Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40234398›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Inhibitor-based modulation of huntingtin aggregation mechanisms mitigates fibril-induced cellular stress.

Greeshma Jain, Marina Trombetta-Lima, Irina Matlahov, Hennrique Taborda Ribas, Tingting Chen, Raffaella Parlato, Giuseppe Portale, Amalia M Dolga, Patrick C A van der Wel

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Chaperone-mediated remodelling of mutant huntingtin.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Greeshma Jain *Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-1907-1100
Marina Trombetta-Lima *Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3687-6210
Irina MatlahovZernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Hennrique Taborda RibasDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Tingting ChenDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Raffaella ParlatoZernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Giuseppe PortaleZernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4903-3159
Amalia M DolgaDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Groningen Research Institute of Pharmacy (GRIP), University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. a.m.dolga@rug.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5400-5614
Patrick C A van der WelZernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. p.c.a.van.der.wel@rug.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5390-3321

Funding

CHDI Foundation (CHDI Foundation, Inc.) contract A-17778
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which mutated fragments of the huntingtin protein (Htt) undergo misfolding and aggregation. Since aggregated proteins can cause cellular stress and cytotoxicity, there is an interest in the development of small molecule aggregation inhibitors as potential modulators of HD pathogenesis. Here, we study how a polyphenol modulates the aggregation mechanism of huntingtin exon 1 (HttEx1) even at sub-stoichiometric ratios. Sub-stoichiometric amounts of curcumin impacted the primary and/or secondary nucleation events, extending the pre-aggregation lag phase. Remarkably, the disrupted aggregation process changed both the aggregate structure and its cell metabolic properties. When administered to neuronal cells, the 'break-through' protein aggregates induced significantly reduced cellular stress compared to aggregates formed in absence of inhibitors. Structural analysis by electron microscopy, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and solid-state NMR spectroscopy identified changes in the fibril structures, probing the flanking domains in the fuzzy coat and the fibril core. We propose that changes in the latter relate to the presence or absence of polyglutamine (polyQ) β-hairpin structures. Our findings highlight multifaceted consequences of small molecule inhibitors that modulate the protein misfolding landscape, with potential implications for treatment strategies in HD and other amyloid disorders.

Indexed as

CurcuminHuntingtin ProteinProtein AggregatesProtein Aggregation, PathologicalAmyloidHumansHuntington DiseaseNeuronsPeptidesProtein FoldingScattering, Small AngleX-Ray DiffractionAmyloidCurcuminHTT protein, humanHuntingtin ProteinPeptidespolyglutamineProtein Aggregates

Identifiers

PMID40234398
PMCPMC12000517

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.