Therapeutics in the Pipeline Targeting α-Synuclein for Parkinson’s Disease
By Hilary Grosso Jasutkar, Stephanie E. Oh, and M. Maral Mouradian Excerpt from the article published in Pharmacological Reviews January 1, 2022, 74 (1) 207-237; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1124/pharmrev.120.000133 Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and the fastest growing neurologic disease in the world, yet no disease-modifying therapy is available for this disabling condition. Multiple lines of […]
Continue ReadingSigma-1 receptor regulates mitophagy in dopaminergic neurons and contributes to dopaminergic protection
by Mingmei Wang, Chunlei Wan, Tao He, Chaojun Han, Kailian Zhu, John L.Waddington, Xuechu Zhen Excerpt from the article published in Neuropharmacology, 15 September 2021 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108360 Editor’s Highlights Abstract Mitochondria are essential for neuronal survival and function, and mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in the pathological development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Mitochondrial quality control […]
Continue ReadingGRP78 Overexpression Triggers PINK1-IP3R-Mediated Neuroprotective Mitophagy
By Tatiana Leiva-Rodríguez, David Romeo-Guitart, Mireia Herrando-Grabulosa, Pau Muñoz-Guardiola, Miriam Polo, Celia Bañuls Valerie Petegnief, Assumpció Bosch, Jose Miguel Lizcano, Nadezda Apostolova, Joaquim Forés, and Caty Casas Excerpt from the article published in Biomedicines 2021, 9, 1039. Published: 18 August 2021, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9081039 Editor’s Highlights GRP78, also known as BiP or heat shock protein 5a (HSP5a), is […]
Continue ReadingSigma-1 Receptor Interaction with Cholesterol: Mechanisms of S1R Activation and Its Role in Neurodegenerative Diseases
by Zhemkov V, Geva M, Hayden MR, Bezprozvanny I Excerpt from the article published in Int J Mol Sci. 2021;22(8):4082. Published 2021 Apr 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22084082 Editor’s Highlights The Sigma-1 receptor (S1R) is a well-established target for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, and it plays a key role in neurodegenerative diseases. Some variants of the S1R […]
Continue ReadingGenetic inactivation of the sigma-1 chaperone protein results in decreased expression of the R2 subunit of the GABA-B receptor and increased susceptibility to seizures
By Edijs Vavers, Baiba Zvejniece, Gundega Stelfa, Baiba Svalbe, Karlis Vilks, Einars Kupats, Rudolfs Mezapuke, Lasma Lauberte, Maija Dambrova, and Liga Zvejniece Excerpt from the article published in Neurobiology of Disease, Volume 150, 2021, 105244, ISSN 0969-9961, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105244. Editor’s Highlights The sigma-1 chaperone protein, also known as the sigma-1 receptor (Sig1R), in the cell plays […]
Continue ReadingSigma-2 receptor antagonists rescue neuronal dysfunction induced by Parkinson’s patient brain-derived α-synuclein
By Colleen S. Limegrover, Raymond Yurko, Nicholas J. Izzo, Kelsie M. LaBarbera, Courtney Rehak, Gary Look, Gilbert Rishton, Hank Safferstein, and Susan M. Catalano Excerpt from the article published in Journals of Neuroscience Research; 99: 1161– 1176, 22 January 2021, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24782 Editor’s Highlights Oligomeric α-synuclein proteins found in Parkinson’s disease patient brain tissue cause neuron dysfunction. α-synuclein […]
Continue ReadingTau in the Pathophysiology of Parkinson’s Disease
By Lina Pan, Lanxia Meng, Mingyang He, and Zhentao Zhang Excerpt from the article published in Journal of Molecular Neuroscience 71, 2179–2191 (2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-020-01776-5 Editor’s Highlights Parkinson’s disease (PD), one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, is currently incurable. The progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and the formation […]
Continue Readingα-Synuclein modulates tau spreading in mouse brains
By Fares Bassil, Emily S. Meymand, Hannah J. Brown, Hong Xu, Timothy O. Cox, Shankar Pattabhiraman, Chantal M. Maghames, Qihui Wu, Bin Zhang, John Q. Trojanowski, and Virginia M.-Y. Lee Excerpt from the article published in Journal of Experimental Medicine, 4 January 2021; 218 (1): e20192193. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20192193 Editor’s Highlights Neuropathological data obtained from Parkinson’s disease (PD) […]
Continue ReadingProteostasis Failure in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Focus on Oxidative Stress
By Annika Höhn, Antonella Tramutola, and Roberta Cascella Excerpt from the article published in OMCL Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity 1942-0994 1942-0900 Hindawi Volume 2020 Article ID 5497046 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/5497046 Editor’s Highlights The cellular protein quality control ensures the proper folding of newly synthesized proteins, handling unfolding, refolding, and/or degradation of misfolded proteins. This process is critical as 30% of newly synthesized proteins are prone […]
Continue ReadingNeuronal Sigma-1 Receptors: Signaling Functions and Protective Roles in Neurodegenerative Diseases
by Daniel A. Ryskamp, Svetlana Korba, Vladimir Zhemkov, Nina Kraskovskaya, and Ilya Bezprozvanny Excerpt from the article published in Front. Neurosci., 28 August 2019 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00862 Editor’s Highlights Abstract Sigma-1 receptor (S1R) is a multi-functional, ligand-operated protein situated in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membranes and changes in its function and/or expression have been associated with various neurological disorders including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia, […]
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