyloidosis. Subsequently, autophagosomes and late autophagic vacuoles (AVs) accumulate markedly in dystrophic dendrites, implying an impaired maturation of AVs to lysosomes. Immunolabeling identifies AVs in the brain as a major reservoir of intracellular Aβ. Purified AVs contain APP and β-cleaved APP and are highly enriched in PS1, nicastrin, and PS-dependent γ-secretase activity. Inducing or inhibiting macroautophagy in neuronal and nonneuronal cells by modulating mammalian target of rapamycin kinase elicits parallel changes in AV proliferation and Aβ production. Our results, therefore, link β-amyloidogenic and cell survival pathways through macroautophagy, which is activated and is abnormal in AD.


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