1
|
Zhang Y, Chen X, Wang Q, Du C, Lu W, Yuan H, Zhang Z, Li D, Ling X, Ren X, Zhao Y, Su Q, Xing Z, Qin Y, Yang X, Shen Y, Wu H, Qi Y. Hyper-SUMOylation of SMN induced by SENP2 deficiency decreases its stability and leads to spinal muscular atrophy-like pathology. J Mol Med (Berl) 2021; 99:1797-1813. [PMID: 34628513 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-021-02130-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a degenerative motor neuron disease and a leading cause of infant mortality, is caused by loss of functional survival motor neuron (SMN) protein due to SMN1 gene mutation. Here, using mouse and cell models for behavioral and histological studies, we found that SENP2 (SUMO/sentrin-specific protease 2)-deficient mice developed a notable SMA-like pathology phenotype with significantly decreased muscle fibers and motor neurons. At the molecular level, SENP2 deficiency in mice did not affect transcription but decreased SMN protein levels by promoting the SUMOylation of SMN. SMN was modified by SUMO2 with the E3 PIAS2α and deconjugated by SENP2. SUMOylation of SMN accelerated its degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation pathway with the ubiquitin E1 UBA1 (ubiquitin-like modifier activating enzyme 1) and E3 ITCH. SUMOylation of SMN increased its acetylation to inhibit the formation of Cajal bodies (CBs). These results showed that SENP2 deficiency induced hyper-SUMOylation of the SMN protein, which further affected the stability and functions of the SMN protein, eventually leading to the SMA-like phenotype. Thus, we uncovered the important roles for hyper-SUMOylation of SMN induced by SENP2 deficiency in motor neurons and provided a novel targeted therapeutic strategy for SMA. KEY MESSAGES: SENP2 deficiency enhanced the hyper-SUMOylation of SMN and promoted the degradation of SMN by the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. SUMOylation increased the acetylation of SMN to inhibit CB formation. SENP2 deficiency caused hyper-SUMOylation of SMN protein, which further affected the stability and functions of SMN protein and eventually led to the occurrence of SMA-like pathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuhong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qiqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Congcong Du
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wenbin Lu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhenzhen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Danqing Li
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xing Ling
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiang Ren
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Qi Su
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhengcao Xing
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuanyuan Qin
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinyi Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yajie Shen
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hongmei Wu
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China.
| | - Yitao Qi
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Medicinal Resources and Natural Pharmaceutical Chemistry, National Engineering Laboratory for Resource Developing of Endangered Chinese Crude Drugs in Northwest of China, College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, Shaanxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Spinal muscular atrophy. Clinical and genetic examination and risk assessments in pregnancy planning (SMA) woman. КЛИНИЧЕСКАЯ ПРАКТИКА 2019. [DOI: 10.17816/clinpract10194-100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The resulted clinical example of genetic diagnostics of the causes of spinal muscular atrophy in a patient planning fertility. The revealed mutation made it possible to clarify the etiology and pathogenesis of the development of neuromuscular disorders, determine the prognosis of inheritance and prenatal diagnosis, and evaluate the possibilities of adequate treatment.
Collapse
|
3
|
Choi S, Calder AN, Miller EH, Anderson KP, Fiejtek DK, Rietz A, Li H, Cherry JJ, Quist KM, Xing X, Glicksman MA, Cuny GD, Lorson CL, Androphy EA, Hodgetts KJ. Optimization of a series of heterocycles as survival motor neuron gene transcription enhancers. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:5144-5148. [PMID: 29103974 PMCID: PMC5701662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.10.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results from mutations in the SMN1 gene, leading to survival motor neuron (SMN) protein deficiency. One therapeutic strategy for SMA is to identify compounds that enhance the expression of the SMN2 gene, which normally only is a minor contributor to functional SMN protein production, but which is unaffected in SMA. A recent high-throughput screening campaign identified a 3,4-dihydro-4-phenyl-2(1H)-quinolinone derivative (2) that increases the expression of SMN2 by 2-fold with an EC50 = 8.3 µM. A structure-activity relationship (SAR) study revealed that the array of tolerated substituents, on either the benzo portion of the quinolinone or the 4-phenyl, was very narrow. However, the lactam ring of the quinolinone was more amenable to modifications. For example, the quinazolinone (9a) and the benzoxazepin-2(3H)-one (19) demonstrated improved potency and efficacy for increase in SMN2 expression as compared to 2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sungwoon Choi
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alyssa N Calder
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eliza H Miller
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kierstyn P Anderson
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dawid K Fiejtek
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anne Rietz
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hongxia Li
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jonathan J Cherry
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kevin M Quist
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Xuechao Xing
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marcie A Glicksman
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gregory D Cuny
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christian L Lorson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Elliot A Androphy
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kevin J Hodgetts
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Rietz A, Li H, Quist KM, Cherry JJ, Lorson CL, Burnett BG, Kern NL, Calder AN, Fritsche M, Lusic H, Boaler PJ, Choi S, Xing X, Glicksman MA, Cuny GD, Androphy EJ, Hodgetts KJ. Discovery of a Small Molecule Probe That Post-Translationally Stabilizes the Survival Motor Neuron Protein for the Treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. J Med Chem 2017; 60:4594-4610. [PMID: 28481536 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the leading genetic cause of infant death. We previously developed a high-throughput assay that employs an SMN2-luciferase reporter allowing identification of compounds that act transcriptionally, enhance exon recognition, or stabilize the SMN protein. We describe optimization and characterization of an analog suitable for in vivo testing. Initially, we identified analog 4m that had good in vitro properties but low plasma and brain exposure in a mouse PK experiment due to short plasma stability; this was overcome by reversing the amide bond and changing the heterocycle. Thiazole 27 showed excellent in vitro properties and a promising mouse PK profile, making it suitable for in vivo testing. This series post-translationally stabilizes the SMN protein, unrelated to global proteasome or autophagy inhibition, revealing a novel therapeutic mechanism that should complement other modalities for treatment of SMA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne Rietz
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Hongxia Li
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Kevin M Quist
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Jonathan J Cherry
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Christian L Lorson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri , Columbia, Missouri 65201, United States
| | - Barrington G Burnett
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences , Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Nicholas L Kern
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Alyssa N Calder
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Melanie Fritsche
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Hrvoje Lusic
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Patrick J Boaler
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Sungwoon Choi
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Xuechao Xing
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Marcie A Glicksman
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Gregory D Cuny
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Elliot J Androphy
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - Kevin J Hodgetts
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School , 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gene activation of SMN by selective disruption of lncRNA-mediated recruitment of PRC2 for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E1509-E1518. [PMID: 28193854 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1616521114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive motor neuron loss and caused by mutations in SMN1 (Survival Motor Neuron 1). The disease severity inversely correlates with the copy number of SMN2, a duplicated gene that is nearly identical to SMN1. We have delineated a mechanism of transcriptional regulation in the SMN2 locus. A previously uncharacterized long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), SMN-antisense 1 (SMN-AS1), represses SMN2 expression by recruiting the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) to its locus. Chemically modified oligonucleotides that disrupt the interaction between SMN-AS1 and PRC2 inhibit the recruitment of PRC2 and increase SMN2 expression in primary neuronal cultures. Our approach comprises a gene-up-regulation technology that leverages interactions between lncRNA and PRC2. Our data provide proof-of-concept that this technology can be used to treat disease caused by epigenetic silencing of specific loci.
Collapse
|
6
|
Calder AN, Androphy EJ, Hodgetts KJ. Small Molecules in Development for the Treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy. J Med Chem 2016; 59:10067-10083. [PMID: 27490705 PMCID: PMC5744254 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease resulting from pathologically low levels of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein. The majority of mRNA from the SMN2 allele undergoes alternative splicing and excludes critical codons, causing an SMN protein deficiency. While there is currently no FDA-approved treatment for SMA, early therapeutic efforts have focused on testing repurposed drugs such as phenylbutyrate (2), valproic acid (3), riluzole (6), hydroxyurea (7), and albuterol (9), none of which has demonstrated clinical effectiveness. More recently, clinical trials have focused on novel small-molecule compounds identified from high-throughput screening and medicinal chemistry optimization such as olesoxime (11), CK-2127107, RG7800, LMI070, and RG3039 (17). In this paper, we review both repurposed drugs and small-molecule compounds discovered following medicinal chemistry optimization for the potential treatment of SMA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa N. Calder
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Elliot J. Androphy
- Department of Dermatology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Kevin J. Hodgetts
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery in Neurodegeneration, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 65 Landsdowne Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Cherry JJ, Kobayashi DT, Lynes MM, Naryshkin NN, Tiziano FD, Zaworski PG, Rubin LL, Jarecki J. Assays for the identification and prioritization of drug candidates for spinal muscular atrophy. Assay Drug Dev Technol 2015; 12:315-41. [PMID: 25147906 DOI: 10.1089/adt.2014.587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder resulting in degeneration of α-motor neurons of the anterior horn and proximal muscle weakness. It is the leading cause of genetic mortality in children younger than 2 years. It affects ∼1 in 11,000 live births. In 95% of cases, SMA is caused by homozygous deletion of the SMN1 gene. In addition, all patients possess at least one copy of an almost identical gene called SMN2. A single point mutation in exon 7 of the SMN2 gene results in the production of low levels of full-length survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein at amounts insufficient to compensate for the loss of the SMN1 gene. Although no drug treatments are available for SMA, a number of drug discovery and development programs are ongoing, with several currently in clinical trials. This review describes the assays used to identify candidate drugs for SMA that modulate SMN2 gene expression by various means. Specifically, it discusses the use of high-throughput screening to identify candidate molecules from primary screens, as well as the technical aspects of a number of widely used secondary assays to assess SMN messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression, localization, and function. Finally, it describes the process of iterative drug optimization utilized during preclinical SMA drug development to identify clinical candidates for testing in human clinical trials.
Collapse
|
8
|
Kaczmarek A, Schneider S, Wirth B, Riessland M. Investigational therapies for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2015; 24:867-81. [DOI: 10.1517/13543784.2015.1038341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kaczmarek
- 1University of Cologne, Institute of Human Genetics, Kerpener Str. 34, Cologne 50931, Germany ;
- 2University of Cologne, Institute for Genetics, Cologne, Germany
- 3University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Svenja Schneider
- 1University of Cologne, Institute of Human Genetics, Kerpener Str. 34, Cologne 50931, Germany ;
- 2University of Cologne, Institute for Genetics, Cologne, Germany
- 3University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Brunhilde Wirth
- 1University of Cologne, Institute of Human Genetics, Kerpener Str. 34, Cologne 50931, Germany ;
- 2University of Cologne, Institute for Genetics, Cologne, Germany
- 3University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Markus Riessland
- 1University of Cologne, Institute of Human Genetics, Kerpener Str. 34, Cologne 50931, Germany ;
- 2University of Cologne, Institute for Genetics, Cologne, Germany
- 3University of Cologne, Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wynne GM, Russell AJ. Drug Discovery Approaches for Rare Neuromuscular Diseases. ORPHAN DRUGS AND RARE DISEASES 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/9781782624202-00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Rare neuromuscular diseases encompass many diverse and debilitating musculoskeletal disorders, ranging from ultra-orphan conditions that affect only a few families, to the so-called ‘common’ orphan diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), which affect several thousand individuals worldwide. Increasingly, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, in an effort to improve productivity and rebuild dwindling pipelines, are shifting their business models away from the formerly popular ‘blockbuster’ strategy, with rare diseases being an area of increased focus in recent years. As a consequence of this paradigm shift, coupled with high-profile campaigns by not-for-profit organisations and patient advocacy groups, rare neuromuscular diseases are attracting considerable attention as new therapeutic areas for improved drug therapy. Much pioneering work has taken place to elucidate the underlying pathological mechanisms of many rare neuromuscular diseases. This, in conjunction with the availability of new screening technologies, has inspired the development of several truly innovative therapeutic strategies aimed at correcting the underlying pathology. A survey of medicinal chemistry approaches and the resulting clinical progress for new therapeutic agents targeting this devastating class of degenerative diseases is presented, using DMD and SMA as examples. Complementary strategies using small-molecule drugs and biological agents are included.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Graham M. Wynne
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| | - Angela J. Russell
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, University of Oxford 12 Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TA UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Adami R, Scesa G, Bottai D. Stem cell transplantation in neurological diseases: improving effectiveness in animal models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2014; 2:17. [PMID: 25364724 PMCID: PMC4206985 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2014.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurological diseases afflict a growing proportion of the human population. There are two reasons for this: first, the average age of the population (especially in the industrialized world) is increasing, and second, the diagnostic tools to detect these pathologies are now more sophisticated and can be used on a higher percentage of the population. In many cases, neurological disease has a pharmacological treatment which, as in the case of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy, and Multiple Sclerosis can reduce the symptoms and slow down the course of the disease but cannot reverse its effects or heal the patient. In the last two decades the transplantation approach, by means of stem cells of different origin, has been suggested for the treatment of neurological diseases. The choice of slightly different animal models and the differences in methods of stem cell preparation make it difficult to compare the results of transplantation experiments. Moreover, the translation of these results into clinical trials with human subjects is difficult and has so far met with little success. This review seeks to discuss the reasons for these difficulties by considering the differences between human and animal cells (including isolation, handling and transplantation) and between the human disease model and the animal disease model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raffaella Adami
- Department of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Milan Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Scesa
- Department of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Milan Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Bottai
- Department of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Milan Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Gassman A, Hao LT, Bhoite L, Bradford CL, Chien CB, Beattie CE, Manfredi JP. Small molecule suppressors of Drosophila kinesin deficiency rescue motor axon development in a zebrafish model of spinal muscular atrophy. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74325. [PMID: 24023935 PMCID: PMC3762770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Proximal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is the most common inherited motor neuropathy and the leading hereditary cause of infant mortality. Currently there is no effective treatment for the disease, reflecting a need for pharmacologic interventions that restore performance of dysfunctional motor neurons or suppress the consequences of their dysfunction. In a series of assays relevant to motor neuron biology, we explored the activities of a collection of tetrahydroindoles that were reported to alter the metabolism of amyloid precursor protein (APP). In Drosophila larvae the compounds suppressed aberrant larval locomotion due to mutations in the Khc and Klc genes, which respectively encode the heavy and light chains of kinesin-1. A representative compound of this class also suppressed the appearance of axonal swellings (alternatively termed axonal spheroids or neuritic beads) in the segmental nerves of the kinesin-deficient Drosophila larvae. Given the importance of kinesin-dependent transport for extension and maintenance of axons and their growth cones, three members of the class were tested for neurotrophic effects on isolated rat spinal motor neurons. Each compound stimulated neurite outgrowth. In addition, consistent with SMA being an axonopathy of motor neurons, the three axonotrophic compounds rescued motor axon development in a zebrafish model of SMA. The results introduce a collection of small molecules as pharmacologic suppressors of SMA-associated phenotypes and nominate specific members of the collection for development as candidate SMA therapeutics. More generally, the results reinforce the perception of SMA as an axonopathy and suggest novel approaches to treating the disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Gassman
- Sera Prognostics, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Le T. Hao
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Leena Bhoite
- Technology Commercialization Office, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Chad L. Bradford
- Sera Prognostics, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Chi-Bin Chien
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Christine E. Beattie
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - John P. Manfredi
- Sfida BioLogic, Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Shababi M, Lorson CL, Rudnik-Schöneborn SS. Spinal muscular atrophy: a motor neuron disorder or a multi-organ disease? J Anat 2013; 224:15-28. [PMID: 23876144 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disorder that is the leading genetic cause of infantile death. SMA is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the ventral horn of the spinal cord, leading to weakness and muscle atrophy. SMA occurs as a result of homozygous deletion or mutations in Survival Motor Neuron-1 (SMN1). Loss of SMN1 leads to a dramatic reduction in SMN protein, which is essential for motor neuron survival. SMA disease severity ranges from extremely severe to a relatively mild adult onset form of proximal muscle atrophy. Severe SMA patients typically die mostly within months or a few years as a consequence of respiratory insufficiency and bulbar paralysis. SMA is widely known as a motor neuron disease; however, there are numerous clinical reports indicating the involvement of additional peripheral organs contributing to the complete picture of the disease in severe cases. In this review, we have compiled clinical and experimental reports that demonstrate the association between the loss of SMN and peripheral organ deficiency and malfunction. Whether defective peripheral organs are a consequence of neuronal damage/muscle atrophy or a direct result of SMN loss will be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monir Shababi
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Cherry JJ, Osman EY, Evans MC, Choi S, Xing X, Cuny GD, Glicksman MA, Lorson CL, Androphy EJ. Enhancement of SMN protein levels in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy using novel drug-like compounds. EMBO Mol Med 2013; 5:1103-18. [PMID: 23740718 PMCID: PMC3721476 DOI: 10.1002/emmm.201202305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive muscle weakness, which primarily targets proximal muscles. About 95% of SMA cases are caused by the loss of both copies of the SMN1 gene. SMN2 is a nearly identical copy of SMN1, which expresses much less functional SMN protein. SMN2 is unable to fully compensate for the loss of SMN1 in motor neurons but does provide an excellent target for therapeutic intervention. Increased expression of functional full-length SMN protein from the endogenous SMN2 gene should lessen disease severity. We have developed and implemented a new high-throughput screening assay to identify small molecules that increase the expression of full-length SMN from a SMN2 reporter gene. Here, we characterize two novel compounds that increased SMN protein levels in both reporter cells and SMA fibroblasts and show that one increases lifespan, motor function, and SMN protein levels in a severe mouse model of SMA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan J Cherry
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
14
|
Gogliotti RG, Cardona H, Singh J, Bail S, Emery C, Kuntz N, Jorgensen M, Durens M, Xia B, Barlow C, Heier CR, Plasterer HL, Jacques V, Kiledjian M, Jarecki J, Rusche J, DiDonato CJ. The DcpS inhibitor RG3039 improves survival, function and motor unit pathologies in two SMA mouse models. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:4084-101. [PMID: 23736298 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is caused by insufficient levels of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein due to the functional loss of the SMN1 gene and the inability of its paralog, SMN2, to fully compensate due to reduced exon 7 splicing efficiency. Since SMA patients have at least one copy of SMN2, drug discovery campaigns have sought to identify SMN2 inducers. C5-substituted quinazolines increase SMN2 promoter activity in cell-based assays and a derivative, RG3039, has progressed to clinical testing. It is orally bioavailable, brain-penetrant and has been shown to be an inhibitor of the mRNA decapping enzyme, DcpS. Our pharmacological characterization of RG3039, reported here, demonstrates that RG3039 can extend survival and improve function in two SMA mouse models of varying disease severity (Taiwanese 5058 Hemi and 2B/- SMA mice), and positively impacts neuromuscular pathologies. In 2B/- SMA mice, RG3039 provided a >600% survival benefit (median 18 days to >112 days) when dosing began at P4, highlighting the importance of early intervention. We determined the minimum effective dose and the associated pharmacokinetic (PK) and exposure relationship of RG3039 and DcpS inhibition ex vivo. These data support the long PK half-life with extended pharmacodynamic outcome of RG3039 in 2B/- SMA mice. In motor neurons, RG3039 significantly increased both the average number of cells with gems and average number of gems per cell, which is used as an indirect measure of SMN levels. These studies contribute to dose selection and exposure estimates for the first studies with RG3039 in human subjects.
Collapse
|
15
|
|