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Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and... Nov 2023Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia. Currently, there are no effective disease-modifying treatments for AD. Mendelian randomisation (MR) has been...
BACKGROUND
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia. Currently, there are no effective disease-modifying treatments for AD. Mendelian randomisation (MR) has been widely used to repurpose licensed drugs and discover novel therapeutic targets. Thus, we aimed to identify novel therapeutic targets for AD and analyse their pathophysiological mechanisms and potential side effects.
METHODS
A two-sample MR integrating the identified druggable genes was performed to estimate the causal effects of blood and brain druggable expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) on AD. A repeat study was conducted using different blood and brain eQTL data sources to validate the identified genes. Using AD markers with available genome-wide association studies data, we evaluated the causal relationship between established AD markers to explore possible mechanisms. Finally, the potential side effects of the druggable genes for AD treatment were assessed using a phenome-wide MR.
RESULTS
Overall, 5883 unique druggable genes were aggregated; 33 unique potential druggable genes for AD were identified in at least one dataset (brain or blood), and 5 were validated in a different dataset. Among them, three prior druggable genes (epoxide hydrolase 2 (), and ) reached significant levels in both blood and brain tissues. EPHX2 may mediate the pathogenesis of AD by affecting the entire hippocampal volume. Further phenome-wide MR analysis revealed no potential side effects of treatments targeting , or .
CONCLUSIONS
This study provides genetic evidence supporting the potential therapeutic benefits of targeting the three druggable genes for AD treatment, which will be useful for prioritising AD drug development.
Topics: Humans; Alzheimer Disease; Genome-Wide Association Study; Brain; Hippocampus; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Serpins
PubMed: 37349091
DOI: 10.1136/jnnp-2023-331142 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023Cannabidiol (CBD) is the primary non-psychoactive chemical from Cannabis Sativa, a plant used for centuries for both recreational and medicinal purposes. CBD lacks the... (Review)
Review
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the primary non-psychoactive chemical from Cannabis Sativa, a plant used for centuries for both recreational and medicinal purposes. CBD lacks the psychotropic effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and has shown great therapeutic potential. CBD exerts a wide spectrum of effects at a molecular, cellular, and organ level, affecting inflammation, oxidative damage, cell survival, pain, vasodilation, and excitability, among others, modifying many physiological and pathophysiological processes. There is evidence that CBD may be effective in treating several human disorders, like anxiety, chronic pain, psychiatric pathologies, cardiovascular diseases, and even cancer. Multiple cellular and pre-clinical studies using animal models of disease and several human trials have shown that CBD has an overall safe profile. In this review article, we summarize the pharmacokinetics data, the putative mechanisms of action of CBD, and the physiological effects reported in pre-clinical studies to give a comprehensive list of the findings and major effects attributed to this compound.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Cannabidiol; Cell Survival; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Chronic Pain
PubMed: 37630232
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28165980 -
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 2023Adipokines are biologically active factors secreted by adipose tissue that act on local and distant tissues through autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine mechanisms.... (Review)
Review
Adipokines are biologically active factors secreted by adipose tissue that act on local and distant tissues through autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine mechanisms. However, adipokines are believed to be involved in an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Classical adipokines include leptin, adiponectin, and ceramide, while newly identified adipokines include visceral adipose tissue-derived serpin, omentin, and asprosin. New evidence suggests that adipokines can play an essential role in atherosclerosis progression and regression. Here, we summarize the complex roles of various adipokines in atherosclerosis lesions. Representative protective adipokines include adiponectin and neuregulin 4; deteriorating adipokines include leptin, resistin, thrombospondin-1, and C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 5; and adipokines with dual protective and deteriorating effects include C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 1 and C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 3; and adipose tissue-derived bioactive materials include sphingosine-1-phosphate, ceramide, and adipose tissue-derived exosomes. However, the role of a newly discovered adipokine, asprosin, in atherosclerosis remains unclear. This article reviews progress in the research on the effects of adipokines in atherosclerosis and how they may be regulated to halt its progression.
PubMed: 37645520
DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1235953 -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation Aug 2023Patients with cancer who have high serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 (SCCA1, now referred to as SERPINB3) commonly experience treatment resistance and...
Patients with cancer who have high serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1 (SCCA1, now referred to as SERPINB3) commonly experience treatment resistance and have a poor prognosis. Despite being a clinical biomarker, the modulation of SERPINB3 in tumor immunity is poorly understood. We found positive correlations of SERPINB3 with CXCL1, CXCL8 (CXCL8/9), S100A8, and S100A9 (S100A8/A9) myeloid cell infiltration through RNA-Seq analysis of human primary cervical tumors. Induction of SERPINB3 resulted in increased CXCL1/8 and S100A8/A9 expression, which promoted monocyte and myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) migration in vitro. In mouse models, Serpinb3a tumors showed increased MDSC and tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) infiltration, contributing to T cell inhibition, and this was further augmented upon radiation. Intratumoral knockdown (KD) of Serpinb3a resulted in tumor growth inhibition and reduced CXCL1 and S100A8/A expression and MDSC and M2 macrophage infiltration. These changes led to enhanced cytotoxic T cell function and sensitized tumors to radiotherapy (RT). We further revealed that SERPINB3 promoted STAT-dependent expression of chemokines, whereby inhibition of STAT activation by ruxolitinib or siRNA abrogated CXCL1/8 and S100A8/ A9 expression in SERPINB3 cells. Patients with elevated pretreatment SCCA levels and high phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) had increased intratumoral CD11b+ myeloid cells compared with patients with low SCCA levels and p-STAT3, who had improved overall survival after RT. These findings provide a preclinical rationale for targeting SERPINB3 in tumors to counteract immunosuppression and improve the response to RT.
Topics: Mice; Animals; Humans; Calgranulin A; Calgranulin B; Serpins; Chemokines
PubMed: 37279067
DOI: 10.1172/JCI163841 -
Journal of Neuroinflammation Jul 2023Impaired activation and regulation of the extinction of inflammatory cells and molecules in injured neuronal tissues are key factors in the development of epilepsy....
Impaired activation and regulation of the extinction of inflammatory cells and molecules in injured neuronal tissues are key factors in the development of epilepsy. SerpinA3N is mainly associated with the acute phase response and inflammatory response. In our current study, transcriptomics analysis, proteomics analysis, and Western blotting showed that the expression level of Serpin clade A member 3N (SerpinA3N) is significantly increased in the hippocampus of mice with kainic acid (KA)-induced temporal lobe epilepsy, and this molecule is mainly expressed in astrocytes. Notably, in vivo studies using gain- and loss-of-function approaches revealed that SerpinA3N in astrocytes promoted the release of proinflammatory factors and aggravated seizures. Mechanistically, RNA sequencing and Western blotting showed that SerpinA3N promoted KA-induced neuroinflammation by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, co-immunoprecipitation revealed that SerpinA3N interacts with ryanodine receptor type 2 (RYR2) and promotes RYR2 phosphorylation. Overall, our study reveals a novel SerpinA3N-mediated mechanism in seizure-induced neuroinflammation and provides a new target for developing neuroinflammation-based strategies to reduce seizure-induced brain injury.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Astrocytes; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe; Hippocampus; Kainic Acid; Neuroinflammatory Diseases; NF-kappa B; Ryanodine Receptor Calcium Release Channel; Seizures; Signal Transduction; Serpins
PubMed: 37422673
DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02840-8 -
Redox Biology Dec 2023Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) levels are elevated in patients with asthma. Ferroptosis has been identified as the non-apoptotic cell death type associated with asthma. Data...
Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) levels are elevated in patients with asthma. Ferroptosis has been identified as the non-apoptotic cell death type associated with asthma. Data regarding the relation of ferroptosis with asthma and the effect of IL-17A on modulating ferroptosis in asthma remain largely unclear. The present work focused on investigating the role of IL-17A in allergic asthma-related ferroptosis and its associated molecular mechanisms using public datasets, clinical samples, human bronchial epithelial cells, and an allergic asthma mouse model. We found that IL-17A was significantly upregulated within serum in asthma cases. Adding IL-17A significantly increased ferroptosis within human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). In ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthmatic mice, IL-17A regulated and activated lipid peroxidation induced ferroptosis, whereas IL-17A knockdown effectively inhibited ferroptosis in vivo by protection of airway epithelial cells via the xCT-GSH-GPX4 antioxidant system and reduced airway inflammation. Mouse mRNA sequencing results indicated that the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway was the differential KEGG pathway in the OVA group compared to healthy controls and the OVA group compared to the IL-17A knockout OVA group. We further used N-acetylcysteine (TNF inhibitor) to inhibit the TNF signaling pathway, which was found to protect BEAS-2B cells from IL-17A induced lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis damage. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism for the suppression of ferroptosis in airway epithelial cells, which may represent a new strategy for the use of IL-17A inhibitors against allergic asthma.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Mice; Asthma; Disease Models, Animal; Epithelial Cells; Ferroptosis; Inflammation; Interleukin-17; Lung; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Ovalbumin
PubMed: 38035662
DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102970 -
American Journal of Respiratory and... Nov 2023Intravenous plasma-purified alpha-1 antitrypsin (IV-AAT) has been used as therapy for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) since 1987. Previous trials (RAPID and... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Intravenous plasma-purified alpha-1 antitrypsin (IV-AAT) has been used as therapy for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) since 1987. Previous trials (RAPID and RAPID-OLE) demonstrated efficacy in preserving computed tomography of lung density but no effect on FEV. This observational study evaluated 615 people with severe AATD from three countries with socialized health care (Ireland, Switzerland, and Austria), where access to standard medical care was equal but access to IV-AAT was not. To assess the real-world longitudinal effects of IV-AAT. Pulmonary function and mortality data were utilized to perform longitudinal analyses on registry participants with severe AATD. IV-AAT confers a survival benefit in severe AATD ( < 0.001). We uncovered two distinct AATD phenotypes based on an initial respiratory diagnosis: lung index and non-lung index. Lung indexes demonstrated a more rapid FEV decline between the ages of 20 and 50 and subsequently entered a plateau phase of minimal decline from 50 onward. Consequentially, IV-AAT had no effect on FEV decline, except in patients with a Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 2 lung index. This real-world study demonstrates a survival advantage from IV-AAT. This improved survival is largely decoupled from FEV decline. The observation that patients with severe AATD fall into two major phenotypes has implications for clinical trial design where FEV is a primary endpoint. Recruits into trials are typically older lung indexes entering the plateau phase and, therefore, unlikely to show spirometric benefits. IV-AAT attenuates spirometric decline in lung indexes in GOLD stage 2, a spirometric group commonly outside current IV-AAT commencement recommendations.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Middle Aged; Young Adult; alpha 1-Antitrypsin; alpha 1-Antitrypsin Deficiency; Lung; Phenotype; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive; Registries
PubMed: 37624745
DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202305-0863OC -
Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis Jul 2023Oral factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors significantly reduce incidence of stroke and thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism. Due to...
Real-world clinical outcomes among US Veterans with oral factor xa inhibitor-related major bleeding treated with andexanet alfa or 4-factor prothrombin complex concentrate.
Oral factor Xa (FXa) inhibitors significantly reduce incidence of stroke and thromboembolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation or venous thromboembolism. Due to various factors and the lack of a randomized controlled trial comparing andexanet alfa to usual care, non-specific replacement agents including 4 F-PCC are still used off-label for FXa inhibitor bleed management. Clinical and mortality data were extracted from the inpatient medical data and Veteran Affairs (VA) vital status files over the time of March 2014 through December 2020. Propensity score-weighted models were used for this retrospective cohort study using data from the Veterans Affairs Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI). The study included 255 patients (85-andexanet alfa and 170-4 F-PCC) exposed to an oral factor Xa inhibitor and hospitalized with an acute major, gastrointestinal (GI), intracranial (ICH) or other bleed. In-hospital mortality was significantly lower in the andexanet alfa cohort compared to the 4 F-PCC cohort (10.6% vs. 25.3%, p = 0.01). Propensity score-weighted Cox models reveal a 69% lower hazard of in-hospital mortality for those treated with andexanet alfa (HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.14-0.71) compared to those treated with 4 F-PCC. Additionally, those treated with andexanet alfa had a lower 30-day mortality rate and lower 30-day hazard of mortality in the weighted Cox model (20.0% vs. 32.4%, p = 0.039; HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.30-0.98) compared to those treated with 4 F-PCC. Among 255 US veterans with major bleeding in the presence of an oral factor Xa inhibitor, treatment with andexanet alfa was associated with lower in-hospital and 30-day mortality than treatment with 4 F-PCC.
Topics: Humans; Factor Xa; Factor Xa Inhibitors; Veterans; Retrospective Studies; Blood Coagulation Factors; Hemorrhage; Antithrombin III; Factor IX; Recombinant Proteins; Anticoagulants
PubMed: 37219827
DOI: 10.1007/s11239-023-02820-y -
Phytomedicine : International Journal... Oct 2023Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa that is mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE). Xiao-qing-long-tang (XQLT) is a traditional...
BACKGROUND
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the nasal mucosa that is mediated by immunoglobulin E (IgE). Xiao-qing-long-tang (XQLT) is a traditional Chinese medicine compound that is widely used to treat respiratory diseases such as AR. However, the underlying mechanism of the effect of XQLT on AR remains unclear.
PURPOSE
To elucidate the effect of XQLT on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced AR and the mechanisms of action.
METHODS
The therapeutic efficacy of XQLT was evaluated in a well-established OVA-induced AR mouse model. Nasal symptoms were analyzed, type 2 cytokines and OVA-sIgE levels were measured, nasal mucosa tissues were collected for histological analysis, and the changes of Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and the IL-33/ST2 and JAK/STAT signaling pathways in the nasal mucosa were observed.
RESULTS
XQLT significantly alleviated the nasal symptoms and histological damage to the nasal mucosa in AR mice, and reduced the levels of type 2 cytokines and OVA-sIgE. In addition, after XQLT treatment, the numbers of ILC2s in the nasal mucosa of AR mice were reduced, and the mRNA levels of the transcription factors GATA3 and ROR-α were decreased. Moreover, IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway was inhibited. The costimulatory cytokine associated JAK/STAT signaling pathway was also inhibited in ILC2s.
CONCLUSION
Our study demonstrated that XQLT regulated ILC2s through the IL-33/ST2 and JAK/STAT pathways to ameliorate type 2 inflammation in OVA-induced AR. These findings suggest that XQLT might be used to treat AR.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Ovalbumin; Immunity, Innate; Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Protein; Janus Kinases; Interleukin-33; Lymphocytes; Signal Transduction; STAT Transcription Factors; Rhinitis, Allergic; Cytokines; Disease Models, Animal; Mice, Inbred BALB C
PubMed: 37586158
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155012