101
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Schmid RS, Deng X, Panikker P, Msackyi M, Breton C, Wilson JM. CRISPR/Cas9 directed to the Ube3a antisense transcript improves Angelman syndrome phenotype in mice. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:142574. [PMID: 33411694 DOI: 10.1172/jci142574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene editing holds the potential to correct mutations and cure devastating genetic disorders. The technology has not yet proven efficacious for therapeutic use in CNS diseases with ubiquitous neuronal defects. Angelman syndrome (AS), a severe neurodevelopmental disorder, is caused by a lack of maternal expression of the UBE3A gene. Because of genomic imprinting, only neurons are affected. One therapeutic approach focuses on the intact paternal UBE3A copy in patients with AS that is silenced by an antisense transcript (UBE3A-ATS). We show here that gene editing of Ube3a-ATS in the mouse brain resulted in the formation of base pair insertions/deletions (indels) in neurons and the subsequent unsilencing of the paternal Ube3a allele in neurons, which partially corrected the behavioral phenotype of a murine AS model. This study provides compelling evidence to further investigate editing of the homologous region of the human UBE3A-ATS because this may provide a lasting therapeutic effect for patients with AS.
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102
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Berg EL, Petkova SP, Born HA, Adhikari A, Anderson AE, Silverman JL. Insulin-like growth factor-2 does not improve behavioral deficits in mouse and rat models of Angelman Syndrome. Mol Autism 2021; 12:59. [PMID: 34526125 PMCID: PMC8444390 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00467-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder for which there is currently no cure or effective therapeutic. Since the genetic cause of AS is known to be dysfunctional expression of the maternal allele of ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A), several genetic animal models of AS have been developed. Both the Ube3a maternal deletion mouse and rat models of AS reliably demonstrate behavioral phenotypes of relevance to AS and therefore offer suitable in vivo systems in which to test potential therapeutics. One promising candidate treatment is insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF-2), which has recently been shown to ameliorate behavioral deficits in the mouse model of AS and improve cognitive abilities across model systems. METHODS We used both the Ube3a maternal deletion mouse and rat models of AS to evaluate the ability of IGF-2 to improve electrophysiological and behavioral outcomes. RESULTS Acute systemic administration of IGF-2 had an effect on electrophysiological activity in the brain and on a metric of motor ability; however the effects were not enduring or extensive. Additional metrics of motor behavior, learning, ambulation, and coordination were unaffected and IGF-2 did not improve social communication, seizure threshold, or cognition. LIMITATIONS The generalizability of these results to humans is difficult to predict and it remains possible that dosing schemes (i.e., chronic or subchronic dosing), routes, and/or post-treatment intervals other than that used herein may show more efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Despite a few observed effects of IGF-2, our results taken together indicate that IGF-2 treatment does not profoundly improve behavioral deficits in mouse or rat models of AS. These findings shed cautionary light on the potential utility of acute systemic IGF-2 administration in the treatment of AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L. Berg
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Stela P. Petkova
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Heather A. Born
- Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
- Gene Therapy Program, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA USA
| | - Anna Adhikari
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA USA
| | - Anne E. Anderson
- Department of Pediatrics and Neurology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX USA
| | - Jill L. Silverman
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA USA
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103
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Bicker F, Nardi L, Maier J, Vasic V, Schmeisser MJ. Criss-crossing autism spectrum disorder and adult neurogenesis. J Neurochem 2021; 159:452-478. [PMID: 34478569 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a group of multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorders primarily characterized by deficits in social interaction and repetitive behavior. Although the onset is typically in early childhood, ASD poses a lifelong challenge for both patients and caretakers. Adult neurogenesis (AN) is the process by which new functional neurons are created from neural stem cells existing in the post-natal brain. The entire event is based on a sequence of cellular processes, such as proliferation, specification of cell fate, maturation, and ultimately, synaptic integration into the existing neural circuits. Hence, AN is implicated in structural and functional brain plasticity throughout life. Accumulating evidence shows that impaired AN may underlie some of the abnormal behavioral phenotypes seen in ASD. In this review, we approach the interconnections between the molecular pathways related to AN and ASD. We also discuss existing therapeutic approaches targeting such pathways both in preclinical and clinical studies. A deeper understanding of how ASD and AN reciprocally affect one another could reveal important converging pathways leading to the emergence of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Bicker
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Leonardo Nardi
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jannik Maier
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Verica Vasic
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael J Schmeisser
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany.,Focus Program Translational Neurosciences (FTN), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
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104
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Pandya NJ, Wang C, Costa V, Lopatta P, Meier S, Zampeta FI, Punt AM, Mientjes E, Grossen P, Distler T, Tzouros M, Martí Y, Banfai B, Patsch C, Rasmussen S, Hoener M, Berrera M, Kremer T, Dunkley T, Ebeling M, Distel B, Elgersma Y, Jagasia R. Secreted retrovirus-like GAG-domain-containing protein PEG10 is regulated by UBE3A and is involved in Angelman syndrome pathophysiology. Cell Rep Med 2021; 2:100360. [PMID: 34467244 PMCID: PMC8385294 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the loss of maternal UBE3A, a ubiquitin protein ligase E3A. Here, we study neurons derived from patients with AS and neurotypical individuals, and reciprocally modulate UBE3A using antisense oligonucleotides. Unbiased proteomics reveal proteins that are regulated by UBE3A in a disease-specific manner, including PEG10, a retrotransposon-derived GAG protein. PEG10 protein increase, but not RNA, is dependent on UBE3A and proteasome function. PEG10 binds to both RNA and ataxia-associated proteins (ATXN2 and ATXN10), localizes to stress granules, and is secreted in extracellular vesicles, modulating vesicle content. Rescue of AS patient-derived neurons by UBE3A reinstatement or PEG10 reduction reveals similarity in transcriptome changes. Overexpression of PEG10 during mouse brain development alters neuronal migration, suggesting that it can affect brain development. These findings imply that PEG10 is a secreted human UBE3A target involved in AS pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil J. Pandya
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Congwei Wang
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Veronica Costa
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Paul Lopatta
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Meier
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - F. Isabella Zampeta
- Departments of Neuroscience and Clinical Genetics, The ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - A. Mattijs Punt
- Departments of Neuroscience and Clinical Genetics, The ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Edwin Mientjes
- Departments of Neuroscience and Clinical Genetics, The ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Philip Grossen
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tania Distler
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Tzouros
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Yasmina Martí
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Balazs Banfai
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Patsch
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Soren Rasmussen
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Marius Hoener
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marco Berrera
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Kremer
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tom Dunkley
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Ebeling
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ben Distel
- Departments of Neuroscience and Clinical Genetics, The ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Departments of Neuroscience and Clinical Genetics, The ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ravi Jagasia
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
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105
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Milazzo C, Mientjes EJ, Wallaard I, Rasmussen SV, Erichsen KD, Kakunuri T, van der Sman ASE, Kremer T, Miller MT, Hoener MC, Elgersma Y. Antisense oligonucleotide treatment rescues UBE3A expression and multiple phenotypes of an Angelman syndrome mouse model. JCI Insight 2021; 6:e145991. [PMID: 34369389 PMCID: PMC8410092 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.145991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder for which only symptomatic treatment with limited benefits is available. AS is caused by mutations affecting the maternally inherited ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) gene. Previous studies showed that the silenced paternal Ube3a gene can be activated by targeting the antisense Ube3a-ATS transcript. We investigated antisense oligonucleotide-induced (ASO-induced) Ube3a-ATS degradation and its ability to induce UBE3A reinstatement and rescue of AS phenotypes in an established Ube3a mouse model. We found that a single intracerebroventricular injection of ASOs at postnatal day 1 (P1) or P21 in AS mice resulted in potent and specific UBE3A reinstatement in the brain, with levels up to 74% of WT levels in the cortex and a full rescue of sensitivity to audiogenic seizures. AS mice treated with ASO at P1 also showed rescue of established AS phenotypes, such as open field and forced swim test behaviors, and significant improvement on the reversed rotarod. Hippocampal plasticity of treated AS mice was comparable to WT but not significantly different from PBS-treated AS mice. No rescue was observed for the marble burying and nest building phenotypes. Our findings highlight the promise of ASO-mediated reactivation of UBE3A as a disease-modifying treatment for AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Milazzo
- Departments of Clinical Genetics and Neuroscience and.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Edwin J Mientjes
- Departments of Clinical Genetics and Neuroscience and.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Ilse Wallaard
- Departments of Clinical Genetics and Neuroscience and.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Kamille Dumong Erichsen
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Horsholm, Denmark
| | - Tejaswini Kakunuri
- Departments of Clinical Genetics and Neuroscience and.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - A S Elise van der Sman
- Departments of Clinical Genetics and Neuroscience and.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Thomas Kremer
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Meghan T Miller
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marius C Hoener
- Neuroscience and Rare Diseases Discovery & Translational Area, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Departments of Clinical Genetics and Neuroscience and.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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106
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Boksha IS, Prokhorova TA, Tereshkina EB, Savushkina OK, Burbaeva GS. Protein Phosphorylation Signaling Cascades in Autism: The Role of mTOR Pathway. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:577-596. [PMID: 33993859 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921050072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is a central regulator of cell metabolism, growth, and survival in response to hormones, growth factors, nutrients, and stress-induced signals. In this review, we analyzed the studies on the molecular abnormalities of the mTOR-associated signaling cascades in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and outlined the prospects for the pathogenicity-targeting pharmacotherapeutic approaches to ASDs, in particular syndromic ASDs. Based on available experimental and clinical data, we suggest that very early detection of molecular abnormalities in the ASD risk groups can be facilitated by using peripheral blood platelets. Also, identification of the time window of critical dysregulations in the described pathways in the ASD risk groups might suggest further research directions leading to more efficacious pharmacotherapeutic interventions in ASDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina S Boksha
- Mental Health Research Center, Moscow, 115522, Russia. .,Gamaleya Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, 123098, Russia
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107
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Bakke KA, Howlin P, Helverschou SB. Hyperactive behaviour in Angelman syndrome: the association with sleep problems and age of epilepsy onset. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2021; 65:666-674. [PMID: 33951249 DOI: 10.1111/jir.12842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sleep problems are common in many neurodevelopmental disorders, but little is known about how sleep is related to behavioural symptoms in Angelman syndrome (AS) or other genetic disorders. Hyperactive behaviour, sleep problems and epilepsy seem to be more common in AS than in other genetic conditions associated with severe intellectual disability. We hypothesised that both more sleep problems and earlier onset of epileptic seizures would predict more symptoms of hyperactivity. Hence, the aim of the project was to explore the association between hyperactive behaviour, sleep problems and age of epilepsy onset in individuals with AS. METHOD All known parents/guardians (n = 115) of individuals with AS in Norway were invited to participate in this descriptive correlational study. Fifty-six individuals (49%) responded, and 42 people (25 male and 17 female; mean age 18.5 years, range 2-57 years) with genetically verified AS were included. Scores for 'hyperactivity' and 'sleep problems' were derived from questionnaire data. Information on epilepsy was obtained from medical records. RESULTS 'Hyperactivity' was positively correlated with 'total sleep problems' (r = 0.46, P = 0.002) and negatively correlated with 'age of epilepsy onset' (r = -0.47, P = 0.01). 'Age of epilepsy onset' was not correlated with 'total sleep problems'. An overall multiple regression model with 'hyperactivity' as the dependent variable and 'age of epilepsy onset' and 'total sleep problems' as covariates was significant (R2 = 0.39, F = 8.16, P = 0.002). Hence, hyperactivity in AS could be predicted from both age of epilepsy onset and current sleep problems. CONCLUSIONS Sleep problems may increase hyperactivity symptoms in individuals with AS. The association between hyperactivity and sleep problems in AS indicates that both should be investigated together as part of routine clinical assessment and intervention for either area of difficulty. Younger age of epilepsy onset was associated with more hyperactivity in AS, which may be related to encephalopathic effects of seizures and epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Bakke
- NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - P Howlin
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S B Helverschou
- NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
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108
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Elgersma Y, Sonzogni M. UBE3A reinstatement as a disease-modifying therapy for Angelman syndrome. Dev Med Child Neurol 2021; 63:802-807. [PMID: 33543479 PMCID: PMC8248324 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Half a century ago, Harry Angelman reported three patients with overlapping clinical features, now well known as Angelman syndrome. Angelman syndrome is caused by mutations affecting the maternally inherited UBE3A gene, which encodes an E3-ubiquitin ligase that is critical for typical postnatal brain development. Emerging evidence indicates that UBE3A plays a particularly important role in the nucleus. However, the critical substrates that are controlled by UBE3A remain elusive, which hinders the search for effective treatments. Moreover, given the multitude of signalling mechanisms that are derailed, it is unlikely that targeting a single pathway is going to be very effective. Therefore, expectations are very high for approaches that aim to restore UBE3A protein levels. A particular promising strategy is an antisense oligonucleotide approach, which activates the silenced paternal UBE3A gene. When successful, such treatments potentially offer a disease-modifying therapy for Angelman syndrome and several other neurodevelopmental disorders. What this paper adds Loss of UBE3A affects multiple signalling pathways in the brain. Emerging evidence suggests that UBE3A plays a critical role in the cell nucleus. Trials using antisense oligonucleotides to restore UBE3A levels are continuing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ype Elgersma
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Deptartment of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- The ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Monica Sonzogni
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- The ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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109
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Markati T, Duis J, Servais L. Therapies in preclinical and clinical development for Angelman syndrome. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 30:709-720. [PMID: 34112038 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1939674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Angelman syndrome is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder, caused by deficiency or abnormal function of the maternal ubiquitin protein-ligase E3A, known as UBE3A, in the central nervous system. There is no disease-modifying treatment available, but the therapeutic pipeline of Angelman syndrome includes at least 15 different approaches at preclinical or clinical development. In the coming years, several clinical trials will be enrolling patients, which prompted this comprehensive review.Areas covered: We summarize and critically review the different therapeutic approaches. Some approaches attempt to restore the missing or nonfunctional UBE3A protein in the neurons via gene replacement or enzyme replacement therapies. Other therapies aim to induce expression of the normal paternal copy of the UBE3A gene by targeting a long non-coding RNA, the UBE3A-ATS, which interferes with its own expression. Another therapeutic category includes compounds that target molecular pathways and effector proteins known to be involved in Angelman syndrome pathophysiology.Expert opinion: We believe that by 2022-2023, more than five disease-modifying treatments will be simultaneously at clinical testing. However, the are several challenges with regards to safety and efficacy, which need to be addressed. Additionally, there is still a significant unmet need for clinical trial readiness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Markati
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Center, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jessica Duis
- Section of Genetics & Inherited Metabolic Disease, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Laurent Servais
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Center, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Division of Child Neurology, Centre De Références Des Maladies Neuromusculaires, Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Liège & University of Liège, Belgium
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110
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Yang L, Shu X, Mao S, Wang Y, Du X, Zou C. Genotype-Phenotype Correlations in Angelman Syndrome. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:987. [PMID: 34203304 PMCID: PMC8304328 DOI: 10.3390/genes12070987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disease that is caused by the loss of function of the maternal copy of ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) on the chromosome 15q11-13 region. AS is characterized by global developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, lack of speech, happy disposition, ataxia, epilepsy, and distinct behavioral profile. There are four molecular mechanisms of etiology: maternal deletion of chromosome 15q11-q13, paternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 15q11-q13, imprinting defects, and maternally inherited UBE3A mutations. Different genetic types may show different phenotypes in performance, seizure, behavior, sleep, and other aspects. AS caused by maternal deletion of 15q11-13 appears to have worse development, cognitive skills, albinism, ataxia, and more autistic features than those of other genotypes. Children with a UBE3A mutation have less severe phenotypes and a nearly normal development quotient. In this review, we proposed to review genotype-phenotype correlations based on different genotypes. Understanding the pathophysiology of the different genotypes and the genotype-phenotype correlations will offer an opportunity for individualized treatment and genetic counseling. Genotype-phenotype correlations based on larger data should be carried out for identifying new treatment modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Yang
- Department of Genetics and Metabolism, Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China;
| | - Xiaoli Shu
- Department of Laboratory Center, Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China;
| | - Shujiong Mao
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310052, China;
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China; (Y.W.); (X.D.)
| | - Xiaonan Du
- Department of Neurology, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 201102, China; (Y.W.); (X.D.)
| | - Chaochun Zou
- Department of Endocrinology, Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou 310052, China
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111
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Contreras X, Amberg N, Davaatseren A, Hansen AH, Sonntag J, Andersen L, Bernthaler T, Streicher C, Heger A, Johnson RL, Schwarz LA, Luo L, Rülicke T, Hippenmeyer S. A genome-wide library of MADM mice for single-cell genetic mosaic analysis. Cell Rep 2021; 35:109274. [PMID: 34161767 PMCID: PMC8317686 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mosaic analysis with double markers (MADM) offers one approach to visualize and concomitantly manipulate genetically defined cells in mice with single-cell resolution. MADM applications include the analysis of lineage, single-cell morphology and physiology, genomic imprinting phenotypes, and dissection of cell-autonomous gene functions in vivo in health and disease. Yet, MADM can only be applied to <25% of all mouse genes on select chromosomes to date. To overcome this limitation, we generate transgenic mice with knocked-in MADM cassettes near the centromeres of all 19 autosomes and validate their use across organs. With this resource, >96% of the entire mouse genome can now be subjected to single-cell genetic mosaic analysis. Beyond a proof of principle, we apply our MADM library to systematically trace sister chromatid segregation in distinct mitotic cell lineages. We find striking chromosome-specific biases in segregation patterns, reflecting a putative mechanism for the asymmetric segregation of genetic determinants in somatic stem cell division.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ximena Contreras
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Nicole Amberg
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Andi H Hansen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Johanna Sonntag
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Lill Andersen
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tina Bernthaler
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Carmen Streicher
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Anna Heger
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Randy L Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lindsay A Schwarz
- HHMI and Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Liqun Luo
- HHMI and Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas Rülicke
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon Hippenmeyer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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112
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Moreira-de-Sá A, Gonçalves FQ, Lopes JP, Silva HB, Tomé ÂR, Cunha RA, Canas PM. Motor Deficits Coupled to Cerebellar and Striatal Alterations in Ube3a m-/p+ Mice Modelling Angelman Syndrome Are Attenuated by Adenosine A 2A Receptor Blockade. Mol Neurobiol 2021; 58:2543-2557. [PMID: 33464534 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02275-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurogenetic disorder involving ataxia and motor dysfunction, resulting from the absence of the maternally inherited functional Ube3a protein in neurons. Since adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR) blockade relieves synaptic and motor impairments in Parkinson's or Machado-Joseph's diseases, we now tested if A2AR blockade was also effective in attenuating motor deficits in an AS (Ube3am-/p+) mouse model and if this involved correction of synaptic alterations in striatum and cerebellum. Chronic administration of the A2AR antagonist SCH58261 (0.1 mg/kg/day, ip) promoted motor learning of AS mice in the accelerating-rotarod task and rescued the grip strength impairment of AS animals. These motor impairments were accompanied by synaptic alterations in cerebellum and striatum typified by upregulation of synaptophysin and vesicular GABA transporters (vGAT) in the cerebellum of AS mice along with a downregulation of vGAT, vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (vGLUT1) and the dopamine active transporter in AS striatum. Notably, A2AR blockade prevented the synaptic alterations found in AS mice cerebellum as well as the downregulation of striatal vGAT and vGLUT1. This provides the first indications that A2AR blockade may counteract the characteristic motor impairments and synaptic changes of AS, although more studies are needed to unravel the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Moreira-de-Sá
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine Building-Polo 1, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco Q Gonçalves
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine Building-Polo 1, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João P Lopes
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine Building-Polo 1, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Henrique B Silva
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine Building-Polo 1, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ângelo R Tomé
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine Building-Polo 1, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3000-456, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo A Cunha
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine Building-Polo 1, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paula M Canas
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, Faculty of Medicine Building-Polo 1, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal.
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113
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Greco D, Vetri L, Ragusa L, Vinci M, Gloria A, Occhipinti P, Costanzo AA, Quatrosi G, Roccella M, Buono S, Romano C. Prader-Willi Syndrome with Angelman Syndrome in the Offspring. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2021; 57:medicina57050460. [PMID: 34066798 PMCID: PMC8150800 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57050460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We report the second case, to the best of our knowledge, of a mother with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) who gave birth to a daughter with Angelman syndrome (AS). The menarche occurred when she was 16, and the following menstrual cycles were irregular, but she never took sexual hormone replacement therapy. At the age of 26, our patient with PWS became pregnant. The diagnosis was confirmed by molecular genetic testing that revealed a ~5.7 Mb deletion in the 15q11.1–15q13 region on the paternal allele in the mother with PWS and the maternal one in the daughter with AS, respectively. Both the mother with PWS and the daughter with AS showed peculiar clinical and genetic features of the two syndromes. Our case report reaffirms the possible fertility in PWS; therefore, it is very important to develop appropriate socio-sexual education programs and fertility assessments in order to guarantee the expression of a healthy sexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Greco
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
| | - Luigi Vetri
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-328-643-4126
| | - Letizia Ragusa
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
| | - Mirella Vinci
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
| | - Angelo Gloria
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
| | - Paola Occhipinti
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
| | - Angela Antonia Costanzo
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
| | - Giuseppe Quatrosi
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Michele Roccella
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Serafino Buono
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
| | - Corrado Romano
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, 94018 Troina, Italy; (D.G.); (L.R.); (M.V.); (A.G.); (P.O.); (A.A.C.); (S.B.); (C.R.)
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114
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Nuñez JK, Chen J, Pommier GC, Cogan JZ, Replogle JM, Adriaens C, Ramadoss GN, Shi Q, Hung KL, Samelson AJ, Pogson AN, Kim JYS, Chung A, Leonetti MD, Chang HY, Kampmann M, Bernstein BE, Hovestadt V, Gilbert LA, Weissman JS. Genome-wide programmable transcriptional memory by CRISPR-based epigenome editing. Cell 2021; 184:2503-2519.e17. [PMID: 33838111 PMCID: PMC8376083 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 293] [Impact Index Per Article: 97.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
A general approach for heritably altering gene expression has the potential to enable many discovery and therapeutic efforts. Here, we present CRISPRoff-a programmable epigenetic memory writer consisting of a single dead Cas9 fusion protein that establishes DNA methylation and repressive histone modifications. Transient CRISPRoff expression initiates highly specific DNA methylation and gene repression that is maintained through cell division and differentiation of stem cells to neurons. Pairing CRISPRoff with genome-wide screens and analysis of chromatin marks establishes rules for heritable gene silencing. We identify single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) capable of silencing the large majority of genes including those lacking canonical CpG islands (CGIs) and reveal a wide targeting window extending beyond annotated CGIs. The broad ability of CRISPRoff to initiate heritable gene silencing even outside of CGIs expands the canonical model of methylation-based silencing and enables diverse applications including genome-wide screens, multiplexed cell engineering, enhancer silencing, and mechanistic exploration of epigenetic inheritance.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K Nuñez
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jin Chen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Greg C Pommier
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - J Zachery Cogan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Joseph M Replogle
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, USA
| | - Carmen Adriaens
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Gokul N Ramadoss
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Quanming Shi
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - King L Hung
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Avi J Samelson
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Angela N Pogson
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, USA
| | - James Y S Kim
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Amanda Chung
- Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Tetrad Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Howard Y Chang
- Center for Personal Dynamic Regulomes, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Martin Kampmann
- Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Bradley E Bernstein
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Volker Hovestadt
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Division of Hematology/Oncology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Luke A Gilbert
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
| | - Jonathan S Weissman
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02142, USA.
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115
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Ozlu C, Bailey RM, Sinnett S, Goodspeed KD. Gene Transfer Therapy for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Dev Neurosci 2021; 43:230-240. [PMID: 33882495 DOI: 10.1159/000515434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) include a broad spectrum of disorders that disrupt normal brain development. Though some NDDs are caused by acquired insults (i.e., toxic or infectious encephalopathy) or may be cryptogenic, many NDDs are caused by variants in a single gene or groups of genes that disrupt neuronal development or function. In this review, we will focus on those NDDs with a genetic etiology. The exact mechanism, timing, and progression of the molecular pathology are seldom well known; however, the abnormalities in development typically manifest in similar patterns such as delays or regression in motor function, social skills, and language or cognitive abilities. Severity of impairment can vary widely. At present, only symptomatic treatments are available to manage seizures and behavioral problems commonly seen in NDDs. In recent years, there has been a rapid expansion of research into gene therapy using adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). Using AAVs as vectors to replace the non- or dysfunctional gene in vivo is a relatively simple model which has created an unprecedented opportunity for the future of NDD treatment. Advances in this field are of paramount importance as NDDs lead to a massive lifelong burden of disease on the affected individuals and families. In this article, we review the unique advantages and challenges of AAV gene therapies. We then look at potential applications of gene therapy for 3 of the more common NDDs (Rett syndrome, fragile X syndrome, and Angelman syndrome), as well as 2 less common NDDs (SLC13A5 deficiency disorder and SLC6A1-related disorder). We will review the available natural history of each disease and current state of preclinical studies including a discussion on the application of AAV gene therapies for each disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Ozlu
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Rachel M Bailey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Sarah Sinnett
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.,Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Kimberly D Goodspeed
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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116
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Adhikari A, Copping NA, Beegle J, Cameron DL, Deng P, O'Geen H, Segal DJ, Fink KD, Silverman JL, Anderson JS. Functional rescue in an Angelman syndrome model following treatment with lentivector transduced hematopoietic stem cells. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:1067-1083. [PMID: 33856035 PMCID: PMC8188406 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired communication skills, ataxia, motor and balance deficits, intellectual disabilities, and seizures. The genetic cause of AS is the neuronal loss of UBE3A expression in the brain. A novel approach, described here, is a stem cell gene therapy which uses lentivector-transduced hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to deliver functional UBE3A to affected cells. We have demonstrated both the prevention and reversal of AS phenotypes upon transplantation and engraftment of human CD34+ cells transduced with a Ube3a lentivector in a novel immunodeficient Ube3amat−/pat+ IL2rg−/y mouse model of AS. A significant improvement in motor and cognitive behavioral assays as well as normalized delta power measured by electroencephalogram was observed in neonates and adults transplanted with the gene modified cells. Human hematopoietic profiles observed in the lymphoid organs by detection of human immune cells were normal. Expression of UBE3A was detected in the brains of the adult treatment group following immunohistochemical staining illustrating engraftment of the gene-modified cells expressing UBE3A in the brain. As demonstrated with our data, this stem cell gene therapy approach offers a promising treatment strategy for AS, not requiring a critical treatment window.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Adhikari
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Nycole A Copping
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Julie Beegle
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - David L Cameron
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Neurology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Peter Deng
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Neurology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Henriette O'Geen
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Microbiology, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - David J Segal
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Microbiology, UC Davis Genome Center, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kyle D Fink
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Neurology, Institute for Regenerative Cures, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Jill L Silverman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Joseph S Anderson
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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117
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Dysregulated CRMP Mediates Circadian Deficits in a Drosophila Model of Fragile X Syndrome. Neurosci Bull 2021; 37:973-984. [PMID: 33856646 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00682-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited cause of intellectual disability, resulting from the lack of functional fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an mRNA binding protein mainly serving as a translational regulator. Loss of FMRP leads to dysregulation of target mRNAs. The Drosophila model of FXS show an abnormal circadian rhythm with disruption of the output pathway downstream of the clock network. Yet the FMRP targets involved in circadian regulation have not been identified. Here, we identified collapsing response mediator protein (CRMP) mRNA as a target of FMRP. Knockdown of pan-neuronal CRMP expression ameliorated the circadian defects and abnormal axonal structures of clock neurons (ventral lateral neurons) in dfmr1 mutant flies. Furthermore, specific reduction of CRMP in the downstream output insulin-producing cells attenuated the aberrant circadian behaviors. Molecular analyses revealed that FMRP binds with CRMP mRNA and negatively regulates its translation. Our results indicate that CRMP is an FMRP target and establish an essential role for CRMP in the circadian output in FXS Drosophila.
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118
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Yang S, Lim KH, Kim SH, Joo JY. Molecular landscape of long noncoding RNAs in brain disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1060-1074. [PMID: 33173194 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00947-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
According to current paradigms, various risk factors, such as genetic mutations, oxidative stress, neural network dysfunction, and abnormal protein degradation, contribute to the progression of brain disorders. Through the cooperation of gene transcripts in biological processes, the study of noncoding RNAs can lead to insights into the cause and treatment of brain disorders. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) which are longer than 200 nucleotides in length have been suggested as key factors in various brain disorders. Accumulating evidence suggests the potential of lncRNAs as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. High-throughput screening-based sequencing has been instrumental in identification of lncRNAs that demand new approaches to understanding the progression of brain disorders. In this review, we discuss the recent progress in the study of lncRNAs, and addresses the pathogenesis of brain disorders that involve lncRNAs and describes the associations of lncRNAs with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease (AD), Parkinson disease (PD), and neurodevelopmental disorders. We also discuss potential targets of lncRNAs and their promise as novel therapeutics and biomarkers in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumin Yang
- Neurodegenerative Disease Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Key-Hwan Lim
- Neurodegenerative Disease Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hyun Kim
- Neurodegenerative Disease Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Yeol Joo
- Neurodegenerative Disease Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, 41062, Republic of Korea.
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119
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Lopes AGD, Celestino CSH, Barros TTA, Fevereiro AG, Gejer DH, Oliveira FMF, Brasil JM, Bossolan RM, Pinto GCC, Santos ACEZ, Divan LA, Alves IAB, Oliveira DBL, Machado RRG, Thomazelli LM, Hiyane MI, Brelaz-Abreu L, Bragança-Jardim E, Heinen LBS, Barrientos ACM, Mau LB, Camara NOS, Bueno DF, Amano MT. Case Report: A Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection in a Teenager With Angelman Syndrome. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:629112. [PMID: 33777976 PMCID: PMC7994262 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.629112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Teenagers generally present mild to no symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. In the present report, we present the case of a 14-year-old boy with Angelman syndrome (AS) who presented with severe COVID-19 symptoms. He spent 20 days in the ICU with elevated inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein and D-dimer) and increased peaks of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, which is uncommon for teenagers diagnosed with COVID-19. Although he showed physiological instability, he was able to produce neutralizing antibodies, suggesting a functional immune response. The literature concerning the immune response to infections in patients with AS is still poor, and to our knowledge, this was the first report of a patient with AS diagnosed with COVID-19. As such, the present study may alert other patients with AS or other rare diseases that they lack a competent immune response and could suffer severe consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tiago T A Barros
- Hospital Municipal Infantil Menino Jesus, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Debora H Gejer
- Hospital Municipal Infantil Menino Jesus, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Luis A Divan
- Hospital Municipal Infantil Menino Jesus, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Danielle B L Oliveira
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael R G Machado
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciano M Thomazelli
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Meire I Hiyane
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Luciana B Mau
- Hospital Municipal Infantil Menino Jesus, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Niels O S Camara
- Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela F Bueno
- Hospital Municipal Infantil Menino Jesus, São Paulo, Brazil.,Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
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120
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Patel J, Bircan E, Tang X, Orloff M, Hobbs CA, Browne ML, Botto LD, Finnell RH, Jenkins MM, Olshan A, Romitti PA, Shaw GM, Werler MM, Li J, Nembhard WN. Paternal genetic variants and risk of obstructive heart defects: A parent-of-origin approach. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009413. [PMID: 33684136 PMCID: PMC7971842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research on risk factors for obstructive heart defects (OHDs) focused on maternal and infant genetic variants, prenatal environmental exposures, and their potential interaction effects. Less is known about the role of paternal genetic variants or environmental exposures and risk of OHDs. We examined parent-of-origin effects in transmission of alleles in the folate, homocysteine, or transsulfuration pathway genes on OHD occurrence in offspring. We used data on 569 families of liveborn infants with OHDs born between October 1997 and August 2008 from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study to conduct a family-based case-only study. Maternal, paternal, and infant DNA were genotyped using an Illumina Golden Gate custom single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel. Relative risks (RR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and likelihood ratio tests from log-linear models were used to estimate the parent-of-origin effect of 877 SNPs in 60 candidate genes in the folate, homocysteine, and transsulfuration pathways on the risk of OHDs. Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple testing. We identified 3 SNPs in the transsulfuration pathway and 1 SNP in the folate pathway that were statistically significant after Bonferroni correction. Among infants who inherited paternally-derived copies of the G allele for rs6812588 in the RFC1 gene, the G allele for rs1762430 in the MGMT gene, and the A allele for rs9296695 and rs4712023 in the GSTA3 gene, RRs for OHD were 0.11 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.29, P = 9.16x10-7), 0.30 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.53, P = 9.80x10-6), 0.34 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.57, P = 2.28x10-5), and 0.34 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.58, P = 3.77x10-5), respectively, compared to infants who inherited maternally-derived copies of the same alleles. We observed statistically significant decreased risk of OHDs among infants who inherited paternal gene variants involved in folate and transsulfuration pathways. Obstructive heart defects are birth defects that cause obstruction to the blood flow of the developing heart. Common OHDs include coarctation of the aorta, aortic stenosis and pulmonary stenosis. While there is a fair amount of literature indicating an association between maternal genetic variants and OHDs, less is known about the role of paternal genetic variants in the etiology of OHDs. We used a genotype clustering algorithm, SNPMClust, that was developed in-house at the Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention to study the role of paternal genetic variants in the folate, homocysteine and transsulfuration pathways. Maternal, paternal, and infant DNA specimens were collected from participants of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a large population-based case-control study in the United States, and were genotyped using an Illumina Golden Gate custom single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panel. We identified 4 SNPs in the folate and transsulfuration pathways, rs6812588, rs1762430, rs9296695, and rs4712023, that were associated with a statistically significant decreased risk of OHDs for infants who inherited a paternally-derived copy of the variant allele compared to infants who inherited a maternal copy of the variant allele. In conclusion, we observed a significantly decreased risk and less epigenetic influence of paternal genetic variants on OHDs compared to maternally-derived variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenil Patel
- Department of Epidemiology, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
- Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, United States of America
| | - Emine Bircan
- Department of Epidemiology, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
- Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
| | - Xinyu Tang
- Biostatistics Program, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
| | - Mohammed Orloff
- Department of Epidemiology, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
- Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
| | - Charlotte A. Hobbs
- Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Marilyn L. Browne
- Birth Defects Research Section, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, United States of America
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University at Albany, Rensselaer, NY, United States of America
| | - Lorenzo D. Botto
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Richard H. Finnell
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Precision Environmental Health, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Mary M. Jenkins
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Andrew Olshan
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Paul A. Romitti
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States of America
| | - Gary M. Shaw
- Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Martha M. Werler
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Jingyun Li
- Biostatistics Program, Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
| | - Wendy N. Nembhard
- Department of Epidemiology, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
- Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Bossuyt SNV, Punt AM, de Graaf IJ, van den Burg J, Williams MG, Heussler H, Elgersma Y, Distel B. Loss of nuclear UBE3A activity is the predominant cause of Angelman syndrome in individuals carrying UBE3A missense mutations. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:430-442. [PMID: 33607653 PMCID: PMC8101352 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by deletion (~75%) or mutation (~10%) of the ubiquitin E3 ligase A (UBE3A) gene, which encodes a HECT type E3 ubiquitin protein ligase. Although the critical substrates of UBE3A are unknown, previous studies have suggested a critical role of nuclear UBE3A in AS pathophysiology. Here, we investigated to what extent UBE3A missense mutations disrupt UBE3A subcellular localization as well as catalytic activity, stability and protein folding. Our functional screen of 31 UBE3A missense mutants revealed that UBE3A mislocalization is the predominant cause of UBE3A dysfunction, accounting for 55% of the UBE3A mutations tested. The second major cause (29%) is a loss of E3-ubiquitin ligase activity, as assessed in an Escherichia coli in vivo ubiquitination assay. Mutations affecting catalytic activity are found not only in the catalytic HECT domain, but also in the N-terminal half of UBE3A, suggesting an important contribution of this N-terminal region to its catalytic potential. Together, our results show that loss of nuclear UBE3A E3 ligase activity is the predominant cause of UBE3A-linked AS. Moreover, our functional analysis screen allows rapid assessment of the pathogenicity of novel UBE3A missense variants which will be of particular importance when treatments for AS become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stijn N V Bossuyt
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - A Mattijs Punt
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, 3015, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilona J de Graaf
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Janny van den Burg
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mark G Williams
- Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, 4101, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Helen Heussler
- Mater Research Institute, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, 4101, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Child Development Program, Queensland Children's Hospital, 4101, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, 4101, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, 3015, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Distel
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Genetics and Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC, 3015, 3015 CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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122
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Jacob F, Schnoll JG, Song H, Ming GL. Building the brain from scratch: Engineering region-specific brain organoids from human stem cells to study neural development and disease. Curr Top Dev Biol 2021; 142:477-530. [PMID: 33706925 PMCID: PMC8363060 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2020.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Human brain development is an intricate process that involves precisely timed coordination of cell proliferation, fate specification, neuronal differentiation, migration, and integration of diverse cell types. Understanding of these fundamental processes, however, has been largely constrained by limited access to fetal brain tissue and the inability to prospectively study neurodevelopment in humans at the molecular, cellular and system levels. Although non-human model organisms have provided important insights into mechanisms underlying brain development, these systems do not fully recapitulate many human-specific features that often relate to disease. To address these challenges, human brain organoids, self-assembled three-dimensional neural aggregates, have been engineered from human pluripotent stem cells to model the architecture and cellular diversity of the developing human brain. Recent advancements in neural induction and regional patterning using small molecules and growth factors have yielded protocols for generating brain organoids that recapitulate the structure and neuronal composition of distinct brain regions. Here, we first provide an overview of early mammalian brain development with an emphasis on molecular cues that guide region specification. We then focus on recent efforts in generating human brain organoids that model the development of specific brain regions and highlight endeavors to enhance the cellular complexity to better mimic the in vivo developing human brain. We also provide examples of how organoid models have enhanced our understanding of human neurological diseases and conclude by discussing limitations of brain organoids with our perspectives on future advancements to maximize their potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fadi Jacob
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Medical Scientist Training Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jordan G Schnoll
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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123
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Pauler FM, Hudson QJ, Laukoter S, Hippenmeyer S. Inducible uniparental chromosome disomy to probe genomic imprinting at single-cell level in brain and beyond. Neurochem Int 2021; 145:104986. [PMID: 33600873 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.104986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Genomic imprinting is an epigenetic mechanism that results in parental allele-specific expression of ~1% of all genes in mouse and human. Imprinted genes are key developmental regulators and play pivotal roles in many biological processes such as nutrient transfer from the mother to offspring and neuronal development. Imprinted genes are also involved in human disease, including neurodevelopmental disorders, and often occur in clusters that are regulated by a common imprint control region (ICR). In extra-embryonic tissues ICRs can act over large distances, with the largest surrounding Igf2r spanning over 10 million base-pairs. Besides classical imprinted expression that shows near exclusive maternal or paternal expression, widespread biased imprinted expression has been identified mainly in brain. In this review we discuss recent developments mapping cell type specific imprinted expression in extra-embryonic tissues and neocortex in the mouse. We highlight the advantages of using an inducible uniparental chromosome disomy (UPD) system to generate cells carrying either two maternal or two paternal copies of a specific chromosome to analyze the functional consequences of genomic imprinting. Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers (MADM) allows fluorescent labeling and concomitant induction of UPD sparsely in specific cell types, and thus to over-express or suppress all imprinted genes on that chromosome. To illustrate the utility of this technique, we explain how MADM-induced UPD revealed new insights about the function of the well-studied Cdkn1c imprinted gene, and how MADM-induced UPDs led to identification of highly cell type specific phenotypes related to perturbed imprinted expression in the mouse neocortex. Finally, we give an outlook on how MADM could be used to probe cell type specific imprinted expression in other tissues in mouse, particularly in extra-embryonic tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian M Pauler
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Quanah J Hudson
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Laukoter
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Simon Hippenmeyer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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124
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Systematic characterization of mutations altering protein degradation in human cancers. Mol Cell 2021; 81:1292-1308.e11. [PMID: 33567269 PMCID: PMC9245451 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2021.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/17/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the primary route for selective protein degradation in human cells. The UPS is an attractive target for novel cancer therapies, but the precise UPS genes and substrates important for cancer growth are incompletely understood. Leveraging multi-omics data across more than 9,000 human tumors and 33 cancer types, we found that over 19% of all cancer driver genes affect UPS function. We implicate transcription factors as important substrates and show that c-Myc stability is modulated by CUL3. Moreover, we developed a deep learning model (deepDegron) to identify mutations that result in degron loss and experimentally validated the prediction that gain-of-function truncating mutations in GATA3 and PPM1D result in increased protein stability. Last, we identified UPS driver genes associated with prognosis and the tumor microenvironment. This study demonstrates the important role of UPS dysregulation in human cancer and underscores the potential therapeutic utility of targeting the UPS.
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125
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Burack JA, Evans DW, Russo N, Napoleon JS, Goldman KJ, Iarocci G. Developmental Perspectives on the Study of Persons with Intellectual Disability. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2021; 17:339-363. [PMID: 33561363 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-090532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Developmental approaches provide inclusive, universal, and methodologically rigorous frameworks for studying persons with intellectual disability (ID). This is an exceptionally heterogeneous group with regard to etiology, genotype, and phenotype that simply shares the traditional diagnostic criteria, typically a score of two standard deviations below the population mean of 100 on standardized IQ tests and deficits in adaptive behavior. We trace the foundational, conceptual, and methodological roots of developmental approaches and highlight ways that these and more recent iterations continue to be central to advances in the increasingly nuanced study of persons with ID. This work is premised on the consideration of specific etiological groupings and subgroupings across and between different domains of functioning within the context of familial and complex environments throughout the life span. We highlight the potential contributions of advances in behavioral methodologies, genomics, and neuroscience when considered within universal and hierarchic frameworks based on development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Burack
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2, Canada; ,
| | - David W Evans
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania 17837, USA;
| | - Natalie Russo
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13078, USA;
| | - Jenilee-Sarah Napoleon
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1Y2, Canada; ,
| | | | - Grace Iarocci
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada;
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126
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Mono-ubiquitination of Rabphilin 3A by UBE3A serves a non-degradative function. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3007. [PMID: 33542309 PMCID: PMC7862399 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82319-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by brain-specific loss of UBE3A, an E3 ubiquitin protein ligase. A substantial number of possible ubiquitination targets of UBE3A have been identified, although evidence of being direct UBE3A substrates is often lacking. Here we identified the synaptic protein Rabphilin-3a (RPH3A), an effector of the RAB3A small GTPase involved in axonal vesicle priming and docking, as a ubiquitination target of UBE3A. We found that the UBE3A and RAB3A binding sites on RPH3A partially overlap, and that RAB3A binding to RPH3A interferes with UBE3A binding. We confirmed previous observations that RPH3A levels are critically dependent on RAB3A binding but, rather surprisingly, we found that the reduced RPH3A levels in the absence of RAB3A are not mediated by UBE3A. Indeed, while we found that RPH3A is ubiquitinated in a UBE3A-dependent manner in mouse brain, UBE3A mono-ubiquitinates RPH3A and does not facilitate RPH3A degradation. Moreover, we found that an AS-linked UBE3A missense mutation in the UBE3A region that interacts with RPH3A, abrogates the interaction with RPH3A. In conclusion, our results identify RPH3A as a novel target of UBE3A and suggest that UBE3A-dependent ubiquitination of RPH3A serves a non-degradative function.
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127
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Cruz E, Descalzi G, Steinmetz A, Scharfman HE, Katzman A, Alberini CM. CIM6P/IGF-2 Receptor Ligands Reverse Deficits in Angelman Syndrome Model Mice. Autism Res 2021; 14:29-45. [PMID: 33108069 PMCID: PMC8579913 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS), a genetic disorder that primarily affects the nervous system, is characterized by delayed development, intellectual disability, severe speech impairment, and problems with movement and balance (ataxia). Most affected children also have recurrent seizures (epilepsy). No existing therapies are capable of comprehensively treating the deficits in AS; hence, there is an urgent need to identify new treatments. Here we show that insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) and mannose-6-phosphate (M6P), ligands of two independent binding sites of the cation-independent M6P/IGF-2 receptor (CIM6P/IGF-2R), reverse most major deficits of AS modeled in mice. Subcutaneous injection of IGF-2 or M6P in mice modeling AS restored cognitive impairments as assessed by measurements of contextual and recognition memories, motor deficits assessed by rotarod and hindlimb clasping, and working memory/flexibility measured by Y-maze. IGF-2 also corrected deficits in marble burying and significantly attenuated acoustically induced seizures. An observational battery of tests confirmed that neither ligand changed basic functions including physical characteristics, general behavioral responses, and sensory reflexes, indicating that they are relatively safe. Our data provide strong preclinical evidence that targeting CIM6P/IGF-2R is a promising approach for developing novel therapeutics for AS. LAY SUMMARY: There is no effective treatment for the neurodevelopmental disorder Angelman syndrome (AS). Using a validated AS mouse model, the Ube3am-/p+ , in this study we show that systemic administration of ligands of the cation independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor, also known as insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (CIM6P/IGF-2R) reverses cognitive impairment, motor deficits, as well as seizures associated with AS. Thus, ligands that activate the CIM6P/IGF-2R may represent novel, potential therapeutic targets for AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Cruz
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Giannina Descalzi
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Adam Steinmetz
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Helen E Scharfman
- Center for Dementia Research, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Aaron Katzman
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USA
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Keute M, Miller MT, Krishnan ML, Sadhwani A, Chamberlain S, Thibert RL, Tan WH, Bird LM, Hipp JF. Angelman syndrome genotypes manifest varying degrees of clinical severity and developmental impairment. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3625-3633. [PMID: 32792659 PMCID: PMC8505254 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0858-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder due to impaired expression of UBE3A in neurons. There are several genetic mechanisms that impair UBE3A expression, but they differ in how neighboring genes on chromosome 15 at 15q11-q13 are affected. There is evidence that different genetic subtypes present with different clinical severity, but a systematic quantitative investigation is lacking. Here we analyze natural history data on a large sample of individuals with AS (n = 250, 848 assessments), including clinical scales that quantify development of motor, cognitive, and language skills (Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Third Edition; Preschool Language Scale, Fourth Edition), adaptive behavior (Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scales, Second Edition), and AS-specific symptoms (AS Clinical Severity Scale). We found that clinical severity, as captured by these scales, differs between genetic subtypes: individuals with UBE3A pathogenic variants and imprinting defects (IPD) are less affected than individuals with uniparental paternal disomy (UPD); of those with UBE3A pathogenic variants, individuals with truncating mutations are more impaired than those with missense mutations. Individuals with a deletion that encompasses UBE3A and other genes are most impaired, but in contrast to previous work, we found little evidence for an influence of deletion length (class I vs. II) on severity of manifestations. The results of this systematic analysis highlight the relevance of genomic regions beyond UBE3A as contributing factors in the AS phenotype, and provide important information for the development of new therapies for AS. More generally, this work exemplifies how increasing genetic irregularities are reflected in clinical severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Keute
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Meghan T. Miller
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michelle L. Krishnan
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anjali Sadhwani
- grid.2515.30000 0004 0378 8438Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA ,grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA
| | - Stormy Chamberlain
- grid.63054.340000 0001 0860 4915Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT USA
| | - Ronald L. Thibert
- grid.32224.350000 0004 0386 9924Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Wen-Hann Tan
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XHarvard Medical School, Boston, MA USA ,grid.2515.30000 0004 0378 8438Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA
| | - Lynne M. Bird
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA USA ,grid.286440.c0000 0004 0383 2910Department of Genetics/Dysmorphology, Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Joerg F. Hipp
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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den Besten I, de Jong RF, Geerts‐Haages A, Bruggenwirth HT, Koopmans M, Brooks A, Elgersma Y, Festen DAM, Valstar MJ. Clinical aspects of a large group of adults with Angelman syndrome. Am J Med Genet A 2021; 185:168-181. [PMID: 33108066 PMCID: PMC7756639 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.61940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Descriptions of the clinical features of Angelman syndrome (AS) have mainly been focused on children. Here, we describe the evolution of the clinical phenotypes of AS in adulthood, using clinical data from 95 individuals (mean age 31.6 years, median 29.0 years, range 18-83 years), with genetically confirmed AS. Data was collected through physical examination and inspection of medical records, combined with questionnaires and interviews. Adults with AS experience substantial debilitating health problems. Constipation, reflux, visual problems, scoliosis, behavioral and sleeping problems occurred frequently and require appropriate attention. Epilepsy was reported in 57% of adults, negatively affecting the level of functioning. Non-convulsive status epilepticus was not observed in the adults, however some individuals developed prolonged episodes of rhythmic shaking while awake. A decline in mobility was noted in the majority of adults. A minority of adults with AS showed microcephaly. Taken together, this first phenotypic study of adults with AS to include in person interviews with care-givers and physical examination of patients, including the eldest adult reported to date, provides important insight in the development of the syndrome into adulthood. This knowledge is required to improve care for adult individuals with AS and to evaluate future therapies for this group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inge den Besten
- Intellectual Disability Medicine, Department of General PracticeErasmus MCRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Rianne F. de Jong
- Intellectual Disability Medicine, Department of General PracticeErasmus MCRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Amber Geerts‐Haages
- Intellectual Disability Medicine, Department of General PracticeErasmus MCRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Hennie T. Bruggenwirth
- Department of Clinical GeneticsErasmus University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marije Koopmans
- Department of Medical GeneticsUtrecht University Medical CenterUtrechtThe Netherlands
| | | | - Alice Brooks
- Department of Clinical GeneticsErasmus University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Dederieke A. M. Festen
- Intellectual Disability Medicine, Department of General PracticeErasmus MCRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marlies J. Valstar
- Intellectual Disability Medicine, Department of General PracticeErasmus MCRotterdamThe Netherlands
- ASVZ, Medical DepartmentCare and Service Centre for People with Intellectual DisabilitiesSliedrechtThe Netherlands
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Willgoss T, Cassater D, Connor S, Krishnan ML, Miller MT, Dias-Barbosa C, Phillips D, McCormack J, Bird LM, Burdine RD, Claridge S, Bichell TJ. Measuring What Matters to Individuals with Angelman Syndrome and Their Families: Development of a Patient-Centered Disease Concept Model. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2021; 52:654-668. [PMID: 32880036 PMCID: PMC8238699 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-020-01051-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a complex, heterogeneous, and life-long neurodevelopmental disorder. Despite the considerable impact on individuals and caregivers, no disease-modifying treatments are available. To support holistic clinical management and the development of AS-specific outcome measures for clinical studies, we conducted primary and secondary research identifying the impact of symptoms on individuals with AS and their unmet need. This qualitative research adopted a rigorous step-wise approach, aggregating information from published literature, then evaluating it via disease concept elicitation interviews with clinical experts and caregivers. We found that the AS-defining concepts most relevant for treatment included: impaired expressive communication, seizures, maladaptive behavior, cognitive impairment, motor function difficulties, sleep disturbance, and limited self-care abilities. We highlight the relevance of age in experiencing these key AS concepts, and the difference between the perceptions of clinicians and caregivers towards the syndrome. Finally, we outline the impact of AS on individuals, caregivers, and families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Willgoss
- Roche Products Limited, Hexagon Place, 6 Falcon Way, Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1TW, UK.
| | - Daiana Cassater
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Siobhan Connor
- grid.419227.bRoche Products Limited, Hexagon Place, 6 Falcon Way, Shire Park, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1TW UK
| | - Michelle L. Krishnan
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Meghan T. Miller
- grid.417570.00000 0004 0374 1269Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Dawn Phillips
- grid.410711.20000 0001 1034 1720Division of Physical Therapy, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Julie McCormack
- grid.423257.50000 0004 0510 2209Evidera, Patient-Centered Research, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Lynne M. Bird
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA USA
| | - Rebecca D. Burdine
- grid.16750.350000 0001 2097 5006Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ USA
| | - Sharon Claridge
- Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Research (FAST), Downers Grove, IL USA
| | - Terry Jo Bichell
- Consortium for Outcome Measures and Biomarkers for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Nashville, TN USA
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Bird LM, Ochoa-Lubinoff C, Tan WH, Heimer G, Melmed RD, Rakhit A, Visootsak J, During MJ, Holcroft C, Burdine RD, Kolevzon A, Thibert RL. The STARS Phase 2 Study: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Gaboxadol in Angelman Syndrome. Neurology 2020; 96:e1024-e1035. [PMID: 33443117 PMCID: PMC8055330 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000011409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate safety and tolerability and exploratory efficacy end points for gaboxadol (OV101) compared with placebo in individuals with Angelman syndrome (AS). METHODS Gaboxadol is a highly selective orthosteric agonist that activates δ-subunit-containing extrasynaptic γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors. In a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial, adolescent and adult individuals with a molecular diagnosis of AS were randomized (1:1:1) to 1 of 3 dosing regimens for a duration of 12 weeks: placebo morning dose and gaboxadol 15 mg evening dose (qd), gaboxadol 10 mg morning dose and 15 mg evening dose (bid), or placebo morning and evening dose. Safety and tolerability were monitored throughout the study. Prespecified exploratory efficacy end points included adapted Clinical Global Impression-Severity and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scales, which documented the clinical severity at baseline and change after treatment, respectively. RESULTS Eighty-eight individuals were randomized. Of 87 individuals (aged 13-45 years) who received at least 1 dose of study drug, 78 (90%) completed the study. Most adverse events (AEs) were mild to moderate, and no life-threatening AEs were reported. Efficacy of gaboxadol, as measured by CGI-I improvement in an exploratory analysis, was observed in gaboxadol qd vs placebo (p = 0.0006). CONCLUSION After 12 weeks of treatment, gaboxadol was found to be generally well-tolerated with a favorable safety profile. The efficacy as measured by the AS-adapted CGI-I scale warrants further studies. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER NCT02996305. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE This study provides Class I evidence that, for individuals with AS, gaboxadol is generally safe and well-tolerated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynne M Bird
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Cesar Ochoa-Lubinoff
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Wen-Hann Tan
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Gali Heimer
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Raun D Melmed
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Amit Rakhit
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Jeannie Visootsak
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Matthew J During
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Christina Holcroft
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Rebecca D Burdine
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
| | - Ronald L Thibert
- From the University of California, San Diego (L.M.B.); Rady Children's Hospital (L.M.B.), San Diego, CA; Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (C.O.-L.), Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL; Division of Genetics and Genomics (W.-H.T.), Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, MA; Pediatric Neurology Unit (G.H.), Safra Children's Hospital, the Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan; The Sackler School of Medicine (G.H.), Tel Aviv University, Israel; Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (R.D.M.), Phoenix, AZ; Ovid Therapeutics Inc. (A.R., M.J.D.); Neurogene (J.V.), New York, NY; Prometrika, LLC (C.H.), Cambridge, MA; Department of Molecular Biology (R.D.B.), Princeton University, NJ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry (A.K.), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; and Angelman Syndrome Clinic, Department of Neurology (R.L.T.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
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Kharbat FF, Alshawabkeh A, Woolsey ML. Identifying gaps in using artificial intelligence to support students with intellectual disabilities from education and health perspectives. ASLIB J INFORM MANAG 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/ajim-02-2020-0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeStudents with developmental/intellectual disabilities (ID/DD) often have serious health issues that require additional medical care and supervision. Serious health issues also mean increased absence and additional lags in academic achievement and development of adaptive and social skills. The incorporation of artificial intelligence in the education of a child with ID/DD could ameliorate the educational, adaptive and social skill gaps that occur as a direct result of persistent health problems.Design/methodology/approachThe literature regarding the use of artificial intelligence in education for students with ID/DD was collected systematically from international online databases based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The collected articles were analyzed deductively, looking for the different gaps in the domain. Based on the literature, an artificial intelligence–based architecture is proposed and sketched.FindingsThe findings show that there are many gaps in supporting students with ID/DD through the utilization of artificial intelligence. Given that the majority of students with ID/DD often have serious and chronic and comorbid health conditions, the potential use of health information in artificial intelligence is even more critical. Therefore, there is a clear need to develop a system that facilitates communication and access to health information for students with ID/DD, one that provides information to caregivers and education providers, limits errors, and, therefore, improves these individuals' education and quality of life.Practical implicationsThis review highlights the gap in the current literature regarding using artificial intelligence in supporting the education of students with ID/DD. There is an urgent need for an intelligent system in collaboration with the updated health information to improve the quality of services submitted for people with intellectual disabilities and as a result improving their quality of life.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by highlighting the gaps in incorporating artificial intelligence and its service to individuals with ID/DD. The research additionally proposes a solution based on the confounding variables of students’ health and individual characteristics. This solution will provide an automated information flow as a functional diagnostic and intervention tool for teachers, caregivers and parents. It could potentially improve the educational and practical outcomes for individuals with ID/DD and, ultimately, their quality of life.
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Riva A, Federici C, Piccolo G, Amadori E, Verrotti A, Striano P. Exploring treatments for drooling in children with neurological disorders. Expert Rev Neurother 2020; 21:179-187. [PMID: 33222543 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2021.1855146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Drooling represents a major problem in the every-day life of pediatric patients with neurological disorders. The significant burden, both physical and socio-psychological, of the disorder requires adequate clinical evaluation and proper management. However, treating drooling remains a challenge for clinicians. This is a review of the most up-to-date therapeutic options for the treatment of drooling in the pediatric population, hence both conservative, pharmacological, and surgical approaches are discussed. Areas covered: Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), structured reviews, and case reports are included. Special focus is paid on the methods used to evaluate the efficacy and safety outcomes in the selected RCTs, trying to promote the use of more validated scales to assess drooling in the future. Expert opinion: The lack of reliable metrics to assess efficacy and safety outcomes in drooling limits researchers from identifying the best patient-suitable treatment. The relatively small number of clinical trials carried out over the last two decades is also due to the difficulty in assessing drooling using subjective scales. A key enabler for new efficient therapies stands in the introduction of accurate and robust metrics to measure treatment effectiveness on drooling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Riva
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRRCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Università Degli Studi di Genova , Genova, Italy
| | - Camilla Federici
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRRCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova, Italy
| | - Gianluca Piccolo
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRRCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Università Degli Studi di Genova , Genova, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Amadori
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRRCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Università Degli Studi di Genova , Genova, Italy
| | - Alberto Verrotti
- Department of Pediatrics, Università Degli Studi dell'Aquila , University of Perugia, Italy
| | - Pasquale Striano
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRRCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, Università Degli Studi di Genova , Genova, Italy
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Mammals have two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent with equal autosomal gene expression. Less than one percentage of human genes are imprinted or show expression from only one parent without changing gene structure, usually by DNA methylation, but reversible in gametogenesis. Many imprinted genes affect fetal growth and development accounting for several human disorders reviewed in this report. RECENT FINDINGS Disorders include Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes, the first examples of imprinting errors in humans, chromosome 15q11.2-q13.3 duplication, Silver-Russell syndrome, Beckwith-Weidemann syndrome, GNAS gene-related inactivation disorders (e.g. Albright hereditary osteodystrophy), uniparental chromosome 14 disomy, chromosome 6q24-related transient neonatal diabetes mellitus, parent of origin effects in 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 deletion (Burnside-Butler) syndrome and 15q11-q13 single gene imprinted disorders. SUMMARY Periconceptional and intrauterine life can be influenced by environmental factors and nutrition impacting DNA methylation. This process not only alters development of the fetus, but pregnancy complications may result from large fetal size. Epigenetic processes control imprinted gene functions and regulation with susceptibility to diseases as described. A better understanding of these processes will impact on care and treatment of affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merlin G Butler
- Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
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135
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Novel strategies to cure imprinting disorders. MED GENET-BERLIN 2020. [DOI: 10.1515/medgen-2020-2043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In imprinting disorders, where the active copy of an imprinted gene is mutated or lost, there is a unique opportunity for causal treatment by unsilencing the other, dormant allele. Depending on the mechanism by which the allele is silenced, unsilencing can be achieved by epigenetic drugs, antisense-oligonucleotides (ASOs) or epigenome editing. While most of the research is still preclinical, first-in-humans studies with ASOs have started in 2020.
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Abstract
Abstract
Genomic imprinting ensures the parent-specific expression of either the maternal or the paternal allele, by different epigenetic processes (DNA methylation and histone modifications) that confer parent-specific marks (imprints) in the paternal and maternal germline, respectively. Most protein-coding imprinted genes are involved in embryonic growth, development, and behavior. They are usually organized in genomic domains that are regulated by differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Genomic imprints are erased in the primordial germ cells and then reset in a gene-specific manner according to the sex of the germline. The imprinted genes regulate and interact with other genes, consistent with the existence of an imprinted gene network. Defects of genomic imprinting result in syndromal imprinting disorders. To date a dozen congenital imprinting disorders are known. Usually, a given imprinting disorder can be caused by different types of defects, including point mutations, deletions/duplications, uniparental disomy, and epimutations. Causative trans-acting factors in imprinting disorders, including ZFP57 and the subcortical maternal complex (SCMC), have the potential to affect multiple DMRs across the genome, resulting in a multi-locus imprinting disturbance. There is evidence that mutations in components of the SCMC can confer an increased risk for imprinting disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dirk Prawitt
- Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine , University Medical Centre Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz , Obere Zahlbacher Str. 63 , Mainz , Germany
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics , Julius Maximilians University , Würzburg , Germany
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Zampeta FI, Sonzogni M, Niggl E, Lendemeijer B, Smeenk H, de Vrij FMS, Kushner SA, Distel B, Elgersma Y. Conserved UBE3A subcellular distribution between human and mice is facilitated by non-homologous isoforms. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 29:3032-3043. [PMID: 32879944 PMCID: PMC7645710 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human UBE3A gene, which is essential for normal neurodevelopment, encodes three Ubiquitin E3 ligase A (UBE3A) protein isoforms. However, the subcellular localization and relative abundance of these human UBE3A isoforms are unknown. We found, as previously reported in mice, that UBE3A is predominantly nuclear in human neurons. However, this conserved subcellular distribution is achieved by strikingly distinct cis-acting mechanisms. A single amino-acid deletion in the N-terminus of human hUBE3A-Iso3, which is homologous to cytosolic mouse mUBE3A-Iso2, results in its translocation to the nucleus. This singe amino-acid deletion is shared with apes and Old World monkeys and was preceded by the appearance of the cytosolic hUBE3A-Iso2 isoform. This hUBE3A-Iso2 isoform arose after the lineage of New World monkeys and Old World monkeys separated from the Tarsiers (Tarsiidae). Due to the loss of a single nucleotide in a non-coding exon, this exon became in frame with the remainder of the UBE3A protein. RNA-seq analysis of human brain samples showed that the human UBE3A isoforms arise by alternative splicing. Consistent with the predominant nuclear enrichment of UBE3A in human neurons, the two nuclear-localized isoforms, hUBE3A-Iso1 and -Iso3, are the most abundantly expressed isoforms of UBE3A, while hUBE3A-Iso2 maintains a small pool of cytosolic UBE3A. Our findings provide new insight into UBE3A localization and evolution and may have important implications for gene therapy approaches in Angelman syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Isabella Zampeta
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Monica Sonzogni
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eva Niggl
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bas Lendemeijer
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde Smeenk
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Femke M S de Vrij
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steven A Kushner
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Distel
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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138
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Narayanan R, Schratt G. miRNA regulation of social and anxiety-related behaviour. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:4347-4364. [PMID: 32409861 PMCID: PMC11104968 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and anxiety disorders are characterized by a complex range of symptoms, including social behaviour and cognitive deficits, depression and repetitive behaviours. Although the mechanisms driving pathophysiology are complex and remain largely unknown, advances in the understanding of gene association and gene networks are providing significant clues to their aetiology. In recent years, small noncoding RNA molecules known as microRNA (miRNA) have emerged as a new gene regulatory layer in the pathophysiology of mental illness. These small RNAs can bind to the 3'-UTR of mRNA thereby negatively regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Their ability to regulate hundreds of target mRNAs simultaneously predestines them to control the activity of entire cellular pathways, with obvious implications for the regulation of complex processes such as animal behaviour. There is growing evidence to suggest that numerous miRNAs are dysregulated in pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, and there is strong genetic support for the association of miRNA genes and their targets with several of these conditions. This review attempts to cover the most relevant microRNAs for which an important contribution to the control of social and anxiety-related behaviour has been demonstrated by functional studies in animal models. In addition, it provides an overview of recent expression profiling and genetic association studies in human patient-derived samples in an attempt to highlight the most promising candidates for biomarker discovery and therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanathan Narayanan
- Lab of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Neuroscience, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Schratt
- Lab of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Neuroscience, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Geerts‐Haages A, Bossuyt SNV, den Besten I, Bruggenwirth H, van der Burgt I, Yntema HG, Punt AM, Brooks A, Elgersma Y, Distel B, Valstar M. A novel UBE3A sequence variant identified in eight related individuals with neurodevelopmental delay, results in a phenotype which does not match the clinical criteria of Angelman syndrome. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2020; 8:e1481. [PMID: 32889787 PMCID: PMC7667313 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Loss of functional UBE3A, an E3 protein ubiquitin ligase, causes Angelman syndrome (AS), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by severe developmental delay, speech impairment, epilepsy, movement or balance disorder, and a characteristic behavioral pattern. We identified a novel UBE3A sequence variant in a large family with eight affected individuals, who did not meet the clinical AS criteria. METHODS Detailed clinical examination and genetic analysis was performed to establish the phenotypic diversity and the genetic cause. The function of the mutant UBE3A protein was assessed with respect to its subcellular localization, stability, and E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. RESULTS All eight affected individuals showed the presence of a novel maternally inherited UBE3A sequence variant (NM_130838.4(UBE3A):c.1018-1020del, p.(Asn340del), which is in line with a genetic AS diagnosis. Although they presented with moderate to severe intellectual disability, the phenotype did not match the clinical criteria for AS. In line with this, functional analysis of the UBE3A p.Asn340del mutant protein revealed no major deficits in UBE3A protein localization, stability, or E3 ubiquitin ligase activity. CONCLUSION The p.(Asn340del) mutant protein behaves distinctly different from previously described AS-linked missense mutations in UBE3A, and causes a phenotype that is markedly different from AS. This study further extends the range of phenotypes that are associated with UBE3A loss, duplication, or mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Geerts‐Haages
- Intellectual Disability MedicineDepartment of General PracticeErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Stijn N. V. Bossuyt
- Department of Medical BiochemistryAmsterdam UMC, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Inge den Besten
- Intellectual Disability MedicineDepartment of General PracticeErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Hennie Bruggenwirth
- Department of Clinical GeneticsErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Ineke van der Burgt
- Department of Human GeneticsRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Helger G. Yntema
- Department of Human GeneticsRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - A. Mattijs Punt
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Alice Brooks
- Department of Clinical GeneticsErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental DisordersErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental DisordersErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Ben Distel
- Department of Medical BiochemistryAmsterdam UMC, University of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Department of NeuroscienceErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental DisordersErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marlies Valstar
- Intellectual Disability MedicineDepartment of General PracticeErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental DisordersErasmus MC University Medical CenterRotterdamThe Netherlands
- ASVZ, Medical DepartmentCare and Service Centre for People with Intellectual DisabilitiesSliedrechtThe Netherlands
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140
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Buonfiglio D, Hummer DL, Armstrong A, Christopher Ehlen J, DeBruyne JP. Angelman syndrome and melatonin: What can they teach us about sleep regulation. J Pineal Res 2020; 69:e12697. [PMID: 32976638 PMCID: PMC7577950 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
In 1965, Dr Harry Angelman reported a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting three unrelated children who had similar symptoms: brachycephaly, mental retardation, ataxia, seizures, protruding tongues, and remarkable paroxysms of laughter. Over the past 50 years, the disorder became Angelman's namesake and symptomology was expanded to include hyper-activity, stereotypies, and severe sleep disturbances. The sleep disorders in many Angelman syndrome (AS) patients are broadly characterized by difficulty falling and staying asleep at night. Some of these patients sleep less than 4 hours a night and, in most cases, do not make up this lost sleep during the day-leading to the speculation that AS patients may "need" less sleep. Most AS patients also have severely reduced levels of melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland exclusively at night. This nightly pattern of melatonin production is thought to help synchronize internal circadian rhythms and promote nighttime sleep in humans and other diurnal species. It has been proposed that reduced melatonin levels contribute to the sleep problems in AS patients. Indeed, emerging evidence suggests melatonin replacement therapy can improve sleep in many AS patients. However, AS mice show sleep problems that are arguably similar to those in humans despite being on genetic backgrounds that do not make melatonin. This suggests the hypothesis that the change in nighttime melatonin may be a secondary factor rather than the root cause of the sleeping disorder. The goals of this review article are to revisit the sleep and melatonin findings in both AS patients and animal models of AS and discuss what AS may tell us about the underlying mechanisms of, and interplay between, melatonin and sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniella Buonfiglio
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Daniel L Hummer
- Department of Psychology, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ariel Armstrong
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Jason P DeBruyne
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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141
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Moreira-de-Sá A, Gonçalves FQ, Lopes JP, Silva HB, Tomé ÂR, Cunha RA, Canas PM. Adenosine A 2A receptors format long-term depression and memory strategies in a mouse model of Angelman syndrome. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 146:105137. [PMID: 33049319 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Angelman syndrome (AS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss of function of the maternally inherited Ube3a neuronal protein, whose main features comprise severe intellectual disabilities and motor impairments. Previous studies with the Ube3am-/p+ mouse model of AS revealed deficits in synaptic plasticity and memory. Since adenosine A2A receptors (A2AR) are powerful modulators of aberrant synaptic plasticity and A2AR blockade prevents memory dysfunction in various brain diseases, we tested if A2AR could control deficits of memory and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in AS. We observed that Ube3am-/p+ mice were unable to resort to hippocampal-dependent search strategies when tested for learning and memory in the Morris water maze; this was associated with a decreased magnitude of long-term depression (LTD) in CA1 hippocampal circuits. There was an increased density of A2AR in the hippocampus of Ube3am-/p+ mice and their chronic treatment with the selective A2AR antagonist SCH58261 (0.1 mg/kg/day, ip) restored both hippocampal-dependent learning strategies, as well as LTD deficits. Altogether, this study provides the first evidence of a role of A2AR as a new prospective therapeutic target to manage learning deficits in AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Moreira-de-Sá
- CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisco Q Gonçalves
- CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João P Lopes
- CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Henrique B Silva
- CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ângelo R Tomé
- CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal; Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo A Cunha
- CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Paula M Canas
- CNC- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal.
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142
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Dutta R, Crawley JN. Behavioral Evaluation of Angelman Syndrome Mice at Older Ages. Neuroscience 2020; 445:163-171. [PMID: 31730795 PMCID: PMC7214203 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Angelman syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder presenting with severe deficits in motor, speech, and cognitive abilities. The primary genetic cause of Angelman syndrome is a maternally transmitted mutation in the Ube3a gene, which has been successfully modeled in Ube3a mutant mice. Phenotypes have been extensively reported in young adult Ube3a mice. Because symptoms continue throughout life in Angelman syndrome, we tested multiple behavioral phenotypes of male Ube3a mice and WT littermate controls at older adult ages. Social behaviors on both the 3-chambered social approach and male-female social interaction tests showed impairments in Ube3a at 12 months of age. Anxiety-related scores on both the elevated plus-maze and the light ↔ dark transitions assays indicated anxiety-like phenotypes in 12 month old Ube3a mice. Open field locomotion parameters were consistently lower at 12 months. Reduced general exploratory locomotion at this age prevented the interpretation of an anxiety-like phenotype, and likely impacted social tasks. Robust phenotypes in middle-aged Ube3a mice appear to result from continued motor decline. Motor deficits may provide the best outcome measures for preclinical testing of pharmacological targets, towards reductions of symptoms in adults with Angelman syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Dutta
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Jacqueline N Crawley
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
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143
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Hirose S, Tanaka Y, Shibata M, Kimura Y, Ishikawa M, Higurashi N, Yamamoto T, Ichise E, Chiyonobu T, Ishii A. Application of induced pluripotent stem cells in epilepsy. Mol Cell Neurosci 2020; 108:103535. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2020.103535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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144
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Turner TJ, Zourray C, Schorge S, Lignani G. Recent advances in gene therapy for neurodevelopmental disorders with epilepsy. J Neurochem 2020; 157:229-262. [PMID: 32880951 PMCID: PMC8436749 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders can be caused by mutations in neuronal genes fundamental to brain development. These disorders have severe symptoms ranging from intellectually disability, social and cognitive impairments, and a subset are strongly linked with epilepsy. In this review, we focus on those neurodevelopmental disorders that are frequently characterized by the presence of epilepsy (NDD + E). We loosely group the genes linked to NDD + E with different neuronal functions: transcriptional regulation, intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission. All these genes have in common a pivotal role in defining the brain architecture and function during early development, and when their function is altered, symptoms can present in the first stages of human life. The relationship with epilepsy is complex. In some NDD + E, epilepsy is a comorbidity and in others seizures appear to be the main cause of the pathology, suggesting that either structural changes (NDD) or neuronal communication (E) can lead to these disorders. Furthermore, grouping the genes that cause NDD + E, we review the uses and limitations of current models of the different disorders, and how different gene therapy strategies are being developed to treat them. We highlight where gene replacement may not be a treatment option, and where innovative therapeutic tools, such as CRISPR‐based gene editing, and new avenues of delivery are required. In general this group of genetically defined disorders, supported increasing knowledge of the mechanisms leading to neurological dysfunction serve as an excellent collection for illustrating the translational potential of gene therapy, including newly emerging tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Turner
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Clara Zourray
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,Department of Pharmacology, UCL School of Pharmacy, London, UK
| | | | - Gabriele Lignani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
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145
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Laukoter S, Pauler FM, Beattie R, Amberg N, Hansen AH, Streicher C, Penz T, Bock C, Hippenmeyer S. Cell-Type Specificity of Genomic Imprinting in Cerebral Cortex. Neuron 2020; 107:1160-1179.e9. [PMID: 32707083 PMCID: PMC7523403 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In mammalian genomes, a subset of genes is regulated by genomic imprinting, resulting in silencing of one parental allele. Imprinting is essential for cerebral cortex development, but prevalence and functional impact in individual cells is unclear. Here, we determined allelic expression in cortical cell types and established a quantitative platform to interrogate imprinting in single cells. We created cells with uniparental chromosome disomy (UPD) containing two copies of either the maternal or the paternal chromosome; hence, imprinted genes will be 2-fold overexpressed or not expressed. By genetic labeling of UPD, we determined cellular phenotypes and transcriptional responses to deregulated imprinted gene expression at unprecedented single-cell resolution. We discovered an unexpected degree of cell-type specificity and a novel function of imprinting in the regulation of cortical astrocyte survival. More generally, our results suggest functional relevance of imprinted gene expression in glial astrocyte lineage and thus for generating cortical cell-type diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Laukoter
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Florian M Pauler
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Robert Beattie
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Nicole Amberg
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Andi H Hansen
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Carmen Streicher
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Penz
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Bock
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Simon Hippenmeyer
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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146
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Identification of Small-Molecule Activators of the Ubiquitin Ligase E6AP/UBE3A and Angelman Syndrome-Derived E6AP/UBE3A Variants. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:1510-1520.e6. [PMID: 32966807 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Genetic aberrations of the UBE3A gene encoding the E3 ubiquitin ligase E6AP underlie the development of Angelman syndrome (AS). Approximately 10% of AS individuals harbor UBE3A genes with point mutations, frequently resulting in the expression of full-length E6AP variants with defective E3 activity. Since E6AP exists in two states, an inactive and an active one, we hypothesized that distinct small molecules can stabilize the active state and that such molecules may rescue the E3 activity of AS-derived E6AP variants. Therefore, we established an assay that allows identifying modulators of E6AP in a high-throughput format. We identified several compounds that not only stimulate wild-type E6AP but also rescue the E3 activity of certain E6AP variants. Moreover, by chemical cross-linking coupled to mass spectrometry we provide evidence that the compounds stabilize an active conformation of E6AP. Thus, these compounds represent potential lead structures for the design of drugs for AS treatment.
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147
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Abstract
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent and
unprovoked seizures due to neuronal hyperactivity. A large proportion
of epilepsy cases begin during childhood. Causes of epilepsy include
stroke, infections, brain injury, genetic factors, or other factors
that alter brain structure and development, but in up to 50% of cases
the cause is unknown. Approximately 35% of patients have refractory
seizures that do not respond to medication. Animal models and in vitro
cultures have contributed to our understanding of epilepsy, but there
is a clear need for better models to explore the human brain in normal
and pathological conditions. Human pluripotent stem cell (PSC)
technologies opened the door for new models for analyzing brain
development and disease, especially conditions with a genetic
component. Initially, PSCs were differentiated into 2-dimensional
cultures of a homogenous population of neural cells, such as
glutamatergic excitatory or γ-aminobutyric acidergic inhibitory
neurons, as well as glial cells. Nevertheless, these cultures lacked
the structure and complexity of a human brain. In the last decade, PSC
technology has advanced to the next level through the development of
3-dimensional culture, called organoids. These organoids recapitulate
features of the human brain that are missing in animal models,
enabling a deeper study of the human brain. In this review, we will
summarize the current status of organoid research and its application
to epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa Nieto-Estévez
- Department of Biology and Brain Health Consortium, 414492The University of Texas at San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jenny Hsieh
- Department of Biology and Brain Health Consortium, 414492The University of Texas at San Antonio, TX, USA
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Zilberman I, Zilberman U. The effect of Angelman syndrome on enamel and dentin mineralization. SPECIAL CARE IN DENTISTRY 2020; 40:574-579. [PMID: 32881030 DOI: 10.1111/scd.12514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To analyze the mineralization and ion content in deciduous, permanent teeth of Angelman syndrome in comparison to match-paired teeth from normal children. METHODS Three deciduous teeth and a third molar and a mesiodens extracted during routine dental treatment and their match-paired normal teeth were examined using energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer program under a scanning electron microscope. RESULTS The morphology of the enamel and dentin of Angelman syndrome (AS) teeth was similar to normal but the thickness of the enamel of deciduous canine and permanent teeth was reduced. The most marked differences were found in the enamel-in AS teeth, the enamel contained nitrogen in concentrations similar to dentin, implicating that the protein content of the enamel is different from normal teeth where nitrogen is absent. CONCLUSIONS AS affects morphology and mineralization of enamel. It caused hypoplastic enamel and abnormal protein content in comparison to match-paired normal teeth. These findings show that AS also affects odontogenesis in addition to the known oral motor challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itai Zilberman
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Barzilai Medical University Center, Ashkelon, Israel
| | - Uri Zilberman
- Pediatric Dental Clinic, Barzilai Medical University Center, Ashkelon, Israel
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Stafstrom CE. How Many Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Patch Pipette? Understanding Neuronal Hyperexcitability in Angelman Syndrome. Epilepsy Curr 2020; 20:309-311. [PMID: 34025247 PMCID: PMC7653648 DOI: 10.1177/1535759720948440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Potassium Channel Dysfunction in Human Neuronal Models of Angelman Syndrome Sun AX, Yuan Q, Fukuda M, Yu W, Yan H, Lim GGY, Nai MH, D’Agostino GA, Tran H-D, Itahana Y, Wang D, Lokman H, Itahana K, Lim SWL, Tang J, Chang YY, Zhang M, Cook SA, Rackham OJL, Lim CT, Tan EK, Ng HH, Lim KL, Jiang Y-H, Je HS. Science . 2019;366(6472):1486-1492. doi: 10.1126/science.aav5386 Disruptions in the ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A ) gene cause Angelman syndrome (AS). Whereas AS model mice have associated synaptic dysfunction and altered plasticity with abnormal behavior, whether similar or other mechanisms contribute to network hyperactivity and epilepsy susceptibility in AS patients remains unclear. Using human neurons and brain organoids, we demonstrate that UBE3A suppresses neuronal hyperexcitability via ubiquitin-mediated degradation of calcium and voltage-dependent big potassium (BK) channels. We provide evidence that augmented BK channel activity manifests as increased intrinsic excitability in individual neurons and subsequent network synchronization. Big potassium antagonists normalized neuronal excitability in both human and mouse neurons and ameliorated seizure susceptibility in an AS mouse model. Our findings suggest that BK channelopathy underlies epilepsy in AS and support the use of human cells to model human developmental diseases.
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Schultz MN, Crawley JN. Evaluation of a TrkB agonist on spatial and motor learning in the Ube3a mouse model of Angelman syndrome. Learn Mem 2020; 27:346-354. [PMID: 32817301 PMCID: PMC7433657 DOI: 10.1101/lm.051201.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Angelman syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a mutation in the maternal allele of the gene Ube3a The primary symptoms of Angelman syndrome are severe cognitive deficits, impaired motor functions, and speech disabilities. Analogous phenotypes have been detected in young adult Ube3a mice. Here, we investigate cognitive phenotypes of Ube3a mice as compared to wild-type littermate controls at an older adult age. Water maze spatial learning, swim speed, and rotarod motor coordination and balance were impaired at 6 mo of age, as predicted. Based on previous findings of reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor in Ube3a mice, a novel therapeutic target, the TrkB agonist 7,8-DHF, was interrogated. Semichronic daily treatment with 7,8-DHF, 5 mg/kg i.p., did not significantly improve the impairments in performance during the acquisition of the water maze hidden platform location in Ube3a mice, after training with either massed or spaced trials, and had no effect on the swim speed and rotarod deficits. Robust behavioral phenotypes in middle-aged Ube3a mice appear to result from continued motor decline. Our results suggest that motor deficits could offer useful outcome measures for preclinical testing of many pharmacological targets, with the goal of reducing symptoms in adults with Angelman syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria N Schultz
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95821, USA
| | - Jacqueline N Crawley
- MIND Institute, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95821, USA
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