Preventing the spread of Alzheimer's disease neuropathology: a role for calcilytics?

Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2015;16(8):696-706. doi: 10.2174/1389201016666150505123813.

Abstract

The "amyloid cascade hypothesis" posits that an extracellular build-up of amyloid-β oligomers (Aβ-os) and polymers (fibrils) subsequently inducing toxic hyperphosphorylated (p)-Tau oligomers (p-Tau-os) and neurofibrillary tangles starts the sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) in the aged lateral entorhinal cortex. Conversely, mutated genes cause a diffuse cerebral Aβs/Aβ-os overproduction promoting early-onset familiar AD (EOFAD). Surplus exogenous Aβ-os exert toxic actions at several levels. They reach the nuclei of human astrocyte-neurons teams (ANTs) to enhance the transcription of Aβ precursor protein (APP) and β-secretase/BACE1 genes. The overexpressed APP and BACE1 proteins act in concert with γ-secretase to overproduce endogenous Aβs/Aβ-os, of which a few enter the nuclei to upkeep Aβs overproduction, while the rest gather in the cytoplasm, damage mitochondria, and are oversecreted. Simultaneously, extracellular Aβ-os bind the ANTs' calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs) activating signalings that hinder the proteolysis and hence favor the surplus hoarding/secretion of Aβs/Aβ-os. Overreleased Aβ-os spread, reach growing numbers of adjacent ANTs to recruit them to overproduce/oversecrete further Aβ-os amounts via the just mentioned mechanisms. Alongside, Aβ•CaSR signalings elicit a noxious overproduction/overrelease of nitric oxide (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A from ANTs' astrocytes. While astrocytes survive the toxic onslaught, neurons die. Thus, AD progression is driven by ceaselessly self-sustaining neurotoxic cycles, which engender first Aβ-os and later p-Tau-os that cooperatively destroy increasingly wider cognition-related cortical areas. Notably, a highly selective allosteric CaSR antagonist (calcilytic), like NPS 2143, does preserve human cortical postnatal HCN-1A neurons viability notwithstanding the presence of exogenous Aβ-os by suppressing the otherwise elicited oversecretion and spread of newly synthesized Aβ-os. Therefore, if given at minimal cognitive impairment or earlier stages, calcilytics could halt AD progression and preserve the patients' cortical neurons, cognitive abilities, and eventually life.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism
  • Alzheimer Disease / pathology
  • Alzheimer Disease / prevention & control*
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / metabolism
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Astrocytes / metabolism
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • tau Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • tau Proteins
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Calcium