1
|
Genetic mechanisms of peripheral nerve disease. Neurosci Lett 2020; 742:135357. [PMID: 33249104 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral neuropathies of genetic etiology are a very diverse group of disorders manifesting either as non-syndromic inherited neuropathies without significant manifestations outside the peripheral nervous system, or as part of a systemic or syndromic genetic disorder. The former and most frequent group is collectively known as Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), with prevalence as high as 1:2,500 world-wide, and has proven to be genetically highly heterogeneous. More than 100 different genes have been identified so far to cause various CMT forms, following all possible inheritance patterns. CMT causative genes belong to several common functional pathways that are essential for the integrity of the peripheral nerve. Their discovery has provided insights into the normal biology of axons and myelinating cells, and has highlighted the molecular mechanisms including both loss of function and gain of function effects, leading to peripheral nerve degeneration. Demyelinating neuropathies result from dysfunction of genes primarily affecting myelinating Schwann cells, while axonal neuropathies are caused by genes affecting mostly neurons and their long axons. Furthermore, mutation in genes expressed outside the nervous system, as in the case of inherited amyloid neuropathies, may cause peripheral neuropathy resulting from accumulation of β-structured amyloid fibrils in peripheral nerves in addition to various organs. Increasing insights into the molecular-genetic mechanisms have revealed potential therapeutic targets. These will enable the development of novel therapeutics for genetic neuropathies that remain, in their majority, without effective treatment.
Collapse
|
2
|
Visigalli D, Capodivento G, Basit A, Fernández R, Hamid Z, Pencová B, Gemelli C, Marubbi D, Pastorino C, Luoma AM, Riekel C, Kirschner DA, Schenone A, Fernández JA, Armirotti A, Nobbio L. Exploiting Sphingo- and Glycerophospholipid Impairment to Select Effective Drugs and Biomarkers for CMT1A. Front Neurol 2020; 11:903. [PMID: 32982928 PMCID: PMC7477391 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A (CMT1A), Schwann cells exhibit a preponderant transcriptional deficiency of genes involved in lipid biosynthesis. This perturbed lipid metabolism affects the peripheral nerve physiology and the structure of peripheral myelin. Nevertheless, the identification and functional characterization of the lipid species mainly responsible for CMT1A myelin impairment currently lack. This is critical in the pathogenesis of the neuropathy since lipids are many and complex molecules which play essential roles in the cell, including the structural components of cellular membranes, cell signaling, and membrane trafficking. Moreover, lipids themselves are able to modify gene transcription, thereby affecting the genotype-phenotype correlation of well-defined inherited diseases, including CMT1A. Here we report for the first time a comprehensive lipid profiling in experimental and human CMT1A, demonstrating a previously unknown specific alteration of sphingolipid (SP) and glycerophospholipid (GP) metabolism. Notably, SP, and GP changes even emerge in biological fluids of CMT1A rat and human patients, implying a systemic metabolic dysfunction for these specific lipid classes. Actually, SP and GP are not merely reduced; their expression is instead aberrant, contributing to the ultrastructural abnormalities that we detailed by X-ray diffraction in rat and human internode myelin. The modulation of SP and GP pathways in myelinating dorsal root ganglia cultures clearly sustains this issue. In fact, just selected molecules interacting with these pathways are able to modify the altered geometric parameters of CMT1A myelinated fibers. Overall, we propose to exploit the present SP and GP metabolism impairment to select effective drugs and validate a set of reliable biomarkers, which remain a challenge in CMT1A neuropathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Visigalli
- DINOGMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino, UO Clinica Neurologica, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giovanna Capodivento
- DINOGMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino, UO Clinica Neurologica, Genoa, Italy
| | - Abdul Basit
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberto Fernández
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Zeeshan Hamid
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Barbora Pencová
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Chiara Gemelli
- DINOGMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino, UO Clinica Neurologica, Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniela Marubbi
- DIMES, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino, UO Oncologia Cellulare Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Cecilia Pastorino
- DINOGMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino, UO Clinica Neurologica, Genoa, Italy
| | - Adrienne M Luoma
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | | | - Angelo Schenone
- DINOGMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino, UO Clinica Neurologica, Genoa, Italy
| | - José A Fernández
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
| | - Andrea Armirotti
- Analytical Chemistry Lab, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy
| | - Lucilla Nobbio
- DINOGMI, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico S. Martino, UO Clinica Neurologica, Genoa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Svaren J, Moran JJ, Wu X, Zuccarino R, Bacon C, Bai Y, Ramesh R, Gutmann L, Anderson DM, Pavelec D, Shy ME. Schwann cell transcript biomarkers for hereditary neuropathy skin biopsies. Ann Neurol 2019; 85:887-898. [PMID: 30945774 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is most commonly caused by duplication of a chromosomal segment surrounding Peripheral Myelin Protein 22, or PMP22 gene, which is classified as CMT1A. Several candidate therapies reduce Pmp22 mRNA levels in CMT1A rodent models, but development of biomarkers for clinical trials in CMT1A is a challenge given its slow progression and difficulty in obtaining nerve samples. Quantitative PCR measurements of PMP22 mRNA in dermal nerves were performed using skin biopsies in human clinical trials for CMT1A, but this approach did not show increased PMP22 mRNA in CMT1A patients compared to controls. One complicating factor is the variable amounts of Schwann cells (SCs) in skin. The objective of the study was to develop a novel method for precise evaluation of PMP22 levels in skin biopsies that can discriminate CMT1A patients from controls. METHODS We have developed methods to normalize PMP22 transcript levels to SC-specific genes that are not altered by CMT1A status. Several CMT1A-associated genes were assembled into a custom Nanostring panel to enable precise transcript measurements that can be normalized to variable SC content. RESULTS The digital expression data from Nanostring analysis showed reproducible elevation of PMP22 levels in CMT1A versus control skin biopsies, particularly after normalization to SC-specific genes. INTERPRETATION This platform should be useful in clinical trials for CMT1A as a biomarker of target engagement that can be used to optimize dosing, and the same normalization framework is applicable to other types of CMT. ANN NEUROL 2019;85:887-898.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Svaren
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.,Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - John J Moran
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Xingyao Wu
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Riccardo Zuccarino
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA.,Neuromuscular Omnicentre (NEMO)-Fondazione Serena Onlus, Arenzano, Italy
| | - Chelsea Bacon
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Yunhong Bai
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Raghu Ramesh
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Laurie Gutmann
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Daniel M Anderson
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| | - Derek Pavelec
- Biotechnology Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
| | - Michael E Shy
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Prukop T, Stenzel J, Wernick S, Kungl T, Mroczek M, Adam J, Ewers D, Nabirotchkin S, Nave KA, Hajj R, Cohen D, Sereda MW. Early short-term PXT3003 combinational therapy delays disease onset in a transgenic rat model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1A (CMT1A). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0209752. [PMID: 30650121 PMCID: PMC6334894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The most common type of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is caused by a duplication of PMP22 leading to dysmyelination, axonal loss and progressive muscle weakness (CMT1A). Currently, no approved therapy is available for CMT1A patients. A novel polytherapeutic proof-of-principle approach using PXT3003, a low-dose combination of baclofen, naltrexone and sorbitol, slowed disease progression after long-term dosing in adult Pmp22 transgenic rats, a known animal model of CMT1A. Here, we report an early postnatal, short-term treatment with PXT3003 in CMT1A rats that delays disease onset into adulthood. CMT1A rats were treated from postnatal day 6 to 18 with PXT3003. Behavioural, electrophysiological, histological and molecular analyses were performed until 12 weeks of age. Daily oral treatment for approximately 2 weeks ameliorated motor deficits of CMT1A rats reaching wildtype levels. Histologically, PXT3003 corrected the disturbed axon calibre distribution with a shift towards large motor axons. Despite dramatic clinical amelioration, only distal motor latencies were improved and correlated with phenotype performance. On the molecular level, PXT3003 reduced Pmp22 mRNA overexpression and improved the misbalanced downstream PI3K-AKT / MEK-ERK signalling pathway. The improved differentiation status of Schwann cells may have enabled better long-term axonal support function. We conclude that short-term treatment with PXT3003 during early development may partially prevent the clinical and molecular manifestations of CMT1A. Since PXT3003 has a strong safety profile and is currently undergoing a phase III trial in CMT1A patients, our results suggest that PXT3003 therapy may be a bona fide translatable therapy option for children and young adolescent patients suffering from CMT1A.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Prukop
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jan Stenzel
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stephanie Wernick
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Theresa Kungl
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Magdalena Mroczek
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Adam
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David Ewers
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Klaus-Armin Nave
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | | | - Michael W. Sereda
- Max-Planck-Institute of Experimental Medicine, Department of Neurogenetics, Göttingen, Germany
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|