Many protein misfolding or conformational diseases, a number of which are neurodegenerative, are associated with the presence of proteinaceous deposits in the form of amyloid/amyloid-like fibrils/aggregates in tissues. Little is known about the exact mechanisms by which fibrillar aggregates are formed and can impair cellular functions leading to cell death. Small molecules that can modulate aggregate formation and/or structure can be powerful tools for studying the aggregate assembly mechanism and toxicity and may also prove to be therapeutic. We describe here a microplate-based high-throughput screening assay for identification of such molecules. The assay is based on the ability of microplate-coated aggregates to grow by incorporating additional monomers. Compounds that influence the elongation reaction are selected as hits and are tested in dose-response experiments. We also discuss some additional experiments that can be used to characterize the modes of action of these aggregation modulators further.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0076-6879(06)13016-5 | DOI Listing |
Background: The autophagy lysosomal pathway (ALP) and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) are key proteostasis mechanisms in cells, which are dysfunctional in AD and linked to protein aggregation and neuronal death. Autophagy is over activated in Alzheimer's disease brain whereas UPS is severely impaired. Activating autophagy has received most attention, however recent evidence suggests that UPS can clear aggregate proteins and a potential therapeutic target for AD and protein misfolding diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: To improve clinical translatability of non-clinical in-vivo Alzheimer's disease (AD) models, a humanized APP knock-in mouse model (APP) was recently created (Xia, D. et al., 2022).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimers Dement
December 2024
Sanford burnham prebys medical discovery institute, San Diego, CA, USA.
Background: A pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide (Aß). Potential treatments targeting Aß production such as γ-secretase inhibitors have had limited success. A promising alternative approach involves addressing early synaptic dysfunction by modulating molecules like striatal-enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP), whose levels and activity are upregulated by Aß.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCerebral beta-amyloid accumulation is the key initiator of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Most familial early-onset AD mutations in the APP, PSEN1/2 genes increase the ratio of Abeta42:Abeta40, which drives beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain. In 2001, the late Steve Wagner, Maria Kounnas, and I directed an agnostic high-throughput screen for compounds that would reverse the Abeta42:Abeta40, ratio, and discovered the first non-NSAID (second generation) gamma secretase modulators (GSM) at TorreyPines Therapeutics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A 73-year-old female with a 3 year history of Alzheimer's disease was treated within the protocol of The Alzheimer's Autism and Cognitive Impairment Stem Cell Treatment Study (ACIST), an IRB approved clinical study registered with clinicaltrials.gov NCT03724136.
Method: The procedure consists of bone marrow aspiration, cell separation using an FDA cleared class 2 device, and intravenous and intranasal administration of the stem cell fraction.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!