The influence of cannabinoids on generic traits of neurodegeneration

In an increasingly ageing population, the incidence of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer''s disease, Parkinson''s disease and Huntington''s disease are rising. While the aetiologies of these disorders are different, a number of common mechanisms that underlie their neurodegenerative components have been elucidated; namely neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced trophic support. Current therapies focus on treatment of the symptoms and attempt to delay the progression of these diseases but there is currently no cure. Modulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system is emerging as a potentially viable option in the treatment of neurodegeneration. Endocannabinoid signalling has been found to be altered in many neurodegenerative disorders. To this end, pharmacological manipulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system, as well as application of phytocannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids have been investigated. Signalling from the CB₁ and CB₂ receptors are known to be involved in the regulation of Ca²⁺ homeostasis, mitochondrial function, trophic support and inflammatory status, respectively, while other receptors gated by cannabinoids such as PPARγ, are gaining interest in their anti-inflammatory properties. Through multiple lines of evidence, this evolutionarily conserved neurosignalling system has shown neuroprotective capabilities and is therefore a potential target for neurodegenerative disorders. This review details the mechanisms of neurodegeneration and highlights the beneficial effects of cannabinoid treatment.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids 2013. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-6     

The Role of Mitochondrial Genes in Neurodegenerative Disorders

Mitochondrial disorders are clinically heterogeneous, resulting from nuclear gene and mitochondrial mutations that disturb the mitochondrial functions and dynamics. There is a lack of evidence linking mtDNA mutations to neurodegenerative disorders, mainly due to the absence of noticeable neuropathological lesions in postmortem samples. This review describes various gene mutations in Alzheimer''s disease, Parkinson''s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. These abnormalities, including PINK1, Parkin, and SOD1 mutations, seem to reveal mitochondrial dysfunctions due to either mtDNA mutation or deletion, the mechanism of which remains unclear in depth.     

Chemical Biology, Molecular Mechanism and Clinical Perspective of ��-Secretase Modulators in Alzheimer��s Disease

Comprehensive evidence supports that oligomerization and accumulation of amyloidogenic Aβ42 peptides in brain is crucial in the pathogenesis of both familial and sporadic forms of Alzheimer''s disease. Imaging studies indicate that the buildup of Aβ begins many years before the onset of clinical symptoms, and that subsequent neurodegeneration and cognitive decline may proceed independently of Aβ. This implies the necessity for early intervention in cognitively normal individuals with therapeutic strategies that prioritize safety. The aspartyl protease γ-secretase catalyses the last step in the cellular generation of Aβ42 peptides, and is a principal target for anti-amyloidogenic intervention strategies. Due to the essential role of γ-secretase in the NOTCH signaling pathway, overt mechanism-based toxicity has been observed with the first generation of γ-secretase inhibitors, and safety of this approach has been questioned. However, two new classes of small molecules, γ-secretase modulators (GSMs) and NOTCH-sparing γ-secretase inhibitors, have revitalized γ-secretase as a drug target in AD. GSMs are small molecules that cause a product shift from Aβ42 towards shorter and less toxic Ab peptides. Importantly, GSMs spare other physiologically important substrates of the γ-secretase complex like NOTCH. Recently, GSMs with nanomolar potency and favorable in vivo properties have been described. In this review, we summarize the knowledge about the unusual proteolytic activity of γ-secretase, and the chemical biology, molecular mechanisms and clinical perspective of compounds that target the γ-secretase complex, with a particular focus on GSMs.     

Clinical pharmacology = disease progression + drug action

Clinical pharmacology is concerned with understanding how to use medicines to treat disease. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics have provided powerful methodologies for describing the time course of concentration and effect in individuals and in populations. This population approach may also be applied to describing the progression of disease and the action of drugs to change disease progress. Quantitative models for symptomatic and disease-modifying effects of drugs are valuable not only for describing drugs and diseases but also for identifying criteria to distinguish between types of drug actions, with implications for regulatory decisions and long-term patient care.     

Mitochondrial pathology in Parkinson's disease and implications for therapeutic intervention

Although the ultimate origin and role of mitochondrial pathology in Parkinson's disease (PD) remains controversial, accumulating data suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction is genetic and plays an important role in neurodegeneration. PD mitochondria display abnormal electron transport chain activity, increased reactive oxygen species generation, and abnormal calcium handling. These abnormalities arise, at least in part, from information encoded by mitochondrial DNA. These processes are implicated in current models of neuronal death and validate ongoing efforts to develop mitochondrial‐level pharmacologic interventions for the treatment of this disease.<n>Drug Dev. Res. 46:44–50, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Mitochondrial abnormalities: A primary basis for oxidative damage in Alzheimer's disease

The most striking feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the number of abnormalities affecting essentially every aspect of brain homeostasis. Recent work suggests that increased oxidative stress that damages lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids and results in the accumulation of redox‐active metals may be responsible for the diversity of systems involved. Interestingly, all of the genetic factors, β‐protein precursor, presenilins, and apolipoprotein E, have been linked to reactive oxygen species production or apoptosis, a process intimately associated with oxidative stress. This leaves open the question of why oxidative damage is increased in AD. In studies of mitochondria, we demonstrated increased mitochondrial DNA specifically in vulnerable neurons in cases of AD, suggesting that AD is marked by a fundamental abnormality in neuronal metabolism. Oxidative stress, therefore, seems to be the element linking the multitude of changes in Alzheimer's disease to a fundamental metabolic deficiency. Drug Dev. Res. 46:26–33, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

模式动物斑马鱼在神经退行性疾病研究中的应用

斑马鱼作为一种新型模式低等脊椎动物,具有发育周期短、体外受精、胚胎透明、突变种多等优势,被广泛应用于神经、心血管、消化等方面的研究中。神经退行性疾病包括帕金森病、阿尔茨海默病等,近年来发病率不断上升,且有年轻化的趋势,严重影响人们的身体健康和生活质量。因其发病机制复杂,至今仍缺乏治疗此类疾病的方法。本文综述近年来用斑马鱼制作神经退行性疾病模型的主要方式及可行性,为研究神经退行性疾病中斑马鱼模型的选择提供参考。     

Nonpeptidic Lysosomal Modulators Derived from Z-Phe-Ala-Diazomethylketone for Treating Protein Accumulation Diseases

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Bioenergetic medicine

Here we discuss a specific therapeutic strategy we call ‘bioenergetic medicine’. Bioenergetic medicine refers to the manipulation of bioenergetic fluxes to positively affect health. Bioenergetic medicine approaches rely heavily on the law of mass action, and impact systems that monitor and respond to the manipulated flux. Since classically defined energy metabolism pathways intersect and intertwine, targeting one flux also tends to change other fluxes, which complicates treatment design. Such indirect effects, fortunately, are to some extent predictable, and from a therapeutic perspective may also be desirable. Bioenergetic medicine-based interventions already exist for some diseases, and because bioenergetic medicine interventions are presently feasible, new approaches to treat certain conditions, including some neurodegenerative conditions and cancers, are beginning to transition from the laboratory to the clinic.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed issue on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Energy, Injury & Beyond. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-8     

Molecular Insights into Human Monoamine Oxidase B Inhibition by the Glitazone Antidiabetes Drugs

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Neuroprotective and neurotrophic actions of glucagon-like peptide-1: an emerging opportunity to treat neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders

Like type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), neurodegenerative disorders and stroke are an ever increasing, health, social and economic burden for developed Westernized countries. Age is an important risk factor in all of these; due to the rapidly increasing rise in the elderly population T2DM and neurodegenerative disorders, both represent a looming threat to healthcare systems. Whereas several efficacious drugs are currently available to ameliorate T2DM, effective treatments to counteract pathogenic processes of neurodegenerative disorders are lacking and represent a major scientific and pharmaceutical challenge. Epidemiological data indicate an association between T2DM and most major neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Likewise, there is an association between T2DM and stroke incidence. Studies have revealed that common pathophysiological features, including oxidative stress, insulin resistance, abnormal protein processing and cognitive decline, occur across these. Based on the presence of shared mechanisms and signalling pathways in these seemingly distinct diseases, one could hypothesize that an effective treatment for one disorder could prove beneficial in the others. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based anti-diabetic drugs have drawn particular attention as an effective new strategy to not only regulate blood glucose but also to reduce apoptotic cell death of pancreatic beta cells in T2DM. Evidence supports a neurotrophic and neuroprotective role of GLP-1 receptor (R) stimulation in an increasing array of cellular and animal neurodegeneration models as well as in neurogenesis. Herein, we review the physiological role of GLP-1 in the nervous system, focused towards the potential benefit of GLP-1R stimulation as an immediately translatable treatment strategy for acute and chronic neurological disorders.     

瓜子金及其组分治疗神经系统疾病的研究进展

瓜子金为苗族民间常用草药,近年来瓜子金在神经系统中的药理研究取得了积极进展,发现瓜子金具有改善学习记忆、减轻认知障碍、抑制神经炎症、抑制神经细胞凋亡、抗抑郁、抗氧化等广泛的药理作用。因此,本文对瓜子金在神经系统疾病中的作用及机制进行综述,以期为开发瓜子金防治神经系统疾病提供理论依据。     

Triggering neurotrophic factor actions through adenosine A2A receptor activation: implications for neuroprotection

G protein coupled receptors and tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk) receptors have distinct structure and transducing mechanisms; therefore, cross-talk among them was unexpected. Evidence has, however, accumulated showing that tonic adenosine A2A receptor activity is a required step to allow synaptic actions of neurotrophic factors, namely upon synaptic transmission at both pre- and post-synaptic level as well as upon synaptic plasticity. An enhancement of A2A receptor tonus upon ageing may partially compensate the loss of TrkB receptors, rescuing to certain degree the facilitatory action of brain derived neurotrophic factor in aged animals, which might prove particularly relevant in the prevention of neurodegeneration upon ageing. A2A receptors also trigger synaptic actions of other neurotrophic factors, such as glial derived neurotrophic factor at dopaminergic striatal nerve endings. The growing evidence that tonic adenosine A2A receptor activity is a crucial step to allow actions of neurotrophic factors in neurones will be reviewed and discussed in the light of therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.     

Quality control gone wrong: mitochondria,lysosomal storage disorders and neurodegeneration

The eukaryotic cell possesses specialized pathways to turn over and degrade redundant proteins and organelles. Each pathway is unique and responsible for degradation of distinctive cytosolic material. The ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy (chaperone-mediated, macro, micro and organelle specific) act synergistically to maintain proteostasis. Defects in this equilibrium can be deleterious at cellular and organism level, giving rise to various disease states. Dysfunction of quality control pathways are implicated in neurodegenerative diseases and appear particularly important in Parkinson''s disease and the lysosomal storage disorders. Neurodegeneration resulting from impaired degradation of ubiquitinated proteins and α-synuclein is often accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria have evolved to control a diverse number of processes, including cellular energy production, calcium signalling and apoptosis, and like every other organelle within the cell, they must be ‘recycled.’ Failure to do so is potentially lethal as these once indispensible organelles become destructive, leaking reactive oxygen species and activating the intrinsic cell death pathway. This process is paramount in neurons which have an absolute dependence on mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation as they cannot up-regulate glycolysis. As such, mitochondrial bioenergetic failure can underpin neural death and neurodegenerative disease. In this review, we discuss the links between cellular quality control and neurodegenerative diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, with particular attention to the emerging links between Parkinson''s and Gaucher diseases in which defective quality control is a defining factor.

LINKED ARTICLES

This article is part of a themed issue on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Energy, Injury & Beyond. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-8     

Recent Progress of Imaging Agents for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson''s disease (PD) is a common progressive, neurodegenerative brain disease that is promoted by mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, protein aggregation and proteasome dysfunction in the brain. Compared with computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), non-invasive nuclear radiopharmaceuticals have great significance for the early diagnosis of PD due to their high sensitivity and specificity in atypical and preclinical cases. Based on the development of coordination chemistry and chelator design, radionuclides may be delivered to lesions by attaching to PD-related transporters and receptors, such as dopamine, serotonin, and others. In this review, we comprehensively detailed the current achievements in radionuclide imaging in Parkinson’s disease.     

Reasons that prevent the inclusion of Alzheimer's disease patients in clinical trials

Aim

To assess reasons that prevent Alzheimer''s disease (AD) patients from being included in clinical trials.

Methods

In 2009, we reviewed the Lille Memory Clinic''s case database to identify patients suitable for inclusion in four AD clinical trials. An initial selection was made on the basis of four criteria: (i) a diagnosis of AD (with or without white matter lesions [WML]), (ii) age, (iii) mini mental state examination (MMSE) score and (iv) symptomatic treatment of AD (cholinesterase inhibitors/memantine). Next, data on patients fulfilling these criteria were reviewed against all the inclusion/exclusion criteria for four clinical trials performed in 2009 at the Memory Clinic. Reasons for non-inclusion were analyzed.

Results

Two hundred and five patients were selected according to the four initial criteria. Reasons for subsequently not including some of patients in clinical trials were abnormalities on MRI (56.9%, 88.9% of which were WML), unauthorized medication (37.3%), the lack of a study partner/informant (37.1%), the presence of a non-authorized disease (24.4%), contraindication to MRI (9%), a change in diagnosis over time (3.9%), visual/auditory impairments (2.9%), alcohol abuse (2%) and an insufficient educational level (1%).

Conclusion

A high proportion of AD patients presented with vascular abnormalities on MRI. This was not unexpected, since the patients were selected from the database and, as shown in epidemiologic studies, cerebrovascular diseases are frequently associated with AD. The presence of a study partner is essential for enabling a patient to participate in clinical trials because of the need to record reliably primary and secondary outcomes.     

Targeting mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease: Part I

Importance of the field: The socioeconomic burden of an aging population has accelerated the urgency of novel therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disease. One possible approach is to target mitochondrial dysfunction, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous neurodegenerative disorders.

Areas covered in this review: This review examines the role of mitochondrial defects in aging and neurodegenerative disease, ranging from common diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease to rare familial disorders such as the spinocerebellar ataxias. The review is provided in two parts; in this first part, we discuss the mitochondrial defects that have been most extensively researched: oxidative stress; bioenergetic dysfunction and calcium deregulation.

What the reader will gain: This review provides a comprehensive examination of mitochondrial defects observed in numerous neurodegenerative disorders, discussing therapies that have reached clinical trials and considering potential novel therapeutic strategies to target mitochondrial dysfunction.

Take home message: This is an important area of clinical research, with several novel therapeutics already in clinical trials and many more in preclinical stages. In part II of this review we will focus on possible novel approaches, looking at mitochondrial defects which have more recently been linked to neurodegeneration.     

Neuroprotective Tri- and Tetracyclic BChE Inhibitors Releasing Reversible Inhibitors upon Carbamate Transfer

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