Innate immunity stimulation via CpG oligodeoxynucleotides ameliorates Alzheimer’s disease pathology in aged squirrel monkeys


BIBLIOGRAPHIC THERAPEUTIC AGENT ANIMAL MODEL EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN OUTCOMES

Bibliographic

Year of Publication:
2021
Contact PI Name:
Henrieta Scholtzova
Contact PI Affiliation:
Center for Cognitive Neurology and Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
Co-Authors:
Akash G. Patel, Pramod N. Nehete, Sara R. Krivoshik, Xuewei Pei, Elizabeth L. Cho, Bharti P. Nehete, Margish D. Ramani, Yongzhao Shao, Lawrence E. Williams, Thomas Wisniewski
Primary Reference (PubMED ID):
Funding Source:
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Alzheimer's Association
Cattlemen for Cancer Research (CCR)
Study Goal and Principal Findings:

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and the only illness among the top 10 causes of death for which there is no disease-modifying therapy. The failure rate of clinical trials is very high, in part due to the premature translation of successful results in transgenic mouse models to patients. Extensive evidence suggests that dysregulation of innate immunity and microglia/macrophages plays a key role in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Activated resident microglia and peripheral macrophages can display protective or detrimental phenotypes depending on the stimulus and environment. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a family of innate immune regulators known to play an important role in governing the phenotypic status of microglia. We have shown in multiple transgenic Alzheimer's disease mouse models that harnessing innate immunity via TLR9 agonist CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) modulates age-related defects associated with immune cells and safely reduces amyloid plaques, oligomeric amyloid-β, tau pathology, and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) while promoting cognitive benefits. In the current study we have used a non-human primate model of sporadic Alzheimer's disease pathology that develops extensive CAA-elderly squirrel monkeys. The major complications in current immunotherapeutic trials for Alzheimer's disease are amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, which are linked to the presence and extent of CAA; hence, the prominence of CAA in elderly squirrel monkeys makes them a valuable model for studying the safety of the CpG ODN-based concept of immunomodulation. We demonstrate that long-term use of Class B CpG ODN 2006 induces a favourable degree of innate immunity stimulation without producing excessive or sustained inflammation, resulting in efficient amelioration of both CAA and tau Alzheimer's disease-related pathologies in association with behavioural improvements and in the absence of microhaemorrhages in aged elderly squirrel monkeys. CpG ODN 2006 has been well established in numerous human trials for a variety of diseases. The present evidence together with our earlier, extensive preclinical research, validates the beneficial therapeutic outcomes and safety of this innovative immunomodulatory approach, increasing the likelihood of CpG ODN therapeutic efficacy in future clinical trials.

Bibliographic Notes:
Thomas Wisniewski (Center for Cognitive Neurology and Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA) and Henrieta Scholtzova (Center for Cognitive Neurology and Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA) are corresponding authors on this paper.

Therapeutic Agent

Therapeutic Information:
Therapy Type:
Biologic - Other Molecule
Therapeutic Agent:
Class B CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides
Therapeutic Target:
Toll-Like Receptor 9 (TLR9)

Animal Model

Model Information:
Species:
Non Human Primate
Model Type:
Non-transgenic
Strain/Genetic Background:
Not Applicable

Experimental Design

Is the following information reported in the study?:
Power/Sample Size Calculation
Randomized into Groups
Blinded for Treatment
Blinded for Outcome Measures
Pharmacokinetic Measures
Pharmacodynamic Measures
Toxicology Measures
ADME Measures
Biomarkers
Dose
Formulation
Route of Delivery
Duration of Treatment
Frequency of Administration
Age of Animal at the Beginning of Treatment
Age of Animal at the End of Treatment
Sex as a Biological Variable
Study Balanced for Sex as a Biological Variable
Number of Premature Deaths
Number of Excluded Animals
Statistical Plan
Genetic Background
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria Included
Conflict of Interest

Outcomes

Outcome Measured
Outcome Parameters
Behavioral
Delayed Nonmatching-to-Sample T Maze
Inhibitory Control of Behavior Test
Motor Function
Locomotor Activity
Histopathology
Activated Astrocytes
Activated Microglia
beta Amyloid Deposits
beta Amyloid Load
Fibrillar Plaques
Parenchymal Plaques
Vascular beta Amyloid Deposits
Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)
Microhemorrhages
Lymphocytic Infiltration
Biochemical
Brain-Buffer Soluble beta Amyloid Peptide 40
Brain-Buffer Soluble beta Amyloid Peptide 42
Brain-Detergent Soluble beta Amyloid Peptide 40
Brain-Detergent Soluble beta Amyloid Peptide 42
Brain-Formic Acid Soluble beta Amyloid Peptide 40
Brain-Formic Acid Soluble beta Amyloid Peptide 42
Brain-beta Amyloid Oligomers
Pyroglutamate Modified beta Amyloid Peptides
Brain-Detergent Soluble phospho-Tau
Brain-Detergent Soluble Tau Protein
Brain-Formic Acid Soluble phospho-Tau
Brain-Formic Acid Soluble Tau Protein
Total Tau Protein
phospho-Tau
Immunochemistry
Brain-beta Amyloid Deposits
Pyroglutamate Modified beta Amyloid Peptides
CD3
CD163
Collagen IV
Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP)
Ionized Calcium Binding Adaptor Molecule 1 (Iba1)
Hemosiderin Deposits
Immunology
Anti-beta Amyloid IgG Production
Biomarker
Plasma-beta Amyloid Peptide 40
Plasma-beta Amyloid Peptide 42
Plasma-Pyroglutamate Modified beta Amyloid Peptides
Plasma-Cytokines
Plasma-Chemokines
Toxicology
Body Temperature
Body Weight
Food Intake
General Activity
General Behavior
General Health
Physical Appearance
Blood/Serum Clinical Chemistry
Hematological Analysis/Blood Cell Count
Edema
Erythema
Organ Histopathology

Source URL: http://alzped.nia.nih.gov/innate-immunity-stimulation