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Elling CL, Gomez HZ, Lee NK, Hirsch SD, Santos-Cortez RLP. The A2ml1-Knockout mouse as an animal model for non-syndromic otitis media. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2024; 181:111980. [PMID: 38759260 PMCID: PMC11175999 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2024.111980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inflammation and infection of the middle ear, known as otitis media (OM), is a leading cause of hearing loss and the most frequently diagnosed disease in children worldwide. Traditionally, mouse models for OM rely on inducing acute infection through inoculation of the middle ear, e.g. with the human otopathogen non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), and with very few genetic models with spontaneous or chronic OM. A2ML1 variants, including loss-of-function variants, were associated with susceptibility to OM in humans, but no animal model has been reported for A2ml1-related OM. Here, we report our middle ear findings in a mouse line with a CRISPR-induced knockout (KO) of A2ml1. METHODS Mice were X-rayed prior to harvest to determine if there are craniofacial or skeletal abnormalities. Tissue from mouse middle ears, as well as other upper respiratory mucosal tissues, were harvested. The harvested middle ear bullae were examined under microscope and submitted for histologic preparation to study phenotypic indications of OM. RNA samples isolated from middle ear tissue were assayed for expression of genes correlated with A2ML1 expression in humans. RESULTS Data from a total of 119 mice (35 wildtype, 40 heterozygous, 44 homozygous) are presented here, with each analyses being performed on subsets of these mice. There were no significant craniofacial differences by genotype (n = 22). Findings in mice with the A2ml1-KO indicated an increased incidence of OM (n=29; odds ratio = 11; CI: 1.1, 573.6; Fisher exact two-sided p = 0.02) with tympanic membrane perforations or thickening, as well as cases of middle ear effusion, inflammatory cells, or fluid from histologic sections. Dsp was upregulated in the middle ear tissues of homozygous mice (Wilcoxon test p = 0.001). CONCLUSION Thus far, our results in this A2ml1-KO mouse line indicate spontaneous occurrence of OM and dysregulation of Dsp in the middle ear as a potential disease mechanism for A2ml1-related OM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina L Elling
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - Helen Z Gomez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - Nam K Lee
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - Scott D Hirsch
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - Regie Lyn P Santos-Cortez
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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Junk SV, Förster A, Schmidt G, Zimmermann M, Fedders B, Haermeyer B, Bergmann AK, Möricke A, Cario G, Auber B, Schrappe M, Kratz CP, Stanulla M. Germline variants in patients developing second malignant neoplasms after therapy for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia-a case-control study. Leukemia 2024; 38:887-892. [PMID: 38413718 PMCID: PMC10997515 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02173-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie V Junk
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Alisa Förster
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Gunnar Schmidt
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Zimmermann
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Birthe Fedders
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bernd Haermeyer
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anke K Bergmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anja Möricke
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Gunnar Cario
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Bernd Auber
- Institute of Human Genetics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Schrappe
- Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian P Kratz
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Martin Stanulla
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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Hurst ZA, Liyanarachchi S, Brock P, He H, Nabhan F, Veloski C, Toland AE, Ringel MD, Jhiang SM. Presumed Pathogenic Germ Line and Somatic Variants in African American Thyroid Cancer. Thyroid 2024; 34:378-387. [PMID: 38062767 PMCID: PMC10951570 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2023.0487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Background: African American (AA) thyroid cancer patients have worse prognoses than European Americans (EA), which has been attributed to both health care disparities and possible genetic differences. We investigated the impact of both germ line and somatic variants on clinical outcome in a cohort of AA nonmedullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) patients who had received therapeutic intervention from cancer centers. Methods: Whole-exome sequencing was performed on DNA from available blood/normal tissues (N = 37) and paired tumor samples (N = 32) collected from 37 and 29 AA NMTC patients, respectively. Variants with Combined Annotation Depletion Dependent (CADD) score of ≥20 and VarSome Clinical classification of likely pathogenic or pathogenic were classified as presumed pathogenic germ line or somatic variants (PPGVs/PPSVs). PPGVs/PPSVs in cancer-related genes and PPGVs in cardiovascular risk genes were further investigated, and PPGVs/PPSVs associated with African (AFR) ancestry were identified. Results: Among 17 PPGVs identified in 16 cancer predisposition or known cancer-related genes, only WRN was previously known to associate with NMTC predisposition. Among PPSVs, BRAFV600E was most the prevalent and detected in 12 of the 29 (41%) tumors. Examining PPGVs/PPSVs among three patients who died from NMTC, one patient who died from papillary thyroid carcinoma/anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (PTC/ATC) led us to speculate that the PPGV ERCC4R799W may have increased the risk of PPSV TP53R273H acquisition. Among PPGVs identified in 18 cardiovascular risk genes, PPGVs in SC5NA, GYG1, CBS, CFTR, and SI are known to have causal and pathogenic implications in cardiovascular disease. Conclusion: In this cohort, most AA-NMTC patients exhibit favorable outcomes after therapeutic intervention given at cancer centers, suggesting that health care disparity is the major contributor for worse prognoses among AA-NMTC patients. Nevertheless, the clinical impact of PPGVs that might facilitate the acquisition of TP53 tumor mutations, and/or PPGVs that predispose individuals to adverse cardiovascular events, which could be exacerbated by therapy-induced cardiotoxicity, needs to be further explored. Integrated analysis of PPGV/PPSV profiles among NMTC patients with different stages of disease may help to identify NMTC patients who require close monitoring or proactive intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A. Hurst
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Sandya Liyanarachchi
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Pamela Brock
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Huiling He
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Fadi Nabhan
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Colleen Veloski
- Department of Head and Neck-Endocrine Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - Amanda E. Toland
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Matthew D. Ringel
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Sissy M. Jhiang
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Chaves Rabelo N, Gomes ME, de Oliveira Moraes I, Cantagalli Pfisterer J, Loss de Morais G, Antunes D, Caffarena ER, Llerena Jr J, Gonzalez S. RASopathy Cohort of Patients Enrolled in a Brazilian Reference Center for Rare Diseases: A Novel Familial LZTR1 Variant and Recurrent Mutations. Appl Clin Genet 2022; 15:153-170. [PMID: 36304179 PMCID: PMC9595068 DOI: 10.2147/tacg.s372761] [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: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Noonan syndrome and related disorders are genetic conditions affecting 1:1000-2000 individuals. Variants causing hyperactivation of the RAS/MAPK pathway lead to phenotypic overlap between syndromes, in addition to an increased risk of pediatric tumors. DNA sequencing methods have been optimized to provide a molecular diagnosis for clinical and genetic heterogeneity conditions. This work aimed to investigate the genetic basis in RASopathy patients through Next Generation Sequencing in a Reference Center for Rare Diseases (IFF/Fiocruz) and implement the precision medicine at a public health institute in Brazil. Patients and Methods This study comprises 26 cases with clinical suspicion of RASopathies. Sanger sequencing was used to screen variants in exons usually affected in the PTPN11 and HRAS genes for cases with clinical features of Noonan and Costello syndrome, respectively. Posteriorly, negative and new cases with clinical suspicion of RASopathy were analyzed by clinical or whole-exome sequencing. Results Molecular analysis revealed recurrent variants and a novel LZTR1 missense variant: 24 unrelated individuals with pathogenic variants [PTPN11(11), NF1(2), SOS1(2), SHOC2(2), HRAS(1), BRAF(1), LZTR (1), RAF1(1), KRAS(1), RIT1(1), a patient with co-occurrence of PTPN11 and NF1 mutations (1)]; familial cases carrying a known pathogenic variant in PTPN11 (mother-two children), and a previously undescribed paternally inherited variant in LZTR1. The comparative modeling analysis of the novel LZTR1 variant p.Pro225Leu showed local and global changes in the secondary and tertiary structures, showing a decrease of about 1% in the β-sheet content. Furthermore, evolutionary conservation indicated that Pro225 is in a highly conserved region, as observed for known dominant pathogenic variants in this protein. Conclusion Bringing precision medicine through NGS towards congenital syndromes promotes a better understanding of complex clinical and/or undiagnosed cases. The National Policy for Rare Diseases in Brazil emphasizes the importance of incorporating and optimizing diagnostic methodologies in the Unified Brazilian Health System (SUS). Therefore, this work is an important step for the NGS inclusion in diagnostic genetic routine in the public health system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natana Chaves Rabelo
- Centro de Genética Médica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Centro de Referência para Doenças Raras IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Laboratório de Medicina Genômica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Maria Eduarda Gomes
- Centro de Genética Médica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Centro de Referência para Doenças Raras IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Laboratório de Medicina Genômica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Isabelle de Oliveira Moraes
- Centro de Genética Médica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Centro de Referência para Doenças Raras IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Laboratório de Medicina Genômica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Juliana Cantagalli Pfisterer
- Centro de Genética Médica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Centro de Referência para Doenças Raras IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Laboratório de Medicina Genômica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Deborah Antunes
- Laboratório de Genômica Funcional e Bioinformática, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ernesto Raúl Caffarena
- Grupo de Biofísica Computacional e Modelagem Molecular, Programa de Computação Científica, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Juan Llerena Jr
- Centro de Genética Médica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Centro de Referência para Doenças Raras IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Faculdade de Medicina de Petrópolis, FASE, Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil,INAGEMP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Correspondence: Juan Llerena Jr, Email
| | - Sayonara Gonzalez
- Centro de Genética Médica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Centro de Referência para Doenças Raras IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Laboratório de Medicina Genômica IFF/Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Molecular and clinical profile of patients referred as Noonan or Noonan-like syndrome in Greece: a cohort of 86 patients. Eur J Pediatr 2022; 181:3691-3700. [PMID: 35904599 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-022-04574-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Noonan syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by clinical and genetic heterogeneity. It belongs to a wider group of pathologies, known as Rasopathies, due to the implication of genes encoding components of the Ras/MAPK signalling pathway. Recording the genetic alterations across populations helps assessing specific features to specific genes which is essential for better disease's recognition, prognosis and monitoring. Herein, we report the clinical and molecular data of a Greek cohort comprising of 86 NS or NS-like patients admitted at a single tertiary Centre in Athens, Greece. The analysis was performed using Sanger and next-generation sequencing, comprising 14 different genes. The mutational rates of the confirmed NS-associated genes in the Greek NS population are as follows: PTPN11 32.5%; RIT1 5.8%; SOS1 4.7%; BRAF 1.2%; CBL 1.2%; KRAS 1.2%; MAP2K1 1.2%; RAF1 1.2%; SHOC2 1.2%, corresponding to 50% of positivity in total NS population. The genotype-phenotype analysis showed statistically significant differences in craniofacial dysmorphisms (p = 0.005) and pulmonary valve stenosis (PS) (p < 0.001) frequencies between patients harbouring a pathogenic variant and patients without pathogenic variant in any of the tested genes. Patients with at least a pathogenic variant had 6.71 times greater odds to develop PS compared to pathogenic variant-negative patients (OR = 6.71, 95%; CI = (2.61, 17.27)). PTPN11 positive patients showed higher frequency of epicanthal folds (p = 0.004), ptosis (p = 0.001) and coarseness (p = 0.001) and lower frequency of neurological findings (p = 0.006), compared to patients carrying pathogenic variants in other genes. CONCLUSION Craniofacial dysmorphism and PS prevail among pathogenic variant positive compared to pathogenic variant negative NS and NS-like patients while neurological defects are less common in PTPN11-affected NS patients compared to patients harbouring pathogenic variants in other genes. The significant prevalence of the Ras/MAPK pathogenic variants (17.4%), other than PTPN11, in Greek NS patients, highlights the necessity of a wider spectrum of molecular diagnosis. WHAT IS KNOWN • Noonan syndrome (NS) has been associated with pathogenic variants in molecules-components of the Ras/MAPK pathway. • Clinical and genetic description of NS patients worldwide helps establishing personalized monitoring. WHAT IS NEW • NS and NS-like mutational rate in Greece reaches 50% with pathogenic variants identified mostly in PTPN11 (32.5%), RIT1 (6%) and SOS1 (4.7%) genes. • The risk for pulmonary stenosis increases 6.71-fold in NS patients with a pathogenic variant compared to patients without genetic alterations.
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Wingbermühle E, Roelofs RL, Oomens W, Kramer J, Draaisma JMT, Leenders E, Kleefstra T, Kessels RPC, Egger JIM. Cognitive Phenotype and Psychopathology in Noonan Syndrome Spectrum Disorders through Various Ras/MAPK Pathway Associated Gene Variants. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11164735. [PMID: 36012976 PMCID: PMC9410383 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11164735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive difficulties are argued to be common in patients with Noonan syndrome spectrum disorders (NSSDs), but findings are based on studies in which patients with variants in PTPN11 (prevalence ~50%) were overrepresented. The current study, using a structured clinical approach, describes the cognitive phenotype and psychopathology of 100 patients (aged 6 to 61 years) with nine different gene variants in the Ras/MAPK pathway underlying NSSDs (PTPN11n = 61, PTPN11 Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines n = 3, SOS1n = 14, KRASn = 7, LZTR1n = 5, RAF1n = 4, SHOC2n = 2, CBLn = 2, SOS2n = 2). After weighted assessment and bootstrapping of the results of individual neuropsychological assessments and measures of psychopathology, cognitive performances in most variant groups were within the ranges of expectation. IQs were significantly lower in patients with variants in PTPN11, KRAS, RAF1, and SHOC2, but no specific cognitive impairments were found. The performances of younger participants (<16 years of age) did not differ from those of adults. Alexithymia and internalizing problems were more frequent in patients with variants in PTPN11 and SOS1, while PTPN11 patients also showed higher levels of externalizing problems. These results stress the need to take intelligence into account when interpreting lower cognitive performances in individual neuropsychological assessments, which is crucial for an adequate understanding and guidance of patients with NSSDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Wingbermühle
- Center of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, 5803 DM Venray, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Correspondence:
| | - Renée L. Roelofs
- Center of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, 5803 DM Venray, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter Oomens
- Center of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, 5803 DM Venray, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jennifer Kramer
- Center of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, 5803 DM Venray, The Netherlands
| | - Jos M. T. Draaisma
- Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erika Leenders
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tjitske Kleefstra
- Center of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, 5803 DM Venray, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roy P. C. Kessels
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Center of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, 5803 DN Venray, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Psychology and Radboudumc Alzheimer Center, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jos I. M. Egger
- Center of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, 5803 DM Venray, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Center of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, 5803 DN Venray, The Netherlands
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Abstract
The RASopathies are a group of disorders caused by a germline mutation in one of the genes encoding a component of the RAS/MAPK pathway. These disorders, including neurofibromatosis type 1, Noonan syndrome, cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, Costello syndrome and Legius syndrome, among others, have overlapping clinical features due to RAS/MAPK dysfunction. Although several of the RASopathies are very rare, collectively, these disorders are relatively common. In this Review, we discuss the pathogenesis of the RASopathy-associated genetic variants and the knowledge gained about RAS/MAPK signaling that resulted from studying RASopathies. We also describe the cell and animal models of the RASopathies and explore emerging RASopathy genes. Preclinical and clinical experiences with targeted agents as therapeutics for RASopathies are also discussed. Finally, we review how the recently developed drugs targeting RAS/MAPK-driven malignancies, such as inhibitors of RAS activation, direct RAS inhibitors and RAS/MAPK pathway inhibitors, might be leveraged for patients with RASopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie E Hebron
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Edjay Ralph Hernandez
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Marielle E Yohe
- Pediatric Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Rodríguez F, Gaete X, Cassorla F. Etiology and Treatment of Growth Delay in Noonan Syndrome. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 12:691240. [PMID: 34149626 PMCID: PMC8212989 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.691240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Noonan syndrome is characterized by multiple phenotypic features, including growth retardation, which represents the main cause of consultation to the clinician. Longitudinal growth during childhood and adolescence depends on several factors, among them an intact somatotrophic axis, which is characterized by an adequate growth hormone (GH) secretion by the pituitary, subsequent binding to its receptor, proper function of the post-receptor signaling pathway for this hormone (JAK-STAT5b and RAS/MAPK), and ultimately by the production of its main effector, insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Several studies regarding the function of the somatotrophic axis in patients with Noonan syndrome and data from murine models, suggest that partial GH insensitivity at a post-receptor level, as well as possible derangements in the RAS/MAPK pathway, are the most likely causes for the growth failure in these patients. Treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has been used extensively to promote linear growth in these patients. Numerous treatment protocols have been employed so far, but the published studies are quite heterogeneous regarding patient selection, length of treatment, and dose of rhGH utilized, so the true benefit of GH therapy is somewhat difficult to establish. This review will discuss the possible etiologies for the growth delay, as well as the outcomes following rhGH treatment in patients with Noonan syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rodríguez
- Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ximena Gaete
- Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Pediatrics Department, Hospital Clínico San Borja – Arriarán, Santiago, Chile
| | - Fernando Cassorla
- Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
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