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Zamani A, Thomas E, Wright DK. Sex biology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ageing Res Rev 2024; 95:102228. [PMID: 38354985 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102228] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Although sex differences in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have not been studied systematically, numerous clinical and preclinical studies have shown sex to be influential in disease prognosis. Moreover, with the development of advanced imaging tools, the difference between male and female brain in structure and function and their response to neurodegeneration are more definitive. As discussed in this review, ALS patients exhibit a sex bias pertaining to the features of the disease, and their clinical, pathological, (and pathophysiological) phenotypes. Several epidemiological studies have indicated that this sex disparity stems from various aetiologies, including sex-specific brain structure and neural functioning, genetic predisposition, age, gonadal hormones, susceptibility to traumatic brain injury (TBI)/head trauma and lifestyle factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akram Zamani
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
| | - Emma Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - David K Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
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Domi T, Schito P, Sferruzza G, Russo T, Pozzi L, Agosta F, Carrera P, Riva N, Filippi M, Quattrini A, Falzone YM. Unveiling the SOD1-mediated ALS phenotype: insights from a comprehensive meta-analysis. J Neurol 2024; 271:1342-1354. [PMID: 37930481 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-12074-6] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with mutations in SOD1 (SOD1-ALS) might be susceptible to specific treatment. The aim of the study is to outline the clinical features of SOD1-ALS patients by comparing them to patients without ALS major gene variants and patients with variants in other major ALS genes. Defining SOD1-ALS phenotype may assist clinicians in identifying patients who should be prioritized for genetic testing. METHODS We performed an extensive literature research including original studies which reported the clinical features of SOD1-ALS and at least one of the following patient groups: C9ORF72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (C9-ALS), TARDBP (TARDBP-ALS), FUS (FUS-ALS) or patients without a positive test for a major-ALS gene (N-ALS). A random effects meta-analytic model was applied to clinical data extracted encompassing sex, site and age of onset. To reconstruct individual patient survival data, the published Kaplan-Meier curves were digitized. Data were measured as odds ratio (OR) or standardized mean difference (SMD) as appropriate. Median survival was compared between groups. RESULTS Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. We identified 721 SOD1-ALS, 470 C9-ALS, 183 TARDBP-ALS, 113 FUS-ALS and 2824 N-ALS. SOD1-ALS showed a higher rate of spinal onset compared with N-ALS and C9-ALS (OR = 4.85, 95% CI = 3.04-7.76; OR = 10.47, 95% CI = 4.32-27.87) and an earlier onset compared with N-ALS (SMD = - 0.45, 95% CI = - 0.72 to - 0.18). SOD1-ALS had a similar survival compared with N-ALS (p = 0.14), a longer survival compared with C9-ALS (p < 0.01) and FUS-ALS (p = 0.019) and a shorter survival compared with TARDBP-ALS (p < 0.01). DISCUSSION This study indicates the presence of a specific SOD1-ALS phenotype. Insights in SOD1-ALS clinical features are important in genetic counseling, disease prognosis and support patients' stratification in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teuta Domi
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paride Schito
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Sferruzza
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Tommaso Russo
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Pozzi
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Agosta
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Carrera
- Unit of Genomics for Human Disease Diagnosis, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Nilo Riva
- 3rd Neurology Unit and Motor Neuron Disease Centre, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Massimo Filippi
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy.
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
- Neurophysiology Service, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
| | - Angelo Quattrini
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Yuri Matteo Falzone
- Experimental Neuropathology Unit, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE), Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina, 60, 20132, Milan, Italy
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Ivantsik O, John A, Kydonopoulou K, Mitropoulos K, Gerou S, Ali BR, Patrinos GP. Novel Pathogenic Variants Leading to Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Greek Patients. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:309. [PMID: 38540370 PMCID: PMC10970271 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive disease that affects motor neurons, leading to paralysis and death usually 3-5 years after the onset of symptoms. The investigation of both sporadic and familial ALS highlighted four main genes that contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease: SOD1, FUS, TARDBP and C9orf72. This study aims to provide a comprehensive investigation of genetic variants found in SOD1, FUS and TARDBP genes in Greek sporadic ALS (sALS) cases. Our sequencing analysis of the coding regions of the abovementioned genes that include the majority of the variants that lead to ALS in 32 sALS patients and 3 healthy relatives revealed 6 variants in SOD1, 19 variants in FUS and 37 variants in TARDBP, of which the SOD1 p.D90A and the FUS c.*356G>A (rs886051940) variants have been previously associated with ALS, while two novel nonsense pathogenic variants were also identified, namely FUS p.R241* and TDP-43 p.Y214*. Our study contributes to the worldwide effort toward clarifying the genetic basis of sALS to better understand the disease's molecular pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouliana Ivantsik
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, Division of Pharmacology and Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece
| | - Anne John
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | | | - Konstantinos Mitropoulos
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece
| | - Spyridon Gerou
- ANALYSI Biomedical Laboratories S.A., 54623 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Bassam R Ali
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- ASPIRE Abu Dhabi Precision Medicine Ρesearch Institute, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - George P Patrinos
- Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics and Individualized Therapy, Division of Pharmacology and Biosciences, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- ASPIRE Abu Dhabi Precision Medicine Ρesearch Institute, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Clinical Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Efficacy of oligodendrocyte precursor cells as delivery vehicles for single-chain variable fragment to misfolded SOD1 in ALS rat model. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 28:312-329. [PMID: 36874245 PMCID: PMC9974989 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Superoxide dismutase1 (SOD 1) mutation is a leading cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Growing evidence suggests that antibody therapy against misfolded SOD1 protein can be therapeutic. However, the therapeutic effects are limited, partly because of the delivery system. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) as a drug delivery vehicle of single-chain variable fragments (scFv). Using a Borna disease virus vector that is pharmacologically removable and episomally replicable in the recipient cells, we successfully transformed wild-type OPCs to secrete scFv of a novel monoclonal antibody (D3-1), specific for misfolded SOD1. Single intrathecal injection of OPCs scFvD3-1, but not OPCs alone, significantly delayed disease onset and prolonged the lifespan of ALS rat models expressing SOD1 H46R . The effect of OPC scFvD3-1 surpassed that of a 1 month intrathecal infusion of full-length D3-1 antibody alone. scFv-secreting OPCs suppressed neuronal loss and gliosis, reduced levels of misfolded SOD1 in the spinal cord, and suppressed the transcription of inflammatory genes, including Olr1, an oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1. The use of OPCs as a delivery vehicle for therapeutic antibodies is a new option for ALS in which misfolded protein and oligodendrocyte dysfunction are implicated in the pathogenesis.
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Li H, Yuan L, Yang H, Guo Y, Zheng W, Fan K, Deng S, Gong L, Xu H, Yang Z, Cheng J, Kang M, Deng H. Analysis of SOD1 Variants in Chinese Patients with Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. QJM 2023; 116:365-374. [PMID: 36661322 DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hcad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease, and genetic contributors exert a significant role in the complicated pathogenesis. Identification of the genetic causes in ALS families could be valuable for early diagnosis and management. The development of potential drugs for patients with genetic defects will shed new light on ALS therapy. AIM To identify causative variants in three Chinese families with familial ALS (FALS), reveal the pathogenic mechanism, and look for the targeted drug for ALS. DESIGN AND METHODS Whole-exome sequencing and bioinformatics were used to perform genetic analysis of the ALS families. Functional analysis was performed to study the variants' function and search for potential drug targets. RESULTS Three heterozygous missense variants of the SOD1 gene were identified in families with FALS. The clinical manifestations of these patients include spinal onset, predominant lower motor neurons presentation, and absence of cognitive involvement. Functional analysis showed that all three SOD1 variants led to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, reduced cell viability, and formation of cytoplasmic aggregates. Remarkably, the decreased cell viability induced by variants was rescued after treatment with the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine. CONCLUSIONS This study identified three SOD1 variants in three families with FALS. The variant SOD1 toxicity was associated with oxidative damage and aggregation, and N-acetylcysteine could rescue the decreased cell viability induced by these variants. Our findings support a pathogenic role for ROS in SOD1 deficiencies, and provide a potential drug N-acetylcysteine for ALS therapy, especially in SOD1-patients with limb onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Li
- Health Management Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - L Yuan
- Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Neurology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Disease Genome Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - H Yang
- Department of Neurology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Kaili, China
| | - Y Guo
- Department of Medical Information, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - W Zheng
- Department of Neurology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - K Fan
- Department of Neurology, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China
| | - S Deng
- Department of Pharmacy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - L Gong
- Department of Neurology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - H Xu
- Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Z Yang
- Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - J Cheng
- Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - M Kang
- Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - H Deng
- Health Management Center, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Center for Experimental Medicine, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Neurology, the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Disease Genome Research Center, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Nona RJ, Xu Z, Robinson GA, Henderson RD, McCombe PA. Age of Onset and Length of Survival of Queensland Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Details of Subjects with Early Onset and Subjects with Long Survival. NEURODEGENER DIS 2022; 22:104-121. [PMID: 36587610 PMCID: PMC10627495 DOI: 10.1159/000528875] [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: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The aims of the study were to document the characteristics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients in Queensland, to examine factors influencing age of onset, and survival, and to study those with early-onset (<45 years) disease and those with long (>5 years) survival. METHODS We studied subjects seen at the ALS Clinic at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. We recorded sex, age of onset, region of onset, length of survival, presence of family history, type of disease, and evidence of cognitive involvement. We analysed the influence of these features on age of onset and survival. We analysed the features of patients with early onset of disease and patients with long survival. RESULTS There were 855 ALS patients (505 males) in the cohort. The age of onset was lower in males than females, in patients with a family history of ALS compared to those without, and in patients with spinal onset compared to bulbar onset. Early-onset disease was seen in 10% of patients, and had a greater proportion of males, spinal onset, and classical ALS phenotype compared to late-onset disease. Survival was shorter in females, in patients with bulbar onset, and in patients with classical ALS. Long survival was seen in 18% of patients. Patients with long survival had younger age of onset, greater proportion of males, spinal onset, and fewer patients with classical ALS. CONCLUSION Our study confirms that ALS is more prevalent in males and that spinal onset is more common than bulbar onset. Males have earlier onset but longer survival. We found that overall, patients with classical ALS have worse survival than ALS variants, but some patients who were considered to have classical ALS had long survival. This study confirms the similarity of ALS in our region to ALS in other geographical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. Nona
- Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zhouwei Xu
- Department of Neurology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Gail A. Robinson
- Queensland Brain Institute and School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robert D. Henderson
- Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pamela A. McCombe
- Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Neurology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Queensland, Australia
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Baziyar P, Seyedalipour B, Hosseinkhani S. Zinc binding loop mutations of hSOD1 promote amyloid fibrils under physiological conditions: Implications for initiation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Biochimie 2022; 199:170-181. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Martinez B, Peplow PV. MicroRNA expression in animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and potential therapeutic approaches. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:728-740. [PMID: 34472458 PMCID: PMC8530133 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.322431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Revised: 02/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A review of recent animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis showed a large number of miRNAs had altered levels of expression in the brain and spinal cord, motor neurons of spinal cord and brainstem, and hypoglossal, facial, and red motor nuclei and were mostly upregulated. Among the miRNAs found to be upregulated in two of the studies were miR-21, miR-155, miR-125b, miR-146a, miR-124, miR-9, and miR-19b, while those downregulated in two of the studies included miR-146a, miR-29, miR-9, and miR-125b. A change of direction in miRNA expression occurred in some tissues when compared (e.g., miR-29b-3p in cerebellum and spinal cord of wobbler mice at 40 days), or at different disease stages (e.g., miR-200a in spinal cord of SOD1(G93A) mice at 95 days vs. 108 and 112 days). In the animal models, suppression of miR-129-5p resulted in increased lifespan, improved muscle strength, reduced neuromuscular junction degeneration, and tended to improve motor neuron survival in the SOD1(G93A) mouse model. Suppression of miR-155 was also associated with increased lifespan, while lowering of miR-29a tended to improve lifespan in males and increase muscle strength in SOD1(G93A) mice. Overexpression of members of miR-17~92 cluster improved motor neuron survival in SOD1(G93A) mice. Treatment with an artificial miRNA designed to target hSOD1 increased lifespan and improved muscle strength in SOD1(G93A) animals. Further studies with animal models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are warranted to validate these findings and identify specific miRNAs whose suppression or directed against hSOD1 results in increased lifespan, improved muscle strength, reduced neuromuscular junction degeneration, and improved motor neuron survival in SOD1(G93A) animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridget Martinez
- Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Chemistry Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
- Department of Medicine, St. Georges University School of Medicine, Grenada
| | - Philip V. Peplow
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Chen LX, Xu HF, Wang PS, Yang XX, Wu ZY, Li HF. SOD1 Mutation Spectrum and Natural History of ALS Patients in a 15-Year Cohort in Southeastern China. Front Genet 2021; 12:746060. [PMID: 34721532 PMCID: PMC8551486 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.746060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 gene (SOD1) are the most frequent high penetrant genetic cause for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the Chinese population. A detailed natural history of SOD1-mutated ALS patients will provide key information for ongoing genetic clinical trials. Methods: We screened for SOD1 mutations using whole exome sequencing (WES) in Chinese ALS cases from 2017 to 2021. Functional studies were then performed to confirm the pathogenicity of novel variants. In addition, we enrolled previously reported SOD1 mutations in our centers from 2007 to 2017. The SOD1 mutation spectrum, age at onset (AAO), diagnostic delay, and survival duration were analyzed. Results: We found two novel SOD1 variants (p.G17H and p.E134*) that exerted both gain-of-function and loss-of-function effects in vitro. Combined with our previous SOD1-mutated patients, 32 probands with 21 SOD1 mutations were included with the four most frequently occurring mutations of p.V48A, p.H47R, p.C112Y, and p.G148D. SOD1 mutations account for 58.9% of familial ALS (FALS) cases. The mean (SD) AAO was 46 ± 11.4 years with a significant difference between patients carrying mutations in exon 1 [n = 5, 34.6 (12.4) years] and exon 2 [n = 8, 51.4 (8.2) years] (p = 0.038). The mean of the diagnostic delay of FALS patients is significantly earlier than the sporadic ALS (SALS) patients [9.5 (4.8) vs. 20.3 (9.3) years, p = 0.0026]. In addition, male patients survived longer than female patients (40 vs. 16 months, p = 0.05). Conclusion: Our results expanded the spectrum of SOD1 mutations, highlighted the mutation distribution, and summarized the natural history of SOD1-mutated patients in southeastern China. Male patients were found to have better survival, and FALS patients received an earlier diagnosis. Our findings assist in providing a detailed clinical picture, which is important for ongoing genetic clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu-Xi Chen
- Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology in Second Affiliated Hospital and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hai-Feng Xu
- Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology in Second Affiliated Hospital and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Pei-Shan Wang
- Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology in Second Affiliated Hospital and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xin-Xia Yang
- Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology in Second Affiliated Hospital and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Ying Wu
- Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology in Second Affiliated Hospital and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong-Fu Li
- Department of Neurology and Research Center of Neurology in Second Affiliated Hospital and Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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Kumar S, Kumar Bhardwaj V, Singh R, Purohit R. Explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations revealed conformational regain and aggregation inhibition of I113T SOD1 by Himalayan bioactive molecules. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.116798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Identity by descent analysis identifies founder events and links SOD1 familial and sporadic ALS cases. NPJ Genom Med 2020; 5:32. [PMID: 32789025 PMCID: PMC7414871 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-020-00139-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons resulting in paralysis and eventual death. Approximately 10% of ALS cases have a family history of disease, while the remainder present as apparently sporadic cases. Heritability studies suggest a significant genetic component to sporadic ALS, and although most sporadic cases have an unknown genetic aetiology, some familial ALS mutations have also been found in sporadic cases. This suggests that some sporadic cases may be unrecognised familial cases with reduced disease penetrance in their ancestors. A powerful strategy to uncover a familial link is identity-by-descent (IBD) analysis, which detects genomic regions that have been inherited from a common ancestor. IBD analysis was performed on 83 Australian familial ALS cases from 25 families and three sporadic ALS cases, each of whom carried one of three SOD1 mutations (p.I114T, p.V149G and p.E101G). We defined five unique 350-SNP haplotypes that carry these mutations in our cohort, indicative of five founder events. This included two founder haplotypes that carry SOD1 p.I114T; linking familial and sporadic cases. We found that SOD1 p.E101G arose independently in each family that carries this mutation and linked two families that carry SOD1 p.V149G. The age of disease onset varied between cases that carried each SOD1 p.I114T haplotype. Linking families with identical ALS mutations allows for larger sample sizes and increased statistical power to identify putative phenotypic modifiers.
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Perrone B, Conforti FL. Common mutations of interest in the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: how common are common mutations in ALS genes? Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2020; 20:703-714. [PMID: 32497448 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2020.1779060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a complex neurodegenerative disease predominantly affecting upper and lower motor neurons. Diagnosis of this devastating pathology is very difficult because the high degree of clinical heterogeneity with which it occurs and until now, no truly effective treatment exists. AREAS COVERED Molecular diagnosis may be a valuable tool for dissecting out ALS complex heterogeneity and for identifying new molecular mechanisms underlying the characteristic selective degeneration and death of motor neurons. To date, pathogenic variants in ALS genes are known to be present in up to 70% of familial and 10% of apparently sporadic ALS cases and can be associated with risks for ALS only or risks for other neurodegenerative diseases. This paper shows the procedure currently used in diagnostic laboratories to investigate most frequent mutations in ALS and evaluating the utility of involved molecular techniques as potential tools to discriminate 'common mutations' in ALS patients. EXPERT OPINION Genetic testing may allow for establishing an accurate pathological diagnosis and a more precise stratification of patient groups in future drug trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Perrone
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria , Arcavacata di Rende (Cosenza), Italy
| | - Francesca Luisa Conforti
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria , Arcavacata di Rende (Cosenza), Italy
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Garcia C, Vidal-Taboada JM, Syriani E, Salvado M, Morales M, Gamez J. Haplotype Analysis of the First A4V- SOD1 Spanish Family: Two Separate Founders or a Single Common Founder? Front Genet 2019; 10:1109. [PMID: 31781168 PMCID: PMC6857184 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01109] [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: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the genetic heterogeneity reported in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (fALS), Cu/Zn superoxide-dismutase (SOD1) gene mutations are the second most common cause of the disease, accounting for around 20% of all families (ALS1) and isolated sporadic cases (sALS). At least 186 different mutations in the SOD1 gene have been reported to date. The possibility of a single founder and separate founders have been investigated for D90A (p.D91A) and A4V (p.A5V), the most common mutations worldwide. High-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping studies have suggested two founders for A4V (one for the Amerindian population and another for the European population) although the possibility that the two populations are descended from a single ancient founder cannot be ruled out. We used 15 genetic variants spanning the human chromosome 21 from the SOD1 gene to the SCAF4 gene, comparing them with the population reference panels, to demonstrate that the first A4V Spanish pedigree shared the genetic background reported in the European population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Garcia
- ALS Unit, Neurology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,European Reference Network on Rare Neuromuscular Diseases (ERN EURO-NMD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Vidal-Taboada
- ALS Unit, Neurology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,European Reference Network on Rare Neuromuscular Diseases (ERN EURO-NMD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Enrique Syriani
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,European Reference Network on Rare Neuromuscular Diseases (ERN EURO-NMD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria Salvado
- ALS Unit, Neurology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,European Reference Network on Rare Neuromuscular Diseases (ERN EURO-NMD), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Morales
- Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,European Reference Network on Rare Neuromuscular Diseases (ERN EURO-NMD), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Gamez
- ALS Unit, Neurology Department, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain.,Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,European Reference Network on Rare Neuromuscular Diseases (ERN EURO-NMD), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Tang L, Ma Y, Liu XL, Chen L, Fan DS. Better survival in female SOD1-mutant patients with ALS: a study of SOD1-related natural history. Transl Neurodegener 2019; 8:2. [PMID: 30637102 PMCID: PMC6325854 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0142-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background SOD1 mutations are the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in non-Caucasian patients. Detailed natural history profiles of SOD1-mutant patients will be beneficial for the strategy and interpretation of future SOD1-targeted clinical practice. Methods Mutational distribution, age at onset (AAO), site of onset, diagnostic delay, disease progression (rate of ALSFRS-R decrease, ΔFS) and survival were analysed. Further comparisons between heredity of disease, gender, and mutations were performed. Results Sixty-six cases with 43 SOD1 mutations were included and analysed, with p.His47Arg as the leading mutation and seven novel variants identified. The mean (SD) AAO was 43.92 years (9.24) for all subjects, with a significant difference between patients carrying mutations in exon 2 (n = 24,46.83, 8.31) and exon 4 (n = 18, 37.75, 7.67) (p = 0.002). The median (IQR) diagnostic delay from symptom onset was 14.50 (6.00–36.50) months for all SOD1-mutant patients, 9.50 (4.75–24.25) months for males and 24.00 (9.50–47.50) months for females, revealing a gender difference (p = 0.009). Similar advantages in median (IQR) ΔFS [male: female, 0.55 (0.24–0.94) vs 0.19 (0.06–0.90), p = 0.041] and mean (95% CI) survival [57.4 (38.90–75.90) months vs 125.6 (99.80–151.50) months, p = 0.006] were also observed in females, both of which existed in sporadic ALS only when stratified by familiar or sporadic ALS. Conclusions The results highlight a distinct mutational distribution and natural history spectrum in ALS patients carrying SOD1 mutations in China. A prominent mild disease progression was observed in female patients, which had rarely been reported in the previous literature. This finding, together with the detailed analysis of natural history among each mutation, can have important implications for future genetic counselling and SOD1-targeted clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Tang
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Ma
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Lu Liu
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Chen
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
| | - Dong-Sheng Fan
- Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, 49 North Garden Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191 People's Republic of China
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15
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Hogden A, Crook A. Patient-centered decision making in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: where are we? Neurodegener Dis Manag 2017; 7:377-386. [DOI: 10.2217/nmt-2017-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Developments in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research and care delivery have created new arenas, and new dilemmas, for patients’ decision making. This review explores three aspects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient-centered care and decision making: patient-centered service delivery through the expanding multidisciplinary team; decision making for genetic testing and the implications of undergoing testing; and development of user-designed decision support tools to help patients and families make decisions as their choices become more complex. Until a cure is found, well-timed and effective decision making will rely on patient and family preferences to guide them through an increasingly complicated disease landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Hogden
- Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ashley Crook
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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16
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Garton FC, Benyamin B, Zhao Q, Liu Z, Gratten J, Henders AK, Zhang ZH, Edson J, Furlong S, Morgan S, Heggie S, Thorpe K, Pfluger C, Mather KA, Sachdev PS, McRae AF, Robinson MR, Shah S, Visscher PM, Mangelsdorf M, Henderson RD, Wray NR, McCombe PA. Whole exome sequencing and DNA methylation analysis in a clinical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cohort. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2017; 5:418-428. [PMID: 28717666 PMCID: PMC5511806 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Gene discovery has provided remarkable biological insights into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). One challenge for clinical application of genetic testing is critical evaluation of the significance of reported variants. Methods We use whole exome sequencing (WES) to develop a clinically relevant approach to identify a subset of ALS patients harboring likely pathogenic mutations. In parallel, we assess if DNA methylation can be used to screen for pathogenicity of novel variants since a methylation signature has been shown to associate with the pathogenic C9orf72 expansion, but has not been explored for other ALS mutations. Australian patients identified with ALS‐relevant variants were cross‐checked with population databases and case reports to critically assess whether they were “likely causal,” “uncertain significance,” or “unlikely causal.” Results Published ALS variants were identified in >10% of patients; however, in only 3% of patients (4/120) could these be confidently considered pathogenic (in SOD1 and TARDBP). We found no evidence for a differential DNA methylation signature in these mutation carriers. Conclusions The use of WES in a typical ALS clinic demonstrates a critical approach to variant assessment with the capability to combine cohorts to enhance the largely unknown genetic basis of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fleur C Garton
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Beben Benyamin
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Qiongyi Zhao
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Zhijun Liu
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Jacob Gratten
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Anjali K Henders
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Zong-Hong Zhang
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Janette Edson
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Sarah Furlong
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Sarah Morgan
- Reta Lila Weston InstituteUCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUK.,Department of Molecular NeuroscienceUCL Institute of NeurologyLondonUK
| | - Susan Heggie
- UQ Centre for Clinical ResearchThe University of QueenslandRoyal Brisbane & Women's HospitalBrisbane4029Australia
| | - Kathryn Thorpe
- UQ Centre for Clinical ResearchThe University of QueenslandRoyal Brisbane & Women's HospitalBrisbane4029Australia
| | - Casey Pfluger
- UQ Centre for Clinical ResearchThe University of QueenslandRoyal Brisbane & Women's HospitalBrisbane4029Australia
| | - Karen A Mather
- Centre for Healthy Brain AgeingSchool of PsychiatryFaculty of MedicineThe University of New South WalesSydneyNew South Wales2052Australia
| | - Perminder S Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain AgeingSchool of PsychiatryFaculty of MedicineThe University of New South WalesSydneyNew South Wales2052Australia.,Neuropsychiatric InstitutePrince of Wales HospitalRandwickNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Allan F McRae
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Matthew R Robinson
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Sonia Shah
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Peter M Visscher
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,University of Queensland Diamantina InstituteTranslational Research InstituteBrisbaneQueensland4012Australia
| | - Marie Mangelsdorf
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Robert D Henderson
- Department of NeurologyRoyal Brisbane & Women's HospitalBrisbane4029Australia
| | - Naomi R Wray
- Queensland Brain InstituteThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia.,Institute for Molecular BioscienceThe University of QueenslandSt LuciaQueensland4072Australia
| | - Pamela A McCombe
- UQ Centre for Clinical ResearchThe University of QueenslandRoyal Brisbane & Women's HospitalBrisbane4029Australia
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17
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Crook A, Williams K, Adams L, Blair I, Rowe DB. Predictive genetic testing for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia: genetic counselling considerations. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2017; 18:475-485. [PMID: 28585888 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2017.1332079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Once a gene mutation that is causal of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and/or frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is identified in a family, relatives may decide to undergo predictive genetic testing to determine whether they are at risk of developing disease. Recent advances in gene discovery have led to a pressing need to better understand the implications of predictive genetic testing. Here we review the uptake of genetic counselling, predictive and reproductive testing, and the factors that impact the decision to undergo testing, for consideration in clinical practice. The literature suggests that the factors impacting the decision to undergo testing are complex due to the nature of these diseases, absence of available preventative medical treatment and variable age of onset in mutation carriers. Gaining further insight into the decision-making process and the impact of testing is critical as we seek to develop best-practice guidelines for predictive testing for familial ALS and FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Crook
- a Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Macquarie University , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia and
| | - Kelly Williams
- b Centre for MND Research , Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Macquarie University , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia
| | - Lorel Adams
- a Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Macquarie University , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia and
| | - Ian Blair
- b Centre for MND Research , Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Macquarie University , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia
| | - Dominic B Rowe
- a Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences , Macquarie University , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia and
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18
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Screening of SOD1, FUS and TARDBP genes in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in central-southern China. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32478. [PMID: 27604643 PMCID: PMC5015023 DOI: 10.1038/srep32478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons of the brain, brainstem and spinal cord. To date, mutations in more than 30 genes have been linked to the pathogenesis of ALS. Among them, SOD1, FUS and TARDBP are ranked as the three most common genes associated with ALS. However, no mutation analysis has been reported in central-southern China. In this study, we sequenced SOD1, FUS and TARDBP in a central-southern Chinese cohort of 173 patients with ALS (15 familial ALS and 158 sporadic ALS) to detect mutations. As a result, five missense mutations in SOD1, namely, p.D101N, p.D101G, p.C111Y, p.N86S and p.V87A, were identified in three unrelated familial probands and three sporadic cases; two mutations in FUS were found in two unrelated familial probands, including an insertion mutation (p.P525_Y526insY) and a missense mutation (p.R521H); no variants of TARDBP were observed in patients. Therefore, SOD1 mutations were present in 20.0% of familial ALS patients and 1.9% of sporadic ALS patients, while FUS mutations were responsible for 13.3% of familial ALS cases, and TARDBP mutations were rare in either familial or sporadic ALS cases. This study broadens the known mutational spectrum in patients with ALS and further demonstrates the necessity for genetic screening in ALS patients from central-southern China.
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19
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Picher-Martel V, Valdmanis PN, Gould PV, Julien JP, Dupré N. From animal models to human disease: a genetic approach for personalized medicine in ALS. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2016; 4:70. [PMID: 27400686 PMCID: PMC4940869 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-016-0340-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is the most frequent motor neuron disease in adults. Classical ALS is characterized by the death of upper and lower motor neurons leading to progressive paralysis. Approximately 10 % of ALS patients have familial form of the disease. Numerous different gene mutations have been found in familial cases of ALS, such as mutations in superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43), fused in sarcoma (FUS), C9ORF72, ubiquilin-2 (UBQLN2), optineurin (OPTN) and others. Multiple animal models were generated to mimic the disease and to test future treatments. However, no animal model fully replicates the spectrum of phenotypes in the human disease and it is difficult to assess how a therapeutic effect in disease models can predict efficacy in humans. Importantly, the genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity of ALS leads to a variety of responses to similar treatment regimens. From this has emerged the concept of personalized medicine (PM), which is a medical scheme that combines study of genetic, environmental and clinical diagnostic testing, including biomarkers, to individualized patient care. In this perspective, we used subgroups of specific ALS-linked gene mutations to go through existing animal models and to provide a comprehensive profile of the differences and similarities between animal models of disease and human disease. Finally, we reviewed application of biomarkers and gene therapies relevant in personalized medicine approach. For instance, this includes viral delivering of antisense oligonucleotide and small interfering RNA in SOD1, TDP-43 and C9orf72 mice models. Promising gene therapies raised possibilities for treating differently the major mutations in familial ALS cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Picher-Martel
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Research Centre of Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Laval University, 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, G1J 2G3, Canada.
| | - Paul N Valdmanis
- Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Stanford University, 269 Campus Drive, CCSR 2110, Stanford, CA, 94305-5164, USA
| | - Peter V Gould
- Division of Anatomic Pathology and Neuropathology, Department of Medical Biology, CHU de Québec, Hôpital de l'Enfant-Jésus, 1401, 18th street, Québec, QC, Canada, G1J 1Z4
| | - Jean-Pierre Julien
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Research Centre of Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec, Laval University, 2601 Chemin de la Canardière, Québec, QC, G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Nicolas Dupré
- Axe Neurosciences & The Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CHU de Québec, Laval University, 1401, 18th street, Québec, QC, G1J 1Z4, Canada.
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20
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Benatar M, Stanislaw C, Reyes E, Hussain S, Cooley A, Fernandez MC, Dauphin DD, Michon SC, Andersen PM, Wuu J. Presymptomatic ALS genetic counseling and testing: Experience and recommendations. Neurology 2016; 86:2295-302. [PMID: 27194384 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000002773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Remarkable advances in our understanding of the genetic contributions to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have sparked discussion and debate about whether clinical genetic testing should routinely be offered to patients with ALS. A related, but distinct, question is whether presymptomatic genetic testing should be offered to family members who may be at risk for developing ALS. Existing guidelines for presymptomatic counseling and testing are mostly based on small number of individuals, clinical judgment, and experience from other neurodegenerative disorders. Over the course of the last 8 years, we have provided testing and 317 genetic counseling sessions (including predecision, pretest, posttest, and ad hoc counseling) to 161 first-degree family members participating in the Pre-Symptomatic Familial ALS Study (Pre-fALS), as well as testing and 75 posttest counseling sessions to 63 individuals with familial ALS. Based on this experience, and the real-world challenges we have had to overcome in the process, we recommend an updated set of guidelines for providing presymptomatic genetic counseling and testing to people at high genetic risk for developing ALS. These recommendations are especially timely and relevant given the growing interest in studying presymptomatic ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Benatar
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden.
| | - Christine Stanislaw
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Eliana Reyes
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Sumaira Hussain
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Anne Cooley
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Maria Catalina Fernandez
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Danielle D Dauphin
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Sara-Claude Michon
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Peter M Andersen
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Joanne Wuu
- From the Department of Neurology (M.B., E.R., S.H., A.C., M.C.F., D.D.D., S.-C.M., J.W.), University of Miami, FL; Winship Cancer Institute and Department of Human Genetics (C.S.), Emory University, Atlanta, GA; and Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience (P.M.A.), Umeå University, Sweden
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21
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Alemasov NA, Ivanisenko NV, Medvedev SP, Zakian SM, Kolchanov NA, Ivanisenko VA. Dynamic properties of SOD1 mutants can predict survival time of patients carrying familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2016; 35:645-656. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2016.1158666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay A. Alemasov
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nikita V. Ivanisenko
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Sergey P. Medvedev
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Suren M. Zakian
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nikolay A. Kolchanov
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir A. Ivanisenko
- The Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
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22
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Vats A, Gourie-Devi M, Verma M, Ramachandran S, Taneja B, Kukreti R, Taneja V. Identification of L84F mutation with a novel nucleotide change c.255G > T in the superoxide dismutase gene in a North Indian family with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2015; 17:253-9. [DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2015.1111906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Vats
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, Delhi,
- Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi, Delhi,
| | - Mandaville Gourie-Devi
- Department of Neurophysiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, Delhi,
- Department of Neurology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, New Delhi,
| | - Meenakshi Verma
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, New Delhi, and
| | | | - Bhupesh Taneja
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mathura Road, New Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Ritushree Kukreti
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Mall Road, New Delhi, and
| | - Vibha Taneja
- Department of Research, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Rajinder Nagar, Delhi,
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23
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Identification of mutations in Korean patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using multigene panel testing. Neurobiol Aging 2015; 37:209.e9-209.e16. [PMID: 26601740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Revised: 08/25/2015] [Accepted: 09/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease involving motor neurons. Because a growing number of genes have been identified as the genetic etiology of ALS, simultaneous screening of mutations in multiple genes is likely to be more efficient than gene-by-gene testing. In this study, we performed a multigene panel testing by using targeted capture of 18 ALS-related genes followed by next-generation sequencing. Using this technique, we tried to identify mutations in 4 index patients with familial ALS and 148 sporadic ALS in Korean population and identified 4 known mutations in SOD1, ALS2, MAPT, and SQSTM1 genes, respectively, and 28 variants of uncertain significance in 9 genes. Among the 28 variants of uncertain significance, 6 missense variants were found in highly conserved residues and were consistently predicted to be deleterious by in silico analyses. These results suggest that multigene panel testing is an effective approach for mutation screening in ALS-related genes. Moreover, the relatively low frequency of mutations in known ALS genes implies marked genetic heterogeneity at least in Korean patients with ALS.
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Abstract
Dealing systematically with ethical issues in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) care requires an unbiased awareness of all the relevant ethical issues. The aim of the study was to determine systematically and transparently the full spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care. We conducted a systematic review in Medline and Google Books (restricted to English and German literature published between 1993 and 2014). We applied qualitative text analysis and normative analysis to categorise the spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care. The literature review retrieved 56 references that together mentioned a spectrum of 103 ethical issues in ALS care. The spectrum was structured into six major categories that consist of first and second-order categories of ethical issues. The systematically derived spectrum of ethical issues in ALS care presented in this paper raises awareness and understanding of the complexity of ethical issues in ALS care. It also offers a basis for the systematic development of informational and training materials for health professionals, patients and their relatives, and society as a whole. Finally, it supports a rational and fair selection of all those ethical issues that should be addressed in health policies, position papers and clinical practice guidelines. Further research is needed to identify ways to systematically select the most relevant ethical issues not only in the clinical environment, but also for the development of clinical practice guidelines.
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Tarlarini C, Lunetta C, Mosca L, Avemaria F, Riva N, Mantero V, Maestri E, Quattrini A, Corbo M, Melazzini MG, Penco S. Novel FUS mutations identified through molecular screening in a large cohort of familial and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Eur J Neurol 2015; 22:1474-81. [DOI: 10.1111/ene.12772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Tarlarini
- Medical Genetics Unit; Department of Laboratory Medicine; Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - C. Lunetta
- NEuroMuscular Omnicentre (NEMO); Fondazione Serena Onlus; Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - L. Mosca
- Medical Genetics Unit; Department of Laboratory Medicine; Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - F. Avemaria
- Medical Genetics Unit; Department of Laboratory Medicine; Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - N. Riva
- Neuropathology Unit; Institute of Experimental Neurology and Division of Neuroscience; IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Milan Italy
| | - V. Mantero
- Neurological Department; A. Manzoni Hospital; Lecco Italy
| | - E. Maestri
- NEuroMuscular Omnicentre (NEMO); Fondazione Serena Onlus; Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - A. Quattrini
- Neuropathology Unit; Institute of Experimental Neurology and Division of Neuroscience; IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute; Milan Italy
| | - M. Corbo
- NEuroMuscular Omnicentre (NEMO); Fondazione Serena Onlus; Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital; Milan Italy
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences; Casa Cura Policlinico; Milan Italy
| | - M. G. Melazzini
- NEuroMuscular Omnicentre (NEMO); Fondazione Serena Onlus; Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital; Milan Italy
| | - S. Penco
- Medical Genetics Unit; Department of Laboratory Medicine; Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital; Milan Italy
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Abstract
Our understanding of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease, is expanding rapidly as its genetic causes are uncovered. The pace of new gene discovery over the last 5 years has accelerated, providing new insights into the pathogenesis of disease and highlighting biological pathways as targets for therapeutic development. This article reviews our current understanding of the heritability of ALS and provides an overview of each of the major ALS genes, highlighting their phenotypic characteristics and frequencies as a guide for clinicians evaluating patients with ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew B Harms
- Neuromuscular Division, Department of Neurology, Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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Eisen A, Krieger C. Ethical considerations in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Prog Neurobiol 2013; 110:45-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2013.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2013] [Revised: 04/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Adeno-associated virus-mediated delivery of a recombinant single-chain antibody against misfolded superoxide dismutase for treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Mol Ther 2013; 22:498-510. [PMID: 24394188 PMCID: PMC3944333 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2013.239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is emerging evidence that the misfolding of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) may represent a common pathogenic event in both familial and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To reduce the burden of misfolded SOD1 species in the nervous system, we have tested a novel therapeutic approach based on adeno-associated virus (AAV)–mediated tonic expression of a DNA construct encoding a secretable single-chain fragment variable (scFv) antibody composed of the variable heavy and light chain regions of a monoclonal antibody (D3H5) binding specifically to misfolded SOD1. A single intrathecal injection of the AAV encoding the single-chain antibody in SOD1G93A mice at 45 days of age resulted in sustained expression of single-chain antibodies in the spinal cord, and it delayed disease onset and extension of life span by up to 28%, in direct correlation with scFv titers in the spinal cord. The treatment caused attenuation of neuronal stress signals and reduction in levels of misfolded SOD1 in the spinal cord of SOD1G93A mice. From these results, we propose that an immunotherapy based on intrathecal inoculation of AAV encoding a secretable scFv against misfolded SOD1 should be considered as potential treatment for ALS, especially for individuals carrying SOD1 mutations.
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Abel O, Powell JF, Andersen PM, Al-Chalabi A. Credibility analysis of putative disease-causing genes using bioinformatics. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64899. [PMID: 23755159 PMCID: PMC3674010 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 04/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Genetic studies are challenging in many complex diseases, particularly those with limited diagnostic certainty, low prevalence or of old age. The result is that genes may be reported as disease-causing with varying levels of evidence, and in some cases, the data may be so limited as to be indistinguishable from chance findings. When there are large numbers of such genes, an objective method for ranking the evidence is useful. Using the neurodegenerative and complex disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as a model, and the disease-specific database ALSoD, the objective is to develop a method using publicly available data to generate a credibility score for putative disease-causing genes. Methods Genes with at least one publication suggesting involvement in adult onset familial ALS were collated following an exhaustive literature search. SQL was used to generate a score by extracting information from the publications and combined with a pathogenicity analysis using bioinformatics tools. The resulting score allowed us to rank genes in order of credibility. To validate the method, we compared the objective ranking with a rank generated by ALS genetics experts. Spearman's Rho was used to compare rankings generated by the different methods. Results The automated method ranked ALS genes in the following order: SOD1, TARDBP, FUS, ANG, SPG11, NEFH, OPTN, ALS2, SETX, FIG4, VAPB, DCTN1, TAF15, VCP, DAO. This compared very well to the ranking of ALS genetics experts, with Spearman's Rho of 0.69 (P = 0.009). Conclusion We have presented an automated method for scoring the level of evidence for a gene being disease-causing. In developing the method we have used the model disease ALS, but it could equally be applied to any disease in which there is genotypic uncertainty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olubunmi Abel
- King's Health Partners Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, King's College London, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - John F. Powell
- Department of Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Peter M. Andersen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Section for Neurology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Ammar Al-Chalabi
- King's Health Partners Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, King's College London, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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Ingre C, Landers JE, Rizik N, Volk AE, Akimoto C, Birve A, Hübers A, Keagle PJ, Piotrowska K, Press R, Andersen PM, Ludolph AC, Weishaupt JH. A novel phosphorylation site mutation in profilin 1 revealed in a large screen of US, Nordic, and German amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia cohorts. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 34:1708.e1-6. [PMID: 23141414 PMCID: PMC6591725 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2012] [Revised: 10/05/2012] [Accepted: 10/15/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Profilin 1 is a central regulator of actin dynamics. Mutations in the gene profilin 1 (PFN1) have very recently been shown to be the cause of a subgroup of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here, we performed a large screen of US, Nordic, and German familial and sporadic ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTLD) patients for PFN1 mutations to get further insight into the spectrum and pathogenic relevance of this gene for the complete ALS/FTLD continuum. Four hundred twelve familial and 260 sporadic ALS cases and 16 ALS/FTLD cases from Germany, the Nordic countries, and the United States were screened for PFN1 mutations. Phenotypes of patients carrying PFN1 mutations were studied. In a German ALS family we identified the novel heterozygous PFN1 mutation p.Thr109Met, which was absent in controls. This novel mutation abrogates a phosphorylation site in profilin 1. The recently described p.Gln117Gly sequence variant was found in another familial ALS patient from the United States. The ALS patients with mutations in PFN1 displayed spinal onset motor neuron disease without overt cognitive involvement. PFN1 mutations were absent in patients with motor neuron disease and dementia, and in patients with only FTLD. We provide further evidence that PFN1 mutations can cause ALS as a Mendelian dominant trait. Patients carrying PFN1 mutations reported so far represent the "classic" ALS end of the ALS-FTLD spectrum. The novel p.Thr109Met mutation provides additional proof-of-principle that mutant proteins involved in the regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics can cause motor neuron degeneration. Moreover, this new mutation suggests that fine-tuning of actin polymerization by phosphorylation of profilin 1 might be necessary for motor neuron survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Ingre
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, The Karolinske University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - John E. Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Naji Rizik
- Department of Neurology Ulm University Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Chizuru Akimoto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Birve
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Pamela J. Keagle
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Katarzyna Piotrowska
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Rayomand Press
- Department of Neurology, The Karolinske University Hospital Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Munch Andersen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Neurology Ulm University Ulm, Germany
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Sabatelli M, Conte A, Zollino M. Clinical and genetic heterogeneity of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Clin Genet 2013; 83:408-16. [DOI: 10.1111/cge.12117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2012] [Revised: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - M Zollino
- Istituto di Genetica Medica; Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore; Rome; Italy
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32
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Pfister T, Sekhon R, White M, Scott P, Munro S, Johnston M, Kalra S, Korngut L. Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Alberta, Canada. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2013; 14:273-7. [PMID: 23286750 DOI: 10.3109/21678421.2012.754044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Systematic review data demonstrate that 5% of ALS cases are familial (FALS). Causative superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1) mutations are identified in 10-20% of FALS. Few reports of FALS epidemiology exist in Canada. We completed a retrospective review of all FALS cases within the province of Alberta between 2002 and 2011. Descriptive summaries of genotypes identified and calculation of prevalences were performed. We reviewed 946 clinic database records and 49 subjects with FALS were identified (5.2%). Clinic charts for 47/49 were available and reviewed. Causative SOD1 mutations were observed in 17/47 (36%). The SOD1 I113T mutation was identified in 11/47 unrelated patients and was associated with a less variable survival than previously reported. The period and point prevalences of FALS in Alberta are approximately 2.05 per 100,000 (95% CI 1.51-2.73) and 4.68 per 1,000,000 (95% CI 2.42-8.18), respectively. In conclusion, we report 47 cases of FALS in Alberta over the past decade. The proportion of SOD1-positive FALS cases is higher than reported elsewhere. The high proportion of I113T mutations is comparable to that previously observed in the adjacent province of British Columbia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted Pfister
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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33
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van Blitterswijk M, Vlam L, van Es MA, van der Pol WL, Hennekam EAM, Dooijes D, Schelhaas HJ, van der Kooi AJ, de Visser M, Veldink JH, van den Berg LH. Genetic overlap between apparently sporadic motor neuron diseases. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48983. [PMID: 23155438 PMCID: PMC3498376 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2012] [Accepted: 10/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are devastating motor neuron diseases (MNDs), which result in muscle weakness and/or spasticity. We compared mutation frequencies in genes known to be associated with MNDs between patients with apparently sporadic PMA and ALS. A total of 261 patients with adult-onset sporadic PMA, patients with sporadic ALS, and control subjects of Dutch descent were obtained at national referral centers for neuromuscular diseases in The Netherlands. Sanger sequencing was used to screen these subjects for mutations in the coding regions of superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1), angiogenin (ANG), fused in sarcoma/translated in liposarcoma (FUS/TLS), TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TARDBP), and multivesicular body protein 2B (CHMP2B). In our cohort of PMA patients we identified two SOD1 mutations (p.D90A, p.I113T), one ANG mutation (p.K17I), one FUS/TLS mutation (p.R521H), one TARDBP mutation (p.N352S), and one novel CHMP2B mutation (p.R69Q). The mutation frequency of these genes was similar in sporadic PMA (2.7%) and ALS (2.0%) patients, and therefore, our findings demonstrate a genetic overlap between apparently sporadic PMA and ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marka van Blitterswijk
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Lotte Vlam
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Michael A. van Es
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - W-Ludo van der Pol
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eric A. M. Hennekam
- Department of Medical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis Dooijes
- Department of Medical Genetics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Helenius J. Schelhaas
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anneke J. van der Kooi
- Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marianne de Visser
- Department of Neurology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H. Veldink
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Leonard H. van den Berg
- Department of Neurology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Nakamura A, Hineno A, Yoshida K, Sekijima Y, Hanaoka-Tachibana N, Takei YI, Ohara S, Ikeda SI. Marked intrafamilial phenotypic variation in a family with SOD1 C111Y mutation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.3109/17482968.2012.656311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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35
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Gellera C, Ticozzi N, Pensato V, Nanetti L, Castucci A, Castellotti B, Lauria G, Taroni F, Silani V, Mariotti C. ATAXIN2 CAG-repeat length in Italian patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: risk factor or variant phenotype? Implication for genetic testing and counseling. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:1847.e15-21. [PMID: 22425256 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Revised: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 02/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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36
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Katz JS, Katzberg HD, Woolley SC, Marklund SL, Andersen PM. Combined fulminant frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with an I113T SOD1 mutation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 13:567-9. [PMID: 22670877 DOI: 10.3109/17482968.2012.678365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the gene for superoxide dismutase type 1 cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but are not thought to be associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD). A lack of detailed case reports is one reason, among others, for this skepticism. This case report comments on a patient with familial ALS caused by I113T mutation in the SOD1 gene presenting with progressive cognitive and behavioral decline two years before developing progressive motor degeneration. In conclusion, this case provides evidence that SOD1 mutations can be associated with FTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan S Katz
- Forbes Norris ALS/MND Research Center, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco, California, USA.
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37
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Ramos EM, Keagle P, Gillis T, Lowe P, Mysore JS, Leclerc AL, Ratti A, Ticozzi N, Gellera C, Gusella JF, Silani V, Alonso I, Brown RH, Macdonald ME, Landers JE. Prevalence of Huntington's disease gene CAG repeat alleles in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 13:265-9. [DOI: 10.3109/17482968.2011.653573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Marisa Ramos
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- UnIGENe, IBMC – Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto,
Porto, Portugal
| | - Pamela Keagle
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School,
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tammy Gillis
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Patrick Lowe
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School,
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jayalakshmi S. Mysore
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ashley Lyn Leclerc
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School,
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, ‘Dino Ferrari’ Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano – IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano,
Milan
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, ‘Dino Ferrari’ Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano – IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano,
Milan
| | - Cinzia Gellera
- Unit of Genetics of Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico ‘Carlo Besta’,
Milan, Italy
| | - James F. Gusella
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, ‘Dino Ferrari’ Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano – IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano,
Milan
| | - Isabel Alonso
- UnIGENe, IBMC – Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Porto,
Porto, Portugal
| | - Robert H. Brown
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School,
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Marcy E. Macdonald
- Center for Human Genetic Research, Massachusetts General Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - John E. Landers
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School,
Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
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38
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SOD1 Mutations: More to Learn. Can J Neurol Sci 2012; 39:132-3. [DOI: 10.1017/s0317167100013135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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39
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Stewart H, Rutherford NJ, Briemberg H, Krieger C, Cashman N, Fabros M, Baker M, Fok A, DeJesus-Hernandez M, Eisen A, Rademakers R, Mackenzie IRA. Clinical and pathological features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by mutation in the C9ORF72 gene on chromosome 9p. Acta Neuropathol 2012; 123:409-17. [PMID: 22228244 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-011-0937-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2011] [Revised: 12/26/2011] [Accepted: 12/30/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Two studies recently identified a GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat expansion in a non-coding region of the chromosome 9 open-reading frame 72 gene (C9ORF72) as the cause of chromosome 9p-linked amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). In a cohort of 231 probands with ALS, we identified the C9ORF72 mutation in 17 familial (27.4%) and six sporadic (3.6%) cases. Patients with the mutation presented with typical motor features of ALS, although subjects with the C9ORF72 mutation had more frequent bulbar onset, compared to those without this mutation. Dementia was significantly more common in ALS patients and families with the C9ORF72 mutation and was usually early-onset FTD. There was striking clinical heterogeneity among the members of individual families with the mutation. The associated neuropathology was a combination of ALS with TDP-ir inclusions and FTLD-TDP. In addition to TDP-43-immunoreactive pathology, a consistent and specific feature of cases with the C9ORF72 mutation was the presence of ubiquitin-positive, TDP-43-negative inclusions in a variety of neuroanatomical regions, such as the cerebellar cortex. These findings support the C9ORF72 mutation as an important newly recognized cause of ALS, provide a more detailed characterization of the associated clinical and pathological features and further demonstrate the clinical and molecular overlap between ALS and FTD.
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Kwon MJ, Baek W, Ki CS, Kim HY, Koh SH, Kim JW, Kim SH. Screening of the SOD1, FUS, TARDBP, ANG, and OPTN mutations in Korean patients with familial and sporadic ALS. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:1017.e17-23. [PMID: 22244934 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2011.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2011] [Revised: 11/29/2011] [Accepted: 12/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
About 5% of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases are known to be familial (fALS) and mutations in SOD1 and other genes are found in more than 20% of fALS patients and in 2%-4% of apparently sporadic ALS (sALS) cases. However, there are few reports on the proportion of fALS and the frequency of mutations in Korean patients with ALS. We screened mutations in the SOD1, FUS, TARDBP, ANG, and OPTN genes in 258 consecutively enrolled Korean patients with ALS from October 2006 to November 2010. The frequency of fALS was estimated to be 3.5% (9/258), and mutations were identified in 88.9% (8/9) of fALS patients but only in 2.8% (7/249) of sALS patients. Seven fALS and 3 sALS patients had mutations in SOD1 gene while all the others had FUS gene. The proportion of fALS was lower than that reported in Caucasian populations but the frequency of SOD1 gene mutations in Korean fALS patients (77.8%, 7/9) was much higher than that reported in other ethnic groups. These findings might suggest that there is an ethnic difference in the proportion of fALS and the genetic background of ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Jung Kwon
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Kacem I, Funalot B, Torny F, Lautrette G, Andersen PM, Couratier P. Early onset Parkinsonism associated with an intronic SOD1 mutation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 13:315-7. [PMID: 22214312 DOI: 10.3109/17482968.2011.623301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We report on a patient belonging to a large family with autosomal-dominant amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, who developed asymmetrical akineto-rigid symptoms at 33 years of age. He had no signs of lower motor neuron disease after four years of follow-up. All seven ALS patients from this family harboured a mutation located in the fourth intron of the SOD1 gene. The proband also harboured the same mutation, associated with a 40% decrease in SOD1 erythrocyte activity. This case report suggests that SOD1 mutations might be associated with marked phenotypic variability (ALS or early onset Parkinsonism in this family).
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Affiliation(s)
- Imen Kacem
- Department of Neurology, ALS Centre, CHU de Limoges, France
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Niu YF, Xiong HL, Wu JJ, Chen Y, Qiao K, Wu ZY. [Screening of mutations in SOD1 gene and analysis of genotype-phenotype correlation in Chinese patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]. YI CHUAN = HEREDITAS 2011; 33:720-4. [PMID: 22049684 DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1005.2011.00720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we screened for the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mutations in 8 probands who had been clinically diagnosed with familiar amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) using PCR and direct sequencing. Two known mutations were detected in the three probands. Two probands carried the same Cys111Tyr (c.332G > A) mutation in exon 4, and others carried Gly147Asp (c.440G > A) mutation in exon 5. These two mutations were first reported in the Chinese ALS patients. After reviewing all clinical data of these three pedigrees, we found that Cys111Tyr led to a relatively mild phenotype and Gly147Asp displayed a rapidly progression, which needs to be confirmed by further study in more ALS patients. In conclusion, this study extends the spectrum of SOD1 mutations in the Chinese FALS patients and facilitates to investigate characteristics and distribution of SOD1 mutations in the Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Fang Niu
- Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350005, China.
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Andersen PM, Al-Chalabi A. Clinical genetics of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: what do we really know? Nat Rev Neurol 2011; 7:603-15. [PMID: 21989245 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2011.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 503] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Hereditary amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) encompasses a group of genetic disorders characterized by adult-onset loss of the lower and upper motor neuron systems, often with involvement of other parts of the nervous system. Cases of hereditary ALS have been attributed to mutations in 12 different genes, the most common being SOD1, FUS and TARDBP-mutations in the other genes are rare. The identified genes explain 25-35% of cases of familial ALS, but identifying the remaining genes has proved difficult. Only a few genes seem to account for significant numbers of ALS cases, with many others causing a few cases each. Hereditary ALS can be inherited in an autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive or X-linked manner, and families with low disease penetrance are frequently observed. In such families, the genetic predisposition may remain unnoticed, so many patients carry a diagnosis of isolated or sporadic ALS. The only clinical feature that distinguishes recognized hereditary from apparently sporadic ALS is a lower mean age of onset in the former. All the clinical features reported in hereditary cases (including signs of extrapyramidal, cerebellar or cognitive involvement) have also been observed in sporadic cases. Genetic counseling and risk assessment in relatives depend on establishing the specific gene defect and the disease penetrance in the particular family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Andersen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Clinical Neuroscience, Section for Neurology, Umeå University, SE-901 85 Umeå, Sweden.
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Andersen PM, Abrahams S, Borasio GD, de Carvalho M, Chio A, Van Damme P, Hardiman O, Kollewe K, Morrison KE, Petri S, Pradat PF, Silani V, Tomik B, Wasner M, Weber M. EFNS guidelines on the clinical management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (MALS)--revised report of an EFNS task force. Eur J Neurol 2011; 19:360-75. [PMID: 21914052 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2011.03501.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 702] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The evidence base for the diagnosis and management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is weak. OBJECTIVES To provide evidence-based or expert recommendations for the diagnosis and management of ALS based on a literature search and the consensus of an expert panel. METHODS All available medical reference systems were searched, and original papers, meta-analyses, review papers, book chapters and guidelines recommendations were reviewed. The final literature search was performed in February 2011. Recommendations were reached by consensus. RECOMMENDATIONS Patients with symptoms suggestive of ALS should be assessed as soon as possible by an experienced neurologist. Early diagnosis should be pursued, and investigations, including neurophysiology, performed with a high priority. The patient should be informed of the diagnosis by a consultant with a good knowledge of the patient and the disease. Following diagnosis, the patient and relatives/carers should receive regular support from a multidisciplinary care team. Medication with riluzole should be initiated as early as possible. Control of symptoms such as sialorrhoea, thick mucus, emotional lability, cramps, spasticity and pain should be attempted. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy feeding improves nutrition and quality of life, and gastrostomy tubes should be placed before respiratory insufficiency develops. Non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation also improves survival and quality of life. Maintaining the patient's ability to communicate is essential. During the entire course of the disease, every effort should be made to maintain patient autonomy. Advance directives for palliative end-of-life care should be discussed early with the patient and carers, respecting the patient's social and cultural background.
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Affiliation(s)
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- Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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Zhao G, Yin X, Wu D, Mao S, Yin H, Zhang B. Clinical features and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene mutations in two mainland Chinese families with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Int J Neurosci 2011; 121:191-5. [PMID: 21329474 DOI: 10.3109/00207454.2010.542841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Clinical information of two families with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was studied and a mutation analysis of the SOD1 gene was performed using direct DNA sequencing. Two previously reported mutations of the SOD1 gene, G20T (Cys6Phe substitution), and G255C (Leu84Phe substitution), were identified and cosegregated with the disease in the two families. Patients with a Cys6Phe mutation demonstrated rapid disease progression with severe clinical phenotypes, and the patients with a Leu84Phe mutation had a variety of different clinical phenotypes. This is the third report of SOD1 gene mutations in Mainland Chinese patients with different ALS phenotypes. This supports the hypothesis that the clinical course of ALS may vary depending on the specific genetic mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohua Zhao
- Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China
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Lee T, Li YR, Ingre C, Weber M, Grehl T, Gredal O, de Carvalho M, Meyer T, Tysnes OB, Auburger G, Gispert S, Bonini NM, Andersen PM, Gitler AD. Ataxin-2 intermediate-length polyglutamine expansions in European ALS patients. Hum Mol Genet 2011; 20:1697-700. [PMID: 21292779 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddr045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal adult-onset neurodegenerative disease primarily affecting motor neurons. We recently identified intermediate-length polyglutamine (polyQ) expansions (27-33 Qs) in ataxin 2 as a genetic risk factor for sporadic ALS in North American ALS patients. To extend these findings, we assessed the ataxin 2 polyQ repeat length in 1294 European ALS patients and 679 matched healthy controls. We observed a significant association between polyQ expansions and ALS (>30 Qs; P= 6.2 × 10(-3)). Thus, intermediate-length ataxin 2 polyQ repeat expansions are associated with increased risk for ALS also in the European cohort. The specific polyQ length cutoff, however, appears to vary between different populations, with longer repeat lengths showing a clear association. Our findings support the hypothesis that ataxin 2 plays an important role in predisposing to ALS and that polyQ expansions in ataxin 2 are a significant risk factor for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1109 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Holmøy T, Braaten Ø, Hovden I, Tallaksen C. En ung kvinne som mistet kraften i ett bein. TIDSSKRIFT FOR DEN NORSKE LEGEFORENING 2011; 131:583-6. [DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.09.1499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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Holmøy T, Wilson JA, von der Lippe C, Andersen PM, Berg-Hansen P. G127R: A novel SOD1 mutation associated with rapidly evolving ALS and severe pain syndrome. AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE WORLD FEDERATION OF NEUROLOGY RESEARCH GROUP ON MOTOR NEURON DISEASES 2010; 11:478-480. [PMID: 20192886 DOI: 10.3109/17482960903580315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
We describe a patient with apparently sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) with a novel g > c point mutation at position 382 in the SOD1 gene, leading to a substitution of glycine for arginine in amino acid position 127 (G127R). The disease presented with flaccid leg paresis, and progressed rapidly with generalized paresis resulting in respiratory failure after seven months. In addition to a predominating lower motor neuron syndrome, the phenotype was characterized by a severe lower back and leg pain syndrome which was treated successfully with spinal anaesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trygve Holmøy
- Department of Neurology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, Norway.
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Abstract
We describe a large family with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) caused by an I113T mutation in superoxide dismuatse type 1 (SOD1). The proband developed symptoms typical for ALS at age 39 years and is still walking five years later. Marked phenotypic variability is manifested by her mother with onset of gait difficulty and decision-making problems at age 67 years and a five-year course marked by progressive mild upper motor neuron weakness, frontotemporal dementia and chorea. An aunt's initial symptoms included foot numbness and an uncle with the mutation is asymptomatic. Penetrance is only 50% at age 60 years and 88% at age 80 years with an 86-year-old woman harboring the mutation and having a normal neurologic examination. This family highlights the extreme variability in age of onset, clinical manifestations, disease progression and penetrance due to the I113T SOD1 mutation.
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50
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Gros-Louis F, Soucy G, Larivière R, Julien JP. Intracerebroventricular infusion of monoclonal antibody or its derived Fab fragment against misfolded forms of SOD1 mutant delays mortality in a mouse model of ALS. J Neurochem 2010; 113:1188-99. [PMID: 20345765 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06683.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The finding of a secretion pathway and toxicity for mutant superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) raised up the possibility of using immunization approaches to reduce or neutralize the burden of toxic SOD1 species in the nervous system. Here we tested a passive immunization approach based on intracerebroventricular infusion in G93A-SOD1 mice of monoclonal antibodies specific to misfolded forms of SOD1 (mSOD1). We tested two monoclonal antibodies that bind distinct epitopes in mSOD1 and that do not bind to intact wild-type (WT) SOD1. One antibody succeeded in reducing the level of mSOD1 by 23% in the spinal cord and in prolonging the lifespan of G93A-SOD1 mice in proportion to the duration of treatment. However, another monoclonal antibody binding to a different SOD1 epitope failed to confer protection indicating that not all anti-SOD1 antibodies might be suitable for immunotherapy. Interestingly, the variable Fab fragment of an anti-SOD1 antibody was sufficient to confer some protection in G93A-SOD1 mice. The partial dispensability of Fc region should offer some advantages for development of immunotherapy with antibodies of smaller molecular size and low immunogenicity. From these results, we propose that passive immunization strategies should be considered as potential avenues for treatment of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis caused by SOD1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Gros-Louis
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Research Centre of CHUQ, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada
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