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Dhaliwal NK, Weng OY, Dong X, Bhattacharya A, Ahmed M, Nishimura H, Choi WWY, Aggarwal A, Luikart BW, Shu Q, Li X, Wilson MD, Moffat J, Wang LY, Muffat J, Li Y. Synergistic hyperactivation of both mTORC1 and mTORC2 underlies the neural abnormalities of PTEN-deficient human neurons and cortical organoids. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114173. [PMID: 38700984 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114173] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene are associated with severe neurodevelopmental disorders. Loss of PTEN leads to hyperactivation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), which functions in two distinct protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. The downstream signaling mechanisms that contribute to PTEN mutant phenotypes are not well delineated. Here, we show that pluripotent stem cell-derived PTEN mutant human neurons, neural precursors, and cortical organoids recapitulate disease-relevant phenotypes, including hypertrophy, electrical hyperactivity, enhanced proliferation, and structural overgrowth. PTEN loss leads to simultaneous hyperactivation of mTORC1 and mTORC2. We dissect the contribution of mTORC1 and mTORC2 by generating double mutants of PTEN and RPTOR or RICTOR, respectively. Our results reveal that the synergistic hyperactivation of both mTORC1 and mTORC2 is essential for the PTEN mutant human neural phenotypes. Together, our findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie PTEN-related neural disorders and highlight novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navroop K Dhaliwal
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Octavia Yifang Weng
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Xiaoxue Dong
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; The Children's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China; The Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Afrin Bhattacharya
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Mai Ahmed
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Haruka Nishimura
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Wendy W Y Choi
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Aditi Aggarwal
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Bryan W Luikart
- Department of Molecular and Systems Biology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Qiang Shu
- The Children's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China
| | - Xuekun Li
- The Children's Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310052, China; The Institute of Translational Medicine, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China
| | - Michael D Wilson
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Jason Moffat
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Lu-Yang Wang
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Julien Muffat
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Yun Li
- Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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Nikanjam M, Wells K, Kato S, Adashek JJ, Block S, Kurzrock R. Reverse repurposing: Potential utility of cancer drugs in nonmalignant illnesses. MED 2024:S2666-6340(24)00178-8. [PMID: 38749442 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Growth and immune process dysregulation can result in both cancer and nonmalignant disease (hereditary or acquired, with and without predisposition to malignancy). Moreover, perhaps unexpectedly, many nonmalignant illnesses harbor genomic alterations indistinguishable from druggable oncogenic drivers. Therefore, targeted compounds used successfully to treat cancer may have therapeutic potential for nonmalignant conditions harboring the same target. MEK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), and NRG1/ERBB pathway genes have all been implicated in both cancer and noncancerous conditions, and several cognate antagonists, as well as Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitors, JAK inhibitors, and CD20-directed antibodies, have established or theoretical therapeutic potential to bridge cancer and benign diseases. Intriguingly, pharmacologically tractable cancer drivers characterize a wide spectrum of disorders without malignant potential, including but not limited to Alzheimer's disease and a variety of other neurodegenerative conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, achondroplastic dwarfism, and endometriosis. Expanded repositioning of oncology agents in order to benefit benign but serious medical illnesses is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Nikanjam
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Kaitlyn Wells
- Department of Pharmacy, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shumei Kato
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jacob J Adashek
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shanna Block
- Department of Pharmacy, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Razelle Kurzrock
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA; WIN Consortium, Chevilly-Larue, France.
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3
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Dhawan A, Baitamouni S, Liu D, Busch R, Klaas P, Frazier TW, Srivastava S, Parikh S, Hsich GE, Friedman NR, Ritter DM, Hardan AY, Martinez‐Agosto JA, Sahin M, Eng C. Exploring the neurological features of individuals with germline PTEN variants: A multicenter study. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2024; 11:1301-1309. [PMID: 38501559 PMCID: PMC11093251 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.52046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE PTEN, a known tumor suppressor gene, is a mediator of neurodevelopment. Individuals with germline pathogenic variants in the PTEN gene, molecularly defined as PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS), experience a variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric challenges during childhood, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the frequency and nature of seizures and the utilization of allied health services have not been described. METHODS Young patients with PHTS and sibling controls were recruited across five centers in the United States and followed every 6-12 months for a mean of 2.1 years. In addition to the history obtained from caregivers, neurodevelopmental evaluations and structured dysmorphology examinations were conducted, and brain MRI findings, received therapies, and epilepsy characteristics were reported. RESULTS One hundred and seven patients with PHTS (median age 8.7 years; range 3-21 years) and 38 controls were enrolled. ASD and epilepsy were frequent among patients with PHTS (51% and 15%, respectively), with generalized epilepsy strongly associated with ASD. Patients with epilepsy often required two antiseizure medications. Neuroimaging revealed prominent perivascular spaces and decreased peritrigonal myelination in individuals with PHTS-ASD. Allied therapy use was frequent and involved physical, occupational, speech, and social skills therapies, with 89% of all patients with PHTS, regardless of ASD diagnosis, utilizing at least one service. INTERPRETATION This prospective, longitudinal study highlights the wide neurological spectrum seen in young individuals with PHTS. ASD is common in PHTS, comorbid with epilepsy, and allied health services are used universally. Our findings inform care discussions with families about neurological outcomes in PHTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Dhawan
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhio44195USA
- Rose Ella Burkhardt Brain Tumor and Neuro‐Oncology CenterCleveland ClinicClevelandOhio44195USA
| | - Sarah Baitamouni
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhio44195USA
| | - Darren Liu
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhio44195USA
| | - Robyn Busch
- Department of Neurology and Epilepsy Center, Neurological InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhio44195USA
| | - Patricia Klaas
- Department of Neurology and Epilepsy Center, Neurological InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhio44195USA
| | - Thomas W. Frazier
- Department of PsychologyJohn Carroll UniversityUniversity HeightsOhio44118USA
- Department of PediatricsSUNY Upstate Medical UniversitySyracuseNew York13210USA
- Department of PsychiatrySUNY Upstate Medical UniversitySyracuseNew York13210USA
| | - Siddharth Srivastava
- Department of Neurology, Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience CenterBoston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Sumit Parikh
- Department of Pediatric NeurologyCleveland Clinic Children'sClevelandOhioUSA
| | - Gary E. Hsich
- Department of Pediatric NeurologyCleveland Clinic Children'sClevelandOhioUSA
| | - Neil R. Friedman
- Clinical TransformationBarrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix Children's Hospital – Thomas CampusPhoenixArizona85016USA
| | - David M. Ritter
- Divisions of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOhio45229USA
| | - Antonio Y. Hardan
- Department of Child Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesStanford University School of MedicinePalo AltoCalifornia94305USA
| | | | - Mustafa Sahin
- Department of Neurology, Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience CenterBoston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonMassachusetts02115USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research InstituteCleveland ClinicClevelandOhio44195USA
- Center for Personalized Genetic HealthcareMedical Specialties Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandOhio44195USA
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Maury EA, Walsh CA, Kahle KT. Neurosurgery elucidates somatic mutations. Science 2023; 382:1360-1362. [PMID: 38127765 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj2244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Surgical innovation is helping to identify roles for somatic mutations in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo A Maury
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristopher T Kahle
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Manton Center for Orphan Disease, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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5
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Frazier TW, Busch RM, Klaas P, Lachlan K, Jeste S, Kolevzon A, Loth E, Harris J, Speer L, Pepper T, Anthony K, Graglia JM, Delagrammatikas CG, Bedrosian-Sermone S, Smith-Hicks C, Huba K, Longyear R, Green-Snyder L, Shic F, Sahin M, Eng C, Hardan AY, Uljarević M. Development of webcam-collected and artificial-intelligence-derived social and cognitive performance measures for neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS. PART C, SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2023; 193:e32058. [PMID: 37534867 PMCID: PMC10543620 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.32058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
This study focused on the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a set of online, webcam-collected, and artificial intelligence-derived patient performance measures for neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (NDGS). Initial testing and qualitative input was used to develop four stimulus paradigms capturing social and cognitive processes, including social attention, receptive vocabulary, processing speed, and single-word reading. The paradigms were administered to a sample of 375 participants, including 163 with NDGS, 56 with idiopathic neurodevelopmental disability (NDD), and 156 neurotypical controls. Twelve measures were created from the four stimulus paradigms. Valid completion rates varied from 87 to 100% across measures, with lower but adequate completion rates in participants with intellectual disability. Adequate to excellent internal consistency reliability (α = 0.67 to 0.95) was observed across measures. Test-retest reproducibility at 1-month follow-up and stability at 4-month follow-up was fair to good (r = 0.40-0.73) for 8 of the 12 measures. All gaze-based measures showed evidence of convergent and discriminant validity with parent-report measures of other cognitive and behavioral constructs. Comparisons across NDGS groups revealed distinct patterns of social and cognitive functioning, including people with PTEN mutations showing a less impaired overall pattern and people with SYNGAP1 mutations showing more attentional, processing speed, and social processing difficulties relative to people with NFIX mutations. Webcam-collected performance measures appear to be a reliable and potentially useful method for objective characterization and monitoring of social and cognitive processes in NDGS and idiopathic NDD. Additional validation work, including more detailed convergent and discriminant validity analyses and examination of sensitivity to change, is needed to replicate and extend these observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Robyn M Busch
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Patricia Klaas
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Katherine Lachlan
- Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton and Wessex Clinical Genetics Service, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Jacqueline Harris
- Department of Neurology, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Tom Pepper
- PTEN Research Foundation, Cheltenham, UK
| | - Kristin Anthony
- PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome Foundation, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
| | | | | | | | - Constance Smith-Hicks
- Department of Neurology, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Katie Huba
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | - Frederick Shic
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington and Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Antonio Y Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Goto H, Tateishi C, Tsuruta D. Gorlin Syndrome and Cowden Syndrome. Keio J Med 2023:2023-0010-IR. [PMID: 37558433 DOI: 10.2302/kjm.2023-0010-ir] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Gorlin syndrome and Cowden syndrome are hereditary diseases that are characterized by multiple malignancies, cutaneous symptoms, and various other abnormalities. Both disorders are caused by a mutation of the gene that regulates cell proliferation and growth, resulting in tumorigenesis. Representative mutations are mutation in the patched 1 gene (PTCH1) in Gorlin syndrome and mutation in the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN) gene in Cowden syndrome. Making a diagnosis of these diseases in the early years of life is important because detection of malignancies at an early stage is linked to improved prognosis. Both Gorlin syndrome and Cowden syndrome have cutaneous findings in the early phase in childhood, and the role of dermatologists is therefore important. These diseases are generally diagnosed by clinical criteria, but some patients who do not meet the criteria need genetic examinations including a genetic diagnostic panel and next-generation sequencing. The most important treatment and management are detection and resection of malignancies in the early stage, and targeted therapies have recently been used for treatment of tumors and other symptoms in these diseases. Although evidence of the effectiveness of targeted therapies has been limited, they are promising therapeutic options and further clinical trials are needed in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Goto
- Department of Dermatology, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Chiharu Tateishi
- Department of Dermatology, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tsuruta
- Department of Dermatology, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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Frazier TW, Busch RM, Klaas P, Lachlan K, Jeste S, Kolevzon A, Loth E, Harris J, Speer L, Pepper T, Anthony K, Graglia JM, Delagrammatikas C, Bedrosian-Sermone S, Beekhuyzen J, Smith-Hicks C, Sahin M, Eng C, Hardan AY, Uljarević M. Development of informant-report neurobehavioral survey scales for PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome and related neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes. Am J Med Genet A 2023. [PMID: 37045800 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.63195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
There are few well-validated measures that are appropriate for assessing the full range of neurobehavioral presentations in PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) and other neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (NDGS). As potential therapeutics are developed, having reliable, valid, free, and easily accessible measures to track a range of neurobehavioral domains will be crucial for future clinical trials. This study focused on the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a set of freely available informant-report survey scales for PHTS-the Neurobehavioral Evaluation Tool (NET). Concept elicitation, quantitative ratings, and cognitive interviewing processes were conducted with stakeholders and clinician-scientist experts, used to identify the most important neurobehavioral domains for this population, and to ensure items were appropriate for the full range of individuals with PHTS. Results of this process identified a PHTS neurobehavioral impact model with 11 domains. The final NET scales assessing these domains were administered to a sample of 384 participants (median completion time = 20.6 min), including 32 people with PHTS, 141 with other NDGS, 47 with idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD), and 164 neurotypical controls. Initial psychometric results for the total scores of each scale indicated very good model (ω = 0.83-0.99) and internal consistency reliability (α = 0.82-0.98) as well as excellent test-retest reproducibility at 1-month follow-up (r = 0.78-0.98) and stability at 4-month follow-up (r = 0.76-0.96). Conditional reliability estimates indicated very strong measurement precision in key score ranges for assessing PHTS and other people with NDGS and/or idiopathic NDD. Comparisons across domains between PHTS and the other groups revealed specific patterns of symptoms and functioning, including lower levels of challenging behavior and more developed daily living and executive functioning skills relative to other NDGS. The NET appears to be a reliable and potentially useful tool for clinical characterization and monitoring of neurobehavioral symptoms in PHTS and may also have utility in the assessment of other NDGS and idiopathic NDD. Additional validation work, including convergent and discriminant validity analyses, are needed to replicate and extend these observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry,, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Robyn M Busch
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Clinic Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Clinic Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Patricia Klaas
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Clinic Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Katherine Lachlan
- Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alexander Kolevzon
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Jacqueline Harris
- Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology Kennedy, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Leslie Speer
- Department of Psychology, Frazier Behavioral Health, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Tom Pepper
- PTEN Research Foundation, Cheltenham, UK
| | - Kristin Anthony
- PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome Foundation, Huntsville, Alabama, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Constance Smith-Hicks
- Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology Kennedy, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Clinic Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Antonia Y Hardan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Mirko Uljarević
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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8
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Thomas SD, Jha NK, Ojha S, Sadek B. mTOR Signaling Disruption and Its Association with the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28041889. [PMID: 36838876 PMCID: PMC9964164 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication along with repetitive stereotypic behaviors. Currently, there are no specific biomarkers for diagnostic screening or treatments available for autistic patients. Numerous genetic disorders are associated with high prevalence of ASD, including tuberous sclerosis complex, phosphatase and tensin homolog, and fragile X syndrome. Preclinical investigations in animal models of these diseases have revealed irregularities in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway as well as ASD-related behavioral defects. Reversal of the downstream molecular irregularities, associated with mTOR hyperactivation, improved the behavioral deficits observed in the preclinical investigations. Plant bioactive molecules have shown beneficial pre-clinical evidence in ASD treatment by modulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. In this review, we summarize the involvement of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway as well as the genetic alterations of the pathway components and its critical impact on the development of the autism spectrum disorder. Mutations in negative regulators of mTORC1, such as TSC1, TSC2, and PTEN, result in ASD-like phenotypes through the disruption of the mTORC1-mediated signaling. We further discuss the various naturally occurring phytoconstituents that have been identified to be bioactive and modulate the pathway to prevent its disruption and contribute to beneficial therapeutic effects in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilu Deepa Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, India
- School of Bioengineering & Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India
| | - Shreesh Ojha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassem Sadek
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence:
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mTORC2 Inhibition Improves Morphological Effects of PTEN Loss, But Does Not Correct Synaptic Dysfunction or Prevent Seizures. J Neurosci 2023; 43:827-845. [PMID: 36526374 PMCID: PMC9899090 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1354-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperactivation of PI3K/PTEN-mTOR signaling during neural development is associated with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), autism, and epilepsy. mTOR can signal through two major hubs, mTORC1 and mTORC2, both of which are hyperactive following PTEN loss of function (LOF). Here, we tested the hypothesis that genetic inactivation of the mTORC2 complex via deletion of Rictor is sufficient to rescue morphologic and electrophysiological abnormalities in the dentate gyrus caused by PTEN loss, as well as generalized seizures. An established, early postnatal mouse model of PTEN loss in male and female mice showed spontaneous seizures that were not prevented by mTORC2 inactivation. This lack of rescue occurred despite the normalization or amelioration of many morphologic and electrophysiological phenotypes. However, increased excitatory connectivity proximal to dentate gyrus granule neuron somas was not normalized by mTORC2 inactivation. Further studies demonstrated that, although mTORC2 inactivation largely rescued the dendritic arbor overgrowth caused by PTEN LOF, it increased synaptic strength and caused additional impairments of presynaptic function. These results suggest that a constrained increase in excitatory connectivity and co-occurring synaptic dysfunction is sufficient to generate seizures downstream of PTEN LOF, even in the absence of characteristic changes in morphologic properties.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Homozygous deletion of the Pten gene in neuronal subpopulations in the mouse serves as a valuable model of epilepsy caused by mTOR hyperactivation. To better understand the physiological mechanisms downstream of Pten loss that cause epilepsy, as well as the therapeutic potential of targeted gene therapies, we tested whether genetic inactivation of the mTORC2 complex could improve the cellular, synaptic, and in vivo effects of Pten loss in the dentate gyrus. We found that mTORC2 inhibition improved or rescued all morphologic effects of Pten loss in the dentate gyrus, but synaptic changes and seizures persisted. These data suggest that synaptic dysfunction can drive epilepsy caused by hyperactivation of PI3K/PTEN-mTOR, and that future therapies should focus on this mechanistic link.
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