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Escobar-Huertas JF, Vaca-González JJ, Guevara JM, Ramirez-Martinez AM, Trabelsi O, Garzón-Alvarado DA. Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy: Cellular mechanisms, image analysis, and computational models: A review. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken) 2024; 81:269-286. [PMID: 38224155 DOI: 10.1002/cm.21826] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The muscle is the principal tissue that is capable to transform potential energy into kinetic energy. This process is due to the transformation of chemical energy into mechanical energy to enhance the movements and all the daily activities. However, muscular tissues can be affected by some pathologies associated with genetic alterations that affect the expression of proteins. As the muscle is a highly organized structure in which most of the signaling pathways and proteins are related to one another, pathologies may overlap. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is one of the most severe muscle pathologies triggering degeneration and muscle necrosis. Several mathematical models have been developed to predict muscle response to different scenarios and pathologies. The aim of this review is to describe DMD and Becker muscular dystrophy in terms of cellular behavior and molecular disorders and to present an overview of the computational models implemented to understand muscle behavior with the aim of improving regenerative therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Escobar-Huertas
- Numerical Methods and Modeling Research Group (GNUM), Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, CNRS, Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Centre de Recherche Royallieu, Compiègne Cedex, France
| | - Juan Jairo Vaca-González
- Escuela de pregrado, Dirección Académica, Vicerrectoría de Sede, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede la Paz, Cesar, Colombia
| | - Johana María Guevara
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Olfa Trabelsi
- Université de technologie de Compiègne, CNRS, Biomechanics and Bioengineering, Centre de Recherche Royallieu, Compiègne Cedex, France
| | - D A Garzón-Alvarado
- Numerical Methods and Modeling Research Group (GNUM), Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
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2
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Molinaro M, Torrente Y, Villa C, Farini A. Advancing Biomarker Discovery and Therapeutic Targets in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: A Comprehensive Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:631. [PMID: 38203802 PMCID: PMC10778889 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010631] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence underscores the intricate interplay between the immune system and skeletal muscles in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), as well as during regular muscle regeneration. While immune cell infiltration into skeletal muscles stands out as a prominent feature in the disease pathophysiology, a myriad of secondary defects involving metabolic and inflammatory pathways persist, with the key players yet to be fully elucidated. Steroids, currently the sole effective therapy for delaying onset and symptom control, come with adverse side effects, limiting their widespread use. Preliminary evidence spotlighting the distinctive features of T cell profiling in DMD prompts the immuno-characterization of circulating cells. A molecular analysis of their transcriptome and secretome holds the promise of identifying a subpopulation of cells suitable as disease biomarkers. Furthermore, it provides a gateway to unraveling new pathological pathways and pinpointing potential therapeutic targets. Simultaneously, the last decade has witnessed the emergence of novel approaches. The development and equilibrium of both innate and adaptive immune systems are intricately linked to the gut microbiota. Modulating microbiota-derived metabolites could potentially exacerbate muscle damage through immune system activation. Concurrently, genome sequencing has conferred clinical utility for rare disease diagnosis since innovative methodologies have been deployed to interpret the functional consequences of genomic variations. Despite numerous genes falling short as clinical targets for MD, the exploration of Tdark genes holds promise for unearthing novel and uncharted therapeutic insights. In the quest to expedite the translation of fundamental knowledge into clinical applications, the identification of novel biomarkers and disease targets is paramount. This initiative not only advances our understanding but also paves the way for the design of innovative therapeutic strategies, contributing to enhanced care for individuals grappling with these incapacitating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Molinaro
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.M.); (Y.T.)
| | - Yvan Torrente
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.M.); (Y.T.)
- Stem Cell Laboratory, Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20100 Milan, Italy;
| | - Chiara Villa
- Stem Cell Laboratory, Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20100 Milan, Italy;
| | - Andrea Farini
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy; (M.M.); (Y.T.)
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Dowling P, Swandulla D, Ohlendieck K. Cellular pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: progressive myofibre degeneration, chronic inflammation, reactive myofibrosis and satellite cell dysfunction. Eur J Transl Myol 2023; 33:11856. [PMID: 37846661 PMCID: PMC10811648 DOI: 10.4081/ejtm.2023.11856] [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: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a highly progressive muscle wasting disease of early childhood and characterized by complex pathophysiological and histopathological changes in the voluntary contractile system, including myonecrosis, chronic inflammation, fat substitution and reactive myofibrosis. The continued loss of functional myofibres and replacement with non-contractile cells, as well as extensive tissue scarring and decline in tissue elasticity, leads to severe skeletal muscle weakness. In addition, dystrophic muscles exhibit a greatly diminished regenerative capacity to counteract the ongoing process of fibre degeneration. In normal muscle tissues, an abundant stem cell pool consisting of satellite cells that are localized between the sarcolemma and basal lamina, provides a rich source for the production of activated myogenic progenitor cells that are involved in efficient myofibre repair and tissue regeneration. Interestingly, the self-renewal of satellite cells for maintaining an essential pool of stem cells in matured skeletal muscles is increased in dystrophin-deficient fibres. However, satellite cell hyperplasia does not result in efficient recovery of dystrophic muscles due to impaired asymmetric cell divisions. The lack of expression of the full-length dystrophin isoform Dp427-M, which is due to primary defects in the DMD gene, appears to affect key regulators of satellite cell polarity causing a reduced differentiation of myogenic progenitors, which are essential for myofibre regeneration. This review outlines the complexity of dystrophinopathy and describes the importance of the pathophysiological role of satellite cell dysfunction. A brief discussion of the bioanalytical usefulness of single cell proteomics for future studies of satellite cell biology is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dowling
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland; Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
| | - Dieter Swandulla
- Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn.
| | - Kay Ohlendieck
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland; Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.
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Wilton-Clark H, Yokota T. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated exon skipping as a cardioprotective strategy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 30:500-501. [PMID: 37693945 PMCID: PMC10491811 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Harry Wilton-Clark
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Dowling P, Gargan S, Zweyer M, Swandulla D, Ohlendieck K. Extracellular Matrix Proteomics: The mdx-4cv Mouse Diaphragm as a Surrogate for Studying Myofibrosis in Dystrophinopathy. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1108. [PMID: 37509144 PMCID: PMC10377647 DOI: 10.3390/biom13071108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The progressive degeneration of the skeletal musculature in Duchenne muscular dystrophy is accompanied by reactive myofibrosis, fat substitution, and chronic inflammation. Fibrotic changes and reduced tissue elasticity correlate with the loss in motor function in this X-chromosomal disorder. Thus, although dystrophinopathies are due to primary abnormalities in the DMD gene causing the almost-complete absence of the cytoskeletal Dp427-M isoform of dystrophin in voluntary muscles, the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins presents a key histopathological hallmark of muscular dystrophy. Animal model research has been instrumental in the characterization of dystrophic muscles and has contributed to a better understanding of the complex pathogenesis of dystrophinopathies, the discovery of new disease biomarkers, and the testing of novel therapeutic strategies. In this article, we review how mass-spectrometry-based proteomics can be used to study changes in key components of the endomysium, perimysium, and epimysium, such as collagens, proteoglycans, matricellular proteins, and adhesion receptors. The mdx-4cv mouse diaphragm displays severe myofibrosis, making it an ideal model system for large-scale surveys of systematic alterations in the matrisome of dystrophic fibers. Novel biomarkers of myofibrosis can now be tested for their appropriateness in the preclinical and clinical setting as diagnostic, pharmacodynamic, prognostic, and/or therapeutic monitoring indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dowling
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23 F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23 F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Stephen Gargan
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23 F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23 F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Margit Zweyer
- Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Bonn, D53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Dieter Swandulla
- Institute of Physiology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, D53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kay Ohlendieck
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23 F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23 F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
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Codina A, Roldán M, Natera-de Benito D, Ortez C, Planas R, Matalonga L, Cuadras D, Carrera L, Exposito J, Marquez J, Jimenez-Mallebrera C, M. Porta J, Nascimento A, Jou C. Innovative Computerized Dystrophin Quantification Method Based on Spectral Confocal Microscopy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24076358. [PMID: 37047330 PMCID: PMC10094132 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Several clinical trials are working on drug development for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD and BMD) treatment, and, since the expected increase in dystrophin is relatively subtle, high-sensitivity quantification methods are necessary. There is also a need to quantify dystrophin to reach a definitive diagnosis in individuals with mild BMD, and in female carriers. We developed a method for the quantification of dystrophin in DMD and BMD patients using spectral confocal microscopy. It offers the possibility to capture the whole emission spectrum for any antibody, ensuring the selection of the emission peak and allowing the detection of fluorescent emissions of very low intensities. Fluorescence was evaluated first on manually selected regions of interest (ROIs), proving the usefulness of the methodology. Later, ROI selection was automated to make it operator-independent. The proposed methodology correctly classified patients according to their diagnosis, detected even minimal traces of dystrophin, and the results obtained automatically were statistically comparable to the manual ones. Thus, spectral imaging could be implemented to measure dystrophin expression and it could pave the way for detailed analysis of how its expression relates to the clinical course. Studies could be further expanded to better understand the expression of dystrophin-associated protein complexes (DAPCs).
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Recent Trends in Antisense Therapies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15030778. [PMID: 36986639 PMCID: PMC10054484 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15030778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a debilitating and fatal genetic disease affecting 1/5000 boys globally, characterized by progressive muscle breakdown and eventual death, with an average lifespan in the mid–late twenties. While no cure yet exists for DMD, gene and antisense therapies have been heavily explored in recent years to better treat this disease. Four antisense therapies have received conditional FDA approval, and many more exist in varying stages of clinical trials. These upcoming therapies often utilize novel drug chemistries to address limitations of existing therapies, and their development could herald the next generation of antisense therapy. This review article aims to summarize the current state of development for antisense-based therapies for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, exploring candidates designed for both exon skipping and gene knockdown.
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Dystrophin ( DMD) Missense Variant in Cats with Becker-Type Muscular Dystrophy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043192. [PMID: 36834603 PMCID: PMC9964367 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Muscular dystrophy due to dystrophin deficiency in humans is phenotypically divided into a severe Duchenne and milder Becker type. Dystrophin deficiency has also been described in a few animal species, and few DMD gene variants have been identified in animals. Here, we characterize the clinical, histopathological, and molecular genetic aspects of a family of Maine Coon crossbred cats with clinically mild and slowly progressive muscular dystrophy. Two young adult male littermate cats exhibited abnormal gait and muscular hypertrophy with macroglossia. Serum creatine kinase activities were highly increased. Histopathologically, dystrophic skeletal muscle exhibited marked structural changes including atrophic, hypertrophic, and necrotic muscle fibers. Immunohistochemistry showed irregularly reduced expression of dystrophin but the staining of other muscle proteins such as β- and γ-sarcoglycans as well as desmin was also diminished. Whole genome sequencing of one affected cat and genotyping of the littermate found both to be hemizygous mutant at a single DMD missense variant (c.4186C>T). No other protein-changing variants in candidate genes for muscular dystrophy were detected. In addition, one clinically healthy male littermate was hemizygous wildtype, while the queen and one female littermate were clinically healthy, but heterozygous. The predicted amino acid exchange (p.His1396Tyr) resides in a conserved central rod spectrin domain of dystrophin. Various protein modeling programs did not predict major disruption of the dystrophin protein by this substitution, but the altered charge of the region may still affect protein function. This study represents the first genotype-to-phenotype correlation of Becker-type dystrophin deficiency in companion animals.
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Comi GP, Niks EH, Vandenborne K, Cinnante CM, Kan HE, Willcocks RJ, Velardo D, Magri F, Ripolone M, van Benthem JJ, van de Velde NM, Nava S, Ambrosoli L, Cazzaniga S, Bettica PU. Givinostat for Becker muscular dystrophy: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1095121. [PMID: 36793492 PMCID: PMC9923355 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1095121] [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: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective No treatments are approved for Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). This study investigated the efficacy and safety of givinostat, a histone deacetylase pan-inhibitor, in adults with BMD. Methods Males aged 18-65 years with a diagnosis of BMD confirmed by genetic testing were randomized 2:1 to 12 months treatment with givinostat or placebo. The primary objective was to demonstrate statistical superiority of givinostat over placebo for mean change from baseline in total fibrosis after 12 months. Secondary efficacy endpoints included other histological parameters, magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI and MRS) measures, and functional evaluations. Results Of 51 patients enrolled, 44 completed treatment. At baseline, there was greater disease involvement in the placebo group than givinostat, based on total fibrosis (mean 30.8 vs. 22.8%) and functional endpoints. Mean total fibrosis did not change from baseline in either group, and the two groups did not differ at Month 12 (least squares mean [LSM] difference 1.04%; p = 0.8282). Secondary histology parameters, MRS, and functional evaluations were consistent with the primary. MRI fat fraction in whole thigh and quadriceps did not change from baseline in the givinostat group, but values increased with placebo, with LSM givinostat-placebo differences at Month 12 of -1.35% (p = 0.0149) and -1.96% (p = 0.0022), respectively. Adverse events, most mild or moderate, were reported by 88.2% and 52.9% patients receiving givinostat and placebo. Conclusion The study failed to achieve the primary endpoint. However, there was a potential signal from the MRI assessments suggesting givinostat could prevent (or slow down) BMD disease progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo P. Comi
- Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Dino Ferrari Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy,*Correspondence: Giacomo P. Comi ✉
| | - Erik H. Niks
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands,Duchenne Center Netherlands, Netherlands
| | | | | | - Hermien E. Kan
- Duchenne Center Netherlands, Netherlands,Department of Radiology, C.J. Gorter MRI Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | | | - Daniele Velardo
- Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Magri
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Ripolone
- Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Jules J. van Benthem
- Department of Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Nienke M. van de Velde
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands,Duchenne Center Netherlands, Netherlands
| | - Simone Nava
- Radiology Department, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Milan, Italy
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Setyaningrum CTS, Harahap ISK, Nurputra DK, Ar Rochmah M, Sadewa AH, Alkarani GH, Harahap NIF. Clinical characterizations of three adults with genetically confirmed spinal muscular atrophy: a case series. J Med Case Rep 2022; 16:435. [DOI: 10.1186/s13256-022-03633-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Spinal muscular atrophy is a recessively inherited autosomal neuromuscular disorder, with characteristic progressive muscle weakness. Most spinal muscular atrophy cases clinically manifest during infancy or childhood, although it may first manifest in adulthood. Although spinal muscular atrophy has come to the era of newborn screening and promising treatments, genetically confirmed spinal muscular atrophy patients are still rare in third world countries, including Indonesia.
Case presentations
We presented three Indonesian patients with spinal muscular atrophy genetically confirmed during adulthood. The first case was a 40-year-old male who presented with weakness in his lower limbs that started when he was 9 years old. At the age of 16 years, he could no longer walk and started using a wheelchair. He first came to our clinic at the age of 38 years, and was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy 2 years later. The second patient was a 58-year-old male who presented with lower limb weakness since he was 12 years old. Owing to the geographical distance and financial problems, he was referred to our clinic at the age of 56 years, when he already used a walker to walk. Lastly, the third patient was a 28-year-old woman, who was in the first semester of her second pregnancy, and who presented with slowly progressing lower limb weakness. Her limb weakness began at the age of 8 years, and slowly progressed until she became dependent on her wheelchair 8 years later until now. She had successfully given birth to a healthy daughter 3 years before her first visit to our clinic. All three patients were diagnosed with neuromuscular disorder diseases, with the differential diagnoses of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, and Becker muscular dystrophy. These patients were finally confirmed to have spinal muscular atrophy due to SMN1 deletion by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.
Conclusions
Many genetic diseases are often neglected in developing countries owing to the difficulty in diagnosis and unavailable treatment. Our case series focused on the disease courses, diagnosis difficulties, and clinical presentations of three patients that finally lead to diagnoses of spinal muscular atrophy.
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Hildyard JC, Riddell DO, Harron RC, Rawson F, Foster EM, Massey C, Taylor-Brown F, Wells DJ, Piercy RJ. The skeletal muscle phenotype of the DE50-MD dog model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 7:238. [PMID: 36865375 PMCID: PMC9971692 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18251.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Animal models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are essential to study disease progression and assess efficacy of therapeutic intervention, however dystrophic mice fail to display a clinically relevant phenotype, limiting translational utility. Dystrophin-deficient dogs exhibit disease similar to humans, making them increasingly important for late-stage preclinical evaluation of candidate therapeutics. The DE50-MD canine model of DMD carries a mutation within a human 'hotspot' region of the dystrophin gene, amenable to exon-skipping and gene editing strategies. As part of a large natural history study of disease progression, we have characterised the DE50-MD skeletal muscle phenotype to identify parameters that could serve as efficacy biomarkers in future preclinical trials. Methods: Vastus lateralis muscles were biopsied from a large cohort of DE50-MD dogs and healthy male littermates at 3-monthly intervals (3-18 months) for longitudinal analysis, with multiple muscles collected post-mortem to evaluate body-wide changes. Pathology was characterised quantitatively using histology and measurement of gene expression to determine statistical power and sample sizes appropriate for future work. Results: DE50-MD skeletal muscle exhibits widespread degeneration/regeneration, fibrosis, atrophy and inflammation. Degenerative/inflammatory changes peak during the first year of life, while fibrotic remodelling appears more gradual. Pathology is similar in most skeletal muscles, but in the diaphragm, fibrosis is more prominent, associated with fibre splitting and pathological hypertrophy. Picrosirius red and acid phosphatase staining represent useful quantitative histological biomarkers for fibrosis and inflammation respectively, while qPCR can be used to measure regeneration ( MYH3, MYH8), fibrosis ( COL1A1), inflammation ( SPP1), and stability of DE50-MD dp427 transcripts. Conclusion: The DE50-MD dog is a valuable model of DMD, with pathological features similar to young, ambulant human patients. Sample size and power calculations show that our panel of muscle biomarkers are of strong pre-clinical value, able to detect therapeutic improvements of even 25%, using trials with only six animals per group.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C.W. Hildyard
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK,
| | - Dominique O. Riddell
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK
| | - Rachel C.M. Harron
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK
| | - Faye Rawson
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK,Langford Veterinary Services, University of Bristol, Langford, UK
| | - Emma M.A. Foster
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK
| | - Claire Massey
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK
| | - Frances Taylor-Brown
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK,Cave Veterinary Specialists, George's Farm, West Buckland, UK
| | - Dominic J. Wells
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK
| | - Richard J. Piercy
- Comparative Neuromuscular Diseases Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, London, UK,
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Williams K, Yokomori K, Mortazavi A. Heterogeneous Skeletal Muscle Cell and Nucleus Populations Identified by Single-Cell and Single-Nucleus Resolution Transcriptome Assays. Front Genet 2022; 13:835099. [PMID: 35646075 PMCID: PMC9136090 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.835099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) has revolutionized modern genomics, but the large size of myotubes and myofibers has restricted use of scRNA-seq in skeletal muscle. For the study of muscle, single-nucleus RNA-seq (snRNA-seq) has emerged not only as an alternative to scRNA-seq, but as a novel method providing valuable insights into multinucleated cells such as myofibers. Nuclei within myofibers specialize at junctions with other cell types such as motor neurons. Nuclear heterogeneity plays important roles in certain diseases such as muscular dystrophies. We survey current methods of high-throughput single cell and subcellular resolution transcriptomics, including single-cell and single-nucleus RNA-seq and spatial transcriptomics, applied to satellite cells, myoblasts, myotubes and myofibers. We summarize the major myonuclei subtypes identified in homeostatic and regenerating tissue including those specific to fiber type or at junctions with other cell types. Disease-specific nucleus populations were found in two muscular dystrophies, FSHD and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, demonstrating the importance of performing transcriptome studies at the single nucleus level in muscle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Williams
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kyoko Yokomori
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Ali Mortazavi
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Serum miRNAs as biomarkers for the rare types of muscular dystrophy. Neuromuscul Disord 2022; 32:332-346. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2022.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Morroni J, Schirone L, Valenti V, Zwergel C, Riera CS, Valente S, Vecchio D, Schiavon S, Ragno R, Mai A, Sciarretta S, Lozanoska-Ochser B, Bouchè M. Inhibition of PKCθ Improves Dystrophic Heart Phenotype and Function in a Novel Model of DMD Cardiomyopathy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042256. [PMID: 35216371 PMCID: PMC8880527 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic cardiac muscle inflammation and subsequent fibrotic tissue deposition are key features in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The treatment of choice for delaying DMD progression both in skeletal and cardiac muscle are corticosteroids, supporting the notion that chronic inflammation in the heart plays a pivotal role in fibrosis deposition and subsequent cardiac dysfunction. Nevertheless, considering the adverse effects associated with long-term corticosteroid treatments, there is a need for novel anti-inflammatory therapies. In this study, we used our recently described exercised mdx (ex mdx) mouse model characterised by accelerated heart pathology, and the specific PKCθ inhibitor Compound 20 (C20), to show that inhibition of this kinase leads to a significant reduction in the number of immune cells infiltrating the heart, as well as necrosis and fibrosis. Functionally, C20 treatment also prevented the reduction in left ventricle fractional shortening, which was typically observed in the vehicle-treated ex mdx mice. Based on these findings, we propose that PKCθ pharmacological inhibition could be an attractive therapeutic approach to treating dystrophic cardiomyopathy
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Morroni
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedic Sciences, Section of Histology and Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (J.M.); (C.S.R.); (B.L.-O.)
| | - Leonardo Schirone
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (D.V.); (S.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Valentina Valenti
- Department of Cardiology, Ospedale Santa Maria Goretti, 04100 Latina, Italy;
| | - Clemens Zwergel
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.Z.); (S.V.); (R.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Carles Sánchez Riera
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedic Sciences, Section of Histology and Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (J.M.); (C.S.R.); (B.L.-O.)
| | - Sergio Valente
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.Z.); (S.V.); (R.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Daniele Vecchio
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (D.V.); (S.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Sonia Schiavon
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (D.V.); (S.S.); (S.S.)
| | - Rino Ragno
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.Z.); (S.V.); (R.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (C.Z.); (S.V.); (R.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Sebastiano Sciarretta
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (D.V.); (S.S.); (S.S.)
- Department of AngioCardioNeurology, IRCCS Neuromed, 86077 Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Biliana Lozanoska-Ochser
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedic Sciences, Section of Histology and Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (J.M.); (C.S.R.); (B.L.-O.)
| | - Marina Bouchè
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedic Sciences, Section of Histology and Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (J.M.); (C.S.R.); (B.L.-O.)
- Correspondence:
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15
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Comi GP, Niks EH, Cinnante CM, Kan HE, Vandenborne K, Willcocks RJ, Velardo D, Ripolone M, van Benthem JJ, van de Velde NM, Nava S, Ambrosoli L, Cazzaniga S, Bettica PU. Characterization of patients with Becker muscular dystrophy by histology, magnetic resonance imaging, function, and strength assessments. Muscle Nerve 2021; 65:326-333. [PMID: 34918368 PMCID: PMC9302983 DOI: 10.1002/mus.27475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction/Aims Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is characterized by variable disease severity and progression, prompting the identification of biomarkers for clinical trials. We used data from an ongoing phase II study to provide a comprehensive characterization of a cohort of patients with BMD, and to assess correlations between histological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers with muscle function and strength. Methods Eligible patients were ambulatory males with BMD, aged 18 to 65 years (200 to 450 meters on 6‐minute walk test). The following data were obtained: function test results, strength, fat‐fraction quantification using chemical shift‐encoded MRI (whole thigh and quadriceps), and fibrosis and muscle fiber area (MFA) of the brachial biceps. Results Of 70 patients screened, 51 entered the study. There was substantial heterogeneity between patients in muscle morphology (histology and MRI), with high fat replacement. Total fibrosis correlated significantly and mostly moderately with all functional endpoints, including both upper arm strength assessments (left and right elbow flexion rho −.574 and −.588, respectively [both P < .0001]), as did MRI fat fraction (whole thigh and quadriceps), for example, with four‐stair‐climb velocity −.554 and −.550, respectively (both P < .0001). Total fibrosis correlated significantly and moderately with both MRI fat fraction assessments (.500 [P = .0003] and .423 [.0024], respectively). Discussion In this BMD cohort, micro‐ and macroscopic morphological muscle parameters correlated moderately with each other and with functional parameters, potentially supporting the use of MRI fat fraction and histology as surrogate outcome measures in patients with BMD, although additional research is required to validate this.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo P Comi
- Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Erik H Niks
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Duchenne Center Netherlands, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia M Cinnante
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Hermien E Kan
- Duchenne Center Netherlands, The Netherlands.,C.J. Gorter Center for High Field MRI, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Krista Vandenborne
- ImagingDMD and Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Rebecca J Willcocks
- ImagingDMD and Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Daniele Velardo
- Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Ripolone
- Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Jules J van Benthem
- Department of Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nienke M van de Velde
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Duchenne Center Netherlands, The Netherlands
| | - Simone Nava
- Neuroradiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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16
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Talap J, Zhao J, Shen M, Song Z, Zhou H, Kang Y, Sun L, Yu L, Zeng S, Cai S. Recent advances in therapeutic nucleic acids and their analytical methods. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 206:114368. [PMID: 34571322 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic nucleic acids are various chemically modified RNA or DNA with different functions, which mainly play roles at the gene level. Owing to its accurately targeting at pathogenic genes, nucleic acid based therapeutics have a wide range of application prospects. Recently, the improvement on chemical synthesis and delivery materials accelerated the development of therapeutic nucleic acids rapidly. Up to now, 17 nucleic acid based therapeutics approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or European Medicines Agency (EMA). The development of therapeutics raised higher requirements for analytical methods, both in quality control and in clinical research. The first part of this review introduces different classes of therapeutic nucleic acids, including antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), RNA interference (RNAi) therapy, mRNA, aptamer and other classes which are under research. The second part reviews the therapeutic nucleic acids commercialized from 2019 to now. The third part discusses the analytical methods for nucleic acid based therapeutics, including liquid chromatography-based methods, capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE), hybridization enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and other infrequently used methods. Finally, the advantages and shortcomings of these methods are summarized, and the future development of analysis methods are prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jadera Talap
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao
| | - Minzhe Shen
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Zihan Song
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yu Kang
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Lianli Sun
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Lushan Yu
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Su Zeng
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Sheng Cai
- Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Cancer Center of Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Anti-Cancer Drug Research, Hangzhou, China.
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17
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Megarbane A, Bizzari S, Deepthi A, Sabbagh S, Mansour H, Chouery E, Hmaimess G, Jabbour R, Mehawej C, Alame S, Hani A, Hasbini D, Ghanem I, Koussa S, Al-Ali MT, Obeid M, Talea DB, Lefranc G, Levy N, Leturcq F, El Hayek S, Delague V, Urtizberea A. A 20-year Clinical and Genetic Neuromuscular Cohort Analysis in Lebanon: An International Effort. J Neuromuscul Dis 2021; 9:193-210. [PMID: 34602496 PMCID: PMC8842757 DOI: 10.3233/jnd-210652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical and molecular data on the occurrence and frequency of inherited neuromuscular disorders (NMD) in the Lebanese population is scarce. OBJECTIVE This study aims to provide a retrospective overview of hereditary NMDs based on our clinical consultations in Lebanon. METHODS Clinical and molecular data of patients referred to a multi-disciplinary consultation for neuromuscular disorders over a 20-year period (1999-2019) was reviewed. RESULTS A total of 506 patients were diagnosed with 62 different disorders encompassing 10 classes of NMDs. 103 variants in 49 genes were identified. In this cohort, 81.4%of patients were diagnosed with motor neuron diseases and muscular dystrophies, with almost half of these described with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) (40.3%of patients). We estimate a high SMA incidence of 1 in 7,500 births in Lebanon. Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy were the second most frequently diagnosed NMDs (17%of patients). The latter disorders were associated with the highest number of variants (39) identified in this study. A highly heterogeneous presentation of Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease was notably identified. The least common disorders (5.5%of patients) involved congenital, metabolic, and mitochondrial myopathies, congenital myasthenic syndromes, and myotonic dystrophies. A review of the literature for selected NMDs in Lebanon is provided. CONCLUSIONS Our study indicates a high prevalence and underreporting of heterogeneous forms of NMDs in Lebanon- a major challenge with many novel NMD treatments in the pipeline. This report calls for a regional NMD patient registry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre Megarbane
- Department of Human Genetics, Gilbert and Rose-Mary Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon.,Institut Jérôme Lejeune, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Sandra Sabbagh
- Department of Pediatrics, Hôtel Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Hicham Mansour
- Department of Pediatrics, Saint George Hospital, Balamand University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Eliane Chouery
- Department of Human Genetics, Gilbert and Rose-Mary Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Ghassan Hmaimess
- Department of Pediatrics, Saint George Hospital, Balamand University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Rosette Jabbour
- Department of Neurology, Saint George Hospital, Balamand University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Cybel Mehawej
- Department of Human Genetics, Gilbert and Rose-Mary Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Saada Alame
- Department of Neuropediatrics, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Abeer Hani
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Gilbert and Rose-Mary Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Byblos, Lebanon
| | - Dana Hasbini
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Rafic Hariri University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Ismat Ghanem
- Department of Orthopedics, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Salam Koussa
- Department of Neurology, Geitaoui Lebanese University Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
| | | | - Marc Obeid
- Genetic laboratory, American University of Science and Technology, Lebanon
| | - Diana Bou Talea
- Genetic laboratory, American University of Science and Technology, Lebanon
| | - Gerard Lefranc
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, UMR 9002 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Levy
- Aix Marseille Univ, Inserm, MMG, U 1251, Marseille, France
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18
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Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked, muscle wasting disease that affects 1 in 5000 males. Affected individuals become wheelchair bound by the age of twelve and eventually die in their third decade due to respiratory and cardiac complications. The disease is caused by mutations in the DMD gene that codes for dystrophin. Dystrophin is a structural protein that maintains the integrity of muscle fibres and protects them from contraction-induced damage. The absence of dystrophin compromises the stability and function of the muscle fibres, eventually leading to muscle degeneration. So far, there is no effective treatment for deteriorating muscle function in DMD patients. A promising approach for treating this life-threatening disease is gene transfer to restore dystrophin expression using a safe, non-pathogenic viral vector called adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector. Whilst microdystrophin gene transfer using AAV vectors shows extremely impressive therapeutic success so far in large animal models of DMD, translating this advanced therapy medicinal product from bench to bedside still offers scope for many optimization steps. In this paper, the authors review the current progress of AAV-microdystrophin gene therapy for DMD and other treatment strategies that may apply to a subset of DMD patients depending on the mutations they carry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nertiyan Elangkovan
- Centres for Gene & Cell Therapy and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway - University of London, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - George Dickson
- Centres for Gene & Cell Therapy and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Royal Holloway - University of London, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
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19
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Investigations on the occurrence of a muscular disorder in Austrian slaughter pigs. Porcine Health Manag 2021; 7:51. [PMID: 34465383 PMCID: PMC8406747 DOI: 10.1186/s40813-021-00230-1] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In slaughterhouse, veterinarians responsible for meat inspection are often confronted with abnormalities in carcasses, not only in pigs but in all livestock species. In 2017, a veterinarian responsible for meat inspection in a slaughterhouse in Styria, Austria, observed gluteal muscles infiltrated by fat and muscle tissue obviously being replaced by fat in two different slaughter pigs. These muscles were sent for further diagnostics to the University Clinic for Swine. RESULTS The two muscle samples were investigated histopathologically and diagnosed with fatty muscular dystrophy. The results of routine histopathology were confirmed by dystrophin-specific immunohistochemistry. Sex of the two affected animals was determined retrospectively using a PCR-based protocol and resulted in one male and one female pig. A survey to determine the prevalence of fatty muscular disorders of pork revealed that this phenomenon gets frequently observed in Styria, but also occurs in Upper Austria and Lower Austria. Mostly gluteal and lumbal muscles were affected and approximately 20-40% of the affected muscles were replaced by fat. CONCLUSIONS Fatty muscular dystrophy or muscular steatosis, as it was sometimes called in early literature, seems not to be an uncommon and rare event and is known to have several different causes. As it was detected in both sexes, our observations are different to the described case in Japan, where only one male individual was affected. To avoid further increase of such cases (fatty muscular dystrophy), it would be useful to clarify the cause. First, whether the cause is environmental or genetic, and in case it is genetic it would be key to disentangle the underlying genomic architecture. Having causal variants described-one could think about integrating this information (depending on the mode of inheritance and the number of loci involved) in the breeding program of pigs. Furthermore, the proportion of non-Austrian pig genetics used for commercial pig production in Austria should be reviewed in order to be able to make reliable statements about the spread of the disease not only in Austrian pig breeds, but also in pig breeds worldwide.
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20
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Validation of Chemokine Biomarkers in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11080827. [PMID: 34440571 PMCID: PMC8401931 DOI: 10.3390/life11080827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle disease involving complex skeletal muscle pathogenesis. The pathogenesis is triggered by sarcolemma instability due to the lack of dystrophin protein expression, leading to Ca2+ influx, muscle fiber apoptosis, inflammation, muscle necrosis, and fibrosis. Our lab recently used two high-throughput multiplexing techniques (e.g., SomaScan® aptamer assay and tandem mass tag-(TMT) approach) and identified a series of serum protein biomarkers tied to different pathobiochemical pathways. In this study, we focused on validating the circulating levels of three proinflammatory chemokines (CCL2, CXCL10, and CCL18) that are believed to be involved in an early stage of muscle pathogenesis. We used highly specific and reproducible MSD ELISA assays and examined the association of these chemokines with DMD pathogenesis, age, disease severity, and response to glucocorticoid treatment. As expected, we confirmed that these three chemokines were significantly elevated in serum and muscle samples of DMD patients relative to age-matched healthy controls (p-value < 0.05, CCL18 was not significantly altered in muscle samples). These three chemokines were not significantly elevated in Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) patients, a milder form of dystrophinopathy, when compared in a one-way ANOVA to a control group but remained significantly elevated in the age-matched DMD group (p < 0.05). CCL2 and CCL18 but not CXCL10 declined with age in DMD patients, whereas all three chemokines remained unchanged with age in BMD and controls. Only CCL2 showed significant association with time to climb four steps in the DMD group (r = 0.48, p = 0.038) and neared significant association with patients' reported outcome in the BMD group (r = 0.39, p = 0.058). Furthermore, CCL2 was found to be elevated in a serum of the mdx mouse model of DMD, relative to wild-type mouse model. This study suggests that CCL2 might be a suitable candidate biomarker for follow-up studies to demonstrate its physiological significance and clinical utility in DMD.
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21
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Accelerating the Mdx Heart Histo-Pathology through Physical Exercise. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11070706. [PMID: 34357078 PMCID: PMC8306456 DOI: 10.3390/life11070706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic cardiac muscle inflammation and fibrosis are key features of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Around 90% of 18-year-old patients already show signs of DMD-related cardiomyopathy, and cardiac failure is rising as the main cause of death among DMD patients. The evaluation of novel therapies for the treatment of dystrophic heart problems depends on the availability of animal models that closely mirror the human pathology. The widely used DMD animal model, the mdx mouse, presents a milder cardiac pathology compared to humans, with a late onset, which precludes large-scale and reliable studies. In this study, we used an exercise protocol to accelerate and worsen the cardiac pathology in mdx mice. The mice were subjected to a 1 h-long running session on a treadmill, at moderate speed, twice a week for 8 weeks. We demonstrate that subjecting young mdx mice (4-week-old) to "endurance" exercise accelerates heart pathology progression, as shown by early fibrosis deposition, increases necrosis and inflammation, and reduces heart function compared to controls. We believe that our exercised mdx model represents an easily reproducible and useful tool to study the molecular and cellular networks involved in dystrophic heart alterations, as well as to evaluate novel therapeutic strategies aimed at ameliorating dystrophic heart pathology.
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22
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Wuebbles RD, Oliveira-Santos A, Burkin DJ. Tetrahydrobiopterin shifts the balance from oxidative stress to NO signalling in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Acta Physiol (Oxf) 2021; 232:e13675. [PMID: 33998148 DOI: 10.1111/apha.13675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan D Wuebbles
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Ariany Oliveira-Santos
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Dean J Burkin
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
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23
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Clarke GA, Hartse BX, Niaraki Asli AE, Taghavimehr M, Hashemi N, Abbasi Shirsavar M, Montazami R, Alimoradi N, Nasirian V, Ouedraogo LJ, Hashemi NN. Advancement of Sensor Integrated Organ-on-Chip Devices. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 21:1367. [PMID: 33671996 PMCID: PMC7922590 DOI: 10.3390/s21041367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Organ-on-chip devices have provided the pharmaceutical and tissue engineering worlds much hope since they arrived and began to grow in sophistication. However, limitations for their applicability were soon realized as they lacked real-time monitoring and sensing capabilities. The users of these devices relied solely on endpoint analysis for the results of their tests, which created a chasm in the understanding of life between the lab the natural world. However, this gap is being bridged with sensors that are integrated into organ-on-chip devices. This review goes in-depth on different sensing methods, giving examples for various research on mechanical, electrical resistance, and bead-based sensors, and the prospects of each. Furthermore, the review covers works conducted that use specific sensors for oxygen, and various metabolites to characterize cellular behavior and response in real-time. Together, the outline of these works gives a thorough analysis of the design methodology and sophistication of the current sensor integrated organ-on-chips.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel A. Clarke
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Brenna X. Hartse
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Amir Ehsan Niaraki Asli
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Mehrnoosh Taghavimehr
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Niloofar Hashemi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran 11365, Iran;
| | - Mehran Abbasi Shirsavar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Reza Montazami
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Nima Alimoradi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Vahid Nasirian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Lionel J. Ouedraogo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
| | - Nicole N. Hashemi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; (G.A.C.); (B.X.H.); (A.E.N.A.); (M.T.); (M.A.S.); (R.M.); (N.A.); (V.N.); (L.J.O.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
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24
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Dowling P, Gargan S, Murphy S, Zweyer M, Sabir H, Swandulla D, Ohlendieck K. The Dystrophin Node as Integrator of Cytoskeletal Organization, Lateral Force Transmission, Fiber Stability and Cellular Signaling in Skeletal Muscle. Proteomes 2021; 9:9. [PMID: 33540575 PMCID: PMC7931087 DOI: 10.3390/proteomes9010009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The systematic bioanalytical characterization of the protein product of the DMD gene, which is defective in the pediatric disorder Duchenne muscular dystrophy, led to the discovery of the membrane cytoskeletal protein dystrophin. Its full-length muscle isoform Dp427-M is tightly linked to a sarcolemma-associated complex consisting of dystroglycans, sarcoglyans, sarcospan, dystrobrevins and syntrophins. Besides these core members of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex, the wider dystrophin-associated network includes key proteins belonging to the intracellular cytoskeleton and microtubular assembly, the basal lamina and extracellular matrix, various plasma membrane proteins and cytosolic components. Here, we review the central role of the dystrophin complex as a master node in muscle fibers that integrates cytoskeletal organization and cellular signaling at the muscle periphery, as well as providing sarcolemmal stabilization and contractile force transmission to the extracellular region. The combination of optimized tissue extraction, subcellular fractionation, advanced protein co-purification strategies, immunoprecipitation, liquid chromatography and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with modern mass spectrometry-based proteomics has confirmed the composition of the core dystrophin complex at the sarcolemma membrane. Importantly, these biochemical and mass spectrometric surveys have identified additional members of the wider dystrophin network including biglycan, cavin, synemin, desmoglein, tubulin, plakoglobin, cytokeratin and a variety of signaling proteins and ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dowling
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland; (P.D.); (S.G.)
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, W23F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Stephen Gargan
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland; (P.D.); (S.G.)
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, W23F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Sandra Murphy
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Newcastle University Biosciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE24HH, UK;
| | - Margit Zweyer
- Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, Children’s Hospital, University of Bonn, D53113 Bonn, Germany; (M.Z.); (H.S.)
| | - Hemmen Sabir
- Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, Children’s Hospital, University of Bonn, D53113 Bonn, Germany; (M.Z.); (H.S.)
| | - Dieter Swandulla
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn, D53115 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Kay Ohlendieck
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, W23F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland; (P.D.); (S.G.)
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, W23F2H6 Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
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25
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Dowling P, Gargan S, Zweyer M, Henry M, Meleady P, Swandulla D, Ohlendieck K. Protocol for the Bottom-Up Proteomic Analysis of Mouse Spleen. STAR Protoc 2020; 1:100196. [PMID: 33377090 PMCID: PMC7757555 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2020.100196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This protocol describes the comparative proteomic profiling of the spleen of wild type versus mdx-4cv mouse, a model of dystrophinopathy. We detail sample preparation for bottom-up proteomic mass spectrometry experiments, including homogenization of tissue, protein concentration measurements, protein digestion, and removal of interfering chemicals. We then describe the steps for mass spectrometric analysis and bioinformatic evaluation. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Dowling et al. (2020). Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analyses of spleen tissue samples Comparative profiling of the spleen from the mdx-4cv model of dystrophinopathy Protein extraction and protein digestion for peptide mass spectrometric analysis Bioinformatic analysis of large proteomic datasets for comparative studies
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dowling
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland.,Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Stephen Gargan
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland.,Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Margit Zweyer
- Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, D53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Henry
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Paula Meleady
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Dieter Swandulla
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn, D53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kay Ohlendieck
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland.,Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland
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26
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Dowling P, Gargan S, Zweyer M, Henry M, Meleady P, Swandulla D, Ohlendieck K. Proteome-wide Changes in the mdx-4cv Spleen due to Pathophysiological Cross Talk with Dystrophin-Deficient Skeletal Muscle. iScience 2020; 23:101500. [PMID: 32916630 PMCID: PMC7490529 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is primarily characterized by progressive muscle wasting due to deficiency in the membrane cytoskeletal protein dystrophin but is also associated with body-wide cellular disturbances in a variety of non-muscle tissues. In this study, we have focused on the comparative proteomic analysis of the spleen and established considerable changes in this crucial secondary lymphoid organ from the genetic mdx-4cv mouse model of dystrophinopathy. An apparent short isoform of dystrophin and associated glycoproteins were identified in spleen by mass spectrometry but appear not be affected in muscular dystrophy. In contrast, the mdx-4cv spleen showed significant proteome-wide changes in other protein species that are involved in metabolism, signaling, and cellular architecture. Since the spleen plays a key role in the immune response, these proteomic alterations may reflect pathophysiological cross talk between the lymphoid system and dystrophic muscles, which are affected by both fiber degeneration and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dowling
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare W23F2H6, Ireland
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare W23F2H6, Ireland
| | - Stephen Gargan
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare W23F2H6, Ireland
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare W23F2H6, Ireland
| | - Margit Zweyer
- Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, Children's Hospital, University of Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Henry
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Paula Meleady
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Dieter Swandulla
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kay Ohlendieck
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare W23F2H6, Ireland
- Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare W23F2H6, Ireland
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27
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"Betwixt Mine Eye and Heart a League Is Took": The Progress of Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cell-Based Models of Dystrophin-Associated Cardiomyopathy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21196997. [PMID: 32977524 PMCID: PMC7582534 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21196997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The ultimate goal of precision disease modeling is to artificially recreate the disease of affected people in a highly controllable and adaptable external environment. This field has rapidly advanced which is evident from the application of patient-specific pluripotent stem-cell-derived precision therapies in numerous clinical trials aimed at a diverse set of diseases such as macular degeneration, heart disease, spinal cord injury, graft-versus-host disease, and muscular dystrophy. Despite the existence of semi-adequate treatments for tempering skeletal muscle degeneration in dystrophic patients, nonischemic cardiomyopathy remains one of the primary causes of death. Therefore, cardiovascular cells derived from muscular dystrophy patients' induced pluripotent stem cells are well suited to mimic dystrophin-associated cardiomyopathy and hold great promise for the development of future fully effective therapies. The purpose of this article is to convey the realities of employing precision disease models of dystrophin-associated cardiomyopathy. This is achieved by discussing, as suggested in the title echoing William Shakespeare's words, the settlements (or "leagues") made by researchers to manage the constraints ("betwixt mine eye and heart") distancing them from achieving a perfect precision disease model.
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28
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Koutsoulidou A, Phylactou LA. Circulating Biomarkers in Muscular Dystrophies: Disease and Therapy Monitoring. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 18:230-239. [PMID: 32637452 PMCID: PMC7327849 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Muscular dystrophies are a group of inherited disorders that primarily affect the muscle tissues. Across the muscular dystrophies, symptoms commonly compromise the quality of life in all areas of functioning. It is well noted that muscular dystrophies need reliable and measurable biomarkers that will monitor the progress of the disease and evaluate the potential therapeutic approaches. In this review, we analyze the current findings regarding the development of blood-based circulating biomarkers for different types of muscular dystrophies. We emphasize those muscular dystrophies that gained particular interest for the development of biomarkers, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy, Becker muscular dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy types 1 and 2, Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy, congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A, Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy types 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, recently renamed as limb-girdle muscular dystrophy R1 calpain3-related, R2 dysferlin-related, R5 γ-sarcoglycan-related, and R3 α-sarcoglycan-related. This review highlights the up-to-date progress in the development of biomarkers at the level of proteins, lipids, and metabolites, as well as microRNAs (miRNAs) that currently are the main potential biomarker candidates in muscular dystrophies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrie Koutsoulidou
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, PO Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus.,Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, PO Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Leonidas A Phylactou
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Function & Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, PO Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus.,Cyprus School of Molecular Medicine, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, PO Box 23462, 1683 Nicosia, Cyprus
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29
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Anti-Inflammatory and General Glucocorticoid Physiology in Skeletal Muscles Affected by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: Exploration of Steroid-Sparing Agents. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134596. [PMID: 32605223 PMCID: PMC7369834 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the activation of proinflammatory and metabolic cellular pathways in skeletal muscle cells is an inherent characteristic. Synthetic glucocorticoid intake counteracts the majority of these mechanisms. However, glucocorticoids induce burdensome secondary effects, including hypertension, arrhythmias, hyperglycemia, osteoporosis, weight gain, growth delay, skin thinning, cushingoid appearance, and tissue-specific glucocorticoid resistance. Hence, lowering the glucocorticoid dosage could be beneficial for DMD patients. A more profound insight into the major cellular pathways that are stabilized after synthetic glucocorticoid administration in DMD is needed when searching for the molecules able to achieve similar pathway stabilization. This review provides a concise overview of the major anti-inflammatory pathways, as well as the metabolic effects of glucocorticoids in the skeletal muscle affected in DMD. The known drugs able to stabilize these pathways, and which could potentially be combined with glucocorticoid therapy as steroid-sparing agents, are described. This could create new opportunities for testing in DMD animal models and/or clinical trials, possibly leading to smaller glucocorticoids dosage regimens for DMD patients.
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30
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Mariot V, Le Guiner C, Barthélémy I, Montus M, Blot S, Torelli S, Morgan J, Muntoni F, Voit T, Dumonceaux J. Myostatin Is a Quantifiable Biomarker for Monitoring Pharmaco-gene Therapy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2020; 18:415-421. [PMID: 32695843 PMCID: PMC7363622 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Recently, several promising treatments have emerged for neuromuscular disorders, highlighting the need for robust biomarkers for monitoring therapeutic efficacy and maintenance of the therapeutic effect. Several studies have proposed circulating and tissue biomarkers, but none of them has been validated to monitor acute and long-term drug response. We previously described how the myostatin (MSTN) level is naturally downregulated in several neuromuscular diseases, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Here, we show that the dystrophin-deficient Golden Retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dog model also presents an intrinsic loss of Mstn production in muscle. The abnormally low levels of Mstn observed in the GRMD dog puppies at 2 months were partially rescued at both mRNA and protein level after adeno-associated virus (AAV)-microdystrophin treatment in a dose-dependent manner. These results show that circulating Mstn is a robust and reliable quantitative biomarker, capable of measuring a therapeutic response to pharmaco-gene therapy in real time in the neuromuscular system, as well as a quantitative means for non-invasive follow-up of a therapeutic effect. Moreover, a 2-year follow-up also suggests that Mstn could be a longitudinal monitoring tool to follow maintenance or decrease of the therapeutic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Mariot
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Caroline Le Guiner
- INSERM UMR 1089, Université de Nantes, CHU de Nantes, IRS2 Nantes Biotech, 22, bd Bénoni Goullin, 44200 Nantes, France
| | - Inès Barthélémy
- U955-IMRB, Team 10, Biology of the Neuromuscular System, INSERM, UPEC, EFS, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Marie Montus
- Généthon, 1 bis rue de l'Internationale, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Stéphane Blot
- U955-IMRB, Team 10, Biology of the Neuromuscular System, INSERM, UPEC, EFS, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Silvia Torelli
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust, London WC1N 1EH, UK.,Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Jennifer Morgan
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust, London WC1N 1EH, UK.,Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Francesco Muntoni
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust, London WC1N 1EH, UK.,Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Thomas Voit
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Julie Dumonceaux
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, and Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Trust, London WC1N 1EH, UK
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31
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Grounds MD, Terrill JR, Al-Mshhdani BA, Duong MN, Radley-Crabb HG, Arthur PG. Biomarkers for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: myonecrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:13/2/dmm043638. [PMID: 32224496 PMCID: PMC7063669 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.043638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal, X-linked disease that causes severe loss of muscle mass and function in young children. Promising therapies for DMD are being developed, but the long lead times required when using clinical outcome measures are hindering progress. This progress would be facilitated by robust molecular biomarkers in biofluids, such as blood and urine, which could be used to monitor disease progression and severity, as well as to determine optimal drug dosing before a full clinical trial. Many candidate DMD biomarkers have been identified, but there have been few follow-up studies to validate them. This Review describes the promising biomarkers for dystrophic muscle that have been identified in muscle, mainly using animal models. We strongly focus on myonecrosis and the associated inflammation and oxidative stress in DMD muscle, as the lack of dystrophin causes repeated bouts of myonecrosis, which are the key events that initiate the resultant severe dystropathology. We discuss the early events of intrinsic myonecrosis, along with early regeneration in the context of histological and other measures that are used to quantify its incidence. Molecular biomarkers linked to the closely associated events of inflammation and oxidative damage are discussed, with a focus on research related to protein thiol oxidation and to neutrophils. We summarise data linked to myonecrosis in muscle, blood and urine of dystrophic animal species, and discuss the challenge of translating such biomarkers to the clinic for DMD patients, especially to enhance the success of clinical trials. Summary: This Review discusses biomarkers in blood and urine linked to myonecrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress, to enhance development of therapies for DMD, and the challenges to be overcome for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda D Grounds
- School of Human Sciences, the University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Jessica R Terrill
- School of Molecular Sciences, the University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Basma A Al-Mshhdani
- School of Molecular Sciences, the University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Marisa N Duong
- School of Molecular Sciences, the University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Hannah G Radley-Crabb
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Curtin Health and Innovation Research Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Peter G Arthur
- School of Molecular Sciences, the University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
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Dowling P, Zweyer M, Raucamp M, Henry M, Meleady P, Swandulla D, Ohlendieck K. Proteomic and cell biological profiling of the renal phenotype of the mdx-4cv mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Eur J Cell Biol 2019; 99:151059. [PMID: 31776009 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2019.151059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The X-linked inherited muscle wasting disease Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which is caused by primary abnormalities in the membrane cytoskeletal protein dystrophin, is a multi-system disorder. Highly progressive forms of dystrophinopathy are associated with a complex secondary pathophysiology, including renal dysfunction. It was therefore of interest to carry out a systematic survey of potential proteome-wide changes in the kidney of the established mdx-4cv mouse model of dystrophinopathy. Of 5878 mass spectrometrically identified kidney proteins, 82 versus 142 proteins were shown to be decreased or increased, respectively, in association with muscular dystrophy. The most decreased versus increased protein species are the ACSM3 isoform of mitochondrial acyl-coenzyme A synthetase and the FABP1 isoform of fatty acid binding protein, respectively. Both proteomic findings were verified by immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoblot analysis. Interestingly, haematoxylin/eosin staining indicated diffuse whitish deposits in the mdx-4cv kidney, and an increased intensity of Sudan Black labelling of kidney cells revealed ectopic fat deposition. Although the proteomic results and cell biological findings do not demonstrate a direct functional link between increased FABP1 and fat accumulation, the results suggest that the up-regulation of FABP1 may be related to abnormal fat metabolism. This makes FABP1 potentially a novel pathobiochemical indicator for studying kidney abnormalities in the mdx-4cv model of dystrophinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dowling
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland; Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland
| | - Margit Zweyer
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn, D53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Maren Raucamp
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn, D53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Henry
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Paula Meleady
- National Institute for Cellular Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland
| | - Dieter Swandulla
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn, D53115 Bonn, Germany
| | - Kay Ohlendieck
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland; Kathleen Lonsdale Institute for Human Health Research, Maynooth University, Maynooth W23F2H6, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
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Meng Q, Lan D. [A review on muscle-specific microRNAs as the biomarker for Duchenne muscular dystrophy]. ZHONGGUO DANG DAI ER KE ZA ZHI = CHINESE JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY PEDIATRICS 2019; 21:1148-1152. [PMID: 31753100 PMCID: PMC7389306 DOI: 10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2019.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNA (miRNA) is a non-coding single-stranded RNA with a length of approximately 22 nucleotides and is mainly responsible for the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. At present, miRNA have become potential biomarkers for various diseases such as tumor, leukemia, and nervous system disease. Muscle-specific microRNAs are enriched in the skeletal muscle of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and also play an important role in the pathogenesis of DMD. Creatine kinase has limited specificity in the diagnosis of DMD since its level is not significantly associated with disease severity, and therefore, it is of great clinical significance to explore whether muscle-specific microRNAs can be used as ideal biomarkers for DMD. This article reviews the research advances in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Meng
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China.
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34
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Dowling P, Murphy S, Zweyer M, Raucamp M, Swandulla D, Ohlendieck K. Emerging proteomic biomarkers of X-linked muscular dystrophy. Expert Rev Mol Diagn 2019; 19:739-755. [PMID: 31359811 DOI: 10.1080/14737159.2019.1648214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Introduction: Progressive skeletal muscle wasting is the manifesting symptom of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, an X-linked inherited disorder triggered by primary abnormalities in the DMD gene. The almost complete loss of dystrophin isoform Dp427 causes a multi-system pathology that features in addition to skeletal muscle weakness also late-onset cardio-respiratory deficiencies, impaired metabolism and abnormalities in the central nervous system. Areas covered: This review focuses on the mass spectrometry-based proteomic characterization of X-linked muscular dystrophy with special emphasis on the identification of novel biomarker candidates in skeletal muscle tissues, as well as non-muscle tissues and various biofluids. Individual sections focus on molecular and cellular aspects of the pathogenic changes in dystrophinopathy, proteomic workflows used in biomarker research, the proteomics of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex and the potential usefulness of newly identified protein markers involved in fibre degeneration, fibrosis and inflammation. Expert opinion: The systematic application of large-scale proteomic surveys has identified a distinct cohort of both tissue- and biofluid-associated protein species with considerable potential for improving diagnostic, prognostic and therapy-monitoring procedures. Novel proteomic markers include components involved in fibre contraction, cellular signalling, ion homeostasis, cellular stress response, energy metabolism and the immune response, as well as maintenance of the cytoskeletal and extracellular matrix.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Dowling
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland , Kildare , Ireland.,Human Health Research Institute, Maynooth University , Kildare , Ireland
| | - Sandra Murphy
- Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University , Newcastle upon Tyne , UK
| | - Margit Zweyer
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | - Maren Raucamp
- Institute of Physiology II, University of Bonn , Bonn , Germany
| | | | - Kay Ohlendieck
- Department of Biology, Maynooth University, National University of Ireland , Kildare , Ireland.,Human Health Research Institute, Maynooth University , Kildare , Ireland
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35
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Guiraud S, Edwards B, Squire SE, Moir L, Berg A, Babbs A, Ramadan N, Wood MJ, Davies KE. Embryonic myosin is a regeneration marker to monitor utrophin-based therapies for DMD. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 28:307-319. [PMID: 30304405 PMCID: PMC6322073 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal, X-linked muscle-wasting disease caused by lack of the cytoskeletal protein dystrophin. Constitutive utrophin expression, a structural and functional paralogue of dystrophin, can successfully prevent the dystrophic pathology in the dystrophin-deficient mdx mouse model. In dystrophic muscles, utrophin is increased as part of the repair process and localized at the sarcolemma of regenerating myofibers. The presence of developmental myosin such as embryonic myosin (MyHC-emb) and neonatal represents a useful marker of muscle regeneration and a meaningful indicator of muscle damage, which correlates with the clinical severity of milder Becker muscular dystrophy and DMD patients. In the present study, we demonstrate that MyHC-emb is a robust marker of regeneration at different ages and in different skeletal muscles. We also evaluate the correlation between utrophin, dystrophin and MyHC-emb in wild-type (wt) and regenerating dystrophic muscles. Restoration of dystrophin significantly reduced MyHC-emb levels. Similarly, overexpression of utrophin in the transgenic mdx-Fiona mice reduced the number of MyHC-emb positive fibers to wt level, prevented the regenerative process and rescued the muscle function. In contrast, the absence of utrophin in the dystrophin-deficient double-knockout mice resulted in a higher MyHC-emb content and in a more severe dystrophic pathophysiology than in mdx mice. These data illustrate the importance of monitoring utrophin and MyHC-emb levels in the preclinical evaluation of therapies and provide translational support for the use of developmental myosin as a disease biomarker in DMD clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Guiraud
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah E Squire
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Lee Moir
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Berg
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Arran Babbs
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Nesrine Ramadan
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J Wood
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
| | - Kay E Davies
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
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Effectiveness of High-Speed T2-Corrected Multiecho MR Spectroscopic Method for Quantifying Thigh Muscle Fat Content in Boys With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. AJR Am J Roentgenol 2019; 212:1354-1360. [PMID: 30860898 DOI: 10.2214/ajr.18.20354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of high-speed T2-corrected multiecho (HISTO) MR spectroscopy (MRS) for rapidly quantifying the fat content of thigh muscles in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS. This study prospectively enrolled 58 boys with DMD (mean age, 7.5 years; range, 4-11 years) and 30 age-matched healthy boys (mean age, 7.2 years; range, 4-11 years) at one institution over a 1-year period. T1- and T2-weighted, multiecho Dixon, and HISTO sequences were performed on the right adductor magnus and vastus lateralis muscles. The fat fractions of these muscles were acquired from HISTO and multiecho Dixon images. An experienced radiologist graded the degree of fat infiltration of the adductor magnus and vastus lateralis muscles on axial T1-weighted images. The Bland-Altman method was used to assess the consistency and repeatability of the HISTO sequence. Pearson linear correlation analysis was used to determine the correlation coefficient relating HISTO fat fraction to multiecho Dixon fat fraction values. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to assess the relation between the HISTO fat fraction values and T1-weighted image fat infiltration grades. The independent t test was used to compare the HISTO fat fraction values of the boys with DMD with those of the healthy control subjects. RESULTS. Bland-Altman analysis showed that 95.5% of the HISTO fat fraction values of the adductor magnus were within the 95% CI. HISTO fat fraction and multiecho Dixon fat fraction values of the adductor magnus and vastus lateralis muscles were highly positively correlated (adductor magnus, r = 0.983; vastus lateralis, r = 0.967; p < 0.0001). HISTO fat fraction values were also highly positively correlated with the grades of fat infiltration on T1-weighted images (adductor magnus, r = 0.911; vastus lateralis, r = 0.937; p < 0.0001). The HISTO fat fraction of the adductor magnus muscle was 33.3% ± 22.6% and of the vastus lateralis muscle was 25.6% ± 20.3% in patients with DMD. The corresponding values were 2.9% ± 2.1% and 2.3% ± 1.9% in the control group. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION. The HISTO sequence is a rapid and feasible noninvasive MRS technique for quantifying the fat infiltration of thigh muscles in children with known or suspected DMD. It is useful for diagnosis and for assessment of disease activity and prognosis.
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Feder D, Ierardi M, Covre AL, Petri G, Carvalho AADS, Fonseca FLA, Bertassoli BM. Evaluation of the gastrointestinal tract in mdx mice: an experimental model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. APMIS 2018; 126:693-699. [PMID: 30168625 DOI: 10.1111/apm.12864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
This study describes the functional and morphological alterations in the intestines of mdx mice (n = 4) compared with the intestinal features of C57BL/10 mice (n = 7) at 2 months of age. The whole gut transit time (carmine red) and the upper gut transit time (activated charcoal) were measured, and light microscopy was utilized to view stained sections (H&E and picrosirius red) for histological analysis. No significant difference in mean evacuation time for the whole gut was observed between the two groups, but a significant delay in activated charcoal passage was observed in the mdx mice. Visually, a higher concentration of collagen fibers in the submucosal region was apparent in the mdx mice. The concentration of collagen fibers in the stomach and small intestine suggests a direct relationship with the decrease in motility of the upper gastrointestinal tract in the mdx mice. Further experimental studies should be conducted to develop therapeutic alternatives to collagen inhibition to control these manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Feder
- Pharmacology Department, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil
| | - Mariana Ierardi
- Pharmacology Department, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Laura Covre
- Pharmacology Department, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil
| | - Giuliana Petri
- Pharmacology Department, Faculdade de Medicina do ABC, Santo André, SP, Brazil
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Shahnoor N, Siebers EM, Brown KJ, Lawlor MW. Pathological Issues in Dystrophinopathy in the Age of Genetic Therapies. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2018; 14:105-126. [PMID: 30148687 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-012418-012945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Dystrophinopathy is a class of genetic skeletal muscle disease characterized by myofiber degeneration and regeneration due to insufficient levels or functioning of dystrophin. Pathological evaluation for dystrophinopathy includes the identification of dystrophic skeletal muscle pathology and the immunohistochemical evaluation of dystrophin epitopes, but biopsies have become rare in recent years. However, the evaluation of dystrophin expression in the research setting has become critically important due to recent advances in genetic therapies, including exon skipping and gene therapy. Given the number of these therapies under evaluation in patients, it is likely that the traditional methods of evaluating dystrophinopathy will need to evolve in the near future. This review discusses current muscle biopsy diagnostic practices in dystrophinopathy and further focuses on how these practices have evolved in the context of therapeutic interventions for dystrophinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazima Shahnoor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA; , ,
| | - Emily M Siebers
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA; , ,
| | - Kristy J Brown
- Solid Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
| | - Michael W Lawlor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA; , ,
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Guiraud S, Roblin D, Kay DE. The potential of utrophin modulators for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/21678707.2018.1438261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Simon Guiraud
- Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Davies. E. Kay
- Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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