scholarly journals Comparative Studies in the A30P and A53T α-Synuclein C. elegans Strains to Investigate the Molecular Origins of Parkinson's Disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Perni ◽  
Annemieke van der Goot ◽  
Ryan Limbocker ◽  
Tjakko J. van Ham ◽  
Francesco A. Aprile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Rate Control ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
A53t Mutation ◽  
A30p Mutation

The aggregation of α-synuclein is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) and a variety of related neurological disorders. A number of mutations in this protein, including A30P and A53T, are associated with familial forms of the disease. Patients carrying the A30P mutation typically exhibit a similar age of onset and symptoms as sporadic PD, while those carrying the A53T mutation generally have an earlier age of onset and an accelerated progression. We report two C. elegans models of PD (PDA30P and PDA53T), which express these mutational variants in the muscle cells, and probed their behavior relative to animals expressing the wild-type protein (PDWT). PDA30P worms showed a reduced speed of movement and an increased paralysis rate, control worms, but no change in the frequency of body bends. By contrast, in PDA53T worms both speed and frequency of body bends were significantly decreased, and paralysis rate was increased. α-Synuclein was also observed to be less well localized into aggregates in PDA30P worms compared to PDA53T and PDWT worms, and amyloid-like features were evident later in the life of the animals, despite comparable levels of expression of α-synuclein. Furthermore, squalamine, a natural product currently in clinical trials for treating symptomatic aspects of PD, was found to reduce significantly the aggregation of α-synuclein and its associated toxicity in PDA53T and PDWT worms, but had less marked effects in PDA30P. In addition, using an antibody that targets the N-terminal region of α-synuclein, we observed a suppression of toxicity in PDA30P, PDA53T and PDWT worms. These results illustrate the use of these two C. elegans models in fundamental and applied PD research.

scholarly journals Nicotinamide riboside alleviates Parkinson’s disease symptoms but downregulates dopamine metabolism upon lactacystin-induced proteostasis failure

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio Turconi ◽  
Farhan Alam ◽  
Tanima SenGupta ◽  
Sini Pirnes-Karhu ◽  
Soophie Olfat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Mitochondrial Dysfunction ◽  
Proteasome Inhibition ◽  
Dopamine Metabolism ◽  
Nicotinamide Riboside ◽  
C Elegans ◽  
Unfolded Protein ◽  
Age Related

AbstractActivation of mitochondrial metabolism and proteostasis with the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide riboside (NR) has emerged as a potential therapeutic approach for neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, despite recently started clinical trials, studies on NR in animal models of PD are scarce. In this study, we investigated the effect of NR in multiple models of PD. In transgenic C. elegans overexpressing α-synuclein, a protein of which aggregation is believed to promote PD, NR rescued PD-like phenotypes including mitochondrial dysfunction and motility defects, decreased oxidative stress, and age-related dopamine (DA) neuron loss. We found that NR eased symptoms of disease by activating the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) via the transcription factor atfs-1. Similarly, in a proteasome inhibitor, lactacystin, -induced mouse model of PD, NR rescued mitochondrial dysfunction and behavioural deficits caused by lactacystin lesion. However, long-term NR supplementation, in conjunction with proteasome inhibition, resulted in decreased DA levels in both the lesioned and unlesioned sides of the substantia nigra with concomitant downregulation of key genes in DA metabolism. Our results suggest specific endpoints that should be monitored in ongoing NR clinical trials.

scholarly journals Gene Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease Associated with GBA1 Mutations

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Asa Abeliovich ◽  
Franz Hefti ◽  
Jeffrey Sevigny
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Normal Range ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Lysosomal Dysfunction ◽  
The Brain

Human genetic studies as well as studies in animal models indicate that lysosomal dysfunction plays a key role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease. Among the lysosomal genes involved, GBA1, has the largest impact on Parkinson’s disease risk. Deficiency in the GBA1 encoded enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase) leads to the accumulation of the GCase glycolipid substrates glucosylceramide and glucosylsphingosine and ultimately results in toxicity and inflammation and negatively affect many aspects of Parkinson’s disease, including disease risk, the severity of presentation, age of onset, and likelihood of progression to dementia. These findings support the view that re-establishing normal range levels of GCase expression and enzyme activity may reduce the progression of Parkinson’s disease in patients carrying GBA1 mutations. Studies in mouse models indicate that PR001, a rAAV9 vector-based gene therapy designed to deliver a functional GBA1 gene to the brain, suggest that this therapeutic approach may slow or stop disease progression. PR001 is currently being evaluated in clinical trials with Parkinson’s disease patients carrying GBA1 mutations.

Analysis of Functional and Cognitive Impairment in Institutionalized Individuals with Movement Disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1022-1031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula D. Cebrián ◽  
Omar Cauli
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Activities Of Daily Living ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Functional Impairment ◽  
Movement Disorders ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Severe Cognitive Impairment

Background: Many neurological disorders lead to institutionalization and can be accompanied in their advanced stages by functional impairment, and progressive loss of mobility, and cognitive alterations. Objective: We analyzed the relationship between functional impairment and cognitive performance and its related subdomains in individuals with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease accompanied by motor dysfunction, and with other neurological disorders characterized by both motor and cognitive problems. Methods: All participants lived in nursing homes (Valencia, Spain) and underwent cognitive evaluation with the Mini-Mental State Examination; functional assessment of independence in activities of daily living using the Barthel score and Katz index; and assessment of mobility with the elderly mobility scale. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 82.8 ± 0.6 years, 47% of the sample included individuals with Parkinson’s disease, and 48 % of the sample presented severe cognitive impairment. Direct significant relationships were found between the level of cognitive impairment and functional capacity (p < 0.01) and mobility (p < 0.05). Among the different domains, memory impairment was not associated with altered activities of daily living or mobility. The functional impairment and the risk of severe cognitive impairment were significantly (p<0.05) higher in female compared to male patients. Among comorbidities, overweight/obesity and diabetes were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with poor cognitive performance in those individuals with mild/moderate cognitive impairment. Conclusion: In institutionalized individuals with movement disorders there is an association between functional and cognitive impairment. Reduction of over-weight and proper control of diabetes may represent novel targets for improving cognitive function at such early stages.

scholarly journals Application of deep learning in detecting neurological disorders from magnetic resonance images: a survey on the detection of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manan Binth Taj Noor ◽  
Nusrat Zerin Zenia ◽  
M Shamim Kaiser ◽  
Shamim Al Mamun ◽  
Mufti Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Deep Learning ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Images ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Comparative Performance

Abstract Neuroimaging, in particular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), has been playing an important role in understanding brain functionalities and its disorders during the last couple of decades. These cutting-edge MRI scans, supported by high-performance computational tools and novel ML techniques, have opened up possibilities to unprecedentedly identify neurological disorders. However, similarities in disease phenotypes make it very difficult to detect such disorders accurately from the acquired neuroimaging data. This article critically examines and compares performances of the existing deep learning (DL)-based methods to detect neurological disorders—focusing on Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia—from MRI data acquired using different modalities including functional and structural MRI. The comparative performance analysis of various DL architectures across different disorders and imaging modalities suggests that the Convolutional Neural Network outperforms other methods in detecting neurological disorders. Towards the end, a number of current research challenges are indicated and some possible future research directions are provided.

scholarly journals The TOMM40 ‘523’ polymorphism in disease risk and age of symptom onset in two independent cohorts of Parkinson’s disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan C. Bakeberg ◽  
Madison E. Hoes ◽  
Anastazja M. Gorecki ◽  
Frances Theunissen ◽  
Abigail L. Pfaff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Symptom Onset ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Australian Cohort ◽  
Progression Markers ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

AbstractAbnormal mitochondrial function is a key process in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The central pore-forming protein TOM40 of the mitochondria is encoded by the translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 40 homologue gene (TOMM40). The highly variant ‘523’ poly-T repeat is associated with age-related cognitive decline and age of onset in Alzheimer’s disease, but whether it plays a role in modifying the risk or clinical course of PD it yet to be elucidated. The TOMM40 ‘523’ allele length was determined in 634 people with PD and 422 healthy controls from an Australian cohort and the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort, using polymerase chain reaction or whole genome sequencing analysis. Genotype and allele frequencies of TOMM40 ‘523’ and APOE ε did not differ significantly between the cohorts. Analyses revealed TOMM40 ‘523’ allele groups were not associated with disease risk, while considering APOE ε genotype. Regression analyses revealed the TOMM40 S/S genotype was associated with a significantly later age of symptom onset in the PPMI PD cohort, but not after correction for covariates, or in the Australian cohort. Whilst variation in the TOMM40 ‘523’ polymorphism was not associated with PD risk, the possibility that it may be a modifying factor for age of symptom onset warrants further investigation in other PD populations.

scholarly journals Bringing Advanced Therapies for Parkinson’s Disease to the Clinic: The Scientist’s Perspective

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Mark Tomishima ◽  
Agnete Kirkeby
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Phase I Clinical Trials ◽  
Preclinical Models ◽  
Preclinical Development ◽  
Dopaminergic Medication ◽  
Gene Therapies ◽  
Advanced Therapies ◽  
New Phase

After many years of preclinical development, cell and gene therapies have advanced from research tools in the lab to clinical-grade products for patients, and today they constitute more than a quarter of all new Phase I clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease. Whereas efficacy has been convincingly proven for many of these products in preclinical models, the field is now entering a new phase where the functionality and safety of these products will need to stand the test in clinical trials. If successful, these new products can have the potential to provide patients with a one-time administered treatment which may alleviate them from daily symptomatic dopaminergic medication.

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