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Prion-like transmission of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 11, pages 301–307 (2010)Cite this article

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Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases are commonly associated with the accumulation of intracellular or extracellular protein aggregates. Recent studies suggest that these aggregates are capable of crossing cellular membranes and can directly contribute to the propagation of neurodegenerative disease pathogenesis. We propose that, once initiated, neuropathological changes might spread in a 'prion-like' manner and that disease progression is associated with the intercellular transfer of pathogenic proteins. The transfer of naked infectious particles between cells could therefore be a target for new disease-modifying therapies.

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Figure 1: Basic mechanisms of protein aggregation.
Figure 2: Potential pathways of uptake and release of protein aggregates by cells.
Figure 3: Principles for progression of neuropathological changes.

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Acknowledgements

All three investigators are supported by a joint Human Frontier Science Program grant on the topic relevant to this article. In addition, P.B. holds related grants from the MJ Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Swedish Brain Foundation, Swedish Parkinson Foundation, Söderberg Foundation and the Swedish Research Council. R.R.K. is supported by the Huntington's disease Society of America Coalition for the Cure, the CHDI Foundation and the National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke. R.M. is supported by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. R.M. and P.B. are part of the ERA-net Neuron program MIPROTRAN.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Patrik Brundin is at the Neuronal Survival Unit, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center, Lund University, BMC A10, 221 84 Lund, Sweden. patrik.brundin@med.lu.se,

    Patrik Brundin

  2. Ronald Melki is at the Laboratoire d'Enzymologie et Biochimie Structurales, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 91198 Gif–sur–Yvette, France. melki@lebs.cnrs-gif.fr,

    Ronald Melki

  3. Ron Kopito is at the Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305–5020, USA. kopito@stanford.edu,

    Ron Kopito

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Brundin, P., Melki, R. & Kopito, R. Prion-like transmission of protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 11, 301–307 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm2873

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