Power of light and oxygen clears Alzheimer's disease protein in live mice
New photo-oxygenation catalyst targets amyloid structure, recruits brain immune system cells
2021-04-14
(Press-News.org) A small, light-activated molecule recently tested in mice represents a new approach to eliminating clumps of amyloid protein found in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. If perfected in humans, the technique could be used as an alternative approach to immunotherapy and used to treat other diseases caused by similar amyloids.
Researchers injected the molecule directly into the brains of live mice with Alzheimer's disease and then used a specialized probe to shine light into their brains for 30 minutes each day for one week. Chemical analysis of the mouse brain tissue showed that the treatment significantly reduced amyloid protein. Results from additional experiments using human brain samples donated by Alzheimer's disease patients supported the possibility of future use in humans.
"The importance of our study is developing this technique to target the amyloid protein to enhance clearance of it by the immune system," said Yukiko Hori, a lecturer at the University of Tokyo and co-first author of the research recently published in Brain.
The small molecule that the research team developed is known as a photo-oxygenation catalyst. It appears to treat Alzheimer's disease via a two-step process.
First, the catalyst destabilizes the amyloid plaques. Oxygenation, or adding oxygen atoms, can make a molecule unstable by changing the chemical bonds holding it together. Laundry detergents or other cleaners known as "oxygen bleach" use a similar chemical principle.
The catalyst is designed to target the folded structure of amyloid and likely works by cross-linking specific portions called histidine residues. The catalyst is inert until it is activated with near-infrared light, so in the future, researchers imagine that the catalyst could be delivered throughout the body by injection into the bloodstream and targeted to specific areas using light.
Second, the destabilized amyloid is then removed by microglia, immune cells of the brain that clear away damaged cells and debris outside healthy cells. Using mouse cells growing in a dish, researchers observed microglia engulfing oxygenated amyloid and then breaking it down in acidic compartments inside the cells.
"Our catalyst binds to the amyloid-specific structure, not to a unique genetic or amino acid sequence, so this same catalyst can be applied to other amyloid depositions," said Professor Taisuke Tomita, who led the project at the University of Tokyo.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology estimates that each year in the U.S., 4,000 people are diagnosed with diseases caused by amyloid outside of the brain, collectively known as amyloidosis. (https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/amyloidosis/statistics)
The photo-oxygenation catalyst should be capable of removing amyloid protein, regardless of when or where it formed in the body. Although some existing Alzheimer's disease treatments can slow the formation of new amyloid plaques, eliminating existing plaques is especially important in Alzheimer's disease because amyloid begins aggregating years before symptoms appear.
The research team is now working to modify the design of the catalyst so it can be activated by shining light through the skull.
This research is a peer-reviewed experimental studying using mice and human tissue samples. Human temporal cortex brain samples used in this research came from the Alzheimer's Disease Core Center (ADCC) and the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR) at the University of Pennsylvania in the U.S.
INFORMATION:
Research Publication
Shuta Ozawa, Yukiko Hori, Yusuke Shimizu, Atsuhiko Taniguchi, Takanobu Suzuki, Wenbo Wang, Yung Wen Chiu, Reiko Koike, Satoshi Yokoshima, Tohru Fukuyama, Sho Takatori, Youhei Sohma, Motomu Kanai, and Taisuke Tomita. 14 April 2021. Photo-oxygenation by a biocompatible catalyst reduces amyloid-β levels in Alzheimer's disease model. Brain. DOI:
10.1093/brain/awab058
https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awab058
Related Links
Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience (in Japanese): http://www.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~neuropsc/tomita/
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences: http://www.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/
Research Contact
Professor Taisuke Tomita
Laboratory of Neuropathology and Neuroscience, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 153-8902, Tokyo, Japan.
Tel: +81-03-5841-4868
Email: taisuke@mol.fu-tokyo.ac.jp
Press Officer Contact
Ms. Caitlin Devor
Division for Strategic Public Relations, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 133-8654, JAPAN
Tel: +81-080-9707-8178
Email: press-releases.adm@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp
About the University of Tokyo
The University of Tokyo is Japan's leading university and one of the world's top research universities. The vast research output of some 6,000 researchers is published in the world's top journals across the arts and sciences. Our vibrant student body of around 15,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate students includes over 4,000 international students. Find out more at http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/ or follow us on Twitter at @UTokyo_News_en.
Funders
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Terumo Life Science Foundation
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2021-04-14
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Two opposing evolutionary forces explain the presence of the two different colors of spotted salamander egg masses at ponds in Pennsylvania, according to a new study led by a Penn State biologist. Understanding the processes that maintain biological diversity in wild populations is a central question in biology and may allow researchers to predict how species will respond to global change.
Spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) are a widespread species that occur across the eastern United States and return to temporary ponds in the spring to reproduce. Female salamanders lay their eggs in clumps called egg masses, which are either opaque white or completely clear. Females lay the same color ...
2021-04-14
Though noise may change moment by moment for humans, it has a more lasting effect on trees and plants.
A new Cal Poly study reveals that human noise pollution affects the diversity of plant life in an ecosystem even after the noise has been removed. This is the first study that explores the long-term effects of noise on plant communities. It was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
In a study conducted twelve years ago near natural gas wells in New Mexico, researchers found that there were 75% fewer piñon pine seedlings in noisy sites as in quiet ones. This was most likely due to the noise driving away the Woodhouse's scrub jay, which ...
2021-04-14
PASADENA, Calif. -- A Kaiser Permanente study of nearly 50,000 people with COVID-19 suggested that regular physical activity provided strong protection from hospitalization, intensive care unit admission, and death. Even exercising inconsistently lowered the odds for severe COVID-19 outcomes when compared to people who were not active at all.
The study, led by investigators in Kaiser Permanente Southern California, was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
"This is a wake-up call for the importance of healthy lifestyles and especially physical activity," said Robert E. Sallis, MD, a family and sports medicine physician at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center. "Kaiser Permanente's motivation is to keep people healthy, and this study truly shows how important ...
2021-04-14
DALLAS - April 13, 2021 - A chemical modification of RNA that can be influenced by diet appears to play a key role in polycystic kidney disease, an inherited disorder that is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure in the U.S., UT Southwestern researchers report in a new study. The findings, published online today in Cell Metabolism, suggest new ways to treat this incurable condition.
About 600,000 Americans and 12.5 million people worldwide have autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a condition caused by mutations in either of two genes, PKD1 or PKD2. These mutations cause kidney tubules ...
2021-04-13
MINNEAPOLIS - Half of the children who developed the serious condition associated with COVID-19 called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) had neurologic symptoms or signs when they entered the hospital, according to preliminary research released today, April 13, 2021, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 73rd Annual Meeting being held virtually April 17 to 22, 2021. Those symptoms included headaches, encephalopathy and hallucinations.
"With this new inflammatory syndrome that develops after children are infected with ...
2021-04-13
PITTSBURGH, April 13, 2021 - Wheezing, coughing that doesn't stop, a pale and sweaty face: clinically, severe asthma attacks look very similar from patient to patient. But biologically, not all severe asthma is the same--and a team of scientists has, for the first time, identified the key difference in people, a finding that has important implications for treatment.
In a paper published today in Cell Reports, a group of scientists led by immunologists and pulmonologists at the University of Pittsburgh, in collaboration with Stanford University, used advanced tools of immunology, molecular biology and unbiased computational and bioinformatic approaches to characterize immune profiles of patients with severe ...
2021-04-13
Skoltech researchers have developed a prototype of a fluorescence-based sensor for continuous detection of cortisol concentrations in real time, which can help monitor various health conditions. The paper was published in the journal Talanta.
Cortisol, a steroid hormone commonly known as the "stress hormone," plays a significant role in the regulation of a range of physiological processes from glucose levels to blood pressure and inflammation. Reduced or elevated cortisol levels are linked to various diseases and symptoms, but accurate and reliable continuous cortisol monitoring in vivo ...
2021-04-13
A new study finds that brachytherapy, a common procedure that delivers radiation directly to cancer cells, may continue safely, potentially without delay or antibiotics, in cervical cancer patients following uterine perforation.
According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. Treatment for cervical cancer often involves brachytherapy combined with daily radiation therapy. Brachytherapy delivers radiation directly to cancer cells through a tube placed within the uterus. "At times this tube can pierce the uterus and lead to a perforation," said William Small, Jr., MD, lead study author and professor and chair of radiation ...
2021-04-13
Lessons learned from the world's protected forests: Just declaring a plot of land protected isn't enough - conservation needs thoughtful selection and enforcement.
A group of scientists, many tied to Michigan State University, examined nearly 55,000 protected areas across the world to understand what it took to effectively protect their forests - a key benchmark to protecting habitat and preserving natural resources. They conclude that it's important to protect the forests exposed to the most threats in areas close to cities and be prepared to be strict in enforcing rules intended to stop deforestation.
In a recent issue of Science of the Total Environment, researchers noted that more than 4 million square kilometers ...
2021-04-13
In the southern sky, situated about 4,300 light years from Earth, lies RCW 120, an enormous glowing cloud of gas and dust. This cloud, known as an emission nebula, is formed of ionized gases and emits light at various wavelengths. An international team led by West Virginia University researchers studied RCW 120 to analyze the effects of stellar feedback, the process by which stars inject energy back into their environment. Their observations showed that stellar winds cause the region to expand rapidly, which enabled them to constrain the age of the region. These findings indicate that RCW 120 must be less than 150,000 years old, which is very young for such ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] Power of light and oxygen clears Alzheimer's disease protein in live mice
New photo-oxygenation catalyst targets amyloid structure, recruits brain immune system cells
