Blocking Inflammasome Activation Caused by β-Amyloid Peptide (Aβ) and Islet Amyloid Polypeptide (IAPP) through an IAPP Mimic

Inflammation in the brain and pancreas is linked to cell degeneration and pathogenesis of both Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Inflammatory cascades in both tissues are triggered by the uptake of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) or islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) aggregates by microglial cells (AD) or macrophages (T2D) and their insufficient lysosomal degradation. This results in lysosomal damage, caspase-1/NLRP3 inflammasome activation and release of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a key proinflammatory cytokine in both diseases. Here we show that the inflammatory processes mediated by Aβ and IAPP aggregates in microglial cells and macrophages are blocked by IAPP-GI, a nonamyloidogenic IAPP mimic, which forms high-affinity soluble and nonfibrillar hetero-oligomers with both polypeptides. In contrast to fibrillar Aβ aggregates, nonfibrillar Aβ/IAPP-GI or Aβ/IAPP hetero-oligomers become rapidly internalized by microglial cells and targeted to lysosomes where Aβ is fully degraded. Internalization occurs via IAPP receptor-mediated endocytosis. Moreover, in contrast to IAPP aggregates, IAPP/IAPP-GI hetero-oligomers become rapidly internalized and degraded in the lysosomal compartments of macrophages. Our findings uncover a previously unknown function for the IAPP/Aβ cross-amyloid interaction and suggest that conversion of Aβ or IAPP into lysosome-targeted and easily degradable hetero-oligomers by heteroassociation with IAPP mimics could become a promising approach to specifically prevent amyloid-mediated inflammation in AD, T2D, or both diseases.