scholarly journals (-)-Phenserine and Inhibiting Pre-Programmed Cell Death: In Pursuit of a Novel Intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 883-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Becker ◽  
Nigel H. Greig ◽  
Debomoy K. Lahiri ◽  
Joseph Bledsoe ◽  
Sarah Majercik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Release Formulation ◽  
Amyloid Hypothesis ◽  
Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury

Background: Concussion (mild) and other moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) share overlapping neuropathologies, including neuronal pre-programmed cell death (PPCD), and clinical impairments and disabilities. Multiple clinical trials targeting mechanisms based on the Amyloid Hypothesis of AD have so far failed, indicating that it is prudent for new drug developments to also pursue mechanisms independent of the Amyloid Hypothesis. To address these issues, we have proposed the use of an animal model of concussion/TBI as a supplement to AD transgenic mice to provide an indication of an AD drug candidate’s potential for preventing PPCD and resulting progression towards dementia in AD. Methods: We searched PubMed/Medline and the references of identified articles for background on the neuropathological progression of AD and its implications for drug target identification, for AD clinical trial criteria used to assess disease modification outcomes, for plasma biomarkers associated with AD and concussion/TBI, neuropathologies and especially PPCD, and for methodological critiques of AD and other neuropsychiatric clinical trial methods. Results: We identified and address seven issues and highlight the Thal-Sano AD ‘Time to Onset of Impairment' Design for possible applications in our clinical trials. Diverse and significant pathological cascades and indications of self-induced neuronal PPCD were found in concussion/TBI, anoxia, and AD animal models. To address the dearth of peripheral markers of AD and concussion/TBI brain pathologies and PPCD we evaluated Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) enriched for neuronal origin, including exosomes. In our concussion/TBI, anoxia and AD animal models we found evidence consistent with the presence of time-dependent PPCD and (-)-phenserine suppression of neuronal self-induced PPCD. We hence developed an extended controlled release formulation of (-)-phenserine to provide individualized dosing and stable therapeutic brain concentrations, to pharmacologically interrogate PPCD as a drug development target. To address the identified problems potentially putting any clinical trial at risk of failure, we developed exploratory AD and concussion/TBI clinical trial designs. Conclusions: Our findings inform the biomarker indication of progression of pathological targets in neurodegenerations and propose a novel approach to these conditions through neuronal protection against self-induced PPCD.

scholarly journals Rapamycin and Alzheimer’s disease: Time for a clinical trial?

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (476) ◽  
pp. eaar4289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Kaeberlein ◽  
Veronica Galvan
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Mtor Inhibitors ◽  
Beneficial Effects

The drug rapamycin has beneficial effects in a number of animal models of neurodegeneration and aging including mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. Despite its compelling preclinical record, no clinical trials have tested rapamycin or other mTOR inhibitors in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. We argue that such clinical trials should be undertaken.

P3-053: (-)-PHENSERINE (PHEN) AND THE PREVENTION OF PRE-PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) AND MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY (MTBI)

2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (7S_Part_20) ◽  
pp. P1083-P1083
Author(s):  
Daniela Lecca ◽  
Miaad Bader ◽  
David Tweedie ◽  
Debomoy K. Lahiri ◽  
Robert E. Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease: lessons learned from 5-lipoxygenase

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yash Joshi ◽  
Domenico Praticò
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Amyloid Beta ◽  
Neuronal Cells ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Brain Inflammation ◽  
Complex Relationship ◽  
Amyloid Hypothesis

AbstractAside from the well-known amyloid beta and tau pathologies found in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), neuroinflammation is a well-established aspect described in humans and animal models of the disease. Inflammatory perturbations are evident not only in neurons, but also in non-neuronal cells and cytokines in the AD brain. Although the amyloid hypothesis implicates amyloid beta (Aβ) as the prime initiator of the AD, brain inflammation in AD has a complex relationship between Aβ and tau. Using our work with the 5-lipoxygenase protein as an example, we suggest that at least in the case of AD, there is an interdependent and not necessarily hierarchical pathological relationship between Aβ, tau and inflammation.

Learning from the Past: A Review of Clinical Trials Targeting Amyloid, Tau and Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Ceyzériat ◽  
Thomas Zilli ◽  
Philippe Millet ◽  
Giovanni B. Frisoni ◽  
Valentina Garibotto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Animal Models ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Central Feature ◽  
Phase Iii Trial ◽  
The Past ◽  
Positive Results

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and cause of dementia. Characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated Tau, AD pathology has been intensively studied during the last century. After a long series of failed trials of drugs targeting amyloid or Tau deposits, currently, hope lies in the positive results of one Phase III trial, highly debated, and on other ongoing trials. In parallel, some approaches target neuroinflammation, another central feature of AD. Therapeutic strategies are initially evaluated on animal models, in which the various drugs have shown effects on the target (decreasing amyloid, Tau and neuroinflammation) and sometimes on cognitive impairment. However, it is important to keep in mind that rodent models have a less complex brain than humans and that the pathology is generally not fully represented. Although they are indispensable tools in the drug discovery process, results obtained from animal models must be viewed with caution. In this review, we focus on the current status of disease-modifying therapies targeting amyloid, Tau and neuroinflammation with particular attention on the discrepancy between positive preclinical results on animal models and failures in clinical trials.

scholarly journals Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 Blockade Reduces Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β Activity and Tau Hyperphosphorylation in Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Models

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulian Zou ◽  
Chen-Ling Gan ◽  
Zhiming Xin ◽  
Hai-Tao Zhang ◽  
Qi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cell Death ◽  
Programmed Cell Death ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Glycogen Synthase ◽  
Neuronal Damage ◽  
Amyloid Β ◽  
Glycogen Synthase Kinase ◽  
Tau Hyperphosphorylation

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central nervous system degenerative disease, with no effective treatment to date. Administration of immune checkpoint inhibitors significantly reduces neuronal damage and tau hyperphosphorylation in AD, but the specific mechanism is unclear. Here, we found that programmed cell death-receptor 1 (PD1) and its ligand PDL1 were induced by an intracerebroventricular injection of amyloid-β; they were significantly upregulated in the brains of APP/PS1, 5×FAD mice and in SH-SY5Y-APP cell line compared with control. The PD1 and PDL1 levels positively correlated with the glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) activity in various AD mouse models, and the PDL1-GSK3β immune complex was found in the brain. The application of PD1-blocking antibody reduced tau hyperphosphorylation and GSK3β activity and prevented memory impairments. Mechanistically, we identified PD1 as a critical regulator of GSK3β activity. These results suggest that the immune regulation of the PD1/PDL1 axis is closely involved in AD.

scholarly journals Integrating Biomarker Outcomes into Clinical Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease in Down Syndrome

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Rafii ◽  
S. Zaman ◽  
B.L. Handen
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Natural History ◽  
New Information ◽  
History Of ◽  
Clinically Meaningful Outcomes

The NIH-funded Alzheimer’s Biomarker Consortium Down Syndrome (ABC-DS) and the European Horizon 21 Consortium are collecting critical new information on the natural history of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) biomarkers in adults with Down syndrome (DS), a population genetically predisposed to developing AD. These studies are also providing key insights into which biomarkers best represent clinically meaningful outcomes that are most feasible in clinical trials. This paper considers how these data can be integrated in clinical trials for individuals with DS. The Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Consortium - Down syndrome (ACTC-DS) is a platform that brings expert researchers from both networks together to conduct clinical trials for AD in DS across international sites while building on their expertise and experience.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document