科研之友
微信
新浪微博
Facebook
分享链接
摘要
Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by the accumulation of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) within Lewy body inclusions in the nervous system. There are currently no disease-modifying therapies capable of reducing alpha-syn inclusions in PD. Recent data has indicated that loss-of-function mutations in the GBA1 gene that encodes lysosomal beta-glucocerebrosidase (GCase) represent an important risk factor for PD, and can lead to alpha-syn accumulation. Here we use a small-molecule modulator of GCase to determine whether GCase activation within lysosomes can reduce alpha-syn levels and ameliorate downstream toxicity. Using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons from synucleinopathy patients with different PD-linked mutations, wefind that a non-inhibitory small molecule modulator of GCase specifically enhanced activity within lysosomal compartments. This resulted in reduction of GCase substrates and clearance of pathological alpha-syn, regardless of the disease causing mutations. Importantly, the reduction of alpha-syn was sufficient to reverse downstream cellular pathologies induced by alpha-syn, including perturbations in hydrolase maturation and lysosomal dysfunction. These results indicate that enhancement of a single lysosomal hydrolase, GCase, can effectively reduce alpha-syn and provide therapeutic benefit in human midbrain neurons. This suggests that GCase activators may prove beneficial as treatments for PD and related synucleinopathies.
