Antoni Camins

In mice, a nut-enriched diet preserved memory, reduced neuroinflammation and maintained dendritic spine density. Changes in circulating and brain miRNAs linked to insulin signalling suggest a molecular basis for nut-driven neuroprotection.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder. Current therapeutic approaches targeting a single pathway have shown limited efficacy, highlighting the need for multi-target interventions. Licochalcone A (LCA), a chalcone of licorice root, has demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antidiabetic properties. However, its potential neuroprotective mechanisms in AD remain unclear. The present study aims to elucidate the beneficial effect of LCA against cognitive decline in an AD mouse model. For this purpose, five-month-old APPswe/PS1dE9 (APP/PS1) mice received intraperitoneal LCA (15 mg·kg^-1·day^-1) treatment for 4 weeks. Afterwards, cognitive function was assessed using Morris water maze (MWM) and Novel object recognition test (NORT). Metabolism was evaluated through glucose and insulin tolerance tests. Biochemical markers of synapses, neurogenesis, metabolism, Amyloid-β (Aβ) burden and neuroinflammation were analyzed using immunohistochemistry, Thioflavin-S staining, Golgi staining, Western blot, ELISA and RT-PCR. The results demonstrated that LCA significantly improved long-term memory in APP/PS1 mice, through MWM and NORT, accompanied by an increased dendritic spine density, upregulated PSD95 and spinophilin levels, and enhanced Ki67-positive cells in the hippocampus. Moreover, LCA treatment ameliorated glucose tolerance and initial insulin response while increasing Insr expression and GLUT1 protein levels. Furthermore, LCA-treated APP/PS1 mice showed reduced plaque burden and Aβ42 levels. Alongside, LCA demonstrated its anti-inflammatory effect by reducing glial reactivity, and Trem2 expression. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates the multiple therapeutic effects of LCA in APP/PS1 mice by simultaneously modulating glucose metabolism, reducing Aβ accumulation and attenuating neuroinflammation, ultimately enhancing cognitive resilience. These findings establish LCA as a promising multi-target compound for AD treatment.

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a progressive process of degeneration and neuronal death in the nervous system, with neuroinflammation being one of the main factors contributing to the progression of these diseases. Aristotelia chilensis (Maqui) is a native tree of Chile used in the Mapuche folk medicine for wounds and digestive treatment. It produces edible black berries with the highest antioxidant capacity among berries, and the Mapuche people used it for producing an alcoholic beverage. The leaves of Maqui contain indole alkaloids with different pharmacological properties that suggest neuroprotective effects. Here, the isolation and chemical characterization of a new alkaloid, named 9-hydroxyaristoquinolone, and the evaluation of its anti-inflammatory activity in the microglial cell line HMC-3, treated with LPS, are reported. 9-Hydroxyaristoquinolone protects microglia from LPS-induced morphological changes at concentrations as low as 1 µM, with a reduction in IKBα-P levels and inhibition of the NF-κB pathway, which was assessed by THP-1 NF-κB dual cell reporter and Western blot in HMC-3 cells. In silico studies suggest that 9-hydroxyaristoquinolone does not induce hepatotoxicity or genotoxicity and exhibits BBB permeability.

Background: Motor neuron diseases are neurological disorders characterized by progressive degeneration of upper and/or lower motor neurons. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of motor neuron diseases, where patients suffer progressive paralysis, muscle atrophy and finally death. Despite ALS severity, no treatment is safe and fully effective. In this area, Riluzole was the first drug approved and it constitutes the gold-standard for this pathology. However, to obtain suitable therapeutic efficacy, Riluzole requires high doses that are associated with severe adverse effects in other tissues. To attain Riluzole therapeutic efficacy avoiding other organs side-effects, new therapeutic strategies to enhance the delivery of Riluzole specifically to motor neurons constitute an unmet medical need. In this area, we have developed a novel multifunctional nanostructurated carrier to selectively deliver Riluzole to motor neurons. Results: This work develops and characterizes at in vitro and in vivo levels a tissue-targeted formulation of peptide and PEG-labelled PLGA nanoparticles encapsulating Riluzole. For this purpose, pVEC, a cell penetrating peptide able to increase transport through the blood–brain barrier, was attached to the nanoparticles surface. The multifunctionalized nanoparticles show suitable characteristics for the release of Riluzole in the central nervous system and were detected in motor neurons within 1 h after administration while significantly reducing the concentration of Riluzole in non-therapeutic organs responsible of side effects. Conclusion: A novel drug delivery system has been developed and characterized, demonstrating enhanced CNS biodistribution of riluzole, which shows promise as efficient therapeutic tool for motor neuron diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.