Identification of novel neuroprotectants against vincristine-induced neurotoxicity in iPSC-derived neurons.

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a disabling side effect of cancer chemotherapy that can often limit treatment options for cancer patients or have life-long neurodegenerative consequences that reduce the patient's quality of life. CIPN is caused by the detrimental actions of various chemotherapeutic agents on peripheral axons. Currently, there are no approved preventative measures or treatment options for CIPN, highlighting the need for the discovery of novel therapeutics and improving our understanding of disease mechanisms. In this study, we utilized human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived motor neurons as a platform to mimic axonal damage after treatment with vincristine, a chemotherapeutic used for the treatment of breast cancers, osteosarcomas, and leukemia. We screened a total of 1902 small molecules for neuroprotective properties in rescuing vincristine-induced axon growth deficits. From our primary screen, we identified 38 hit compounds that were subjected to secondary dose response screens. Six compounds showed favorable pharmacological profiles - AZD7762, A-674563, Blebbistatin, Glesatinib, KW-2449, and Pelitinib, all novel neuroprotectants against vincristine toxicity to neurons. In addition, four of these six compounds also showed efficacy against vincristine-induced growth arrest in human iPSC-derived sensory neurons. In this study, we utilized high-throughput screening of a large library of compounds in a therapeutically relevant assay. We identified several novel compounds that are efficacious in protecting different neuronal subtypes from the toxicity induced by a common chemotherapeutic agent, vincristine which could have therapeutic potential in the clinic.

Downregulation of the silent potassium channel Kv8.1 increases motor neuron vulnerability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

While voltage-gated potassium channels have critical roles in controlling neuronal excitability, they also have non-ion-conducting functions. Kv8.1, encoded by the KCNV1 gene, is a 'silent' ion channel subunit whose biological role is complex since Kv8.1 subunits do not form functional homotetramers but assemble with Kv2 to modify its ion channel properties. We profiled changes in ion channel expression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient-derived motor neurons carrying a superoxide dismutase 1(A4V) mutation to identify what drives their hyperexcitability. A major change identified was a substantial reduction of KCNV1/Kv8.1 expression, which was also observed in patient-derived neurons with C9orf72 expansion. We then studied the effect of reducing KCNV1/Kv8.1 expression in healthy motor neurons and found it did not change neuronal firing but increased vulnerability to cell death. A transcriptomic analysis revealed dysregulated metabolism and lipid/protein transport pathways in KCNV1/Kv8.1-deficient motor neurons. The increased neuronal vulnerability produced by the loss of KCNV1/Kv8.1 was rescued by knocking down Kv2.2, suggesting a potential Kv2.2-dependent downstream mechanism in cell death. Our study reveals, therefore, unsuspected and distinct roles of Kv8.1 and Kv2.2 in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-related neurodegeneration.

Bortezomib-induced neurotoxicity in human neurons is the consequence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide depletion.

The proteosome inhibitor bortezomib has revolutionized the treatment of multiple hematologic malignancies, but in many cases, its efficacy is limited by a dose-dependent peripheral neuropathy. We show that human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived motor neurons and sensory neurons provide a model system for the study of bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy, with promising implications for furthering the mechanistic understanding of and developing treatments for preventing axonal damage. Human neurons in tissue culture displayed distal-to-proximal neurite degeneration when exposed to bortezomib. This process coincided with disruptions in mitochondrial function and energy homeostasis, similar to those described in rodent models of bortezomib-induced neuropathy. Moreover, although the degenerative process was unaffected by inhibition of caspases, it was completely blocked by exogenous nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a mediator of the SARM1-dependent axon degeneration pathway. We demonstrate that bortezomib-induced neurotoxicity in relevant human neurons proceeds through mitochondrial dysfunction and NAD+ depletion-mediated axon degeneration, raising the possibility that targeting these changes might provide effective therapeutics for the prevention of bortezomib-induced neuropathy and that modeling chemotherapy-induced neuropathy in human neurons has utility.

Recurrent SMARCB1 Mutations Reveal a Nucleosome Acidic Patch Interaction Site That Potentiates mSWI/SNF Complex Chromatin Remodeling.

Mammalian switch/sucrose non-fermentable (mSWI/SNF) complexes are multi-component machines that remodel chromatin architecture. Dissection of the subunit- and domain-specific contributions to complex activities is needed to advance mechanistic understanding. Here, we examine the molecular, structural, and genome-wide regulatory consequences of recurrent, single-residue mutations in the putative coiled-coil C-terminal domain (CTD) of the SMARCB1 (BAF47) subunit, which cause the intellectual disability disorder Coffin-Siris syndrome (CSS), and are recurrently found in cancers. We find that the SMARCB1 CTD contains a basic α helix that binds directly to the nucleosome acidic patch and that all CSS-associated mutations disrupt this binding. Furthermore, these mutations abrogate mSWI/SNF-mediated nucleosome remodeling activity and enhancer DNA accessibility without changes in genome-wide complex localization. Finally, heterozygous CSS-associated SMARCB1 mutations result in dominant gene regulatory and morphologic changes during iPSC-neuronal differentiation. These studies unmask an evolutionarily conserved structural role for the SMARCB1 CTD that is perturbed in human disease.

Neuronal-Specific TUBB3 Is Not Required for Normal Neuronal Function but Is Essential for Timely Axon Regeneration.

We generated a knockout mouse for the neuronal-specific ß-tubulin isoform Tubb3 to investigate its role in nervous system formation and maintenance. Tubb3-/- mice have no detectable neurobehavioral or neuropathological deficits, and upregulation of mRNA and protein of the remaining ß-tubulin isotypes results in equivalent total ß-tubulin levels in Tubb3-/- and wild-type mice. Despite similar levels of total ß-tubulin, adult dorsal root ganglia lacking TUBB3 have decreased growth cone microtubule dynamics and a decreased neurite outgrowth rate of 22% in vitro and in vivo. The effect of the 22% slower growth rate is exacerbated for sensory recovery, where fibers must reinnervate the full volume of the skin to recover touch function. Overall, these data reveal that, while TUBB3 is not required for formation of the nervous system, it has a specific role in the rate of peripheral axon regeneration that cannot be replaced by other ß-tubulins.