Protein Folding Disorders Of The Central Nervous System

This exciting new book explores the dark side of the molecular protein assembly bringing an updated view of how failures in the homeostatic mechanisms that efficiently regulate protein folding leads to the accumulation of structurally abnormal pathogenic assemblies, encompassing an emerging group of diseases collectively known as "Protein Folding Disorders." This complex and diverse group of chronic and progressive entities are bridged together by their relationship to structural transitions in the native state of specific proteinaceous components, which for reasons poorly understood, convert into polymeric aggregates that generate poorly soluble tissue deposits and which are considered today the culprit of the disease pathogenesis in their respective diseases. Despite the diversity in the amino acid sequence of the different proteins involved in these heterogeneous disorders, all the pathologic conformers can trigger cascades of events ultimately resulting in cell dysfunction and death with devastating clinical consequences in many of the most precious aspects of human existence including personality, cognition, memory, and skilled movements. This book, which is composed of a compilation of chapters authored by outstanding and well-published scientists in the respective fields currently performing active investigations at world renowned universities and research centers, focuses on the growing number of diseases associated with protein misfolding in the central nervous system. Individual chapters are dedicated to the most common neurodegenerative diseases associated with protein aggregation/fibrillization focusing on the nature of the pathogenic species and the cellular pathways involved in the molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases as well as in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and Prion disorders. A group of contributions is centered on the current knowledge of the intracellular pathways and subcellular organelles affected by the different disease conditions, while others are focused in the emerging pathogenic role of misfolded subunits assembled into neurotoxic soluble oligomers, and in the novel notion of the transmissibility of the protein misfolded species, an innovative concept until recently only accepted for Prion diseases. Lastly, a different set of chapters is dedicated to the evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies for these devastating diseases. Contents: Misfolding, Aggregation, and Amyloid Formation: The Dark Side of Proteins (Agueda Rostagno and Jorge A Ghiso)Oligomers at the Synapse: Synaptic Dysfunction and Neurodegeneration (Emily Vogler, Matthew Mahavongtrakul, and Jorge Busciglio)Prion-Like Protein Seeding and the Pathobiology of Alzheimer's Disease (Lary C Walker)The Tau Misfolding Pathway to Dementia (Alejandra D Alonso, Leah S Cohen, and Viktoriya Morozova)The Biology and Pathobiology of α-Synuclein (Joel C Watts, Anurag Tandon, and Paul E Fraser)Impact of Loss of Proteostasis on Central Nervous System Disorders (Sentiljana Gumeni, Eleni N Tsakiri, Christina-Maria Cheimonidi, Zoi Evangelakou, Despoina Gianniou, Kostantinos Tallas, Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou, Aimilia D Sklirou, and Ioannis P Trougakos)Protein Misfolding and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Giovanni Manfredi and Hibiki Kawamata)Impact of Mitostasis and the Role of the Anti-Oxidant Responses on Central Nervous System Disorders (Sentiljana Gumeni, Eleni N Tsakiri, Christina-Maria Cheimonidi, Zoi Evangelakou, Despoina Gianniou, Kostantinos Tallas, Eleni-Dimitra Papanagnou, Aimilia D Sklirou, and Ioannis P Trougakos)Propagation of Misfolded Proteins in Neurodegeneration: Insights and Cautions from the Study of Prion Disease Prototypes (Robert C C Mercer, Nathalie Daude,

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) composed of intracellular aggregates of tau protein are a key neuropathological feature of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, collectively termed tauopathies. The abundance of NFTs has been reported to correlate positively with the severity of cognitive impairment in AD. However, accumulating evidences derived from studies of experimental models have identified that NFTs themselves may not be neurotoxic. Now, many of tau researchers are seeking a “toxic” form of tau protein. Moreover, it was suggested that a “toxic” tau was capable to seed aggregation of native tau protein and to propagate in a prion-like manner. However, the exact neurotoxic tau species remain unclear. Because mature tangles seem to be non-toxic component, “tau oligomers” as the candidate of “toxic” tau have been investigated for more than one decade. In this topic, we will discuss our consensus of “tau oligomers” because the term of “tau oligomers” [e.g. dimer (disulfide bond-dependent or independent), multimer (more than dimer), granular (definition by EM or AFM) and maybe small filamentous aggregates] has been used by each researchers definition. From a biochemical point of view, tau protein has several unique characteristics such as natively unfolded conformation, thermo-stability, acid-stability, and capability of post-translational modifications. Although tau protein research has been continued for a long time, we are still missing the mechanisms of NFT formation. It is unclear how the conversion is occurred from natively unfolded protein to abnormally mis-folded protein. It remains unknown how tau protein can be formed filaments [e.g. paired helical filament (PHF), straight filament and twisted filament] in cells albeit in vitro studies confirmed tau self-assembly by several inducing factors. Researchers are still debating whether tau oligomerization is primary event rather than tau phosphorylation in the tau pathogenesis. Inhibition of either tau phosphorylation or aggregation has been investigated for the prevention of tauopathies, however, it will make an irrelevant result if we don’t know an exact target of neurotoxicity. It is a time to have a consensus of definition, terminology and methodology for the identification of “tau oligomers”.

The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Neurodegenerative Diseases: Underlying Mechanisms presents the pathology, genetics, biochemistry and cell biology of the major human neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, frontotemporal dementia, ALS, Huntington’s, and prion diseases. Edited and authored by internationally recognized leaders in the field, the book's chapters explore their pathogenic commonalities and differences, also including discussions of animal models and prospects for therapeutics. Diseases are presented first, with common mechanisms later. Individual chapters discuss each major neurodegenerative disease, integrating this information to offer multiple molecular and cellular mechanisms that diseases may have in common. This book provides readers with a timely update on this rapidly advancing area of investigation, presenting an invaluable resource for researchers in the field. Covers the spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases and their complex genetic, pathological, biochemical and cellular features Focuses on leading hypotheses regarding the biochemical and cellular dysfunctions that cause neurodegeneration Details features, advantages and limitations of animal models, as well as prospects for therapeutic development Authored by internationally recognized leaders in the field Includes illustrations that help clarify and consolidate complex concepts

The synucleinopathy sporadic Parkinson’s disease (sPD) is the second most frequent degenerative disorder of the human nervous system after Alzheimer’s disease. The propensity for developing sPD exists in all ethnic groups worldwide, and the prevalence of the disorder increases considerably with age, thereby imposing an enormous social and economic burden on societies with increased life expectancy. The sPD-associated pathological process is progressive, does not go into remission, and can take decades to reach its culmination if it is not be terminated prematurely by death owing to other causes. Against the background of the normal morphology and anatomy, the authors analyze the pathoanatomy of sPD in the nervous system at various neuropathological stages and summarize the potential functional consequences of the lesions.

This book highlights the pathophysiological complexities of the mechanisms and factors that are likely to be involved in a range of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease, other Dementia, Parkinson Diseases and Multiple Sclerosis. The spectrum of diverse factors involved in neurodegeneration, such as protein aggregation, oxidative stress, caspases and secretase, regulators, cholesterol, zinc, microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, etc, have been discussed in the context of disease progression. In addition, novel approaches to therapeutic interventions have also been presented. It is hoped that students, scientists and clinicians shall find this very informative book immensely useful and thought-provoking.

This work is concerned with a group of proteins which were originally consid ered to be an esoteric phenomenon but which have now been shown to play critical roles both in normal and stressed cells as well as being involved in a variety of human diseases. It is the purpose of this work to give a comprehen sive view of these proteins and their various aspects. After an introductory chapter providing an overview of these proteins, the work is divided into four main sections each of which deals with one important aspect of these proteins. Thus, the first section contains a series of chapters which describe individual stress proteins and their roles in particular biological phenomena. Evidently, the induction of these proteins by elevated tempera ture or other stresses is their defining feature and the second section of this book therefore considers the regulation of stress protein gene expression both by stressful stimuli such as elevated temperature or ischaemia and by non stressful stimuli such as cytokines.

In this monograph, the authors summarize their findings in complex neuroimaging work (cranio-, spondylo-, myelo- and angiography as well as CT and MR imaging of the brain and spine) during their longstanding experience at the N. Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute in Moscow. The book begins with a review of modern neuroimaging techniques: CT and MR angiography, perfusion and diffusion imaging, tractography, spectroscopy and functional MR imaging. The problems and various other aspects of diagnosis of intra- and extra-axial brain tumors (more than 30,000 verified cases) as well as of cerebrovascular, infectious, demyelinating, degenerative and traumatic brain and spine lesions are discussed. The volume is well illustrated with angiographic, CT and MR images of complex diagnostic studies. The numerous images represent a "visual text," which can be used as an atlas by practical clinicians. This book is a comprehensive reference manual for neurologists, neurotraumatologists and radiologists. It may also be of interest to technicians, medical physicists, students and other specialists interested in neurovisualization and diagnostic imaging.

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