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Saini AK, Anil N, Vijay AN, Mangla B, Javed S, Kumar P, Ahsan W. Recent Advances in the Treatment Strategies of Friedreich's Ataxia: A Review of Potential Drug Candidates and their Underlying Mechanisms. Curr Pharm Des 2024; 30:1472-1489. [PMID: 38638052 DOI: 10.2174/0113816128288707240404051856] [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: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA) is a rare hereditary neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive ataxia, cardiomyopathy, and diabetes. The disease is caused by a deficiency of frataxin, a mitochondrial protein involved in iron-sulfur cluster synthesis and iron metabolism. OBJECTIVE This review aims to summarize recent advances in the development of treatment strategies for FRDA, with a focus on potential drug candidates and their mechanisms of action. METHODS A comprehensive literature search was conducted using various authentic scientific databases to identify studies published in the last decade that investigated potential treatment strategies for FRDA. The search terms used included "Friedreich's ataxia", "treatment", "drug candidates", and "mechanisms of action". RESULTS To date, only one drug got approval from US-FDA in the year 2023; however, significant developments were achieved in FRDA-related research focusing on diverse therapeutic interventions that could potentially alleviate the symptoms of this disease. Several promising drug candidates have been identified for the treatment of FRDA, which target various aspects of frataxin deficiency and aim to restore frataxin levels, reduce oxidative stress, and improve mitochondrial function. Clinical trials have shown varying degrees of success, with some drugs demonstrating significant improvements in neurological function and quality of life in FRDA patients. CONCLUSION While there has been significant progress in the development of treatment strategies for FRDA, further research is needed to optimize these approaches and identify the most effective and safe treatment options for patients. The integration of multiple therapeutic strategies may be necessary to achieve the best outcomes in FRDA management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aman Kumar Saini
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Neha Anil
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Ardra N Vijay
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Bharti Mangla
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Shamama Javed
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, P. Box No. 114, Saudi Arabia
| | - Pankaj Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), New Delhi 110017, India
| | - Waquar Ahsan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Jazan University, Jazan, P. Box No. 114, Saudi Arabia
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2
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Lin SJ, Vona B, Lau T, Huang K, Zaki MS, Aldeen HS, Karimiani EG, Rocca C, Noureldeen MM, Saad AK, Petree C, Bartolomaeus T, Abou Jamra R, Zifarelli G, Gotkhindikar A, Wentzensen IM, Liao M, Cork EE, Varshney P, Hashemi N, Mohammadi MH, Rad A, Neira J, Toosi MB, Knopp C, Kurth I, Challman TD, Smith R, Abdalla A, Haaf T, Suri M, Joshi M, Chung WK, Moreno-De-Luca A, Houlden H, Maroofian R, Varshney GK. Evaluating the association of biallelic OGDHL variants with significant phenotypic heterogeneity. Genome Med 2023; 15:102. [PMID: 38031187 PMCID: PMC10688095 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01258-4] [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: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biallelic variants in OGDHL, encoding part of the α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, have been associated with highly heterogeneous neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the validity of this association remains to be confirmed. A second OGDHL patient cohort was recruited to carefully assess the gene-disease relationship. METHODS Using an unbiased genotype-first approach, we screened large, multiethnic aggregated sequencing datasets worldwide for biallelic OGDHL variants. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate zebrafish knockouts of ogdhl, ogdh paralogs, and dhtkd1 to investigate functional relationships and impact during development. Functional complementation with patient variant transcripts was conducted to systematically assess protein functionality as a readout for pathogenicity. RESULTS A cohort of 14 individuals from 12 unrelated families exhibited highly variable clinical phenotypes, with the majority of them presenting at least one additional variant, potentially accounting for a blended phenotype and complicating phenotypic understanding. We also uncovered extreme clinical heterogeneity and high allele frequencies, occasionally incompatible with a fully penetrant recessive disorder. Human cDNA of previously described and new variants were tested in an ogdhl zebrafish knockout model, adding functional evidence for variant reclassification. We disclosed evidence of hypomorphic alleles as well as a loss-of-function variant without deleterious effects in zebrafish variant testing also showing discordant familial segregation, challenging the relationship of OGDHL as a conventional Mendelian gene. Going further, we uncovered evidence for a complex compensatory relationship among OGDH, OGDHL, and DHTKD1 isoenzymes that are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and exhibit complex transcriptional compensation patterns with partial functional redundancy. CONCLUSIONS Based on the results of genetic, clinical, and functional studies, we formed three hypotheses in which to frame observations: biallelic OGDHL variants lead to a highly variable monogenic disorder, variants in OGDHL are following a complex pattern of inheritance, or they may not be causative at all. Our study further highlights the continuing challenges of assessing the validity of reported disease-gene associations and effects of variants identified in these genes. This is particularly more complicated in making genetic diagnoses based on identification of variants in genes presenting a highly heterogenous phenotype such as "OGDHL-related disorders".
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng-Jia Lin
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Barbara Vona
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Center, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Tracy Lau
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Kevin Huang
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Maha S Zaki
- Clinical Genetics Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Huda Shujaa Aldeen
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ehsan Ghayoor Karimiani
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St. George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace London, London, UK
| | - Clarissa Rocca
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Mahmoud M Noureldeen
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Ahmed K Saad
- Medical Molecular Genetics Department, Human Genetics and Genome Research Institute, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Cassidy Petree
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Tobias Bartolomaeus
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rami Abou Jamra
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | - Emalyn Elise Cork
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pratishtha Varshney
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Narges Hashemi
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | - Aboulfazl Rad
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Center, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, 72076, Germany
| | - Juanita Neira
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Mehran Beiraghi Toosi
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Cordula Knopp
- Institute for Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, Aachen, 52074, Germany
| | - Ingo Kurth
- Institute for Human Genetics and Genomic Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, Aachen, 52074, Germany
| | - Thomas D Challman
- Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger, Lewisburg, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca Smith
- Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger, Lewisburg, PA, USA
| | - Asmahan Abdalla
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Gaafar Ibn Auf Children's Tertiary Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Thomas Haaf
- Institute of Human Genetics, Julius Maximilians University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Mohnish Suri
- Nottingham Clinical Genetics Service, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Manali Joshi
- Bioinformatics Centre, S. P. Pune University, Pune, India
| | - Wendy K Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospitaland, Harvard Medical School , Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andres Moreno-De-Luca
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Gaurav K Varshney
- Genes & Human Disease Research Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA.
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Mann RH. Impaired Thiamine Metabolism in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Its Potential Treatment With Benfotiamine: A Case Report and a Review of the Literature. Cureus 2023; 15:e40511. [PMID: 37333039 PMCID: PMC10274516 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.40511] [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] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Homogenates of brain tissue from the frontal cortex at autopsy in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) showed dramatically reduced levels of the enzyme thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase), the enzyme responsible for the conversion of thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) to thiamine monophosphate (TMP). Additionally, free thiamine (vitamin B1) and TMP levels have been shown to be significantly reduced in the plasma and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of patients with ALS. These findings suggest that there is impaired thiamine metabolism in patients with ALS. Impaired thiamine metabolism decreases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and is a well-established cause of neurodegeneration. Decreased levels of TPPase, resulting in decreased levels of TMP in the cells of the frontal cortex, might account for the focal neurodegenerative changes observed in motor neurons in ALS. Benfotiamine, a safe, lipid-soluble, highly absorbable thiamine analogue, significantly raises free thiamine, TMP, and TPP levels in the blood. A case in which benfotiamine may have positively impacted the symptoms of a patient with ALS is presented. The use of benfotiamine in patients with ALS appears to be a promising therapeutic option. Considering the severity and the lack of satisfactory treatment options associated with this disease, more research on the effects of benfotiamine on the course of ALS is urgently needed.
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Rufini A, Malisan F, Condò I, Testi R. Drug Repositioning in Friedreich Ataxia. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:814445. [PMID: 35221903 PMCID: PMC8863941 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.814445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Friedreich ataxia is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by insufficient levels of the essential mitochondrial protein frataxin. It is a severely debilitating disease that significantly impacts the quality of life of affected patients and reduces their life expectancy, however, an adequate cure is not yet available for patients. Frataxin function, although not thoroughly elucidated, is associated with assembly of iron-sulfur cluster and iron metabolism, therefore insufficient frataxin levels lead to reduced activity of many mitochondrial enzymes involved in the electron transport chain, impaired mitochondrial metabolism, reduced ATP production and inefficient anti-oxidant response. As a consequence, neurons progressively die and patients progressively lose their ability to coordinate movement and perform daily activities. Therapeutic strategies aim at restoring sufficient frataxin levels or at correcting some of the downstream consequences of frataxin deficiency. However, the classical pathways of drug discovery are challenging, require a significant amount of resources and time to reach the final approval, and present a high failure rate. Drug repositioning represents a viable alternative to boost the identification of a therapy, particularly for rare diseases where resources are often limited. In this review we will describe recent efforts aimed at the identification of a therapy for Friedreich ataxia through drug repositioning, and discuss the limitation of such strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Rufini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Fratagene Therapeutics, Rome, Italy
- Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Alessandra Rufini,
| | - Florence Malisan
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Ivano Condò
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Testi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- Fratagene Therapeutics, Rome, Italy
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Increasing Inhibition of the Rat Brain 2-Oxoglutarate Dehydrogenase Decreases Glutathione Redox State, Elevating Anxiety and Perturbing Stress Adaptation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020182. [PMID: 35215295 PMCID: PMC8875720 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Specific inhibitors of mitochondrial 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase (OGDH) are administered to animals to model the downregulation of the enzyme as observed in neurodegenerative diseases. Comparison of the effects of succinyl phosphonate (SP, 0.02 mmol/kg) and its uncharged precursor, triethyl succinyl phosphonate (TESP, 0.02 and 0.1 mmol/kg) reveals a biphasic response of the rat brain metabolism and physiology to increasing perturbation of OGDH function. At the low (TE)SP dose, glutamate, NAD+, and the activities of dehydrogenases of 2-oxoglutarate and malate increase, followed by their decreases at the high TESP dose. The complementary changes, i.e., an initial decrease followed by growth, are demonstrated by activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase and glutamine synthetase, and levels of oxidized glutathione and citrulline. While most of these indicators return to control levels at the high TESP dose, OGDH activity decreases and oxidized glutathione increases, compared to their control values. The first phase of metabolic perturbations does not cause significant physiological changes, but in the second phase, the ECG parameters and behavior reveal decreased adaptability and increased anxiety. Thus, lower levels of OGDH inhibition are compensated by the rearranged metabolic network, while the increased levels induce a metabolic switch to a lower redox state of the brain, associated with elevated stress of the animals.
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6
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Mastroianno S, Germano M, Maggio A, Massaro R, Potenza DR, Russo A, Carella M, Di Stolfo G. Electrocardiogram in Friedreich's ataxia: A short-term surrogate endpoint for treatment efficacy. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2020; 26:e12813. [PMID: 33151022 PMCID: PMC8293611 DOI: 10.1111/anec.12813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Friedreich's ataxia is a rare degenerative neuromuscular disorder, caused by a homozygous GAA triplet repeat expansion in the frataxin (FXN) gene, with a broad clinical phenotype characterized by progressive gait and limb ataxia, dysarthria, and loss of lower limb reflexes; cardiac involvement is represented by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac deaths. Currently, no definite therapy is available, while many drugs are under investigation; for this reasons, we need markers of short‐ and long‐term treatment efficacy acting on different tissue for trial evaluation. We describe the case of a 21‐year‐old patient affected by Friedreich's ataxia on wheel‐chair, with initial cardiac involvement and electrocardiographic features characterized by thiamine treatment‐related negative T wave and QTc variations. We discuss plausible physiopathology and potential ECG role implications as an intermediate marker of treatment response in future clinical trials considering patients affected by Friedreich's ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Mastroianno
- Cardiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Michele Germano
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Angela Maggio
- Paediatric Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Raimondo Massaro
- Cardiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | | | - Aldo Russo
- Cardiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Massimo Carella
- Medical Genetic Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Di Stolfo
- Cardiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
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Aleshin VA, Mkrtchyan GV, Bunik VI. Mechanisms of Non-coenzyme Action of Thiamine: Protein Targets and Medical Significance. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2019; 84:829-850. [PMID: 31522667 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297919080017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Thiamine (vitamin B1) is a precursor of the well-known coenzyme of central metabolic pathways thiamine diphosphate (ThDP). Highly intense glucose oxidation in the brain requires ThDP-dependent enzymes, which determines the critical significance of thiamine for neuronal functions. However, thiamine can also act through the non-coenzyme mechanisms. The well-known facilitation of acetylcholinergic neurotransmission upon the thiamine and acetylcholine co-release into the synaptic cleft has been supported by the discovery of thiamine triphosphate (ThTP)-dependent phosphorylation of the acetylcholine receptor-associated protein rapsyn, and thiamine interaction with the TAS2R1 receptor, resulting in the activation of synaptic ion currents. The non-coenzyme regulatory binding of thiamine compounds has been demonstrated for the transcriptional regulator p53, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, prion protein PRNP, and a number of key metabolic enzymes that do not use ThDP as a coenzyme. The accumulated data indicate that the molecular mechanisms of the neurotropic action of thiamine are far broader than it has been originally believed, and closely linked to the metabolism of thiamine and its derivatives in animals. The significance of this topic has been illustrated by the recently established competition between thiamine and the antidiabetic drug metformin for common transporters, which can be the reason for the thiamine deficiency underlying metformin side effects. Here, we also discuss the medical implications of the research on thiamine, including the role of thiaminases in thiamine reutilization and biosynthesis of thiamine antagonists; molecular mechanisms of action of natural and synthetic thiamine antagonists, and biotransformation of pharmacological forms of thiamine. Given the wide medical application of thiamine and its synthetic forms, these aspects are of high importance for medicine and pharmacology, including the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A Aleshin
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow, 119991, Russia.,Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 19991 Moscow, Russia
| | - G V Mkrtchyan
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow, 119991, Russia
| | - V I Bunik
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Moscow, 119991, Russia. .,Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 19991 Moscow, Russia
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8
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Oral High-Dose Thiamine Improves the Symptoms of Chronic Cluster Headache. Case Rep Neurol Med 2018; 2018:3901619. [PMID: 29850313 PMCID: PMC5932500 DOI: 10.1155/2018/3901619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 02/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cluster headache is a rare painful primary disorder occurring in either episodic or chronic patterns. Several authors found that the hypothalamus, the brain region regulating endocrine function and autonomic system, is involved in the pathophysiology of cluster headache. Some authors have found in patients affected by this disease abnormality in glucose metabolism. Considering the role of thiamine in brain function, in energetic metabolism, and in pain modulation, we treated a patient affected by cluster headache with oral high-dose thiamine. We report a 41-year-old man suffering from primary chronic cluster headache since the age of 15 years. The patient began oral therapy with high-dose thiamine in December 2016. Oral thiamine supplementation led to a dramatic improvement of the symptoms. The therapy was effective in reversing all the symptoms of the disease. Our observation suggests that a thiamine deficiency due to enzymatic abnormalities or to dysfunction of the circulation of thiamine in the intracellular space could cause a neuronal selective impairment in the centers that are involved in this disease and could have an important role in the pathogenesis of the symptoms of cluster headache.
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9
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Costantini A, Laureti T, Pala MI, Colangeli M, Cavalieri S, Pozzi E, Brusco A, Salvarani S, Serrati C, Fancellu R. Long-term treatment with thiamine as possible medical therapy for Friedreich ataxia. J Neurol 2016; 263:2170-2178. [PMID: 27488863 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-016-8244-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Thiamine (vitamin B1) is a cofactor of fundamental enzymes of cell energetic metabolism; its deficiency causes disorders affecting both the peripheral and central nervous system. Previous studies reported low thiamine levels in cerebrospinal fluid and pyruvate dehydrogenase dysfunction in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). We investigated the effect of long-term treatment with thiamine in FRDA, evaluating changes in neurological symptoms, echocardiographic parameters, and plasma FXN mRNA levels. Thirty-four consecutive FRDA patients have been continuously treated with intramuscular thiamine 100 mg twice a week and have been assessed with the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) at baseline, after 1 month, and then every 3 months during treatment. Thiamine administration ranged from 80 to 930 days and was effective in improving total SARA scores from 26.6 ± 7.7 to 21.5 ± 6.2 (p < 0.02). Moreover, deep tendon reflexes reappeared in 57 % of patients with areflexia at baseline, and swallowing improved in 63 % of dysphagic patients. Clinical improvement was stable in all patients, who did not show worsening even after 2 years of treatment. In a subgroup of 13 patients who performed echocardiogram before and during treatment, interventricular septum thickness reduced significantly (p < 0.02). Frataxin mRNA blood levels were modestly increased in one-half of treated patients. We suppose that a focal thiamine deficiency may contribute to a selective neuronal damage in the areas involved in FRDA. Further studies are mandatory to evaluate thiamine role on FXN regulation, to exclude placebo effect, to verify our clinical results, and to confirm restorative and neuroprotective action of thiamine in FRDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Costantini
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, "Villa Immacolata" Clinic, Strada Sammartinese 65A, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Tiziana Laureti
- Department of Economics and Management, University of Tuscia, Via del Paradiso 47, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Maria Immacolata Pala
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, "Villa Immacolata" Clinic, Strada Sammartinese 65A, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Marco Colangeli
- University Studies Abroad Consortium, University of Tuscia, Via Santa Maria in Gradi 4, 01100, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Simona Cavalieri
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Elisa Pozzi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Alfredo Brusco
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, 10126, Turin, Italy.,Medical Genetics Unit, Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - Sandro Salvarani
- Unit of Neurology, ASL3 Villa Scassi Hospital, Corso O. Scassi 1, 16149, Genoa, Italy
| | - Carlo Serrati
- Unit of Neurology, IRCCS San Martino University Hospital IST, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberto Fancellu
- Unit of Neurology, ASL3 Villa Scassi Hospital, Corso O. Scassi 1, 16149, Genoa, Italy. .,Unit of Neurology, IRCCS San Martino University Hospital IST, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
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10
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Faggianelli N, Puglisi R, Veneziano L, Romano S, Frontali M, Vannocci T, Fortuni S, Testi R, Pastore A. Analyzing the Effects of a G137V Mutation in the FXN Gene. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:66. [PMID: 26635519 PMCID: PMC4658817 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced levels of frataxin, an essential mitochondrial protein involved in the regulation of iron-sulfur cluster biogenesis, are responsible for the recessive neurodegenerative Friedreich Ataxia (FRDA). Expansion of a GAA triplet in the first intron of the FRDA is essential for disease development which causes partial silencing of frataxin. In the vast majority of cases, patients are homozygotes for the expansion, but a small number of FRDA patients are heterozygotes for expansion and point mutations in the frataxin coding frame. In this study, we analyze the effects of a point mutation G137V. The patient P94–2, with a history of alcohol and drug abuse, showed a FRDA onset at the border between the classic and late onset phenotype. We applied a combination of biophysical and biochemical methods to characterize its effects on the structure, folding and activity of frataxin. Our study reveals no impairment of the structure or activity of the protein but a reduced folding stability. We suggest that the mutation causes misfolding of the native chain with consequent reduction of the protein concentration in the patient and discuss the possible mechanism of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Faggianelli
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Institute, King's College London London, UK
| | - Rita Puglisi
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Institute, King's College London London, UK
| | | | - Silvia Romano
- Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome La Sapienza Rome, Italy
| | | | - Tommaso Vannocci
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Institute, King's College London London, UK
| | - Silvia Fortuni
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata" Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Testi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome "Tor Vergata" Rome, Italy
| | - Annalisa Pastore
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Institute, King's College London London, UK
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