3-(1-3-benzodioxol-5-yl)-5-(3-bromophenyl)-1h-pyrazole and Parkinson-Disease

Synucleinopathies such as Parkinson ́s disease (PD), Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) are characterized by deposition of misfolded and aggregated α-synuclein. Small aggregates (oligomers) of α-synuclein have been shown to be the most relevant neurotoxic species and are targeted by anle138b, an orally bioavailable small molecule compound which shows strong disease-modifying effects in animal models of synucleinopathies.. Anle138b was studied in a single-centre, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled single ascending dose (SAD) and multiple ascending dose (MAD) study in healthy subjects. Eligible participants were randomly assigned (1:1 for sentinel subjects and 1:5 for main group) to placebo or anle138b (dose range 50 mg to 300 mg per day), respectively. In addition, the effect of food on the pharmakokinetics of anle138b in healthy subjects was examined in doses of 150 mg per day. Participants were randomized to treatment sequence (fed→fasted) or (fasted→fed). Treatment was administered orally in hard gelatine capsules containing either 10 mg or 30 mg of anle138b or excipient only. The primary endpoints were safety and tolerability, the secondary endpoint was pharmakokinetics. Data from all randomized individuals were evaluated.. gov-identifier: NCT04208152. EudraCT-number: 2019-004218-33.. Between December 17. The favourable safety and PK profile of anle138b in doses resulting in exposures above the fully effective plasma level in a mouse Parkinson model warrant further clinical trials in patients with synucleinopathies.. This study was funded by MODAG GmbH and by the Michael J. Fox foundation for Parkinson's Research.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Animals; Benzodioxoles; Disease Models, Animal; Double-Blind Method; Humans; Mice; Parkinson Disease; Pyrazoles; Synucleinopathies

Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are common neurodegenerative disorders of the elderly and, therefore, affect a growing number of patients worldwide. Both diseases share, as a common hallmark, the accumulation of characteristic protein aggregates, known as Lewy bodies (LB) in PD, and neurofibrillary tangles in AD. LBs are primarily composed of misfolded α-synuclein (aSyn), and neurofibrillary tangles are primarily composed of tau protein. Importantly, upon pathological evaluation, most AD and PD/Lewy body dementia cases exhibit mixed pathology, with the co-occurrence of both LB and neurofibrillary tangles, among other protein inclusions. Recent studies suggest that both aSyn and tau pathology can spread and propagate through neuronal connections. Therefore, it is important to investigate the mechanisms underlying aggregation and propagation of these proteins for the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Here, we assessed the effects of different pharmacological interventions on the aggregation and internalization of tau and aSyn. We found that anle138b and fulvic acid decrease aSyn and tau aggregation, that epigallocatechin gallate decreases aSyn aggregation, and that dynasore reduces tau internalization. Establishing the effects of small molecules with different chemical properties on the aggregation and spreading of aSyn and tau will be important for the development of future therapeutic interventions.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Alzheimer Disease; Benzodioxoles; Benzopyrans; Brain; Catechin; Cells, Cultured; Humans; Hydrazones; Lewy Bodies; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neurofibrillary Tangles; Parkinson Disease; Protein Aggregates; Protein Aggregation, Pathological; Pyrazoles; tau Proteins

Recent epidemiological and clinical studies have reported a significantly increased risk for melanoma in people with Parkinson's disease. Because no evidence could be obtained that genetic factors are the reason for the association between these two diseases, we hypothesized that of the three major Parkinson's disease-related proteins-α-synuclein, LRRK2, and Parkin-α-synuclein might be a major link. Our data, presented here, demonstrate that α-synuclein promotes the survival of primary and metastatic melanoma cells, which is the exact opposite of the effect that α-synuclein has on dopaminergic neurons, where its accumulation causes neuronal dysfunction and death. Because this detrimental effect of α-synuclein on neurons can be rescued by the small molecule anle138b, we explored its effect on melanoma cells. We found that treatment with anle138b leads to massive melanoma cell death due to a major dysregulation of autophagy, suggesting that α-synuclein is highly beneficial to advanced melanoma because it ensures that autophagy is maintained at a homeostatic level that promotes and ensures the cell's survival.

Topics: alpha-Synuclein; Animals; Autophagy; Benzodioxoles; Biphenyl Compounds; Cell Death; Cell Line, Tumor; Dopaminergic Neurons; Female; Humans; Leucine-Rich Repeat Serine-Threonine Protein Kinase-2; Melanoma; Mice; Mice, Nude; Parkinson Disease; Pyrazoles; Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases