Pre-symptomatic Caspase-1 inhibitor delays cognitive decline in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease and aging

Nat Commun. 2020 Sep 11;11(1):4571. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18405-9.

Abstract

Early therapeutic interventions are essential to prevent Alzheimer Disease (AD). The association of several inflammation-related genetic markers with AD and the early activation of pro-inflammatory pathways in AD suggest inflammation as a plausible therapeutic target. Inflammatory Caspase-1 has a significant impact on AD-like pathophysiology and Caspase-1 inhibitor, VX-765, reverses cognitive deficits in AD mouse models. Here, a one-month pre-symptomatic treatment of Swedish/Indiana mutant amyloid precursor protein (APPSw/Ind) J20 and wild-type mice with VX-765 delays both APPSw/Ind- and age-induced episodic and spatial memory deficits. VX-765 delays inflammation without considerably affecting soluble and aggregated amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) levels. Episodic memory scores correlate negatively with microglial activation. These results suggest that Caspase-1-mediated inflammation occurs early in the disease and raise hope that VX-765, a previously Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for human CNS clinical trials, may be a useful drug to prevent the onset of cognitive deficits and brain inflammation in AD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Alzheimer Disease / drug therapy
  • Alzheimer Disease / metabolism*
  • Amyloid beta-Peptides / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / drug therapy
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / metabolism*
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Dipeptides / blood
  • Dipeptides / pharmacology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Encephalitis / metabolism
  • Encephalitis / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / metabolism
  • Male
  • Memory Disorders / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Serpins / blood
  • Serpins / metabolism*
  • Serpins / pharmacology
  • Spatial Memory / physiology
  • Viral Proteins / blood
  • Viral Proteins / metabolism*
  • Viral Proteins / pharmacology
  • para-Aminobenzoates / blood
  • para-Aminobenzoates / pharmacology

Substances

  • Amyloid beta-Peptides
  • Cytokines
  • Dipeptides
  • Serpins
  • Viral Proteins
  • para-Aminobenzoates
  • belnacasan
  • interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme inhibitor

Grants and funding