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The Amyloid Inhibitor CLR01 Relieves Autophagy and Ameliorates Neuropathology in a Severe Lysosomal Storage Disease
Mol Ther. 2020 Apr 8;28(4):1167-1176. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2020.02.005.
Antonio Monaco 1, Veronica Maffia 1, Nicolina Cristina Sorrentino 1, Irene Sambri 1, Yulia Ezhova 1, Teresa Giuliano 1, Vincenzo Cacace 1, Edoardo Nusco 1, Maria De Risi 2, Elvira De Leonibus 2, Thomas Schrader 3, Frank-Gerrit Klärner 3, Gal Bitan 4, Alessandro Fraldi 5
Abstract:
Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are inherited disorders caused by lysosomal deficiencies and characterized by dysfunction of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway (ALP) often associated with neurodegeneration. No cure is currently available to treat neuropathology in LSDs. By studying a mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type IIIA, one of the most common and severe forms of LSDs, we found that multiple amyloid proteins including α-synuclein, prion protein (PrP), Tau, and amyloid β progressively aggregate in the brain. The amyloid deposits mostly build up in neuronal cell bodies concomitantly with neurodegeneration. Treating MPS-IIIA mice with CLR01, a "molecular tweezer" that acts as a broad-spectrum inhibitor of amyloid protein self-assembly reduced lysosomal enlargement and re-activates autophagy flux. Restoration of the ALP was associated with reduced neuroinflammation and amelioration of memory deficits. Together, these data provide evidence that brain deposition of amyloid proteins plays a gain of neurotoxic function in a severe LSD by affecting the ALP and identify CLR01 as new potent drug candidate for MPS-IIIA and likely for other LSDs.