Get Newsletter
Alzheimer Research Forum - Networking for a Cure Alzheimer Research Forum - Networking for a CureAlzheimer Research Forum - Networking for a Cure
  
What's New HomeContact UsHow to CiteGet NewsletterBecome a MemberLogin          
Papers of the Week
Current Papers
ARF Recommends
Milestone Papers
Search All Papers
Search Comments
News
Research News
Drug News
Conference News
Research
AD Hypotheses
  AlzSWAN
  Current Hypotheses
  Hypothesis Factory
Forums
  Live Discussions
  Virtual Conferences
  Interviews
Enabling Technologies
  Workshops
  Research Tools
Compendia
  AlzGene
  AlzRisk
  Antibodies
  Biomarkers
  Mutations
  Protocols
  Research Models
  Video Gallery
Resources
  Bulletin Boards
  Conference Calendar
  Grants
  Jobs
Early-Onset Familial AD
Overview
Diagnosis/Genetics
Research
News
Profiles
Clinics
Drug Development
Companies
Tutorial
Drugs in Clinical Trials
Disease Management
About Alzheimer's
  FAQs
Diagnosis
  Clinical Guidelines
  Tests
  Brain Banks
Treatment
  Drugs and Therapies
Caregiving
  Patient Care
  Support Directory
  AD Experiences
Community
Member Directory
Researcher Profiles
Institutes and Labs
About the Site
Mission
ARF Team
ARF Awards
Advisory Board
Sponsors
Partnerships
Fan Mail
Support Us
Return to Top
Home: News
News
News Search  
Could Antibodies Against Pyroglutamate Safely Break Down Plaques?
8 December 2012. Most Aβ antibodies in development can prevent plaque buildup, but few eliminate existing plaques. Enter a new monoclonal antibody developed by scientists at Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, Indiana. Dubbed mE8, it seems to target plaques directly by binding the rare pyroglutamate form of Aβ (pGluAβ). As reported in the December 6 Neuron, mE8 bound the modified peptide in amyloid deposits in an AD mouse model, activated microglia to clear them, and did it all without causing microhemorrhages, which has been a problem in AD immunotherapy. Results line up with data published earlier this year by Cynthia Lemere and colleagues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and could have implications for Alzheimer’s treatment.

Developing "therapies that can effectively remove and decrease toxicity of pre-existing plaques and CAA [cerebral amyloid angiopathy] without causing side effects is a major goal," wrote David Holtzman and Jee Hoon Roh of Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, in an accompanying editorial.

Anti-Aβ antibodies tested in clinical trials bind both soluble and insoluble forms of Aβ, but have not been shown to clear larger deposits. Ronald DeMattos and colleagues at Lilly wanted to raise an antibody that would target and clear plaques directly. For an antigen, the researchers zeroed in on pGluAβ, which is found almost exclusively in amyloid deposits but not in blood or cerebrospinal fluid. The peptide forms when two amino acids are clipped from the N-terminus of Aβ, leaving a glutamate that is enzymatically cyclized. The resulting pGluAβ resists degradation, is extremely hydrophobic, and aggregates quickly.

To create a pGluAβ antibody, the researchers adopted a similar monoclonal strategy to that used by Lemere’s group (see Frost et al., 2012). DeMattos and colleagues immunized mice with pGluAβ and, after cloning B cells, found an antibody—mE8—that recognized only that form of Aβ. Though it bound both soluble and insoluble pGluAβ, the team hypothesized the antibody would be plaque specific, since pGluAβ exists almost entirely in those deposits.

Engineered on an IgG1 backbone, mE8 weakly activated microglia, while on an IgG2a backbone the antibody elicited a stronger microglial response. IgG2 antibodies typically have better effector function, meaning they robustly stimulate immune cells. To test these antibodies in vivo, the scientists intraperitoneally injected aged, plaque-laden PDAPP mice (Johnson-Wood et al., 1997) (23 to 24 months old) weekly with mE8-IgG1, mE8-IgG2a, or 3D6, an antibody that binds to soluble and insoluble Aβ42. 3D6 is the mouse forerunner of the human bapineuzumab antibody (see ARF related news story).

After three months, animals treated with mE8-IgG1 and mE8-IgG2a contained 38 and 53 percent less Aβ, respectively, than controls. The difference between the two IgG versions suggests that stronger microglial activation translates to greater Aβ clearance. “This confirms that microglia are likely one of the key players in plaque clearance,” DeMattos told Alzforum. These mice showed no signs of microhemorrhage, which has plagued development of anti-Aβ immunotherapy in humans (see ARF related news story and ARF news story).

While the mE8 antibody helped clear plaques, it did not prevent their formation as effectively. Though young mice (5.5-months-old) treated with mE8-IgG2a for seven months accumulated 30 percent less plaque relative to controls, the difference was not significant. In contrast, mice treated with 3D6 made 70 percent less plaque during the same period. The mE8 antibody may not have worked as well in younger animals because of a dearth of pGluAβ early in disease, the authors wrote. However, Lemere found that mAb07/1 lowered plaque burden in both treatment and prevention paradigms. She is unsure why mAb07/1 and mE8 would differ in this respect. “We believe one of the reasons we see prevention is because pGluAβ can act as a seed for general Aβ deposition,” she told Alzforum. Altogether, DeMattos’ results suggest that antibodies that bind soluble Aβ help prevent plaque deposition, while those that mostly bind plaques, such as mE8, primarily clear existing amyloid.

What mechanism underlies the difference between antibody types? DeMattos suggested that antibodies that bind soluble Aβ, such as 3D6, do not clear plaques well because they become mired in the halo of free Aβ surrounding them. Saturated with these smaller Aβ species, the antibodies never reach the plaques. However, since mE8 specifically binds pGluAβ, it slips past the cloud of Aβ and goes directly to the plaques. That may also explain why mE8 does not cause microhemorrhages. DeMattos and colleagues claim that mE8 is trapped by plaques until cleared by microglia. Antibodies that do not bind plaques, on the other hand, are free to diffuse to the vasculature where they release their Aβ cargo, which then builds up along vessels, causing microbleeds (see Winkler et al., 2001). “It suggests that you can clear existing plaques by phagocytosis and not have this [microhemorrhage] liability,” said DeMattos.

How can an antibody that recognizes such an uncommon Aβ peptide induce such substantial plaque reduction? Lemere suggested in her paper that once pGluAβ antibodies bind plaques, they activate microglia, which then clear Aβ indiscriminately. "That's quite an interesting concept," agreed Dennis Selkoe, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. "It suggests that activating microglia via just a subset of Aβ peptides allows a more generalized phagocytic clearing of plaque amyloid."

Does this ultimately help the mice? “This study lacks any information about beneficial effects, such as rescue of synaptotoxicity, neurotoxicity, or behavioral deficits,” said Thomas Bayer, University of Göttingen, Germany. He previously reported that a pGluAβ antibody specific for non-plaque oligomers reduced plaque deposition and alleviated anxiety in an AD mouse model (see Wirths et al., 2010). He believes that pGluAβ oligomers, while absent from CSF and blood, exist between or within neurons, where they exert their toxicity—thus representing the ideal target. Lemere’s group plans to present behavioral, pathological, and biochemical characterization of their pGluAβ antibody this coming March at the AD/PD meeting in Florence, Italy.

DeMattos’ results may have implications for human AD treatment, speculated some. For example, recent results on solanezumab—Eli Lilly's humanized monoclonal antibody that binds soluble Aβ—indicate a modest cognitive benefit and trend toward reduced amyloid burden in a mild AD patient subgroup (see ARF related news story). “This paper leads me to suggest combining solanezumab with a humanized form of a plaque-directed antibody like mE8,” said Selkoe. “The two antibodies might complement one another, with solanezumab targeting soluble monomers and an mE8-like antibody targeting fibrillar plaques.”

The mE8 antibody is not suitable for human use in its murine form, but Lilly has humanized it and plans to begin a Phase 1 clinical trial by 2014, a Lilly representative told Alzforum via e-mail. Whether pGluAβ antibodies will behave the same way in humans as they do in mice is unclear, however. Some evidence suggests much more pGluAβ exists in the AD brain than in transgenic mouse models (see ARF related news story), though DeMattos says his data consistently indicate similar levels in AD brain as in the PDAPP mice. If pGluAβ was more prominent, it might make up more of the peri-plaque halo of Aβ and contribute to microhemorrhage. “A real test of this concern would be to administer chronic passive immunization against pGluAβ in a mouse that overexpresses and deposits it,” said Lemere.—Gwyneth Dickey Zakaib.

Reference:
DeMattos R, Lu J, Tang Y, Racke MM, DeLong CA, Tzaferis JA, Hole JT, Forster BM, McDonnell PC, Liu F, Kinely RD, Jordan WH, Hutton ML. A Plaque-Specific Antibody Clears Existing β-amyloid Plaques in Alzheimer’s Disease Mice. Neuron 2012 Dec 6;76: 908-920. Abstract

Roh JH, Holtzman DM. Stealth Attack: Plaque-Specific Antibody Allows for Efficient Aβ Removal without Side Effects. Neuron 2012 Dec 6;76: 859-861. Abstract

 
Comments on News and Primary Papers
  Comment by:  Thomas Bayer
Submitted 8 December 2012  |  Permalink Posted 8 December 2012

Passive immunization is one of the central themes for AD therapy. The question is, What is the appropriate target? The paper by DeMattos and colleagues argues that using mE8-IgG2a, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for the pyroglutamate Aβ (pGluAβ) found in plaques is a new tool for therapy. The main message is that the pGluAβ mAb reduces deposited amyloid without inducing microhemorrhage.

When we look at the history behind Aβ immunotherapy, we see that first the AD field believed that plaques are toxic and their removal beneficial for the patients. That turned out to be false and produced significant side effects like hemorrhages. Next, the field turned to soluble oligomers of different size, suggesting that they should be targeted. There is convincing evidence for that notion, in my view. Especially, N-truncated forms of Aβ starting with pyroglutamate proved to be one of the seeding oligomers.

Already in 2010, we generated a monoclonal antibody (9D5) that selectively recognizes oligomeric assemblies of pGluAβ and studied their potential involvement in disease....  Read more


  Comment by:  Hans-Ulrich Demuth (Disclosure), Stephan Schilling
Submitted 12 December 2012  |  Permalink Posted 12 December 2012

This paper places an underestimated Aβ species center stage: the pyroglutamated Aβ (pEAβ).

In general, there are several possible approaches to reduce pEAβ species:

1. Preventing such modification by using small molecule inhibitors of glutaminyl cyclase (QC), the enzyme responsible for the modification (Schilling et al., 2004).

2. Clearing such already modified or continuously forming species by active or passive immunization.

According to the mechanism presented in this study, the pEAβ species are seen simply as plaque-specific docking points for immunotherapy and as such being indeed very effective. Work from other groups and ours suggests, however, that these pEAβ species play an important role in the genesis of pathology by way of their significant toxic and seeding potential (Wirths et al., 2009; Morawski et al., 2010; Hartlage-Rübsamen et al., 2011, Alexandru et al., 2011). This view is not represented in the discussion, nor have the available data been adequately acknowledged in the present study.

Moreover, we would like to point out that these pEAβ...  Read more

  Submit a Comment on this News Article
Cast your vote and/or make a comment on this news article. 

If you already are a member, please login.
Not sure if you are a member? Search our member database.

*First Name  
*Last Name  
Country or Territory:
*Login Email Address  
*Password    Minimum of 8 characters
*Confirm Password  
Stay signed in?  

I recommend the Primary Papers

Comment:

(If coauthors exist for this comment, please enter their names and email addresses at the end of the comment.)

References:


*Enter the verification code you see in the picture below:


This helps Alzforum prevent automated registrations.

Terms and Conditions of Use:Printable Version

By clicking on the 'I accept' below, you are agreeing to the Terms and Conditions of Use above.
Print this page
Email this page
Alzforum News
Papers of the Week
Text size
Share & Bookmark
ADNI Related Links
ADNI Data at LONI
ADNI Information
DIAN
Foundation for the NIH
AddNeuroMed
neuGRID
Desperately

Antibodies
Cell Lines
Collaborators
Papers
Research Participants
Copyright © 1996-2013 Alzheimer Research Forum Terms of Use How to Cite Privacy Policy Disclaimer Disclosure Copyright
wma logoadadad