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Anwar S, Yokota T. Navigating the Complex Landscape of Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: From Current Paradigms to Therapeutic Frontiers. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2162. [PMID: 38136984 PMCID: PMC10742611 DOI: 10.3390/genes14122162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an enigmatic, ultra-rare genetic disorder characterized by progressive heterotopic ossification, wherein soft connective tissues undergo pathological transformation into bone structures. This incapacitating process severely limits patient mobility and poses formidable challenges for therapeutic intervention. Predominantly caused by missense mutations in the ACVR1 gene, this disorder has hitherto defied comprehensive mechanistic understanding and effective treatment paradigms. This write-up offers a comprehensive overview of the contemporary understanding of FOP's complex pathobiology, underscored by advances in molecular genetics and proteomic studies. We delve into targeted therapy, spanning genetic therapeutics, enzymatic and transcriptional modulation, stem cell therapies, and innovative immunotherapies. We also highlight the intricate complexities surrounding clinical trial design for ultra-rare disorders like FOP, addressing fundamental statistical limitations, ethical conundrums, and methodological advancements essential for the success of interventional studies. We advocate for the adoption of a multi-disciplinary approach that converges bench-to-bedside research, clinical expertise, and ethical considerations to tackle the challenges of ultra-rare diseases like FOP and comparable ultra-rare diseases. In essence, this manuscript serves a dual purpose: as a definitive scientific resource for ongoing and future FOP research and a call to action for innovative solutions to address methodological and ethical challenges that impede progress in the broader field of medical research into ultra-rare conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada;
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Shaikh U, Khan A, Kumari P, Ishfaq A, Ekhator C, Yousuf P, Halappa Nagaraj R, Raza H, Ur Rehman U, Zaman MU, Lakshmipriya Vetrivendan G, Nguyen N, Kadel B, Sherpa TN, Ullah A, Bellegarde SB. Novel Therapeutic Targets for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva: Emerging Strategies and Future Directions. Cureus 2023; 15:e42614. [PMID: 37521595 PMCID: PMC10378717 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), also known as Stoneman syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by abnormal bone development caused by activating mutations of the ACVR1 gene. FOP affects both the developmental and postnatal stages, resulting in musculoskeletal abnormalities and heterotopic ossification. Current treatment options for FOP are limited, emphasizing the need for innovative therapeutic approaches. Challenges in the development of management criteria for FOP include difficulties in recruitment due to the rarity of FOP, disease variability, the absence of reliable biomarkers, and ethical considerations regarding placebo-controlled trials. This narrative review provides an overview of the disease and explores emerging strategies for FOP treatment. Gene therapy, particularly the CRISPR-Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9) system, holds promise in treating FOP by specifically targeting the ACVR1 gene mutation. Another gene therapy approach being investigated is RNA interference, which aims to silence the mutant ACVR1 gene. Small molecule inhibitors targeting glycogen synthase kinase-3β and modulation of the bone morphogenetic protein signaling pathway are also being explored as potential therapies for FOP. Stem cell-based approaches, such as mesenchymal stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, show potential in tissue regeneration and inhibiting abnormal bone formation in FOP. Immunotherapy and nanoparticle delivery systems provide alternative avenues for FOP treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Shaikh
- Internal Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PAK
| | - Anoosha Khan
- Internal Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PAK
| | - Priya Kumari
- Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, PAK
| | | | - Chukwuyem Ekhator
- Neuro-Oncology, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, USA
| | - Paras Yousuf
- Emergency Medicine, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, PAK
| | | | - Hassan Raza
- Internal Medicine, Lahore Medical and Dental College, Lahore, PAK
| | | | | | | | - Nhan Nguyen
- Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, HUN
| | - Bijan Kadel
- Internal Medicine, Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospitals, Kathmandu, NPL
| | - Tenzin N Sherpa
- Internal Medicine, Nepal Medical College and Teaching Hospitals, Kathmandu, NPL
| | | | - Sophia B Bellegarde
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, American University of Antigua, Saint John's, ATG
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Zhang L, Yuan Y, Wu W, Sun Z, Lei L, Fan J, Gao B, Zou J. Medium-Intensity Treadmill Exercise Exerts Beneficial Effects on Bone Modeling Through Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stromal Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:600639. [PMID: 33330492 PMCID: PMC7732523 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.600639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
As a type of multipotential cells, bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMMSCs) can differentiate into chondrocytes, osteoblasts, and adipocytes under different loading condition or specific microenvironment. Previous studies have shown that BMMSCs and their lineage-differentiated progeny (for example, osteoblasts), and osteocytes are mechanosensitive in bone. The appropriate physical activity and exercise could help attenuate bone loss, effectively stimulate bone formation, increase bone mineral density (BMD), prevent the progression of osteoporosis, and reduce the risk of bone fractures. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) is originally discovered as a protein with heterotopic bone-inducing activity in the bone matrix that exerts a critical role in multiple stages of bone metabolism. In the present study, the medium-intensity treadmill exercise enhanced bone formation and increased osteocalcin (OCN) and osteopontin (OPN) mRNA expression as well as activation of the BMP-Smad signaling pathway in vivo. In order to investigate the effect of a BMP-Smad signaling pathway, we injected mice with activated enzyme inhibitors (LDN-193189HCL) and subjected the mice to treadmill exercise intervention. LDN-193189HCL attenuated the BMD and bone mass mediated by medium-intensity exercise and BMP-Smad signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingli Zhang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Yuan
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Wu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongguang Sun
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Le Lei
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Fan
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Bo Gao
- Institute of Orthopedic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jun Zou
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
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Pignolo RJ, Kaplan FS. Druggable targets, clinical trial design and proposed pharmacological management in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/21678707.2020.1751122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Pignolo
- Departments of Medicine, Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, and the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Alix School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Frederick S. Kaplan
- Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medicine, and the Center for Research in FOP & Related Disorders, The Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) constitute the largest subdivision of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β family of ligands and exert most of their effects through the canonical effectors Smad1, 5, and 8. Appropriate regulation of BMP signaling is critical for the development and homeostasis of numerous human organ systems. Aberrations in BMP pathways or their regulation are increasingly associated with diverse human pathologies, and there is an urgent and growing need to develop effective approaches to modulate BMP signaling in the clinic. In this review, we provide a wide perspective on diseases and/or conditions associated with dysregulated BMP signal transduction, outline the current strategies available to modulate BMP pathways, highlight emerging second-generation technologies, and postulate prospective avenues for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan W Lowery
- Division of Biomedical Science, Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46222
| | - Vicki Rosen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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Lin H, Ying Y, Wang YY, Wang G, Jiang SS, Huang D, Luo L, Chen YG, Gerstenfeld LC, Luo Z. AMPK downregulates ALK2 via increasing the interaction between Smurf1 and Smad6, leading to inhibition of osteogenic differentiation. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2017; 1864:2369-2377. [PMID: 28847510 PMCID: PMC5660632 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Activin A receptor type I or activin receptor-like kinase 2 (ACVRI/ALK2) belongs to type I TGF-β family and plays an important role in bone development. Activating mutations of ALK2 containing the R206 to H mutation, are present in 95% in the rare autosomal genetic disease fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), which leads to the development of ectopic bone formation in muscle. The effect of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation on ALK2R206H-mediated signaling in fibroblasts obtained from a FOP patient was assessed in the present study. The activity of the mutated ALK2 was suppressed by pharmacological AMPK activators such as metformin and aspirin, while their actions were blocked by the dominant negative mutant of AMPK and mimicked by the constitutively active mutant of AMPK. Furthermore, activation of AMPK upregulated Smad6 and Smurf1 and thereby enhanced their interactions, resulting in its proteosome-dependent degradation of ALK2. In contrast, knockdown of Smad6 or Smurf1 prevented metformin-induced reduction of ALK2. To evaluate the biological relevance of AMPK action on ALK2 activity, we induced FOP fibroblasts into iPS cells and found that their osteogenic differentiation in vitro was inhibited by metformin. Our studies provide novel insight into potential approaches to treatment of FOP, since several AMPK activators (e.g. metformin, berberine, and aspirin) are already in clinical use for the treatment of diabetes and metabolic syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Lin
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathogenesis and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathophysiology, Schools of Basic Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanchang University Medical College, Nanchang, China; Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - Ying Ying
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathogenesis and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathophysiology, Schools of Basic Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanchang University Medical College, Nanchang, China; Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - Yuan-Yuan Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - Gang Wang
- Department of Cardiology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Shan-Shan Jiang
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathogenesis and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathophysiology, Schools of Basic Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanchang University Medical College, Nanchang, China; Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - Deqinag Huang
- The Institute of Digestive Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Lingyu Luo
- The Institute of Digestive Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ye-Guang Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Louis C Gerstenfeld
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Zhijun Luo
- Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory of Tumor Pathogenesis and Molecular Pathology, Department of Pathophysiology, Schools of Basic Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanchang University Medical College, Nanchang, China; Department of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, United States.
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Kaplan FS, Pignolo RJ, Al Mukaddam MM, Shore EM. Hard targets for a second skeleton: therapeutic horizons for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP). Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2017; 5:291-294. [PMID: 29177121 DOI: 10.1080/21678707.2017.1304211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frederick S Kaplan
- Isaac & Rose Nassau Professor of Orthopaedic Molecular Medicine; Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Medicine, Co-Director, Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert J Pignolo
- Robert and Arlene Kogod Professor of Geriatric Medicine; Chair, Division of Geriatric Medicine & Gerontology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Mona M Al Mukaddam
- Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism; Ian Cali Clinical Scholar, Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eileen M Shore
- Cali-Weldon Professor of FOP Research; Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Genetics, Co-Director, Center for Research in FOP and Related Disorders, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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A Survey of Strategies to Modulate the Bone Morphogenetic Protein Signaling Pathway: Current and Future Perspectives. Stem Cells Int 2016; 2016:7290686. [PMID: 27433166 PMCID: PMC4940573 DOI: 10.1155/2016/7290686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) constitute the largest subdivision of the TGF-β family of ligands and are unequivocally involved in regulating stem cell behavior. Appropriate regulation of canonical BMP signaling is critical for the development and homeostasis of numerous human organ systems, as aberrations in the BMP pathway or its regulation are increasingly associated with diverse human pathologies. In this review, we provide a wide-perspective on strategies that increase or decrease BMP signaling. We briefly outline the current FDA-approved approaches, highlight emerging next-generation technologies, and postulate prospective avenues for future investigation. We also detail how activating other pathways may indirectly modulate BMP signaling, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between the BMP and Activin/TGF-β pathways.
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Rahman MS, Akhtar N, Jamil HM, Banik RS, Asaduzzaman SM. TGF-β/BMP signaling and other molecular events: regulation of osteoblastogenesis and bone formation. Bone Res 2015; 3:15005. [PMID: 26273537 PMCID: PMC4472151 DOI: 10.1038/boneres.2015.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 384] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2014] [Revised: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) plays a fundamental role in the regulation of bone organogenesis through the activation of receptor serine/threonine kinases. Perturbations of TGF-β/BMP activity are almost invariably linked to a wide variety of clinical outcomes, i.e., skeletal, extra skeletal anomalies, autoimmune, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Phosphorylation of TGF-β (I/II) or BMP receptors activates intracellular downstream Smads, the transducer of TGF-β/BMP signals. This signaling is modulated by various factors and pathways, including transcription factor Runx2. The signaling network in skeletal development and bone formation is overwhelmingly complex and highly time and space specific. Additive, positive, negative, or synergistic effects are observed when TGF-β/BMP interacts with the pathways of MAPK, Wnt, Hedgehog (Hh), Notch, Akt/mTOR, and miRNA to regulate the effects of BMP-induced signaling in bone dynamics. Accumulating evidence indicates that Runx2 is the key integrator, whereas Hh is a possible modulator, miRNAs are regulators, and β-catenin is a mediator/regulator within the extensive intracellular network. This review focuses on the activation of BMP signaling and interaction with other regulatory components and pathways highlighting the molecular mechanisms regarding TGF-β/BMP function and regulation that could allow understanding the complexity of bone tissue dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Shaifur Rahman
- Tissue Banking and Biomaterial Research Unit, Atomic Energy Research Establishment , Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Naznin Akhtar
- Tissue Banking and Biomaterial Research Unit, Atomic Energy Research Establishment , Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Hossen Mohammad Jamil
- Tissue Banking and Biomaterial Research Unit, Atomic Energy Research Establishment , Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh
| | - Rajat Suvra Banik
- Lab of Network Biology, Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Discipline, Khulna University , Khulna 9208, Bangladesh
| | - Sikder M Asaduzzaman
- Tissue Banking and Biomaterial Research Unit, Atomic Energy Research Establishment , Dhaka 1349, Bangladesh
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Katagiri T, Tsukamoto S. The unique activity of bone morphogenetic proteins in bone: a critical role of the Smad signaling pathway. Biol Chem 2014; 394:703-14. [PMID: 23324379 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2012-0310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multifunctional cytokines that belong to the transforming growth factor-β family. BMPs were originally identified based on their unique activity, inducing heterotopic bone formation in skeletal muscle. This unique BMP activity is transduced by specific type I and type II transmembrane kinase receptors. Among the downstream pathways activated by these receptors, the Smad1/5/8 transcription factors appear to play critical roles in BMP activity. Smad1/5/8 transcription factors are phosphorylated at the C-terminal SVS motif by BMP type I receptors and then induce the transcription of early BMP-responsive genes by binding to conserved sequences in their enhancer regions. The linker regions of Smad1/5/8 contain multiple kinase phosphorylation sites, and phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of these sites regulate the transcriptional activity of Smad proteins. Gain-of-function mutations in one BMP type I receptor have been identified in patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, a rare genetic disorder that is characterized by progressive heterotopic bone formation in the skeletal muscle. The mutant receptors activate the Smad signaling pathway even in the absence of BMPs, therefore novel inhibitors for the BMP receptor - Smad axis are being developed to prevent heterotopic bone formation in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. Taken together, the data in the literature show that the BMP type I receptor - Smad signaling axis is the critical pathway for the unique activity of BMPs and is a potential therapeutic target for pathological conditions caused by inappropriate BMP activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takenobu Katagiri
- Division of Pathophysiology , Research Center or Genomic Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 1397-1 Yamane, Hidaka-shi, Saitama 350-1241, Japan.
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