目的:S100钙结合蛋白A9(S100A9)激活核因子κB(NF-κB)促进小胶质细胞toll样受体7(TLR7)的表达和炎症因子释放的作用及其机制研究。方法:CCK-8实验检测BV2小胶质细胞的增殖率;转录组测序并结合GO分析、KEGG富集分析和STRING数据库对差...目的:S100钙结合蛋白A9(S100A9)激活核因子κB(NF-κB)促进小胶质细胞toll样受体7(TLR7)的表达和炎症因子释放的作用及其机制研究。方法:CCK-8实验检测BV2小胶质细胞的增殖率;转录组测序并结合GO分析、KEGG富集分析和STRING数据库对差异基因(DEGs)进行比对并从差异表达基因中筛选出目标基因;Real time RT-PCR验证TLR7的表达;免疫荧光染色检测CD68、CD206的表达;Western Blot检测CD68、CD206、TLR7、p65、p-p65的表达;ELISA检测白细胞介素-6(IL-6)和肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)的表达。结果:中等浓度的S100A9对小胶质细胞无增殖抑制效应;实验组CD68蛋白的表达水平较对照组明显增加,而CD206蛋白的表达水平明显下降,提示S100A9促进BV2小胶质细胞向促炎型激活;Toll样受体4(TLR4)的抑制剂TAK-242明显抑制S100A9刺激BV2小胶质细胞后TNF-α和IL-6的表达水平;TLR4/NF-κB通路激活促进TLR7蛋白表达。结论:中等浓度的S100A9可以促进小胶质细胞向促炎型极化,通过激活TLR4/NF-κB通路促进TLR7表达和包括TNF-α和IL-6在内的多种炎症因子的释放,S100A9具有明显的促炎作用。展开更多
BACKGROUND: Our previous research proved that vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) improved the neurological outcome after cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) by activating α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7nAChR) in a r...BACKGROUND: Our previous research proved that vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) improved the neurological outcome after cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) by activating α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7nAChR) in a rat model, but the underlying mechanism of VNS in neuroprotection after CPR remains unclear.METHODS: In vivo, we established a mouse model of cardiac arrest(CA)/CPR to observe the survival rate, and the changes in inflammatory factors and brain tissue after VNS treatment. In vitro, we examined the effects of α7nAChR agonist on ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)-induced inflammation in BV2 cells under oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) conditions. We observed the changes in cell survival rate, the levels of inflammatory factors, and the expressions of α7nAChR/Janus kinase 2(JAK2) and toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB).RESULTS: In vivo, VNS preconditioning enhanced functional recovery, improved the survival rate, and reduced hippocampal CA1 cell damage, and the levels of inflammatory mediators after CA/CPR. The application of α7nAChR agonists provided similar effects against cerebral injury after the return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC), while α7nAChR antagonists reversed these neuroprotective impacts. The in vitro results mostly matched the findings in vivo. OGD/R increased the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), TLR4 and NF-κB p65. When nicotine was added to the OGD/R model, the expression of TLR4, NF-κB p65, and TNF-α decreased, while the phosphorylation of JAK2 increased, which was prevented by preconditioning with α7nAChR or JAK2 antagonists.CONCLUSION: The neuroprotective effect of VNS correlated with the activation of α7nAChR. VNS may alleviate cerebral IR injury by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB and activating the α7nAChR/JAK2 signaling pathway.展开更多
Background:Goat milk is very similar to human milk in terms of its abundant nutrients and ease of digestion.To derive greater economic benefit,farmers require more female offspring(does);however,the buck-to-doe offspr...Background:Goat milk is very similar to human milk in terms of its abundant nutrients and ease of digestion.To derive greater economic benefit,farmers require more female offspring(does);however,the buck-to-doe offspring sex ratio is approximately 50%.At present,artificial insemination after the separation of X/Y sperm using flow cytometry is the primary means of controlling the sex of livestock offspring.However,flow cytometry has not been successfully utilised for the separation of X/Y sperm aimed at sexing control in dairy goats.Results:In this study,a novel,simple goat sperm sexing technology that activates the toll-like receptor 7/8(TLR7/8),thereby inhibiting X-sperm motility,was investigated.Our results showed that the TLR7/8 coding goat Xchromosome was expressed in approximately 50%of round spermatids in the testis and sperm,as measured from cross-sections of the epididymis and ejaculate,respectively.Importantly,TLR7/8 was located at the tail of the Xsperm.Upon TLR7/8 activation,phosphorylated forms of glycogen synthase kinaseα/β(GSK3α/β)and nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)were detected in the X-sperm,causing reduced mitochondrial activity,ATP levels,and sperm motility.High-motility Y-sperm segregated to the upper layer and the low-motility X-sperm,to the lower layer.Following in vitro fertilisation using the TLR7/8-activated sperm from the lower layer,80.52±6.75%of the embryos were XX females.The TLR7/8-activated sperm were subsequently used for in vivo embryo production via the superovulatory response;nine embryos were collected from the uterus of two does that conceived.Eight of these were XX embryos,and one was an XY embryo.Conclusions:Our study reveals a novel TLR7/8 signalling mechanism that affects X-sperm motility via the GSK3α/β-hexokinase pathway;this technique could be used to facilitate the efficient production of sexed dairy goat embryos.展开更多
Innate immunity mediated by Toll-like receptors(TLRs),which can recognize pathogen molecular patterns,plays a critical role in type 1 diabetes development.TLR7 is a pattern recognition receptor that senses single-stra...Innate immunity mediated by Toll-like receptors(TLRs),which can recognize pathogen molecular patterns,plays a critical role in type 1 diabetes development.TLR7 is a pattern recognition receptor that senses single-stranded RNAs from viruses and host tissue cells;however,its role in type 1 diabetes development remains unclear.In our study,we discovered that Tlr7-deficient(Tlr7^(−/−))nonobese diabetic(NOD)mice,a model of human type 1 diabetes,exhibited a significantly delayed onset and reduced incidence of type 1 diabetes compared with Tlr7-sufficient(Tlr7^(+/+))NOD mice.Mechanistic investigations showed that Tlr7 deficiency significantly altered B-cell differentiation and immunoglobulin production.Moreover,Tlr7^(−/−)NOD B cells were found to suppress diabetogenic CD4^(+)T-cell responses and protect immunodeficient NOD mice from developing diabetes induced by diabetogenic T cells.In addition,we found that Tlr7 deficiency suppressed the antigen-presenting functions of B cells and inhibited cytotoxic CD8^(+)T-cell activation by downregulating the expression of both nonclassical and classical MHC class I(MHC-I)molecules on B cells.Our data suggest that TLR7 contributes to type 1 diabetes development by regulating B-cell functions and subsequent interactions with T cells.Therefore,therapeutically targeting TLR7 may prove beneficial for disease protection.展开更多
Lipopolysaccharide （LPS） is known to be a potent activator of mature B cells by signaling through Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）. Its impact on early B-cell development, however, is not well defined. When comparing t...Lipopolysaccharide （LPS） is known to be a potent activator of mature B cells by signaling through Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）. Its impact on early B-cell development, however, is not well defined. When comparing to C3H/HeN mice, TLR4-mutant C3H/HeJ mice showed an increase in the number of pro-B and pre-B cells in the bone marrow. When cultured in the presence of IL-7, the proliferation of pro-B and large pre-B cells was significantly inhibited by LPS, possibly due to reduced IL-7 receptor-a （IL-7Ra） expression. Meanwhile, the generation of IgM＋/IgD＋ B cells was greatly enhanced in IL-7 cultures of pro-B and pre-B cells. Consistent with these results, treatment with LPS facilitated the progression of adoptively transferred B220＋IgM-IgD- precursors into IgD＋ cells. Overall, these data suggest that LPS has a profound influence on early B-cell development, which may contribute to the deregulated B-cell development under physiological and pathological conditions such as bacterial infections.展开更多
Microglia are the brain’s primary innate immune cells,and they are activated and affect pro-inflammatory phenotype or regulatory phenotype after ischemic stroke.Vagus nerve stimulation was shown to activate microglia...Microglia are the brain’s primary innate immune cells,and they are activated and affect pro-inflammatory phenotype or regulatory phenotype after ischemic stroke.Vagus nerve stimulation was shown to activate microglial phenotypic changes and exhibit neuroprotective effects in ischemia/reperfusion injury.In this study,we established rat models of ischemic stroke by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and performed vagus nerve stimulation 30 minutes after modeling.We found that vagus nerve stimulation caused a shift from a pro-inflammatory phenotype to a regulatory phenotype in microglia in the ischemic penumbra.Vagus nerve stimulation decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory phenotype markers inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factorαand increased the expression of regulatory phenotype markers arginase 1 and transforming growth factorβthrough activatingα7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression.Additionally,α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor blockade reduced the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-B pathwayassociated proteins,including Toll-like receptor 4,myeloid differentiation factor 88,I kappa B alpha,and phosphorylated-I kappa B alpha,and also weakened the neuroprotective effects of vagus nerve stimulation in ischemic stroke.Vagus nerve stimulation inhibited Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-B expression through activatingα7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and regulated microglial polarization after ischemic stroke,thereby playing a role in the treatment of ischemic stroke.Findings from this study confirm the mechanism underlying vagus nerve stimulation against ischemic stroke.展开更多
Immunostimulatory therapies based on pattern recognition receptors(PRRs)have emerged as an effective approach in the fight against cancer,with the ability to recruit tumor-specific lymphocytes in a low-immunogenicity ...Immunostimulatory therapies based on pattern recognition receptors(PRRs)have emerged as an effective approach in the fight against cancer,with the ability to recruit tumor-specific lymphocytes in a low-immunogenicity tumor environment.The agonist cyclic dinucleotides(CDNs)of the stimulator of interferon gene(STING)are a group of very promising anticancer molecules that increase tumor immunogenicity by activating innate immunity.However,the tumor immune efficacy of CDNs is limited by several factors,including relatively narrow cytokine production,inefficient delivery to STING,and rapid clearance.In addition,a single adjuvant molecule is unable to elicit a broad cytokine response and thus cannot further amplify the anticancer effect.To address this problem,two or more agonist molecules are often used together to synergistically enhance immune efficacy.In this work,we found that a combination of the STING agonist CDGSF and the Toll-like receptor 7/8(TLR7/8)agonist 522 produced a broader cytokine response.Subsequently,we developed multicomponent nanovaccines(MCNVs)consisting of a PC7A polymer as a nanocarrier encapsulating the antigen OVA and adjuvant molecules.These MCNVs activate bone marrow-derived dendritic cells(BMDCs)to produce multiple proinflammatory factors that promote antigen cross-presentation to stimulate specific antitumor Tcell responses.In in vivo experiments,we observed that MCNVs triggered a strong T-cell response in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes,resulting in significant tumor regression and,notably,a 100%survival rate in mice through 25 days without other partnering therapies.These data suggest that our nanovaccines have great potential to advance cancer immunotherapy with increased durability and potency.展开更多
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with proteopathy characterized by abnormalities in amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins. Defective amyloid and tau propagate and aggregate, leading to eventua...Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with proteopathy characterized by abnormalities in amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins. Defective amyloid and tau propagate and aggregate, leading to eventual amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. New data show that a third proteopathy, an altered conformation of the scaffolding protein filamin A (FLNA), is critically linked to the amyloid and tau pathologies in AD. Altered FLNA is pervasive in AD brain and without apparent aggregation. In a striking interdependence, altered FLNA is both induced by Aβ and required for two prominent pathogenic signaling pathways of Aβ. Aβ monomers or small oligomers signal via the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) to activate kinases that hyperphosphorylate tau to cause neurofibrillary lesions and formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Altered FLNA also enables a persistent activation of toll-like-receptor 4 (TLR4) by Aβ, leading to excessive inflammatory cytokine release and neuroinflammation. The novel AD therapeutic candidate PTI-125 binds and reverses the altered FLNAconformation to preventAβ's signaling via α7nAChR and aberrant activation of TLR4, thus reducing multiple AD-related neuropathologies. As a regulator of Aβ's signaling via α7nAChR and TLR4, altered FLNA represents a novel AD therapeutic target.展开更多
文摘目的:S100钙结合蛋白A9(S100A9)激活核因子κB(NF-κB)促进小胶质细胞toll样受体7(TLR7)的表达和炎症因子释放的作用及其机制研究。方法:CCK-8实验检测BV2小胶质细胞的增殖率;转录组测序并结合GO分析、KEGG富集分析和STRING数据库对差异基因(DEGs)进行比对并从差异表达基因中筛选出目标基因;Real time RT-PCR验证TLR7的表达;免疫荧光染色检测CD68、CD206的表达;Western Blot检测CD68、CD206、TLR7、p65、p-p65的表达;ELISA检测白细胞介素-6(IL-6)和肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)的表达。结果:中等浓度的S100A9对小胶质细胞无增殖抑制效应;实验组CD68蛋白的表达水平较对照组明显增加,而CD206蛋白的表达水平明显下降,提示S100A9促进BV2小胶质细胞向促炎型激活;Toll样受体4(TLR4)的抑制剂TAK-242明显抑制S100A9刺激BV2小胶质细胞后TNF-α和IL-6的表达水平;TLR4/NF-κB通路激活促进TLR7蛋白表达。结论:中等浓度的S100A9可以促进小胶质细胞向促炎型极化,通过激活TLR4/NF-κB通路促进TLR7表达和包括TNF-α和IL-6在内的多种炎症因子的释放,S100A9具有明显的促炎作用。
基金supported by research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 81571866 and grant no. 82072137)。
文摘BACKGROUND: Our previous research proved that vagus nerve stimulation(VNS) improved the neurological outcome after cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) by activating α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor(α7nAChR) in a rat model, but the underlying mechanism of VNS in neuroprotection after CPR remains unclear.METHODS: In vivo, we established a mouse model of cardiac arrest(CA)/CPR to observe the survival rate, and the changes in inflammatory factors and brain tissue after VNS treatment. In vitro, we examined the effects of α7nAChR agonist on ischemia/reperfusion(I/R)-induced inflammation in BV2 cells under oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation(OGD/R) conditions. We observed the changes in cell survival rate, the levels of inflammatory factors, and the expressions of α7nAChR/Janus kinase 2(JAK2) and toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB).RESULTS: In vivo, VNS preconditioning enhanced functional recovery, improved the survival rate, and reduced hippocampal CA1 cell damage, and the levels of inflammatory mediators after CA/CPR. The application of α7nAChR agonists provided similar effects against cerebral injury after the return of spontaneous circulation(ROSC), while α7nAChR antagonists reversed these neuroprotective impacts. The in vitro results mostly matched the findings in vivo. OGD/R increased the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α), TLR4 and NF-κB p65. When nicotine was added to the OGD/R model, the expression of TLR4, NF-κB p65, and TNF-α decreased, while the phosphorylation of JAK2 increased, which was prevented by preconditioning with α7nAChR or JAK2 antagonists.CONCLUSION: The neuroprotective effect of VNS correlated with the activation of α7nAChR. VNS may alleviate cerebral IR injury by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB and activating the α7nAChR/JAK2 signaling pathway.
基金This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31672425)Shaanxi Province Key R&D Program(2018ZDXM-NY-043,2020ZDLNY02–04).
文摘Background:Goat milk is very similar to human milk in terms of its abundant nutrients and ease of digestion.To derive greater economic benefit,farmers require more female offspring(does);however,the buck-to-doe offspring sex ratio is approximately 50%.At present,artificial insemination after the separation of X/Y sperm using flow cytometry is the primary means of controlling the sex of livestock offspring.However,flow cytometry has not been successfully utilised for the separation of X/Y sperm aimed at sexing control in dairy goats.Results:In this study,a novel,simple goat sperm sexing technology that activates the toll-like receptor 7/8(TLR7/8),thereby inhibiting X-sperm motility,was investigated.Our results showed that the TLR7/8 coding goat Xchromosome was expressed in approximately 50%of round spermatids in the testis and sperm,as measured from cross-sections of the epididymis and ejaculate,respectively.Importantly,TLR7/8 was located at the tail of the Xsperm.Upon TLR7/8 activation,phosphorylated forms of glycogen synthase kinaseα/β(GSK3α/β)and nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)were detected in the X-sperm,causing reduced mitochondrial activity,ATP levels,and sperm motility.High-motility Y-sperm segregated to the upper layer and the low-motility X-sperm,to the lower layer.Following in vitro fertilisation using the TLR7/8-activated sperm from the lower layer,80.52±6.75%of the embryos were XX females.The TLR7/8-activated sperm were subsequently used for in vivo embryo production via the superovulatory response;nine embryos were collected from the uterus of two does that conceived.Eight of these were XX embryos,and one was an XY embryo.Conclusions:Our study reveals a novel TLR7/8 signalling mechanism that affects X-sperm motility via the GSK3α/β-hexokinase pathway;this technique could be used to facilitate the efficient production of sexed dairy goat embryos.
基金This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health(DK 045735,HD 097808,Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation to L.W.)the Diabetes Research Connection(to Y.H.and L.W.),a JDRF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship(3-PDF-2016-197-A-N,2016-2019)and a Medical Research Council Career Development Award(MR/T010525/1 to J.A.P.)This work was supported by funding support from the National Institutes of Health(NIH),Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation(JDRF),and Medical Research Council(MRC).
文摘Innate immunity mediated by Toll-like receptors(TLRs),which can recognize pathogen molecular patterns,plays a critical role in type 1 diabetes development.TLR7 is a pattern recognition receptor that senses single-stranded RNAs from viruses and host tissue cells;however,its role in type 1 diabetes development remains unclear.In our study,we discovered that Tlr7-deficient(Tlr7^(−/−))nonobese diabetic(NOD)mice,a model of human type 1 diabetes,exhibited a significantly delayed onset and reduced incidence of type 1 diabetes compared with Tlr7-sufficient(Tlr7^(+/+))NOD mice.Mechanistic investigations showed that Tlr7 deficiency significantly altered B-cell differentiation and immunoglobulin production.Moreover,Tlr7^(−/−)NOD B cells were found to suppress diabetogenic CD4^(+)T-cell responses and protect immunodeficient NOD mice from developing diabetes induced by diabetogenic T cells.In addition,we found that Tlr7 deficiency suppressed the antigen-presenting functions of B cells and inhibited cytotoxic CD8^(+)T-cell activation by downregulating the expression of both nonclassical and classical MHC class I(MHC-I)molecules on B cells.Our data suggest that TLR7 contributes to type 1 diabetes development by regulating B-cell functions and subsequent interactions with T cells.Therefore,therapeutically targeting TLR7 may prove beneficial for disease protection.
文摘Lipopolysaccharide （LPS） is known to be a potent activator of mature B cells by signaling through Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）. Its impact on early B-cell development, however, is not well defined. When comparing to C3H/HeN mice, TLR4-mutant C3H/HeJ mice showed an increase in the number of pro-B and pre-B cells in the bone marrow. When cultured in the presence of IL-7, the proliferation of pro-B and large pre-B cells was significantly inhibited by LPS, possibly due to reduced IL-7 receptor-a （IL-7Ra） expression. Meanwhile, the generation of IgM＋/IgD＋ B cells was greatly enhanced in IL-7 cultures of pro-B and pre-B cells. Consistent with these results, treatment with LPS facilitated the progression of adoptively transferred B220＋IgM-IgD- precursors into IgD＋ cells. Overall, these data suggest that LPS has a profound influence on early B-cell development, which may contribute to the deregulated B-cell development under physiological and pathological conditions such as bacterial infections.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing,No.cstc2019jcyj-msxm X0026the Medical Scientific Research Projects Foundation of Chongqing,No.2021ZY023818the Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing,No.cstc2018jcyj AX0180(all to GWJ)。
文摘Microglia are the brain’s primary innate immune cells,and they are activated and affect pro-inflammatory phenotype or regulatory phenotype after ischemic stroke.Vagus nerve stimulation was shown to activate microglial phenotypic changes and exhibit neuroprotective effects in ischemia/reperfusion injury.In this study,we established rat models of ischemic stroke by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and performed vagus nerve stimulation 30 minutes after modeling.We found that vagus nerve stimulation caused a shift from a pro-inflammatory phenotype to a regulatory phenotype in microglia in the ischemic penumbra.Vagus nerve stimulation decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory phenotype markers inducible nitric oxide synthase and tumor necrosis factorαand increased the expression of regulatory phenotype markers arginase 1 and transforming growth factorβthrough activatingα7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression.Additionally,α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor blockade reduced the inhibition of Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-B pathwayassociated proteins,including Toll-like receptor 4,myeloid differentiation factor 88,I kappa B alpha,and phosphorylated-I kappa B alpha,and also weakened the neuroprotective effects of vagus nerve stimulation in ischemic stroke.Vagus nerve stimulation inhibited Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa-B expression through activatingα7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor and regulated microglial polarization after ischemic stroke,thereby playing a role in the treatment of ischemic stroke.Findings from this study confirm the mechanism underlying vagus nerve stimulation against ischemic stroke.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Nos.2019YFA0904200 and 2018YFA0507600)Tsinghua University Spring Breeze Fund(No.2020Z99CFY042)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.92053108).
文摘Immunostimulatory therapies based on pattern recognition receptors(PRRs)have emerged as an effective approach in the fight against cancer,with the ability to recruit tumor-specific lymphocytes in a low-immunogenicity tumor environment.The agonist cyclic dinucleotides(CDNs)of the stimulator of interferon gene(STING)are a group of very promising anticancer molecules that increase tumor immunogenicity by activating innate immunity.However,the tumor immune efficacy of CDNs is limited by several factors,including relatively narrow cytokine production,inefficient delivery to STING,and rapid clearance.In addition,a single adjuvant molecule is unable to elicit a broad cytokine response and thus cannot further amplify the anticancer effect.To address this problem,two or more agonist molecules are often used together to synergistically enhance immune efficacy.In this work,we found that a combination of the STING agonist CDGSF and the Toll-like receptor 7/8(TLR7/8)agonist 522 produced a broader cytokine response.Subsequently,we developed multicomponent nanovaccines(MCNVs)consisting of a PC7A polymer as a nanocarrier encapsulating the antigen OVA and adjuvant molecules.These MCNVs activate bone marrow-derived dendritic cells(BMDCs)to produce multiple proinflammatory factors that promote antigen cross-presentation to stimulate specific antitumor Tcell responses.In in vivo experiments,we observed that MCNVs triggered a strong T-cell response in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes,resulting in significant tumor regression and,notably,a 100%survival rate in mice through 25 days without other partnering therapies.These data suggest that our nanovaccines have great potential to advance cancer immunotherapy with increased durability and potency.
文摘Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with proteopathy characterized by abnormalities in amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins. Defective amyloid and tau propagate and aggregate, leading to eventual amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. New data show that a third proteopathy, an altered conformation of the scaffolding protein filamin A (FLNA), is critically linked to the amyloid and tau pathologies in AD. Altered FLNA is pervasive in AD brain and without apparent aggregation. In a striking interdependence, altered FLNA is both induced by Aβ and required for two prominent pathogenic signaling pathways of Aβ. Aβ monomers or small oligomers signal via the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) to activate kinases that hyperphosphorylate tau to cause neurofibrillary lesions and formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Altered FLNA also enables a persistent activation of toll-like-receptor 4 (TLR4) by Aβ, leading to excessive inflammatory cytokine release and neuroinflammation. The novel AD therapeutic candidate PTI-125 binds and reverses the altered FLNAconformation to preventAβ's signaling via α7nAChR and aberrant activation of TLR4, thus reducing multiple AD-related neuropathologies. As a regulator of Aβ's signaling via α7nAChR and TLR4, altered FLNA represents a novel AD therapeutic target.
