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Clusterin, other extracellular chaperones, and eye disease
Mark R Wilson1, Sandeep Satapathy1, Shinwu Jeong2
1Molecular Horizons and the School of Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience, University of Wollongong; Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, New South Wales, 2522, Australia.
Progress in Retinal and Eye Research
|December 13, 2021
Summary
Clusterin, an extracellular chaperone, maintains protein homeostasis (proteostasis) and protects the eye. Its therapeutic potential in eye diseases, particularly those involving protein misfolding, is explored.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Proteostasis is vital for organismal survival, involving protein expression, folding, and turnover.
- Molecular chaperones are key players in maintaining proteostasis both intracellularly and extracellularly.
- Clusterin is the first identified extracellular mammalian chaperone, crucial for maintaining protein health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of clusterin in maintaining proteostasis and its function in ocular diseases.
- To explore clusterin's therapeutic potential in eye conditions, especially those linked to protein misfolding.
- To understand clusterin's homeostatic activities: proteostasis, cytoprotection, and anti-inflammation.
Main Methods:
- Review of clusterin's known functions as an extracellular chaperone.
- Analysis of clusterin's presence and role in ocular protein misfolding diseases.
- Evaluation of clusterin's therapeutic potential based on its known properties.
Main Results:
- Clusterin binds and inhibits aggregation of misfolded proteins, facilitating their clearance and degradation.
- Clusterin exhibits proteostatic, cytoprotective, and anti-inflammatory activities.
- Clusterin is found in ocular deposits of protein misfolding diseases, suggesting overwhelmed proteostasis.
Conclusions:
- Clusterin's role in ocular protein misfolding diseases requires further definition for therapeutic strategies.
- Clusterin shows promise for therapeutic use due to its proteinase inhibitory, cytoprotective, and anti-inflammatory functions.
- Clusterin likely collaborates with other extracellular chaperones to protect the eye, with potential for development as a biological drug.
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