Identification of three novel mutations in PCNT in vietnamese patients with microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism type II

Mutational analysis of consanguineous families and their targeted therapy against dwarfism

Dwarfism is a medical term used to describe individuals with a height-vertex measurement that falls below two standard deviations (-2SD) or the third percentile for their gender and age. Normal development of growth is a complicated dynamic procedure that depends upon the coordination of different aspects involving diet, genetics, and biological aspects like hormones in equilibrium. Any severe or acute pathologic procedure may disturb the individual's normal rate of growth. In this research, we examined four (A-D) Pakistani consanguineous families that exhibited syndromic dwarfism, which was inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. The genomic DNA of each family member was extracted by using phenol-chloroform and Kit methods. Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) of affected family members (IV-11, III-5, IV-4 and III-13) from each group was performed at the Department of Medical Genetics, University of Antwerp, Belgium. After filtering the exome data, the mutations in PPM1F, FGFR3, ERCC2, and PCNT genes were determined by Sanger sequencing of each gene by using specific primers. Afterward, FGFR3 was found to be a suitable drug target among all the mutations to treat achondroplasia also known as disproportionate dwarfism. BioSolveIT softwares were used to discover the lead active inhibitory molecule against FGFR3. This research will not only provide short knowledge to the concerned pediatricians, researchers, and family physicians for the preliminary assessment and management of the disorder but also provide a lead inhibitor for the treatment of disproportionate dwarfism.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Genetic Primary Microcephalies: When Centrosome Dysfunction Dictates Brain and Body Size

Primary microcephalies (PMs) are defects in brain growth that are detectable at or before birth and are responsible for neurodevelopmental disorders. Most are caused by biallelic or, more rarely, dominant mutations in one of the likely hundreds of genes encoding PM proteins, i.e., ubiquitous centrosome or microtubule-associated proteins required for the division of neural progenitor cells in the embryonic brain. Here, we provide an overview of the different types of PMs, i.e., isolated PMs with or without malformations of cortical development and PMs associated with short stature (microcephalic dwarfism) or sensorineural disorders. We present an overview of the genetic, developmental, neurological, and cognitive aspects characterizing the most representative PMs. The analysis of phenotypic similarities and differences among patients has led scientists to elucidate the roles of these PM proteins in humans. Phenotypic similarities indicate possible redundant functions of a few of these proteins, such as ASPM and WDR62, which play roles only in determining brain size and structure. However, the protein pericentrin (PCNT) is equally required for determining brain and body size. Other PM proteins perform both functions, albeit to different degrees. Finally, by comparing phenotypes, we considered the interrelationships among these proteins.

Role of Medical IoT-Based Bone Age Determination in the Diagnosis and Clinical Treatment of Dwarfism Disease Monitoring

Currently, the prevalence of dwarfism in children in China is about 3%, which is a very large percentage compared with the large population base. With the increase of influencing factors, the prevalence of dwarfism is on the increase. However, there is a lack of awareness of dwarfism among parents and a lack of in-depth analysis of the causes of dwarfism and a low level of treatment among doctors. Early expert system knowledge base relies on manual editing, which is a traditional, semi-intelligent auxiliary diagnostic system, and is unable to perform disease diagnosis and clinical treatment monitoring well. Many studies have turned to the combination of IoT for bone age determination and its role in the diagnosis and monitoring of clinical treatment of dwarfism. In this study, 15 children with short stature who underwent health checkups at a hospital were enrolled in the study, and a G-P spectrum method was used to determine the bone age of all the enrolled subjects, and the results obtained in the process of bone age determination were systematically analyzed. The results showed that the bone age measurement technique has sufficient reference value for evaluating the quality and diagnosing diseases, and the research and development of this technique is of great significance for the development of modern clinical medicine.