scholarly journals Undiscovered Roles for Transthyretin: From a Transporter Protein to a New Therapeutic Target for Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 2075 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiago Gião ◽  
Joana Saavedra ◽  
Ellen Cotrina ◽  
Jordi Quintana ◽  
Jordi Llop ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Binding Protein ◽  
Retinol Binding Protein ◽  
Vascular Events ◽  
Aβ Peptides ◽  
Transporter Protein ◽  
Amyloid Aβ ◽  
Cellular Pathways

Transthyretin (TTR), an homotetrameric protein mainly synthesized by the liver and the choroid plexus, and secreted into the blood and the cerebrospinal fluid, respectively, has been specially acknowledged for its functions as a transporter protein of thyroxine and retinol (the latter through binding to the retinol-binding protein), in these fluids. Still, this protein has managed to stay in the spotlight as it has been assigned new and varied functions. In this review, we cover knowledge on novel TTR functions and the cellular pathways involved, spanning from neuroprotection to vascular events, while emphasizing its involvement in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We describe details of TTR as an amyloid binding protein and discuss its interaction with the amyloid Aβ peptides, and the proposed mechanisms underlying TTR neuroprotection in AD. We also present the importance of translating advances in the knowledge of the TTR neuroprotective role into drug discovery strategies focused on TTR as a new target in AD therapeutics.

scholarly journals The Function of Transthyretin Complexes with Metallothionein in Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 9003
Author(s):  
Natalia Zaręba ◽  
Marta Kepinska
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Pathological Feature ◽  
Aβ Peptides ◽  
Treatment And Prevention ◽  
Aβ Aggregation ◽  
Cultured Cortical Neurons ◽  
Amyloid Aβ

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed types of dementia in the elderly. An important pathological feature in AD is the aggregation and deposition of the β-amyloid (Aβ) in extracellular plaques. Transthyretin (TTR) can cleave Aβ, resulting in the formation of short peptides with less activity of amyloid plaques formation, as well as being able to degrade Aβ peptides that have already been aggregated. In the presence of TTR, Aβ aggregation decreases and toxicity of Aβ is abolished. This may prevent amyloidosis but the malfunction of this process leads to the development of AD. In the context of Aβplaque formation in AD, we discuss metallothionein (MT) interaction with TTR, the effects of which depend on the type of MT isoform. In the brains of patients with AD, the loss of MT-3 occurs. On the contrary, MT-1/2 level has been consistently reported to be increased. Through interaction with TTR, MT-2 reduces the ability of TTR to bind to Aβ, while MT-3 causes the opposite effect. It increases TTR-Aβ binding, providing inhibition of Aβ aggregation. The protective effect, assigned to MT-3 against the deposition of Aβ, relies also on this mechanism. Additionally, both Zn7MT-2 and Zn7MT-3, decrease Aβ neurotoxicity in cultured cortical neurons probably because of a metal swap between Zn7MT and Cu(II)Aβ. Understanding the molecular mechanism of metals transfer between MT and other proteins as well as cognition of the significance of TTR interaction with different MT isoforms can help in AD treatment and prevention.

scholarly journals Cerebrospinal Fluid Profile of Lipid Mediators In Alzheimer’s Disease

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khanh Van Do ◽  
Erik Hjorth ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Bokkyoo Jun ◽  
Marie-Audrey I. Kautzmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cerebrospinal Fluid ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Lipid Mediators ◽  
Replication Studies ◽  
Neuroprotectin D1 ◽  
Chronic Neuroinflammation ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽  
Amyloid Aβ

Abstract Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) develops into dementia over a period of several years, during which subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are used as intermediary diagnoses of increasing severity. Chronic neuroinflammation resulting from insufficient resolution is involved in the pathogenesis of AD and is associated with cognitive impairment. Specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (LMs) that promote the resolution of inflammation may be valuable markers in AD diagnosis and as therapeutic targets.Methods: Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze pro-resolving and pro-inflammatory LMs in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from patients with cognitive impairment ranging from subjective impairment to a diagnosis of AD, and correlated to cognition, CSF tau and β-amyloid (Aβ), and an inflammation biomarker (YKL-40). Results: RvD4, neuroprotectin D1, MaR1, and RvE4 were lower in AD and/or MCI compared to SCI. The pro-inflammatory LTB4 and 15-HETE were higher in AD and MCI, respectively, while PGD2 and PGE2 were decreased in AD, compared to SCI. RvD4 was also negatively correlated to AD tangle biomarkers. Many differences were dependent on gender.Conclusion: In this exploratory study of the lipidome in CSF of AD, MCI and SCI, the results indicate a gender-dependent shift in the LM profile from pro-resolving to pro-inflammatory in progression to AD, suggesting that it may be of use as a biomarker when followed by confirmation by replication studies.

scholarly journals Autophagy in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis: therapeutic potential and future perspectives

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhigang Zhang ◽  
You-Qiang Song ◽  
Jie Tu
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
Aβ Peptides ◽  
Evolutionarily Conserved ◽  
Amyloid Aβ ◽  
Folded Proteins

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. It is the most common cause of dementia in human. AD is characterized by accumulation of abnormal protein aggregates including amyloid plaques (composed of beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptides) and neurofibrillary tangles (formed by hyper-phosphorylated tau protein). Besides, synaptic plasticity, neuroinflammation, calcium signaling etc. are found to be dysfunctional as well in AD patients. Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved lysosome-dependent cellular event in eukaryotes. It is closely linked to the modulation of protein metabolism, through which damaged organelles and mis-folded proteins are degraded and then recycled to maintain protein homeostasis. Accumulating evidence has showed that impaired autophagy contributes to AD pathogenesis. In the present review, we highlight the role of autophagy, including bulk and selective autophagy, in regulating metabolic circuits in AD pathogenesis. We also discuss the potential and future perspectives of autophagy-inducing strategy in AD therapeutics.

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