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Doubly Phosphorylated Peptide Vaccines to Protect Transgenic P301S Mice against Alzheimer's Disease Like Tau Aggregation.

ABSTRACT: Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular senile plaques are potential targets for active and passive immunotherapies. In this study we used the transgenic mouse model P301S for active immunizations with peptide vaccines composed of a double phosphorylated tau neoepitope (pSer202/pThr205, pThr212/pSer214, pThr231/pSer235) and an immunomodulatory T cell epitope from the tetanus toxin or tuberculosis antigen Ag85B. Importantly, the designed vaccine combining Alzheimer's disease (AD) specific B cell epitopes with foreign (bacterial) T cell epitopes induced fast immune responses with high IgG? titers after prophylactic immunization that subsequently decreased over the observation period. The effectiveness of the immunization was surveyed by evaluating the animal behavior, as well as the pathology in the brain by biochemical and histochemical techniques. Immunized mice clearly lived longer with reduced paralysis than placebo-treated mice. Additionally, they performed significantly better in rotarod and beam walk tests at the age of 20 weeks, indicating that the disease development was slowed down. Forty-eight weeks old vaccinated mice passed the beam walk test significantly better than control animals, which together with the increased survival rates undoubtedly prove the treatment effect. In conclusion, the data provide strong evidence that active immune therapies can reduce toxic effects of deposits formed in AD.

SUBMITTER: Richter M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4494214 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Doubly Phosphorylated Peptide Vaccines to Protect Transgenic P301S Mice against Alzheimer's Disease Like Tau Aggregation.

Richter Monique M Mewes Agneta A Fritsch Manuela M Krügel Ute U Hoffmann Ralf R Singer David D

Vaccines 20140729 3

Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular senile plaques are potential targets for active and passive immunotherapies. In this study we used the transgenic mouse model P301S for active immunizations with peptide vaccines composed of a double phosphorylated tau neoepitope (pSer202/pThr205, pThr212/pSer214, pThr231/pSer235) and an immunomodulatory T cell epitope from the tetanus toxin or tuberculosis antigen Ag85B. Importantly, the designed vaccine combining Alzheimer's disease (AD) ...[more]

PMID: 26344748

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Project description:BackgroundP301S tau transgenic mice show age-dependent accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles in the brainstem, hippocampus, and neocortex, leading to neuronal loss and cognitive deterioration. However, there is hitherto only sparse documentation of the role of neuroinflammation in tau mouse models. Thus, we analyzed longitudinal microglial activation by small animal 18 kDa translocator protein positron-emission-tomography (TSPO μPET) imaging in vivo, in conjunction with terminal assessment of tau pathology, spatial learning, and cerebral glucose metabolism.MethodsTransgenic P301S (n = 33) and wild-type (n = 18) female mice were imaged by 18F-GE-180 TSPO μPET at the ages of 1.9, 3.9, and 6.4 months. We conducted behavioral testing in the Morris water maze, 18F-fluordesoxyglucose (18F-FDG) μPET, and AT8 tau immunohistochemistry at 6.3-6.7 months. Terminal microglial immunohistochemistry served for validation of TSPO μPET results in vivo, applying target regions in the brainstem, cortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus. We compared the results with our historical data in amyloid-β mouse models.ResultsTSPO expression in all target regions of P301S mice increased exponentially from 1.9 to 6.4 months, leading to significant differences in the contrasts with wild-type mice at 6.4 months (+ 11-23%, all p < 0.001), but the apparent microgliosis proceeded more slowly than in our experience in amyloid-β mouse models. Spatial learning and glucose metabolism of AT8-positive P301S mice were significantly impaired at 6.3-6.5 months compared to the wild-type group. Longitudinal increases in TSPO expression predicted greater tau accumulation and lesser spatial learning performance at 6.3-6.7 months.ConclusionsMonitoring of TSPO expression as a surrogate of microglial activation in P301S tau transgenic mice by μPET indicates a delayed time course when compared to amyloid-β mouse models. Detrimental associations of microglial activation with outcome parameters are opposite to earlier data in amyloid-β mouse models. The contribution of microglial response to pathology accompanying amyloid-β and tau over-expression merits further investigation.

Project description:BackgroundMolecular tweezers (MTs) are broad-spectrum inhibitors of abnormal protein aggregation. A lead MT, called CLR01, has been demonstrated to inhibit the aggregation and toxicity of multiple amyloidogenic proteins in vitro and in vivo. Previously, we evaluated the effect of CLR01 in the 3 × Tg mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, which overexpresses mutant human presenilin 1, amyloid β-protein precursor, and tau and found that subcutaneous administration of the compound for 1 month led to a robust reduction of amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and microgliosis. CLR01 also has been demonstrated to inhibit tau aggregation in vitro and tau seeding in cell culture, yet because in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in the 3 × Tg model, tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation are thought to be downstream of Aβ insults, the study in this model left open the question whether CLR01 affected tau in vivo directly or indirectly.MethodsTo determine if CLR01 could ameliorate tau pathology directly in vivo, we tested the compound similarly using the P301S-tau (line PS19) mouse model. Mice were administered 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg per day CLR01 and tested for muscle strength and behavioral deficits, including anxiety- and disinhibition-like behavior. Their brains then were analyzed by immunohistochemical and biochemical assays for pathological forms of tau, neurodegeneration, and glial pathology.ResultsCLR01 treatment ameliorated muscle-strength deterioration, anxiety-, and disinhibition-like behavior. Improved phenotype was associated with decreased levels of pathologic tau forms, suggesting that CLR01 exerts a direct effect on tau in vivo. Limitations of the study included a relatively short treatment period of the mice at an age in which full pathology is not yet developed. In addition, high variability in this model lowered the statistical significance of the findings of some outcome measures.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that CLR01 is a particularly attractive candidate for the treatment of AD because it targets simultaneously the two major pathogenic proteins instigating and propagating the disease, amyloid β-protein (Aβ), and tau, respectively. In addition, our study suggests that CLR01 can be used for the treatment of other tauopathies in the absence of amyloid pathology.

Project description:BackgroundNeuronal accumulation of misfolded microtubule-associated protein tau is a hallmark of neuropathology in Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, and other tauopathies, and has been a therapeutic target. Microglia can spread tau pathology by secreting tau-containing exosomes, although the specific molecular target is yet to be identified for the therapeutic intervention. P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2RX7) is an ATP-gated cation channel, enriched in microglia and triggers exosome secretion. The purpose of the study is to examine the therapeutic effect of an orally applicable, CNS-penetrant P2RX7 specific inhibitor on the early disease stage of a tauopathy mouse model.MethodsThree-months-old P301S tau mice were treated with P2RX7-specific inhibitor GSK1482160 or vehicle for 30 days, followed by behavioral, biochemical and immunohistochemical assessment. GSK1482160 was also tested for exosome secretion from primary cultured murine astrocytes, neurons and microglia in vitro.ResultsOral administration of GSK1482160 significantly reduced accumulation of MC1+ and Alz50+ misfolded tau in hippocampal regions, which was accompanied with reduced accumulation of Tsg101, an exosome marker, in hippocampal neurons. Proximity ligation assay demonstrated complex formation of Alz50+ tau and Tsg101 in hippocampal neurons, which was reduced by GSK1482160. On the other hand, GSK1482160 had no effect on microglial ramification or CD68 expression, which was significantly enhanced in P301S mice, or pro/anti-inflammatory cytokine gene expression. Strikingly, GSK1482160-treated P301S mice show significantly improved working and contextual memory as determined by Y-maze and fear conditioning tests. GSK1482160 also significantly increased accumulation of Tsg101 and CD81 in microglia in vivo, suggesting its suppression of P2RX7-induced exosome secretion from microglia. This effect was confirmed in vitro, as ATP-induced secretion of tau-containing exosome was significantly suppressed by GSK1482160 treatment from primary murine microglia, but not from neurons or astrocytes.DiscussionThe oral administration of P2RX7 inhibition mitigates disease phenotypes in P301S mice, likely by suppressing release of microglial exosomes. P2RX7 could be a novel therapeutic target for the early stage tauopathy development.

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Doubly Phosphorylated Peptide Vaccines to Protect Transgenic P301S Mice against Alzheimer's Disease Like Tau Aggregation.

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Doubly Phosphorylated Peptide Vaccines to Protect Transgenic P301S Mice against Alzheimer's Disease Like Tau Aggregation.

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