Transcript Slide 1
Disaggregation of a-Synuclein by
way of Isradipine
John Chi, Mike DeSalvio, Kevin Ip, Khine Win, Michael Nguyen
Specific Aims
Show the effectiveness of subcutaneous
administration of calcium channel blockers
Determine safe dosage
Effective concentration
Determine effectiveness of Isradipine against
a-synuclein plaques
Restore affected areas by decreasing the
intracellular calcium levels
Objectives
Show spatiotemporal control through
subcutaneous injection
Prevent cell death in PD patients
Mitigate the effect of Lewy Bodies
Affects Alzheimer's as well as Parkinson’s disease
Background & Significance
Isradipine: dihydropyridine
Calcium channel blocker
○ Treats high blood pressure and reduces risk of
stroke
Approved small molecule
○ Multiple trade names
Dynacirc
Prescal
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Isradipine.png
Parkinson’s Disease
Neurodegenerative disorder
100-200 people in 100,000
Average age of onset 55 to 60
Annual cost approximately $11 billion
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=parkinsons+disease
Parkinson’s Disease
Impairs motor skills, cognitive
processes, and other functions
Tremors
Rigidity
Bradykinesia
Postural instability
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=parkinsons+disease
Parkinson’s Disease
Diminished cognitive processes
Executive dysfunction
○ Planning
○ Abstract thinking
○ Initiating appropriate actions
○ Inhibiting inappropriate actions
Eventually develop into dementia
Accompanied by behavior and mood
alterations
Parkinson’s Disease
Idiopathic
Various hypotheses
Viral
Genetic
Lewy Bodies
http://www2.kumc.edu/coa/images/AMED900/Dementia/DementiaSyndromeGraph.gif
Lewy Bodies
Alpha-Synuclein
Eventually accumulate in substantia nigra
Accumulate in various parts of the brain
Olfactory bulb
Medulla oblongata
Pontine tegmentum
Leads to cell death
http://shirley-kwan.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/lewy.jpg
Current Research
Improving quality of life
Therapy and exercise
Neuroprotection
Drug treatment to slow, stop, reverse
progression of PD
Neuroprotection
Anti-apoptotic drugs
Antiglutamatergic agents
Monoamine oxidase-B inhibitors
Calcium channel blockers
Growth factors
Current Treatments
Levodopa (L-DOPA)
MAO-B inhibitors
Amantadine
Anticholinergics
Surgery
Treatment Standard: L-Dopa
http://www.3dchem.com/imagesofmolecules/Levodopa.jpgc
Isradipine background
IC50 34+-8 uM
60-65% excreted in urine
25-30% excreted through feces
5-15% actually absorbed into the blood
Decrease responsiveness
○ Administer intravenously
http://images.containerstore.com/images/catalog11966/11966.jpg
Research Design & Methods
Overview
Isradipine as a therapeutic approach
Experimental approach
Proposed Pre-Clinical trials
Prospective Clinical trials
Mechanism of α-synuclein cytotoxicity
Figure: Fibrilization
pathway
Native unfolded
monomer
•Β-sheet rich oligomers
or protofibrils
•Fibrils
•Lewy body
α-synuclein
protein
Reference: http://www.molecularneurodegeneration.com/content/4/1/9
Proposed Therapeutic Approach
Cav1.3
SNc main ion channels:
Cav1.3 (voltage gated)
NMDAR (iGluR, ligand gated)
L-type Calcium channel
Regulate spontaneous pace making activity
Modulator of neuronal spiking behavior
Binding site on α1D sub unit
Isradipine (1,4- dihydropyridine) as inhibitor
Theorized mechanism:
Conformational changes by binding
Ca2+ influx control approach
Research Proposal (Intro)
Quantification of effect on targeted drug
delivery approach:
Behavior study
Calcium imaging (striatum & sN)
Immunohistochemistry staining by Caspase-
3 antibody to determine apoptotic cells
Clinical phase I
Time frame: 4-6 months
Potential pitfall: Low blood pressure
Comparison with other methods
Rifampicine (Lewy body approach)
Antibiotic to treat TB & Leprosy
Disintegrate α-syn fibrils
Inhibit fibrils formation by stabilization monomer and
oligomers
No animal models
Correlation with PD symptoms not yet tested
Might enhance toxicity if protofibril cytotoxicity hypothesis is
true
Reference: Adphrodite Kapurniotu. Targeting α-synuclein in Parkinson’s Disease. chemibiol 2004;11:1476-
Comparison with other methods
Β-synuclein protein (Gene therapy approach)
Subfamily of synuclein family
Concentrated in presynaptic nerve terminals (133AA)
Not found in Lewy body inclusions
Studies indicate inhibition of α-syn aggregation
Overexpression by upregulating the gene:
○ Human β-syn transgenic mice
○ Transfected by lentivector
Major fall back: random insertion of gene might cause
cancer and other mutations
Comparison with other methods
α-synnuclein
protofibrils
Inhibition by β–synuclein
(Green color)
Reference: Dr.Igor Tsigelny. Modelling molecular basic of Parkinson’s disease. SDSU review. Winter 2007:52-57
Advantages of our approach
No effective inhibitor drug for aS protofibrils
aggregation yet
Indirect method to manipulate Ca2+ influx
No tendency to cause gene therapy related
implications such as mutation
Use of approved drug (Isradipine)
Targeted drug delivery
Recent studies shows non-targeted delivery
results in reduction in LID
Potential to fast-track clinical trial
Most beneficial if couple with gene therapy in
future
Proposed Pre-Clinicals
Administer 6-Hydroxydopamine in mice
to induce lesions (40 specimens)
Wait two weeks until lesions mature
Administer Isradipine to 20 mice (Dose
2x/day)
Administer equivalent volume of saline
to the other 20 mice
Sacrifice mice at the end of 18 weeks
Pre-Clinical
Use B6D2F1/J Mice (Jackson Labs)
Transgenic Studies
Behavior Studies
Bioassays for drugs, pathogens, nutrients
Study Groups: PD, PD + L-DOPA, PD+
Placebo, Wild-Type
Drug Delivery
Injection of Time Release Pellet
Various Concentrations (ex. 0.1 mg/kg/day)
14-day life
Location: Subcutaneously
Between shoulder blades (The “scruff”)
Matrix of Mice Groups
6-OHDA
L-DOPA
Isradipine
Saline
Group 1
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Group 2
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Group 3
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Group 4
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Group 5
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Group 6
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Group 7
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Group 8
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Pitfalls & Solutions
Undue drop in Blood Pressure
Concentration kept low
Mouse difference in Metabolic Rate
Select for: 4 weeks old, 15-20 grams
Effects not from isradipine
Perform Histology to determine
Future Clinical Trials
Phase I
50 Volunteers
Early- to Mid-Stage Parkinson’s
Blinded Trial
Drug
L-DOPA +/- Isradipine
Extended Release Formulation
○ Packaged in Microspheres
Goal of Phase I Trials
Isradipine Effective
Reduces Adverse Involuntary Movements
Did not Drop BP dangerously Low
Improves Quality of Life
More control over Movement
Not a replacement for L-DOPA
Works in conjunction with L-DOPA
Prospective Clinical Trials
Phase I: 50 volunteer patients, blind trial
Covered by SBIR
Phase II: 200 patients double blind
Covered by NIH
Phase III: 2000 patients double blind
Investors: VC’s and Industry Sponsors
Budget Overview
$100,000 for 6 months
We plan to borrow equipment
PCR, Ultra Centrifuge, and lab equipment
Outsource for DNA sequencing and blots if
necessary
Capitalize on help of 4 Interns for lab work
Rent small work space in Fullerton, Ca
Salary Information
Name
Michael Nguyen
Michael DeSalvio
Kevin Ip
John Chi
Khine Win
Lab Technician
Animal Technician
Base Salary
Months
Effort
Requested Salary
$80,000
5
25%
$8,333
$82,000
3
35%
$7,175
$80,000
4
20%
$5,333
$75,000
5
25%
$7,812
$77,000
5
20%
$6,416
$25/hr
5
10%
$3,000
$25/hr
5
10%
$3,000
$41,069
Equipment Costs
Description
Cost
Bio-Rad Gel Doc1000 Imager Cabinet w/ Transilluminator
$2,000
Labnet International MultiGene Mini Personal Thermal Cycler
$2,700
Nuaire Nu 425-600 Option A-P2 Lab Hood 72"
$2,500
Fileserver
$1,500
Laboratory laptops x 5 (Apple MacBook Pro 15”)
2 Experimental PC Workstations
Refrigerator
Summit VT 225 Lab Freezer (-30 deg C)
Liquid Nitrogen System
$10,000
$1000
$500
$1,600
$800
$22,800
•The Bio-Rad Imager is required for the imaging studies
•The Thermal Cycler is required to determine
•The Nuaire fume hood is necessary for manipulating organic
compounds such
as fura2 for cell staining and histological studies.
Facility Rental
Facility Rental: $9,515
Fullerton Business Center #140
1501 E Orangethorpe Ave, Fullerton, CA
92831
Space Size: 1,522 sqft
Property Type: Office / R&D
Price Per Sqft: $1.25
Rent: $1,903 FS
Laboratory Costs
Laboratory Supplies: $10,000
Laboratory supplies include items such as
safety equipment
gloves
oligonucleotides
fura2
isradipine
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Test tubes
Scales
Slides
Burners
Syringes
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Flasks
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Estimated at approximately $5,000 for
startup and $1,000/mo.
Research Strategy
Run preclinical trials
Determine effect or Ca++ channel blockers on
adrenergic neurons in Substantia Nigra
Citations
Questions