Browsing by Author "Weinstein, Andrea M."

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    A blood-based marker of mitochondrial DNA damage in Parkinson's disease
    (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2023) Qi, Rui; Sammler, Esther; Gonzalez-Hunt, Claudia P.; Barraza, Ivana; Pena, Nicholas; Rouanet, Jeremy P.; Naaldijk, Yahaira; Goodson, Steven; Fuzzati, Marie; Blandini, Fabio; Erickson, Kirk I.; Weinstein, Andrea M.; Lutz, Michael W.; Kwok, John B.; Halliday, Glenda M.; Dzamko, Nicolas; Padmanabhan, Shalini; Alcalay, Roy N.; Waters, Cheryl; Hogarth, Penelope; Simuni, Tanya; Smith, Danielle; Marras, Connie; Tonelli, Francesca; Alessi, Dario R.; West, Andrew B.; Shiva, Sruti; Hilfiker, Sabine; Sanders, Laurie H.; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry, School of Dentistry
    Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, and neuroprotective or disease-modifying interventions remain elusive. High-throughput markers aimed at stratifying patients on the basis of shared etiology are required to ensure the success of disease-modifying therapies in clinical trials. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis of PD. Previously, we found brain region-specific accumulation of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage in PD neuronal culture and animal models, as well as in human PD postmortem brain tissue. To investigate mtDNA damage as a potential blood-based marker for PD, we describe herein a PCR-based assay (Mito DNADX) that allows for the accurate real-time quantification of mtDNA damage in a scalable platform. We found that mtDNA damage was increased in peripheral blood mononuclear cells derived from patients with idiopathic PD and those harboring the PD-associated leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) G2019S mutation in comparison with age-matched controls. In addition, mtDNA damage was elevated in non-disease-manifesting LRRK2 mutation carriers, demonstrating that mtDNA damage can occur irrespective of a PD diagnosis. We further established that Lrrk2 G2019S knock-in mice displayed increased mtDNA damage, whereas Lrrk2 knockout mice showed fewer mtDNA lesions in the ventral midbrain, compared with wild-type control mice. Furthermore, a small-molecule kinase inhibitor of LRRK2 mitigated mtDNA damage in a rotenone PD rat midbrain neuron model and in idiopathic PD patient-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines. Quantifying mtDNA damage using the Mito DNADX assay may have utility as a candidate marker of PD and for measuring the pharmacodynamic response to LRRK2 kinase inhibitors.
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    Genetic Risk Score Predicts Late-Life Cognitive Impairment
    (Hindawi, 2015-08-23) Wollam, Mariegold E.; Weinstein, Andrea M.; Saxton, Judith A.; Morrow, Lisa; Snitz, Beth; Fowler, Nicole R.; Suever Erickson, Barbara L.; Roecklein, Kathryn A.; Erickson, Kirk I.; Medicine, School of Medicine
    Introduction. A family history of Alzheimer's disease is a significant risk factor for its onset, but the genetic risk associated with possessing multiple risk alleles is still poorly understood. Methods. In a sample of 95 older adults (Mean age = 75.1, 64.2% female), we constructed a genetic risk score based on the accumulation of risk alleles in BDNF, COMT, and APOE. A neuropsychological evaluation and consensus determined cognitive status (44 nonimpaired, 51 impaired). Logistic regression was performed to determine whether the genetic risk score predicted cognitive impairment above and beyond that associated with each gene. Results. An increased genetic risk score was associated with a nearly 4-fold increased risk of cognitive impairment (OR = 3.824, P = .013) when including the individual gene polymorphisms as covariates in the model. Discussion. A risk score combining multiple genetic influences may be more useful in predicting late-life cognitive impairment than individual polymorphisms.