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Pietraszkiewicz A, Ayesha A, Digre KB, Warner JE, Seay MD, Crum AV, Katz BJ. Diagnostic dilemma: Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy in a 70-year-Old woman. Am J Ophthalmol Case Rep 2024; 36:102143. [PMID: 39286546 PMCID: PMC11402901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2024.102143] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Reports of atypical cases have increased awareness that Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is not solely a disease of young men. Here, we present a case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with bilateral sequential loss of vision, and, after several diagnostic dilemmas, was ultimately found to have LHON. Observations Our patient presented with a one-month history of progressive central vision loss in the right eye. Her visual acuities were 20/200-1 and 20/25-2. She had no afferent pupillary defect and intraocular pressures were normal. Fundus examination revealed cup-to-disc ratios of 0.9 and 0.7 with an inferior notch on the right. Visual fields showed superior arcuate and cecocentral depressions on the right and an inferior nasal step on the left. Ocular coherence tomography showed bilateral, superior and inferior retinal nerve fiber layer thinning. She was diagnosed with normal-tension glaucoma. Laboratory studies and neuroimaging were unremarkable. One month later, she presented with new central vision loss in the left eye. Ocular coherence tomography revealed new, mild optic nerve swelling in the left eye. Due to concern for an acute-on-chronic process, she was hospitalized and treated with intravenous steroids and later plasmapheresis with modest improvement. An extensive laboratory evaluation, lumbar puncture, temporal artery biopsy, and PET CT were normal. Mitochondrial genetic testing was ordered. After a six-week delay, the results revealed a pathogenic variant at mitochondrial position 11778, consistent with a diagnosis of LHON. She began treatment with idebenone. At the most recent visit, her vision had improved to 20/40 and 20/30. Conclusions and importance LHON is typically not part of the initial differential diagnosis of an optic neuropathy in patients outside the typical demographic. As genetic testing has become more widely available, clinicians should consider including LHON in their differential diagnosis of any optic neuropathy, especially if other, more common causes have been ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Pietraszkiewicz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Azraa Ayesha
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kathleen B Digre
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Judith Ea Warner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Meagan D Seay
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Alison V Crum
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Bradley J Katz
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Hedström J, Nilsson M, Engvall M, Williams PA, Venkataraman AP. Ganglion Cell Complex Thickness and Visual Function in Chronic Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024; 65:4. [PMID: 39365263 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.65.12.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose To evaluate the correlation between the macular ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness measured with manually corrected segmentation and visual function in individuals with chronic Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Methods Twenty-six chronic LHON subjects (60% treated with idebenone or Q10) from the Swedish LHON registry were enrolled. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual field tests, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were performed. Visual field was evaluated with the Haag-Streit Octopus 900 with the Esterman test and a custom 30° test. Canon OCT-HS100 scans were exported to the Iowa Reference Algorithm. GCC thickness was obtained after the segmentation was corrected manually in nine macular sectors. Results The GCC thickness was overestimated by 16 to 30 µm in different macular sectors with the automated segmentation compared with the corrected (P < 0.001). GCC thickness in all sectors showed significant correlation with all functional parameters. The strongest correlation was seen for the external temporal sector (BCVA: r = 0.604, P < 0.001; mean defect: r = 0.457, P = 0.001; Esterman score: r = 0.421, P = 0.003). No differences were seen between treated and untreated subjects with regard to GCC and visual field scores (P > 0.05), but BCVA was better among treated subjects (P = 0.017). Conclusions The corrected GCC thickness showed correlation with visual function in chronic LHON subjects. The frequently occurring segmentation errors in OCT measurements related to chronic LHON can potentially be misleading in monitoring of disease progression and in evaluating the treatment effects. Precise measurements of GCC could serve as a sensitive tool to monitor structural changes in LHON. We therefore emphasize the importance of careful evaluation of the accuracy of OCT segmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Hedström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Eye and Vision, Unit of Optometry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Nilsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Eye and Vision, Unit of Optometry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Engvall
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Pete A Williams
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Eye and Vision, St. Erik Eye Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Abinaya Priya Venkataraman
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Eye and Vision, Unit of Optometry, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Ezan P, Hardy E, Bemelmans A, Taiel M, Dossi E, Rouach N. Retinal damage promotes mitochondrial transfer in the visual system of a mouse model of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 201:106681. [PMID: 39332508 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106681] [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: 07/16/2024] [Revised: 09/16/2024] [Accepted: 09/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Lenadogene nolparvovec is a gene therapy which has been developed to treat Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) caused by a point mutation in the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 4 (ND4) gene. Clinical trials have demonstrated a significant improvement of visual acuity up to 5 years after treatment by lenadogene nolparvovec but, surprisingly, unilateral treatment resulted in bilateral improvement of vision. This contralateral effect - similarly observed with other gene therapy products in development for MT-ND4-LHON - is supported by the migration of viral vector genomes and their transcripts to the contralateral eye, as reported in animals, and post-mortem samples from two patients. In this study, we used an AAV2 encoding fluorescent proteins targeting mitochondria to investigate whether these organelles themselves could transfer from the treated eye to the fellow one. We found that mitochondria travel along the visual system (optic chiasm and primary visual cortex) and reach the contralateral eye (optic nerve and retina) in physiological conditions. We also observed that, in a rotenone-induced model of retinal damage mimicking LHON, mitochondrial transfer from the healthy to the damaged eye was accelerated and enhanced. Our results thus provide a further explanation for the contralateral beneficial effect observed during clinical studies with lenadogene nolparvovec.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Ezan
- Neuroglial Interactions in Cerebral Physiology and Pathologies, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Labex Memolife, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Eléonore Hardy
- Neuroglial Interactions in Cerebral Physiology and Pathologies, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Labex Memolife, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Alexis Bemelmans
- Université Paris-Saclay, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | | | - Elena Dossi
- Neuroglial Interactions in Cerebral Physiology and Pathologies, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Labex Memolife, Université PSL, Paris, France.
| | - Nathalie Rouach
- Neuroglial Interactions in Cerebral Physiology and Pathologies, Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, Labex Memolife, Université PSL, Paris, France
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Roomets E, Mauring L. Autosomal recessive leber hereditary optic neuropathy in a choroideremia carrier. A case report. Eur J Ophthalmol 2024; 34:NP1-NP7. [PMID: 38715355 PMCID: PMC11402268 DOI: 10.1177/11206721241254408] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is an inherited progressive optic neuropathy usually caused by mitochondrial DNA mutations. Recently, autosomal recessive (arLHON), which is caused by biallelic mutations in the DNAJC30 gene (usually c.152A > G), has been described. The onset of LHON before the age of 12 is uncommon and it is typically associated with a more variable clinical course and a more favorable visual prognosis than adult-onset LHON. MATERIALS AND METHODS Detailed clinical findings of a female child with vision loss due to arLHON together with choroideremia (CHM) carrier state are presented. RESULTS Genetic testing for the three most common mitochondrial LHON pathogenic variants was negative. On suspicion of arLHON, genetic testing was continued with the next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the nuclear DNA, identifying a homozygous pathogenic variant in DNAJC3°c.152A > G, p.(Tyr51Cys), but no alterations in the CHM gene. Idebenone treatment was started 4.5 months after the first evaluation. Clinical diagnosis of the CHM carrier state was confirmed by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay, which revealed a heterozygous deletion of all exons of the CHM. CONCLUSIONS In children with acute or subacute, simultaneous, or sequential vision loss that is unresponsive to immunomodulatory treatment, LHON should be considered as a possible diagnosis. Our case emphasizes the diagnostic advantage of sequencing DNAJC30 in parallel with the mitochondrial DNA, especially in Eastern European descent patients. Genomic rearrangement testing should be considered for patients with a CHM carrier phenotype who have negative results on sequencing tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Roomets
- Tallinn Children's Hospital, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Laura Mauring
- Genetics and Personalized Medicine Clinic, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Eye Clinic, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia
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Zheng Y, Wang Y, Jiang Y, Wang J, Li S, Xiao X, Sun W, Wang P, Zhang Q, Jia X. Variant and clinical landscape of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy based on 1516 families with mtDNA variants in a tertiary centre. Br J Ophthalmol 2024; 108:1318-1327. [PMID: 38346855 DOI: 10.1136/bjo-2023-323557] [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: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
AIMS To investigate the clinical characteristics of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) with mtDNA primary mutations to better understand features associated with prognosis. METHODS This study enrolled 1540 LHON patients from 1516 unrelated families genetically confirmed by Sanger or whole-mitochondrial sequencing between 1997 and 2022. The spectrum of variants was summarised and compared in different ethnic groups. Clinical data from outpatients were collected, including onset age, disease course, optic disc categories and the corresponding visual acuity. RESULTS Of the 1516 LHON families, 13 pathogenic mtDNA variants were detected, in which the proportion of m.11778G>A, m.3460G>A and m.3635G>A was significantly different from non-East Asians (p<0.0001). About 95% (1075/1131) of patients were between 8 and 40 years old at onset, with a median onset age of 16. The eyes of m.14484T>C patients presented with better visual acuity and slower progression across patients with different onset ages and initial severity. Eyes (N=439) with available fundus images were divided into four categories (C1-C4). The progression grades were derived from the category and the corresponding time course, where a higher grade (C3-C4 within 1 year) was associated with greater visual impairment than a lower grade (C1-C2 over 1 year) (p=4.60E-05) . A prognostic matrix showed that later onset and a higher progression grade are associated with higher risk of blindness. CONCLUSION Compared with non-East Asians, Chinese LHON patients had higher proportions of m.11778G>A and m.3635G>A and lower m.3460G>A mutations. A novel progression grade derived from optic disc category was proposed. The prognostic matrix indicated that lower grade and younger-onset age are the most favourable prognostic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junwen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shiqiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xueshan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenmin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Panfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingjiong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyun Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou, China
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Yang TH, Kang EYC, Lin PH, Yu BBC, Wang JHH, Chen V, Wang NK. Mitochondria in Retinal Ganglion Cells: Unraveling the Metabolic Nexus and Oxidative Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8626. [PMID: 39201313 PMCID: PMC11354650 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
This review explored the role of mitochondria in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which are essential for visual processing. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a key factor in the pathogenesis of various vision-related disorders, including glaucoma, hereditary optic neuropathy, and age-related macular degeneration. This review highlighted the critical role of mitochondria in RGCs, which provide metabolic support, regulate cellular health, and respond to cellular stress while also producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage cellular components. Maintaining mitochondrial function is essential for meeting RGCs' high metabolic demands and ensuring redox homeostasis, which is crucial for their proper function and visual health. Oxidative stress, exacerbated by factors like elevated intraocular pressure and environmental factors, contributes to diseases such as glaucoma and age-related vision loss by triggering cellular damage pathways. Strategies targeting mitochondrial function or bolstering antioxidant defenses include mitochondrial-based therapies, gene therapies, and mitochondrial transplantation. These advances can offer potential strategies for addressing mitochondrial dysfunction in the retina, with implications that extend beyond ocular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsai-Hsuan Yang
- Department of Education, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan;
- College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11217, Taiwan
| | - Eugene Yu-Chuan Kang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan;
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; (P.-H.L.); (J.H.-H.W.); (V.C.)
| | - Pei-Hsuan Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; (P.-H.L.); (J.H.-H.W.); (V.C.)
- National Taiwan University Hospital, Yunlin 640203, Taiwan
| | - Benjamin Ben-Chi Yu
- Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA;
| | - Jason Hung-Hsuan Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; (P.-H.L.); (J.H.-H.W.); (V.C.)
- Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Vincent Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; (P.-H.L.); (J.H.-H.W.); (V.C.)
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N9, Canada
| | - Nan-Kai Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center, Taoyuan 33305, Taiwan;
- College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 33302, Taiwan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Pasqualotto BA, Nelson A, Deheshi S, Sheldon CA, Vogl AW, Rintoul GL. Impaired mitochondrial morphological plasticity and failure of mitophagy associated with the G11778A mutation of LHON. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 721:150119. [PMID: 38768545 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150119] [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: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial dynamics were examined in human dermal fibroblasts biopsied from a confirmed Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) patient with a homoplasmic G11778A mutation of the mitochondrial genome. Expression of the G11778A mutation did not impart any discernible difference in mitochondrial network morphology using widefield fluorescence microscopy. However, at the ultrastructural level, cells expressing this mutation exhibited an impairment of mitochondrial morphological plasticity when forced to utilize oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) by transition to glucose-free, galactose-containing media. LHON fibroblasts also displayed a transient increase in mitophagy upon transition to galactose media. These results provide new insights into the consequences of the G11778A mutation of LHON and the pathological mechanisms underlying this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce A Pasqualotto
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, and the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Alexa Nelson
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, and the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Samineh Deheshi
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, and the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada
| | - Claire A Sheldon
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - A Wayne Vogl
- Life Sciences Institute and the Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gordon L Rintoul
- Centre for Cell Biology, Development, and Disease, and the Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Canada.
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Samuel Kim U, Yun JS. Clinical Characteristics of m.11778G>A Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy with Favorable Outcomes. Semin Ophthalmol 2024; 39:320-323. [PMID: 38420942 DOI: 10.1080/08820538.2024.2323114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The prognosis of 11,778 mitochondrial mutations in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is poor. Patients with favorable outcomes (visual acuity better than 20/100) who could be observed for more than 6 months were analyzed. Among 74 patients (57 male, 17 female), 6 (8.1%) showed improvement in visual acuity of 20/100 or higher. The patients with favorable outcomes have better visual acuity at nadir (logMAR 0.98 ± 0.69 in the favorable patients and logMAR 2.32 ± 0.93 in the unfavorable patients, p = .003). Among the favorable group, four patients (36, 32, 19, and 7 years of age at onset) took idebenone within 6 months of onset. However, fifty-one percent of the patients with unfavorable outcomes took idebenone (p = .008). Although the age at onset in the favorable patients is relatively younger than that of the unfavorable patients (20.3 ± 10.8 versus 28.8 ± 12.8 years), a significant difference was not found (p = .138). In conclusion, better visual acuity in nadir and administration of idebenone may affect vision recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ungsoo Samuel Kim
- Kim's Eye Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chung-Ang University, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Jeong Seop Yun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chung-Ang University, Gwangmyeong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
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Karanjia R, Sadun AA. Elamipretide Topical Ophthalmic Solution for the Treatment of Subjects with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy: A Randomized Trial. Ophthalmology 2024; 131:422-433. [PMID: 37923251 DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2023.10.033] [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: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to assess the safety, tolerability, and potential efficacy of topical elamipretide in patients affected with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). DESIGN This phase II, prospective, randomized, vehicle-controlled, single-center clinical trial involved administration of elamipretide 1% topical ophthalmic solution to patients with LHON over a 52-week double-masked treatment period, followed by an open-label extension (OLE) for up to 108 additional weeks of treatment. PARTICIPANTS Twelve patients with LHON were included in this study. Patients aged 18 to 50 years with decreased vision for at least ≥ 1 year and ≤ 10 years, and a genetically confirmed diagnosis of m.11778G>A LHON were eligible for this trial. METHODS For the first 52 weeks of the study, patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: elamipretide in both eyes or elamipretide in 1 eye (left eye and right eye were considered separate groups) and vehicle in the other eye, followed by an OLE in which both eyes were treated with elamipretide. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcome measure was assessment of adverse events (AEs) from the administration of topical elamipretide, and the primary efficacy end point was change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). Secondary outcome measures included changes in color vision, visual field mean deviation, and electrophysiological outcomes. RESULTS Elamipretide was well tolerated with the majority of AEs being mild to moderate and resolving spontaneously. The change from baseline in BCVA in elamipretide-treated eyes was not significantly different from the vehicle eyes at any time point. Six of 12 subjects met the criteria for clinically relevant benefit (CRB). In the post hoc analysis, change from baseline in mean deviation in the central visual field was significantly greater in elamipretide-treated eyes versus the vehicle eyes. Compared with baseline, both treatment groups showed improvement in color discrimination and contrast sensitivity in the OLE. CONCLUSIONS Elamipretide treatment was generally well tolerated, with no serious AEs reported. Although this study did not meet its primary BCVA efficacy end point, improvements across assessments on visual function during the OLE and the post hoc findings of the Humphrey automated visual field central region were encouraging and require further exploration. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rustum Karanjia
- Doheny Eye Centers UCLA, Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California; Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California; Department of Ophthalmology, Universtiy of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Ottawa Eye Institute, The Otawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada.
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Doheny Eye Centers UCLA, Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California; Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, California
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10
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Yu-Wai-Man P, Carelli V, Newman NJ, Silva MJ, Linden A, Van Stavern G, Szaflik JP, Banik R, Lubiński W, Pemp B, Liao YJ, Subramanian PS, Misiuk-Hojło M, Newman S, Castillo L, Kocięcki J, Levin MH, Muñoz-Negrete FJ, Yagan A, Cherninkova S, Katz D, Meunier A, Votruba M, Korwin M, Dziedziak J, Jurkutė N, Harvey JP, La Morgia C, Priglinger C, Llòria X, Tomasso L, Klopstock T. Therapeutic benefit of idebenone in patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy: The LEROS nonrandomized controlled trial. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101437. [PMID: 38428428 PMCID: PMC10982982 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101437] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a mitochondrial disease leading to rapid and severe bilateral vision loss. Idebenone has been shown to be effective in stabilizing and restoring vision in patients treated within 1 year of onset of vision loss. The open-label, international, multicenter, natural history-controlled LEROS study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02774005) assesses the efficacy and safety of idebenone treatment (900 mg/day) in patients with LHON up to 5 years after symptom onset (N = 199) and over a treatment period of 24 months, compared to an external natural history control cohort (N = 372), matched by time since symptom onset. LEROS meets its primary endpoint and confirms the long-term efficacy of idebenone in the subacute/dynamic and chronic phases; the treatment effect varies depending on disease phase and the causative mtDNA mutation. The findings of the LEROS study will help guide the clinical management of patients with LHON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0PY, UK; MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, UK; Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK; Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto di Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, 40139 Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Nancy J Newman
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jacek P Szaflik
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland; SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Rudrani Banik
- New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Wojciech Lubiński
- Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny Nr 2 PUM w Szczecinie, 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Berthold Pemp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Prem S Subramanian
- Sue Anschutz-Rodgers University of Colorado Eye Center, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | | | - Steven Newman
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | | | - Jarosław Kocięcki
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Medical Sciences, 60-806 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marc H Levin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Palo Alto, CA 94303, USA
| | | | - Ali Yagan
- Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, Manchester M13 9WL, UK
| | | | - David Katz
- Bethesda Neurology LLC, Bethesda, MD 20852, USA
| | - Audrey Meunier
- Department of Ophthalmology, CHU Saint-Pierre, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marcela Votruba
- Cardiff Eye Unit, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff CF14 4XW, UK
| | - Magdalena Korwin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland; SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jacek Dziedziak
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland; SPKSO Ophthalmic University Hospital, 00-576 Warsaw, Poland; Department of Experimental and Clinical Physiology, Center for Preclinical Research, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Neringa Jurkutė
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK; The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Joshua P Harvey
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK
| | - Chiara La Morgia
- IRCCS Istituto di Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, 40139 Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudia Priglinger
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), 80336 Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Thomas Klopstock
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany; Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany.
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11
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Aleo SJ, Del Dotto V, Romagnoli M, Fiorini C, Capirossi G, Peron C, Maresca A, Caporali L, Capristo M, Tropeano CV, Zanna C, Ross-Cisneros FN, Sadun AA, Pignataro MG, Giordano C, Fasano C, Cavaliere A, Porcelli AM, Tioli G, Musiani F, Catania A, Lamperti C, Marzoli SB, De Negri A, Cascavilla ML, Battista M, Barboni P, Carbonelli M, Amore G, La Morgia C, Smirnov D, Vasilescu C, Farzeen A, Blickhaeuser B, Prokisch H, Priglinger C, Livonius B, Catarino CB, Klopstock T, Tiranti V, Carelli V, Ghelli AM. Genetic variants affecting NQO1 protein levels impact the efficacy of idebenone treatment in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101383. [PMID: 38272025 PMCID: PMC10897523 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101383] [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: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Idebenone, the only approved treatment for Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), promotes recovery of visual function in up to 50% of patients, but we can neither predict nor understand the non-responders. Idebenone is reduced by the cytosolic NAD(P)H oxidoreductase I (NQO1) and directly shuttles electrons to respiratory complex III, bypassing complex I affected in LHON. We show here that two polymorphic variants drastically reduce NQO1 protein levels when homozygous or compound heterozygous. This hampers idebenone reduction. In its oxidized form, idebenone inhibits complex I, decreasing respiratory function in cells. By retrospectively analyzing a large cohort of idebenone-treated LHON patients, classified by their response to therapy, we show that patients with homozygous or compound heterozygous NQO1 variants have the poorest therapy response, particularly if carrying the m.3460G>A/MT-ND1 LHON mutation. These results suggest consideration of patient NQO1 genotype and mitochondrial DNA mutation in the context of idebenone therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Jasmine Aleo
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy; Departments of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valentina Del Dotto
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Martina Romagnoli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Claudio Fiorini
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giada Capirossi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Camille Peron
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Maresca
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Leonardo Caporali
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mariantonietta Capristo
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Claudia Zanna
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Doheny Eye Institute, Pasadena, CA, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Maria Gemma Pignataro
- Departments of Radiology, Oncology, and Pathology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Carla Giordano
- Departments of Radiology, Oncology, and Pathology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Chiara Fasano
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Cavaliere
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Porcelli
- Departments of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gaia Tioli
- Departments of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesco Musiani
- Departments of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessia Catania
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Costanza Lamperti
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Stefania Bianchi Marzoli
- Neuro-Ophthalmology Center and Ocular Electrophysiology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Capitanio Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Michele Carbonelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Amore
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara La Morgia
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Dmitrii Smirnov
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Neurogenomics, Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Catalina Vasilescu
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Neurogenomics, Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Aiman Farzeen
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Neurogenomics, Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Beryll Blickhaeuser
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Neurogenomics, Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Holger Prokisch
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany; Institute of Neurogenomics, Computational Health Center, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Priglinger
- Department of Ophthalmology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Bettina Livonius
- Department of Ophthalmology, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia B Catarino
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich Baur Institute, LMU Klinikum, University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich Baur Institute, LMU Klinikum, University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany; Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
| | - Valeria Tiranti
- Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Anna Maria Ghelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy; Departments of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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12
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Ladero M, Reche-Sainz JA, Gallardo ME. Hereditary Optic Neuropathies: A Systematic Review on the Interplay between Biomaterials and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Bioengineering (Basel) 2024; 11:52. [PMID: 38247929 PMCID: PMC10813088 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering11010052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Hereditary optic neuropathies (HONs) such as dominant optic atrophy (DOA) and Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) are mitochondrial diseases characterized by a degenerative loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and are a cause of blindness worldwide. To date, there are only limited disease-modifying treatments for these disorders. The discovery of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology has opened several promising opportunities in the field of HON research and the search for therapeutic approaches. This systematic review is focused on the two most frequent HONs (LHON and DOA) and on the recent studies related to the application of human iPSC technology in combination with biomaterials technology for their potential use in the development of RGC replacement therapies with the final aim of the improvement or even the restoration of the vision of HON patients. To this purpose, the combination of natural and synthetic biomaterials modified with peptides, neurotrophic factors, and other low- to medium-molecular weight compounds, mimicking the ocular extracellular matrices, with human iPSC or iPSC-derived cell retinal progenitors holds enormous potential to be exploited in the near future for the generation of transplantable RGC populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Ladero
- FQPIMA Group, Materials and Chemical Engineering Department, Chemical Sciences School, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Alberto Reche-Sainz
- Ophthalmology Unit, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, 28041 Madrid, Spain
- Translational Research with iPS Cells Group, Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre, imas12, 28041 Madrid, Spain
| | - M. Esther Gallardo
- Translational Research with iPS Cells Group, Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre, imas12, 28041 Madrid, Spain
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13
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Lam BL, Feuer WJ, Porciatti V, Davis JL, Zheng DD, Vanner EA, Savatovsky EJ, Alba DE, Guy J. Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Gene Therapy: Longitudinal Relationships Among Visual Function and Anatomical Measures. Am J Ophthalmol 2024; 257:113-128. [PMID: 37716450 PMCID: PMC10842528 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess longitudinal relationships among visual function and anatomical measures of gene therapy in G11778A Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). DESIGN Phase 1 clinical trial. METHODS This was a single-institution study of patients with G11778A LHON. Patients with chronic bilateral visual loss >12 months (group 1, n = 11), acute bilateral visual loss <12 months (group 2, n = 9), or unilateral visual loss (group 3, n = 8) were administered unilateral intravitreal AAV2(Y444,500,730F)-P1ND4v2 injection with low, medium, high, and higher doses to worse eye for groups 1 and 2 and better eye for group 3. Oucome measures were best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), visual field mean deviation (VF MD), steady-state pattern electroretinogram (SS-PERG), optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and ganglion cell+inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness, and National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) scores. Mean follow-up was 33.6 months (range = 18-36 months). RESULTS Baseline SS-PERG amplitude was much reduced in both eyes of all groups including asymptomatic eyes of group 3, and showed no appreciable changes irrespective of disease stage and treatment. Significant and progressive GCIPL and RNFL thinning occurred in all eyes; BCVA and VF MD fluctuated in treated and fellow eyes, with some eyes having modest improvement that may be related to natural history or to gene therapy. Mean NEI-VFQ-25 scores declined in group 3 subjects (P = .023), CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic eyes in LHON patients with unilateral visual loss may be beyond the window of effective neuroprotection given reduced GCIPL and SS-PERG. Randomization of patients to an untreated control group would help to assess treatment effect by accounting for variable natural history. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byron L Lam
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA.
| | - William J Feuer
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Vittorio Porciatti
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Janet L Davis
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - D Diane Zheng
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Vanner
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Eleonore J Savatovsky
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Diego E Alba
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - John Guy
- From the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
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14
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Ma Q, Sun Y, Lei K, Luo W. Progress in diagnosis and treatment of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. J Mol Med (Berl) 2024; 102:1-10. [PMID: 37982904 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-023-02389-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a mitochondrial genetic disease with central vision loss as the main symptom. It is one of the diseases that cause vision loss and optic atrophy in young and middle-aged people. The mutations of these three primary mitochondrial mutations, m.11778G>A, m.14484T>C, and m.3460G>A, are the main molecular basis, but their pathogenesis is also affected by nuclear genes, mitochondrial genetic background, and environmental factors. This article summarizes the research progress on molecular pathogenesis, clinical symptoms, and treatment of LHON in recent years, aiming to summarize the genetic pathogenesis and clinical treatment points of LHON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyue Ma
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ying Sun
- The Affiliated Qingdao Central Hospital of Qingdao University, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
| | - Ke Lei
- Center of Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy, Medical Research Center, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
| | - Wenjuan Luo
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
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15
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Conti F, Di Martino S, Drago F, Bucolo C, Micale V, Montano V, Siciliano G, Mancuso M, Lopriore P. Red Flags in Primary Mitochondrial Diseases: What Should We Recognize? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16746. [PMID: 38069070 PMCID: PMC10706469 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Primary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs) are complex group of metabolic disorders caused by genetically determined impairment of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). The unique features of mitochondrial genetics and the pivotal role of mitochondria in cell biology explain the phenotypical heterogeneity of primary mitochondrial diseases and the resulting diagnostic challenges that follow. Some peculiar features ("red flags") may indicate a primary mitochondrial disease, helping the physician to orient in this diagnostic maze. In this narrative review, we aimed to outline the features of the most common mitochondrial red flags offering a general overview on the topic that could help physicians to untangle mitochondrial medicine complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Conti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.C.); (S.D.M.); (C.B.); (V.M.)
| | - Serena Di Martino
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.C.); (S.D.M.); (C.B.); (V.M.)
| | - Filippo Drago
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.C.); (S.D.M.); (C.B.); (V.M.)
| | - Claudio Bucolo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.C.); (S.D.M.); (C.B.); (V.M.)
- Center for Research in Ocular Pharmacology-CERFO, University of Catania, 95213 Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Micale
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Science, School of Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.C.); (S.D.M.); (C.B.); (V.M.)
| | - Vincenzo Montano
- Neurological Institute, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy (P.L.)
| | - Gabriele Siciliano
- Neurological Institute, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy (P.L.)
| | - Michelangelo Mancuso
- Neurological Institute, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy (P.L.)
| | - Piervito Lopriore
- Neurological Institute, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy (P.L.)
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16
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Baltă G, Cristache G, Barac AD, Anton N, Barac IR. Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON): Clinical Experience and Outcomes after Long-Term Idebenone Treatment. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2000. [PMID: 37895381 PMCID: PMC10608457 DOI: 10.3390/life13102000] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a rare disease. Large studies are difficult to conduct; therefore, case reports provide valuable data. Since 2015, patients have been treated with Idebenone. The aim of this paper is to share our experience with diagnosing and managing patients in different stages of LHON. METHODS We designed a case series study, including four patients undergoing genetic testing and ophthalmologic examination. Criteria for Idebenone administration and follow-up were presented. RESULTS All patients had mutation 11778G>A in MT-ND4. The first patient, an 82-year-old man, with long history of vision loss, had no indication for Idebenone. Two additional cases emerged within the same family: a 40-year-old brother and a 31-year-old sister. Both received Idebenone, with good outcomes only for the female. After a one-year regimen, they were lost to follow-up. The fourth patient, a 46-year-old man, was diagnosed in the subacute stage. Idebenone administration was deferred, allowing progression of visual field defects. After 17 months of treatment, visual improvement appeared. The treatment was continued for 36 months, with short interruptions, resulting in good outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated positive results with long-term Idebenone use. Contrary to medical literature, our female patient had a favorable evolution, despite the delayed diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Baltă
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Georgiana Cristache
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Andreea Diana Barac
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Nicoleta Anton
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa” Iasi, 700115 Iasi, Romania;
| | - Ileana Ramona Barac
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest, 050474 Bucharest, Romania;
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17
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Clemente-Suárez VJ, Redondo-Flórez L, Beltrán-Velasco AI, Ramos-Campo DJ, Belinchón-deMiguel P, Martinez-Guardado I, Dalamitros AA, Yáñez-Sepúlveda R, Martín-Rodríguez A, Tornero-Aguilera JF. Mitochondria and Brain Disease: A Comprehensive Review of Pathological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Opportunities. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2488. [PMID: 37760929 PMCID: PMC10526226 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria play a vital role in maintaining cellular energy homeostasis, regulating apoptosis, and controlling redox signaling. Dysfunction of mitochondria has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various brain diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, and psychiatric illnesses. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the intricate relationship between mitochondria and brain disease, focusing on the underlying pathological mechanisms and exploring potential therapeutic opportunities. The review covers key topics such as mitochondrial DNA mutations, impaired oxidative phosphorylation, mitochondrial dynamics, calcium dysregulation, and reactive oxygen species generation in the context of brain disease. Additionally, it discusses emerging strategies targeting mitochondrial dysfunction, including mitochondrial protective agents, metabolic modulators, and gene therapy approaches. By critically analysing the existing literature and recent advancements, this review aims to enhance our understanding of the multifaceted role of mitochondria in brain disease and shed light on novel therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez
- Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Tajo Street, s/n, 28670 Madrid, Spain; (V.J.C.-S.); (J.F.T.-A.)
- Group de Investigación en Cultura, Educación y Sociedad, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
| | - Laura Redondo-Flórez
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, C/Tajo s/n, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28670 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco
- Psychology Department, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida y la Naturaleza, Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, 28240 Madrid, Spain
| | - Domingo Jesús Ramos-Campo
- LFE Research Group, Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Science-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Belinchón-deMiguel
- Department of Nursing and Nutrition, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain;
| | | | - Athanasios A. Dalamitros
- Laboratory of Evaluation of Human Biological Performance, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Rodrigo Yáñez-Sepúlveda
- Faculty of Education and Social Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar 2520000, Chile;
| | - Alexandra Martín-Rodríguez
- Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Tajo Street, s/n, 28670 Madrid, Spain; (V.J.C.-S.); (J.F.T.-A.)
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18
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McDonald HM, Sadikovic B, Sheldon CA, Bursztyn LLCD. Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy in Southwestern Ontario: A Growing List of Mutations. Can J Neurol Sci 2023; 50:738-744. [PMID: 35892476 DOI: 10.1017/cjn.2022.279] [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] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a rare but bilaterally blinding disease. Three characteristic disease-causing point mutations, and other less common mutations, are most often found on the mitochondrially encoded genes of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunits (MT-ND). The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of LHON mutations in Southwestern Ontario and to describe the associated demographic and clinical characteristics. METHODS A retrospective genetic and clinical chart review was performed from January 2015 to 2020. Patients were identified within a mitochondrial mutation database and included if a mutation was detected on the MT-ND1, -ND4, or -ND6 genes. A clinical chart review was done on all available patients. RESULTS Forty-five of 63 patients identified had classic disease-causing mutations (6.7% m.3460G>A, 44.4% m.11778G>A, and 48.9% m.14484T>C). Several of the remaining 18 patients had rare mutations previously documented in association with LHON. Of the 14 patients with clinical charts accessible for review, 12 had symptomatic disease, and all but one had bilateral optic neuropathies. Nine patients had classic LHON mutations and 3 had possible novel mutations; 7 were males; 9 had final visual acuity ≤ 20/200 in at least one eye; and 6 of those had ≤20/400 in both eyes. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to the literature on LHON in Canada, and specifically Southwestern Ontario. The demographic and clinical data regarding LHON in this geographic location, as well as possible novel disease-causing mutations, provide important information to aid clinicians in recognizing cases of LHON that may otherwise be disregarded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather M McDonald
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bekim Sadikovic
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Claire A Sheldon
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lulu L C D Bursztyn
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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19
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McGrady NR, Boal AM, Risner ML, Taiel M, Sahel JA, Calkins DJ. Ocular stress enhances contralateral transfer of lenadogene nolparvovec gene therapy through astrocyte networks. Mol Ther 2023; 31:2005-2013. [PMID: 37016579 PMCID: PMC10362393 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Lenadogene nolparvovec (GS010) was developed to treat a point mutation in mitochondrial ND4 that causes Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. GS010 delivers human cDNA encoding wild-type ND4 packaged into an rAAV2/2 vector that transduces retinal ganglion cells, to induce allotopic expression of hybrid mitochondrial ND4. GS010 clinical trials improved best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) up to 5 years after treatment. Interestingly, unilateral treatment improved BCVA bilaterally. Subsequent studies revealed GS010 DNA in visual tissues contralateral to the injected eye, suggesting migration. Here we tested whether unilateral intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation could influence the transfer of viral ND4 RNA in contralateral tissues after GS010 delivery to the IOP-elevated eye and probed a potential mechanism mediating translocation in mice. We found IOP elevation enhanced viral ND4 RNA transcripts in contralateral visual tissues, including retinas. Using conditional transgenic mice, we depleted astrocytic gap junction connexin 43 (Cx43), required for distant redistribution of metabolic resources between astrocytes during stress. After unilateral IOP elevation and GS010 injection, Cx43 knockdown eradicated ND4 RNA transcript detection in contralateral retinal tissues, while transcript was still detectable in optic nerves. Overall, our study indicates long-range migration of GS010 product to contralateral visual tissues is enhanced by Cx43-linked astrocyte networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nolan R McGrady
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Andrew M Boal
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Michael L Risner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | | | - Jose A Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France; Fondation Ophtalmologique A. de Rothschild, Paris, France; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire FOReSIGHT, INSERM-DGOS CIC, Paris, France
| | - David J Calkins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
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Rákosníková T, Kelifová S, Štufková H, Lokvencová K, Lišková P, Kousal B, Honzík T, Hansíková H, Martínek V, Tesařová M. Case report: A rare variant m.4135T>C in the MT-ND1 gene leads to Leber hereditary optic neuropathy and altered respiratory chain supercomplexes. Front Genet 2023; 14:1182288. [PMID: 37274791 PMCID: PMC10233053 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1182288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy is a primary mitochondrial disease characterized by acute visual loss due to the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells. In this study, we describe a patient carrying a rare missense heteroplasmic variant in MT-ND1, NC_012920.1:m.4135T>C (p.Tyr277His) manifesting with a typical bilateral painless decrease of the visual function, triggered by physical exercise or higher ambient temperature. Functional studies in muscle and fibroblasts show that amino acid substitution Tyr277 with His leads to only a negligibly decreased level of respiratory chain complex I (CI), but the formation of supercomplexes and the activity of the enzyme are disturbed noticeably. Our data indicate that although CI is successfully assembled in the patient's mitochondria, its function is hampered by the m.4135T>C variant, probably by stabilizing CI in its inactive form. We conclude that the m.4135T>C variant together with a combination of external factors is necessary to manifest the phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Rákosníková
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Silvie Kelifová
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Hana Štufková
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Kateřina Lokvencová
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petra Lišková
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Bohdan Kousal
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tomáš Honzík
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Hana Hansíková
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Václav Martínek
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Markéta Tesařová
- Laboratory for Study of Mitochondrial Disorders, Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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21
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Gunawardena K, Dissanayake VHW, Chang T. The first genetically authenticated case of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy in Sri Lanka: a case report and review of the literature. J Med Case Rep 2023; 17:34. [PMID: 36737829 PMCID: PMC9898959 DOI: 10.1186/s13256-023-03763-x] [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: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Leber hereditary optic neuropathy is a genetic disease of mitochondrial inheritance characterized by bilateral irreversible vision loss, predominantly affecting males. We report the first genetically authenticated Sri Lankan case of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, illustrating its characteristic features of male predominance and variable penetrance. CASE PRESENTATION A 15-year-old previously healthy Sri Lankan boy presented with painless progressive vision loss in his right eye, followed by vision loss in his left eye within 3 months. There was no history of drug or toxin exposure, or a family history of vision loss. His parents were nonconsanguineous. On examination, he could only perceive light. Funduscopy revealed bilateral optic atrophy. Routine hematological and biochemical blood tests, including inflammatory markers, were normal. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging was unremarkable. Optical coherence tomography, and the clinical presentation, suggested a diagnosis of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, which was confirmed by detection of m.14484T > C pathogenic variant in the MT-ND6 gene through targeted genetic analysis for the three common pathogenic variants in mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid. He was homoplasmic for the variant, and his asymptomatic mother and two female siblings were also found to be harboring the variant with homoplasmy. CONCLUSIONS This case report is intended to increase awareness of Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, and highlights the need to consider this rare diagnosis in the appropriate clinical context. It also illustrates the phenomena of incomplete penetrance and male predominance, and suggests the possibility of an X-linked gene governing Leber hereditary optic neuropathy disease expression, which warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kawmadi Gunawardena
- grid.415398.20000 0004 0556 2133Professorial Unit in Medicine, National Hospital of Sri Lanka and Postgraduate Institute of Medicine, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Vajira H. W. Dissanayake
- grid.8065.b0000000121828067Department of Anatomy, Genetics and Bioinformatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
| | - Thashi Chang
- grid.8065.b0000000121828067Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka
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22
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Newman NJ, Yu-Wai-Man P, Biousse V, Carelli V. Understanding the molecular basis and pathogenesis of hereditary optic neuropathies: towards improved diagnosis and management. Lancet Neurol 2023; 22:172-188. [PMID: 36155660 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(22)00174-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Hereditary optic neuropathies result from defects in the human genome, both nuclear and mitochondrial. The two main and most recognised phenotypes are dominant optic atrophy and Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. Advances in modern molecular diagnosis have expanded our knowledge of genotypes and phenotypes of inherited disorders that affect the optic nerve, either alone or in combination, with various forms of neurological and systemic degeneration. A unifying feature in the pathophysiology of these disorders appears to involve mitochondrial dysfunction, suggesting that the retinal ganglion cells and their axons are especially susceptible to perturbations in mitochondrial homoeostasis. As we better understand the pathogenesis behind these genetic diseases, aetiologically targeted therapies are emerging and entering into clinical trials, including treatments aimed at halting the cascade of neurodegeneration, replacing or editing the defective genes or their protein products, and potentially regenerating damaged optic nerves, as well as preventing generational disease transmission.
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MESH Headings
- Humans
- Optic Nerve Diseases/diagnosis
- Optic Nerve Diseases/genetics
- Optic Nerve Diseases/therapy
- Optic Atrophy, Hereditary, Leber/diagnosis
- Optic Atrophy, Hereditary, Leber/genetics
- Optic Atrophy, Hereditary, Leber/therapy
- Optic Atrophy, Autosomal Dominant/diagnosis
- Optic Atrophy, Autosomal Dominant/genetics
- Optic Atrophy, Autosomal Dominant/therapy
- Optic Nerve
- Mitochondria/genetics
- Mitochondria/metabolism
- Mitochondria/pathology
- DNA, Mitochondrial/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J Newman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK; Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK; UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Valérie Biousse
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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23
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Carelli V, Newman NJ, Yu-Wai-Man P, Biousse V, Moster ML, Subramanian PS, Vignal-Clermont C, Wang AG, Donahue SP, Leroy BP, Sergott RC, Klopstock T, Sadun AA, Rebolleda Fernández G, Chwalisz BK, Banik R, Girmens JF, La Morgia C, DeBusk AA, Jurkute N, Priglinger C, Karanjia R, Josse C, Salzmann J, Montestruc F, Roux M, Taiel M, Sahel JA. Indirect Comparison of Lenadogene Nolparvovec Gene Therapy Versus Natural History in Patients with Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Carrying the m.11778G>A MT-ND4 Mutation. Ophthalmol Ther 2023; 12:401-429. [PMID: 36449262 PMCID: PMC9834474 DOI: 10.1007/s40123-022-00611-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Lenadogene nolparvovec is a promising novel gene therapy for patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) carrying the m.11778G>A ND4 mutation (MT-ND4). A previous pooled analysis of phase 3 studies showed an improvement in visual acuity of patients injected with lenadogene nolparvovec compared to natural history. Here, we report updated results by incorporating data from the latest phase 3 trial REFLECT in the pool, increasing the number of treated patients from 76 to 174. METHODS The visual acuity of 174 MT-ND4-carrying patients with LHON injected in one or both eyes with lenadogene nolparvovec from four pooled phase 3 studies (REVERSE, RESCUE and their long-term extension trial RESTORE; and REFLECT trial) was compared to the spontaneous evolution of an external control group of 208 matched patients from 11 natural history studies. RESULTS Treated patients showed a clinically relevant and sustained improvement in their visual acuity when compared to natural history. Mean improvement versus natural history was - 0.30 logMAR (+ 15 ETDRS letters equivalent) at last observation (P < 0.01) with a maximal follow-up of 3.9 years after injection. Most treated eyes were on-chart as compared to less than half of natural history eyes at 48 months after vision loss (89.6% versus 48.1%; P < 0.01) and at last observation (76.1% versus 44.4%; P < 0.01). When we adjusted for covariates of interest (gender, age of onset, ethnicity, and duration of follow-up), the estimated mean gain was - 0.43 logMAR (+ 21.5 ETDRS letters equivalent) versus natural history at last observation (P < 0.0001). Treatment effect was consistent across all phase 3 clinical trials. Analyses from REFLECT suggest a larger treatment effect in patients receiving bilateral injection compared to unilateral injection. CONCLUSION The efficacy of lenadogene nolparvovec in improving visual acuity in MT-ND4 LHON was confirmed in a large cohort of patients, compared to the spontaneous natural history decline. Bilateral injection of gene therapy may offer added benefits over unilateral injection. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS NCT02652780 (REVERSE); NCT02652767 (RESCUE); NCT03406104 (RESTORE); NCT03293524 (REFLECT); NCT03295071 (REALITY).
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Carelli
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Via Altura, 3, 40139, Bologna, BO, Italy.
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Nancy J Newman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Valerie Biousse
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mark L Moster
- Department of Neurology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Prem S Subramanian
- Sue Anschutz-Rodgers University of Colorado Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Catherine Vignal-Clermont
- Department of Neuro Ophthalmology and Emergencies, Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France
- Centre d'Investigation Clinique, Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze Vingts, Paris, France
| | - An-Guor Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sean P Donahue
- Department of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Pediatrics, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bart P Leroy
- Department of Ophthalmology and Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Head & Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Robert C Sergott
- Department of Neurology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- David Geffen, Doheny Eye Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Bart K Chwalisz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye & Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rudrani Banik
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jean François Girmens
- Centre d'Investigation Clinique, Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze Vingts, Paris, France
| | - Chiara La Morgia
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Via Altura, 3, 40139, Bologna, BO, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Adam A DeBusk
- Department of Neurology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Neringa Jurkute
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Claudia Priglinger
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Rustum Karanjia
- David Geffen, Doheny Eye Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Ottawa Eye, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Constant Josse
- eXYSTAT, Data Management and Statistic, Malakoff, France
| | | | | | | | | | - José-Alain Sahel
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
- Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire FOReSIGHT, INSERM-DGOS CIC 1423, Paris, France
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24
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Chen BS, Yu-Wai-Man P, Horton M. Psychometric Validity of the Visual Function Index in Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Transl Vis Sci Technol 2023; 12:23. [PMID: 36662512 PMCID: PMC9872840 DOI: 10.1167/tvst.12.1.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the psychometric validity of the Visual Function Index (VF-14) for use by patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Methods Rasch analysis was conducted in two stages using data for 196 individuals (74.5% male) carrying one of the three primary LHON mutations and affected by vision loss. In stage 1, scale unidimensionality, scale-to-sample targeting, response category threshold ordering, item fit statistics, local dependency, and reliability were assessed. In stage 2, iterative post-hoc revisions of the VF-14 structure (VF-14R) were applied and psychometrically re-evaluated. Results Issues identified with the VF-14 included disordered response thresholds (12/14 items), local dependency (10/91 pairwise dependencies), and evidence of multidimensionality. However, the distribution of person estimates and item thresholds were fairly well matched, only one item showed misfit to the Rasch model, and there was good reliability (Person Separation Index 0.84). Rasch-informed VF-14 revisions included removing both driving items and the misfitting sports item, rescoring response options across all items by merging two response categories, and accounting for the dependency between two reading items. The VF-14R demonstrated improved psychometric validity. Conclusions Clinicians and researchers using the VF-14 with LHON patients should be aware of its limitations. Compared to the original version, the proposed Rasch-based structure of the VF-14R appears to offer improved psychometric performance and interpretation of vision-related activity limitation. Translational Relevance The original version of the VF-14 exhibits several limitations that undermines its psychometric validity as a patient-reported outcome measure for patients with LHON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson S Chen
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
- https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8214-0186
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mike Horton
- Psychometric Laboratory for Health Sciences, University of Leeds, UK
- https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6675-7335
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25
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Murakhovskaya YK, Andreeva NA, Tsygankova PG, Krylova TD, Sheremet NL. [Long-term changes in morphological and functional parameters of the optic nerve in patients with various genetic variants of hereditary optic neuropathies]. Vestn Oftalmol 2023; 139:77-86. [PMID: 38235633 DOI: 10.17116/oftalma202313906177] [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: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and autosomal recessive optic neuropathy (ARON) are degenerative diseases of the optic nerve caused by mutations in nuclear or mitochondrial DNA (nDNA, mtDNA). The clinical picture of these diseases is similar, but there are some differences in how the visual functions change in patients with different molecular genetic variants of hereditary optic neuropathies (HON). PURPOSE This study evaluates the long-term changes in morphological and functional parameters in patients with different genetic variants of HON. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 84 patients (165 eyes) with a genetically confirmed LHON or ARON diagnosis. The patients underwent best-corrected visual acuity (VA) test, color vision (CV) examination, computerized perimetry using the program for low vision assessment, optical coherence tomography (OCT). RESULTS Over the course of the follow-up (60 months or longer) HON patients were revealed to have higher VA in c.152A>G and m.14484T>C mutations compared to mutations m.11778G>A and m.3460G>A. The final VA 0.5 or higher in patients with c.152A>G and m.14484T>C mutations in 54 and 71% of cases, and only in 6 and 13% of cases - with m.11778G>A and m.3460G>A mutations. Direct correlation was determined between minimal VA in the first year after disease onset and the final VA (K=0.67; p<0.001). In all patients with the investigated mutations CV recovered slightly quicker than VA. CONCLUSION HON associated with c.152A>G and m.14484T>C mutations have better prognosis compared to LHON caused by m.11778G>A and m.3460G>A mutations. Vision recovery prognosis is worse in patients who had significant decrease of visual acuity at the disease onset. OCT findings reveal preservation of visual functions in all mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu K Murakhovskaya
- Krasnov Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Moscow, Russia
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia
| | - N A Andreeva
- Krasnov Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Moscow, Russia
| | | | - T D Krylova
- Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moscow, Russia
| | - N L Sheremet
- Krasnov Research Institute of Eye Diseases, Moscow, Russia
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26
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Abstract
Mitochondrial optic neuropathies have a leading role in the field of mitochondrial medicine ever since 1988, when the first mutation in mitochondrial DNA was associated with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). Autosomal dominant optic atrophy (DOA) was subsequently associated in 2000 with mutations in the nuclear DNA affecting the OPA1 gene. LHON and DOA are both characterized by selective neurodegeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction. This is centered on respiratory complex I impairment in LHON and defective mitochondrial dynamics in OPA1-related DOA, leading to distinct clinical phenotypes. LHON is a subacute, rapid, severe loss of central vision involving both eyes within weeks or months, with age of onset between 15 and 35 years old. DOA is a more slowly progressive optic neuropathy, usually apparent in early childhood. LHON is characterized by marked incomplete penetrance and a clear male predilection. The introduction of next-generation sequencing has greatly expanded the genetic causes for other rare forms of mitochondrial optic neuropathies, including recessive and X-linked, further emphasizing the exquisite sensitivity of RGCs to compromised mitochondrial function. All forms of mitochondrial optic neuropathies, including LHON and DOA, can manifest either as pure optic atrophy or as a more severe multisystemic syndrome. Mitochondrial optic neuropathies are currently at the forefront of a number of therapeutic programs, including gene therapy, with idebenone being the only approved drug for a mitochondrial disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Carelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto di Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Chiara La Morgia
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto di Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Mitochondrial dysfunction, especially perturbation of oxidative phosphorylation and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation, disrupts cellular homeostasis and is a surprisingly frequent cause of central and peripheral nervous system pathology. Mitochondrial disease is an umbrella term that encompasses a host of clinical syndromes and features caused by in excess of 300 different genetic defects affecting the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Patients with mitochondrial disease can present at any age, ranging from neonatal onset to late adult life, with variable organ involvement and neurological manifestations including neurodevelopmental delay, seizures, stroke-like episodes, movement disorders, optic neuropathy, myopathy, and neuropathy. Until relatively recently, analysis of skeletal muscle biopsy was the focus of diagnostic algorithms, but step-changes in the scope and availability of next-generation sequencing technology and multiomics analysis have revolutionized mitochondrial disease diagnosis. Currently, there is no specific therapy for most types of mitochondrial disease, although clinical trials research in the field is gathering momentum. In that context, active management of epilepsy, stroke-like episodes, dystonia, brainstem dysfunction, and Parkinsonism are all the more important in improving patient quality of life and reducing mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Shiau Ng
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
| | - Robert McFarland
- NHS Highly Specialised Service for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
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Vignal-Clermont C, Yu-Wai-Man P, Newman NJ, Carelli V, Moster ML, Biousse V, Subramanian PS, Wang AG, Donahue SP, Leroy BP, Sadun AA, Klopstock T, Sergott RC, Fernandez R, Chwalisz BK, Banik R, Taiel M, Roux M, Sahel JA. Safety of Lenadogene Nolparvovec Gene Therapy Over 5 Years in 189 Patients With Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Am J Ophthalmol 2022; 249:108-125. [PMID: 36496192 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2022.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the safety profile of lenadogene nolparvovec (Lumevoq) in patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy. DESIGN Pooled analysis of safety data from 5 clinical studies. METHODS A total of 189 patients received single unilateral or bilateral intravitreal injections of a recombinant adeno-associated virus 2 (rAAV2/2) vector encoding the human wild-type ND4 gene. Adverse events (AEs) were collected throughout the studies, up to 5 years. Intraocular inflammation and increased intraocular pressure (IOP) were ocular AEs of special interest. Other assessments included ocular examinations, vector bio-dissemination, and systemic immune responses against rAAV2/2. RESULTS Almost all patients (95.2%) received 9 × 1010 viral genomes and 87.8% had at least 2 years of follow-up. Most patients (75.1%) experienced at least one systemic AE, but systemic treatment-related AEs occurred in 3 patients; none were serious. Intraocular inflammation was reported in 75.6% of lenadogene nolparvovec-treated eyes. Almost all intraocular inflammations occurred in the anterior chamber (58.8%) or in the vitreous (40.3%), and were of mild (90.3%) or moderate (8.8%) intensity; most resolved with topical corticosteroids alone. All IOP increases were mild to moderate in intensity. No AE led to study discontinuation. Bio-dissemination of lenadogene nolparvovec and systemic immune response were limited. The safety profile was comparable for patients treated bilaterally and unilaterally. CONCLUSIONS Lenadogene nolparvovec had a good overall safety profile with excellent systemic tolerability, consistent with limited bio-dissemination. The product was well tolerated, with mostly mild ocular side effects responsive to conventional ophthalmologic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Vignal-Clermont
- From Department of Neuro Ophthalmology and Emergencies, Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France (C.V-C.); Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze Vingts, Paris, France (C.V-C.).
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK (P.Y-W-M.); Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK (P.Y-W-M.); UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK (P.Y-W-M.); Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
| | - Nancy J Newman
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA (P.Y-W-M.)
| | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy (V.C.); Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy (V.C.)
| | - Mark L Moster
- Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA (M.L.M.)
| | - Valerie Biousse
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA (P.Y-W-M.)
| | - Prem S Subramanian
- Sue Anschutz-Rodgers University of Colorado Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA (P.S.S.)
| | - An-Guor Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan (A-G.W.)
| | - Sean P Donahue
- Department of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA (S.P.D.)
| | - Bart P Leroy
- Department of Ophthalmology and Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, and Department of Head & Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium (B.P.L.)
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA, USA (A.A.S.); Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA (A.A.S.)
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Friedrich Baur Institute at the Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany (T.K.); German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany (T.K.); Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany (T.K.)
| | - Robert C Sergott
- Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA (M.L.M.)
| | | | - Bart K Chwalisz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye & Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA (B.K.C.); Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA (B.K.C.)
| | - Rudrani Banik
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA (R.B.)
| | | | - Michel Roux
- GenSight Biologics, Paris, France (M.T., M.R.)
| | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France (J-A.S.); Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France (J-A.S.); Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (J-A.S.); Centre Hospitalier National d'Ophtalmologie des Quinze-Vingts, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire FOReSIGHT, INSERM-DGOS CIC, Paris, France (J-A.S.)
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Chen BS, Yu-Wai-Man P, Newman NJ. Developments in the Treatment of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2022; 22:881-892. [PMID: 36414808 PMCID: PMC9750907 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-022-01246-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSEOF REVIEW To outline the current landscape of treatments for Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) along the therapeutic delivery pipeline, exploring the mechanisms of action and evidence for these therapeutic approaches. RECENT FINDINGS Treatments for LHON can be broadly classified as either mutation-specific or mutation-independent. Mutation-specific therapies aim to correct the underlying mutation through the use of a gene-editing platform or replace the faulty mitochondrial DNA-encoded protein by delivering the wild-type gene using a suitable vector. Recent gene therapy clinical trials assessing the efficacy of allotopically expressed MT-ND4 for the treatment of LHON due to the m.11778G > A mutation in MT-ND4 have shown positive results when treated within 12 months of symptom onset. Mutation-independent therapies can have various downstream targets that aim to improve mitochondrial respiration, reduce mitochondrial stress, inhibit or delay retinal ganglion cell apoptosis, and/or promote retinal ganglion cell survival. Idebenone, a synthetic hydrosoluble analogue of co-enzyme Q10 (ubiquinone), is the only approved treatment for LHON. Mutation-independent approaches to gene therapy under pre-clinical investigation for other neurodegenerative disorders may have the potential to benefit patients with LHON. Although approved treatments are presently limited, innovations in gene therapy and editing are driving the expansion of the therapeutic delivery pipeline for LHON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson S Chen
- John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK.
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0PY, UK
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nancy J Newman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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30
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Newman NJ, Yu-Wai-Man P, Subramanian PS, Moster ML, Wang AG, Donahue SP, Leroy BP, Carelli V, Biousse V, Vignal-Clermont C, Sergott RC, Sadun AA, Fernández GR, Chwalisz BK, Banik R, Bazin F, Roux M, Cox ED, Taiel M, Sahel JA. Randomized trial of bilateral gene therapy injection for m.11778G > A MT-ND4 Leber optic neuropathy. Brain 2022; 146:1328-1341. [PMID: 36350566 PMCID: PMC10115230 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is an important example of mitochondrial blindness with the m.11778G > A mutation in the MT-ND4 gene being the most common disease-causing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variant worldwide. The REFLECT phase 3 pivotal study is a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial investigating the efficacy and safety of bilateral intravitreal injection of lenadogene nolparvovec in patients with a confirmed m.11778G > A mutation, using a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector 2, serotype 2 (rAAV2/2-ND4). The first-affected eye received gene therapy; the fellow (affected/not-yet-affected) eye was randomly injected with gene therapy or placebo. The primary endpoint was the difference in change from baseline of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in second-affected/not-yet-affected eyes treated with lenadogene nolparvovec versus placebo at 1.5 years post-treatment, expressed in logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (LogMAR). Forty-eight patients were treated bilaterally and 50 unilaterally. At 1.5 years, the change from baseline in BCVA was not statistically different between second-affected/not-yet-affected eyes receiving lenadogene nolparvovec and placebo (primary endpoint). A statistically significant improvement in BCVA was reported from baseline to 1.5 years in lenadogene nolparvovec-treated eyes: -0.23 LogMAR for the first-affected eyes of bilaterally treated patients (p < 0.01); and -0.15 LogMAR for second-affected/not-yet-affected eyes of bilaterally treated patients and the first-affected eyes of unilaterally treated patients (p < 0.05). The mean improvement in BCVA from nadir to 1.5 years was -0.38 (0.052) LogMAR and -0.33 (0.052) LogMAR in first-affected and second-affected/not-yet-affected eyes treated with lenadogene nolparvovec, respectively (bilateral treatment group). A mean improvement of -0.33 (0.051) LogMAR and -0.26 (0.051) LogMAR was observed in first-affected lenadogene nolparvovec-treated eyes and second-affected/not-yet-affected placebo-treated eyes, respectively (unilateral treatment group). The proportion of patients with one or both eyes on-chart at 1.5 years was 85.4% and 72.0% for bilaterally and unilaterally treated patients, respectively. The gene therapy was well tolerated, with no systemic issues. Intraocular inflammation, which was mostly mild and well controlled with topical corticosteroids, occurred in 70.7% of lenadogene nolparvovec-treated eyes versus 10.2% of placebo-treated eyes. Among eyes treated with lenadogene nolparvovec, there was no difference in the incidence of intraocular inflammation between bilaterally and unilaterally treated patients. Overall, the REFLECT trial demonstrated an improvement of BCVA in LHON eyes carrying the m.11778G > A mtDNA mutation treated with lenadogene nolparvovec or placebo to a degree not reported in natural history studies and supports an improved benefit/risk profile for bilateral injections of lenadogene nolparvovec relative to unilateral injections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J Newman
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Prem S Subramanian
- Sue Anschutz-Rodgers University of Colorado Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Mark L Moster
- Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - An-Guor Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Sean P Donahue
- Department of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, and Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bart P Leroy
- Department of Ophthalmology and Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University Hospital, and Department of Head & Skin, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Valerie Biousse
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Catherine Vignal-Clermont
- Department of Neuro Ophthalmology and Emergencies, Rothschild Foundation Hospital, Paris, France
- Centre Hospitalier National D'Ophtalmologie des Quinze Vingts, Paris, France
| | - Robert C Sergott
- Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alfredo A Sadun
- Doheny Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Bart K Chwalisz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye & Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - Rudrani Banik
- Department of Ophthalmology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Fondation Ophtalmologique A. de Rothschild, Paris, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire FOReSIGHT, INSERM-DGOS CIC, Paris, France
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Traitements médicaux dans la neuropathie optique héréditaire de Leber. J Fr Ophtalmol 2022; 45:S24-S31. [DOI: 10.1016/s0181-5512(22)00447-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Clermont CV. Neuropathie optique héréditaire de Leber : tableau clinique et données du bilan initial. J Fr Ophtalmol 2022; 45:S3-S8. [DOI: 10.1016/s0181-5512(22)00444-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Biousse V. La neuropathie optique héréditaire de Leber. J Fr Ophtalmol 2022; 45:S1-S2. [DOI: 10.1016/s0181-5512(22)00443-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Subramanian PS, Newman NJ, Moster M, Wang AG, Yu-Wai-Man P, Donahue S, Leroy BP, Carelli V, Biousse V, Vignal-Clermont C, Sergott RC, Sadun AA, Rebolleda G, Chwalisz BK, Banik R, Bazin F, Cox E, Roux M, Taiel M, Sahel JA. Study design and baseline characteristics for the reflect gene therapy trial ofm.11778g>A/ ND4-LHON. BMJ Open Ophthalmol 2022. [DOI: 10.1136/bmjophth-2022-001158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveREFLECT is the first randomised, double-masked, placebo-controlled multicentre phase 3 clinical trial that evaluated the efficacy and safety of bilateral intravitreal (IVT) injection of lenadogene nolparvovec in subjects with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy carrying the m.11778G>A mutation.Methods and analysisA total of 98 subjects were enrolled with vision loss of ≤12 months. The subjects were randomised to one of two treatment arms with all subjects receiving an intravitreal (IVT) injection of lenadogene nolparvovec in their first affected eye and the second-affected eye randomised to receive IVT of either lenadogene nolparvovec or placebo.ResultsThe majority of subjects were male with a mean duration of vision loss of 8.3 months. All but one subject experienced bilateral loss of vision at the time of injection. The mean best-corrected visual acuity of first-affected eyes was worse compared with second/not-yet-affected eyes. Analysis of retinal anatomical parameters showed increased thinning in the first-affected eyes when compared with the second/not-yet-affected eyes with both treatment arms showing significant changes compared with unaffected individuals.ConclusionThe REFLECT trial is the third and the largest phase 3 clinical study evaluating lenadogene nolparvovec in m.11778G>A Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) subjects. The observed demographics in REFLECT are consistent with previous reports in LHON subjects in the acute and dynamic phases of LHON disease. Combined with the visual function and anatomical parameters obtained in the previous RESCUE and REVERSE trials, REFLECT has provided a uniformly collected data set that should help direct future LHON clinical trials.
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35
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Spiegel SJ, Sadun AA. Solutions to a Radical Problem: Overview of Current and Future Treatment Strategies in Leber's Hereditary Opic Neuropathy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:13205. [PMID: 36361994 PMCID: PMC9656544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is the most common primary mitochondrial DNA disorder. It is characterized by bilateral severe central subacute vision loss due to specific loss of Retinal Ganglion Cells and their axons. Historically, treatment options have been quite limited, but ongoing clinical trials show promise, with significant advances being made in the testing of free radical scavengers and gene therapy. In this review, we summarize management strategies and rational of treatment based on current insights from molecular research. This includes preventative recommendations for unaffected genetic carriers, current medical and supportive treatments for those affected, and emerging evidence for future potential therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J. Spiegel
- Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Alfredo A. Sadun
- Jules Stein and Doheny Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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36
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Chen BS, Holzinger E, Taiel M, Yu-Wai-Man P. The Impact of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy on the Quality of Life of Patients and Their Relatives: A Qualitative Study. J Neuroophthalmol 2022; 42:316-322. [PMID: 35483081 DOI: 10.1097/wno.0000000000001564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is an inherited mitochondrial disease characterized by severe bilateral vision loss and chronic visual impairment. The objective of this study was to comprehensively explore the impact of LHON on the lives of patients and their relatives at the time of diagnosis and now. METHODS Qualitative study design with 8 focus group interviews conducted in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, involving 17 individuals with m.11778G>A mutation and their relatives. Separate focus groups for patients and their relatives were facilitated by a moderator in French, German, or English. Qualitative analysis of interviews using a pre-defined analytical framework. RESULTS Participants reported feeling devastated by the diagnosis of LHON after a lengthy and worrisome diagnostic journey. Patients were frustrated by the loss of autonomy, which also affected their relatives. Participants described challenges across several domains: physical capabilities, emotional well-being, interpersonal relationships, work and studies, finances, and recreational activities. Access to disability allowances, vision aids, and funded or subsided idebenone varied by country, resulting in unequal financial impact. Patients are hopeful for therapy that would restore autonomy and improve their ability to enjoy a fulfilling life, while alleviating the demands placed on their relatives. CONCLUSIONS The impact of LHON extends beyond vision-related activity limitations. Addressing the psychosocial impact of LHON and helping patients and their relatives adapt and cope with vision loss are vital. As part of this, an accurate and timely diagnosis is important to enable early intervention. Further investigation of specific unmet needs is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson S Chen
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit (BSC, PY-W-M), Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridge Eye Unit (BSC and PY-W-M), Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom; GroupH (EH), London, United Kingdom; GenSight Biologics (MT), Paris, France; Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (PY-W-M), London, United Kingdom; and Institute of Ophthalmology (PY-W-M), University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Chen BS, Yu-Wai-Man P. From Bench to Bedside-Delivering Gene Therapy for Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2022; 12:a041282. [PMID: 35863905 PMCID: PMC9310952 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041282] [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: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a rare, maternally inherited mitochondrial disorder that presents with severe bilateral sequential vision loss, due to the selective degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Since the mitochondrial genetic basis for LHON was uncovered in 1988, considerable progress has been made in understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms driving RGC loss, which has enabled the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at mitigating the underlying mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, we explore the genetics of LHON, from bench to bedside, focusing on the pathogenetic mechanisms and how these have informed the development of different gene therapy approaches, in particular the technique of allotopic expression with adeno-associated viral vectors. Finally, we provide an overview of the recent gene therapy clinical trials and consider the unanswered questions, challenges, and future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson S Chen
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0PY, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0PY, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, United Kingdom
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, United Kingdom
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Yao S, Zhou Q, Yang M, Li Y, Jin X, Guo Q, Yang L, Qin F, Lei B. Multi-mtDNA Variants May Be a Factor Contributing to Mitochondrial Function Variety in the Skin-Derived Fibroblasts of Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Patients. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:920221. [PMID: 35909448 PMCID: PMC9326446 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.920221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity is a major feature of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and has a significant impact on the manifestation and diagnosis of the disease. This study explored whether multiple variations in mitochondrial genes were associated with the heterogeneity, mainly phenotypic heterogeneity. Ophthalmic examinations were conducted in two probands with LHON with G11778A and multiple mitochondrial DNA gene (mtDNA) variants. Skin fibroblast cell lines were generated from patients and age- and sex-matched controls. ROS levels, mitochondrial membrane potential, cell energy respiration, and metabolic functions were measured. Flow cytometry and cell viability tests were performed to evaluate the cell apoptosis levels and fate. We found that cells with more mtDNA variants had higher ROS levels, lower mitochondrial membrane potential, and weaker respiratory function. Flow cytometry and cell viability testing showed that multiple mtDNA variants are associated with different levels of cell viability and apoptosis. In conclusion, we found that skin-derived fibroblast cells from G11778A LHON patients could be used as models for LHON research. Multi-mtDNA variants contribute to mitochondrial function variety, which may be associated with heterogeneity in patients with LHON.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Yao
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qingru Zhou
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mingzhu Yang
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ya Li
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiuxiu Jin
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qingge Guo
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fangyuan Qin
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Bo Lei
- Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Henan Eye Institute, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
- Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Bo Lei
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Newman NJ, Schniederjan M, Mendoza PR, Calkins DJ, Yu-Wai-Man P, Biousse V, Carelli V, Taiel M, Rugiero F, Singh P, Rogue A, Sahel JA, Ancian P. Absence of lenadogene nolparvovec DNA in a brain tumor biopsy from a patient in the REVERSE clinical study, a case report. BMC Neurol 2022; 22:257. [PMID: 35820885 PMCID: PMC9277876 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-022-02787-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is a rare, maternally-inherited mitochondrial disease that primarily affects retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons in the optic nerve, leading to irreversible, bilateral severe vision loss. Lenadogene nolparvovec gene therapy was developed as a treatment for patients with vision loss from LHON caused by the most prevalent m.11778G > A mitochondrial DNA point mutation in the MT-ND4 gene. Lenadogene nolparvovec is a replication-defective recombinant adeno-associated virus vector 2 serotype 2 (AAV2/2), encoding the human wild-type MT-ND4 protein. Lenadogene nolparvovec was administered by intravitreal injection (IVT) in LHON patients harboring the m.11778G > A ND4 mutation in a clinical development program including one phase 1/2 study (REVEAL), three phase 3 pivotal studies (REVERSE, RESCUE, REFLECT), and one long-term follow-up study (RESTORE, the follow-up of REVERSE and RESCUE patients). CASE PRESENTATION A 67-year-old woman with MT-ND4 LHON, included in the REVERSE clinical study, received a unilateral IVT of lenadogene nolparvovec in the right eye and a sham injection in the left eye in May 2016, 11.4 months and 8.8 months after vision loss in her right and left eyes, respectively. The patient had a normal brain magnetic resonance imaging with contrast at the time of diagnosis of LHON. Two years after treatment administration, BCVA had improved in both eyes. The product was well tolerated with mild and resolutive anterior chamber inflammation in the treated eye. In May 2019, the patient was diagnosed with a right temporal lobe glioblastoma, IDH-wildtype, World Health Organization grade 4, based on histological analysis of a tumor excision. The brain tumor was assessed for the presence of vector DNA by using a sensitive validated qPCR assay targeting the ND4 sequence of the vector. CONCLUSION ND4 DNA was not detected (below 15.625 copies/μg of genomic DNA) in DNA extracted from the brain tumor, while a housekeeping gene DNA was detected at high levels. Taken together, this data shows the absence of detection of lenadogene nolparvovec in a brain tumor (glioblastoma) of a treated patient in the REVERSE clinical trial 3 years after gene therapy administration, supporting the long-term favorable safety of lenadogene nolparvovec.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J Newman
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, Emory Eye Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365-B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
| | - Matthew Schniederjan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Pia R Mendoza
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David J Calkins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Valérie Biousse
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery, Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, Emory Eye Center, Emory University School of Medicine, 1365-B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica Neurologica, Bologna, Italy
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Magali Taiel
- GenSight Biologics, 74 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, 75012, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | - José-Alain Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Fondation Ophtalmologique A. de Rothschild, Paris, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire FOReSIGHT, INSERM-DGOS CIC, Paris, France
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A Tale of Progressive Painless Vision Loss in a 64-Year-Old Man Due to Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. J Neuroophthalmol 2022; 42:390-395. [DOI: 10.1097/wno.0000000000001651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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41
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Updated Review of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Curr Treat Options Neurol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11940-022-00729-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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42
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Everdingen JAM, Pott JWR, Bauer NJC, Krijnen AM, Lushchyk T, Wubbels RJ. Clinical outcomes of treatment with idebenone in Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy in the Netherlands: A national cohort study. Acta Ophthalmol 2022; 100:700-706. [PMID: 35394113 DOI: 10.1111/aos.15153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to present results from a national Dutch cohort of patients with Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) treated with idebenone. METHODS The multicentre, open-label, retrospective evaluation of the long-term outcome of idebenone treatment of Dutch LHON patients on visual function and on thickness of the retinal ganglion cell layer. Patients included in the analysis had a confirmed mutation in their mitochondrial DNA encoding either of the seven subunits of complex I, had a reported loss of vision in at least one eye and had a follow-up of more than 6 months after their treatment was started. Control visits involved routine clinical examinations of visual function and retinal structure at (1) the start of treatment, (2) nadir (time of lowest visual acuity), (3) the time of recovery (if any), (4) the time of termination of treatment and (5) more than 6 months after termination of the treatment. RESULTS Data from 72 patients were analysed. Treatment duration was 23.8 ± 14.4 (mean ± SD) months. A positive response, that is either a clinically relevant recovery (CRR) or a clinically relevant stabilization (CRS), occurred in 53% and 11% of the patients, respectively. The magnitude of CRR was 0.41 ± 1.54 logMAR. CRR of visual acuity is associated with recovery of colour discrimination. The thickness of both the ganglion cell complex (GCC) and the retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) is irreversibly reduced. CONCLUSION Our results confirm that idebenone may help to restore or maintain visual function. Whether this effect will persist is still unknown. Thinning of retinal neural tissue appears to be permanent.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jan Willem R. Pott
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Groningen University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Noël J. C. Bauer
- University Eye Clinic, Maastricht University Medical Center+ Maastricht The Netherlands
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43
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Natural history of patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy-results from the REALITY study. Eye (Lond) 2022; 36:818-826. [PMID: 33911213 PMCID: PMC8956580 DOI: 10.1038/s41433-021-01535-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES REALITY is an international observational retrospective registry of LHON patients evaluating the visual course and outcome in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). SUBJECTS/METHODS Demographics and visual function data were collected from medical charts of LHON patients with visual loss. The study was conducted in 11 study centres in the United States of America and Europe. The collection period extended from the presymptomatic stage to at least more than one year after onset of vision loss (chronic stage). A Locally Weighted Scatterplot Smoothing (LOWESS) local regression model was used to analyse the evolution of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) over time. RESULTS 44 LHON patients were included; 27 (61%) carried the m.11778G>A ND4 mutation, 8 (18%) carried the m.3460G>A ND1 mutation, and 9 (20%) carried the m.14484T>C ND6 mutation. Fourteen (32%) patients were under 18 years old at onset of vision loss and 5 (11%) were below the age of 12. The average duration of follow-up was 32.5 months after onset of symptoms. At the last observed measure, mean BCVA was 1.46 LogMAR in ND4 patients, 1.52 LogMAR in ND1 patients, and 0.97 LogMAR in ND6 patients. The worst visual outcomes were reported in ND4 patients aged at least 15 years old at onset, with a mean BCVA of 1.55 LogMAR and no tendency for spontaneous recovery. The LOESS modelling curve depicted a severe and permanent deterioration of BCVA. CONCLUSIONS Amongst LHON patients with the three primary mtDNA mutations, adult patients with the m.11778G>A ND4 mutation had the worst visual outcomes, consistent with prior reports.
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44
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Siedlecki J, Koenig S, Catarino C, Schaumberger MM, Schworm B, Priglinger SG, Rudolph G, von Livonius B, Klopstock T, Priglinger CS. Childhood versus early-teenage onset Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy: visual prognosis and capacity for recovery. Br J Ophthalmol 2022:bjophthalmol-2021-320580. [PMID: 35190400 DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-320580] [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: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in children and teenagers, the influence of age on visual prognosis has not yet been investigated. METHODS Patients from the mitoNET registry with LHON onset at age 4-16 years with at least 4 years of follow-up without treatment were included. Visual acuity (VA) at baseline, lowest VA ever recorded (nadir) and VA at end of follow-up were compared between childhood onset (ChO, ≤12 years of age) and early-teenage onset (eTO; 13-16 years). RESULTS Out of 231 patients with LHON, 19 met the inclusion criteria (8.2%). There were 11 patients in the ChO and 8 patients in the eTO group. Mean age at onset was 8.6 (SD 2.1) years (ChO) and 15.4 (SD 0.7) years (eTO) (p<0.00001). Follow-up was mean 184 (SD 129) months (ChO) and 119 (SD 78) months (eTO) (p=0.22). Baseline VA was similar between both groups in better (p=0.96) and worse eyes (p=0.54). In worse eyes, both groups deteriorated similarly (p=0.79) until nadir and showed similar recovery until end of follow-up (p=0.38). In better eyes, both groups deteriorated similarly (p=0.16) until nadir. From nadir until end of follow-up, better eyes in the ChO group showed a significantly better recovery (-0.35 (SD 0.36) vs -0.01 (SD 0.06) logMAR; p=0.02) than eTO eyes. CONCLUSION Visual prognosis of LHON in children is much more favourable in cases of childhood onset (≤12 years of age) as compared with teenage onset (13-16 years), mostly due to better recovery from nadir in childhood onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Siedlecki
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Susanna Koenig
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Claudia Catarino
- Friedrich-Baur-Institut, Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Markus M Schaumberger
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Benedikt Schworm
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
| | | | - Guenther Rudolph
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Bettina von Livonius
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Friedrich-Baur-Institut, Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
| | - Claudia S Priglinger
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munchen, Bayern, Germany
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45
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Stenton SL, Tesarova M, Sheremet NL, Catarino C, Carelli V, Ciara E, Curry K, Engvall M, Fleming LR, Freisinger P, Iwanicka-Pronicka K, Jurkiewicz E, Klopstock T, Koenig MK, Kolářová H, Kousal B, Krylova T, La Morgia C, Nosková L, Piekutowska-Abramczuk D, Russo SN, Stránecký V, Tóthová I, Träisk F, Prokisch H. DNAJC30 defect: a frequent cause of recessive Leber hereditary optic neuropathy and Leigh syndrome. Brain 2022; 145:1624-1631. [PMID: 35148383 PMCID: PMC9166554 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent description of biallelic DNAJC30 variants in Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and Leigh syndrome challenged the longstanding assumption for LHON to be exclusively maternally inherited and broadened the genetic spectrum of Leigh syndrome, the most frequent paediatric mitochondrial disease. Herein, we characterize 28 so far unreported individuals from 26 families carrying a homozygous DNAJC30 p.Tyr51Cys founder variant, 24 manifesting with LHON, two manifesting with Leigh syndrome, and two remaining asymptomatic. This collection of unreported variant carriers confirms sex-dependent incomplete penetrance of the homozygous variant given a significant male predominance of disease and the report of asymptomatic homozygous variant carriers. The autosomal recessive LHON patients demonstrate an earlier age of disease onset and a higher rate of idebenone-treated and spontaneous recovery of vision in comparison to reported figures for maternally inherited disease. Moreover, the report of two additional patients with childhood- or adult-onset Leigh syndrome further evidences the association of DNAJC30 with Leigh syndrome, previously only reported in a single childhood-onset case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Stenton
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, München, Germany.,Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, München, Germany
| | - Marketa Tesarova
- Department of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Natalia L Sheremet
- Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science "Research Institute of Eye Diseases", Moscow, Russia
| | - Claudia Catarino
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogentica, Bologna, Italy.,Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Elżbieta Ciara
- Department of Medical Genetics, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Kathryn Curry
- Genetics and Metabolic Clinic, St. Luke's Health System, Boise, USA
| | - Martin Engvall
- Centre for Inherited Metabolic Diseases (CMMS), Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Leah R Fleming
- Genetics and Metabolic Clinic, St. Luke's Health System, Boise, USA
| | | | | | - Elżbieta Jurkiewicz
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Baur-Institute, University Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Mary K Koenig
- Center for the Treatment of Pediatric Neurodegenerative Disease, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, USA
| | - Hana Kolářová
- Department of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Bohdan Kousal
- Department of Ophthalmology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Chiara La Morgia
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogentica, Bologna, Italy.,Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Lenka Nosková
- Department of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | | | - Sam N Russo
- Center for the Treatment of Pediatric Neurodegenerative Disease, The University of Texas McGovern Medical School at Houston, Houston, USA
| | - Viktor Stránecký
- Department of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Iveta Tóthová
- Department of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Frank Träisk
- Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology, St Erik Eye Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Holger Prokisch
- Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine, Technische Universität München, München, Germany.,Institute of Neurogenomics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, München, Germany
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46
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Chow-Wing-Bom HT, Callaghan MF, Wang J, Wei S, Dick F, Yu-Wai-Man P, Dekker TM. Neuroimaging in Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy: State-of-the-art and future prospects. Neuroimage Clin 2022; 36:103240. [PMID: 36510411 PMCID: PMC9668671 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is an inherited mitochondrial retinal disease that causes the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and leads to drastic loss of visual function. In the last decades, there has been a growing interest in using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to better understand mechanisms of LHON beyond the retina. This is partially due to the emergence of gene-therapies for retinal diseases, and the accompanying expanded need for reliably quantifying and monitoring visual processing and treatment efficiency in patient populations. This paper aims to draw a current picture of key findings in this field so far, the challenges of using neuroimaging methods in patients with LHON, and important open questions that MRI can help address about LHON disease mechanisms and prognoses, including how downstream visual brain regions are affected by the disease and treatment and why, and how scope for neural plasticity in these pathways may limit or facilitate recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo T Chow-Wing-Bom
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Birkbeck/UCL Centre for NeuroImaging, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Martina F Callaghan
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Junqing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, The Chinese People's Liberation Army Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Shihui Wei
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, The Chinese People's Liberation Army Medical School, Beijing, China
| | - Frederic Dick
- Birkbeck/UCL Centre for NeuroImaging, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, United Kingdom; Department of Experimental Psychology, UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tessa M Dekker
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom; Birkbeck/UCL Centre for NeuroImaging, London, United Kingdom; Department of Experimental Psychology, UCL, London, United Kingdom
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47
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Zeviani M, Carelli V. Mitochondrial Retinopathies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:210. [PMID: 35008635 PMCID: PMC8745158 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The retina is an exquisite target for defects of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) associated with mitochondrial impairment. Retinal involvement occurs in two ways, retinal dystrophy (retinitis pigmentosa) and subacute or chronic optic atrophy, which are the most common clinical entities. Both can present as isolated or virtually exclusive conditions, or as part of more complex, frequently multisystem syndromes. In most cases, mutations of mtDNA have been found in association with mitochondrial retinopathy. The main genetic abnormalities of mtDNA include mutations associated with neurogenic muscle weakness, ataxia and retinitis pigmentosa (NARP) sometimes with earlier onset and increased severity (maternally inherited Leigh syndrome, MILS), single large-scale deletions determining Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS, of which retinal dystrophy is a cardinal symptom), and mutations, particularly in mtDNA-encoded ND genes, associated with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON). However, mutations in nuclear genes can also cause mitochondrial retinopathy, including autosomal recessive phenocopies of LHON, and slowly progressive optic atrophy caused by dominant or, more rarely, recessive, mutations in the fusion/mitochondrial shaping protein OPA1, encoded by a nuclear gene on chromosome 3q29.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Zeviani
- Department of Neurosciences, The Clinical School, University of Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy
- Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Via Orus 2, 35128 Padova, Italy
| | - Valerio Carelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 40139 Bologna, Italy
- Programma di Neurogenetica, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Via Altura 6, 40139 Bologna, Italy
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Calkins DJ, Yu-Wai-Man P, Newman NJ, Taiel M, Singh P, Chalmey C, Rogue A, Carelli V, Ancian P, Sahel JA. Biodistribution of intravitreal lenadogene nolparvovec gene therapy in nonhuman primates. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 23:307-318. [PMID: 34729378 PMCID: PMC8526752 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Lenadogene nolparvovec (Lumevoq) gene therapy was developed to treat Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) caused by the m.11778G > A in MT-ND4 that affects complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Lenadogene nolparvovec is a replication-defective, single-stranded DNA recombinant adeno-associated virus vector 2 serotype 2, containing a codon-optimized complementary DNA encoding the human wild-type MT-ND4 subunit protein. Lenadogene nolparvovec was administered by unilateral intravitreal injection in MT-ND4 LHON patients in two randomized, double-masked, and sham-controlled phase III clinical trials (REVERSE and RESCUE), resulting in bilateral improvement of visual acuity. These and other earlier results suggest that lenadogene nolparvovec may travel from the treated to the untreated eye. To investigate this possibility further, lenadogene nolparvovec was unilaterally injected into the vitreous body of the right eye of healthy, nonhuman primates. Viral vector DNA was quantifiable in all eye and optic nerve tissues of the injected eye and was detected at lower levels in some tissues of the contralateral, noninjected eye, and optic projections, at 3 and 6 months after injection. The results suggest that lenadogene nolparvovec transfers from the injected to the noninjected eye, thus providing a potential explanation for the bilateral improvement of visual function observed in the LHON patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Calkins
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1161 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Patrick Yu-Wai-Man
- Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, UK
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nancy J. Newman
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Magali Taiel
- GenSight Biologics, 74 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, 75012 Paris, France
| | | | | | | | - Valerio Carelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOC Clinica, Neurologica, Bologna, Italy
- Unit of Neurology, Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - José A. Sahel
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
- Fondation Ophtalmologique A. de Rothschild, Paris, France
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire FOReSIGHT, INSERM-DGOS CIC, Paris, France
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49
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Sahel JA, Newman NJ, Yu-Wai-Man P, Vignal-Clermont C, Carelli V, Biousse V, Moster ML, Sergott R, Klopstock T, Sadun AA, Blouin L, Katz B, Taiel M. Gene Therapies for the Treatment of Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy. Int Ophthalmol Clin 2021; 61:195-208. [PMID: 34584057 PMCID: PMC8478322 DOI: 10.1097/iio.0000000000000364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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50
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Shughoury A, Ciulla TA, Bakall B, Pennesi ME, Kiss S, Cunningham ET. Genes and Gene Therapy in Inherited Retinal Disease. Int Ophthalmol Clin 2021; 61:3-45. [PMID: 34584043 DOI: 10.1097/iio.0000000000000377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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