Cerebrospinal fluid-based kinetic biomarkers of axonal transport in monitoring neurodegeneration

• Published in: The Journal of clinical investigation Vol. 122; no. 9; pp. 3159 - 3169
• Main Authors: Fanara, Patrizia, Wong, Po-Yin A, Husted, Kristofor H, Liu, Shanshan, Liu, Victoria M, Kohlstaedt, Lori A, Riiff, Timothy, Protasio, Joan C, Boban, Drina, Killion, Salena, Killian, Maudi, Epling, Lorrie, Sinclair, Elisabeth, Peterson, Julia, Price, Richard W, Cabin, Deborah E, Nussbaum, Robert L, Bruhmann, Jorg, Brandt, Roland, Christine, Chadwick W, Aminoff, Michael J, Hellerstein, Marc K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Society for Clinical Investigation 01-09-2012
• Subjects: Axonal transport; Biological markers; Cerebrospinal fluid; Degeneration; Identification and classification; Nervous system; Properties; United States
• ISSN: 0021-9738; 1558-8238
• DOI: 10.1172/JCI64575.

Progress in neurodegenerative disease research is hampered by the lack of biomarkers of neuronal dysfunction. We here identified a class of cerebrospinal fluid-based (CSF-based) kinetic biomarkers that reflect altered neuronal transport of protein cargo, a common feature of neurodegeneration. After a pulse administration of heavy water ([.sup.2][H.sub.2]O), distinct, newly synthesized [.sup.2]H-labeled neuronal proteins were transported to nerve terminals and secreted, and then appeared in CSF. In 3 mouse models of neurodegeneration, distinct [.sup.2]H-cargo proteins displayed delayed appearance and disappearance kinetics in the CSF, suggestive of aberrant transport kinetics. Microtubule-modulating pharmacotherapy normalized CSF-based kinetics of affected [.sup.2]H-cargo proteins and ameliorated neurodegenerative symptoms in mice. After [.sup.2][H.sub.2]O labeling, similar neuronal transport deficits were observed in CSF of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) compared with non-PD control subjects, which indicates that these biomarkers are translatable and relevant to human disease. Measurement of transport kinetics may provide a sensitive method to monitor progression of neurodegeneration and treatment effects.