Issue 4, 2021

Direct targeting of TDP-43, from small molecules to biologics: the therapeutic landscape

Abstract

Tar DNA binding (TDP)-43 proteinopathy, typically described as cytoplasmic accumulation of highly modified and misfolded TDP-43 molecules, is characteristic of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE). TDP-43 proposed proteinopathies include homeostatic imbalance between nuclear and cytoplasmic localization, aggregation of ubiquitinated and hyper-phosphorylated TDP-43, and an increase in protein truncation of cytoplasmic TDP-43. Given the therapeutic interest of targeting TDP-43, this review focuses on the current landscape of strategies, ranging from biologics to small molecules, that directly target TDP-43. Antibodies, peptides and compounds have been designed or found to recognize specific TDP-43 sequences but alleviate TDP-43 toxicity through different mechanisms. While two antibodies described here were able to induce degradation of pathological TDP-43, the peptides and small molecules were primarily designed to reduce aggregation of TDP-43. Furthermore, we discuss promising emerging therapeutic targets.

Graphical abstract: Direct targeting of TDP-43, from small molecules to biologics: the therapeutic landscape

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Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
17 May 2021
Accepted
18 Jun 2021
First published
21 Jun 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

RSC Chem. Biol., 2021,2, 1158-1166

Direct targeting of TDP-43, from small molecules to biologics: the therapeutic landscape

L. Francois-Moutal, D. D. Scott and M. Khanna, RSC Chem. Biol., 2021, 2, 1158 DOI: 10.1039/D1CB00110H

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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