Browsing by Author "Quigley, Judith"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    BACE1 Inhibition Increases Susceptibility to Oxidative Stress by Promoting Mitochondrial Damage
    (MDPI, 2021-09-28) Francelin, Carolina; Mitter, Sayak K.; Qian, Qingwen; Barodia, Sandeep Kumar; Ip, Colin; Qi, Xiaoping; Gu, Hongmei; Quigley, Judith; Goldberg, Matthew S.; Grant, Maria B.; Boulton, Michael E.; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    BACE1 is a key enzyme facilitating the generation of neurotoxic β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide. However, given that BACE1 has multiple substrates we explored the importance of BACE1 in the maintenance of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell homeostasis under oxidative stress. Inhibition of BACE1 reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, increased mitochondrial fragmentation, and increased cleaved caspase-3 expression in cells under oxidative stress. BACE1 inhibition also resulted in significantly lower levels of mitochondrial fusion proteins OPA1 and MFN1 suggesting a higher rate of mitochondrial fission while increasing the levels of mitophagic proteins Parkin and PINK1 and autophagosome numbers. In contrast, BACE2 had minimal effect on cellular response to oxidative stress. In summary, our results emphasize the importance of BACE1 in augmenting cellular defense against oxidative stress by protecting mitochondrial dynamics.
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    Ferrochelatase is a therapeutic target for ocular neovascularization
    (Wiley, 2017) Basavarajappa, Halesha D.; Sulaiman, Rania S.; Qi, Xiaoping; Shetty, Trupti; Babu, Sardar Sheik Pran; Sishtla, Kamakshi L.; Lee, Bit; Quigley, Judith; Alkhairy, Sameerah; Briggs, Christian M.; Gupta, Kamna; Tang, Buyun; Shadmand, Mehdi; Grant, Maria B.; Boulton, Michael E.; Seo, Seung-Yong; Corson, Timothy W.; Department of Ophthalmology, IU School of Medicine
    Ocular neovascularization underlies major blinding eye diseases such as “wet” age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Despite the successes of treatments targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, resistant and refractory patient populations necessitate discovery of new therapeutic targets. Using a forward chemical genetic approach, we identified the heme synthesis enzyme ferrochelatase (FECH) as necessary for angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. FECH is overexpressed in wet AMD eyes and murine choroidal neovascularization; siRNA knockdown of Fech or partial loss of enzymatic function in the Fechm1Pas mouse model reduces choroidal neovascularization. FECH depletion modulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase function and VEGF receptor 2 levels. FECH is inhibited by the oral antifungal drug griseofulvin, and this compound ameliorates choroidal neovascularization in mice when delivered intravitreally or orally. Thus, FECH inhibition could be used therapeutically to block ocular neovascularization.
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    A novel small molecule ameliorates ocular neovascularisation and synergises with anti-VEGF therapy
    (Nature, 2016-05-05) Sulaiman, Rania S.; Merrigan, Stephanie; Quigley, Judith; Qi, Xiaoping; Lee, Bit; Boulton, Michael E.; Kennedy, Breandán; Seo, Seung-Yong; Corson, Timothy W.; Department of Ophthalmology, IU School of Medicine
    Ocular neovascularisation underlies blinding eye diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and wet age-related macular degeneration. These diseases cause irreversible vision loss, and provide a significant health and economic burden. Biologics targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are the major approach for treatment. However, up to 30% of patients are non-responsive to these drugs and they are associated with ocular and systemic side effects. Therefore, there is a need for small molecule ocular angiogenesis inhibitors to complement existing therapies. We examined the safety and therapeutic potential of SH-11037, a synthetic derivative of the antiangiogenic homoisoflavonoid cremastranone, in models of ocular neovascularisation. SH-11037 dose-dependently suppressed angiogenesis in the choroidal sprouting assay ex vivo and inhibited ocular developmental angiogenesis in zebrafish larvae. Additionally, intravitreal SH-11037 (1 μM) significantly reduced choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) lesion volume in the laser-induced CNV mouse model, comparable to an anti-VEGF antibody. Moreover, SH-11037 synergised with anti-VEGF treatments in vitro and in vivo. Up to 100 μM SH-11037 was not associated with signs of ocular toxicity and did not interfere with retinal function or pre-existing retinal vasculature. SH-11037 is thus a safe and effective treatment for murine ocular neovascularisation, worthy of further mechanistic and pharmacokinetic evaluation.
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    Repurposing antimalarial aminoquinolines and related compounds for treatment of retinal neovascularization
    (PLOS, 2018-09-12) McAnally, Danielle; Siddiquee, Khandaker; Gomaa, Ahmed; Szabo, Andras; Vasile, Stefan; Maloney, Patrick R.; Divlianska, Daniela B.; Peddibhotla, Satyamaheshwar; Morfa, Camilo J.; Hershberger, Paul; Falter, Rebecca; Williamson, Robert; Terry, David B.; Farjo, Rafal; Pinkerton, Anthony B.; Qi, Xiaping; Quigley, Judith; Boulton, Michael E.; Grant, Maria B.; Smith, Layton H.; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    Neovascularization is the pathological driver of blinding eye diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and wet age-related macular degeneration. The loss of vision resulting from these diseases significantly impacts the productivity and quality of life of patients, and represents a substantial burden on the health care system. Current standard of care includes biologics that target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key mediator of neovascularization. While anti-VGEF therapies have been successful, up to 30% of patients are non-responsive. Therefore, there is a need for new therapeutic targets, and small molecule inhibitors of angiogenesis to complement existing treatments. Apelin and its receptor have recently been shown to play a key role in both developmental and pathological angiogenesis in the eye. Through a cell-based high-throughput screen, we identified 4-aminoquinoline antimalarial drugs as potent selective antagonists of APJ. The prototypical 4-aminoquinoline, amodiaquine was found to be a selective, non-competitive APJ antagonist that inhibited apelin signaling in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, amodiaquine suppressed both apelin-and VGEF-induced endothelial tube formation. Intravitreal amodaiquine significantly reduced choroidal neovascularization (CNV) lesion volume in the laser-induced CNV mouse model, and showed no signs of ocular toxicity at the highest doses tested. This work firmly establishes APJ as a novel, chemically tractable therapeutic target for the treatment of ocular neovascularization, and that amodiaquine is a potential candidate for repurposing and further toxicological, and pharmacokinetic evaluation in the clinic.
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    A simple optical coherence tomography quantification method for choroidal neovascularization
    (Liebert, 2015-06) Sulaiman, Rania S.; Quigley, Judith; Qi, Xiaoping; O'Hare, Michael N.; Grant, Maria B.; Boulton, Michael E.; Corson, Timothy W.; Department of Ophthalmology, IU School of Medicine
    Purpose: Therapeutic efficacy is routinely assessed by measurement of lesion size using flatmounted choroids and confocal microscopy in the laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (L-CNV) rodent model. We investigated whether optical coherence tomography (OCT) quantification, using an ellipsoid volume measurement, was comparable to standard ex vivo evaluation methods for this model and whether this approach could be used to monitor treatment-related lesion changes. Methods: Bruch's membrane was ruptured by argon laser in the dilated eyes of C57BL/6J mice, followed by intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF164 or vehicle, or no injection. In vivo OCT images were acquired using Micron III or InVivoVue systems at 7, 10, and/or 14 days post-laser and neovascular lesion volume was calculated as an ellipsoid. Subsequently, lesion volume was compared to that calculated from confocal Z-stack images of agglutinin-stained choroidal flatmounts. Results: Ellipsoid volume measurement of orthogonal 2-dimensional OCT images obtained from different imaging systems correlated with ex vivo lesion volumes for L-CNV (Spearman's ρ=0.82, 0.75, and 0.82 at days 7, 10, and 14, respectively). Ellipsoid volume calculation allowed temporal monitoring and evaluation of CNV lesions in response to antivascular endothelial growth factor treatment. Conclusions: Ellipsoid volume measurements allow rapid, quantitative use of OCT for the assessment of CNV lesions in vivo. This novel method can be used with different OCT imaging systems with sensitivity to distinguish between treatment conditions. It may serve as a useful adjunct to the standard ex vivo confocal quantification, to assess therapeutic efficacy in preclinical models of CNV, and in models of other ocular diseases.
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    β-secretase 1 overexpression by AAV-mediated gene delivery prevents retina degeneration in a mouse model of age-related macular degeneration
    (Elsevier, 2023) Qi, Xiaoping; Francelin, Carolina; Mitter, Sayak; Boye, Sanford L.; Gu, Hongmei; Quigley, Judith; Grant, Maria B.; Boulton, Michael E.; Ophthalmology, School of Medicine
    We reported previously that β-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme (BACE1) is strongly expressed in the normal retina and that BACE1−/− mice develop pathological phenotypes associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). BACE1 expression is increased within the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in AMD donor eyes suggesting that increased BACE1 is compensatory. We observed that AAV-mediated BACE1 overexpression in the RPE was maintained up to 6 months after AAV1-BACE1 administration. No significant changes in normal mouse visual function or retinal morphology were observed with low-dose vector while the high-dose vector demonstrated some early pathology which regressed with time. No increase in β-amyloid was observed. BACE1 overexpression in the RPE of the superoxide dismutase 2 knockdown (SOD2 KD) mouse, which exhibits an AMD-like phenotype, prevented loss of retinal function and retinal pathology, and this was sustained out to 6 months. Furthermore, BACE1 overexpression was able to inhibit oxidative stress, microglial changes, and loss of RPE tight junction integrity (all features of AMD) in SOD2 KD mice. In conclusion, BACE1 plays a key role in retina/RPE homeostasis, and BACE1 overexpression offers a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of AMD.