Single-neuron neurodegeneration as a degenerative model for Parkinson’s disease

The positive effect of levodopa in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease,although it is limited in time and has severe side effects,has encouraged the scientific community to look for new drugs that can stop the neurodegenerative process or even regenerate the neuromelanin-containing dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons.Successful preclinical studies with coenzyme Q10,mitoquinone,isradipine,nilotinib,TCH346,neurturin,zonisamide,deferiprone,prasinezumab,and cinpanemab prompted clinical trials.However,these failed and after more than 50 years levodopa continues to be the key drug in the treatment of the disease,despite its severe side effects after 4–6 years of chronic treatment.The lack of translated successful results obtained in preclinical investigations based on the use of neurotoxins that do not exist in the human body as new drugs for Parkinson’s disease treatment is a big problem.In our opinion,the cause of these failures lies in the experimental animal models involving neurotoxins that do not exist in the human body,such as 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine and 6-hydroxydopamine,that induce a very fast,massive and expansive neurodegenerative process,which contrasts with the extremely slow one of neuromelanin-containing dopaminergic neurons.The exceedingly slow progress of the neurodegenerative process of the nigrostriatal neurons in idiopathic Parkinson’s patients is due to(i)a degenerative model in which the neurotoxic effect of an endogenous neurotoxin affects a single neuron,(ii)a neurotoxic event that is not expansive and(iii)the fact that the neurotoxin that triggers the neurodegenerative process is produced inside the neuromelanin-containing dopaminergic neurons.The endogenous neurotoxin that fits this degenerative model involving one single neuron at a time is aminochrome,since it(i)is generated within neuromelanin-containing dopaminergic neurons,(ii)does not cause an expansive neurotoxic effect and(iii)triggers all the mechanisms involved in the neurodegenerative process of the nigrostriatal neurons in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.In conclusion,based on the hypothesis that the neurodegenerative process of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease corresponds to a single-neuron neurodegeneration model,we must search for molecules that increase the expression of the neuroprotective enzymes DT-diaphorase and glutathione transferase M2-2.It has been observed that the activation of the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1/nuclear factor(erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 pathway is associated with the transcriptional activation of the DT-diaphorase and glutathione transferase genes.

Ferroptosis mechanism and Alzheimer's disease

Regulated cell death is a genetically determined form of programmed cell death that commonly occurs during the development of living organisms.This process plays a crucial role in modulating homeostasis and is evolutionarily conserved across a diverse range of living organisms.Ferroptosis is a classic regulatory mode of cell death.Extensive studies of regulatory cell death in Alzheimer’s disease have yielded increasing evidence that fe rroptosis is closely related to the occurrence,development,and prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease.This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis and recent research advances in the role of ferro ptosis in Alzheimer’s disease.Our findings are expected to serve as a theoretical and experimental foundation for clinical research and targeted therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.

Astrocytes protect dopaminergic neurons against aminochrome neurotoxicity

Astrocytes protect neurons by modulating neuronal function and survival.Astrocytes support neurons in several ways.They provide energy through the astrocyte-neuron lactate shuttle,protect neurons from excitotoxicity,and internalize neuronal lipid droplets to degrade fatty acids for neuronal metabolic and synaptic support,as well as by their high capacity for glutamate uptake and the conversion of glutamate to glutamine.A recent reported astrocyte system for protection of dopamine neurons against the neurotoxic products of dopamine,such as aminochrome and other o-quinones,were generated under neuromelanin synthesis by oxidizing dopamine catechol structure.Astrocytes secrete glutathione transferase M2-2 through exosomes that transport this enzyme into dopaminergic neurons to protect these neurons against aminochrome neurotoxicity.The role of this new astrocyte protective mechanism in Parkinson´s disease is discussed.