Biomarkers of Alpha-Synuclein Pathology

A special issue of NeuroSci (ISSN 2673-4087).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 3090

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Norwegian Centre for Movement Disorders, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
Interests: alpha-synuclein pathology; protein biomarkers; genetics around alpha-synuclein

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Alpha-synuclein (a-syn) plays a key role in the pathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Multiple system atrophy (MSA), and other diseases. However, we are still short of biomarkers for alpha-synuclein pathology and its progression in living people. There are yet no cures for these diseases and biomarkers that can direct future therapies are urgently needed.

In PD, total a-syn levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tend to be lower compared to controls. However, inconsistent findings and a considerable interindividual variability of a-syn levels are limiting its diagnostic and prognostic value. This highlights the need for more refined a-syn biomarkers. Posttranslational modifications of a-syn and oligomeric a-syn species, alone or in combination with other markers, in CSF or other sample types, may prove to be valuable biomarker candidates. Recently, a qualitative assay for aggregation-prone a-syn with high sensitivity and specificity for synucleinopathies has emerged, opening for pre-symptomatic detection of a-syn pathology.

This special issue aims to gather studies of potential biomarkers of a-syn pathology in PD, DLB, MSA, and related diseases with emphasis on diagnostic and prognostic value, and the use of non-invasive patient samples.

Dr. Johannes Lange
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • alpha-synuclein
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • dementia with Lewy bodies, Multiple system atrophy
  • neurodegeneration
  • biomarker

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

16 pages, 1351 KiB  
Review
Dysregulation of a Heme Oxygenase–Synuclein Axis in Parkinson Disease
by Marisa Cressatti and Hyman M. Schipper
NeuroSci 2022, 3(2), 284-299; https://doi.org/10.3390/neurosci3020020 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2356
Abstract
α-Synuclein is a key driver of the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease (PD). Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress protein that catalyzes the conversion of heme to biliverdin, carbon monoxide and free ferrous iron, is elevated in PD-affected neural tissues and promotes iron deposition and [...] Read more.
α-Synuclein is a key driver of the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease (PD). Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress protein that catalyzes the conversion of heme to biliverdin, carbon monoxide and free ferrous iron, is elevated in PD-affected neural tissues and promotes iron deposition and mitochondrial dysfunction in models of the disease, pathways also impacted by α-synuclein. Elevated expression of human HO-1 in astrocytes of GFAP.HMOX1 transgenic mice between 8.5 and 19 months of age elicits a parkinsonian phenotype characterized by nigrostriatal hypodopaminergia, locomotor incoordination and overproduction of neurotoxic native S129-phospho-α-synuclein. Two microRNAs (miRNA) known to regulate α-synuclein, miR-153 and miR-223, are significantly decreased in the basal ganglia of GFAP.HMOX1 mice. Serum concentrations of both miRNAs progressively decline in wild-type (WT) and GFAP.HMOX1 mice between 11 and 18 months of age. Moreover, circulating levels of miR-153 and miR-223 are significantly lower, and erythrocyte α-synuclein concentrations are increased, in GFAP.HMOX1 mice relative to WT values. MiR-153 and miR-223 are similarly decreased in the saliva of PD patients compared to healthy controls. Upregulation of glial HO-1 may promote parkinsonism by suppressing miR-153 and miR-223, which, in turn, enhance production of neurotoxic α-synuclein. The aim of the current review is to explore the link between HO-1, α-synuclein and PD, evaluating evidence derived from our laboratory and others. HO-1, miR-153 and miR-223 and α-synuclein may serve as potential biomarkers and targets for disease-modifying therapy in idiopathic PD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomarkers of Alpha-Synuclein Pathology)
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