Category Ranking

98%

Total Visits

921

Avg Visit Duration

2 minutes

Citations

20

Article Abstract

Treatments for neurodegenerative disorders remain rare, although recent FDA approvals, such as Lecanemab and Aducanumab for Alzheimer's Disease, highlight the importance of the underlying biological mechanisms in driving discovery and creating disease modifying therapies. The global population is aging, driving an urgent need for therapeutics that stop disease progression and eliminate symptoms. In this study, we create an open framework and resource for evidence-based identification of therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative disease. We use Summary-data-based Mendelian Randomization to identify genetic targets for drug discovery and repurposing. In parallel, we provide mechanistic insights into disease processes and potential network-level consequences of gene-based therapeutics. We identify 116 Alzheimer's disease, 3 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 5 Lewy body dementia, 46 Parkinson's disease, and 9 Progressive supranuclear palsy target genes passing multiple test corrections (p < 2.95×10 and p > 0.01). We created a therapeutic scheme to classify our identified target genes into strata based on druggability and approved therapeutics - classifying 41 targets, 3 targets, and 115 targets (of these 69.8% are expressed in the disease relevant cell type from single nucleus experiments). Our class of genes provides a springboard for new opportunities in drug discovery, development and repurposing in the pre-competitive space. In addition, looking at drug-gene interaction networks, we identify previous trials that may require further follow-up such as Riluzole in AD. We also provide a user-friendly web platform to help users explore potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases, decreasing activation energy for the community [https://nih-card-ndd-smr-home-syboky.streamlit.app/].

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10120805PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.04.06.23288266DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

targets neurodegenerative
12
neurodegenerative diseases
8
disease
8
alzheimer's disease
8
therapeutic targets
8
drug discovery
8
target genes
8
targets
7
omicsynth open
4
open multi-omic
4

Similar Publications

Stabilizing the retromer complex rescues synaptic dysfunction and endosomal trafficking deficits in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Acta Neuropathol Commun

September 2025

Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences and Department of Clinical Pathology, Linköping University, 58185, Linköping, Sweden.

Disruptions in synaptic transmission and plasticity are early hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Endosomal trafficking, mediated by the retromer complex, is essential for intracellular protein sorting, including the regulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP) processing. The VPS35 subunit, a key cargo-recognition component of the retromer, has been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases, with mutations such as L625P linked to early-onset AD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Membranes as targets and modifiers of mutant huntingtin aggregation.

Trends Biochem Sci

September 2025

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA. Electronic address:

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expanded CAG repeat in the huntingtin (HTT) gene, resulting in an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in HTT protein. Expanded polyQ tracts cause mutant HTT (mHTT) to aggregate and accumulate as cellular inclusions. Recent studies highlight the interactions between mHTT and different cellular membranes that contribute to HD pathogenesis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Modeling neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in Parkinson's Disease: Animal-based strategies.

Methods Cell Biol

September 2025

Histology and Cell Biology Department, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address:

Parkinson disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder globally, trailing only Alzheimer´s disease. It currently affects nearly 3 % of individuals aged 65 and above. The disease is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons accompanied by a chronic neuroinflammatory process, which is responsible for both motor symptoms (tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia) and non-motor symptoms (depression, dysphagia, anxiety, constipation, and anosmia).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a shared hallmark of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and tauopathies among others. Pathological alterations of the microtubule-associated protein Tau can disrupt mitochondrial dynamics, transport, and function, ultimately leading to neuronal toxicity and synaptic deficits. Understanding these processes is crucial for developing therapeutic interventions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Crystal structures of distinct parallel and antiparallel DNA G-quadruplexes reveal structural polymorphism in C9orf72 G4C2 repeats.

Nucleic Acids Res

September 2025

State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, Fujian, China.

The abnormal expansion of GGGGCC (G4C2) repeats in the noncoding region of the C9orf72 gene is a major genetic cause of two devastating neurodegenerative disorders, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). These G4C2 repeats are known to form G-quadruplex (G4) structures, which are hypothesized to contribute to disease pathogenesis. Here, we demonstrated that four DNA G4C2 repeats can fold into two structurally distinct G4 conformations: a parallel and an antiparallel topology.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF