Quantitative neuroimaging biomarkers in a series of 20 adult patients with POLG mutations

Developing new treatments in partnership for primary mitochondrial disease: What does industry need from academics, and what do academics need from industry?

Developing novel therapeutics for primary mitochondrial disease is likely to require significant academia-industry collaboration. Translational assessments, a tool often used in industry at target validation stage, can highlight disease specific development challenges which requires focused collaborative effort. For PMD, definition of pivotal trial populations and primary endpoints is challenging given lack of clinical precedence, high numbers of subgroups with overlapping symptoms despite common genetics. Disease pathophysiology has not been systematically assessed simultaneously with outcomes in available natural history studies, resulting in a lack of pathophysiology biomarker utilization in clinical trials. Preclinical model systems are available to assist drug development efforts, although these may require better standardization and access. Multistakeholder precompetitive efforts have been used to progress disease pathophysiology biomarker and confirmatory clinical trial endpoint readiness in neurological disease with limited treatment options, such as rare familial Parkinson's disease. This type of approach may be beneficial for PMD therapeutic development, although requires significant funding and time, supported by industry and other funding bodies. Industry expertise on chemistry, data quality and drug development know-how is available to support academic drug development efforts. A combination of industry mindset-reduction of uncertainty to provide an indication statement supportable by evidence-together with academic approach-question-based studies to understand disease mechanisms and patients-has great potential to deliver novel PMD therapeutics.

Compound Heterozygosity for a Novel Frameshift Variant Causing Fatal Infantile Liver Failure and Genotype-Phenotype Correlation of POLG c.3286C>T Variant

A variant in the POLG gene is the leading cause of a heterogeneous group of mitochondrial disorders. No definitive treatment is currently available. Prenatal and newborn screening have the potential to improve clinical outcome of patients affected with POLG-related disorders. We reported a 4-month-old infant who presented with developmental delay, fever, and diarrhea. Within two weeks after hospital admission, the patient developed hepatic failure and died. Liver necropsy demonstrated an extensive loss of hepatocytes and bile duct proliferations. Trio-whole exome sequencing identified that the patient was compound heterozygous for a novel frameshift variant c.3102delG (p.Lys1035Serfs*59) and a common variant c.3286C>T (p.Arg1096Cys) in POLG (NM_002693.3) inherited from the mother and father, respectively. The c.3102delG (p.Lys1035Serfs*59) was a null variant and classified as pathogenic according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Standards and Guidelines. Prenatal genetic screenings using rapid whole exome sequencing successfully detected the heterozygous c.3286C>T variant in the following pregnancy and the normal alleles in the other one. Both children had been healthy. We reviewed all 34 cases identified with the POLG c.3286C>T variant and found that all 15 compound heterozygous cases had two missense variants except our patient who had the truncating variant and showed the earliest disease onset, rapid deterioration, and the youngest death. All homozygous cases had disease onset before age 2 and developed seizure. Here, we report a novel POLG variant expanding the genotypic spectrum, demonstrate the successful use of exome sequencing for prenatal and neonatal screenings of POLG-related disorders, and show the genotype-phenotype correlation of the common c.3286C>T variant.

Progressive cavitating leukoencephalopathy associated with a homozygous POLG mutation of 264C>G (p.F88L)

Progressive cavitating leukoencephalopathy is a childhood neurodegenerative syndrome characterized by brain MR imaging findings of patchy leukoencephalopathy with cavities and vascular permeability, initially affecting the corpus callosum and centrum semiovale, and eventually coalescing into large cystic regions of white matter. We report a case of progressive cavitating leukoencephalopathy in a 2-year-old female patient presenting as intermittent motor deficits which partially resolved over several months. Whole exome sequencing revealed a homozygous c.264C>G (p.F88L) POLG variant of uncertain pathogenicity which was potentially related to this presentation. Further testing and information are needed to prove the pathogenicity of this variant, but considering other studies which report similar genotypes in association with differing phenotypes, the current case report supports a possible pathogenicity. This case could therefore represent the first reported instance of progressive cavitating leukoencephalopathy in the presence of a POLG mutation.