Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2022, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (2): 320-322.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.317971

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Boosting proteolytic pathways as a treatment against glycation-derived damage in the brain?

Allen Taylor*, Eloy Bejarano*   

  1. Laboratory for Nutrition and Vision Research, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA (Taylor A, Bejarano E) 
    Departments of Chemical and Molecular Biology and Ophthalmology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA (Taylor A)
    Friedman School of Nutrition and Science Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA (Taylor A)
    School of Health Sciences and Veterinary School, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, CEU Universities, Moncada, Valencia, Spain (Bejarano E)
  • Online:2022-02-15 Published:2021-10-08
  • Contact: Allen Taylor, PhD, allen.taylor@tufts.edu; Eloy Bejarano, PhD, eloy.bejaranofernandez@uchceu.es.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by NIH RO1EY028559, RO1EY026979 (to AT), USDA NIFA 2016–08885 (to AT), USDA 8050-51000-089-01S (to AT), Kamada (to AT), Thome Memorial Foundation (to AT) and a grant from the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (to EB). This material is based upon work supported by the US Department of Agriculture—Agricultural Research Service (ARS), under Agreement No. 58-1950-4-003.

Abstract: The worldwide adaptation of a Western lifestyle is associated with the increased consumption of high glycemia diets and an increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. These diets increase the risk for a plethora of age-related diseases including cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, and eye-related disorders, which all share a common pathogenic factor: the accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) (Semba et al., 2010; Aragno and Mastrocola, 2017). AGEs are a diverse group of pathogenic compounds formed via a non-enzymatic process called glycation in which dietary sugars, or reactive dicarbonyls formed during carbohydrate metabolism, are covalently attached to different biomolecules, inactivating them (Rabbani and Thornalley, 2015). A growing literature indicates that AGEs impact brain function and contribute to initiate and accelerate neurodegeneration and also interfere with the process of neuroregeneration (Li et al., 2012; Vicente Miranda et al., 2017; Fleitas et al., 2018; Bao et al., 2020). In order to avoid AGEs-derived toxicity, our cells have different anti-AGEs defense mechanisms including the clearance of these detrimental compounds through different proteolytic pathways. To date, the lysosomal system (autophagy) and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) have been identified as proteolytic routes able to degrade AGEs. Unfortunately, the proteolytic capacity declines with age, making tissues more vulnerable to AGEs-derived damage (Uchiki et al., 2012; Rowan et al., 2017; Aragonès et al., 2020). AGEs-modification also compromises the proteolytic machinery, leading to double jeopardy due to the higher glycemia diets or diabetes. Boosting proteolytic pathways might represent a therapeutic strategy to counteract the deposition of toxic, glycated, proteinaceous aggregates in the brain and other tissues with limited regeneration capacity, those most vulnerable to glycation-derived damage.