Targeting CB2 receptor with a novel antagonist reverses cognitive decline, neurodegeneration and pyroptosis in a TAU-dependent frontotemporal dementia mouse model
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) comprises a group of disorders characterized by a progressive decline in behavior or language linked to the degeneration of the frontal and anterior temporal lobes followed by hippocampal atrophy. There are no effective treatments for FTD and for this reason, novel phar...
| Autores: | , , , , , , , |
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| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2025 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) |
| Repositorio: | DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:digital.csic.es:10261/387861 |
| Acceso en línea: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/387861 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | CB2 antagonists TAU FTD Neurodegeneration Neuroinflammation Pyroptosis GASDERMIN D |
| Sumario: | Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) comprises a group of disorders characterized by a progressive decline in behavior or language linked to the degeneration of the frontal and anterior temporal lobes followed by hippocampal atrophy. There are no effective treatments for FTD and for this reason, novel pharmacological targets, such as the endocannabinoid system (ECS), are being explored. Previous results from our laboratory showed a TAU-dependent increase in CB receptor expression in hippocampal neurons of a FTD mouse model, alongside the neuroprotective impact of CB ablation. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic potential of a new CB antagonist (PGN36) in our TAU-dependent FTD mouse model. Six-month-old mice received stereotaxic injections of an adeno-associated virus expressing human TAU protein (AAV-TAU) into the right hippocampus and were treated daily with PGN36 (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle for three weeks. By integrating behavioral tests, RNA-seq, qPCR expression analysis, and immunofluorescence in the AAV expressing TAU mouse model, we found that PGN36 treatment reverses key features of the neurodegenerative process triggered by TAU overexpression. PGN36 treatment effectively countered TAU-induced cognitive decline by reducing TAU protein expression levels and restoring markers of synaptic plasticity. Notably, we observed neuroprotection in the dentate gyrus granular layer, which we attribute to the modulation of pyroptosis. This programmed cell death pathway, is triggered by TAU overexpression. PGN36 appears to modulate the pyroptotic cascade, thereby preventing the pyroptosis-induced neuronal loss. These findings collectively underscore the neuroprotective potential of this novel CB antagonist treatment against TAU-associated FTD. |
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