Molecular probes for selective identification of protein aggregates are important to advance our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis underlying cerebral amyloidoses. Here we report the chemical design of pentameric thiophene derivatives, denoted luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCOs), which could be used for real-time visualization of cerebral protein aggregates in transgenic mouse models of neurodegenerative diseases by multiphoton microscopy. One of the LCOs, p-FTAA, showed conformation-dependent optical properties and could be utilized for ex vivo spectral assignment of distinct prion deposits from two mouse-adapted prion strains. p-FTAA also revealed staining of transient soluble pre-fibrillar non-thioflavinophilic Aβ-assemblies during in vitro fibrillation of Aβ peptides. In brain tissue samples, Aβ deposits and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) were readily identified by a strong fluorescence from p-FTAA and the LCO staining showed complete co-localization with conventional antibodies (6E10 and AT8), indicating that p-FTAA detects all the immuno-positive aggregated proteinaceous species in Alzheimer disease, but with significantly shorter imaging time (100 fold) compared to immunofluorescence. In addition, a patchy islet-like staining of individual Aβ plaque was unveiled by the anti-oligomer A11 antibody during co-staining with p-FTAA, suggesting that pre-fibrillar species are likely an intrinsic component of Aβ plaques in human brain. The major hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease, namely Aβ aggregates versus NFTs could also be distinguished due to distinct emission spectra from p-FTAA. Overall, we demonstrate that LCOs can be utilized as powerful practical research tools for studying protein aggregation diseases and facilitate the study of amyloid origin, evolution and maturation, Aβ−tau interactions and pathogenesis both ex vivo and in vivo. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptThe formation of highly ordered aggregates of intra-or extracellular proteins underlies a wide range of neurodegenerative conditions including prion, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's (AD) diseases. Hence, molecular probes that specifically target protein aggregates and allow in vitro or in vivo imaging of these pathological hallmarks, are of great importance. Small hydrophobic probes that cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be monitored in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) or multiphoton microscopy (1-7). The latter is especially applicable in transgenic mouse models where mechanistic insights regarding the pathological events involved in the formation of protein deposits can be obtained. Additionally, molecular imaging probes may also help in early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases and in monitoring the effect of therapeutic interventions. However, a major drawback of these conventional probes is that only a subset of aggregates that roughly corresponds to histologically identifiable amyloid ...

Molecular probes for selective identification of protein aggregates are important to advance our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis underlying protein aggregation diseases. Here we report the chemical design of a library of anionic luminescent conjugated oligothiophenes (LCOs), which can be utilized as ligands for detection of protein aggregates. Certain molecular requirements were shown to be necessary for detecting: i) early non-thioflavinophilic protein assemblies of Aβ1-42 and insulin preceding the formation of amyloid fibrils and ii) for obtaining distinct spectral signatures of the two main pathological hallmarks observed in human Alzheimer’s diease brain tissue (Aβ plaques and neurofibrillary tangles). Our findings suggest that a superior anionic LCO based ligand should have a backbone consisting of five to seven thiophene units and carboxyl groups extending the conjugated thiophene backbone. Such LCOs will be highly useful for studying the underlying molecular events of protein aggregation diseases and could also be utilized for the development of novel diagnostic tools for these diseases.

Using luminescent conjugated polyelectrolyte probes (LCPs), we demonstrate the possibility to distinguish amyloid-beta 1-42 peptide (Abeta1-42) fibril conformations, by analyzing in vitro generated amyloid fibrils of Abeta1-42 formed under quiescent and agitated conditions. LCPs were then shown to resolve such conformational heterogeneity of amyloid deposits in vivo. A diversity of amyloid deposits depending upon morphology and anatomic location was illustrated with LCPs in frozen ex vivo brain sections from a transgenic mouse model (tg-APP swe) of Alzheimer's disease. Comparative LCP fluorescence showed that compact-core plaques of amyloid beta precursor protein transgenic mice were composed of rigid dense amyloid. A more abundant form of amyloid plaque displayed morphology of a compact center with a protruding diffuse exterior. Surprisingly, the compact center of these plaques showed disordered conformations of the fibrils, and the exterior was composed of rigid amyloid protruding from the disordered center. This type of plaque appears to grow from more loosely assembled regions toward solidified amyloid tentacles. This work demonstrates how application of LCPs can prove helpful to monitor aggregate structure of in vivo formed amyloid deposits such as architecture, maturity, and origin.

Prions cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies for which no treatment exists. Prions consist of PrP(Sc), a misfolded and aggregated form of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). We explore the antiprion properties of luminescent conjugated polythiophenes (LCPs) that bind and stabilize ordered protein aggregates. By administering a library of structurally diverse LCPs to the brains of prion-infected mice via osmotic minipumps, we found that antiprion activity required a minimum of five thiophene rings bearing regularly spaced carboxyl side groups. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance analyses and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that anionic side chains interacted with complementary, regularly spaced cationic amyloid residues of model prions. These findings allowed us to extract structural rules governing the interaction between LCPs and protein aggregates, which we then used to design a new set of LCPs with optimized binding. The new set of LCPs showed robust prophylactic and therapeutic potency in prion-infected mice, with the lead compound extending survival by >80% and showing activity against both mouse and hamster prions as well as efficacy upon intraperitoneal administration into mice. These results demonstrate the feasibility of targeted chemical design of compounds that may be useful for treating diseases of aberrant protein aggregation such as prion disease.

The situation of the COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that we permanently need high-value flexible solutions to urgent clinical needs including simplified diagnostic technologies suitable for use in the field and for delivering targeted therapeutics. From our perspective nanotechnology is revealed as a vital resource for this, as a generic platform of technical solutions to tackle complex medical challenges. It is towards this perspective and focusing on nanomedicine that we take issue with Prof Park's recent editorial published in the Journal of Controlled Release. Prof. Park argued that in the last 15 years nanomedicine failed to deliver the promised innovative clinical solutions to the patients (Park, K. The beginning of the end of the nanomedicine hype. Journal of Controlled Release, 2019; 305, 221–222 [1]. We, the ETPN (European Technology Platform on Nanomedicine) [ 2 ], respectfully disagree. In fact, the more than 50 formulations currently in the market, and the recent approval of 3 key nanomedicine products (e. g. Onpattro, Hensify and Vyxeos), have demonstrated that the nanomedicine field is concretely able to design products that overcome critical barriers in conventional medicine in a unique manner, but also to deliver within the cells new drug-free therapeutic effects by using pure physical modes of action, and therefore make a difference in patients lives. Furthermore, the >400 nanomedicine formulations currently in clinical trials are expecting to bring novel clinical solutions (e.g. platforms for nucleic acid delivery), alone or in combination with other key enabling technologies to the market, including biotechnologies, microfluidics, advanced materials, biomaterials, smart systems, photonics, robotics, textiles, Big Data and ICT (information & communication technologies) more generally. However, we agree with Prof. Park that “ it is time to examine the sources of difficulty in clinical translation of nanomedicine and move forward “. But for reaching this goal, the investments to support clinical translation of promising nanomedicine formulations should increase, not decrease. As recently encouraged by EMA in its roadmap to 2025, we should create more unity through a common knowledge hub linking academia, industry, healthcare providers and hopefully policy makers to reduce the current fragmentation of the standardization and regulatory body landscape. We should also promote a strategy of cross-technology innovation, support nanomedicine development as a high value and low-cost solution to answer unmet medical needs and help the most promising innovative projects of the field to get better and faster to the clinic. This global vision is the one that the ETPN chose to encourage for the last fifteen years. All actions should be taken with a clear clinical view in mind, “ without any fanfare ”, to focus “ on what matters in real life ”, which is the patient and his/her quality of life....

Chemical polymerization of a 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene derivative bearing a sulfonate group (EDOT-S) is reported. The polymer, PEDOT-S, is fully water-soluble and has been produced by polymerizing EDOT-S in water, using Na2S2O8 and a catalytic amount of FeCl3. Elemental analysis and XPS measurements indicate that PEDOT-S is a material with a substantial degree of self-doping, but also contains free sulfate ions as charge-balancing counterions of the oxidized polymer. Apart from self-doping PEDOT-S, the side chains enable full water solubility of the material; DLS studies show an average cluster size of only 2 nm. Importantly, the solvation properties of the PEDOT-S are reflected in spin-coated films, which show a surface roughness of 1.2 nm and good conductivity (12 S/cm) in ambient conditions. The electro-optical properties of this material are shown with cyclic voltammetry and spectroelectrochemical experiment reveals an electrochromic contrast (∼48% at λmax = 606 nm).

The polymorphic b-amyloid lesions present in individuals with Alzheimer's disease are collectively known as cerebral b-amyloidosis. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mouse models similarly develop b-amyloid depositions that differ in morphology, binding of amyloid conformation-sensitive dyes, and Ab40/Ab42 peptide ratio. To determine the nature of such b-amyloid morphotypes, b-amyloid-containing brain extracts from either aged APP23 brains or aged APPPS1 brains were intracerebrally injected into the hippocampus of young APP23 or APPPS1 transgenic mice. APPPS1 brain extract injected into young APP23 mice induced b-amyloid deposition with the morphological, conformational, and Ab40/Ab42 ratio characteristics of b-amyloid deposits in aged APPPS1 mice, whereas APP23 brain extract injected into young APP23 mice induced b-amyloid deposits with the characteristics of b-amyloid deposits in aged APP23 mice. Injecting the two extracts into the APPPS1 host revealed a similar difference between the induced b-amyloid deposits, although less prominent, and the induced deposits were similar to the b-amyloid deposits found in aged APPPS1 hosts. These results indicate that the molecular composition and conformation of aggregated Ab in APP transgenic mice can be maintained by seeded conversion.

Improved probes for amyloid fibril formation are advantageous for the early detection and better understanding of this disease-associated process. Here, we report a comparative study of eight luminescent conjugated polythiophene derivates (LCPs) and their discrimination of a protein (insulin) in the native or amyloid-like fibrillar state. For two of the LCPs, the synthesis is reported. Compared to their monomer-based analogues, trimer-based LCPs showed significantly better optical signal specificity for amyloid-like fibrils, seen from increased quantum yield and spectral shift. The trimer-based LCPs alone were highly quenched and showed little interaction with native insulin, as seen from analytical ultracentrifugation and insignificant spectral differences from the trimer-based LCP in buffered and native protein solution. Hence, the trimer-based LCPs showed enhanced discrimination between the amyloid-like fibrillar state and the corresponding native protein.