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An Emerging Role for Epigenetics in Cerebral Palsy. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11111187. [PMID: 34834539 PMCID: PMC8625874 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11111187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral palsy is a set of common, severe, motor disabilities categorized by a static, nondegenerative encephalopathy arising in the developing brain and associated with deficits in movement, posture, and activity. Spastic CP, which is the most common type, involves high muscle tone and is associated with altered muscle function including poor muscle growth and contracture, increased extracellular matrix deposition, microanatomic disruption, musculoskeletal deformities, weakness, and difficult movement control. These muscle-related manifestations of CP are major causes of progressive debilitation and frequently require intensive surgical and therapeutic intervention to control. Current clinical approaches involve sophisticated consideration of biomechanics, radiologic assessments, and movement analyses, but outcomes remain difficult to predict. There is a need for more precise and personalized approaches involving omics technologies, data science, and advanced analytics. An improved understanding of muscle involvement in spastic CP is needed. Unfortunately, the fundamental mechanisms and molecular pathways contributing to altered muscle function in spastic CP are only partially understood. In this review, we outline evidence supporting the emerging hypothesis that epigenetic phenomena play significant roles in musculoskeletal manifestations of CP.
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Kiessling E, Nötzli S, Todorova V, Forny M, Baumgartner MR, Samardzija M, Krijt J, Kožich V, Grimm C, Froese DS. Absence of MMACHC in peripheral retinal cells does not lead to an ocular phenotype in mice. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166201. [PMID: 34147638 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Combined methylmalonic aciduria with homocystinuria (cblC type) is a rare disease caused by mutations in the MMACHC gene. MMACHC encodes an enzyme crucial for intracellular vitamin B12 metabolism, leading to the accumulation of toxic metabolites e.g. methylmalonic acid (MMA) and homocysteine (Hcy), and secondary disturbances in folate and one-carbon metabolism when not fully functional. Patients with cblC deficiency often present in the neonatal or early childhood period with a severe multisystem pathology, which comprises a broad spectrum of treatment-resistant ophthalmological phenotypes, including retinal degeneration, impaired vision, and vascular changes. To examine the potential function of MMACHC in the retina and how its loss may impact disease, we performed gene expression studies in human and mouse, which showed that local expression of MMACHC in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium is relatively stable over time. To study whether functional MMACHC is required for retinal function and tissue integrity, we generated a transgenic mouse lacking Mmachc expression in cells of the peripheral retina. Characterization of this mouse revealed accumulation of cblC disease related metabolites, including MMA and the folate-dependent purine synthesis intermediates AICA-riboside and SAICA-riboside in the retina. Nevertheless, fundus appearance, morphology, vasculature, and cellular composition of the retina, as well as ocular function, remained normal in mice up to 6 or 12 months of age. Our data indicates that peripheral retinal neurons do not require intrinsic expression of Mmachc for survival and function and questions whether a local MMACHC deficiency is responsible for the retinal phenotypes in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Kiessling
- Lab for Retinal Cell Biology, Dept. Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Nötzli
- Lab for Retinal Cell Biology, Dept. Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Vyara Todorova
- Lab for Retinal Cell Biology, Dept. Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Merima Forny
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias R Baumgartner
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Marijana Samardzija
- Lab for Retinal Cell Biology, Dept. Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jakub Krijt
- Dept. of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, Charles University-First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Viktor Kožich
- Dept. of Pediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, Charles University-First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Christian Grimm
- Lab for Retinal Cell Biology, Dept. Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - D Sean Froese
- Division of Metabolism and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Switzerland.
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Abstract
Cerebral palsy (CP), defined as a group of nonprogressive disorders of movement and posture, is the most common cause of severe neurodisability in children. The prevalence of CP is the same across the globe, affecting approximately 17 million people worldwide. Cerebral Palsy is an umbrella term used to describe the disease due to its inherent heterogeneity. For instance, CP has multiple (1) causes; (2) clinical types; (3) patterns of neuropathology on brain imaging and (4) it's associated with several developmental pathologies such as intellectual disability, autism, epilepsy, and visual impairment. Understanding its physiopathology is crucial to developing protective strategies. Despite its importance, there is still insufficient progress in the areas of CP prediction, early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Herein we describe the current risk factors and biomarkers used for the diagnosis and prediction of CP. With the advancement in biomarker discovery, we predict that our understanding of the etiopathophysiology of CP will also increase, lending to more opportunities for developing novel treatments and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep Alpay Savasan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine Division, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, MI, United States; Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, MI, United States.
| | - Sun Kwon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine Division, Beaumont Health System, Royal Oak, MI, United States; Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, MI, United States
| | - Kyung Joon Oh
- Beaumont Research Institute, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, MI, United States; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea
| | - Stewart F Graham
- Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, MI, United States; Beaumont Research Institute, Beaumont Health, Royal Oak, MI, United States
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von Walden F, Fernandez-Gonzalo R, Pingel J, McCarthy J, Stål P, Pontén E. Epigenetic Marks at the Ribosomal DNA Promoter in Skeletal Muscle Are Negatively Associated With Degree of Impairment in Cerebral Palsy. Front Pediatr 2020; 8:236. [PMID: 32582584 PMCID: PMC7283884 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor impairment in children. Skeletal muscles in individuals with CP are typically weak, thin, and stiff. Whether epigenetic changes at the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) promoter are involved in this dysregulation remains unknown. Methods: Skeletal muscle samples were collected from 19 children with CP and 10 typically developed (TD) control children. Methylation of the rDNA promoter was analyzed using the Agena Epityper Mass array and gene expression by qRT-PCR. Results: Biceps brachii muscle ribosome biogenesis was suppressed in CP as compared to TD. Average methylation of the rDNA promoter was not different between CP and TD but negatively correlated to elbow flexor contracture in the CP group. Discussions: We observed a negative correlation between rDNA promoter methylation and degree of muscle contracture in the CP group. Children with CP with more severe motor impairment had less methylation of the rDNA promoter compared to less affected children. This finding suggests the importance of neural input and voluntary muscle movements for promoter methylation to occur in the biceps muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand von Walden
- Division of Pediatric Neurology/Orthopedics/Rheumatology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.,Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalo
- Division of Clinical Physiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and Unit of Clinical Physiology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jessica Pingel
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - John McCarthy
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States.,Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
| | - Per Stål
- Laboratory of Muscle Biology, Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Eva Pontén
- Division of Pediatric Neurology/Orthopedics/Rheumatology, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Deep Learning/Artificial Intelligence and Blood-Based DNA Epigenomic Prediction of Cerebral Palsy. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20092075. [PMID: 31035542 PMCID: PMC6539236 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20092075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The etiology of cerebral palsy (CP) is complex and remains inadequately understood. Early detection of CP is an important clinical objective as this improves long term outcomes. We performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis to identify epigenomic predictors of CP in newborns and to investigate disease pathogenesis. Methylation analysis of newborn blood DNA using an Illumina HumanMethylation450K array was performed in 23 CP cases and 21 unaffected controls. There were 230 significantly differentially-methylated CpG loci in 258 genes. Each locus had at least 2.0-fold change in methylation in CP versus controls with a FDR p-value ≤ 0.05. Methylation level for each CpG locus had an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) ≥ 0.75 for CP detection. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms/Machine Learning (ML) analysis, CpG methylation levels in a combination of 230 significantly differentially-methylated CpG loci in 258 genes had a 95% sensitivity and 94.4% specificity for newborn prediction of CP. Using pathway analysis, multiple canonical pathways plausibly linked to neuronal function were over-represented. Altered biological processes and functions included: neuromotor damage, malformation of major brain structures, brain growth, neuroprotection, neuronal development and de-differentiation, and cranial sensory neuron development. In conclusion, blood leucocyte epigenetic changes analyzed using AI/ML techniques appeared to accurately predict CP and provided plausible mechanistic information on CP pathogenesis.
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Alpay Savasan Z, Yilmaz A, Ugur Z, Aydas B, Bahado-Singh RO, Graham SF. Metabolomic Profiling of Cerebral Palsy Brain Tissue Reveals Novel Central Biomarkers and Biochemical Pathways Associated with the Disease: A Pilot Study. Metabolites 2019; 9:metabo9020027. [PMID: 30717353 PMCID: PMC6409919 DOI: 10.3390/metabo9020027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common causes of motor disability in childhood, with complex and heterogeneous etiopathophysiology and clinical presentation. Understanding the metabolic processes associated with the disease may aid in the discovery of preventive measures and therapy. Tissue samples (caudate nucleus) were obtained from post-mortem CP cases (n = 9) and age- and gender-matched control subjects (n = 11). We employed a targeted metabolomics approach using both 1H NMR and direct injection liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (DI/LC-MS/MS). We accurately identified and quantified 55 metabolites using 1H NMR and 186 using DI/LC-MS/MS. Among the 222 detected metabolites, 27 showed significant concentration changes between CP cases and controls. Glycerophospholipids and urea were the most commonly selected metabolites used to develop predictive models capable of discriminating between CP and controls. Metabolomics enrichment analysis identified folate, propanoate, and androgen/estrogen metabolism as the top three significantly perturbed pathways. We report for the first time the metabolomic profiling of post-mortem brain tissue from patients who died from cerebral palsy. These findings could help to further investigate the complex etiopathophysiology of CP while identifying predictive, central biomarkers of CP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynep Alpay Savasan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine Division, Beaumont Health System, 3811 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA.
- Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Beaumont Health, 3811 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA.
| | - Ali Yilmaz
- Beaumont Research Institute, Beaumont Health, 3811 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA.
| | - Zafer Ugur
- Beaumont Research Institute, Beaumont Health, 3811 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA.
| | - Buket Aydas
- Departments of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, Albion College, 611 E. Porter St., Albion, MI 49224, USA.
| | - Ray O Bahado-Singh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal Fetal Medicine Division, Beaumont Health System, 3811 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA.
- Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Beaumont Health, 3811 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA.
| | - Stewart F Graham
- Oakland University-William Beaumont School of Medicine, Beaumont Health, 3811 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA.
- Beaumont Research Institute, Beaumont Health, 3811 W. 13 Mile Road, Royal Oak, MI 48073, USA.
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Glick NR, Fischer MH. Potential Benefits of Ameliorating Metabolic and Nutritional Abnormalities in People With Profound Developmental Disabilities. Nutr Metab Insights 2017; 10:1178638817716457. [PMID: 35185339 PMCID: PMC8855413 DOI: 10.1177/1178638817716457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: People with profound developmental disabilities have some of the most severe neurological impairments seen in society, have accelerated mortality due to huge medical challenges, and yet are often excluded from scientific studies. They actually have at least 2 layers of conditions: (1) the original disability and (2) multiple under-recognized and underexplored metabolic and nutritional imbalances involving minerals (calcium, zinc, and selenium), amino acids (taurine, tryptophan), fatty acids (linoleic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, adrenic acid, Mead acid, plasmalogens), carnitine, hormones (insulinlike growth factor 1), measures of oxidative stress, and likely other substances and systems. Summary: This review provides the first list of metabolic and nutritional abnormalities commonly found in people with profound developmental disabilities and, based on the quality of life effects of similar abnormalities in neurotypical people, indicates the potential effects of these abnormalities in this population which often cannot communicate symptoms. Key messages: We propose that improved understanding and management of these disturbed mechanisms would enhance the quality of life of people with profound developmental disabilities. Such insights may also apply to people with other conditions associated with disability, including some diseases requiring stem cell implantation and living in microgravity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norris R Glick
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Milton H Fischer
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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